Fastly Inc vs Global X Defense Tech ETF — how do they compare? Fastly Inc trades at $29.33 (market cap $4.58B), while Global X Defense Tech ETF trades at $69.83. The key difference: Fastly Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Global X Defense Tech ETF nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| FSLY | SHLD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $4.58B | — |
Sector | Technology | Sector/Thematic |
52-Week High | $33.50 | $78.02 |
52-Week Low | $6.85 | $58.20 |
Enterprise Value | $4.65B | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Fastly (FSLY) surged 20.86% to $27.75, approaching its consensus price target of $28.25, driven by strong Q2 2026 earnings that beat estimates with $0.15 EPS versus $0.07 expected. Revenue grew 23% year-over-year to $624M in 2025, with improving margins and raised 2026 guidance. Technical indicators show bullish momentum with the stock trading near pivot point resistance at $30, though RSI levels suggest overbought conditions. The company is benefiting from AI-driven demand and security product expansion.
While Fastly shows promising revenue growth and consecutive earnings beats, the stock faces headwinds from negative profitability metrics and cash flow challenges. The net income margin remains negative at -11.8% despite improvement, and the company burned $105.6M in cash during 2025. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 29% buy ratings versus 65% hold, indicating cautious optimism amid execution risks in the competitive edge cloud market.
SHLD, the Global X Defense Tech ETF, trades at $69.74, down slightly by 0.16% today. Technical indicators show a bullish trend with strong moving average signals, though oscillators are neutral and RSI levels suggest overbought conditions. Recent news highlights increased institutional investment, with firms like Focus Financial Network raising stakes by 55.4% in Q2 2026 (Defense World, 2026-08-11). The ETF benefits from global defense spending trends, including a $20 billion UK military overhaul (Zacks Investment Research, 2026-07-02).
The outlook for SHLD is positive, driven by rising global defense budgets and technological advancements in defense sectors. Investment opportunities include diversified exposure to defense innovation, supported by institutional accumulation. Risks involve geopolitical shifts, potential tariff impacts from policies like Trump's new tariffs (Fool - Investing News, 2026-08-04), and valuation pressures if growth slows. The ETF's performance hinges on sustained military expenditure increases and contract awards.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Fastly operates a content delivery network, which is necessary for entities to provide faster and more reliable online content. Fastly's strategy differs from traditional CDNs, which focused on locating servers in as many locations as possible to store copies of files that consumers most use. Fastly has far fewer sites than traditional CDNs, but it houses servers in the most network-dense data centers. Instead of simply storing static content, it allows its customers to program on its platform, enabling edge computing and better service of the more dynamic content that was traditionally not well served by CDNs. Fastly gears its service to the largest, most sophisticated enterprises rather than small companies and generated about two thirds of its revenue in the United States in 2020.
Read more on FSLY →SHLD tracks the Global X Defense Tech Index, targeting companies that lead the technological transformation of the defense sector. It focuses on pure-play innovators in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced military systems, excluding traditional commercial aerospace to maintain a high level of thematic purity.
Read more on SHLD →