AKAM vs. SHOP: Akamai vs. Shopify Stock Comparison
How do Akamai (AKAM) and Shopify (SHOP) 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 Shopify (SHOP) are both classified in the Internet Services & Infrastructure sub-industry within the broader IT Services industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | AKAM | SHOP |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Akamai Technologies, Inc. | Shopify Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | Canada |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | IT Services | IT Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Internet Services & Infrastructure | Internet Services & Infrastructure |
| Market Capitalization | 11.94 billion USD | 191.58 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | October 29, 1999 | May 20, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SHOP |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -2.77% | -0.87% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -9.48% | 35.77% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -5.72% | -0.57% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Shopify (SHOP) has a highly aggressive beta of 2.65, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Akamai (AKAM) is defensive at 0.69 and tends to be less market-sensitive — a wide gap in beta profiles.
| Metric | AKAM | SHOP |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 62.11% | 59.71% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.69 | 2.65 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -51.69% | -84.82% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.75M | 8.79M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SHOP |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.11 | -0.09 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.17 | -0.12 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Akamai (AKAM) at 7.85% and Shopify (SHOP) at 16.83% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
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%
SHOP
Software & Services industry group
16.83%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- SHOP
- 16.83%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Akamai (AKAM) at 8.84% and Shopify (SHOP) at 15.01% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
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%
SHOP
Software & Services industry group
15.01%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- SHOP
- 15.01%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Shopify (SHOP) at 18.39% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Akamai (AKAM) at 9.88%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
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%
SHOP
Software & Services industry group
18.39%
- Max
- 46.89%
- SHOP
- 18.39%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SHOP |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 7.85% | 16.83% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.18% | 10.77% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 8.84% | 15.01% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 9.88% | 18.39% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 56.39% | 47.49% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Shopify (SHOP) at 30.14% 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.
EPS Growth
Both Akamai (AKAM) at -6.12% and Shopify (SHOP) at -39.47% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SHOP |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 5.44% | 30.14% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 5.18% | 27.31% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -6.12% | -39.47% |
| 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 Shopify (SHOP) at 4.86 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
SHOP
Software & Services industry group
4.86
- Max
- 5.11
- SHOP
- 4.86
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Shopify (SHOP) at 0.01 keeps leverage in the lower quartile, while Akamai (AKAM) at 1.84 sits in the higher-leverage quartile.
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
SHOP
Software & Services industry group
0.01
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- SHOP
- 0.01
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SHOP |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.13 | 4.86 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.84 | 0.01 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.78 | -1.75 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Akamai (AKAM) nor Shopify (SHOP) 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%
SHOP
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- SHOP
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Akamai (AKAM) nor Shopify (SHOP) 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%
SHOP
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- SHOP
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SHOP |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Akamai (AKAM) at 32.33 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Shopify (SHOP) at 91.36 sits in the richer quartile — SHOP needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
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
SHOP
Software & Services industry group
91.36
- Max
- 112.94
- SHOP
- 91.36
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Akamai (AKAM) at 2.72 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Shopify (SHOP) at 13.52 sits in the pricier quartile — SHOP costs more per dollar of 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
SHOP
Software & Services industry group
13.52
- Max
- 17.91
- SHOP
- 13.52
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Akamai (AKAM) at 2.32 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Shopify (SHOP) at 15.02 carries an above-peer premium to book — SHOP is pricier on assets.
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
SHOP
Software & Services industry group
15.02
- Max
- 16.63
- SHOP
- 15.02
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SHOP |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 32.33 | 91.36 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.72 | 13.52 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.32 | 15.02 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.51% | 0.86% |