Compare Stocks › AKAM vs MS
Akamai Technologies, Inc. (AKAM) vs Morgan Stanley (MS)
AKAM
Akamai Technologies, Inc.
$103.87
VS
MS
Morgan Stanley
$190.17
Rewards
AKAM
MS
- ★Gross margin of 87.4% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★Morgan Stanley scores 80/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $3.11 of earning power — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
Risks
AKAM
- ⚠9 insider sales totaling $8.7M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
- ⚠Free cash flow has declined at a 5.0% CAGR over the past 4 years — a concerning trend.
MS
- ⚠High leverage (4.56x debt/equity) combined with thin interest coverage (-1.0x) poses financial risk.
- ⚠Altman Z-Score of 0.29 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
- ⚠Insiders have sold $17.7M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →AKAM
MS
Valuation
$578.66M
Free Cash Flow
N/A
3.78%
FCF Yield
N/A
33.83
Trailing P/E
17.21
13.66
Forward P/E
15.02
Quality & Moat
4.31%
ROIC
3.75%
9.08%
ROE
14.42%
58.95%
Gross Margin
87.39%
1.19
PEG Ratio
0.54
Balance Sheet Safety
1.14
Debt / Equity
4.56
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
3.80
Net Debt / EBITDA
N/A
N/A
Dividend Yield
2.10%
AKAM: 3Ties: 1MS: 4
AKAMMS
Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →AKAM
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
MS
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →AKAM
$-0.38
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Market Cap Declined
Σ Retained
$1.50B
Δ Market Cap
$-566.5M
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
MS
$6.65
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$20.84B
Δ Market Cap
+$138.59B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
Learn more →AKAM
113.2% Overvalued
Price is 113.2% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $103.87
Strongly undervalued
Fairly valued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $48.71
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
MS
31.0% Margin of Safety
Price is 31.0% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $190.17
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $275.48
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →AKAM
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $104?
+18.4%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +15.0%
The market implies +18.4% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.
Standard FCF implies a demanding +15.0%, reflecting heavy growth investment.
MS
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →AKAM
53/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving roic consistency would strengthen the moat.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
MS
80/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Wide moat driven primarily by revenue predictability. Margin Stability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →AKAM
-2.80
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
MS
-2.09
Possible Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →AKAM
Insiders 2.1%Institutions 97.7%Retail & Other 0.2%
No. of Institutional Holders1,009
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
MS
Insiders 24.3%Institutions 63.0%Retail & Other 12.8%
No. of Institutional Holders3,167
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →AKAM
0
Buys (3M)
2
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $3.83M
HESSE DANIEL R
Director
$216,897
@ $72.30 · 2025-08-11
LEIGHTON F THOMSON
Chief Executive Officer
$3.61M
@ $72.26 · 2025-08-11
LEIGHTON F THOMSON
Chief Executive Officer
$3.00M
@ $79.58 · 2025-02-27
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
MS
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $5,630
PETERSON DOUGLAS L
Director
$5,630
@ $156.39 · 2025-10-17
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →AKAM
9
Sells (3M)
22
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $13.98M
JOSEPH PAUL C
Officer
$531,256
@ $106.25 · 2026-03-16
KARON ADAM M
Officer
$1.83M
@ $107.43 · 2026-03-12
WILLIAMS ANTHONY P
Officer
$1.56M
@ $104.29 · 2026-03-11
MCGOWAN EDWARD J
Chief Financial Officer
$1.39M
@ $101.19 · 2026-03-10
RANGANATHAN MADHU
Director
$319,362
@ $102.00 · 2026-03-04
MILLER JONATHAN FRANK
Director
$1.13M
@ $102.67 · 2026-03-04
KARON ADAM M
Officer
$458,190
@ $96.91 · 2026-03-02
HOWELL LAURA
Officer
$1.13M
@ $100.14 · 2026-02-25
BLUMOFE ROBERT
Chief Technology Officer
$378,000
@ $108.00 · 2026-02-13
BLUMOFE ROBERT
Chief Technology Officer
$339,500
@ $97.00 · 2026-01-22
JOSEPH PAUL C
Officer
$450,874
@ $90.17 · 2026-01-15
KARON ADAM M
Officer
$289,836
@ $87.30 · 2026-01-02
MCGOWAN EDWARD J
Chief Financial Officer
$577,477
@ $88.03 · 2025-12-15
JOSEPH PAUL C
Officer
$438,451
@ $87.69 · 2025-11-17
BLUMOFE ROBERT
Chief Technology Officer
$263,051
@ $87.68 · 2025-11-14
BLUMOFE ROBERT
Chief Technology Officer
$301,000
@ $86.00 · 2025-11-07
JOSEPH PAUL C
Officer
$383,250
@ $76.65 · 2025-09-15
BLUMOFE ROBERT
Chief Technology Officer
$231,000
@ $77.00 · 2025-08-22
JOSEPH PAUL C
Officer
$388,700
@ $77.74 · 2025-07-15
BLUMOFE ROBERT
Chief Technology Officer
$253,714
@ $77.97 · 2025-06-12
SALEM-JACKSON KIM
Officer
$1.00M
@ $76.33 · 2025-05-27
KARON ADAM M
Officer
$333,863
@ $85.02 · 2025-05-08
JOSEPH PAUL C
Officer
$333,480
@ $83.37 · 2025-03-18
WILLIAMS ANTHONY P
Officer
$780,805
@ $82.19 · 2025-03-17
KARON ADAM M
Officer
$811,943
@ $82.34 · 2025-03-11
MCGOWAN EDWARD J
Chief Financial Officer
$971,911
@ $82.34 · 2025-03-11
KARON ADAM M
Chief Operating Officer
$485,140
@ $86.20 · 2025-03-10
MCGOWAN EDWARD J
Chief Financial Officer
$402,305
@ $86.48 · 2025-03-10
KARON ADAM M
Chief Operating Officer
$517,632
@ $80.49 · 2025-03-04
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
MS
4
Sells (3M)
17
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $74.11M
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$2.12M
@ $190.75 · 2026-04-20
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$2.78M
@ $189.24 · 2026-04-17
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$3.04M
@ $188.22 · 2026-04-16
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$9.74M
@ $188.59 · 2026-04-16
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$6.02M
@ $182.61 · 2026-01-30
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$1.44M
@ $183.45 · 2026-01-20
YESHAYA SHARON
Chief Financial Officer
$2.94M
@ $185.77 · 2026-01-20
SMITH CHARLES AUBREY III
Officer
$1.55M
@ $182.08 · 2026-01-20
PIZZI MICHAEL A
Officer
$3.69M
@ $184.55 · 2026-01-20
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$5.57M
@ $183.62 · 2026-01-20
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$3.97M
@ $184.00 · 2026-01-20
PICK EDWARD N.
Chief Executive Officer
$16.43M
@ $164.34 · 2025-10-31
SMITH CHARLES AUBREY III
Officer
$2.81M
@ $140.30 · 2025-07-17
PIZZI MICHAEL A
Officer
$2.53M
@ $140.62 · 2025-07-17
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$1.69M
@ $141.12 · 2025-07-17
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$4.09M
@ $141.13 · 2025-07-17
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$3.70M
@ $127.37 · 2025-05-12
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$4.80M
@ $120.00 · 2025-05-02
HERZ ROBERT H
Director
$95,459
@ $119.32 · 2025-05-02
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$1.12M
@ $111.65 · 2025-04-15
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$1.15M
@ $138.06 · 2025-01-22
PIZZI MICHAEL A
Officer
$2.52M
@ $136.92 · 2025-01-21
SAPERSTEIN ANDREW MICHAEL
President
$4.20M
@ $136.43 · 2025-01-21
GROSSMAN ERIC F
Officer
$1.78M
@ $136.20 · 2025-01-21
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$5.00M
@ $136.61 · 2025-01-21
AKRAM RAJA
Chief Financial Officer
$2.38M
@ $136.01 · 2025-01-21
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$368,375
@ $105.25 · 2024-07-26
AKRAM RAJA
Officer
$797,764
@ $106.37 · 2024-07-18
HERZ ROBERT H
Director
$106,621
@ $106.62 · 2024-07-17
SIMKOWITZ DANIEL A
President
$4.26M
@ $106.54 · 2024-07-17
CRAWLEY MANDELL L.
Officer
$692,663
@ $99.61 · 2024-05-14
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →AKAM
😐Neutral(49/100)
"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
MS
😏Greed(71/100)
"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
⚖️ Buffett Signal
Learn more →AKAM
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (49)
MS
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Greed (71)