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Akamai Loves You, Shareholders

By Tim Beyers – Updated Apr 6, 2017 at 1:10PM

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A better compensation plan bodes well for long-term owners.

Akamai Technologies (NASDAQ:AKAM) isn't anything like Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF).

I know this not because Akamai specializes in Web content  delivery while Abercrombie is a teen retailer, though both descriptions are accurate. The biggest difference here is that, while Akamai is paying managers to perform, Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries last year collected a massive "retention bonus." He earned millions just for showing up.

Paid to perform
Akamai's board knows this won't fly with investors. On Jan. 20, it approved and filed a new compensation plan that cuts the amount of equity compensation available to management while increasing cash salaries for the executive team, The Boston Business Journal reports.

The board is also recognizing CEO Paul Sagan with a $50,000 cash bonus for his contributions to the company's 2009 financial performance and Akamai's overall success in light of "a challenging economic environment."

Matching pay to performance is an extremely Foolish move. It reflects an understanding that, as investors, we're as turned off by Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) options bailout as we are the "golden parachutes" given to former executives at Citigroup (NYSE:C) and Bank of America's (NYSE:BAC) Merrill Lynch unit.

Sagan's bonus is also well-deserved. Akamai has never seen more, and more legitimate, competition from the likes of Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Limelight Networks (NASDAQ:LLNW). And yet, through Q3, the company was resurgent.

Yeah, but ...
To be fair, it's possible that these disclosures -- the lower equity awards, the relatively small bonus for Sagan -- augur poorly for Akamai's fourth-quarter results, which we'll get Wednesday after the closing bell. I don't much care. So long as Akamai is looking long-term, and working to match pay to performance, I'll remain a happy shareholder.

But that's my take. Now it's your turn to weigh in. Would you buy Akamai at these levels? What are you expecting from Wednesday's earnings report? Make your voice heard using the comments box below.

Amazon is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor selection. Akamai and Google are Rule Breakers recommendations. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days.

Fool contributor Tim Beyers is a member of the market-beating Rule Breakers stock-picking team. He owned shares of Akamai and Google at the time of publication. Check out Tim's portfolio holdings and Foolish writings, or connect with him on Twitter as @milehighfool. The Motley Fool has an options position in Abercrombie & Fitch and is also on Twitter as @TheMotleyFool. Earlier today, the Fool's disclosure policy just passed its own shadow.

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Stocks Mentioned

Akamai Technologies, Inc. Stock Quote
Akamai Technologies, Inc.
AKAM
$81.11 (-1.19%) $0.98
Alphabet Inc. Stock Quote
Alphabet Inc.
GOOGL
$98.74 (-1.40%) $-1.40
Amazon.com, Inc. Stock Quote
Amazon.com, Inc.
AMZN
$113.78 (-3.01%) $-3.53
Citigroup Inc. Stock Quote
Citigroup Inc.
C
$44.26 (-2.90%) $-1.32
Bank of America Corporation Stock Quote
Bank of America Corporation
BAC
$31.73 (-2.37%) $0.77
Edgio, Inc. Stock Quote
Edgio, Inc.
EGIO
$2.69 (-5.94%) $0.17
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Stock Quote
Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
ANF
$15.88 (1.73%) $0.27

*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.

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