Analyst Ratings February 18, 2026

Mizuho Raises Palantir Rating After Valuation Drop; Sees Room for Upside

Firm cites rapid revenue expansion and margin strength as reasons for upgrade to Outperform, sets $195 target

By Sofia Navarro PLTR
Mizuho Raises Palantir Rating After Valuation Drop; Sees Room for Upside
PLTR

Mizuho upgraded Palantir Technologies Inc. to Outperform from Neutral and set a $195 price target after a notable pullback in valuation. The firm highlighted Palantir’s strong revenue acceleration and high gross margins, while also noting the stock still carries elevated multiples despite recent de-rating. Other broker actions and company milestones were also cited, including a separate upgrade from Freedom Capital Markets and a renewed multi-year agreement with Airbus.

Key Points

  • Mizuho upgraded Palantir to Outperform from Neutral and set a $195 price target, citing revenue acceleration and margin expansion.
  • Palantir posted 56.18% revenue growth over the last twelve months and reported gross profit margins of 82.37%.
  • Valuation metrics show a de-rating - the 2026 EV/FCF multiple fell 46% in the year's first six weeks, though the stock still trades at a P/E of 211.59 and a PEG of 0.85.

Mizuho moved Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: PLTR) up one notch to an Outperform rating from Neutral on Wednesday, attaching a price objective of $195. The new target implies substantial upside relative to the company’s then-trading price of $133.02.

The upgrade follows an assessment that Palantir’s combination of revenue growth, accelerating top-line momentum and the ability to expand margins at scale stands out within the software sector. Recent financial metrics underline that view: the company recorded 56.18% revenue growth over the last twelve months and reported gross profit margins of 82.37%.

Mizuho noted that the market has already begun to re-price Palantir. The bank pointed to a 46% decline in the company’s 2026 enterprise-value-to-free-cash-flow multiple during the first six weeks of the year, a move the firm characterized as a meaningful de-rating. Despite that reduction, the stock remained at a high price-to-earnings ratio of 211.59, while the price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio measured 0.85.

With the valuation multiple having contracted, Mizuho concluded the risk-reward profile is now more attractive and that the prior concern about significant multiple reversion has been at least partially addressed. The bank’s view was also informed by upward revisions to consensus earnings estimates, with 17 analysts having raised their forecasts for the coming period.

Nonetheless, some valuation metrics suggest investor caution remains warranted. An independent fair-value assessment indicates Palantir still appears overvalued following a year-to-date price decline of 25.16%.


Other recent developments reinforce the company’s momentum. Palantir beat guidance and analyst expectations for its fourth quarter of 2025, a performance driven largely by growth in its U.S. commercial and government businesses and by sales acceleration tied to its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP). In response to the quarterly results, Freedom Capital Markets moved its rating on the stock from Sell to Buy while keeping a $170.00 price target.

On the commercial partnerships front, Palantir extended a multi-year agreement with Airbus to continue supporting the Skywise platform, aimed at improving efficiency and safety in civil aviation data management.

The company also received industry recognition, winning 15 categories in the Dresner Advisory Services 2025 Technology Innovation Awards, including honors in Data Engineering and AI/Data Science/Machine Learning.

Investor sentiment toward Palantir is not uniform. Public criticism of the broader AI investment cycle by activist investor Michael Burry was noted in the market narrative, while DA Davidson opted to keep its Neutral rating, saying there is no new evidence prompting a change to its constructive view on Palantir’s business prospects.


Taken together, the recent analyst activity, corporate results and partnership renewals present a mixed picture: analysts and some brokers are raising earnings and ratings, while valuation measures and a sizeable year-to-date price drop indicate investors remain wary.

Risks

  • Valuation remains elevated despite recent multiple contraction, indicating potential downside if earnings or cash flow fail to meet expectations - impacts software and equity markets.
  • The stock has declined 25.16% year-to-date, reflecting market skepticism that could persist and affect investor returns - impacts technology sector sentiment and institutional allocations.
  • Public criticism of the AI investment cycle and mixed analyst views introduce sentiment risk that could influence capital flows into AI-related software companies - impacts AI-focused tech and growth equities.

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