Shares in the micro-blogging site Twitter closed at $44.90, up more than 73% from their initial price of $26 each.

That means after its first day as a public company, Twitter is now valued at a little over $31bn (£19bn).

More than 13 million shares were traded once they became available an hour after the New York Stock Exchange opened.

It is the biggest technology listing since Facebook in 2012.

Twitter floated on the NYSE and not, as some initially expected, the technology-rich Nasdaq exchange, where the likes of Facebook are listed.

It was a big win for the NYSE, which decorated its exterior with banners promoting the offering on Thursday.

Twitter has more than 230 million users, but is yet to make a profit.

Rollercoaster ride

Shares in newly-listed companies are often volatile on their first day of trading.

Within minutes, Twitter's stock price soared more than 80% before closing just below its initial opening price of $45.10 per share.

When Facebook launched on Nasdaq, its shares were priced initially at $38 each. The stock soared within hours of its debut to a high of $45. But its price later slumped.

It only recovered those losses by 11 September 2013, when shares again touched $45.

Its initial public offering (IPO) was also marred by technological glitches and delays.

To prevent Twitter's stock sale from having a similar fate, the NYSE ran tests on 26 October using larger-than-normal share volumes.