GM IPO Today May Be Largest in U.S. History

General Motors much anticipated initial public offering will price today.

The company revised the IPO by 31% and could raise as much as $22.7 billion dollars, making ith the largest stock offering in U.S. history. The automaker raised it's common stock price range just yesterday, and upped the preferred shares to $4 billion dollars. The company received share orders for it's common stock worth $70 billion dollars.

The auto company sought a government bail out just 16 months ago. GM received $50 billion in taxpayer dollars, and hopes to repay the feds as soon as possible.

GM Increases IPO Size Ahead of Today's Sale

"Businessweek.com is reporting that General Motors' IPO may end up raising $15.8 billion after the Treasury and United Auto Workers' retiree healthcare trust increased the shares they are selling.

In what would be the second largest initial sale in U.S. history behind Visa's $19.7 billion sale in March 2008, GM's IPO has now been upped to 478 million shares, a 31% increase, and prices of shares are as high as $33/share.

Overallotment and an offering of preferred shares may increase the total amount raised to around $22.7 billion, a step closer to CEO Dan Akerson's goal of returning the $49.5 billion taxpayer bailout the company received in 2009."

Closing Bell Wrap-Up: November 17, 2010

"Last updated November 17, 2010: 4:15 PM ET --- The major U.S. equity indices closed mixed Wednesday, following a Federal Reserve announcement that banks will have to undergo new stress tests to prove they can hold strong during a recession or major borrower default.

The Fed's examiners will look at 19 previously tested banks. The firms under the looking glass include Citigroup (NYSE:C), JP Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) and Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE:WFC). All called upon banks must file for the stress tests by January 7, 2011.

In corporate news, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. (NYSE:BJ) reported a year-over-year boost of 8.6% to its Q3 net sales.. coming in at $7.84 billion. The firm's quarterly net income posted at $23.0 million, or $0.43 per share, up from $17.4 million, or $0.32 per share, in the year-ago period.

Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) also reported Q3 earnings. The store posted EPS of $0.74, a 28.5% increase from $0.58 in the year-ago period. Net earnings for the quarter rose from $436 million in 2009, to $535 million. Sales rose 3% year-over-year to $15.2 billion and gross margin declined from 30.8% in the year-ago period to 30.6%.

Taking a look at the major U.S. indices...The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) closed 0.14% lower at 11,007.88, the S&P500 (INX) closed 0.02% higher at 1,178.59, and the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) closed 0.25% higher at 2,476.01."