On Tuesday, DA Davidson updated their financial outlook on Palantir Technologies Inc . (NYSE:PLTR), raising the price target to $47.00 from the previous $28.00 while maintaining a Neutral rating. The adjustment follows Palantir's reported earnings, which exceeded expectations with a significant revenue beat and year-over-year growth acceleration.
Palantir's recent financial performance has been robust, with a notable revenue beat of approximately $27 million for the quarter, marking a 30% increase year-over-year. This growth rate is an uptick from the 27% observed in the previous quarter.
The firm's US business has been particularly strong, with the US government sector showing a 40% year-over-year growth, a substantial rise from 23% in the prior quarter and 10% in the third quarter of the previous year. Palantir's net new US government revenue of $42 million constituted nearly all of the company's net new revenue.
The company's US commercial sector also reported a solid performance, with a 59% year-over-year growth, excluding revenue from strategic commercial contracts. This figure is slightly down from the 70% growth rate seen in the last quarter.
Revenue from strategic commercial contracts was $9.6 million, which was above management's expectations of around $7 million. Palantir attributes its growth in this area to the success of its AIP and boot camps, which have expedited the establishment of production use cases with customers.
Contrasting with the strong domestic performance, Palantir's international commercial revenue saw a sequential decline of 7%, partly due to reduced revenue from a government-sponsored enterprise in the Middle East.
Despite this, Palantir's overall revenue exceeded projections, and the company maintained cost discipline, leading to a significant Adjusted Operating Income beat of approximately $41 million, with margins improving to 38%.
The firm emphasized that Palantir is well-positioned to capitalize on the increasing enterprise interest in AI applications, as evidenced by the company's sustained top-line acceleration and the broader market demand for AI solutions.
In other recent news, Palantir Technologies Inc. also raised its full-year revenue guidance to $2.807 billion, indicating a 26% year-over-year growth rate. Palantir's inclusion in the S&P 500 in September 2024 further highlights its market leadership and profitability.
Despite a 7% sequential contraction in international commercial revenue, the company managed to secure important contracts such as a multi-year renewal with BP (NYSE:BP).
As per recent developments, Palantir secured 104 deals each worth over $1 million, contributing to a total U.S. Commercial contract value of nearly $300 million. The company expects Q4 revenue to be between $767 million and $771 million.
However, the company's strategic commercial contracts now contribute only 1% of revenue and are deemed no longer relevant.
InvestingPro Insights
Palantir's impressive financial performance, as highlighted in the article, is further supported by real-time data from InvestingPro. The company's revenue growth of 21.22% over the last twelve months, with a notable 27.15% quarterly growth in Q2 2024, aligns with the strong performance mentioned in the DA Davidson update.
Palantir's gross profit margin stands at an impressive 81.39%, reflecting the company's ability to maintain high profitability in its operations. This is particularly relevant given the article's mention of Palantir's cost discipline and significant Adjusted Operating Income beat.
InvestingPro Tips suggest that Palantir "holds more cash than debt on its balance sheet" and has "liquid assets exceed short term obligations," indicating a strong financial position that could support its ongoing growth initiatives, particularly in AI applications where the company is well-positioned according to the article.
It's worth noting that InvestingPro offers 21 additional tips for Palantir, providing investors with a comprehensive view of the company's financial health and market position. These insights could be particularly valuable given Palantir's recent price target upgrade and its positioning in the growing AI market.
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