What's Driving Fastly Inc's Surprising 37% Stock Rally?

Fastly Inc (FSLY, Financial) has experienced a notable surge in its stock price, with a 9.66% gain over the past week and an impressive 37.10% gain over the past three months. The company's market capitalization now stands at $2.95 billion, with a current stock price of $22.58. When compared to the GF Value of $21.62, Fastly is considered fairly valued, a significant shift from its past GF Value of $28.53, which suggested it was a possible value trap. This change in valuation reflects a more optimistic outlook for the company's future performance.

Understanding Fastly's Business Model

Fastly Inc operates within the competitive software industry, specializing in content delivery network services and edge computing. The company's unique approach to content delivery, focusing on fewer but more network-dense data centers, allows for efficient handling of dynamic content. This strategy has attracted large, sophisticated enterprises, with the majority of its revenue generated in the United States. Fastly's innovative platform enables customers to program and manage their content delivery more effectively, setting it apart from traditional CDN providers.

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Assessing Fastly's Profitability

Fastly's Profitability Rank is currently at 3 out of 10, indicating challenges in this area. The company's operating margin stands at -40.94%, which, despite being low, is better than 17.55% of 2,746 companies in the same industry. Its Return on Equity (ROE) and Return on Assets (ROA) are -16.16% and -8.72% respectively, outperforming a significant portion of its peers. The Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) is -15.48%, again better than many competitors. These figures suggest that while Fastly is not currently highly profitable, it is performing better than many of its industry counterparts.

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Growth Trajectory of Fastly

Fastly's Growth Rank is a robust 8 out of 10, reflecting its strong revenue expansion. The company's 3-Year Revenue Growth Rate per Share is 6.60%, surpassing 45.31% of 2,397 companies. Over five years, this growth rate accelerates to 20.10%, outperforming 81.35% of 1,877 companies. The estimated Total Revenue Growth Rate for the next 3 to 5 years is an optimistic 18.76%. However, the 3-Year and 5-Year EPS without NRI Growth Rates are -36.90% and -43.70% respectively, indicating that profitability has not kept pace with revenue growth. The future EPS Growth Rate is projected at -14.20%, suggesting that challenges remain in achieving profitability.

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Influential Shareholders in Fastly

Notable shareholders in Fastly include George Soros (Trades, Portfolio), holding 555,689 shares, Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with 531,100 shares, and John Hussman (Trades, Portfolio) with 168,000 shares. These investors hold share percentages of 0.42%, 0.41%, and 0.13% respectively. The involvement of these prominent investors could signal confidence in Fastly's strategic direction and potential for future growth.

Competitive Landscape

Fastly operates in a competitive landscape, with key players such as PagerDuty Inc (PD, Financial) with a market cap of $2.18 billion, Bumble Inc (BMBL, Financial) at $1.87 billion, and Jamf Holding Corp (JAMF, Financial) at $2.39 billion. These companies, while in the same industry, have different market capitalizations, indicating varied levels of investor confidence and business scale.

Conclusion: Fastly's Market Position and Outlook

In summary, Fastly Inc's recent stock performance and current valuation suggest a positive market sentiment. The company's innovative approach to content delivery and edge computing services has positioned it well within the software industry. Despite profitability challenges, Fastly's revenue growth is strong, and the presence of significant shareholders may bode well for its future. When compared to its competitors, Fastly holds its own, with a market cap that reflects its standing in the industry. Investors will be watching closely to see if the company can translate its revenue growth into sustained profitability and continue its upward trajectory in the stock market.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

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    Disclosures

    I/We may personally own shares in some of the companies mentioned above. However, those positions are not material to either the company or to my/our portfolios.