Key Takeaways
- Palantir ($PLTR) co-founder Peter Thiel has registered plans to divest 2 million Class A shares, representing approximately $280M at the current $140 price point, with Merrill Lynch handling the transaction.
- Shares have advanced for four consecutive trading days — the longest positive streak since December — fueled by heightened defense sector interest following U.S.-Israel military operations against Iran.
- The company maintains significant Pentagon relationships, including a massive $10B Army engagement and a $448M contract with the Navy.
- Wall Street analysts are turning more optimistic: Rosenblatt launched coverage with a Buy recommendation and $150 price objective; UBS elevated its stance to Buy with an $180 forecast, pointing to robust AI market dynamics.
- Short-seller Michael Burry maintains his bearish position on PLTR, recently commenting that the Anthropic AI situation demonstrates “stickiness is Claude’s tech, not Palantir’s.”
Palantir Technologies (PLTR) co-founder Peter Thiel has registered with regulators his intention to divest up to 2 million Class A shares, representing approximately $280 million based on the current trading price of $140 per share. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith will facilitate the transaction, according to documentation submitted to the SEC on March 2.
Palantir Technologies Inc., PLTR
This marks Thiel’s first major stock sale since October 2024. As a founding member who has served as chairman since the company’s 2003 inception, Thiel continues to hold a substantial ownership stake in the data analytics firm.
The filing arrives during a favorable period for PLTR shares. The stock has posted gains across four straight trading sessions — representing its most extended positive run in approximately three months.
The upward momentum followed military strikes conducted by U.S. and Israeli forces against Iranian targets, triggering increased investor interest in defense-related equities on expectations of prolonged regional tensions. Palantir emerged as one of Monday’s top-performing S&P 500 components.
The company maintains extensive Pentagon relationships. Its portfolio includes a substantial $10 billion engagement with the U.S. Army alongside a $448 million contract with the Naval forces, positioning it to capitalize when defense sector sentiment improves.
Analyst Community Grows More Optimistic
Recent days have witnessed a shift in Wall Street sentiment. Rosenblatt Securities launched coverage with a Buy recommendation and established a $150 price objective, characterizing Palantir as a “market-disrupting, uniquely positioned AI software leader.”
The firm highlighted that PLTR’s recent decline — approximately 33% below its October peak — creates an appealing opportunity for new investors.
UBS took an even more aggressive stance, elevating its rating to Buy from Neutral while setting a $180 price target. The investment bank described the company as a “premier growth story” strategically positioned at the convergence of artificial intelligence and enterprise data investment, supported by encouraging feedback from industry contacts.
PLTR currently commands a valuation of roughly 110 times projected earnings and exceeds 46 times anticipated revenue. Since its September 2020 NYSE listing, shares have skyrocketed more than 1,400%.
Burry Maintains Bearish Stance
Not all market participants share the bullish outlook. Michael Burry, who revealed a short position in Palantir previously, delivered additional skeptical commentary this week.
He referenced the federal government’s choice to permit a six-month transition window for Anthropic’s Claude AI platform, despite identifying it as a supply-chain vulnerability. Burry contended the situation “shows the stickiness is Claude’s tech, not Palantir’s” — implying that the foundational AI technology holds greater strategic value for defense applications than the software infrastructure surrounding it.
Burry has previously highlighted accounting concerns, noting that accounts receivable have expanded more rapidly than top-line growth in recent reporting periods. He’s also drawn attention to escalating expenses related to CEO Alex Karp’s private aircraft 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 maintains 2,291,470,751 outstanding shares. Among recent analyst revisions, UBS’s $180 price objective represents the most optimistic forecast for the stock.
