Palantir Technologies is an American software company known for its data analytics platforms used by governments and large businesses. Founded in 2003 by Peter Thiel, Nathan Gettings, Joe Lonsdale, Stephen Cohen and Alex Karp, who became chief executive, the company moved its headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Denver, Colorado, in 2020.
This article explains what Palantir does, its main products and the history of its shares, traded under the ticker Pltr stock.
This article is for general information only and is not financial advice. Stock prices change constantly; always check current data and consider speaking to a licensed financial adviser before investing.
What does Palantir do?
Palantir builds software that helps organisations bring together huge amounts of data from different sources, analyse it and use the results to make decisions. Its customers include defence and intelligence agencies, health organisations and private companies in sectors such as manufacturing, energy and finance.
Main products
- Palantir Gotham: the company’s original platform, launched in 2008, used mainly by government, defence and intelligence agencies for investigations and operational planning.
- Palantir Foundry: a data platform for commercial and government organisations, used to integrate and analyse data across an enterprise.
- Palantir Apollo: software that manages the deployment and updating of Palantir’s products across different cloud and on-premise environments.
- Palantir AIP: the Artificial Intelligence Platform, launched in 2023, which lets organisations use large language models and AI tools on their own data.
Palantir’s software has been used in areas including counter-terrorism, fraud detection, pandemic response and supply chain management. Its government work has also attracted criticism from privacy advocates.
Going public
Palantir was privately held for many years and was valued at around $20 billion in its later private funding rounds. In September 2020 it went public on the New York Stock Exchange through a direct listing rather than a traditional IPO. The shares had a reference price of $7.25 and opened at $10 on their first day of trading.
Share price history
Palantir’s shares have been highly volatile. They surged in late 2020 and early 2021, helped by new government contracts and strong interest from retail investors, then fell sharply during the broader technology sell-off of 2022. Interest in the company rose again from 2023 onwards as demand for artificial intelligence grew and Palantir began reporting consistent profits. In 2024 it was added to the S&P 500 index and later moved its stock listing to the Nasdaq.
Because the share price can move dramatically, investors should look at up-to-date figures, company earnings reports and independent analysis rather than relying on any single article.
Things investors consider
- Revenue growth: how quickly government and commercial revenue are rising.
- Profitability: whether earnings are consistent and sustainable.
- Valuation: how the share price compares to revenue and earnings relative to other software companies.
- Customer concentration: how dependent the company is on large government contracts.
- Competition: pressure from other data analytics and AI providers.
Final thoughts
Palantir has grown from a secretive start-up into one of the best-known names in data analytics and AI. Its stock has attracted both strong enthusiasm and scepticism, and it carries significant risk. Anyone considering investing should do thorough research, understand their own risk tolerance and seek professional advice where appropriate.
