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The biggest public offering? Agricultural Bank of China with proceeds of $22.1-billion (U.S.). Many of the top share issues as listed by Thomson Reuters took place on international exchanges.

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

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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.Reuters

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

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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.Reuters

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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.)Reuters

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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.).Reuters

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

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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.).Reuters

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

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