Palantir (PLTR) shares closed higher on Friday after a senior Wedbush analyst, Dan Ives, said the data analytics firm will exceed $1 trillion in market cap within the next three years.
Ives’ bullish remarks arrive only days after the Denver-headquartered firm reported a blowout Q2 and raised its full-year guidance, citing robust demand for its artificial intelligence (AI) offerings.
Palantir stock has been a true millionaire-maker since early 2023, having delivered some 2,000% gains in less than three years.
Wedbush Sees Palantir Stock as a Top AI Pick
In a recent interview with CNBC, Dan Ives maintained his position that PLTR shares are “the Messi of AI,” saying the firm trumps every other company within the tech sphere in terms of software and use cases.
According to him, Palantir is uniquely positioned to benefit from sovereign AI demand, while its commercial segment is growing at an exceptional rate as well.
The Wedbush analyst recommends owning Palantir stock for the long term also because it is “obliterating” the “Rule of 40” as the firm’s CEO Alex Karp told investors on the latest earnings call.
Note that Palantir currently commands a market cap of roughly $430 billion only. An increase to $1 trillion, as Ives forecasts, translates to more than 100% growth over the next three years.
Why Valuation Isn’t a Concern for PLTR Shares
Palantir shares are currently going for a forward price-earnings (P/E) ratio of more than 450x, uncomfortably aggressive for conservative investors.
However, “if you focus on valuation, you missed every transformational tech stock in the last 20 years,” Ives told CNBC this week.
Ives maintained his “Outperform” rating on PLTR stock, citing “continued hyper growth demand for the company’s artificial intelligence product suite.”
In a research note this past Tuesday, he raised his price target on the AI stock to $200, indicating potential upside of another 7% from current levels.
Wall Street Disagrees with Dan Ives on Palantir
Other Wall Street analysts, however, recommend steering clear of Palantir stock due to valuation concerns.
The consensus rating on PLTR shares currently sits at “Hold” only with the mean target of roughly $147 indicating potential “downside” of more than 20% from here.
