New York, Feb 25, 2026, 07:38 EST — Premarket
- Palantir (PLTR) edges up roughly 0.5% in premarket trading, following a Tuesday close at $128.84.
- CEO Alex Karp sold 493,025 shares, filings reveal. CFO David Glazer and CAO Jeffrey Buckley reported sales as well.
- Nvidia reports later Wednesday, and traders are eyeing the numbers for signals on the AI trade’s next move.
Shares of Palantir Technologies Inc edged up in premarket action Wednesday, following disclosures that CEO Alex Karp unloaded shares through a scheduled plan as part of vested awards. The stock was last up roughly 0.5% at $129.51 ahead of the open, after closing out Tuesday at $128.84.
The disclosures hit just as Palantir stock is in the crosshairs. Shares have been moving alongside other AI-linked software names, a space where even minor headlines spark volatility and retail traders often amplify the swings.
This comes as traders digest a surge in single-name leveraged products — the kind that can suddenly turn an ordinary session volatile.
Individual investors now drive close to 90% of trades in leveraged single-stock ETFs, according to a recent study from Direxion and two analytics firms. “The vast number of launches illustrates the market’s growing reliance on speculation,” said Bryan Armour, ETF analyst at Morningstar. Direxion’s Mo Sparks added that “interest in trading the volatility in markets has grown and competition has grown.” Reuters
Karp reported unloading 493,025 shares of Class A stock on Feb. 20, converting the shares before selling them on the open market at weighted average prices, mostly falling in the low-to-mid $130s. All told, the moves brought in about $66 million, according to the figures in the filing. The document notes the sales were triggered automatically to cover tax withholding on vesting, happening under a Rule 10b5-1 plan—a preset schedule many executives rely on.
Filings also showed two more senior executives unloading stock. David Glazer, CFO and Treasurer, sold 17,438 shares on Feb. 20. Chief Accounting Officer Jeffrey Buckley moved 3,936 shares, split between Feb. 20 and Feb. 24. Both pointed to automatic sales for tax withholding on restricted stock units.
Insiders often unload shares once their equity awards vest. But when the stock’s already volatile and pricey—and leverage is piling up—traders pay attention to the timing.
U.S. stock index futures held their ground as Nvidia’s post-close earnings loomed on Wednesday, with investors weighing what’s next for the AI trade and navigating tariff questions. “Very few companies have quantified the impact on earnings,” Goldman Sachs analysts said. Still, investors are combing through the sector for long-term AI “winners.” Reuters
Palantir has been pushing that story, selling its software and AI tools to both the public and private sectors. Earlier this month, the company posted a strong jump in U.S. government revenue and put out a 2026 revenue forecast ahead of LSEG’s projections. “Valuation question marks won’t disappear,” eToro analyst Zavier Wong said at the time. Reuters
Still, there’s a clear risk here. Should Nvidia fall short, or if investors sour on the AI spending narrative, high-beta stocks such as Palantir often get hit hard. Leveraged products pegged to daily swings? They’re likely to magnify those jolts, not buffer them.
