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Capitalizing on its focus on the intelligence communities, data analytics, and artificial intelligence software provider Palantir PLTR saw its stock surge as much as +9% on Friday.
The surge came as news rang out that Palantir is expanding its government contracts, adding fuel to what has already been unprecedented investor sentiment, with PLTR skyrocketing over +1,300% in the last three years.
Following today’s rally, Palantir stock came within reach of its 52-week and all-time high of $133 a share, making it a worthy topic of whether now is a good time to buy PLTR for higher highs.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Government Contract Expansion
As reported by the New York Times, President Trump has tapped Palantir to organize personal data across multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This initiative is aimed at streamlining data sharing and enhancing inter-agency collaboration, with Palantir having a niche in counterterrorism investigations and operations.
Expanding its AI software platform capabilities, Palantir also announced a collaboration with Fannie Mae FNMA this week to combat mortgage fraud, along with a $795 million contract modification with the U.S. Army, as the deal now has a total award of $1.3 billion. The Fannie Mae partnership will focus on launching an AI-powered Crime Detection Unit, with the U.S. Army deal extending its Maven Smart System (MSS) software licenses, which are designed to enhance AI-powered military operations by integrating advanced data analytics and AI-driven decision-making tools to support combatant commands in dynamic operations.
Palantir’s “A” Growth Score
Zacks projections currently call for Palantir’s total sales to increase 37% this year to $3.92 billion, versus $2.87 billion in 2024. Plus, fiscal 2026 sales are forecasted to soar another 28% to $5.02 billion. More importantly, annual earnings are expected to spike 44% in FY25 and are projected to rise another 24% in FY26 to $0.73 per share.
Taking a look at the trend of earnings estimate revisions, which the Zacks Rank is predicated on, Palantir’s FY25 and FY26 EPS estimates are up 7% and 6% in the last 30 days, respectively.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Palantir’s “F” Value Score
Despite being profitable, Palantir stock trades at a very high forward earnings multiple of 208.3X. Although Palantir has moved past the speculative growth phase, investors may still consider metrics like price to sales (P/S) to better gauge the company’s valuation in accordance with its growth prospects. In this case, PLTR also trades at a stretched P/S premium of 92.6X compared to its Zacks Internet-Software Industry average of 4X and the S&P 500’s 4.9X.