Palantir stock – Palantir shares jumped 7.9% in Thursday trading, buoyed by broader market gains and fresh attention on potential U.S. investment in domestic drone companies—an area where Palantir’s software supports multiple drone applications.
Thursday afternoon, Palantir’s stock moved fast. By 3:30 p.m. ET, the NASDAQ: PLTR share price was up 7.9%—a sharp climb even as the S&P 500 was up 0.5% and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.8%.
The market lift didn’t explain everything. Defense and autonomy chatter has been doing its part, and today that focus turned to drones and possible government funding. A report published yesterday by The Wall Street Journal said the U.S. government could be gearing up to provide direct funding to domestic drone companies through investments. The report named Unusual Machines. Performance Drone Works. and Neros Technologies as companies that could end up tied to government-backed investment.
Palantir wasn’t named as a likely recipient in that report. Still, the logic traders are leaning on is straightforward: Palantir’s software helps support drone applications from multiple providers. And the company has already been signaling where it wants to play in the drone ecosystem. In March, Palantir announced a substantial new partnership with Ondas, a provider of drone technology.
Even with today’s pop, Palantir is still carrying a heavy weight from the past. The stock is down roughly 20% year to date, making this rebound feel less like a clean victory lap and more like a market trying to price a better next chapter.
Valuation is where the tension keeps showing. Palantir trades at roughly 98 times this year’s expected earnings and 44 times this year’s expected sales. That’s the kind of pricing that can punish investors when the story stalls. But the company’s pattern of execution is part of the counterargument: Palantir has reliably exceeded Wall Street’s sales and earnings forecasts. For investors looking beyond the next quarter. the defense industry tailwinds over the long term are the main reason today’s enthusiasm isn’t seen as purely speculative.
This push and pull matters because it shapes who’s most likely to keep buying. The valuation profile suggests Palantir won’t be a fit for every investor. But for those with high risk tolerance and a long time horizon, the stock can still look like a bet that rewards patience.
What’s also in the air is the broader “buy list” narrative that often circles these moments. The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team identified what it believes are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now—and Palantir Technologies wasn’t one of them. The pitch points to historical results from past lists. including Netflix making the list on December 17. 2004—where a $1. 000 investment would have grown to $471. 072—and Nvidia making the list on April 15. 2005—where a $1. 000 investment would have grown to $1. 303. 352. For Palantir shareholders. it’s a reminder that even strong days don’t settle the debate over what to own next.
The immediate story is clear: Palantir is rising on Thursday’s trading, and drone-funding hopes are feeding the momentum. The bigger question—one investors will be watching closely as funding details move from speculation into reality—is whether the excitement around drones and defense translates into sustained results for a stock still sitting about 20% lower year to date.
Palantir PLTR drone tech Unusual Machines Performance Drone Works Neros Technologies Ondas NASDAQ S&P 500 Nasdaq Composite valuation