The China Construction Bank Corporation (CCB) said Thursday its total initial public offering (IPO) increased to an equivalent of 9.23 billion US dollars after its sponsors issued an additional about 3.97 billion shares, the biggest-ever IPO of any bank.

The bank issued a combined 30.5 billion shares, accounting for 13.5 percent of its enlarged equities, a bank spokesman said.

The CCB's IPO is also the biggest-ever of any Chinese enterprise and the biggest in global markets in more than five years.

CCB took the lead among China's Big Four state banks to get listed in the Hong Kong stock exchange two weeks ago. It rose 4.3 percent to 2.45 Hong Kong dollars per share at Wednesday's closing.  
 
(Xinhua News Agency November 10, 2005)