** Shares of buy now, pay later lender Klarna KLAR.N pop in debut after long-awaited IPO priced above range
** KLAR shares opened at $52 before ending Weds at $45.82, up 14.6%, and valuing co just north of $17 bln
** Swedish fintech and existing investors late Tues announced selling 34.3 mln shares at $40 for total gross raise of ~$1.4 bln
** Klarna was valued around $46 bln at its peak in 2021
** Its IPO has again shone a spotlight on the installment plans which have ballooned in popularity among U.S. shoppers in recent years
** Klarna is among a flurry of companies rushing to market their IPOs heading into year-end
** Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley leading a 15-firm underwriting group for Klarna's IPO (Click here for the offering prospectus)