ADP vs AKAM Stock Comparison

Scores Breakdown

Metric	ADP	AKAM
📈 Growth	26/30	22/30
💰 Profitability	18/20	17/20
🏦 Financial Health	12/20	17/20
💵 Valuation	14/20	16/20
⚠️ Risk (lower is better)	6/10	4/10
Overall Score	74/100	78/100

Side-by-Side Summaries

ADP Analysis	AKAM Analysis
📈 Growth & Financial Trajectory Over the 8 quarters, revenues rose from about $4.77B (2024 Q4) to about $5.36B (2026 Q4). Net income progressed from roughly $0.83B to $1.06B, a 28% increase, signaling earnings leverage as the top line expanded. The quarterly path fluctuated—peaking near $5.55B in 2025 Q3/Q4 before settling in the $5.2–$5.36B range—yet the trend remains clearly positive. The Gross Margin held in the high-40s to mid-50s, while Operating Margin stayed in the low- to mid-20s, underpinning a solid profitability trajectory. 💰 Margins & Cash Flow Gross Margin: roughly 46–56% across periods, with a peak around 56%. Operating Margin: generally 20–24%, supporting meaningful operating leverage. Net cash flow from operating activities was consistently positive in most quarters, while investing cash flow was mostly modestly negative and financing activity contributed steady liquidity. 🛡️ Balance Sheet & Liquidity Current assets ($52B) vs current liabilities ($50B) yields a tight but adequate liquidity cushion. Liabilities ($57B) exceed equity ($6B), indicating leverage, but assets and ongoing operating cash flows provide resilience. The balance sheet remains stable with a solid asset base. ⚠️ Key Drivers & Risks Drivers: Recurring payroll/data-processing demand; large installed base and stable cash flows. Risks: Valuation sensitivity to growth momentum; exposure to regulatory shifts or macro cycles.	📈 Growth & Financial Trajectory Over the 8 quarters, AKAM's revenues rose from about $1.00B to about $1.10B, a modest expansion of ~9-10%, with a steady uptrend across quarters. Net income moved from roughly $58M in 2024-Q3 to a peak of about $140M in 2025-Q3, before printing around $79M in 2026-Q2, reflecting quarterly volatility but positive trajectory. 💰 Margins & Cash Flow Gross margin stayed robust in the mid-to-high 50s% (Q2 2026 ~55.8%; Q4 2025 ~58.6%; Q3 2025 ~59.2%). Operating income remained positive in every quarter shown. Operating cash flow (continuing) was solid, e.g., around $326M in 2026-Q2. Net cash flow turned positive in 2026-Q2 at roughly $0.85B, with investing cash outflows offset by financing inflows in several quarters, indicating healthy cash generation despite capex. 🛡️ Balance Sheet & Liquidity Assets near $15.1B in 2026-Q2, liabilities around $10.3B, and equity about $4.75B. Current assets vs current liabilities yield a comfortable liquidity cushion (approx. 1.6x). Leverage remains moderate with substantial noncurrent assets and conservative equity backing. ⚠️ Key Drivers & Risks Drivers: AI/Data Center edge/CDN demand; sustained enterprise traffic growth. Risks: Revenue cyclicality and competition; valuation sensitive to margin shifts and growth pace.

ADP Analysis

AKAM Analysis

📈 Growth & Financial Trajectory

Over the 8 quarters, revenues rose from about $4.77B (2024 Q4) to about $5.36B (2026 Q4). Net income progressed from roughly $0.83B to $1.06B, a 28% increase, signaling earnings leverage as the top line expanded. The quarterly path fluctuated—peaking near $5.55B in 2025 Q3/Q4 before settling in the $5.2–$5.36B range—yet the trend remains clearly positive. The Gross Margin held in the high-40s to mid-50s, while Operating Margin stayed in the low- to mid-20s, underpinning a solid profitability trajectory.

💰 Margins & Cash Flow

Gross Margin: roughly 46–56% across periods, with a peak around 56%.
Operating Margin: generally 20–24%, supporting meaningful operating leverage.
Net cash flow from operating activities was consistently positive in most quarters, while investing cash flow was mostly modestly negative and financing activity contributed steady liquidity.

🛡️ Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Current assets ($52B) vs current liabilities ($50B) yields a tight but adequate liquidity cushion.
Liabilities ($57B) exceed equity ($6B), indicating leverage, but assets and ongoing operating cash flows provide resilience. The balance sheet remains stable with a solid asset base.

⚠️ Key Drivers & Risks

Drivers: Recurring payroll/data-processing demand; large installed base and stable cash flows.
Risks: Valuation sensitivity to growth momentum; exposure to regulatory shifts or macro cycles.

📈 Growth & Financial Trajectory

Over the 8 quarters, AKAM's revenues rose from about $1.00B to about $1.10B, a modest expansion of ~9-10%, with a steady uptrend across quarters. Net income moved from roughly $58M in 2024-Q3 to a peak of about $140M in 2025-Q3, before printing around $79M in 2026-Q2, reflecting quarterly volatility but positive trajectory.

💰 Margins & Cash Flow

Gross margin stayed robust in the mid-to-high 50s% (Q2 2026 ~55.8%; Q4 2025 ~58.6%; Q3 2025 ~59.2%). Operating income remained positive in every quarter shown. Operating cash flow (continuing) was solid, e.g., around $326M in 2026-Q2. Net cash flow turned positive in 2026-Q2 at roughly $0.85B, with investing cash outflows offset by financing inflows in several quarters, indicating healthy cash generation despite capex.

🛡️ Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Assets near $15.1B in 2026-Q2, liabilities around $10.3B, and equity about $4.75B. Current assets vs current liabilities yield a comfortable liquidity cushion (approx. 1.6x). Leverage remains moderate with substantial noncurrent assets and conservative equity backing.

⚠️ Key Drivers & Risks

Drivers: AI/Data Center edge/CDN demand; sustained enterprise traffic growth.
Risks: Revenue cyclicality and competition; valuation sensitive to margin shifts and growth pace.

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