:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-19266689481-18e8b8ed2ab541c1bb17101cf2eb7937.jpg "Why Palantir’s AI-Driven Growth Has Analysts Divided on the Stock")
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Key Takeaways
- Palantir Technologies shares surged Tuesday, a day after the company’s earnings beat driven by strong demand for its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP).
- Some analysts lifted their price target for the stock, citing AIP-driven growth.
- However, other raised concerns about the sustainability of Palantir’s growth, noting a slowdown in sequential commercial U.S. growth and government headwinds.
Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares soared in intraday trading Tuesday, a day after the company’s earnings beat, driven by “unbridled demand” for its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP).
Shares of Palantir were up over 11% at $26.79 as of 3 p.m. ET Tuesday, contributing to the stock’s over 56% year-to-date gain.
Some analysts lifted their price targets for the stock based on the company’s quarterly results. However, others raised concerns about the sustainability of recent growth.
Palantir’s ‘Game Changer Quarter’ Leads Some Analysts To Lift Targets
Wedbush analysts lifted their price target for the stock to $38 from $35, calling Palantir’s latest update a “game changer quarter” with AIP monetization as a “major growth driver.”
They said Palantir “saw unprecedented demand for its AI solutions across both commercial and government landscapes by taking AI solutions that solve meaningful problems across organizations at enterprise scale.”
Citi analysts said they “expect shares to trade up significantly as the accelerating revenue and magnitude of top-line outperformance are especially impressive in a choppy Q2 software demand environment.”
Others Question the Sustainability of Growth
Despite what Wedbush analysts called a “prove me” quarter, analysts at William Blair were less convinced about the company’s ability to sustain its recent growth.
“While beating consensus is positive, the bar has consistently been set very low,” William Blair analysts said, reiterating an “underperform” rating for the stock.
The analysts said they “do not believe the company’s U.S. commercial momentum is sustainable,” highlighting that U.S. commercial revenue grew 6% quarter-over-quarter, slowing from the 14% sequential growth recorded the previous quarter. They added that U.S. government contract headwinds could also hold back growth.