Palantir Pops Back Onto Retail Traders’ Radar After Trump’s Venezuela Ops: Defense Stocks Back In Play?

Palantir is a leading government and defence software vendor, a relationship that has periodically attracted criticism.

• Palantir, which supplies the government with data analytics and AI software, trended on Stocktwits late Sunday.
• The software firm is often linked to U.S. defence actions.
• Palantir was among the top-performing stocks of 2025, rising 135%.

Shares of Palantir Technologies Inc. trended on Stocktwits late Sunday, with community members speculating that U.S. forces used the analytics company’s software in the attack on Venezuela and the extraction of its leader, Nicolas Maduro, over the weekend.

The U.S. tech firm has repeatedly been the target of criticism. Activist and tech workers have protested against Palantir and its executives over the alleged use of the company’s technology for U.S. immigration enforcement and deportation last year, and the military targeting in global conflicts, mainly Israel’s offensive in Gaza.

US Operation In Venezuela

In a stunning operation that would have far-reaching consequences, U.S. forces hit targets in the Venezuelan capital Caracas Friday night. They flew out Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to New York for a trial. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the operation was being planned for months amid U.S. pressure on the Latin American country to stop its drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.

Retail Reaction

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for PLTR moved into the ‘bullish’ zone amid ‘high’ message volume. Several users expect the stock to rise in the coming week. Many also anticipate that Palantir will win new government and energy-sector contracts, while others remain cautious due to prior valuation concerns and recent market rebalancing.

“$PLTR defense and cyber stocks rally tomorrow,” said a user. 

“I guess PLTR was the brains behind this weekend's Trump activities,” wrote another bullish watcher.

Palantir sells data analytics software that helps governments and enterprises integrate, analyze, and act on large, complex datasets for decision-making.

Palantir Strength

PLTR was among the best-performing stocks of 2025, rising 135% last year, and currently trades at a significantly high forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 181.

Revenue surged by more than 50% in the first nine months of the year to $3.1 billion, as the rapid adoption of AI boosted demand for its software.

The company also announced a raft of partnerships, including with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the U.S. Navy, and companies such as Nvidia Databricks, Anthropic, Archer Aviation, Snowflake, Accenture and xAI.

Given its sharp rally, analysts have reined in their expectations for the stock. Currently, 17 of the 23 analysts covering the stock have a ‘Hold’ rating, while three recommend ‘Buy’ or higher, and the rest recommend ‘Sell’ or lower, according to Koyfin. Their average price target of $186.81 implies a 13% upside from the stock’s last close.

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