In the third quarter of 2025, revenue rose 5% year-over-year to about $1.05 billion, with security revenue up 10% YOY and cloud computing revenue up 8% YOY, even as delivery revenue fell 4% YOY. Security was still the biggest and strongest segment during Q3 at $568 million, while cloud computing came in at $180 million, helped by cloud infrastructure services revenue of $81 million, which jumped 39% YOY and shows momentum in newer offerings.Akamai’s forward price-to-earnings (P/E) is around 19.5 times, belo ...

Core Viewpoint - Akamai Technologies received a rare double upgrade from Morgan Stanley, leading to a significant increase in its stock price, indicating strong investor interest and confidence in the company's future potential [1][2][3]. Group 1: Analyst Upgrade - The double upgrade from underweight (sell) to overweight (buy) by analyst Sanjit Singh is a notable shift in evaluation, bypassing the usual hold recommendation [3]. - The price target for Akamai was raised significantly from $83 to $115 per share, reflecting a positive outlook on the company's valuation [3]. Group 2: Company Performance and Potential - Akamai has experienced mid- to single-digit revenue growth since the end of the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to perceptions of being undervalued [4]. - The company is transitioning from a content delivery specialist to focusing on cybersecurity and cloud computing, which are seen as more promising segments for future growth [5]. - There is an expectation that Akamai will not be hindered by its legacy business or excessive costs associated with its pivot to new offerings [5]. Group 3: Market Data - Akamai's current market capitalization stands at $13 billion, with a recent stock price increase of approximately 3.58% [6]. - The stock's trading range for the day was between $90.82 and $93.94, with a 52-week range of $67.51 to $103.75 [6]. - The company has a gross margin of 54.89%, indicating a healthy profitability structure [6].

Shares of cloud computing name Akamai Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:AKAM) were last seen up 5.6% to trade at $93.09, after a rare double upgrade from Morgan Stanley to "overweight" from "underweight." The firm also lifted its price target to $115 from $83, citing the stock's low valuation and growth prospects. On the charts, Akamai Technologies stock has yet to fully recover from the 21.7% post-earnings drop that occurred in February, which took it from $98.03 to $76.73. Today's pop has shares breaking above the ...

Core Insights - Akamai Technologies Inc. is a key player in the technology sector, focusing on content delivery network services and cloud security solutions, competing with companies like Cloudflare and Amazon Web Services [1] Stock Transaction - On January 2, 2026, Karon Adam sold 3,320 shares of Akamai's common stock at $87.30 per share, totaling approximately $289,836, which reduced his holdings by 29.90% to 7,785 shares valued at around $679,630.50 [2] Financial Metrics - Akamai's stock opened at $85.10 on the day of the transaction, with a quick and current ratio of 2.28, indicating strong liquidity [3] - The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, reflecting a moderate level of debt, while the stock's 50-day moving average is $85.22 and the 200-day moving average is $79.85, showing a stable upward trend [3] - Over the past year, Akamai's stock has fluctuated between a low of $67.51 and a high of $103.75, with a market capitalization of $12.24 billion and a P/E ratio of 24.9, suggesting a reasonable valuation [4] - The price-to-sales ratio is 2.96, and the enterprise value to sales ratio is 4.00, indicating the market's valuation of its sales and operations [4] - Akamai's earnings yield is approximately 4.09%, providing insight into the return on investment, and the debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11 suggests a balanced approach to leveraging debt [5] - The current ratio of 2.28 demonstrates Akamai's ability to meet short-term obligations, reflecting its financial stability [5]

Core Viewpoint - Akamai Technologies is set to report earnings, with expectations of growth in both EPS and revenue compared to the previous year [2][3]. Company Performance - Akamai Technologies closed at $85.10, down 2.46% from the previous trading session, underperforming the S&P 500 which gained 0.19% [1]. - The stock has increased by 0.75% over the past month, outperforming the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 0.02% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.54% [1]. Earnings Estimates - The upcoming earnings report is expected to show an EPS of $1.75, reflecting a growth of 5.42% year-over-year [2]. - Revenue is projected to be $1.08 billion, indicating a 5.59% increase compared to the same quarter last year [2]. - For the entire fiscal year, earnings are estimated at $7.03 per share, representing an 8.49% increase, while revenue is projected to remain flat at $4.19 billion [3]. Analyst Estimates - Changes in analyst estimates for Akamai Technologies are crucial as they reflect short-term business trends [4]. - Upward revisions in estimates indicate analysts' positive outlook on the company's operations and profit generation capabilities [4]. Valuation Metrics - Akamai Technologies has a Forward P/E ratio of 12.01, which is lower than the industry average of 17.15, suggesting the stock is trading at a discount [7]. - The company currently has a PEG ratio of 2.02, compared to the industry average of 1.63, indicating a higher expected earnings growth rate relative to its peers [8]. Industry Context - The Internet - Services industry, part of the Computer and Technology sector, holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 71, placing it in the top 29% of over 250 industries [9]. - The Zacks Industry Rank is based on the average Zacks Rank of individual stocks, with top-rated industries outperforming lower-rated ones by a factor of 2 to 1 [9].

Core Insights - Akamai Technologies, Inc. has launched ISV Catalyst, a new partner program aimed at independent software vendors (ISVs) to accelerate growth through collaboration [2][10] - The program is designed to address the current demands in the cloud computing industry, particularly the integration of artificial intelligence and the need for scalable, cost-efficient cloud-native architectures [3][8] Group 1: ISV Catalyst Program Features - ISV Catalyst adopts an ISV-first approach, eliminating referral fees for the first year, which lowers the entry barrier for both startups and established vendors [5][10] - Participating ISVs will benefit from co-marketing opportunities, featured placement in Akamai's Technical Partner Directory, and increased exposure to Akamai's global sales organization [6][10] - The program integrates with Akamai's existing partner ecosystem, including Partner Connect and the Qualified Compute Program, providing a streamlined pathway for growth [7] Group 2: Market Position and Growth Drivers - Akamai is experiencing strong momentum in the security and compute verticals, driven by demand for its Guardicore platform and API security solutions [9] - The company is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of mobile data traffic, supported by recent acquisitions aimed at enhancing its AI-powered API security solutions [9] - For 2025, Akamai projects revenues between $4.178 billion and $4.198 billion, with a non-GAAP operating margin of 29-30% and earnings per share expected to be in the range of $6.93-$7.13 [11]

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call focuses on the **US Technology Equities** sector, particularly the **software and AI** landscape, highlighting the transition towards AI productization expected by **2026** [1][2]. Core Insights - **AI Productization Timeline**: 2026 is projected as the pivotal year for AI productization within enterprise software, moving from early-stage deployment to widespread enterprise integration [1][2]. - **Current AI Deployment Challenges**: Companies are still in the early stages of AI experimentation, facing challenges in hiring skilled talent and achieving meaningful results from initial projects [1][2]. - **Shift in Investment Focus**: There is a notable shift from hardware to software investments as companies begin embedding AI into their existing workflows, with significant advancements seen in companies like **Oracle, Microsoft, Salesforce, and ServiceNow** [1][2][5]. - **Monetization Visibility**: Vendors controlling structured enterprise processes are expected to have improved monetization visibility as AI becomes a value-added feature in their product suites [2]. Financial Performance Highlights - **Q3 Earnings Performance**: Most companies reported modest revenue beats but significant improvements in non-GAAP operating income and EPS, indicating early economic benefits from AI deployments [7][9]. - **Revenue Growth Constraints**: Despite increased interest in AI, enterprise budget expansions remain modest, limiting revenue growth [9]. - **Profitability Boost from AI**: AI-driven efficiencies are enhancing unit economics, leading to higher non-GAAP operating income and EPS, even without substantial revenue increases [9]. Company-Specific Insights - **Preferred AI Stocks**: The report identifies **Oracle (ORCL), Microsoft (MSFT), ServiceNow (NOW), and Salesforce (CRM)** as preferred stocks likely to benefit from their strategic positioning in the AI landscape by 2026 [2][5]. - **Earnings Revisions**: Companies like **Microsoft** and **Palantir** have seen significant upward revisions in revenue and EPS forecasts, reflecting strong AI-related demand [13][14]. - **CoreWeave's Performance**: CoreWeave reported revenue of **USD 1,365 million** for Q3, exceeding consensus but below estimates, with concerns about asset turnover and future guidance indicating potential revenue decline [18][19]. Market Dynamics - **AI Infrastructure Demand**: The demand for AI infrastructure and data workloads is solid, with companies like **Oracle and CoreWeave** aggressively scaling capacity [15]. - **Investor Sentiment**: There is a growing investor focus on how companies will deploy AI to solve business problems, with many still not fully recognizing the link between AI deployment and enterprise software [2]. Conclusion - The technology sector is on the brink of a significant transformation driven by AI, with 2026 expected to be a critical year for monetization and integration into enterprise workflows. Companies that are well-positioned in the software space are likely to capitalize on this trend, while challenges remain in the broader economic environment and enterprise budget constraints.

Core Insights - Akamai Technologies has launched ISV Catalyst, a referral-based partner program aimed at Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to foster growth through strategic partnerships [1][2] - The program is designed to address current market demands in cloud computing, particularly the integration of artificial intelligence and support for multicloud deployments [2] Group 1: Program Features - ISV Catalyst eliminates traditional partnership friction by having no referral fees for ISVs during their first year, significantly lowering entry barriers for both emerging and established software providers [3] - The program provides ISVs access to Akamai's extensive cloud and edge computing infrastructure, enabling them to meet the growing demand for specialized cloud software [4] Group 2: Strategic Integration - ISV Catalyst complements Akamai's existing partner ecosystem, including the Akamai Partner Connect and Qualified Compute Program, by offering streamlined entry points and growth pathways for ISVs [5][6] - The program focuses on curating partnerships with ISVs that address specific customer needs, enhancing the quality of solutions available on Akamai's cloud platform [6] Group 3: Target Market and Benefits - ISV Catalyst is tailored for independent software vendors of all sizes, particularly those developing AI-powered, cloud-native, and multicloud-ready applications [7] - Participating ISVs benefit from co-marketing opportunities, prominent placement on Akamai's Technical Partner Directory, and increased visibility to Akamai's global sales force [8]

Core Insights - Akamai Technologies and Visa have announced a strategic collaboration to enhance identity and security controls in agentic commerce through the integration of Visa's Trusted Agent Protocol with Akamai's behavioral intelligence [1][3][4] Group 1: Challenges in Agentic Commerce - As autonomous AI agents increasingly engage in online shopping, merchants face challenges in authenticating these agents and ensuring secure interactions [2] - The lack of a trust layer can lead to loss of control over personalization, security, and consumer relationships for merchants [2] Group 2: Trusted Agent Protocol Features - The Trusted Agent Protocol provides a framework for agent authentication, enabling merchants to gain real-time insights into AI agent activities before they access sensitive systems [3][5] - This protocol allows agents to transmit information to merchants, ensuring that they are approved for specific shopping missions and securely passing payment information [5][6] Group 3: Benefits for Merchants - Merchants can clearly identify legitimate AI agents and their intents, differentiating between browsing and payment activities with the help of Akamai's real-time behavioral intelligence [6] - The protocol enables secure payment interactions by assisting agents in conveying payment information as expected by merchants, while Akamai provides end-to-end protection against fraud [7] Group 4: Industry Context - Akamai's 2025 Digital Fraud and Abuse Report indicates a 300% surge in AI-powered bot traffic over the past year, with over 25 billion AI bot requests in the commerce sector during a two-month period [4] - Nine of the world's top 10 retailers utilize Akamai's services to enhance their digital commerce capabilities, ensuring fast and secure shopping experiences [8]

Core Viewpoint - Akamai Technologies Inc. demonstrates strong financial performance and market position, significantly outperforming competitors like Sprout Social in various financial metrics [1][2][6]. Financial Performance - Akamai has a net margin of 12.26%, return on equity of 14.16%, and return on assets of 6.33%, indicating robust profitability [2]. - The company reported gross revenue of $3.99 billion and a net income of $504.92 million, with earnings per share at $3.41 and a price/earnings ratio of 25.18 [3][6]. Valuation Metrics - Akamai's price-to-earnings ratio is approximately 24.89, reflecting investor confidence in its earnings potential [4]. - The price-to-sales ratio is about 3.01, and the enterprise value to sales ratio is around 4.05, indicating a strong market valuation [4]. Financial Stability - The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of about 1.11 and a current ratio of approximately 2.28, suggesting effective management of financial obligations and short-term liabilities [5][6].