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The Treasury Department said Monday that it plans to sell up to 1.5 billion shares of Citigroup stock, its latest move to unwind the support it provided big banks during the financial crisis....

The Treasury Department said Monday it will begin selling the stake it owns in Citigroup Inc., which could result in a profit to the government of about $7.5 billion. Government received 7.7B shares in exchange for $25B it gave the banking firm during credit crisis.

China gave up its title to Japan as the largest holder of U.S. Treasury securities in December as foreigners bought U.S. assets at a brisk pace.

The department persuaded some big banks to pay more than market estimates to repurchase warrants issued to the government during the financial crisis, suggesting taxpayers could benefit from costly financial-rescue programs.

Central bank will return the money to the Treasury; bank's unconventional efforts to prop up the economy created windfall for the government.