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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
A customer counts dollar notes in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Eight years ago Industrial and Commercial Bank of China ranked 32nd among the world's top 1,000 banks by Tier-1 capital, which is mostly common stock and retained earnings, according to The Economist.

Within less than a decade the whole picture has changed. Notwithstanding China's recent financial hiccups, the country now boasts four of the world's 10 biggest banks and 96 of the top 1,000, it says.

Let's take a look at 12 biggest banks in the world, according to recent figures released by The Banker.

Source: The Economist

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
A branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in Beijing.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China

Headquarters: Beijing

Country: China

Total capital: $161 billion

Total assets: $2.8 trillion

Overall rank: 1

At the end of 2011, ICBC had 408,859 employees under payroll. It provides a wide range of financial products and services to 4.11 million corporate clients and 282 million individual customers through 16,648 outlets across China, 239 overseas subsidiaries and a global network of more than 1,669 correspondent banks as well as Internet banking, telephone banking and self-service banking.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
JP Morgan Chase & Company headquarters in New York.

JP Morgan Chase & Company

Headquarters: New York City

Country: The United States

Total capital: $160 billion

Total assets: $2.4 trillion

Overall rank: 2

JPMorgan Chase & Company is one of the oldest, largest and best-known financial institutions in the world. The firm's legacy dates back to 1799 when its earliest predecessor was chartered in New York City.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
Bank of America's centre in New York's financial district.

Bank of America

Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina

Country: The United States

Total capital: $158 billion

Total assets: $2.2 trillion

Overall rank: 3

When Bank of America's earliest predecessor, the Massachusetts Bank, opened for business on July 5, 1784, the United States Constitution had yet to be adopted. The inauguration of George Washington as the nation’s first President would not take place for another five years. John Hancock signed the bank’s charter in his role as Massachusetts governor, making it the second bank to receive a state charter and one of only three commercial banks in existence in the US at the time.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
A branch of HSBC bank near Westminster Abbey in central London.

HSBC

Headquarters: London

Country: The United Kingdom

Total capital: $152 billion

Total assets: $2.7 trillion

Overall rank: 4

Headquartered in London, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world. HSBC's international network comprises around 6,600 offices in over 81 countries and territories in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Americas, Middle East and Africa.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
China Construction Bank's headquarters in Beijing.

China Construction Bank

Headquarters: Beijing

Country: China

Total capital: $138 billion

Total assets: $2.2 trillion

Overall rank: 5

At the end of 2011, China Construction Bank had a network of 13,581 branches and sub-branches in China, maintained overseas branches in Hong Kong, Singapore, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Tokyo, Seoul, New York, Ho Chi Minh City and Sydney, and representative offices in Taipei and Moscow.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
A Citibank branch in New York.

Citigroup

Headquarters: New York City

Country: The United States

Total capital: $136 billion

Total assets: $1.9 trillion

Overall rank: 6

Citi, one of the leading global bank, has about 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
A branch of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group in Tokyo.

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group

Headquarters: Tokyo

Country: Japan

Total capital: $130 billion

Total assets: $2.7 trillion

Overall rank: 7

MUFG manages the affairs of its subsidiaries within the Mitsubishi and the business of the group as a whole along with all relevant ancillary business.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
A man walks past a Wells Fargo branch in Washington, DC.

Wells Fargo

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Country: The United States

Total capital: $127 billion

Total assets: $1.4 trillion

Overall rank: 8

Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services company providing banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores and more than 12,000 ATMs and the Internet across North America and internationally.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
Bank of China's branch in Beijing.

Bank of China

Headquarters: Beijing

Country: China

Total capital: $122 billion

Total assets: $2.0 trillion

Overall rank: 9

As China's most international and diversified bank, Bank of China provides a comprehensive range of financial services to customers across the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and 36 overseas countries. The bank's core business is commercial banking, including corporate banking, personal banking and financial markets services.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
Agricultural Bank of China's Shenzhen headquarters in the southern Chinese Guangdong province.

Agricultural Bank of China

Headquarters: Beijing

Country: China

Total capital: $115 billion

Total assets: $2.1 trillion

Overall rank: 10

It had 23,472 domestic branch outlets, including the head office, the business department of the head office, three specialised institutions managed by the head office, 37 tier-1 branches (including branches directly managed by the head office), 348 tier-2 branches (including business departments of branches in provinces), 3,482 tier-1 sub-branches (including business departments in municipalities, business departments of branches directly managed by the head office and business departments of tier-2 branches), and 19,600 other establishments.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
Paris headquarters of the BNP Paribas bank near the entrance to the Richelieu-Drouot Metro station in the French capital.

BNP Paribas

Headquarters: Paris

Country: France

Total capital: $99 billion

Total assets: $2.5 trillion

Overall rank: 11

With a presence in 80 countries, including all the main international financial markets, BNP Paribas can boast one of the most extensive global banking networks. The mutually complementary nature of its commercial and financial activities also enables BNP Paribas to play an outstanding role in the provision of corporate and investment banking, private banking and asset management.

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12 banks that have largest capital in the world

July 12, 2013 10:47 IST
A logo from a Royal Bank of Scotland branch is reflected on a window in the City of London.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Headquarters: Edinburgh

Country: Scotland

Total capital: $87 billion

Total assets: $2.1 trillion

Overall rank: 12

The RBS group is a large international banking and financial services company. From its headquarters in Edinburgh, the group serves over 30 million customers in the United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, Americas and Asia.