AKAM vs. HPE: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AKAM and HPE, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

HPE’s market capitalization of 28.00 billion USD is significantly greater than AKAM’s 11.31 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.

HPE carries a higher beta at 1.33, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AKAM (beta: 0.77) exhibits greater stability.

Symbol	AKAM	HPE
Company Name	Akamai Technologies, Inc.	Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company
Country	US	US
Sector	Technology	Technology
Industry	Software - Infrastructure	Communication Equipment
CEO	F. Thomson Leighton	Antonio Fabio Neri
Price	79.48 USD	21.34 USD
Market Cap	11.31 billion USD	28.00 billion USD
Beta	0.77	1.33
Exchange	NASDAQ	NYSE
IPO Date	October 29, 1999	October 19, 2015
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AKAM and HPE by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AKAM vs. HPE: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

AKAM

9.52%

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 80.61%
Q3: 29.97%
Median: 2.84%
Q1: -8.35%
Min: -56.26%

AKAM’s Return on Equity of 9.52% is on par with the norm for the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

HPE

5.94%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 30.07%
Q3: 8.07%
Median: 1.84%
Q1: -11.93%
Min: -31.65%

HPE’s Return on Equity of 5.94% is on par with the norm for the Communication Equipment industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

AKAM

4.40%

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 39.31%
Q3: 11.97%
Median: 1.67%
Q1: -7.10%
Min: -34.29%

AKAM’s Return on Invested Capital of 4.40% is in line with the norm for the Software - Infrastructure industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

HPE

3.15%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 11.59%
Q3: 6.61%
Median: 2.97%
Q1: -2.58%
Min: -13.18%

HPE’s Return on Invested Capital of 3.15% is in line with the norm for the Communication Equipment industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

AKAM

11.26%

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 46.46%
Q3: 14.65%
Median: 2.66%
Q1: -7.70%
Min: -35.45%

AKAM’s Net Profit Margin of 11.26% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Software - Infrastructure industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

HPE

4.51%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 23.65%
Q3: 9.21%
Median: 2.46%
Q1: -8.56%
Min: -29.87%

HPE’s Net Profit Margin of 4.51% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

AKAM

12.97%

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 48.51%
Q3: 16.56%
Median: 4.48%
Q1: -6.43%
Min: -40.18%

AKAM’s Operating Profit Margin of 12.97% is around the midpoint for the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

HPE

5.79%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 30.72%
Q3: 11.64%
Median: 5.79%
Q1: -2.28%
Min: -18.20%

HPE’s Operating Profit Margin of 5.79% is around the midpoint for the Communication Equipment industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AKAM	HPE
Return on Equity (TTM)	9.52%	5.94%
Return on Assets (TTM)	4.53%	2.10%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	4.40%	3.15%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	11.26%	4.51%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	12.97%	5.79%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	59.07%	23.18%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

AKAM

1.18

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 3.80
Q3: 2.25
Median: 1.51
Q1: 1.10
Min: 0.23

AKAM’s Current Ratio of 1.18 aligns with the median group of the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

HPE

1.29

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 3.40
Q3: 2.59
Median: 1.62
Q1: 1.32
Min: 0.86

HPE’s Current Ratio of 1.29 falls into the lower quartile for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

AKAM

1.01

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 2.56
Q3: 1.12
Median: 0.33
Q1: 0.05
Min: 0.00

AKAM’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.01 is typical for the Software - Infrastructure industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

HPE

0.73

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 1.82
Q3: 1.00
Median: 0.53
Q1: 0.20
Min: 0.02

HPE’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.73 is typical for the Communication Equipment industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

AKAM

17.98

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 32.21
Q3: 5.24
Median: 0.95
Q1: -17.99
Min: -50.82

AKAM’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 17.98 is in the upper quartile for the Software - Infrastructure industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

HPE

8.98

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 16.12
Q3: 9.22
Median: 2.52
Q1: -0.75
Min: -12.07

HPE’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.98 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Communication Equipment industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AKAM	HPE
Current Ratio (TTM)	1.18	1.29
Quick Ratio (TTM)	1.18	0.96
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	1.01	0.73
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.46	0.26
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	2.78	2.38
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	17.98	8.98

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AKAM and HPE. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

AKAM

0.00%

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 4.07%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AKAM currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

HPE

2.44%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 4.72%
Q3: 0.38%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 2.44%, HPE offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Communication Equipment industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

AKAM

0.00%

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 48.68%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AKAM has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

HPE

47.41%

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 91.96%
Q3: 26.44%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

HPE’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 47.41% is in the upper quartile for the Communication Equipment industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AKAM	HPE
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	2.44%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	47.41%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

AKAM

26.17

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 107.77
Q3: 54.40
Median: 28.10
Q1: 18.03
Min: 5.32

AKAM’s P/E Ratio of 26.17 is within the middle range for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

HPE

19.78

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 44.37
Q3: 41.98
Median: 30.61
Q1: 23.44
Min: 2.14

In the lower quartile for the Communication Equipment industry, HPE’s P/E Ratio of 19.78 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

AKAM

3.08

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 8.12
Q3: 3.94
Median: 2.13
Q1: 0.94
Min: 0.01

AKAM’s Forward PEG Ratio of 3.08 is within the middle range of its peers in the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.

HPE

1.47

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 15.97
Q3: 6.99
Median: 2.78
Q1: 0.66
Min: 0.05

The Forward PEG Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric in the Communication Equipment industry.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

AKAM

2.81

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 18.25
Q3: 9.05
Median: 4.77
Q1: 2.30
Min: 0.11

AKAM’s P/S Ratio of 2.81 aligns with the market consensus for the Software - Infrastructure industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

HPE

0.88

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 6.38
Q3: 3.88
Median: 2.17
Q1: 1.15
Min: 0.37

In the lower quartile for the Communication Equipment industry, HPE’s P/S Ratio of 0.88 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

AKAM

2.58

Software - Infrastructure Industry

Max: 19.94
Q3: 10.91
Median: 6.33
Q1: 2.95
Min: 0.51

The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Software - Infrastructure industry.

HPE

1.18

Communication Equipment Industry

Max: 14.42
Q3: 7.01
Median: 3.09
Q1: 1.38
Min: 0.41

HPE’s P/B Ratio of 1.18 is in the lower quartile for the Communication Equipment industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.

AKAM vs. HPE: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Software - Infrastructure and Communication Equipment industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AKAM	HPE
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	26.17	19.78
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	3.08	1.47
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	2.81	0.88
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	2.58	1.18
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	14.33	23.69
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	11.70	12.88
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	3.69	1.09