Palantir: A Decade’s Bet on the Machine

Artificial intelligence. They’re calling it the defining technology of the decade. A fancy name for a faster way to count beans, maybe, but the money’s piling up fast. The kind of money that attracts sharks and dreamers in equal measure.

The research boys at IDC figured every dollar dropped into the AI pot comes back almost fivefold. PwC thinks it could add fifteen points to global GDP by 2035. Numbers. They always sound cleaner than the reality. But even a cynical man like myself has to admit, that’s a hefty return.

And someone’s been collecting. Palantir Technologies (PLTR 6.87%) is making a play, offering a platform that lets companies hook their data up to these new language models. The stock’s been climbing, and in this town, that’s usually a sign somebody believes the hype.

Productivity’s Price Tag

Three years ago, Palantir rolled out its Artificial Intelligence Platform. A way to connect the dots for federal agencies and businesses. The idea? Speed things up. And it seems to be working. They brag about cutting ship planning from a week to ten minutes. Material review from weeks to an hour. It’s a bit like finding a shortcut through a maze. Makes you wonder what they were doing before.

New customers are walking through the door. A 34% jump in the last quarter, bringing the total to 954. More importantly, the existing clients are spending more. $4.3 billion in contracts, a 138% increase. That’s the kind of growth that gets noticed. A lot of money, moving fast.

The revenue was up 70% to $1.4 billion. Not bad. But the real story is in the remaining deal value—$11.2 billion. Contracts signed, but not yet fulfilled. A promise of future earnings. A gambler’s dream. They’re expanding their operations, boosting productivity, and cutting out the waste. It’s a familiar tune, but Palantir seems to be conducting the orchestra.

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The Cost of Being First

The stock’s shot up 1,700% in three years. A rocket ride. Which means it’s trading at 340 times earnings. Ten times the multiple of the Nasdaq-100. Expensive? You could say that. It’s like buying a painting before anyone knows the artist. A risk, but potentially a reward.

But here’s the thing. This isn’t about the present. It’s about the next decade. Palantir’s earnings jumped 83% to $0.75 per share. Better than the previous year. They’re not just riding the wave; they’re building a bigger boat. And if AI really does reshape the global economy, then a high price today might look like a bargain tomorrow.

They can maintain that growth. AI adoption is improving. The technology’s contribution to the global economy is growing. It’s a long bet, sure. But in this town, you learn to gamble on the future. Palantir, for all its complexities, might just be a good one.

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2026-02-06 03:22