Bank of China

ABOUT THIS COMPANY:

Chinese champion

When Bank of China (BOC) went public on the Hong Kong stock exchange in June 2006, it raised US$9.7 billion, the biggest global offering since the debut of AT&T Wireless in 2000. The massive numbers far eclipsed many of the most hyped U.S. IPOs of recent years and increased the already significant buzz about the rise of China's financial prominence in the world. It is estimated that one in every six Hong Kong residents bought shares of the bank when it first went public.

Bank of China serves retail and corporate customers, as well as providing treasury services for financial institutions and individuals which include currency trading and investment, wealth management, value-secured debt business and financing services. For its retail customers, the bank offers standard banking services such as savings deposits and wealth management services. It also offers credit card services with the "Great Wall" card, which was the first credit card to enter the mainland Chinese market when it was established in 1986. The bank's international financial services include inter-bank lending, insurance, and agent and custodian services.

In addition to having branches located throughout China, BOC also operates across the Asia Pacific region in countries such as Australia, Bahrain, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Globally, BOC has outposts in North and South America, Africa, and European countries such as the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Russia. In 2009, BOC ranked No. 145 on Fortune's Global 500 list of the world’s largest corporations. As of September 2009, it had RMB 8.3 trillion in assets.