There were record first day returns for companies offering their shares to the public on European exhanges last year.
Initial public offerings (IPO's) raised €66 billion in Europe, nearly two times the amount raised on US markets in 2006, according to a study by consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers.
There were 651 initial offerings in Europe last year, compared to 224 in the US, where €36.3 billion was raised.
In China there were 137 IPO's in the year with €47.4 billion raised from the first sale of shares in newly listed companies.
In the fourth quarter of 2006, €25.7 billion was raised in Europe.
PWC said it expects a flourishing IPO market in 2007, provided the markets are not disrupted by an event of global significance.
The study found that international companies preferred to list in London over New York, as 91 foreign firms listed in the capital compared with 22 that opted for Wall Street.
