First major public appearance since IPO

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during a question and answer session at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco, California, in his first major public appearance since the number one social network’s rocky May IPO, breathing life into its struggling shares after hinting at new growth areas from mobile to search. The 28-year-old co-founder asked Wall Street to be patient as the company developed new products, addressing issues such as employee morale, and dashing rumours Facebook may build a smartphone. His comments helped drive Facebook shares up more than three per cent after hours to above $20, building on a 3.3 per cent gain in regular trade on Tuesday. The stock is still well off its $38 debut price.