Stock of the Day

July 20, 2020

Akamai Technologies (AKAM)

$92.32
+$0.61 (+0.7%)
Market Cap: $13.18B

About Akamai Technologies

Akamai Technologies, Inc. provides cloud computing, security, and content delivery services in the United States and internationally. The company offers cloud solutions to keep infrastructure, websites, applications, application programming interfaces, and users safe from various cyberattacks and online threats while enhancing performance. It also provides web and mobile performance solutions to enable dynamic websites and applications; media delivery solutions, including video streaming and video player services, game and software delivery, broadcast operations, authoritative domain name system, resolution, and data and analytics; and cloud computing services, such as compute, storage, networking, database, and container management services to build, deploy, and secure applications and workloads. In addition, the company offers content delivery solutions; and an array of service and support to assist customers with integrating, configuring, optimizing, and managing its offerings. It sells its solutions through various channel partners. Akamai Technologies, Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Akamai Technologies Bull Case

Here are some ways that investors could benefit from investing in Akamai Technologies, Inc.:

  • The company recently secured a significant $11.6 billion commitment from Anthropic, a major AI developer, which validates Akamai's strategic pivot toward edge AI infrastructure and provides a substantial long-term revenue pipeline that supports its growth narrative.
  • With the current stock price at $100.90, the shares are trading well below the average analyst price target of $150.10, suggesting a potential upside of nearly 50% as the market digests the company's recent AI-driven momentum and strong institutional interest.
  • Akamai Technologies, Inc. demonstrated strong financial performance in its most recent quarter, beating consensus estimates with $1.59 in earnings per share and generating $1.10 billion in revenue, indicating that the company is effectively executing its strategy and delivering value to shareholders.
  • The stock exhibits a low beta of 0.62, meaning it is less volatile than the broader market, which can provide a more stable investment profile for investors seeking exposure to the technology sector without taking on excessive market risk.
  • Jim Cramer, a prominent financial commentator, recently highlighted Akamai as the only "buy" among internet infrastructure peers, citing its low valuation and the transformative impact of the Anthropic deal, which may attract further retail and institutional investor attention.

Akamai Technologies Bear Case

Investors should be bearish about investing in Akamai Technologies, Inc. for these reasons:

  • Despite the positive AI news, the stock has experienced a recent decline, closing at $104.61 on October 7th and dropping to $100.90 on October 8th, indicating short-term market skepticism or profit-taking that could pressure the share price further in the near term.
  • Analysts have recently lowered their earnings estimates for the company; for instance, Scotiabank reduced its FY2027 earnings per share forecast from $3.82 to $3.64, suggesting that the market may be overestimating the immediate financial impact of the new AI deals on the bottom line.
  • There is a notable gap between the current stock price and the 52-week high of $165.45, and the stock is trading below its 50-day moving average of $111.51, which signals a bearish technical trend and potential downward momentum in the short to medium term.
  • Insider selling has been significant recently, with executives like EVP Mani Sundaram and EVP Kim Salem-Jackson selling thousands of shares in late September, which can be interpreted as a lack of confidence in the stock's near-term appreciation or a desire to lock in gains.
  • The company faces margin pressure and heavy capital expenditure requirements to support its AI infrastructure buildout, which could weigh on profitability and free cash flow, making it a riskier investment for those focused on immediate returns rather than long-term growth.

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