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The Largest IPOs In US History

Paul Toscano@paul.toscano@ToscanoPaul
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The Largest IPOs In US History

Last year (2008) was an extremely quiet one for initial public offerings, with only 21 IPOs hitting the market. By comparison, 159 took place in 2007. Recently, there has been a relative flurry of IPO activity; three of the four IPOs on US exchanges this year have hit in the past two weeks: Rosetta Stone (RST), Changyou.com (CYOU) and Bridgepoint Education (BPI). April 2009 is already the most active month since July 2008. Thus far, however, all the IPOs this year have been tiny by historical st
Source: IPOHome.com

Last year (2008) was an extremely quiet one for initial public offerings, with only 21 IPOs hitting the market. By comparison, 159 took place in 2007.

Recently, there has been a relative flurry of IPO activity; three of the four IPOs on US exchanges this year have hit in the past two weeks: Rosetta Stone (RST), Changyou.com (CYOU) and Bridgepoint Education (BPI). April 2009 is already the most active month since July 2008. Thus far, however, all the IPOs this year have been tiny by historical standards.

Click ahead to see the ten biggest on record.

By Paul ToscanoPosted 16 Apr 2009

10. Agere Systems

Capital Raised: $3.6 billionIPO Date: 3/27/01
Photo: AP

Capital Raised: $3.6 billion
IPO Date: 3/27/01

9. Goldman Sachs

Capital Raised: $3.7 billionIPO Date: 5/3/99
Photo: AP

Capital Raised: $3.7 billion
IPO Date: 5/3/99

8. Travelers Insurance

Capital Raised: $3.9 billionIPO Date: 3/21/02
Photo: AP

Capital Raised: $3.9 billion
IPO Date: 3/21/02

7. Blackstone Group

Capital Raised: $4.1 billionIPO Date: 6/21/07
Photo: AP

Capital Raised: $4.1 billion
IPO Date: 6/21/07

6. Conoco

Capital Raised: $4.4 billionIPO Date: 10/21/98
Photo: AP

Capital Raised: $4.4 billion
IPO Date: 10/21/98

5. CIT Group

Capital Raised: $4.6 billionIPO Date: 7/1/02
Photo: Ernst Moeksis

Capital Raised: $4.6 billion
IPO Date: 7/1/02*

CIT Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on 11/1/09, in the 5th largest US bankruptcy filing of all time.

4. UPS

Capital Raised: $5.5 billionIPO Date: 11/9/99
Photo: AP

Capital Raised: $5.5 billion
IPO Date: 11/9/99

3. Kraft Foods

Capital Raised: $8.7 billionIPO Date: 6/12/01
Photo: AP

Capital Raised: $8.7 billion
IPO Date: 6/12/01

2. AT&T

Capital Raised: $10.6 billionIPO Date: 4/26/00
Photo: AP

Capital Raised: $10.6 billion
IPO Date: 4/26/00

1. Visa

Capital Raised: $17.9 billionIPO Date: 3/19/08
Photo: AP

Capital Raised: $17.9 billion
IPO Date: 3/19/08