Palantir Crushes Earnings -- Is $PLTR Still a Buy Now?
Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) reported earnings this morning, and it delivered strong numbers and surprise beats across the board. The stock has been controversial since its direct listing in October 2020. I purchased this stock in the $9 range, and it ripped to $45 before plummeting back to the low $20s. I recently did a writeup and video on Palantir and said I thought the stock was an opportunity in the low $20s and a no-brainer below $20. Unfortunately, the stock did not fall below $20, and earnings has the stock up over 14% as I'm writing this.
Palantir has a cult following, and it reminds me somewhat of Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA). Alex Karp, Palantir's CEO, is a quirky and intelligent guy, much like Tesla's Elon Musk. This is not necessarily a reason to buy the stock, but it is an important consideration for potential shareholders. Stocks like Tesla and Palantir often trade at unique valuations and carry more volatility. I expect this trend to continue, but if retail investors continue to own shares in their long-term investment portfolios, it could accelerate the share price over time, much as with Tesla. A premium is often paid for these "cult stocks." I am long Palantir, but I do understand the risks.
Another thing I think is interesting about Palantir is its hybrid crossover into cybersecurity. Of course, the company is not typically thrown into the cybersecurity stock bucket. After all, Palantir is a big data analytics software company that helps government agencies and companies manage and analyze data. However, with the increased hacks and high-profile security breaches, businesses are faced with complex challenges that require sophisticated solutions. Palantir offers highly secure data compared to most competitors. It started as a company laser-focused on government-related clients, so its solutions were built with security as the backbone. Commercial-focused vendors cannot say the same, and this provides a competitive advantage for Palantir. In my opinion, commercial clients are the key to Palantir's long-term growth, so this is an important fact to consider when you're evaluating the stock as a potential investment.
Source Fool.com
