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AKAM vs. NET: Akamai vs. Cloudflare Stock Comparison

How do Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET) are both classified in the Internet Services & Infrastructure sub-industry within the broader IT Services industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET)
Profile ItemAKAMNET
NameAkamai Technologies, Inc.Cloudflare, Inc. Class A Common Stock
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorInformation TechnologyInformation Technology
GICS Industry GroupSoftware & ServicesSoftware & Services
GICS IndustryIT ServicesIT Services
GICS Sub-IndustryInternet Services & InfrastructureInternet Services & Infrastructure
Market Capitalization11.94 billion USD96.32 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNYSE
Listing DateOctober 29, 1999September 13, 2019
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AKAM
NET
GSPC
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET)
MetricAKAMNET
Total Return (1Y)-2.77%27.13%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)-9.48%68.21%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-5.72%7.66%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AKAM
NET
GSPC
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Cloudflare (NET) has an aggressive beta of 1.34, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Akamai (AKAM) is defensive at 0.69 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.

Risk profile metrics for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET)
MetricAKAMNET
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)62.11%67.16%
Beta (5Y)0.691.34
Max Drawdown (5Y)-51.69%-82.58%
Avg. Volume (3M)4.75M3.45M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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AKAM and NET are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET)
MetricAKAMNET
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.110.34
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.170.48

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Cloudflare (NET) reports a negative ROE of -17.00%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Akamai (AKAM) reports 7.85%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AKAM

Software & Services industry group

7.85%

Max
53.85%
Q3
17.90%
AKAM
7.85%
Median
6.59%
Q1
-9.59%
Min
-50.52%

NET

Software & Services industry group

-17.00%

Max
53.85%
Q3
17.90%
Median
6.59%
Q1
-9.59%
NET
-17.00%
Min
-50.52%
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their ROE against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Cloudflare (NET) reports a negative net margin of -8.75%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Akamai (AKAM) reports 8.84%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AKAM

Software & Services industry group

8.84%

Max
41.17%
Q3
15.28%
AKAM
8.84%
Median
4.63%
Q1
-5.42%
Min
-33.17%

NET

Software & Services industry group

-8.75%

Max
41.17%
Q3
15.28%
Median
4.63%
Q1
-5.42%
NET
-8.75%
Min
-33.17%
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their net margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Cloudflare (NET) reports a negative operating margin of -7.27%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Akamai (AKAM) reports 9.88%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AKAM

Software & Services industry group

9.88%

Max
46.89%
Q3
17.64%
AKAM
9.88%
Median
8.73%
Q1
-2.13%
Min
-30.45%

NET

Software & Services industry group

-7.27%

Max
46.89%
Q3
17.64%
Median
8.73%
Q1
-2.13%
NET
-7.27%
Min
-30.45%
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their operating margin against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET)
MetricAKAMNET
ROE (TTM)7.85%-17.00%
ROA (TTM)2.18%-2.00%
Net Margin (TTM)8.84%-8.75%
Operating Margin (TTM)9.88%-7.27%
Gross Margin (TTM)56.39%71.90%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Cloudflare (NET) at 29.85% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Akamai (AKAM) at 5.44% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.

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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Akamai (AKAM) reports EPS growth of -6.12%, ranked against its industry; Cloudflare (NET) has no EPS growth figure this period.

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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET)
MetricAKAMNET
Revenue Growth (YoY)5.44%29.85%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)5.18%30.51%
EPS Growth (YoY)-6.12%--
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-1.98%--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Akamai (AKAM) at 2.13 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Cloudflare (NET) at 3.80 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.

AKAM

Software & Services industry group

2.13

Max
5.11
Q3
2.77
AKAM
2.13
Median
1.67
Q1
1.01
Min
0.03

NET

Software & Services industry group

3.80

Max
5.11
NET
3.80
Q3
2.77
Median
1.67
Q1
1.01
Min
0.03
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their current ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both balance sheets lean debt-heavy versus peers, but NET is more stretched: Akamai (AKAM) at 1.84 sits in the higher-leverage quartile and Cloudflare (NET) at 3.21 is above its industry benchmark range.

AKAM

Software & Services industry group

1.84

Max
2.52
AKAM
1.84
Q3
1.13
Median
0.40
Q1
0.07
Min
0.00

NET

Software & Services industry group

3.21

NET
3.21
Max
2.52
Q3
1.13
Median
0.40
Q1
0.07
Min
0.00
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET)
MetricAKAMNET
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.133.80
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.843.21
Net Debt / EBITDA5.78--

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Neither Akamai (AKAM) nor Cloudflare (NET) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.

AKAM

Software & Services industry group

0.00%

AKAM
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

NET

Software & Services industry group

0.00%

NET
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Neither Akamai (AKAM) nor Cloudflare (NET) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.

AKAM

Software & Services industry group

0.00%

AKAM
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

NET

Software & Services industry group

0.00%

NET
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET)
MetricAKAMNET
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%0.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Akamai (AKAM) trades at 32.33 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Cloudflare (NET) has no P/E ratio this period.

AKAM

Software & Services industry group

32.33

Max
112.94
Q3
60.32
Median
32.91
AKAM
32.33
Q1
18.77
Min
6.69

NET

Software & Services industry group

--

Max
112.94
Q3
60.32
Median
32.91
Q1
18.77
Min
6.69
NET
--
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): NET does not report P/E ratio, so it has no value marker; AKAM is benchmarked against the Software & Services industry group.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Akamai (AKAM) at 2.72 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Cloudflare (NET) at 35.24 clears its benchmark range — NET looks notably rich on sales.

AKAM

Software & Services industry group

2.72

Max
17.91
Q3
8.78
Median
4.25
AKAM
2.72
Q1
2.23
Min
0.02

NET

Software & Services industry group

35.24

NET
35.24
Max
17.91
Q3
8.78
Median
4.25
Q1
2.23
Min
0.02
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Akamai (AKAM) at 2.32 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Cloudflare (NET) at 65.73 prices above its benchmark range — NET looks rich relative to book.

AKAM

Software & Services industry group

2.32

Max
16.63
Q3
8.50
Median
4.30
AKAM
2.32
Q1
1.92
Min
-3.90

NET

Software & Services industry group

65.73

NET
65.73
Max
16.63
Q3
8.50
Median
4.30
Q1
1.92
Min
-3.90
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Akamai (AKAM) vs. Cloudflare (NET): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Software & Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Akamai (AKAM) and Cloudflare (NET)
MetricAKAMNET
P/E Ratio (TTM)32.33--
P/S Ratio (TTM)2.7235.24
P/B Ratio (MRQ)2.3265.73
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)1.51%0.83%