The Globe and Mail

Agricultural Bank of China's share offering in July, 2010, was the largest in history, raising $22.1-billion (U.S.).

Flush with $21.9-billion (U.S.) in cash from its IPO in October, 2006, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China went on an ambitious foreign expansion.

Shares of American International Group Inc.’s (AIG) Asian life-insurance unit were in such demand that AIG decided to close the IPO two days earlier than scheduled. It raised $20.5-billion (U.S.) in October, 2010, higher than the $15-billion it had expected.

Visa Inc. buyers paid $19.6-billion (U.S.) when the U.S. company priced its initial public offering in March, 2008.

A banner hangs at the front of the General Motors Co world headquarters in Detroit announcing GM's return to the New York Stock Exchange in November, 2010. The auto maker raised $18.1-billion (U.S.) after pricing shares at the top of the proposed range in response to huge investor demand.

NTT DoCoMo is one of Japan’s leading providers of mobile and data services. Shares went public in Tokyo back in 1998, raising $18.1-billion (U.S.)

Enel SpA's Andrea Palladio Fusina plant in Venice. Enel is a former nationalized energy company in Italy, which has never been listed on U.S. exchanges. Proceeds from the 1999 IPO totalled $16.6-billion (U.S.).

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. president Satoshi Miura. The Japanese company raised $13.7-billion (U.S.) in its 1987 IPO.

The launch of Deutsche Telekom shares on the DAX index in 1996 was Europe's biggest stock offering at the time, with proceeds of $12.5-billion (U.S.).

Proceeds from the initial public offering by the Bank of China topped $11.1-billion (U.S.) in 2006.