AKAM vs. SNOW: Akamai vs. Snowflake Stock Comparison
How do Akamai (AKAM) and Snowflake (SNOW) 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 Snowflake (SNOW) are both classified in the Internet Services & Infrastructure sub-industry within the broader IT Services industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
Akamai (AKAM) has more than two decades of public-market history since October 29, 1999, whereas Snowflake (SNOW) listed on September 16, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
| Profile Item | AKAM | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Akamai Technologies, Inc. | Snowflake Inc. Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| 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 | 97.33 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | October 29, 1999 | September 16, 2020 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -2.77% | 10.92% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -9.48% | 23.09% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -5.72% | -5.00% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Snowflake (SNOW) has an aggressive beta of 1.33, 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.
| Metric | AKAM | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 62.11% | 67.14% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.69 | 1.33 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -51.69% | -72.99% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.75M | 4.67M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.11 | 0.10 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.17 | 0.17 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative ROE of -48.06%; 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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-48.06%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- SNOW
- -48.06%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative net margin of -20.07%, 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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-20.07%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- SNOW
- -20.07%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Snowflake (SNOW) reports a negative operating margin of -17.00%, 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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
-17.00%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- SNOW
- -17.00%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 7.85% | -48.06% |
| ROA (TTM) | 2.18% | -9.02% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 8.84% | -20.07% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 9.88% | -17.00% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 56.39% | 67.03% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Snowflake (SNOW) at 29.16% 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
Only one side can be read here: Akamai (AKAM) reports EPS growth of -6.12%, ranked against its industry; Snowflake (SNOW) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 5.44% | 29.16% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 5.18% | 31.38% |
| 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 Snowflake (SNOW) at 0.94 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for SNOW.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.94
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- SNOW
- 0.94
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Akamai (AKAM) at 1.84 and Snowflake (SNOW) at 1.29 lean more heavily on debt funding than most peers, landing in the higher-leverage quartile of their industries.
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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
1.29
- Max
- 2.52
- SNOW
- 1.29
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.13 | 0.94 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.84 | 1.29 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.78 | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Akamai (AKAM) nor Snowflake (SNOW) 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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- SNOW
- 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 Snowflake (SNOW) 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%
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- SNOW
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Snowflake (SNOW) 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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
- SNOW
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Akamai (AKAM) at 2.72 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Snowflake (SNOW) at 17.91 sits in the pricier quartile — SNOW 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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
17.91
- SNOW
- 17.91
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Akamai (AKAM) at 2.32 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Snowflake (SNOW) at 45.23 prices above its benchmark range — SNOW 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
SNOW
Software & Services industry group
45.23
- SNOW
- 45.23
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | AKAM | SNOW |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 32.33 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.72 | 17.91 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.32 | 45.23 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.51% | 1.79% |