Article: IPO fuels prospects of battery makers ; Industry cheers 50% price boost for A123 Systems

Shares in high-tech battery maker A123 Systems of Watertown rose more than 50 percent to as high as $21.14 before closing at $20.29 in the first day of trading yesterday, a strong performance that signaled investor confidence in the future of electric cars.

The company raised about $380 million in its initial public offering of stock, well above its original estimate of a minimum of $250 million. The offering was being scrutinized by other venture- backed companies that had delayed going public as they rode out the recent economic downturn.

In the hours before its shares debuted on the Nasdaq stock exchange, A123 had raised its asking price to $13.50 from its original estimate of $8 to ...

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