2011 revenue: $71.7 billion
10-year annualized return: -32.5%
In 2008, after suffering huge losses amid the financial crisis, the U.S. government agreed to help AIG get back on its feet with a $180 billion bailout. Since then, the insurer has been slowly repaying that loan and spinning off units to raise capital and help it focus on its core insurance business. In March 2011, AIG and the Treasury Department sold $8.7 billion worth of shares in a public offering, resulting in a slight profit for taxpayers.
Executives are optimistic about the future. For the full year 2011, AIG earned a net income of $17.8 billion, higher than the $7.8 billion the previous year. The government currently owns about 77% of AIG, down from the 92% it owned the previous year. And in November, its board of directors agreed to a $1 billion share buyback, a sign that executives think its stock is undervalued.
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