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Sometimes even the market get the math is wrong. Take the case of Akamai Technologies, a provider of Web services, which was announced on the 22nd it was buying rival upstart Cotendo for $ 268 million in cash. Usually the acquirer’s shares fell on the news a lot, but Akamai jumped 19%, translating small purchases to nearly $ 1 billion market advantage.
The differences reflect Wall Street’s longstanding struggle with Akamai’s shares (ticker: login user then), which has been both loved and hated. Stocks raced above $ 50 in 2007 and again in 2010. Both times they then fell into the teens. The stock closed at $ 32 Friday, and. ..