Palantir's $1.4B Quarter Sparks AI Gold Rush Questions

$1.41 billion in quarterly revenue. That's what happens when the U.S. government goes all-in on AI, and you're the company they're calling. Palantir Technologies just delivered earnings that left Wall Street scrambling to revise their models upward—but the real story isn't in the numbers.

When Government Becomes Your Best Customer

Palantir's fourth-quarter performance was nothing short of spectacular. Revenue jumped 70% year-over-year, crushing the $1.33 billion estimate. Earnings per share hit 25 cents, beating expectations by 2 cents. For the full year, the Denver-based firm pulled in $4.48 billion.

The breakdown tells the real story: U.S. government revenue hit $570 million while commercial revenue reached $507 million. Government contracts grew 66%, while commercial business more than doubled. CEO Alex Karp didn't hold back, calling these "indisputably the best results that I'm aware of in tech in the last decade."

Looking ahead, Palantir guided first-quarter revenue to $1.532-$1.536 billion—well above the $1.32 billion analysts expected. For 2026, they're projecting $7.18-$7.20 billion, crushing the $6.22 billion consensus.

The Pentagon's AI Shopping Spree

What's driving this surge? The Department of Defense, primarily. Last summer, Palantir signed an up-to-$10 billion contract with the U.S. Army. In December, they added a $448 million Navy deal to accelerate shipbuilding production.

Karp made a striking claim: "America has become more lethal, more confident, more divergent from our adversaries, and, quite frankly, from our allies." He says demand is so strong that Palantir has delayed selling new products to allies, focusing entirely on U.S. government needs.

But this government dependency comes with baggage. Palantir recently faced backlash over its work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement after federal agents fatally shot two protesters in Minneapolis. Karp's response? "If you are critical of ICE, you should be out there protesting for more Palantir... Our product, actually, in its core, requires people to conform with Fourth Amendment data protections."

The Valuation Reality Check

Investors had set a high bar. Palantir shares rallied 81% over the past year, making it a retail investor darling. But 2026 started rocky—shares are down 15% as AI enthusiasm meets valuation reality.

"Big Short" investor Michael Burry revealed a bet against Palantir and Nvidia in November. Karp called the move "bats--- crazy" and accused Burry of "market manipulation." The stock then suffered its worst month in two years as investors questioned AI valuations.

In his shareholder letter, Karp defended Palantir's profit as "pure and uncontrived," emphasizing that their commercial segment benefits from companies needing software to structure large language models. "Anything lacking a zealous focus on the value being created by these technical systems... will ultimately fade to grey and be forgotten," he wrote.

The Bigger AI Infrastructure Play

Palantir's success reflects a broader trend: AI isn't just about chatbots and image generators. The real money is in infrastructure—the unsexy but essential plumbing that makes AI work at enterprise scale. Palantir announced partnerships with Nvidia, positioning itself as the bridge between raw AI power and practical applications.

Net income jumped to $608 million (24 cents per share) from $79 million (3 cents per share) a year ago. U.S. commercial deal value rose 145% to $4.38 billion, suggesting private sector appetite is catching up to government enthusiasm.