Shares of Palantir $PLTR advanced 1.3% Thursday, reaching $135.94, following UBS’s decision to raise its rating from Neutral to Buy while establishing a $180 price objective.
Palantir Technologies Inc., PLTR
UBS analyst Karl Keirstead encouraged clients to take advantage of the opportunity created by the stock’s approximately 35% retreat from recent peak levels. He characterized Palantir as a “premier growth story” within the software sector and highlighted the company’s position “at the nexus of the two most powerful spending trends — AI and Data.”
Keirstead noted that proprietary industry checks revealed a “very strong demand backdrop,” indicating that customer interest and adoption continue to trend positively. UBS anticipates revenue expansion of roughly 70% throughout 2026, while expecting margins to remain in the mid-50% territory.
The shares touched an intraday peak of $137.51. Trading activity registered approximately 44.5 million shares, running about 13% lighter than typical daily volumes.
Also Thursday, Rosenblatt analyst John McPeake launched coverage of the stock with a Buy recommendation and established a $150 price objective.
McPeake characterized Palantir as a “market-disrupting, uniquely positioned AI software leader.” He pointed to the stock’s 33% downturn from its October peak as generating a compelling opportunity for new positions.
He anticipates the company will sustain its growth momentum while benefiting from operational leverage as the business continues scaling. Currently, the firm maintains a gross profit margin of 82%, while revenue has expanded 56% during the trailing twelve-month period.
These latest endorsements follow recent positive calls from Mizuho, Freedom Capital, and Robert W. Baird. Wall Street’s overall stance currently registers as “Moderate Buy,” comprising 14 Buy ratings, 4 Hold ratings, and 2 Sell ratings, with a consensus price objective of $191.05.
Palantir unveiled fourth quarter results on February 2nd. Earnings per share reached $0.25, surpassing the $0.23 analyst forecast. Revenue totaled $1.41 billion, exceeding the $1.34 billion Wall Street estimate and marking a 70% year-over-year increase.
Return on equity registered at 23.81% while net margin came in at 36.31%. Wall Street projects full-year EPS of $0.31.
Despite impressive operational metrics, the shares trade at a P/E ratio approaching 216. Such an elevated multiple provides minimal cushion should the company encounter any execution challenges.
The stock’s 50-day moving average currently rests at $161.79, while the 200-day moving average stands at $170.49. Current market capitalization totals $324 billion.
Regarding institutional positioning, hedge funds and institutional investors collectively hold 45.65% of outstanding shares. Various smaller investment firms have expanded their stakes during recent reporting periods.
A notable concern: company insiders divested over 1.05 million shares totaling approximately $142 million during the most recent quarter. Insider Ryan Taylor offloaded 19,988 shares on February 20th at $133.72 per share. Insider Stephen Cohen sold 327,088 shares that same day, decreasing his stake by 99.82%.
Total insider ownership currently registers at 9.23%.
On a more positive note, DISA awarded Palantir’s PFCS Forward provisional Impact Level 6 authorization, enabling deployment within the most classified Department of Defense cloud infrastructures. Additionally, Rackspace received designation as a dedicated implementation partner for both Palantir’s Foundry and AIP platforms.
As Thursday’s trading session concluded, PLTR settled at $135.94.
The post Palantir Stock Surges on Dual Buy Upgrades Following 35% Correction appeared first on Blockonomi.
