Akamai Reports Third Quarter 2025 Financial Results

The guidance that is provided on a non-GAAP basis cannot be reconciled to the closest GAAP measures without unreasonable effort because of the unpredictability of the amounts and timing of events affecting the items Akamai excludes from non-GAAP measures. For example, stock-based compensation is unpredictable for Akamai’s performance-based awards, which can fluctuate significantly based on current expectations of the future achievement of performance-based targets. Amortization of intangible assets, acquisition-related costs and restructuring costs are all impacted by the timing and size of potential future actions, which are difficult to predict. In addition, from time to time, Akamai excludes certain items that occur infrequently, which are also inherently difficult to predict and estimate. It is also difficult to predict the tax effect of the items Akamai excludes and to estimate certain discrete tax items, such as the resolution of tax audits or changes to tax laws. As such, the costs that are being excluded from non-GAAP guidance are difficult to predict and a reconciliation or a range of results could lead to disclosure that would be imprecise or potentially misleading. Material changes to any one of the exclusions could have a significant effect on our guidance and future GAAP results.

_{*     See Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures below for definitions}

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Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to providing financial measurements based on generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (GAAP), Akamai provides additional financial metrics that are not prepared in accordance with GAAP (non-GAAP financial measures). Management uses non-GAAP financial measures, in addition to GAAP financial measures, to understand and compare operating results across accounting periods, for financial and operational decision making, for planning and forecasting purposes, to measure executive compensation and to evaluate Akamai’s financial performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are non-GAAP income from operations, non-GAAP operating margin, non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per diluted share, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin, non-GAAP tax rate, capital expenditures, non-GAAP depreciation and amortization, capex as a percentage of revenue and impact of foreign currency exchange rates, as discussed below.

Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures reflect Akamai’s ongoing business in a manner that allows for meaningful comparisons and analysis of trends in the business, as they facilitate comparison of financial results across accounting periods and may be comparable to those of our peer companies. Management also believes that these non-GAAP financial measures enable investors to evaluate Akamai’s operating results and future prospects in the same manner as management. These non-GAAP financial measures may exclude expenses and gains that may be unusual in nature, infrequent or not reflective of Akamai’s ongoing operating results.

The non-GAAP financial measures do not replace the presentation of Akamai’s GAAP financial measures and should only be used as a supplement to, not as a substitute for, Akamai’s financial results presented in accordance with GAAP. Akamai has provided a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures used in its financial reporting and investor presentations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. This reconciliation can be found in the “Supplemental Financial Information” on the Investor Relations section of Akamai’s website.

The non-GAAP adjustments, and Akamai’s basis for excluding them from non-GAAP financial measures, are outlined below:

• Amortization of acquired intangible assets – Akamai has incurred amortization of intangible assets, included in its GAAP financial statements, related to various acquisitions Akamai has made. The amount of an acquisition’s purchase price allocated to intangible assets and term of its related amortization can vary significantly and is unique to each acquisition; therefore, Akamai excludes amortization of acquired intangible assets from its non-GAAP financial measures to provide investors with a consistent basis for comparing pre- and post-acquisition operating results.
• Stock-based compensation and amortization of capitalized stock-based compensation – Stock-based compensation is an important aspect of the compensation paid to Akamai’s employees which includes long-term incentive plans to encourage retention, performance-based plans to encourage achievement of specified financial targets, short-term incentive awards with a one year vest and shares issued as part of a retirement savings program. The grant date fair value of the stock-based compensation awards varies based on the stock price at the time of grant, varying valuation methodologies, subjective assumptions and the variety of award types. This makes the comparison of Akamai’s current financial results to previous and future periods difficult to interpret; therefore, Akamai believes it is useful to exclude stock-based compensation and amortization of capitalized stock-based compensation from its non-GAAP financial measures in order to highlight the performance of Akamai’s core business and to be consistent with the way many investors evaluate its performance and compare its operating results to peer companies.
• Acquisition-related costs – Acquisition-related costs include transaction fees, advisory fees, due diligence costs and other direct costs associated with strategic activities. Acquisition-related costs are impacted by the timing and size of the acquisitions, and Akamai excludes acquisition-related costs from its non-GAAP financial measures to provide a useful comparison of operating results to prior periods and to peer companies because such amounts vary significantly based on the magnitude of the acquisition transactions and do not reflect Akamai’s core operations.
• Restructuring charge – Akamai has incurred restructuring charges from programs that have significantly changed either the scope of the business undertaken by the Company or the manner in which that business is conducted. These charges include severance and related expenses for workforce reductions, impairments of long-lived assets that will no longer be used in operations (including acquired intangible assets, right-of-use assets, other facility-related property and equipment and internal-use software) and termination fees for any contracts cancelled as part of these programs. Akamai excludes these items from its non-GAAP financial measures when evaluating its continuing business performance as such items vary significantly based on the magnitude of the restructuring action and do not reflect expected future operating expenses. In addition, these charges do not necessarily provide meaningful insight into the fundamentals of current or past operations of its business.
• Amortization of debt issuance costs and capitalized interest expense – The issuance costs of Akamai’s convertible senior notes are amortized to interest expense and are excluded from Akamai’s non-GAAP results because management believes the non-cash amortization expense is not representative of ongoing operating performance.
• Gains and losses on cost method investments – Akamai has recorded gains and losses from the disposition, changes to fair value and impairment of cost method investments. Akamai believes excluding these amounts from its non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as the types of events giving rise to these gains and losses are not representative of Akamai’s core business operations and ongoing operating performance.
• Income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments and certain discrete tax items – The non-GAAP adjustments described above are reported on a pre-tax basis. The income tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments is the difference between GAAP and non-GAAP income tax expense. Non-GAAP income tax expense is computed on non-GAAP pre-tax income (GAAP pre-tax income adjusted for non-GAAP adjustments) and excludes certain discrete tax items (such as the impact of intercompany sales of intellectual property related to acquisitions), if any. Akamai believes that applying the non-GAAP adjustments and their related income tax effect allows Akamai to highlight income attributable to its core operations.

Akamai’s definitions of its non-GAAP financial measures are outlined below:

Non-GAAP income from operations – GAAP income from operations adjusted for the following items: amortization of acquired intangible assets; stock-based compensation; amortization of capitalized stock-based compensation; amortization of capitalized interest expense; acquisition-related costs; restructuring charges; legal settlements; and other non-recurring or unusual items that may arise from time to time.

Non-GAAP operating margin – Non-GAAP income from operations stated as a percentage of revenue.

Non-GAAP net income – GAAP net income adjusted for the following tax-affected items: amortization of acquired intangible assets; stock-based compensation; amortization of capitalized stock-based compensation; acquisition-related costs; restructuring charges; legal settlements; amortization of debt issuance costs; amortization of capitalized interest expense; gains and losses on cost method investments; and other non-recurring or unusual items that may arise from time to time.

Non-GAAP net income per diluted share, or EPS – Non-GAAP net income divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding are adjusted in non-GAAP per share calculations for the shares that would be delivered to Akamai pursuant to the note hedge transactions entered into in connection with the issuances of Akamai’s convertible senior notes. Under GAAP, shares delivered under hedge transactions are not considered offsetting shares in the fully-diluted share calculation until they are delivered. However, Akamai would receive a benefit from the note hedge transactions and would not allow the dilution to occur, so management believes that adjusting for this benefit provides a meaningful view of operating performance. With respect to the convertible senior notes due in each of 2033, 2029 and 2027, and those that matured in 2025, unless Akamai’s weighted average stock price is greater than $93.01, $126.31, $116.18 and $95.10, respectively, the initial conversion prices, there will be no difference between GAAP and non-GAAP diluted weighted average common shares outstanding.

Adjusted EBITDA – GAAP net income excluding the following items: interest and marketable securities income and losses; income taxes; depreciation and amortization of tangible and intangible assets; stock-based compensation; amortization of capitalized stock-based compensation; acquisition-related costs; restructuring charges; legal settlements; foreign exchange gains and losses; interest expense; amortization of capitalized interest expense; gains and losses on cost method investments; and other non-recurring or unusual items that may arise from time to time.

Adjusted EBITDA margin – Adjusted EBITDA stated as a percentage of revenue.

Non-GAAP tax rate – GAAP tax rate excluding the tax effect of non-GAAP adjustments and certain discrete tax items.

Capital expenditures, or capex – Purchases of property and equipment and capitalization of internal-use software development costs presented on an accrual basis, which differs from the cash-basis presentation included in the statements of cash flows. The primary difference between the two is the change in purchases of property and equipment and capitalization of internal-use software development costs accrued for, but not paid, at period end versus prior periods.

Capex as a percentage of revenue – Capital expenditures, or capex, stated as a percentage of revenue.

Non-GAAP depreciation and amortization – GAAP depreciation and amortization (which consists of depreciation and amortization of property and equipment, capitalized stock-based compensation, capitalized interest expense and acquired intangible assets), less depreciation and amortization excluded from non-GAAP results (which consists of depreciation and amortization of capitalized stock-based compensation, capitalized interest expense and acquired intangible assets).

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate – Revenue and earnings from international operations have historically been important contributors to Akamai’s financial results. Consequently, Akamai’s financial results have been impacted, and management expects they will continue to be impacted, by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. For example, when the local currencies of our international subsidiaries weaken, our consolidated results stated in U.S. dollars are negatively impacted.

Because exchange rates are a meaningful factor in understanding period-to-period comparisons, management believes the presentation of the impact of foreign currency exchange rates on revenue and earnings enhances the understanding of our financial results and evaluation of performance in comparison to prior periods. The dollar impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates presented is calculated by translating current period results using monthly average foreign currency exchange rates from the comparative period and comparing them to the reported amount. The percentage growth rate impacted by foreign currency exchange rates, sometimes referred to as constant currency, is calculated by comparing the prior period amounts as reported and the current period amounts translated using the same monthly average foreign currency exchange rates from the comparative period.

Akamai Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act

This release and related management commentary on our quarterly earnings conference call scheduled for later today contain statements that are not statements of historical fact and constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, statements about expected future financial performance, expectations, plans and prospects of Akamai, including our outlook, guidance, growth objectives and statements about our products, including Akamai Inference Cloud, and their anticipated capabilities, scalability and performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors including, but not limited to, inability to continue to generate cash at the same level as prior years; failure of our investments in innovation to generate solutions that are accepted in the market; inability to increase our revenue at the same rate as in the past and keep our expenses from increasing at a greater rate than our revenues; effects of competition, including pricing pressure and changing business models; changes in customer or user preferences or demands; impact of macroeconomic trends, including economic uncertainty, turmoil in the financial services industry, the effects of inflation, fluctuating interest rates, foreign currency exchange rate and monetary supply fluctuations, international tensions and volatility in capital markets; conditions and uncertainties in the geopolitical environment, including sanctions and disruptions resulting from the ongoing war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war; continuing supply chain and logistics costs, constraints, changes or disruptions; defects or disruptions in our products or IT systems, including outages, cyber-attacks, data breaches or malware; difficulties in integrating our acquisitions and investments; failure to realize the expected benefits of any of our acquisitions, reorganizations or investments; changes to economic, political and regulatory conditions in the United States and internationally, including changes in government policies, regulations and resources; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; delay in developing or failure to develop new products, service offerings or functionalities, and if developed, lack of market acceptance of such service offerings and functionalities or failure of such solutions to operate as expected, and other factors that are discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents filed with the SEC.

In addition, the statements in this press release and on our quarterly earnings conference call represent Akamai’s expectations and beliefs as of the date of this press release. Akamai anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause these expectations and beliefs to change. However, while Akamai may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Akamai’s expectations or beliefs as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.