Palantir's AI Hype: Or Is There Something Real Here?
Okay, let's dive into this Palantir thing. Up 163% this year? Give me a freakin' break. The market's throwing money at anything that whispers "AI," but is there actually something real under all the noise?
Palantir's Q3 numbers are out [beat Wall Street estimates, government sales up 52%], and the fanboys are losing their minds. Twenty-one cents per share, revenue of $1.18 billion...blah, blah, blah. Analysts expected 17 cents on $1.09 billion. So they beat expectations. Big deal. Wall Street analysts are wrong 90% of the time anyway. Does anyone remember 2020?
The "AI Platform" Mirage
The real kicker is this "AI platform" driving their commercial business. Oh, please. Every company is slapping "AI" on their products like it's magic fairy dust. What is this platform actually doing? Are we talking Skynet-level sentience here, or just some fancy algorithms that can sort data faster than a human? I'm guessing the latter.
And they're giving better-than-expected guidance for Q4. Color me shocked. So, they're selling snake oil faster than they can brew it up. Good for them. But is anyone actually benefiting from this stuff, or is it just another way for corporations and governments to justify their existence?
Speaking of governments, Palantir's government sales are up 52%. That's the real story here, isn't it? They're raking in cash from contracts with the military-industrial complex. And we're supposed to cheer them on because...why? Because they're "innovating"? Because they're "protecting us"? Let's be real, they're profiting from conflict and surveillance.
Meanwhile, Back in Reality...
Oh, and look at the other after-hours movers. Hims & Hers Health jumped 6% on revenue beat, but earnings fell short. So, they're selling more stuff, but making less money? Sounds like a great business model...for someone else. Clorox up 4% on earnings beat and reaffirmed guidance. Okay, people still need to clean their toilets. That's a safe bet.
IAC's stock fell more than 7% because "artificial intelligence search summaries siphoned off website traffic." So, AI is killing the old internet guard? Well, well, well, how the turntables. Maybe I should start writing AI-generated rants instead of doing this myself...nah, that's a terrible idea. No, 'terrible' doesn't cover it - that's a existential nightmare.
And Upwork? Up nearly 14% after raising their 2025 revenue forecast. People will always need to find someone to do the work they don't want to do. Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Palantir, Hims & Hers Health, Clorox and more
The Big Question: Sustainability
Look, Palantir might be a great company. Maybe their AI platform really is revolutionary. Maybe they're going to change the world for the better. But I'm not holding my breath. This whole thing feels like a house of cards built on hype and government contracts. What happens when the AI bubble bursts? What happens when the government decides they don't need Palantir anymore?
And honestly, the real question is: are they actually building something sustainable, or are they just riding the wave of AI mania until it crashes? Are they creating real value, or just extracting it? Offcourse, time will tell.
So, What's the Real Story Here?
I ain't buying it. Not yet anyway. Palantir's success is a symptom of a broken system, where hype trumps substance and government spending fuels corporate profits. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Palantir is the future. But I'd rather bet on Clorox. At least I know people will always need bleach.
