ALBAWABA - Saudi Arabia's national oil company, Saudi Aramco, could regain its position as the leader in public offerings if reports of its $50 billion stock offering are confirmed. This would surpass the previous record set by the Chinese billionaire Jack Ma's "Ant Group," which raised over $34 billion in 2020, as well as Saudi Aramco's own historic initial public offering (IPO) that raised approximately $29.4 billion.
This news was reported by the American newspaper "The Wall Street Journal," and while final decisions have not been made, the offering may occur before the end of the year, according to the report. It's worth noting that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman revealed in April 2021 that the kingdom was in talks with foreign investors, whose names were not disclosed, regarding the sale of stakes in Aramco, with options including acquiring a one percent stake by a leading global energy company.
Here are the top 10 historic public offerings:
"Ant Group," a subsidiary of the Chinese Alibaba Group, topped the list of historic public offerings, raising $34 billion in October 2020.
"Saudi Aramco," which raised around $29.4 billion in December 2019, holds the second position. Its market capitalization is approximately $2.2 trillion as of September 4, 2023.
"SoftBank Group," a Japanese multinational holding conglomerate, raised approximately $21.3 billion in December 2018, with a market value of around $54.8 billion.
"NTT Mobile," based in Tokyo, which commands nearly 57 percent of Japan's mobile phone market, raised about $18.1 billion in October 1998.
"Visa," specializing in digital payments and with a market capitalization of around $505 billion, raised approximately $17.4 billion in March 2008.
"AIA Group," an insurance and finance company headquartered in Hong Kong, considered the largest listed life insurance group in Asia-Pacific, raised about $17.8 billion in October 2010.
"Enel," an Italian energy company, raised around $16.4 billion in November 1999, with a market capitalization of $67.9 billion as of September 4, 2023.
"Meta," owned by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, raised about $16 billion in May 2012.
"General Motors," an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, USA, raised approximately $15.8 billion in November 2010.
The state-owned "Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC)," founded in 1984, raised $14 billion in October 2006. Its current market value is approximately $223.3 billion.
