VIDEO Steve Jobs 32 Years Ago; Now Apple Considered Most Valuable Company on Earth

Steve Jobs prepping for his first TV appearance. He’s amazed when he sees himself on a nearby monitor and that people in New York will see the telecast.

Since the Jan. 18 report with Apple reporting it sold a record 16 million iPhones last quarter and nearly doubled the sales of iPads, at least five investmentk firms have raised their 12-month forecast on the stock to an average price of $467, or a 32 percent increase. At that level, Apple’s market value would total $433.7 billion, flying past Exxon Mobil’s current market value of $423.2 billion.

After underestimating iPhone and iPad sales for 2010, analysts as a group have upped their numbers for Apple this year more than any other tech company, according to analysis by Bespoke Investment Group.

The catalyst driving the optimism is the launch of the iPhone 4 on the Verizon network this Thursday. Verizon stores open at 7:00 a.m. tomorrow with limited supplies of Verizon Wireless iPhones expected to fly out the door.

Ticonderoga Securities, the most optimistic of analysts, targets Apple at $550, due to future sales in China.