AKAMAI REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER 2021 AND FULL-YEAR 2021 FINANCIAL RESULTS

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

Fourth quarter highlights

• Revenue of $905 million, up 7% year-over-year and up 8% when adjusted for foreign exchange*
• Security Technology Group revenue of $365 million, up 23% year-over-year and up 25% when adjusted for foreign exchange*

Full-year highlights

• Revenue of $3.5 billion, up 8% year-over-year and up 7% when adjusted for foreign exchange*
• GAAP operating margin of 23% and non-GAAP operating margin* of 32%
• GAAP EPS of $3.93, up 17% year-over-year, and non-GAAP EPS* of $5.74, up 10% year-over-year

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the world's most trusted solution to power and protect digital experiences, today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2021. Akamai also announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Linode Limited Liability Company, one of the easiest-to-use and most trusted infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) platform providers.

"Akamai's outstanding fourth quarter performance capped off an excellent year on both the top and bottom lines," said Dr. Tom Leighton, Chief Executive Officer of Akamai. "We believe our planned acquisition of Linode in cloud computing, and our recent acquisition of Guardicore in enterprise security, combined with our robust product portfolios, enterprise-focused go-to-market capabilities and widely distributed edge platform, will uniquely position us for success in these two large and fast growing markets."

Akamai delivered the following results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2021:

Revenue: Revenue for the fourth quarter was $905 million, a 7% increase over fourth quarter 2020 revenue of $846 million and an 8% increase when adjusted for foreign exchange.* Total revenue for 2021 was $3.461 billion compared to $3.198 billion for 2020, up 8% year-over-year and up 7% when adjusted for foreign exchange.*

Revenue by Product Group:

• Security Technology Group revenue for the fourth quarter was $365 million, up 23% year-over-year and up 25% when adjusted for foreign exchange.* Security Technology Group revenue for 2021 was $1.335 billion, up 26% year-over-year and up 25% when adjusted for foreign exchange.*
  
  
• Edge Technology Group revenue for the fourth quarter was $541 million, down 2% year-over-year and down 1% when adjusted for foreign exchange.* Edge Technology Group revenue for 2021 was $2.126 billion, flat year-over-year and down 1% when adjusted for foreign exchange.*

Revenue by Geography:

• U.S. revenue for the fourth quarter was $476 million, up 2% year-over-year. U.S. revenue for 2021 was $1.838 billion, up 3% year-over-year.
  
  
• International revenue for the fourth quarter was $429 million, up 13% year-over-year and up 16% when adjusted for foreign exchange.* International revenue for 2021 was $1.624 billion, up 14% year-over-year and up 12% when adjusted for foreign exchange.*

Income from operations: GAAP income from operations for the fourth quarter was $196 million, a 46% increase from fourth quarter 2020 income from operations of $135 million. GAAP operating margin for the fourth quarter was 22%, up 6 percentage points from the same period last year. GAAP income from operations for 2021 was $783 million, a 19% increase from the prior year's GAAP income from operations of $659 million. Full-year GAAP operating margin was 23%, up 2 percentage points from the same period last year.

Non-GAAP income from operations* for the fourth quarter was $283 million, an 11% increase from fourth quarter 2020 non-GAAP income from operations of $256 million. Non-GAAP operating margin* for the fourth quarter was 31%, up 1 percentage point from the same period last year. Non-GAAP income from operations* for 2021 was $1.094 billion, a 10% increase from the prior year's non-GAAP income from operations of $994 million. Full-year non-GAAP operating margin* was 32%, up 1 percentage point from the same period last year.

Net income: GAAP net income for the fourth quarter was $161 million, a 42% increase from fourth quarter 2020 GAAP net income of $113 million. GAAP net income for 2021 was $652 million, a 17% increase from the prior year's GAAP net income of $557 million.

Non-GAAP net income* for the fourth quarter was $243 million, an 11% increase from fourth quarter 2020 non-GAAP net income of $220 million. Non-GAAP net income* for 2021 was $943 million, a 10% increase from the prior year's non-GAAP net income of $858 million.

EPS: GAAP EPS for the fourth quarter was $0.97 per diluted share, a 43% increase from fourth quarter 2020 GAAP EPS of $0.68 and a 48% increase when adjusted for foreign exchange.* GAAP EPS for 2021 was $3.93 per diluted share, a 17% increase from prior year's GAAP EPS of $3.37 per diluted share and a 14% increase when adjusted for foreign exchange.*

Non-GAAP EPS* for the fourth quarter was $1.49 per diluted share, an 12% increase from fourth quarter 2020 non-GAAP EPS of $1.33 and a 14% increase when adjusted for foreign exchange.* Non-GAAP EPS* for 2021 was $5.74 per diluted share, a 10% increase from prior year's non-GAAP EPS of $5.22 per diluted share and an 8% increase when adjusted for foreign exchange.*

Adjusted EBITDA*: Adjusted EBITDA* for the fourth quarter was $404 million, an 11% increase from fourth quarter 2020 Adjusted EBITDA of $364 million. Adjusted EBITDA* for 2021 was $1.561 billion, a 12% increase from the prior year's Adjusted EBITDA of $1.397 billion.

Supplemental cash information: Cash from operations for the quarter was $387 million, or 43% of revenue. Cash from operations for 2021 was $1.405 billion, or 41% of revenue. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities was $2.2 billion as of December 31, 2021.

Share repurchases: The Company spent $271 million in the fourth quarter to repurchase 2.4 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $111.05 per share. For the full-year, the Company spent $522 million to repurchase 4.7 million shares of its common stock at an average price of $109.97 per share. The Company had 161 million shares of common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2021.

Quarterly Conference Call and Associated Webcast with Slides
Akamai will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET that can be accessed through 1-844-578-9671 (or 1-508-637-5655 for international calls) and using passcode 7579719. A live webcast of the call and accompanying slides may be accessed in the Investor Relations section of www.akamai.com. In addition, a replay of the call will be available for two weeks following the conference by calling 1-855-859-2056 (or 1-404-537-3406 for international calls) and using passcode 7579719. The archived webcast of this event may be accessed through the Akamai website.

About Akamai
Akamai powers and protects life online. The most innovative companies worldwide choose Akamai to secure and deliver their digital experiences – helping billions of people live, work, and play every day. With the world's largest and most trusted edge platform, Akamai keeps apps, code, and experiences closer to users – and threats farther away. Learn more about Akamai's security, content delivery, and edge compute products and services at www.akamai.com, blogs.akamai.com, or follow Akamai Technologies on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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). 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, capital expenditures 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 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 results 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 each non-GAAP financial measure used in its financial reporting and investor presentations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. This reconciliation captioned "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures" can be found 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 – Although stock-based compensation is an important aspect of the compensation paid to Akamai's employees, the grant date fair value 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. In addition, subsequent adjustments to Akamai's initial estimated amounts of contingent consideration and indemnification associated with specific acquisitions are included within acquisition-related costs. These amounts are impacted by the timing and size of the acquisitions. Akamai excludes acquisition-related costs from its non-GAAP financial measures to provide a useful comparison of Akamai's operating results to prior periods and to its peer companies because such amounts vary significantly based on the magnitude of the acquisition transactions and do not reflect Akamai's core operations.
  
  
• Restructuring charges – 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 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 discount and issuance costs and amortization of capitalized interest expense – In August 2019, Akamai issued $1,150 million of convertible senior notes due 2027 with a coupon interest rate of 0.375%. In May 2018, Akamai issued $1,150 million of convertible senior notes due 2025 with a coupon interest rate of 0.125%. The imputed interest rates of these convertible senior notes were 3.10% and 4.26%, respectively. This is a result of the debt discounts recorded for the conversion features that are required to be separately accounted for as equity under GAAP, thereby reducing the carrying values of the convertible debt instruments. The debt discounts are amortized as interest expense together with the issuance costs of the debt. The interest expense excluded from Akamai's non-GAAP results is comprised of these non-cash components and is excluded from management's assessment of the company's operating performance because management believes the non-cash expense is not representative of ongoing operating performance.
  
  
• Gains and losses on investments – Akamai has recorded gains and losses from the disposition, changes to fair value and impairment of certain 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.
  
  
• Legal settlements – Akamai has incurred losses related to the settlement of legal matters. Akamai believes excluding these amounts from its non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as the types of events giving rise to them are not representative of Akamai's core business operations.
  
  
• Endowment of Akamai Foundation – Akamai has incurred expenses to endow the Akamai Foundation, a private corporate foundation dedicated to encouraging the next generation of technology innovators by supporting math and science education. Akamai's first endowment was in 2018 to enable a permanent endowment for the Akamai Foundation to allow it to expand its reach. In the fourth quarter of 2020 Akamai supplemented the endowment to enable specific initiatives to increase diversity in the technology industry. Akamai believes excluding these amounts from non-GAAP financial measures is useful to investors as these infrequent and nearly one-time expenses are not representative of its core business operations.
  
  
• Income and losses from equity method investment – Akamai records income or losses on its share of earnings and losses from its equity method investment. Akamai excludes such income and losses because it does not direct control over the operations of the investment and the related income and losses are not representative of its core business operations.
  
  
• 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 recording or releasing of valuation allowances), 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; gains and losses on legal settlements; costs incurred related to endowments to the Akamai Foundation; 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; gains and losses on legal settlements; costs incurred related to endowments to the Akamai Foundation; amortization of debt discount and issuance costs; amortization of capitalized interest expense; certain gains and losses on investments; income and losses from equity method investment; and other non-recurring or unusual items that may arise from time to time. 

Non-GAAP net income per diluted share – Non-GAAP net income divided by weighted average diluted common shares outstanding. Diluted weighted average 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 $1,150 million of convertible senior notes due 2027 and 2025, respectively. Under GAAP, shares delivered under hedge transactions are not considered offsetting shares in the fully-diluted share calculation until they are delivered. However, the company 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 2027 and 2025, unless Akamai's weighted average stock price is greater than $116.18 and $95.10, respectively, the initial conversion price, 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 income; income taxes; depreciation and amortization of tangible and intangible assets; stock-based compensation; amortization of capitalized stock-based compensation; acquisition-related costs; restructuring charges; gains and losses on legal settlements; costs incurred related to endowments to the Akamai Foundation; foreign exchange gains and losses; interest expense; amortization of capitalized interest expense; certain gains and losses on investments; income and losses on equity method investment; 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.

Capital expenditures, or capex, excluding stock-based compensation and interest expense – 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.

Impact of foreign currency exchange rate – Revenue and earnings from international operations have historically been an important contributor 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 foreign 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 change at constant currency presented 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/or our earnings conference call scheduled for later today contain information about future expectations, plans and prospects of Akamai's management that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about expected future financial performance and the benefits of the planned acquisition of Linode. 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, the inability to continue to generate cash at the same level as prior years; the ability to complete the Linode transaction in a timely manner or at all; uncertainties as to whether the anticipated benefits from the Linode transaction will be realized; uncertainties as to whether Linode's business will be successfully integrated with Akamai's business, including whether Linode's technology will interoperate as expected with existing Akamai technology; the effect of the announcement of the proposed transaction on Linode's ability to maintain relationships with its key customers, vendors and employees; the failure of our investments in innovation to generate solutions that are accepted in the market; the 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; the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; defects or disruptions in our products or IT systems; the failure of the integration of any of our acquisitions; the delay in developing or failure to develop new service offerings or functionalities, and if developed, the 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 the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents periodically filed with the SEC.

In addition, the statements in this press release and on such investor 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.

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SOURCE Akamai Technologies, Inc.