A surge in Microsoft Corp’s shares nearly unseated Apple Inc. as the world’s most valuable company on Wednesday, a day before the iPhone maker reports its quarterly results. Fueled by strong quarterly growth in its Azure cloud-computing business, Microsoft’s shares jumped 4.2 percent to end at a record $323.17, elevating the software maker’s market capitalization to $2.426 trillion, just short of Apple’s $2.461 trillion valuation, according to Refinitiv data. Apple’s shares dipped 0.3 percent ahead of its report due after the bell on Thursday, with investors focused on how the global supply-chain crisis is challenging the company’s ability to meet demand for its iPhones. Microsoft’s stock has rallied 45 percent this year, with pandemic-induced demand for its cloud-based services driving sales. Shares of Apple have climbed 12 percent in 2021. Apple’s stock market value overtook Microsoft’s in 2010 as the iPhone made it the world’s premier consumer technology company. The two companies have …