Jim Cramer: Palantir Technologies (NYSE:PLTR) is a ‘Meme Stock’
We recently published a list of Jim Cramer October Calls: Top 10 Stocks. Since Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) ranks 5th on the list, it deserves a deeper look.
Jim Cramer in a latest program on CNBC talked about the ills of “complacency” in investing and how sticking to a specific narrative costs investors money. He was criticizing negative analyst reports that keep downgrading stocks.
“We always hear how the bulls are being complacent and ignore downside risk. We almost never hear that the bears are being complacent and missing out on terrific opportunities, which I find to be absurd. Nobody does complacency like the bears. Remember, last night I spent a lot of time talking about how we had a slew of downgrades yesterday that I did not like, and stocks reacting to negative news already. Today, they seem like fortuitous notes that would end up costing you money if you listen to them.”
Cramer said that some analysts like to “take aim” at long-term winners and scare people out of some “amazing gains.” This, Cramer believes, is “downright wrong.” He said that even if investors want to sell a stock based on a downgrade, they should wait for it to “bounce” before pulling the trigger.
For this article we talked about 10 stocks Jim Cramer is talking about during his programs on CNBC. With each company we have mentioned the number of hedge fund investors. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 44
Jim Cramer was asked about Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) in a program on CNBC. Here was his response:
“Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) is a cold stock. It is a meme stock. It is a stock that has momentum because individual investors keep piling into it. It is not really even a stock; it is just a barometer of enthusiasm for some business that may or may not be doing well. I wish there were more to it.”
What makes Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) one of the top AI stocks? Its technologies are actually solving the problems of businesses. Palantir’s data technology Ontology is solving the famous hallucination problem for AI systems, thanks to the company’s years of experience with military and defense systems. Earlier this year at an event with customers, Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) shared some specifics on how its customers are being able to reduce costs and increase profits due to its artificial intelligence platform (AIP) that was launched about a year ago.
Airbus accelerated A350 production by 33%, BP reduced costs per barrel by 60%, and Jacobs Connect cut power usage by 30%. Panasonic decreased waste by 12%, ESI Group sped up ERP harmonization by 70%, and PG&E reduced transformer ignitions by 65%. Eaton boosted productivity by 25%, while Tyson Foods achieved $200 million in cost savings.
However, Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) stock’s valuation has been a concern for many.
The stock is trading at about 21.2 times the next 12 months (NTM) revenue. For fiscal year 2024, Palantir expects revenue growth of 24% year-over-year (YoY) to $2.746 billion, with an adjusted operating income of $970 million, representing a 35.3% margin. However, revenue growth is expected to slow over the next two years, with estimates suggesting a 22% YoY growth rate, potentially bringing revenues to around $4 billion by fiscal 2026. If Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) can improve margins by 100 basis points annually, it would be able to generate about $1.5 billion in adjusted operating income by FY26, with a present value of $1.3 billion when discounted at 8%. Applying an S&P 500-like growth multiple of 2.5 to 2.75 times earnings, Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) would have a P/E of 46, translating to a price target of $27, significantly down from its current price of $42.
Overall, Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) ranks 5th on Insider Monkey’s list titled Jim Cramer October Calls: Top 10 Stocks. While we acknowledge the potential of Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR), our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PLTR but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.