NEW YORK, Dec. 28, 2025, 1:42 a.m. ET — Market closed (weekend)
Palantir Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: PLTR) heads into the final week of 2025 with investors split between two competing narratives: a red-hot AI software winner with expanding commercial traction—and a momentum-driven stock priced for near-perfection.
With U.S. markets closed for the weekend, the most actionable question for PLTR holders is what actually changed in the last 24–48 hours, and what could matter before the next regular session opens Monday, Dec. 29.
PLTR stock recap: Friday’s pullback into the year-end weekend
Palantir shares last traded at $188.71, down about 2.8% from the prior close, after swinging between roughly $188.29 and $196.18 during Friday’s session on about 26.3 million shares.
In late trading Friday, the stock was quoted slightly lower around $188.17. [1]
MarketBeat characterized Friday’s move as a 2.8% slide on lighter-than-normal volume, a common pattern during holiday-thinned sessions when marginal flows can push prices around more than usual. [2]
The last 24–48 hours: what headlines and commentary focused on
Even without a fresh Palantir earnings release or a new mega-contract announcement over the weekend, several high-visibility stories and market notes (published within the last two days) shaped sentiment around PLTR:
1) The “AI bubble” debate got louder—again—this time with Michael Burry in the frame.
The Wall Street Journal reported that investor Michael Burry has taken a contrarian stance against parts of the AI stock boom, including bets tied to companies such as Palantir, arguing the trade resembles prior speculative episodes. [3]
2) Technical traders kept Palantir on the “near buy point” radar.
Investor’s Business Daily flagged Palantir among big-cap AI names heading into year-end, noting the stock’s strong 2025 run and continued focus on technical entry levels. [4]
3) A market microstructure reality check: thin holiday liquidity is a feature, not a bug.
Investopedia highlighted the year-end trading calendar: a full trading day on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31), then markets closed on New Year’s Day (Jan. 1, 2026)—useful context because liquidity and positioning can get quirky around schedule edges. [5]
4) Filings-driven “ownership churn” continued to trickle out.
One MarketBeat item published Saturday pointed to a third-quarter SEC filing where Carnegie Investment Counsel trimmed its Palantir stake by 2.6%—not a real-time “sell signal,” but another reminder that institution-by-institution positioning remains fluid after PLTR’s massive run. [6]
Fundamentals check: why bulls keep coming back to Palantir
The bull case hasn’t changed much in 48 hours because it’s anchored in the same two pillars that have driven PLTR all year:
Commercial AI traction (AIP) + accelerating growth
In its Q3 2025 update, Palantir reported Q3 revenue growth of 63% year over year and highlighted U.S. commercial revenue growth of 121% year over year, alongside raised full-year revenue guidance (roughly $4.396–$4.400 billion). [7]
Those numbers are the raw material behind the “Palantir is becoming an enterprise AI operating system” story—and why dips have repeatedly attracted buyers in 2025.
Defense and government demand remains a durable tailwind
Palantir’s government DNA is still a meaningful differentiator. Earlier this month, the U.S. Navy announced a $448 million strategic investment tied to a Shipbuilding Operating System (ShipOS) initiative aimed at accelerating adoption of AI and autonomy technologies across the shipbuilding industrial base. [8]
That kind of program doesn’t eliminate volatility, but it can support the “sticky, mission-critical software” thesis that long-term holders lean on when the stock gets choppy.
The bear case: valuation risk is no longer a side note—it’s the headline
Palantir’s skeptics aren’t arguing the company is irrelevant. They’re arguing the stock price is too far ahead of reality.
A valuation that demands near-flawless execution
MarketBeat pegged Palantir’s valuation metrics as extremely elevated, citing a very high P/E ratio alongside a market cap near the $450 billion level. [9]
That matters because richly valued momentum names can re-rate quickly when either:
- growth decelerates (even if it stays “good”), or
- macro conditions shift (rates, risk appetite, liquidity), or
- positioning gets crowded.
Wall Street targets remain mixed—and the spread is the story
One reason PLTR is such a battleground stock is the sheer dispersion in viewpoints.
MarketBeat summarized a “Hold”-leaning consensus and listed several firm-level calls and price-target moves (from earlier research notes) that still shape today’s expectations—for example:
- Baird raising its target to $200 (neutral)
- Deutsche Bank raising its target to $200 (hold)
- Daiwa raising its target to $200 (neutral)
- Piper Sandler raising its target to $225 (overweight)
- Jefferies reiterating underperform [10]
At the same time, MarketBeat’s compilation shows an average target around $172.28, implying a more cautious baseline versus where PLTR ended the week. [11]
And on the more bearish end of the spectrum, The Motley Fool cited RBC Capital with a $50 price target in a piece arguing certain high-flying AI-linked stocks could face steep downside if expectations reset. [12]
Insider selling remains part of the conversation
Another reason valuation debates keep resurfacing: investors tend to watch insider activity closely when a stock has already delivered outsized gains.
MarketBeat highlighted insider sales disclosed in SEC filings, including transactions attributed to Alexander C. Karp and Shyam Sankar, among others, over recent months. [13]
Insider sales don’t automatically mean “bad fundamentals,” but in expensive momentum stocks they can amplify sensitivity to any negative catalyst—because the market already knows the stock is priced aggressively.
What investors should know before the next session
Because it’s Sunday in New York and the market is closed, the practical playbook shifts from “react to the tape” to “prepare for the next open.”
1) Know the clock for Monday
- Regular U.S. stock market hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. [14]
- Extended trading exists, and Nasdaq notes pre-market is typically 4:00–9:30 a.m. ET and after-hours 4:00–8:00 p.m. ET—but liquidity can be thinner and price moves can be sharper. [15]
That matters for PLTR because high-beta, sentiment-driven names can gap on headlines—especially when year-end participation is uneven.
2) Year-end calendar effects are real (and often weird)
The calendar can drive flows that have nothing to do with Palantir’s fundamentals—tax considerations, rebalancing, and “window dressing” positioning into year-end statements. Add the holiday schedule (full day Dec. 31, closed Jan. 1), and it’s not unusual to see abrupt bursts of volatility or oddly muted volume. [16]
3) Watch the next fundamental catalyst: earnings timing (even if it’s “unconfirmed”)
If you’re trying to manage event risk, keep an eye on the next earnings window. Wall Street Horizon lists Palantir’s next earnings date as unconfirmed but forecast for Monday, Feb. 2, 2026 (after market) based on historical reporting patterns. [17]
“Unconfirmed” is the key word—companies can shift dates—but markets often start pricing the next report earlier than you’d think, especially for polarizing, high-valuation stocks.
4) The near-term technical battlefield is obvious: reclaim vs. reject
IBD has recently pointed to 190.39 as a key buy point from a cup-with-handle formation, with prior highs around 207.52 cited in its coverage—levels many traders will naturally watch as potential resistance/support zones. [18]
With PLTR ending the week just under that 190 area, Monday’s early trading could quickly turn into a sentiment check: are buyers willing to defend the breakout zone, or does year-end profit-taking keep pressure on?
Bottom line for PLTR going into Monday
Palantir stock remains one of the market’s most debated large-cap AI plays precisely because both sides have receipts:
- Bulls point to rapid commercial growth, expanding margins, and big-ticket government initiatives that reinforce Palantir’s positioning in defense-grade AI software. [19]
- Bears point to an unforgiving valuation, ongoing insider-sale headlines, and high-profile skeptics warning that AI exuberance can unwind fast. [20]
When the market reopens Monday, the next decisive move in PLTR may have less to do with a single headline and more to do with whether year-end liquidity and positioning reward (or punish) a stock that’s still priced like a future legend.
References
1. seekingalpha.com, 2. www.marketbeat.com, 3. www.wsj.com, 4. www.investors.com, 5. www.investopedia.com, 6. www.marketbeat.com, 7. investors.palantir.com, 8. www.navy.mil, 9. www.marketbeat.com, 10. www.marketbeat.com, 11. www.marketbeat.com, 12. www.fool.com, 13. www.marketbeat.com, 14. www.nyse.com, 15. www.nasdaq.com, 16. www.investopedia.com, 17. www.wallstreethorizon.com, 18. www.investors.com, 19. investors.palantir.com, 20. www.marketbeat.com
