A123's IPO is electric, but REIT deals flop

The busiest week of initial public offerings since 2007 is turning out pretty mixed. Investors gobbled up shares of an unprofitable car-battery maker, but showed little love for financials looking to make bets in the troubled commercial real estate sector.

A123 Systems (AONE) generated the most buzz Thursday, raising $378 million after pricing 28.1 million shares at $13.50 a pop. The stock soared nearly 50 percent early in the session, lifting hopes that the maker of batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles might just jump start the IPO market after two desultory years for deals.

Less auspicious were the debuts of two real estate investment trusts (REITs) looking to use government loans to invest in commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS).