Stock Upgrades, Downgrades From TheStreet.com Ratings

Each weekday, TheStreet.com Ratings updates its ratings on the stocks it covers. The proprietary ratings model projects a stock's total return potential over a 12-month period, including both price appreciation and dividends. Buy, hold or sell ratings designate how the Ratings group expects these stocks to perform against a general benchmark of the equities market and interest rates.

While the ratings model is quantitative, it uses both subjective and objective elements. For instance, subjective elements include expected equities market returns, future interest rates, implied industry outlook and company earnings forecasts. Objective elements include volatility of past operating revenue, financial strength and company cash flows.

Riverbed Technology(RVBD Quote), a data service provider, has been initiated with a hold rating. While the company holds a largely solid financial position, with reasonable debt levels, solid stock price performance, and robust revenue growth, return on equity has been disappointing. The company swung to a third-quarter profit, earning $2.8 million, or 4 cents a share, compared with a loss of $3.1 million, or, 16 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue rose 157% to $63.3 million. The stock climbed nearly 120% over the last year, but shares were off Wednesday, as analysts said the company's fourth-quarter forecast was not strong enough. TheStreet.com Ratings believes Riverbed's fundamentals should not have much impact in either direction, allowing the stock to move up or down based on the push and pull of the broad market.