FACTBOX-TOP U.S. IPOs of 2008

 Dec 31 (Reuters) - Wednesday's closing bell ended one of the most difficult
years ever for U.S. initial public offerings, as nervous investors avoided
stocks of unknown, new companies.

 There were only 29 deals, yielding $26.4 billion in 2008, according to
Thomson Reuters data, a dollar volume drop of 43 percent from 2007.

 Had it not been for the blockbuster IPO by credit-card issuer Visa Inc
V.N, the biggest ever in the United States, it would have been the worst year
since 1990. As it was, it was the slowest since 2003. For more on the year in
IPOs, please see [ID:nN19394595].

 As the year wore on, market conditions worsened. After IPOs from companies
such as solar equipment maker GT Solar International Inc SOLR.O and
web-hosting company Rackspace Hosting Inc RAX.N, which saw their shares fall
as soon as they went public, the IPO market went into a 15-week spell without a
deal, its worst drought since the 1970s.

 The IPO by online university operator Grand Canyon Education Inc LOPE.O
in November broke that streak, though there has not been another since then,
and there are currently no others scheduled.

 The markets proved too difficult for many companies, with 110 canceling
IPOs they had estimated to raise $17.27 billion, above the 71 deals pulled in
2007.

 Only six IPOs of the 29 in the class of 2008 are still trading above their
offer price.

 Here is a list of the 2008 IPOs by U.S. companies that raised at least $50
million and trade on a U.S. exchange, ranked in decreasing size order.
Date     Name                   Proceeds  Offer Price  Price Change Over Offer

                             ($mlns)               (12/31)      (PCT)
03/18/08 Visa                    19,650.4     44.00     52.45      +19.2
04/22/08 American Water Works AWK.N:

                               1,358.2     21.50     20.88      -2.88
04/21/08 Intrepid Potash IPI.N  1,104.0     32.00     20.77      -35.1
07/23/08 GT Solar International     500.0     16.50      2.89      -82.5
05/07/08 Colfax Corp CFX.N        388.1     18.00     10.39      -42.3
01/17/08 Williams Pipeline Partners LP  WMB.N:

                                 358.0     20.00     14.17      -29.2
05/08/08 Western Gas Partners LP WES.N

                                 343.4     16.50     12.83      -22.2
01/24/08 RiskMetrics Group<RMG.N    281.8     17.50     14.89      -14.9
04/24/08 Hatteras FinancialHTS.N  276.0     24.00     26.60      +10.8
04/24/08 Whiting USA Trust I WHX.N233.6     20.00     10.88      -45.6
05/14/08 American Capital Agency Corp AGNC.O:

                                 200.0     20.00     21.36       +6.8
06/17/08 RHI Entertainment RHIE.O 189.0     14.00      8.12      -42.0
08/07/08 Rackspace Hosting          187.5     12.50      5.38      -57.0
04/30/08 Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners LP PSE.N:

                                 180.3     19.00     13.70      -27.9
05/14/08 Verso Paper Corp VRS.N   168.0     12.00      1.03      -91.4
11/19/08 Grand Canyon Education Inc 144.9     12.00     18.78      +56.5
06/11/08 Fifth Street Finance Corp FSC.N:

                                 141.2     14.12      7.55      -46.5
07/01/08 Energy Recovery ERII.O   136.9      8.50      7.58      -10.8
01/25/08 IPC The HospitalistIPCM.O 83.2     16.00     16.83       +5.2
03/18/08 CardioNet Inc   BEAT.O    82.8     18.00     24.65      +36.9
02/14/08 ArcSight Inc ARST.O       61.8      9.00      8.01      -11.0
05/08/08 Real Goods Solar  RSOL.O  55.0     10.00      3.65      -63.5
02/14/08 MAKO Surgical Corp MAKO.O 51.0     10.00      6.68      -33.2

 Source: Thomson Reuters data as of close of markets, Dec. 31, 2008.
 (Reporting by Phil Wahba)