
Palantir Stock (PLTR) Hits Record High: 3 Reasons the Rally Isn't Over
Elevate Your Investing Strategy:
Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence.
Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week.
1. Government AI Budgets Are Set to Surge
Palantir continues to secure major contracts with U.S. defense and intelligence agencies and is actively involved in key federal AI initiatives, such as the U.S. Navy's tech modernization program and Project Stargate, a national security-focused AI plan. In Q1 2025, Palantir's U.S. government revenue grew 45% year-over-year.
Notably, Palantir is strongly involved in two key areas where President Donald Trump plans major spending: defense and energy. Its software is already used by the U.S. military, NATO partners, and big energy companies. As the government rolls out large funding for infrastructure and national security through the proposed 'Big, Beautiful Bill,' Palantir is expected to see even more contract opportunities.
2. Wedbush Sees More Upside Ahead for PLTR Stock
Recently, Wedbush's four-star-rated analyst Daniel Ives raised his price target on PLTR stock to a Street-high $160 while maintaining his Buy rating. The new target suggests more than 7% upside from current levels, reflecting continued confidence in the company's long-term AI potential.
Ives called Palantir 'one of the best AI plays in the world' and also suggested the company could eventually reach a $1 trillion valuation.
While he acknowledged that the stock is expensive, Ives views Palantir as the clear leader poised to tap into trillions in future AI spending. He also thinks Wall Street is underestimating the potential of Palantir's U.S. commercial AI platform (AIP), which he says could generate over $1 billion in annual revenue in the next few years.
3. Palantir's Low-Code AI Platform Sets It Apart From the Competition
Palantir's AI platform stands out because it's easy to use, making it accessible even for people without a technical background. It helps businesses quickly build and roll out AI tools across multiple industries. With strong security and customization features, it's hard for competitors to match. As more companies look for simple, powerful AI solutions, Palantir is in a great position to lead and grow its market share.
Is Palantir a Good Stock to Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on PLTR stock, based on three Buys, nine Holds, and four Sells assigned in the last three months. The average Palantir share price target is $106.71, which implies a potential downside of 28.5% from current levels.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Business Insider
7 minutes ago
- Business Insider
Navigating headwinds: Nigeria's economic outlook for H2 2025
As the second half of 2025 begins, Nigeria finds itself at a critical economic crossroads. With mixed signals emerging from both global and local environments, policymakers, business leaders, and financial institutions must prepare for a delicate balancing act. From shifting geopolitical dynamics to domestic fiscal pressures, the outlook for H2 2025 is characterized by uncertainty but also opportunity. FSDH's latest macroeconomic update, titled 'Balancing on the Edge in a Fragile World,' provides timely insights into what lies ahead and how stakeholders can navigate this complex terrain. Globally, two major developments have reshaped the economic outlook: the return of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency and the escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict. Trump's reintroduction of import tariffs—10% across the board, with additional levies on selected countries—has renewed global trade tensions, undermined multilateralism, and triggered capital flow reversals to emerging markets. Meanwhile, the Middle East conflict has disrupted oil supply routes, increased freight costs, and spurred volatility in global commodity prices. These external shocks have led the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to revise its global GDP growth forecast downward to 2.8% in 2025, from an earlier 3.3%. Although Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to grow by 3.8%, driven by structural reforms and improved export performance; however the region remains vulnerable to external shocks, especially in energy markets and financial flows. Domestic Realities: Falling Short of Oil Expectations Nigeria, still heavily reliant on oil, has felt the weight of these developments. Despite commendable efforts to diversify her export base, oil remains the lifeblood of government revenue. The Federal Government's ₦54.99 trillion 2025 budget was benchmarked at US$75 per barrel and 2.06 million barrels per day in production. However, actual performance in H1 2025 has fallen short, with oil prices averaging US$72 per barrel and production consistently below target. This has created a growing fiscal gap and raised questions about Nigeria's ability to meet her ₦35 trillion revenue projection. Positive Signs: PMI Growth and Inflation Tapering Despite these challenges, there are positive signals in the local economy. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), a reliable indicator of economic activity, remained above 50 points between January and May 2025, indicating expansion in key sectors such as agriculture, industry, and services. Inflation, while still high, has begun to decline—from 24.5% in January 2025 to 23% by May 2025—thanks to the combination of improved food supply, relative exchange rate stability, and methodological adjustments by the National Bureau of Statistics. Exchange Rate Stability: Progress or Pause? Exchange rate dynamics have also shown signs of stabilisation. The Naira stood at ₦1,539/US$ as of June 2025, reflecting only a marginal 0.2% depreciation year-to-date. The 'willing buyer, willing seller' FX policy has improved transparency and market confidence, although Nigeria's external reserves declined by 8.5% in H1—from US$40.9 billion to US$37.3 billion—due to rising import bills and debt repayments. FSDH projects that exchange rate stability will depend on continued FX inflows, investor confidence, and fiscal discipline. With oil prices expected to hover around US$75-US$78 per barrel, maintaining production and boosting non-oil exports will be critical. Analysts caution that a renewed slump in oil output or a further deterioration in global trade conditions could reignite currency volatility. Fiscal Reform in Focus: Tax Administration Shake-Up A major turning point in H1 2025 came in June, when President Tinubu signed four transformational tax reform bills into law. These include the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Joint Revenue Board Act, and Nigeria Revenue Service Act. Collectively, these reforms aim to harmonise tax administration, improve compliance, and empower a new, independent national revenue service. Highlights of the reforms include raising the Capital Gains Tax for corporates from 10% to 30%, introducing a Development Levy on large firms, zero-rating VAT for essential goods, and exempting small businesses with under ₦100 million turnover from filing taxes. The reforms are expected to grow Nigeria's tax-to-GDP ratio from 10% to 18% within three years. While implementation remains a hurdle—especially at state and local levels—this marks a significant shift in Nigeria's revenue strategy. In the capital markets, optimism is quietly building. The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) posted a 16.6% year-to-date return as of June 2025, outperforming many global indices. Banking and consumer goods stocks led gains, buoyed by strong corporate earnings and macro reforms. Treasury Bill yields and long-term bond rates have declined, signaling renewed investor appetite for Nigerian assets. Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPIs) flows have increased significantly, hitting US$5.46 billion in Q1—a 67% jump from the previous quarter. This resurgence has been fueled by FX reform, positive real interest rates, and improved clarity on policy direction. However, the risk of 'hot money' outflows remains, underscoring the need for deeper, longer-term capital investments. Strategic Priorities for H2 2025 Looking ahead, FSDH outlined several strategic imperatives for economic stakeholders in H2 2025. First, there is an urgent need to boost oil production, not just to meet budget benchmarks, but to enhance export earnings. Second, the country must deepen its non-oil export capabilities, especially in agriculture and manufacturing, to diversify FX sources. Third, unlocking private-sector credit by reducing the high Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) remains key to real sector growth. Fourth, leveraging ongoing tax reforms to enhance state-level revenue and improve the business climate is vital. Importantly, Nigeria's digital economy and financial technology space also hold promise. The integration of AI, open banking frameworks, and digital payment systems are transforming how financial services are delivered. FSDH notes that institutions that embed digital transformation into their service models will lead in agility, customer retention, and market expansion. Cautious Optimism: Nigeria's Path Forward While global risks remain—from U.S. monetary policy to geopolitical tensions and potential oil shocks—Nigeria has the tools to stay on a path of gradual stabilisation. The success of H2 2025 will depend on disciplined execution of reforms, coordinated fiscal and monetary policy, and institutional accountability. Nigeria's economic outlook for the rest of 2025 is cautiously optimistic. Inflation is expected to decline further which may allow for monetary easing later in the year. The Naira is likely to remain within the current range, while GDP growth will be modest, driven by agriculture, services, and rising investor interest. Structural reforms are beginning to take root, but the second half of the year will require political will, macroprudential discipline, and bold leadership. And as FSDH aptly notes in its report, 'Resilience is not just about surviving the storm; it's about building structures that thrive within it.' Nigeria has the opportunity to prove that in H2 2025.


CNBC
37 minutes ago
- CNBC
An early lesson from this earnings season: Don't judge the quarter too quickly
The one-two punch of strong earnings and tame inflation helped propel the S & P 500 to a positive week — despite the latest tariff news on Friday putting a slight damper on the action. The broad index added 0.59% for the week led by technology, utilities and industrials, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq outperformed, jumping 1.51%. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the week slightly in negative territory, down 0.07%, after falling 142 points Friday on a report that President Donald Trump was pushing for between 15% to 20% tariffs in any deal with the European Union. The main economic event of the week came Tuesday, with the release of the June consumer price index. The headline CPI reading tracked in line with expectations, rising 2.7% year over year. However, the core index, which strips out food and energy due to their higher levels of volatility, came in slightly below expectations at 2.9% versus 3.0% expected. It wasn't a perfect report, though. Importantly, the shelter cost index was up 3.8% year over year. While lower than what we saw in the 12-month period ending May 2025 and trending the right way, it's still above the overall rate of inflation. For that reason, it's problematic as the Federal Reserve looks to thread the needle between maintaining price stability — which requires higher rates to address issues like the rise in shelter costs — and keeping unemployment low. Fortunately, for the time being, labor market dynamics are on the Fed's side, with the unemployment rate coming at 4.1%, as of June, and initial jobless claims now falling for five straight weeks. As a result, the market, according to the CME FedWatch Tool , continues to believe the Fed will keep its benchmark lending rate steady at its late July meeting, though the base case remains that we will likely see two cuts by year-end. More good news on inflation arrived Wednesday when the June producer price index came in a bit below expectations on both the headline and core readings. Known as the PPI, the gauge tracks wholesale inflation and is seen as a leading indicator for the CPI given it provides insights into what producers of goods are paying for their inputs. If their costs are going up, that will ultimately feed into what we all see in stores. It's too early to make a final judgement on how much tariffs are trickling into consumer prices, even though the overall impact so far appears to be subdued. Beneath the surface of the CPI report, some tariff-sensitive goods categories, such as household furnishings and supplies, increased at rates above the headline level. At the same time, within the PPI report, we saw a 0.1% decline in final demand services that was more than offset by a 0.3% increase in final demand goods. Putting it all together, the tariff impact thus far has proven very manageable — for now. It's possible the impact grows over time. As a result, while we continue to think rates should ultimately come down, we don't think Fed Chair Jerome Powell would be wrong to keep rates where they are for now as we wait for another month of data to roll in. Other positive economic updates this week included a better-than-expected read on June industrial production and capacity utilization; lower-than-expected initial jobless claims for the week ending June 12; strong June retail sales, and slight beat on June housing starts. Earnings was the other big story of the week, and the results were overall supportive of the idea that companies are deftly navigating the tricky economic moment. As for Club earnings, we had some hits and misses, though no real thesis-changing events. On Tuesday morning, we were wrong in thinking Wells Fargo could increase its net interest income outlook. No denying it. However, the reason we aren't changing our view is because we like why we were wrong. Rather than focus on the net interest part of its business — which is highly dependent on interest rates and therefore more out of management's control — the team is pushing deeper into the fee-based side of the operation, which tends to be more predictable. After falling around 5.5% on the report Tuesday, shares of Wells Fargo gained 2.3% over the final three days of the week, which was nice to see after the initial market reaction. BlackRock also got clobbered when it released second-quarter results Tuesday, sinking 5.9%. While the asset management giant did miss on revenues, we argued the sellers were short-sighted and failed to appreciate things such as the strong organic growth in fee revenue. They also weren't considering the transformative acquisition of private credit manager HPS acquisition, which wasn't in the Q2 results because it didn't close until July 1. That deal stands to provide a significant boost to the business going forward. Indeed, our more optimistic read on BlackRock's report proved to be correct. The stock quickly bounced back, touching a fresh all-time intraday high Friday before closing modestly lower in the session. Our final financial of the week to report, Goldman Sachs produced very strong results. Despite a tepid stock reaction, investors shouldn't ignore the combination of excellent execution, high levels of excess capital, and an improving IPO and M & A environment in the back half of the year. As we work our way into 2026, those three factors support a higher stock price. Goldman sits about 2% off its all-time closing high of nearly $724 a share on July 3. Abbott Labs rounded out the week Thursday, reporting a top and bottom line beat with strong organic growth versus the prior year. However, shares took an 8.5% dive as management failed to increase its outlook for full year earnings, guided below expectations for current earnings, and shaved its outlook for full-year organic sales growth. It wasn't the kind of print we've come to expect from Abbott. However, we appreciate CEO Robert Ford coming on "Mad Money" to provide a closer look at the quarter and the path ahead. It bolstered our conviction to stick with the name. We're hardly alone on Wall Street, with many analysts coming out in defense of the stock Friday. In fact, analysts at Jefferies actually took the pullback as an opportunity to upgrade shares to a buy rating. Abbott shares added 2.6% Friday, clawing back a few of the bucks lost in Thursday's sell-off. (Jim Cramer's Charitable Trust is long WFC, GS, BLK and ABT. See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.


Washington Post
37 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Is Mexican Coke really better than the U.S. version? We put it to the test.
This week, President Donald Trump delivered an out-of-the-blue announcement: He had spoken with Coca-Cola executives, he said, and they had agreed to start making Coke in the United States with cane sugar, instead of with high-fructose corn syrup. There was much to unpack in this declaration — for starters, whether Coca-Cola was actually on board with the move. (The company released a statement thanking the president for his 'enthusiasm' and promised unspecified 'new innovative offerings' in the future.) And, some skeptics wondered, was Trump just attempting to score a win on a popular matter to distract from a particularly tumultuous week, in which even his die-hard supporters are agitated over his handling of the case of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein?