Apple doesn’t need any more free publicity. But here I go anyway.

After blowing past Wall Street’s estimates with yet another record-breaking quarter, Apple finds itself wearing the tiara as the nation’s most valuable company.

Apple’s rising stock price has it jockeying with Exxon Mobil to claim the top spot, according to the Associated Press. Apple said late Tuesday that profits in its most recent quarter more than doubled, while revenue was up 73%.

And there’s apparently more to come. Business Insider reports that unlike last year, when Apple had only two major product launches (the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S), this year could feature at least three mega-launches, all of which might represent quantum leaps over their predecessors.

These include the iPad 3, expected in February or March; the iPhone 5, expected this summer; and a newfangled iTV for the holidays.

All of this probably leaves more than a few people wondering: Why didn’t I buy Apple’s stock before the darn iPod was released?

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