LinkedIn ( NYSE: LNKD ) set a price for IPO offerings at $ 45 per share, 30 % above than initial target of $ 32 to $ 35 a share. Shares of the company will start trading at NYSE under the ticker of LNKD from today ( Thursday May 19 2011 ). It will be first US based social networking site to be listed on US stock markets in NYSE. 

Earlier, company was planning to offer a share at $ 32 to $ 35 which was calculated as 12 times of its 2010 sales. Another Chinese Social networking site Renren Inc ( NYSE: RENN ) was listed couple of week ago on NYSE and company has offered a price of $ 12 to $ 14 per share that is 78 times its 2010 sales. Renren Inc was listed on NYSE and traded well above $ 20 on first day, but after announcements of LinkedIn price offerings, Renren Inc's stock has retreated more than 50 % and slipped below its issue price. Read More.

The pricing completed late Wednesday marks the final step before LinkedIn's shares are available in the public market for the first time in the company's eight-year history.

Analysts are expecting that stock will jump today after listing, although LinkedIn is offering shares 30 % above that earlier target price of $32 to $ 34.

The IPO puts a $4.3 billion market value on LinkedIn, the highest for a U.S. Internet company taking its first bow on Wall Street since Google went public nearly seven years ago.

(Source: Associated Press )