Apple overtook Microsoft in terms of market capitalization in May and is now close to beating the software giant in earnings, Fortune magazine reported Monday.

According to Thomson Reuters analysis, Apple is expected to achieve second-quarter sales of US$14.62 billion and a net profit of $2.85 billion. Microsoft's second-quarter sales are projected to total $15.26 billion, while its net profit is expected to be $4.1 billion.

The difference between Apple's and Microsoft's quarterly sales is less than $1billion, so if Apple performs better than expected there is a chance that it will take the lead. In the first quarter, Apple's sales totaled $13.5 billion, while Microsoft achieved $14.5 billion.

Even if Apple fails to overtake Microsoft for the second quarter, it may achieve the feat in the third. Analysts expect Apple's third-quarter sales to total $16.81 billion as against Microsoft's $15.16 billion.