Defense-sector enabler Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has empowered a host of large firms in recent years, with large corporate clients being its bread and butter. However, stereotypes can change. As the firm’s client list is growing in caliber, it’s also actively “fighting for small businesses,” through its artificial intelligence platform (AIP), currently being deployed at thousands of Subway franchisee restaurants.
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The recent AIPCon 8 conference in San Francisco welcomed more than 70 speakers from across Palantir’s U.S. client base, many of whom were publicly revealed for the first time. Names such as Waste Management (WM), BP (BP), MaineHealth, American Airlines (AAL), Lumen (LUMN), TWG Motorsports, and Novartis (NVS) were invited to present their stories of PLTR tech implementation.
Ahead of the event, Palantir noted that this new wave of customers is utilizing its Foundry and AIP dedicated products to tackle high-stakes challenges, including competing in the nuclear power race with China, accelerating drug development, coordinating disaster response, optimizing large-scale fleets, revitalizing U.S. manufacturing, and improving healthcare delivery. Another sector feeling the updraft of PLTR tech is supply chain management for perishable goods.
Palantir’s Results Speak for Themselves
At the conference, Trevor Spring of IPC Cooperative highlighted how Palantir’s AIP enabled his group to serve as Subway’s “supply chain engine,” now deployed across more than 22,000 locations in North America. Within Subway’s vast franchise system—supporting over 100,000 U.S. jobs—franchisees rely on Miami-based IPC to cut waste, with Palantir’s technology providing the backbone.
Having deployed PLTR’s AIP six months ago, Spring stated that Palantir has “transformed the way food supply chains operate,” enabling IPC to scale value across its network in under a year. “Efficient supply chains are a healthy immune system for business, and waste is the enemy. We’ve got 150 employees representing about $4 billion in spend, so we have to punch above our weight to be able to represent our franchisees,” he said.
For PLTR shareholders, the results speak for themselves. Earlier this year, the defense titan topped $1 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, nearly doubling U.S. commercial sales year-over-year while government revenue climbed 53%. Still, the pulse-raising $10 billion, 10-year U.S. Army contract announced last month underscored that its deepest roots remain in defense. A leopard can change territory, but not its spots.
Is PLTR a Good Stock to Buy?
Palantir has attracted plenty of analyst attention in recent years, yet Wall Street’s stance remains cautious. Over the past three months, the stock has garnered five Buy ratings and 13 Holds, with no Sells. With a consensus price target of $155.39, analysts broadly view PLTR’s recent momentum as already priced in, leaving little near-term upside.
With Palantir’s technology now reaching small and medium-sized businesses, is this evidence of its growing dominance? A deliberate effort to rebrand and distance itself from its shadowy defense-sector image? Or simply a reflection of the times, as once-costly technology makes its way down the economic ladder? By the looks of things, it may just be all three.