Latest news with #AIP
Business Insider
8 hours ago
- Business
- Business Insider
‘A Make or Break Moment,' Says Top Investor About Palantir Stock
Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR) stock continues to spark debate among investors. While the company is delivering impressive results, driven by a rapidly expanding client base across both public and private sectors, its soaring valuation has raised eyebrows. PLTR now trades at multiples more than 10–20× above typical software peers, prompting questions about how much higher it can realistically go. 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. That kind of meteoric rise places investors in a tricky predicament – one can admire the company's trajectory yet hesitate to buy in at such elevated levels. Top investor James Foord articulates this tension well, noting that while Palantir's story remains compelling, the narrative could shift dramatically if upcoming earnings fail to meet the market's lofty expectations. 'Stories and sentiment can change, and the next earnings could be the catalyst for this,' explains the 5-star investor, who ranks among the top 2% of TipRanks' stock pros. Yet, for now, the prevailing sentiment remains optimistic. Foord doesn't necessarily foresee an imminent drop. Instead, he emphasizes the market's broader enthusiasm around Palantir and argues that the company could eventually be crowned a member of the 'Magnificent 7' tech elite. Foord attributes much of Palantir's rise to a potent combination of factors: 'larger-than-life' leadership, a promising tech stack, and the broader AI boom that has fueled investor excitement across the sector. As Morgan Housel famously put it, 'the best story wins,' and Palantir is a textbook case. Its secretive government contracts, ambitious AI platform (AIP), and aura of mystery give the stock an almost mythic appeal. But that same opacity is a double-edged sword. If AIP's value is overestimated or rivals catch up, the story could unravel quickly, especially as operating margins, currently around 44%, may already be peaking. Even a modest slip in profitability could shake investor confidence. Is now a good time to invest in Palantir stock? Foord believes the upside outweighs the risk, despite acknowledging the high-stakes nature of the bet. 'The big upside potential is taking center stage, but there's also a big downfall potential for Palantir if the AI darling falls out of favor,' he concludes, while maintaining his Buy rating on the stock. (To watch Foord's track record, click here) Meanwhile, Wall Street is taking a more cautious stance. With 10 Hold ratings, 3 Buys, and 3 Sells, analysts give PLTR a consensus Hold (i.e. Neutral) rating. Moreover, the average 12-month price target of $104.85 suggests a potential downside of ~32% from current levels. (See ) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights.
Dominion Post
a day ago
- Business
- Dominion Post
MGW on pace to soar past 14,000 enplanements in 2025
MORGANTOWN — 7,302 enplanements in six months. That's 7,302 paying customers boarding aircraft at the Morgantown Municipal Airport between Jan. 1 and June 30. To get some perspective on the impact new Essential Air Service carrier SkyWest Airlines has had since taking over for Southern Airways Express in December, consider the enplanement number this time last year was about 3,600. For all of 2024, the count was just over 7,700 — a good year by recent standards, as it marked just the second time in a decade the airport surpassed 7,300. This year, the state's only city-owned airport is on pace to fly past 14,000. And they're just getting warmed up. 'When SkyWest presented their service to us, they felt that they would be able to get close to 20,000 passengers a year,' Airport Director Jon Vrabel said. 'They didn't think it would happen maybe the first year, but possibly starting in years two and three.' For small airports, enplanement numbers mean big money. In basic terms, falling short of 10,000 enplanements – as MGW has done each year since 2011 — has traditionally slashed the amount of the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program dollars received from $1 million to $150,000 annually. AIP funds are capital improvement and infrastructure dollars, making them critical for airports looking at expensive facility upgrades, like, for example, the $60-million-plus runway extension project underway at MGW. Consistently missing out on those AIP funds was heavy on the collective mind of the selection committee this time last year as it considered staying with Southern Airways — the city's EAS carrier since 2016 — or taking off in a different direction. Essential Air Service, or EAS, is a federal subsidy provided directly to carriers to offset the cost of rural operations and ensure air service in smaller communities. 'It is impossible to be productive in today's world and stay where we're at,' former City Manager Kim Haws said at the time. 'I feel very strongly that we need to move forward and increase, not only enplanements, but the speed with which we are attempting to extend the runway.' It certainly appears as if the first box has been checked, which should help with the second. The project to extend the MGW runway by 1,001 feet to 6,200 feet is expected to conclude sometime between 2028 and 2030, depending on the flow of funding. When it meets Tuesday, Morgantown City Council will consider receipt of a $9.5-million grant from the FAA for construction of Phase 5 and the design of Phase 6 of the project. In order to accept the grant, the city must provide a $500,000 local match. Once complete, the extension will allow MGW to step up in terms of the variety of aircraft it can accommodate. It will also allow its own carrier to fully utilize the 50-seat Bombardier CRJ200 jets that make up the bulk of its fleet. 'The runway length here limits how many passengers they can carry on the Chicago flight. So, that's been restricted down to somewhere between 32 and 40. During the summer, it's down around 32 and it's up in the 40s in the winter,' Vrabel said, explaining the calculation comes down to weight and air density. 'In the summer, the air is thinner and the airplane doesn't perform as well. So it needs more runway to get off the ground with the same amount of weight,' he said. SkyWest offers daily flights from Morgantown to Dulles International Airport, in Virginia, and Chicago O'Hare International Airport. 'They're just a very professional company. We see that across the board with them and they've been great to work with; easy to work with. They conduct business very much like all the major carriers do,' Vrabel said of SkyWest. A representative of the carrier said the support is appreciated. 'The Morgantown community has shown incredible support for their local air service since the first United Express flights, operated by Skywest, began last December. We are pleased that so many people have taken advantage of flights to both Chicago and Washington, D.C., and the community is continuing to utilize and enjoy SkyWest's reliable, convenient travel options for Morgantown travelers.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks the U.S. Government Wants to Support
Key Points Fast-growing Palantir is quickly becoming a critical government contractor with an expanding footprint. is marching toward profitability and is looking to mimic the Palantir success story. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › You may not even realize how much artificial intelligence (AI) has already infiltrated daily lives -- voice assistants on smartphones, personalized recommendations when you shop online or watch a video, personalized ads, auto tagging on photos, smart home devices and AI-powered customer service bots -- and that just scratches the surface. AI is already everywhere and it's going to get even more ubiquitous. But you may not realize that AI is also deeply embedded in the U.S. government. And it's working with several companies on critical projects to increase the use of AI in the federal workspace. In particular, let's look at Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) and (NYSE: BBAI) as two ways to invest in the growing influence of artificial intelligence in the federal government. Palantir Technologies Palantir is clearly the biggest name when you think about AI and the federal government because of the dynamic growth in the company's stock over the last few quarters. Palantir stock is up 414% in the last 12 months and nearly 90% in 2025 alone. Just a year ago, you could buy this company's stock for less than $22 per share. Palantir's growth is tied to the release of its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), which incorporates large language models into Palantir's Gotham and Foundry platforms that are geared toward government and commercial clients, respectively. By using generative AI in Palantir's already powerful platforms, customers are able to craft detailed prompts to command Palantir to provide insights from numerous data points to help users make real-time decisions. That's also incredibly important in battlefield situations, as Palantir can take information from hundreds of satellites and give commanders information that they need to accomplish objectives and keep troops out of harm's way. Palantir is also reportedly expanding its government role beyond the military -- working with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, and possibly the Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service in order to create a centralized government database. While that's controversial in its own right, it's an objective that Elon Musk had when he was heading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). That work is continuing even though Musk is out of the administration. To be sure, Palantir has an insane valuation, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 617 and a forward P/E of 250. That alone is enough to scare off a lot of investors. But I'm convinced that Palantir is a revolutionary stock with a long road ahead of it, which is why it's still a buy for me. also works with the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, but not to the same extent as Palantir. But is a name to watch. And there's plenty of growth to be had with this stock should the government contracts continue and expand. Its contracts include a $13.2 million award issued in March for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff. The contract calls for to modernize and maintain the Orion Decision Support Platform that is used by the Joint Chiefs office to provide analytics and automated force management capabilities to the Department of Defense. The company also won a $165 million contract that began late last year to modernize U.S. Army systems with integrated, data-driving force management platforms. Those are significant contracts for a company that reported only $34.8 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2025. And while the company's revenue growth is only 5% on a year-over-year basis, it now has a backlog of $385 million in contracts. Perhaps more significantly, is marching steadily toward profitability. The company reported a loss of $62 million in the first quarter, which was much improved from the $127.8 million loss it posted in the first quarter of 2024. In addition, issued guidance for full-year revenue between $160 million and $180 million, versus full-year revenue of $158.2 million in 2024. If you are looking for the next Palantir, may be it. As it's still in the red, the company doesn't have a P/E ratio, but its price-to-sales ratio is just over 10 -- which is much more appealing than Palantir's P/S ratio of 113.5. Should you invest $1,000 in Palantir Technologies right now? Before you buy stock in Palantir Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Palantir Technologies wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $679,653!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,046,308!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 179% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025 Patrick Sanders has positions in Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks the U.S. Government Wants to Support was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Palantir Stock a Buy Above $150?
Once known for its secretive government work, Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has risen to prominence as a data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) powerhouse. Its flagship AI Platform (AIP) is now being adopted across industries, from defense to healthcare to finance, cementing the company's shift from niche contractor to global AI enabler. With soaring demand for secure, scalable AI tools, Palantir looks poised to thrive in the AI arms race. Now, PLTR stock is back in the spotlight. Shares popped 5% on July 14 and hit an all-time high of over $155 on July 17, eclipsing the July 14 peak of $149.58. The rally follows a flood of government contracts, surging commercial adoption, and bold analyst forecasts placing Palantir among the world's top AI contenders. More News from Barchart Insider Trading Alert: Here's Who Bought Nvidia and AMD Stock Before the U.S. Chip Deal with China Dear Tesla Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for July 23 Robinhood Keeps Hitting New Highs. How Should You Play HOOD Stock Here? Our exclusive Barchart Brief newsletter is your FREE midday guide to what's moving stocks, sectors, and investor sentiment - delivered right when you need the info most. Subscribe today! Clearly, momentum is strong, and investor sentiment is even more enthusiastic. But with the stock soaring and valuation risks emerging, can PLTR still be considered a buy above $150? About Palantir Stock Founded in 2003, Palantir has evolved from a counterterrorism-focused startup into a leading force in AI and data analytics. Backed early by the CIA's In-Q-Tel, Palantir has built tools like Gotham, Foundry, Apollo, and now AIP — each powering decisions from battlefield to boardroom. Palantir's deepening ties with the U.S. military, including the recent launch of Warp Speed for Warships, highlight its strategic role. Today, Palantir stands as a global player redefining how governments and enterprises turn data into action. Valued at $356 billion by market capitalization, PLTR stock has become a heavyweight in the large-cap software arena, and shares are putting on a show. Up 104% year-to-date (YTD), the stock first broke the $140 mark on June 11 and kept pushing, recently crossing $150. No surprise then, Palantir stands as the top-performing stock in the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) in 2025, surging past the broader market. But the long-term view is where things get jaw-dropping. PLTR stock is up 445% over the past year, 785% over the past two, and an eye-popping 1,433% across three years. Palantir's rise may feel like an AI fairytale, but its valuation tells a sharper story. Priced at 406 times forward earnings and 122 times sales, PLTR is trading at a premium, well above tech giants and AI peers. The question isn't whether Palantir is winning in AI, but whether investors are paying today for a future that's still unfolding. Palantir's Q1 Results Exceeded Projections On May 5, Palantir delivered a stronger-than-expected first-quarter 2025 earnings report, generating revenue of $884 million, up 39% year-over-year (YOY). The U.S. market stole the show, with revenue surging 55% annually to $628 million, led by a 71% spike in commercial growth and a 45% rise in government contracts. Profitability followed suit. Adjusted net income soared nearly 70% to $334.4 million, while EPS climbed 62.5% to $0.13, topping estimates. Adjusted free cash flow doubled to $370.4 million, boasting a 42% margin, showcasing operational muscle and improved cash generation. Backed by these blowout numbers, Palantir raised its full-year revenue guidance, now expecting between $3.89 billion and $3.902 billion, with the U.S. commercial revenue alone expected to grow at least 68%. Management also upped its adjusted income from operations target to the $1.71 billion to $1.72 billion range, signaling strong confidence. Analysts monitoring Palantir expect the company's EPS to climb 362% YOY to $0.37 in fiscal 2025, then rise another 16% to $0.43 in fiscal 2026. What Do Analysts Expect for Palantir Stock? Palantir's stock surge is riding Wall Street's growing optimism. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives just bumped PLTR's target from $140 to $160. With AI spend expected to hit trillions, Palantir's positioning as a foundational platform is catching fire and, despite its lofty valuation, bulls still see the firm as a core AI winner. Wall Street's take on the software stock feels like a cautious handshake — firm, but not overly enthusiastic. PLTR stock has a consensus rating of a 'Hold' overall. Out of 20 analysts tracking the stock, only three are all-in with a 'Strong Buy" while the majority of 13 analysts play it safe with a 'Hold" rating, signaling respect for the momentum but wariness about the valuation. Meanwhile, one analyst leans slightly bearish with a 'Moderate Sell' while three others are outright skeptical, recommending a 'Strong Sell." While PLTR stock is trading at a premium to its mean price target of $106.12, Wedbush's Street-high target of $160 suggests that the stock can rally 4% from current levels. On the date of publication, Sristi Suman Jayaswal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Thinking of Buying Palantir Stock? Here Are 2 Red Flags to Watch.
Key Points Palantir relies heavily on key customers for revenue. The artificial intelligence (AI) narrative is running ahead of fundamentals. Buying Palantir stock today might be a risky thing to do. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) is one of the most talked-about artificial intelligence (AI) stocks on the market. Its software plays a central role in helping governments and enterprises turn complex data into actionable insights -- and more recently, it doubled down on its AI strategy with the launch of its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). With a strong brand and a mover advantage, the company seems positioned to benefit from the broader AI wave. However, beneath the compelling narrative, investors should keep a close eye on the fundamentals, as a few red flags could limit Palantir's upside if not addressed over time. Red flag No. 1: Revenue concentration is still a major risk Palantir's roots lie in government work -- and that legacy continues to define much of its business today. As of Dec. 31, 2024, 55 % of the total revenue was derived from government contracts, primarily with the U.S. Department of Defense and the intelligence community. These are large, sticky, and mission-critical deals -- but they also come with risks. For one, government spending is inherently cyclical and subject to the shifting winds of politics. A change in priorities or budget constraints could delay contract renewals or result in reduced spending. That's not a theoretical concern -- it has happened in the past and will likely continue in the future. Even more importantly, Palantir's total addressable market (TAM) serving the public sector is largely capped. Particularly, only a narrow group of allied nations, primarily in North America and Europe, can realistically use its software in the national security context. That places a natural ceiling on the company's government revenue growth runway. Add to that customer concentration, and the picture gets even more constrained. In 2024, the average revenue for the top 20 customers in Palantir was $64.6 million, totaling $1.3 billion, or 45% of its 2024 revenue of $2.9 billion. With such a high level of dependence on a few large customers, losing one or two of these key clients could have a material impact on growth and profitability. Palantir is trying to change this with its concerted effort to scale its commercial business. For instance, in the first quarter of 2025, U.S. commercial business grew 71% year over year, outpacing the U.S. government's revenue growth of 45%. The rapid adoption of AI and the launch of AIP could help the company grow its commercial adoption and reduce overall revenue concentration over time. However, until this shift is fully realized, revenue concentration remains one of the biggest risks for long-term investors. Red flag No. 2: AI narrative is running ahead of fundamentals Palantir's AIP platform is a significant part of why investor interest has soared. The idea is compelling: Allow companies to deploy intelligent agents trained on their proprietary data in a secure, controlled environment. It's a differentiated pitch, and one that aligns well with how enterprises are likely to adopt AI. So far, early indicators confirm that the tech company is on the right path. It grew its customer count by 43% to 711. It also increased the total commercial remaining deal value, which represents deals signed but not yet converted into revenue, by 47% to $3.1 billion, thanks to a record-setting $803 million deal closed in the U.S. commercial contract market in the fourth quarter of 2024. But here's the catch: While there are good reasons to be optimistic that this growth trajectory could continue, the reality is that groupwide revenue grew by "just" 29% in 2024. Stock price, however, jumped 410% (as of writing) in the last 12 months. In terms of valuation metrics, Palantir trades at a staggering 112 times price-to-sales (P/S) ratio, which implies that investors already factored in massive future success into today's stock price. It's not unusual for high-growth software companies to trade at lofty multiples early in their maturity curve. But in Palantir's case, the gap between valuation and current revenue scale raises questions. That could make the stock vulnerable if the AI opportunity comes out short, or if enterprise AI adoption is slower than expected. The silver lining is that there is a timing difference between deals signed and revenue inflow, so investors can expect a massive ramp-up of revenue in the coming quarters. Still, execution needs to be nearly flawless to support the current valuation level, let alone increase it further. Is Palantir a buy? There's a lot to like about Palantir. It's building real solutions, working with mission-critical customers, and creating a foothold in enterprise AI. But long-term investing requires more than just buying into a great story. It's about assessing whether the fundamentals can support the valuation being paid today. Right now, Palantir still has work to do. Revenue remains concentrated, and commercial traction -- while improving -- hasn't yet reached escape velocity. Combine that with a valuation that assumes breakout success, and Palantir's stock remains a high-risk bet. Should you invest $1,000 in Palantir Technologies right now? Before you buy stock in Palantir Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Palantir Technologies wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $679,653!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,046,308!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,060% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 179% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025 Lawrence Nga has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Thinking of Buying Palantir Stock? Here Are 2 Red Flags to Watch. was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
