Sep. 23--The head of Nasdaq OMX yesterday hailed this week's planned initial public offerings by Watertown's A123 Systems and other firms as signs that markets and the economy are slowly recovering.

Speaking at Boston College's Chief Executives' Club at the Boston Harbor Hotel, Nasdaq's Robert Greifeld said there's "good evidence" that the national recession is over, as stock prices rise and trading volumes stabilize.

But he said one of the more encouraging signs is five planned initial public offerings this week, including one by A123, maker of lithium-ion batteries for vehicles.

The offerings show that venture capitalists feel more confident about the companies they're backing and the stabilizing markets, Greifeld said.

As if on cue, A123 yesterday said it was increasing its offering price per share to the $10 to $11.50 range, signaling it's shooting to raise about $300 million sometime this week. The company didn't respond to questions.

A123 filed to go public after it recently won a coveted $249 million grant from the Department of Energy to build out its battery operations. The company is planning to use some of the fed money to build a new manufacturing facility in Michigan.

After his speech, Greifeld told reporters that he thought venture capital backed companies are now testing the initial-public-offering waters with strong firms with good business models capable of withstanding the scrutiny of "the cynical investor."

In his address, Greifeld expressed reservations about government proposals to cap corporate executives' salaries and other reform efforts, though he said some reforms are critical to restore faith and stability in markets.

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