Latest news with #PalantirTechnologies
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Should You Buy Palantir Technologies Stock Before Aug. 4?
Key Points Palantir is taking the high ground in the artificial intelligence (AI) software revolution. The company has delivered nine consecutive quarters of accelerating revenue and profit growth thanks to its state-of-the-art AI solutions, and shows no signs of slowing. Its pricey valuation might send some investors packing, but its growth story will play out over the next decade. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) several years ago sparked a paradigm shift in technology that will likely continue for the next decade. Generative AI has the potential to streamline processes, increase productivity, and drive more profits to the bottom line. This has large and small businesses alike eager to join the AI revolution, but many simply don't know how to get started. Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) recognized the need and responded accordingly. The company developed a system designed to provide real-time, data-driven solutions while providing companies with a way to get started, and the results speak for themselves. The stock has gained 421% over the past year (as of this writing) and is up 1,890% since AI went viral in late 2022. The company faces a key test with investors when Palantir reports its second-quarter results after the market close on Aug. 4. Given the stock's blistering returns over the past year, should investors buy Palantir stock ahead of this crucial financial report, or wait until after the results have been made public? Let's see what we can learn from the available evidence. AI before it went viral While generative AI has been all the rage over the past couple of years, Palantir has been developing data mining and AI solutions long before it became fashionable. The company worked in relative obscurity for years, designing AI-powered solutions for U.S. intelligence agencies and other federal departments. After establishing itself as the gold standard for government AI solutions, Palantir turned its attention to corporate America and created a platform that could devise elegant solutions to everyday business problems. By connecting siloed business software systems through a central dashboard, Palantir created a system that provides data-driven intelligence and actionable insights. The company's most recent brainchild, its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), leverages company-specific information to craft custom solutions. Many business executives are keen to benefit from the windfall of AI, but have no idea how to implement the appropriate systems. That's where Palantir comes in. Business executives and developers are partnered with Palantir engineers to create solutions for their most pressing issues. "These immersive, hands-on sessions allow new and existing customers to build live alongside Palantir engineers, all working toward the common goal of deploying AI in operations," Palantir said. Its success is irrefutable. In the first quarter, Palantir's revenue grew 39% year over year, while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) jumped 63%. That's only part of the story. Palantir's U.S. commercial revenue -- which includes AIP -- surged 71%, while the segment's customer count climbed 65%. Additionally, the segment's remaining deal value (RDV) -- which provides a glimpse into the company's future growth trajectory -- soared 127%. It's also worth noting that each of these growth rates is accelerating. Furthermore, sales and profits have ratcheted higher for nine consecutive quarters, with no signs of slowing. Wall Street's (short-term) view The stock's parabolic run over the past few years has kicked its valuation into the stratosphere. Palantir is currently selling for 255 times forward earnings and 90 times forward sales, which most investors would concede is a pricey valuation, and Wall Street seems to agree. Of the 25 analysts who offered an opinion on Palantir in July, only four rate the stock a buy or strong buy, while 16 recommend holding, and five rate it underperform or sell. That means 84% of analysts don't believe Palantir is a buy right now. However, it's important to point out that Wall Street analysts tend to focus on the next 12 to 18 months. Given that Palantir's growth story is expected to play out over the next decade or longer, the two views are at odds. Furthermore, those disparate opinions can both be right: In the short run, Palantir stock could fall or enter a period of multiple compression, in which the fundamentals continue to improve while the stock remains range-bound. It could also be a massive winner over the next decade for investors with the intestinal fortitude to hold through the volatility that's sure to come. Focus on the long-term Given the current environment and the unresolved issues of inflation and tariffs, it's easy to imagine executives delaying unnecessary spending. That said, the economic uncertainty could be a catalyst for Palantir, according to Ark Investment Management CEO Cathie Wood. "When businesses and consumers are scared, they'll change the way they do things, and that's usually good for the companies that are helping others do things better, cheaper, faster, more creatively, and more productively," she said. Wood believes Palantir's proprietary solutions position the company well for the continued adoption of AI. "We think Palantir is going to be one of the biggest beneficiaries as companies try and make themselves more efficient and move into the AI age," she said, "You've got the C-suite really trying to figure this out, understanding strategically that if they don't jump into the AI age, they'll be left behind." There's more. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Wood said (emphasis mine), "CEO Alex Karp believes that [Palantir] will become the largest pure-play enterprise AI software company in the world. I believe him." Should you buy before Aug. 4? As a general rule, I shy away from date-driven stock buying. I tend to be more successful when I take a step back and view the company's execution, competition, and market opportunity holistically. Palantir's execution thus far has been stellar. The company's unique approach will make it hard for would-be competitors to replicate Palantir's results. It's difficult to accurately size the market opportunity for AI, and estimates vary wildly. In Ark Invest's Big Ideas 2025 report, Wood calculates that the AI software opportunity alone could be worth $13 trillion by 2030. There's a lot to like about Palantir, and I have purchased the stock several times in recent years. In most instances, valuation isn't something I consider, but it's hard to ignore in the case of Palantir. That said, I still believe the stock is worth owning -- as long as investors know what they're getting into. Palantir comes with extraordinarily high multiples. That, combined with the company's rapid growth, is the very recipe for extreme volatility. I'd be comfortable predicting that, at some point over the next 18 months, Palantir stock will likely plunge by 50%. Does that mean I plan to sell the stock? Not at all. It simply means I'm prepared for the inevitable ups and downs that are part of the cost of admission for owning a high-growth stock such as this. Those disclaimers aside, investors looking to establish a position in Palantir should consider a small position and add opportunistically on any weakness. Dollar-cost averaging is another potential strategy, as it allows investors to build a position over time, adding more shares when the price is lower and fewer when the valuation is higher. I stand by the assertion that being a Palantir shareholder isn't for the faint of heart. That said, for those who adopt a long-term outlook and can withstand the inevitable volatility, I expect it to be a profitable investment 10 years from now. 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 $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% 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 21, 2025 Danny Vena has positions in Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Should You Buy Palantir Technologies Stock Before Aug. 4? was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Can Palantir Be a Trillion-Dollar Company?
Key Points AI is a huge enabler for Palantir's commercial business expansion. Palantir needs to generate tens of billions of dollars in profits to justify a trillion-dollar market cap. The tech company must execute flawlessly to reach its ambition. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) is a polarizing name. For years, critics dismissed it as an overhyped defense contractor disguised as a tech firm. However, the narrative shifted lately. The company is experiencing rapid growth in commercial markets. Its new artificial intelligence (AI) platform is gaining traction and is now profitable. Shares surged 484% in the past year (as of writing), making it one of the largest companies globally, with a $374 billion market capitalization. Investors now face a big question: Could this new phase of Palantir's evolution eventually make it worth $1 trillion? Let's break it down. Where does Palantir stand today? Palantir operates in two primary segments: government and commercial. For most of its history, the company was best known for its work with U.S. defense and intelligence agencies -- a sticky business, but one that didn't scale easily. That's changing. Palantir's Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) is emerging as a breakout commercial product. Unlike earlier tools that required significant engineering support from Palantir, AIP is modular, configurable, and deployable in days, not months. Companies can use it to integrate large language models (LLMs) with internal data while maintaining strict governance and security. To accelerate adoption, Palantir launched AIP Bootcamps -- short, high-intensity onboarding programs that enable potential clients to test-drive the platform using their own data. It's a clever growth hack that reduces friction and demonstrates to customers how AI can enhance their operations. Unsurprisingly, commercial revenue has been scaling nicely in recent quarters. In the first quarter, which ended March 31, 2025, U.S. commercial revenue surged 71% year over year, far surpassing groupwide revenue growth of 39%. Even Palantir's "boring" government business is getting an enormous boost thanks to the increase in AI adoption in the public sector, with U.S. government revenue growing 45% year over year in the same quarter. It's early days, but AI is a game-changer for Palantir. How much profit is needed to justify a trillion-dollar market cap? Palantir is currently valued at around $375 billion, so $1 trillion is about 3 times the current market capitalization. Still, to justify that valuation over time, Palantir must back it up with sustainable earnings. Let's assume the market assigns Palantir a generous valuation in the future -- say, a 25 times price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, similar to other high-quality software companies with durable growth. That would imply the company needs to generate roughly $40 billion in annual net income. Even at a more aggressive 30x multiple, Palantir would still need around $33 billion in net profit. For perspective, Palantir reported an adjusted net income of $334 million in the first quarter of 2025, equivalent to $1.3 billion annualized. To reach $33 billion, net income must grow by over 25 times. For context, that's more profit than Adobe or Salesforce generate in today's market, and they've been building commercial software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses for decades. In other words, reaching the trillion-dollar mark will require an enormous leap in revenue, margin, and scale, placing Palantir among the largest tech companies, such as Microsoft or Alphabet. What needs to happen from here Palantir might have a long growth runway, but the path to $1 trillion is very challenging. Here's what the company must do next to have a shot at reaching that goal. 1. Scale its commercial business globally The government business is solid but limited. To become a dominant global software company, Palantir must drive widespread commercial adoption of AIP. That means winning Fortune 500 customers, expanding internationally, and proving that AIP is a mission-critical layer of the modern enterprise stack, including building an ecosystem with highly supportive partners. 2. Defend its moat in a competitive AI landscape As enterprise AI heats up, every major cloud and data platform wants a piece of the action. Palantir's differentiation lies in secure deployment, strong data governance, and operational use cases. It must continue to invest in those strengths. Winning in this space means staying ahead not just in tech but also in trust. 3. Expand margins with scale While Palantir is now profitable, its current operating margin remains modest compared to that of top-tier software companies. For perspective, the generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) net income margin was 16% in 2024. If AIP succeeds in replacing manual customization with out-of-the-box deployment, margins are expected to rise over time due to operating leverage. In other words, net profit must grow even faster than revenue! What does this mean for investors? On one level, Palantir is at a pivotal moment. With AIP gaining traction, commercial growth accelerating, and government demand rising, it has plenty of ingredients for growth. However, to justify a $1 trillion valuation, it must become one of the most profitable software companies on the planet. That means expanding globally, defending its competitive edge in enterprise AI, and scaling margins dramatically. And with its steep valuation, it will be a risky investment for most investors to participate in this ride. 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 $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% 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 21, 2025 Lawrence Nga has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Adobe, Alphabet, Microsoft, Palantir Technologies, and Salesforce. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Can Palantir Be a Trillion-Dollar Company? was originally published by The Motley Fool
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Should You Buy Palantir Technology Stock Before Aug. 4?
Key Points Palantir is taking the high ground in the artificial intelligence (AI) software revolution. The company has delivered nine consecutive quarters of accelerating revenue and profit growth thanks to its state-of-the-art AI solutions, and shows no signs of slowing. Its pricey valuation might send some investors packing, but its growth story will play out over the next decade. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) several years ago sparked a paradigm shift in technology that will likely continue for the next decade. Generative AI has the potential to streamline processes, increase productivity, and drive more profits to the bottom line. This has large and small businesses alike eager to join the AI revolution, but many simply don't know how to get started. Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) recognized the need and responded accordingly. The company developed a system designed to provide real-time, data-driven solutions while providing companies with a way to get started, and the results speak for themselves. The stock has gained 421% over the past year (as of this writing) and is up 1,890% since AI went viral in late 2022. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » The company faces a key test with investors when Palantir reports its second-quarter results after the market close on Aug. 4. Given the stock's blistering returns over the past year, should investors buy Palantir stock ahead of this crucial financial report, or wait until after the results have been made public? Let's see what we can learn from the available evidence. AI before it went viral While generative AI has been all the rage over the past couple of years, Palantir has been developing data mining and AI solutions long before it became fashionable. The company worked in relative obscurity for years, designing AI-powered solutions for U.S. intelligence agencies and other federal departments. After establishing itself as the gold standard for government AI solutions, Palantir turned its attention to corporate America and created a platform that could devise elegant solutions to everyday business problems. By connecting siloed business software systems through a central dashboard, Palantir created a system that provides data-driven intelligence and actionable insights. The company's most recent brainchild, its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), leverages company-specific information to craft custom solutions. Many business executives are keen to benefit from the windfall of AI, but have no idea how to implement the appropriate systems. That's where Palantir comes in. Business executives and developers are partnered with Palantir engineers to create solutions for their most pressing issues. "These immersive, hands-on sessions allow new and existing customers to build live alongside Palantir engineers, all working toward the common goal of deploying AI in operations," Palantir said. Its success is irrefutable. In the first quarter, Palantir's revenue grew 39% year over year, while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) jumped 63%. That's only part of the story. Palantir's U.S. commercial revenue -- which includes AIP -- surged 71%, while the segment's customer count climbed 65%. Additionally, the segment's remaining deal value (RDV) -- which provides a glimpse into the company's future growth trajectory -- soared 127%. It's also worth noting that each of these growth rates is accelerating. Furthermore, sales and profits have ratcheted higher for nine consecutive quarters, with no signs of slowing. Wall Street's (short-term) view The stock's parabolic run over the past few years has kicked its valuation into the stratosphere. Palantir is currently selling for 255 times forward earnings and 90 times forward sales, which most investors would concede is a pricey valuation, and Wall Street seems to agree. Of the 25 analysts who offered an opinion on Palantir in July, only four rate the stock a buy or strong buy, while 16 recommend holding, and five rate it underperform or sell. That means 84% of analysts don't believe Palantir is a buy right now. However, it's important to point out that Wall Street analysts tend to focus on the next 12 to 18 months. Given that Palantir's growth story is expected to play out over the next decade or longer, the two views are at odds. Furthermore, those disparate opinions can both be right: In the short run, Palantir stock could fall or enter a period of multiple compression, in which the fundamentals continue to improve while the stock remains range-bound. It could also be a massive winner over the next decade for investors with the intestinal fortitude to hold through the volatility that's sure to come. Focus on the long-term Given the current environment and the unresolved issues of inflation and tariffs, it's easy to imagine executives delaying unnecessary spending. That said, the economic uncertainty could be a catalyst for Palantir, according to Ark Investment Management CEO Cathie Wood. "When businesses and consumers are scared, they'll change the way they do things, and that's usually good for the companies that are helping others do things better, cheaper, faster, more creatively, and more productively," she said. Wood believes Palantir's proprietary solutions position the company well for the continued adoption of AI. "We think Palantir is going to be one of the biggest beneficiaries as companies try and make themselves more efficient and move into the AI age," she said, "You've got the C-suite really trying to figure this out, understanding strategically that if they don't jump into the AI age, they'll be left behind." There's more. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Wood said (emphasis mine), "CEO Alex Karp believes that [Palantir] will become the largest pure-play enterprise AI software company in the world. I believe him." Should you buy before Aug. 4? As a general rule, I shy away from date-driven stock buying. I tend to be more successful when I take a step back and view the company's execution, competition, and market opportunity holistically. Palantir's execution thus far has been stellar. The company's unique approach will make it hard for would-be competitors to replicate Palantir's results. It's difficult to accurately size the market opportunity for AI, and estimates vary wildly. In Ark Invest's Big Ideas 2025 report, Wood calculates that the AI software opportunity alone could be worth $13 trillion by 2030. There's a lot to like about Palantir, and I have purchased the stock several times in recent years. In most instances, valuation isn't something I consider, but it's hard to ignore in the case of Palantir. That said, I still believe the stock is worth owning -- as long as investors know what they're getting into. Palantir comes with extraordinarily high multiples. That, combined with the company's rapid growth, is the very recipe for extreme volatility. I'd be comfortable predicting that, at some point over the next 18 months, Palantir stock will likely plunge by 50%. Does that mean I plan to sell the stock? Not at all. It simply means I'm prepared for the inevitable ups and downs that are part of the cost of admission for owning a high-growth stock such as this. Those disclaimers aside, investors looking to establish a position in Palantir should consider a small position and add opportunistically on any weakness. Dollar-cost averaging is another potential strategy, as it allows investors to build a position over time, adding more shares when the price is lower and fewer when the valuation is higher. I stand by the assertion that being a Palantir shareholder isn't for the faint of heart. That said, for those who adopt a long-term outlook and can withstand the inevitable volatility, I expect it to be a profitable investment 10 years from now. 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 10 best stocks 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 $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% 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 21, 2025
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Should You Buy Palantir Technology Stock Before Aug. 4?
Key Points Palantir is taking the high ground in the artificial intelligence (AI) software revolution. The company has delivered nine consecutive quarters of accelerating revenue and profit growth thanks to its state-of-the-art AI solutions, and shows no signs of slowing. Its pricey valuation might send some investors packing, but its growth story will play out over the next decade. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) several years ago sparked a paradigm shift in technology that will likely continue for the next decade. Generative AI has the potential to streamline processes, increase productivity, and drive more profits to the bottom line. This has large and small businesses alike eager to join the AI revolution, but many simply don't know how to get started. Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) recognized the need and responded accordingly. The company developed a system designed to provide real-time, data-driven solutions while providing companies with a way to get started, and the results speak for themselves. The stock has gained 421% over the past year (as of this writing) and is up 1,890% since AI went viral in late 2022. The company faces a key test with investors when Palantir reports its second-quarter results after the market close on Aug. 4. Given the stock's blistering returns over the past year, should investors buy Palantir stock ahead of this crucial financial report, or wait until after the results have been made public? Let's see what we can learn from the available evidence. AI before it went viral While generative AI has been all the rage over the past couple of years, Palantir has been developing data mining and AI solutions long before it became fashionable. The company worked in relative obscurity for years, designing AI-powered solutions for U.S. intelligence agencies and other federal departments. After establishing itself as the gold standard for government AI solutions, Palantir turned its attention to corporate America and created a platform that could devise elegant solutions to everyday business problems. By connecting siloed business software systems through a central dashboard, Palantir created a system that provides data-driven intelligence and actionable insights. The company's most recent brainchild, its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), leverages company-specific information to craft custom solutions. Many business executives are keen to benefit from the windfall of AI, but have no idea how to implement the appropriate systems. That's where Palantir comes in. Business executives and developers are partnered with Palantir engineers to create solutions for their most pressing issues. "These immersive, hands-on sessions allow new and existing customers to build live alongside Palantir engineers, all working toward the common goal of deploying AI in operations," Palantir said. Its success is irrefutable. In the first quarter, Palantir's revenue grew 39% year over year, while adjusted earnings per share (EPS) jumped 63%. That's only part of the story. Palantir's U.S. commercial revenue -- which includes AIP -- surged 71%, while the segment's customer count climbed 65%. Additionally, the segment's remaining deal value (RDV) -- which provides a glimpse into the company's future growth trajectory -- soared 127%. It's also worth noting that each of these growth rates is accelerating. Furthermore, sales and profits have ratcheted higher for nine consecutive quarters, with no signs of slowing. Wall Street's (short-term) view The stock's parabolic run over the past few years has kicked its valuation into the stratosphere. Palantir is currently selling for 255 times forward earnings and 90 times forward sales, which most investors would concede is a pricey valuation, and Wall Street seems to agree. Of the 25 analysts who offered an opinion on Palantir in July, only four rate the stock a buy or strong buy, while 16 recommend holding, and five rate it underperform or sell. That means 84% of analysts don't believe Palantir is a buy right now. However, it's important to point out that Wall Street analysts tend to focus on the next 12 to 18 months. Given that Palantir's growth story is expected to play out over the next decade or longer, the two views are at odds. Furthermore, those disparate opinions can both be right: In the short run, Palantir stock could fall or enter a period of multiple compression, in which the fundamentals continue to improve while the stock remains range-bound. It could also be a massive winner over the next decade for investors with the intestinal fortitude to hold through the volatility that's sure to come. Focus on the long-term Given the current environment and the unresolved issues of inflation and tariffs, it's easy to imagine executives delaying unnecessary spending. That said, the economic uncertainty could be a catalyst for Palantir, according to Ark Investment Management CEO Cathie Wood. "When businesses and consumers are scared, they'll change the way they do things, and that's usually good for the companies that are helping others do things better, cheaper, faster, more creatively, and more productively," she said. Wood believes Palantir's proprietary solutions position the company well for the continued adoption of AI. "We think Palantir is going to be one of the biggest beneficiaries as companies try and make themselves more efficient and move into the AI age," she said, "You've got the C-suite really trying to figure this out, understanding strategically that if they don't jump into the AI age, they'll be left behind." There's more. In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Wood said (emphasis mine), "CEO Alex Karp believes that [Palantir] will become the largest pure-play enterprise AI software company in the world. I believe him." Should you buy before Aug. 4? As a general rule, I shy away from date-driven stock buying. I tend to be more successful when I take a step back and view the company's execution, competition, and market opportunity holistically. Palantir's execution thus far has been stellar. The company's unique approach will make it hard for would-be competitors to replicate Palantir's results. It's difficult to accurately size the market opportunity for AI, and estimates vary wildly. In Ark Invest's Big Ideas 2025 report, Wood calculates that the AI software opportunity alone could be worth $13 trillion by 2030. There's a lot to like about Palantir, and I have purchased the stock several times in recent years. In most instances, valuation isn't something I consider, but it's hard to ignore in the case of Palantir. That said, I still believe the stock is worth owning -- as long as investors know what they're getting into. Palantir comes with extraordinarily high multiples. That, combined with the company's rapid growth, is the very recipe for extreme volatility. I'd be comfortable predicting that, at some point over the next 18 months, Palantir stock will likely plunge by 50%. Does that mean I plan to sell the stock? Not at all. It simply means I'm prepared for the inevitable ups and downs that are part of the cost of admission for owning a high-growth stock such as this. Those disclaimers aside, investors looking to establish a position in Palantir should consider a small position and add opportunistically on any weakness. Dollar-cost averaging is another potential strategy, as it allows investors to build a position over time, adding more shares when the price is lower and fewer when the valuation is higher. I stand by the assertion that being a Palantir shareholder isn't for the faint of heart. That said, for those who adopt a long-term outlook and can withstand the inevitable volatility, I expect it to be a profitable investment 10 years from now. 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 $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% 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 21, 2025 Danny Vena has positions in Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Should You Buy Palantir Technology Stock Before Aug. 4? was originally published by The Motley Fool Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
2 High-Flying Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Sell Before They Plummet 74% and 30%, According to Select Wall Street Analysts
Key Points Many companies in the center of the AI revolution have seen their stock prices soar in the last three years. These two companies have produced very strong operating results. But their stock prices have outpaced their financial growth, leading to sky-high valuations. 10 stocks we like better than Palantir Technologies › Artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the biggest talking points for businesses over the last few years. The number of S&P 500 companies mentioning "AI" on their earnings call climbed from less than 75 in 2022 to 241 during the first quarter, according to FactSet Insight. A handful of companies have built big businesses around demand for artificial intelligence, or integrated AI to rapidly expand their addressable markets. Many of those companies have seen their stock prices soar over the last few years. But not every high-flying AI stock is worth buying after a massive run up in its price. Wall Street analysts have soured on two of the strongest performers over the last few years. Some analysts now see tremendous downsides ahead. Here are two AI stocks that could plummet over the next year, according to select Wall Street analysts. 1. Palantir Technologies (74% potential downside) Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) has been one of the best-performing stocks over the last few years. Since the start of 2023, the stock price has climbed an eye-popping 2,290%, and it now trades with a market cap exceeding $350 billion, as of this writing. But multiple analysts think the stock has climbed too far, too fast. Just seven analysts covering the stock rate it a buy or the equivalent. Seventeen say to hold it, and Palantir has four sell ratings. The lowest price target on the Street is RBC's Rishi Jaluria, who has a $40 price target on the stock, a 74% drop from its current price. The reason for the low price target isn't lack of financial results. Palantir has seen its revenue grow substantially over the last few years, as it expands its addressable market through its Artificial Intelligence Platform, or AIP. The new platform makes it easier for users to interact with the big data software and find useful business insights and help make decisions. That's expanded the use cases for Palantir's software, especially as businesses generate more and more data. As a result, Palantir's U.S. commercial revenue has climbed quickly, including a 71% increase in the first quarter. Moreover, Palantir has exhibited tremendous operating leverage. Instead of focusing on marketing and sales, CEO Alex Karp has put most of Palantir's manpower into building a better product. The idea is a better product will do the selling for itself. As a result, adjusted operating margin climbed to 44% in the first quarter, up from 36% in the first quarter last year. Indeed, Palantir is firing on all cylinders. But Jaluria and many others on Wall Street think the valuation of the stock has climbed too high. "We cannot rationalize why Palantir is the most expensive name in software. Absent a substantial beat-and-raise quarter elevating the near-term growth trajectory, valuation seems unsustainable," he said. Shares of Palantir currently trade for 228 times forward earnings and 78 times revenue expectations over the next 12 months. To put that in perspective, only a handful of S&P 500 stocks trade for more than 100 times earnings, and no others trade for more than 26 times sales expectations. Meanwhile, there are other companies growing sales even faster than Palantir, so it's a very hard multiple to justify. 2. CrowdStrike (26% potential downside) CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD) has seen its share price climb 352% since the start of 2023 on the strength of its Falcon security platform. Despite a massive outage that shut down numerous IT systems around the world last July, the company has bounced back quickly. The stock has more than doubled since its lows last summer, reaching a market cap of nearly $120 billion. But analysts are starting to look at CrowdStrike's stock with an increasingly critical eye. The stock received three downgrades this month from buy to hold, and one analyst initiated coverage with a hold as well. Over the last three months its buy ratings on Wall Street dropped from 41 to 31. And the lowest price target among them is $350, implying a 26% drop from the price as of this writing. Again, valuation appears to be the biggest concern for the stock. Operationally, CrowdStrike has managed to grow its customer base as more enterprises look to consolidate their cybersecurity needs and opt to use CrowdStrike's broad portfolio of services. Forty-eight percent of its customers now use at least six of its modules, as of the end of the first quarter. That's up from 40% two years ago. CrowdStrike is leveraging AI on its platform with agentic AI capabilities through its new Charlotte platform, which helps take action upon detecting a security threat to button up the vulnerability. That's on top of its machine learning capabilities, which help it detect those threats in the first place. And with a growing customer base, it has more data to ingest into its AI algorithms, giving it a significant advantage over smaller competitors. CrowdStrike has managed very strong growth over the last few years. Its annually recurring revenue climbed 20% in the first quarter, exceeding its guidance, and management expects that number to accelerate through the rest of the year as more businesses adopt its Falcon Flex platform. Still, the stock now trades at a price-to-sales ratio of 22 times revenue expectations over the next 12 months. And while that might not seem so expensive compared to Palantir, it makes it the third-highest priced stock in the S&P 500 by that valuation metric. And if you prefer to look at its earnings, it's one of the handful of stocks in the index trading above 100 times estimates, 135 times, to be exact. While it's possible CrowdStrike or Palantir continue to climb higher from here, it's probably worth taking money off the table at this point and finding better values in the market. Do the experts think Palantir Technologies is a buy right now? The Motley Fool's expert analyst team, drawing on years of investing experience and deep analysis of thousands of stocks, leverages our proprietary Moneyball AI investing database to uncover top opportunities. They've just revealed their to buy now — did Palantir Technologies make the list? When our Stock Advisor analyst team has a stock recommendation, it can pay to listen. After all, Stock Advisor's total average return is up 1,041% vs. just 183% for the S&P — that is beating the market by 858.71%!* Imagine if you were a Stock Advisor member when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. 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 21, 2025 Adam Levy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends CrowdStrike and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 High-Flying Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks to Sell Before They Plummet 74% and 30%, According to Select Wall Street Analysts 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
