Palantir Technologies is a company that specializes in data analytics, which involves processing huge volumes of information to uncover actionable insights and trends. It has recently launched its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), designed to combine large language models with its legacy data analytics, helping clients with real-time decision-making and allowing them to create customized applications based on their data in a secure in-house environment. (Source: 'Why Palantir?') It's safe to assume Palantir can maintain its current growth rate as AI technology improves. The company's third-quarter revenue increased 30% year over year to $725.5 million, and management seems optimistic about its future prospects, with CEO Alex Karp suggesting that organizations that fail to adopt productivity enhancers like its AIP risk being left behind in what he calls a 'winner-takes-all economy.' (Source: 'What could the next three years have in store?') No, Palantir's valuation has lost touch with reality, with a forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 152, which is significantly higher than the S&P 500's average forward P/E estimate of 23 and even higher than Nvidia's forward P/E of 33, despite Nvidia's impressive growth. This level of overvaluation will probably cause the stock to underperform over the next three years. (Source: 'Sorry, but the valuation is silly') It might be time to consider taking some profits off the table, as the stock's valuation is overextended. While early investors have made a good bet, it's uncertain whether the company can maintain its growth rate and fend off large commercial sector rivals like Microsoft or Snowflake. (Source: 'Sorry, but the valuation is silly') Palantir faces competition from large commercial sector rivals like Microsoft or Snowflake, which also offer data analytics and AI software within their cloud computing ecosystems. It's unclear if the company will be able to maintain its growth rate and fend off these competitors. (Source: 'That said, while Palantir seems to have established trust within the defense industry...') Every time I look at the stock of Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) , it seems to be at a new record high. The company has been an early winner in the hype cycle for generative artificial intelligence (AI) software. And with shares up 313% year to date at the time of this writing, many investors are wondering how much longer this bull run will last. Let's explore the pros and cons of Palantir to decide if it still has a place in your portfolio. Start Your Mornings Smarter! Wake up with Breakfast news in your inbox every market day. Sign Up For Free » Why Palantir? Founded in 2003, Palantir can be thought of as an early adopter of what we now know as AI. The company specializes in data analytics, which involves processing huge volumes of information to uncover actionable insights and trends. And this tech was a precursor to the large language models (LLMs) behind platforms like ChatGPT. Palantir was quick to adapt to the evolution of its industry. In 2023, it launched its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), designed to combine LLMs with its legacy data analytics. The AIP helps clients with real-time decision-making and allows them to create customized applications based on their data in a secure in-house environment. This can be particularly useful for military and law enforcement, giving operators real-time info about threats and targets during field operations while keeping records for legal and regulatory compliance. What could the next three years have in store? Palantir's third-quarter revenue increased 30% year over year to $725.5 million, helped by the rollout of its new AI-related functionality, particularly among U.S. government and commercial clients. The company is also consistently profitable, with adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) rising 39% to $283.6 million, although this figure adds back significant outflows like stock-based compensation, which totaled $142.4 million in the period. Over the next three years, it's safe to assume Palantir can maintain its current growth rate as AI technology improves. Management certainly seems optimistic, with CEO Alex Karp suggesting that organizations that fail to adopt productivity enhancers like its AIP risk being left behind in what he calls a "winner-takes-all economy." The company has scored some high-profile clients, including the armed forces of Israel and Ukraine, which are both using its software for combat-related missions. That said, while Palantir seems to have established trust within the defense industry, it is unclear if the company will be able to fend off large commercial sector rivals like Microsoft or Snowflake, which also offer data analytics and AI software within their cloud computing ecosystems. Sorry, but the valuation is silly Palantir is an easy company to get excited about. It synergizes data analytics with generative AI to serve very cool uses in the military and law enforcement. That being said, hype doesn't pay the bills. With a forward price-to-earnings ratio (P/E) of 152, its valuation has lost touch with reality. The S&P 500 has an average forward P/E estimate of 23, while the AI industry leader Nvidia has a forward P/E of just 33 despite growing its sales and profits by 94% and 109%, respectively, in its most recent quarter. Palantir is nowhere close to this. This level of overvaluation will probably cause the stock to underperform over the next three years. And while early investors can pat themselves on the back for making an unusually good bet, it might be time to consider taking some profits off the table. Should you invest $1,000 in Palantir Technologies right now? Before you buy stock in Palantir Technologies, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now... and Palantir Technologies wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $872,947 !* Stock Advisor provides investors with an easy-to-follow blueprint for success, including guidance on building a portfolio, regular updates from analysts, and two new stock picks each month. The Stock Advisor service has more than quadrupled the return of S&P 500 since 2002*. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of December 2, 2024 Will Ebiefung has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy . Where Will Palantir Stock Be in 3 Years? was originally published by The Motley FoolInspireMD Announces Appointment of Accomplished Medical Technology Executive Scott R. Ward to its Board of Directors
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Commanders WR predicted to join Super Bowl contender in 2025 | Sporting NewsBy MIKE CATALINI CHATHAM, N.J. (AP) — That buzzing coming out of New Jersey? It’s unclear if it’s drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward. Related Articles National News | Today in History: December 16, the Boston Tea Party National News | Today in History: December 15, Dylann Roof convicted of killing 9 Black church members in South Carolina National News | Paying homage to veterans on Wreaths Across America Day National News | Today in History: December 14, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting National News | Court denies TikTok’s request to halt enforcement of potential US ban until Supreme Court review Cropping up on local news and social media sites around Thanksgiving, the saga of the drones reported over New Jersey has reached incredible heights. This week seems to have begun a new, higher-profile chapter: Lawmakers are demanding (but so far not getting) explanations from federal and state authorities about what’s behind them. Gov. Phil Murphy wrote to President Joe Biden asking for answers. New Jersey’s new senator, Andy Kim, spent Thursday night on a drone hunt in rural northern New Jersey, and posted about it on X. But perhaps the most fantastic development is the dizzying proliferation of conspiracies — none of which has been confirmed or suggested by federal and state officials who say they’re looking into what’s happening. It has become shorthand to refer to the flying machines as drones, but there are questions about whether what people are seeing are unmanned aircraft or something else. Some theorize the drones came from an Iranian mothership. Others think they are the Secret Service making sure President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster property is secure. Others worry about China. The deep state. And on. In the face of uncertainty, people have done what they do in 2024: Create a social media group. The Facebook page, New Jersey Mystery Drones — let’s solve it , has nearly 44,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday. People are posting their photo and video sightings, and the online commenters take it from there. One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.) Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She said she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she’s glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said. “I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said. She doesn’t buy what the governor said, that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety. Murphy told Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.” “How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.” Then there’s the notion that people could misunderstand what they’re seeing. William Austin is the president of Warren County Community College, which has a drone technology degree program, and is coincidentally located in one of the sighting hotspots. Austin says he has looked at videos of purported drones and that airplanes are being misidentified as drones. He cited an optical effect called parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object when viewed from different perspectives. Austin encouraged people to download flight and drone tracker apps so they can better understand what they’re looking at. Nonetheless, people continue to come up with their own theories. “It represents the United States of America in 2024,” Austin said. “We’ve lost trust in our institutions, and we need it.” Federal officials echo Austin’s view that many of the sightings are piloted aircraft such as planes and helicopters being mistaken for drones, according to lawmakers and Murphy. That’s not really convincing for many, though, who are homing in on the sightings beyond just New Jersey and the East Coast, where others have reported seeing the objects. For Seph Divine, 34, another member of the drone hunting group who lives in Eugene, Oregon, it feels as if it’s up to citizen sleuths to solve the mystery. He said he tries to be a voice of reason, encouraging people to fact check their information, while also asking probing questions. “My main goal is I don’t want people to be caught up in the hysteria and I also want people to not just ignore it at the same time,” he said. “Whether or not it’s foreign military or some secret access program or something otherworldly, whatever it is, all I’m saying is it’s alarming that this is happening so suddenly and so consistently for hours at a time,” he added. Associated Press reporter Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.
TOWSON, Md. (AP) — Marcus Banks scored 22 points as UMBC beat Towson 84-71 on Saturday. Banks shot 8 for 18, including 5 for 11 from beyond the arc for the Retrievers (6-5). Josh Odunowo scored 17 points and added five rebounds and three steals. Anthony Valentine had 17 points and shot 7 of 9 from the field, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 2 for 5 from the line. Dylan Williamson finished with 21 points for the Tigers (4-6). Tyler Tejada added 18 points and nine rebounds. Mekhi Lowery also had 12 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. UMBC took the lead with 19:03 left in the first half and never looked back. The score was 38-24 at halftime, with Valentine racking up 11 points. UMBC extended its lead to 59-38 during the second half, fueled by a 7-0 scoring run. Banks scored a team-high 13 points in the second half. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
UMass men’s basketball falls to rival UMass Lowell in Kennedy Cup match
The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Amar’e Marshall scored 17 points as Albany beat Puerto Rico-Mayaguez 93-50 on Friday. Marshall also contributed five assists for the Great Danes (4-1). Byron Joshua added 13 points while going 4 of 4 (3 for 3 from 3-point range) while he also had five assists and five steals. Aaron Reddish shot 4 of 7 from the field, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 2 for 3 from the line to finish with 12 points. Puerto Rico-Mayaguez was led by David Maldonado, who posted 16 points. Jose Alicea scored 10 points. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Donald Trump Jr. emerges as a political force of his own as he helps his father launch a second term
ISPR presserA judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women's volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. The ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to compete in the Mountain West Conference women's championship opening this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by nine current players against the Mountain West Conference challenging the league's policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans woman volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player's name because she has not commented publicly on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Crews' ruling referred to the athlete as an "alleged transgender" player and noted that no defendant disputed that the San Jose State roster includes a transgender woman player. San Jose State will "continue to support its student-athletes and reject discrimination in all forms," the university said in a statement, confirming that all its student-athletes are eligible to participate under NCAA and conference rules. "We are gratified that the Court rejected an eleventh-hour attempt to change those rules. Our team looks forward to competing in the Mountain West volleyball tournament this week." The conference did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The players filed a notice for emergency appeal with the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Crews said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a loss in league standings. He also refused a request to re-seed the tournament without the forfeited losses. The judge said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 — making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season's awareness of her reported identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a major election year. Crews' ruling also said injunctions are meant to prevent harm, but in this case, he argued, the harm has already occurred. The games have been forfeited, the tournament has been seeded, the teams have made travel plans and the participants have confirmed they're playing. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. Colorado State is seeded first and San Jose State, second. The teams split their regular-season matches and both get byes into Friday's semifinals. San Jose State will play the winner of Wednesday's match between Utah State and Boise State — teams that both forfeited matches to SJSU during the regular season. The conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. San Jose State coach Todd Kress, whose team has not competed in the national tournament since 2001, has said his team has been getting "messages of hate" and that has taken a toll on his players. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official conference standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada's players stated they "refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes," without elaborating. Nevada did not qualify for the conference tournament. The nine current players and others now suing the Mountain West Conference, the California State University Board of Trustees and others include San Jose State senior setter and co-captain Brooke Slusser. The teammate Slusser says is transgender hits the volleyball with more force than others on the team, raising fear during practices of suffering concussions from a head hit, the complaint says. The Independent Council on Women's Sports is funding a separate lawsuit against the NCAA for allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Both lawsuits claim the landmark 1972 federal antidiscrimination law known as Title IX prohibits transgender women in women's sports. Title IX prohibits sexual discrimination in federally funded education; Slusser is a plaintiff in both lawsuits. Several circuit courts have used a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to conclude that discriminating against someone based on their transgender status or sexual orientation is sex-based discrimination, Crews wrote. That means case law does not prove the "likelihood of success" needed to grant an injunction. An NCAA policy that subjects transgender participation to the rules of sports governing bodies took effect this academic year. USA Volleyball says a trans woman must suppress testosterone for 12 months before competing. The NCAA has not flagged any issues with San Jose State. The Republican governors of Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming have made public statements in support of the team cancellations, citing fairness in women's sports. President-elect Donald Trump likewise has spoken out against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports. Crews was a magistrate judge in Colorado's U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him as a federal judge in January. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Alector Announces Results from AL002 INVOKE-2 Phase 2 Trial in Individuals with Early Alzheimer's Disease and Provides Business Update
BEIRUT (AP) — Insurgents' stunning march across Syria accelerated Saturday with news that they had reached the suburbs of the capital and that government forces had withdrawn from the central city of Homs. The government was forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad had fled the country. The loss of Homs is a potentially crippling blow for Assad. It stands at an important intersection between Damascus and Syria’s coastal provinces of Latakia and Tartus — the Syrian leader’s base of support and home to a Russian strategic naval base. The pro-government Sham FM reported that government forces took positions outside Syria’s third-largest city, without elaborating. Rami Abdurrahman who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said Syrian troops and members of different security agencies have withdrawn from the city, adding that rebels have entered parts of it. The capture of Homs is a major victory for insurgents, who have already seized the cities of Aleppo and Hama , as well as large parts of the south, in a lightning offensive that began Nov. 27. Analysts said Homs falling into rebel hands would be a game-changer. The rebels' moves around Damascus, reported by the monitor and a rebel commander, came after the Syrian army withdrew from much of southern part of the country, leaving more areas, including several provincial capitals, under the control of opposition fighters. The advances in the past week were among the largest in recent years by opposition factions, led by a group that has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. In their push to overthrow Assad's government, the insurgents, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, or HTS, have met little resistance from the Syrian army. For the first time in the country's long-running civil war, the government now has control of only three of 14 provincial capitals: Damascus, Latakia and Tartus. The U.N.’s special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Saturday called for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition.” Speaking to reporters at the annual Doha Forum in Qatar, he said the situation in Syria was changing by the minute. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, whose country is Assad's chief international backer, said he feels “sorry for the Syrian people.” In Damascus, people rushed to stock up on supplies. Thousands went to Syria's border with Lebanon, trying to leave the country. Many shops in the capital were shuttered, a resident told The Associated Press, and those still open ran out of staples such as sugar. Some were selling items at three times the normal price. “The situation is very strange. We are not used to that,” the resident said, insisting on anonymity, fearing retributions. “People are worried whether there will be a battle (in Damascus) or not.” It was the first time that opposition forces reached the outskirts of Damascus since 2018, when Syrian troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The U.N. said it was moving noncritical staff outside the country as a precaution. Syria’s state media denied social media rumors that Assad left the country, saying he is performing his duties in Damascus. He has had little, if any, help from his allies. Russia, is busy with its war in Ukraine . Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a yearlong conflict with Israel. Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular Israeli airstrikes. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday posted on social media that that the United States should avoid engaging militarily in Syria. Pedersen said a date for talks in Geneva on the implementation a U.N. resolution, adopted in 2015, and calling for a Syrian-led political process, would be announced later. The resolution calls for the establishment of a transitional governing body, followed by the drafting of a new constitution and ending with U.N.-supervised elections. Later Saturday, foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran, along with Pederson, gathered on the sidelines of the Doha Summit to discuss the situation in Syria. No details were immediately available. Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said insurgents were in the Damascus suburbs of Maadamiyah, Jaramana and Daraya. Opposition fighters were marching toward the Damascus suburb of Harasta, he added. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces had begun the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. HTS controls much of northwest Syria and in 2017 set up a “salvation government” to run day-to-day affairs in the region. In recent years, HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has sought to remake the group’s image, cutting ties with al-Qaida, ditching hard-line officials and vowing to embrace pluralism and religious tolerance. The shock offensive began Nov. 27, during which gunmen captured the northern city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest, and the central city of Hama , the country’s fourth largest city. Opposition activists said Saturday that a day earlier, insurgents entered Palmyra, which is home to invaluable archaeological sites had been in government hands since being taken from the Islamic State group in 2017. To the south, Syrian troops left much of the province of Quneitra including the main Baath City, activists said. Syrian Observatory said government troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces. The Syrian army said in a statement that it carried out redeployment and repositioning in Sweida and Daraa after its checkpoints came under attack by “terrorists." The army said it was setting up a “strong and coherent defensive and security belt in the area,” apparently to defend Damascus from the south. The Syrian government has referred to opposition gunmen as terrorists since conflict broke out in March 2011. The foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, meeting in Qatar, called for an end to the hostilities. Turkey is a main backer of the rebels. Qatar's top diplomat, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, criticized Assad for failing to take advantage of the lull in fighting in recent years to address the country’s underlying problems. “Assad didn’t seize this opportunity to start engaging and restoring his relationship with his people,” he said. Sheikh Mohammed said he was surprised by how quickly the rebels have advanced and said there is a real threat to Syria’s “territorial integrity.” He said the war could “damage and destroy what is left if there is no sense of urgency” to start a political process. Karam reported from London. Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.
Rafael Nadal has had a profound impact on not just his supporters, pundits and opponents but also his own people. One of them is Carlos Costa of IMG fame, who started as Nadal’s agent and eventually became his business partner. Costa has been associated with Nadal since he was 16 when he didn’t even properly make it on the ATP Tour. On social media, Costa went viral with his post for which he took a lot of effort and love to showcase it to the world. The post included a caption in which he expressed gratitude for getting to work with Nadal for 22 years in the ‘world’s best tournaments’. The picture had all of Costa’s ID cards till date, which are required to be worn by each member of a particular player’s box as well as their representatives. Those cards are arguably Costa’s most prized possessions. Costa has played a vital role in the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s material success but is more proud of Nadal, the person. Nadal’s values throughout his career have not changed, as he is someone who doesn’t like change within his setup and values loyalty. Apart from relieving uncle Toni Nadal in 2017 from his coaching duties, his core team has remained pretty much the same, and this included Costa. It is this continuity that helped Nadal to earn more than just prize money at the peak of his playing career. Costa is the man who is the key to the former World No.1 still having sponsors like Kia Motors, Nike and Babolat, who have backed him since the start. Eventually, Costa made him diversify from prize money and endorsements into businesses and other investments so much that his net worth is reportedly said to be beyond $320 million today . After his retirement, Nadal will be continuing with Costa since they co-own Hi7tory, an athlete and event management company that is responsible for growing and funding Rafa Nadal Academy branches across the world. Costa also plays a vital role in ensuring that the Rafa Nadal Foundation is taken care of. Little did Costa know that he would go on to become a successful businessperson after failing to reach his potential as a professional tennis player. When Costa tried to put Spanish tennis on the world map before Nadal A six-time ATP title winner in singles, Carlos Costa played professional tennis for 11 years. In doubles too, he has won 5 titles. His prize money earnings in his tennis career came up to $3,134,189. But his most famous win was at the Stockholm Open in 1993 when he defeated the eventual 14-time Grand Slam champion, Pete Sampras on clay. Costa won that match 7-6 (7-1), 2-6, 6-1, and was a major deal in the tennis world. The surface was an indoor carpet surface, and it suited Costa. Costa never won a Grand Slam title but nevertheless contributed a lot to Nadal winning 22 of them. While the Spanish legend might not publicly credit him often, he is the first person to admit that Costa’s influence behind the scenes worked wonders for him. Nadal and Costa’s equation shows that money is important but must never supersede relations and the game. This is something that aspiring young players must look to emulate.
Noel scores 26 points as Wright State takes down Detroit Mercy 80-72