Key Highlights
- Co-founder Peter Thiel has submitted paperwork to liquidate 2 million Palantir ($PLTR) Class A shares valued at approximately $280M at $140 per share via Merrill Lynch.
- The stock has advanced through four consecutive trading sessions, marking its strongest performance streak since early December, fueled by heightened defense sector interest following U.S.-Israel military operations against Iran.
- The company maintains significant Pentagon relationships, including a $10B Army partnership and a $448M Naval contract.
- Rosenblatt launched coverage with a Buy rating and $150 price objective; UBS elevated its stance to Buy with a $180 valuation, highlighting robust artificial intelligence adoption.
- Short seller Michael Burry, maintaining a bearish position on PLTR, contended that the Anthropic AI situation demonstrates “stickiness is Claude’s tech, not Palantir’s.”
Peter Thiel has submitted regulatory documentation to divest as many as 2 million Class A shares of Palantir Technologies (PLTR), representing approximately $280 million based on a $140 share price. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith will handle the transaction, according to Securities and Exchange Commission paperwork dated March 2.
Palantir Technologies Inc., PLTR
Thiel’s previous stock sale occurred in October 2024. Since establishing the company in 2003, he has served as chairman and continues to maintain one of the largest individual ownership positions.
The filing arrives during a period of upward momentum. PLTR has posted gains across four straight trading days, representing its most extended positive sequence in approximately three months.
Military actions by the United States and Israel targeting Iranian positions triggered the advance, driving defense-related equities higher on speculation that hostilities might persist for an extended period. Palantir ranked among the S&P 500’s strongest performers during Monday’s session.
The firm maintains substantial Pentagon relationships. A $10 billion U.S. Army agreement and a $448 million Navy partnership position it to capture opportunities when defense spending sentiment improves.
Analyst Community Grows More Optimistic
The previous week delivered two positive rating changes. Rosenblatt launched coverage with a Buy designation and a $150 valuation, characterizing Palantir as a “market-disrupting, uniquely positioned AI software leader.”
Rosenblatt highlighted the recent decline—with PLTR retreating roughly 33% from its October peak—as creating a favorable purchase opportunity.
UBS delivered an even stronger endorsement, elevating its rating to Buy from Neutral while establishing a $180 price objective. The investment bank described the company as a “premier growth story” capturing opportunity at the convergence of artificial intelligence and data infrastructure spending, referencing encouraging signals from industry conversations.
PLTR presently commands a valuation of approximately 110 times projected earnings and exceeds 46 times anticipated revenue. Since making its NYSE debut in September 2020, shares have surged more than 1,400%.
Burry Maintains Skeptical Position
Consensus remains elusive. Michael Burry, who revealed a bearish bet against Palantir during the previous year, delivered additional skeptical commentary this week.
He commented on Washington’s choice to authorize a six-month transition window for Anthropic’s Claude artificial intelligence platform, despite identifying it as a supply-chain vulnerability. Burry maintained the situation “shows the stickiness is Claude’s tech, not Palantir’s”—implying the foundational AI architecture holds greater significance for defense operations than the software infrastructure surrounding it.
Burry has previously questioned Palantir’s financial reporting, observing that accounts receivable have expanded at a pace exceeding revenue growth during recent reporting periods. He also highlighted escalating expenses associated with CEO Alex Karp’s private aviation usage.
Bob Lang, founder of trading platform Explosive Options, offered a more grounded take: “They do not build weapons, missiles or planes,” and noted that “the big contracts for Palantir are important but likely already in the price of the stock.”
Palantir has 2,291,470,751 shares outstanding. UBS holds a $180 price target on the stock, the highest among recent analyst updates.
