NEW YORK — Chinese e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba will say “open sesame” to the New York Stock Exchange on Friday, as its shares begin trading in a highly anticipated debut that could raise up to $25 billion.

The company priced its initial public offering of stock Thursday evening at $68 per share, the top end of the expected price range, according to Alibaba. The shares will trade under the ticker “BABA” on the NYSE. The IPO values Alibaba at $167.62 billion. That’s bigger than the current market value of companies such as Amazon, Cisco, and eBay.

The company has enjoyed a surge in U.S. popularity over the past two weeks as investors met with executives, including its colorful founder Jack Ma. As part of the so-called roadshow, would-be investors heard a sales pitch that centered on Alibaba’s strong revenue growth and seemingly endless possibilities for expansion. Demand has been so high that the company raised its expected offering price to $66 to $68 per share from $60 to $66 per share on Monday, setting the stage for what could be the biggest ever IPO.

Alibaba said it is offering 320.1 million shares for a total offering size of $21.77 billion. Underwriters have a 30-day option to buy up to about 48 million more shares. That means the offering size could be as much as $25 billion.

The main reason investors appear breathless about the 15-year old Alibaba: It offers an investment vehicle that taps into China’s burgeoning middle-class.