Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Mar 21 $90 Puts Sweep (45) near the Ask: 1906 vs 10756 OI

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Mar 21 $90 Puts Sweep (45) near the Ask: 1906 @ $3.35 vs 10756 OI; Ref=$101.19

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Apr 17 $100 Calls Sweep (6) near the Ask: 500 vs 4583 OI

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Apr 17 $100 Calls Sweep (6) near the Ask: 500 @ $12.021 vs 4583 OI; Ref=$102.4001

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Apr 17 $100 Puts Sweep (4) near the Ask: 1011 vs 6295 OI

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Apr 17 $100 Puts Sweep (4) near the Ask: 1011 @ $6.8 vs 6295 OI; Ref=$108.82

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Apr 4 $115 Puts Sweep (117) near the Ask: 1184 vs 142 OI

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Apr 4 $115 Puts Sweep (117) near the Ask: 1184 @ $6.115 vs 142 OI; Ref=$123.74

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Mar 21 $35 Calls at the Ask: 180 vs 4345 OI

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Mar 21 $35 Calls at the Ask: 180 @ $84.05 vs 4345 OI; Ref=$118.786

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Feb 21 $35 Calls at the Ask: 180 vs 6284 OI

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Feb 21 $35 Calls at the Ask: 180 @ $83.95 vs 6284 OI; Ref=$118.786

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Feb 21 $30 Calls Sweep (5) near the midpoint: 56 vs 1735 OI

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Feb 21 $30 Calls Sweep (5) near the midpoint: 56 @ $89.292 vs 1735 OI; Ref=$119.2909

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Mar 21 $130 Puts at the Bid: 600 vs 1179 OI

Palantir Technologies Option Alert: Mar 21 $130 Puts at the Bid: 600 @ $15.0 vs 1179 OI; Ref=$119.345

Palantir Technologies Bolsa (NASDAQ: PLTR)

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) Bolsa

Palantir Technologies

Palantir is an analytical software company that focuses on leveraging data to create efficiencies in its clients' organizations. The firm serves commercial and government clients via its Foundry and Gotham platforms, respectively. Palantir works only with entities in Western-allied nations and reserves the right not to work with anyone that is antithetical to Western values. The Denver-based company was founded in 2003 and went public in 2020.

PLTR

Palantir Technologies cae un 5,69% tras informes sobre recortes en el gasto de defensa de EE.UU. ¿Cómo afectará esto a la compañía?

Acciones de Palantir (PLTR) caen tras posibles recortes en el presupuesto de defensa de EE.UU.

Equities

News

Markets

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Palantir cae más del 5% tras rumores de recortes en defensa y la venta millonaria de su CEO. ¿Qué impacto tendrá?

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Dan Ives predice que Apple superará los 4 billones de dólares antes que Nvidia. ¿Qué impulsa el crecimiento de la IA en 2025?

Apple (AAPL) alcanzará los 4 billones de dólares antes que Nvidia, según Dan Ives de Wedbush

Palantir Technologies Inc. - Class A Common Stock

Palantir Technologies Inc

Benzinga examined the prospects for <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas">many investors' favorite stocks</a> over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.
This week, Wall Street retreated from record highs, influenced by Walmart's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) cautious profit outlook and the Federal Reserve's emphasis on persistent inflation risks. Walmart's stock declined by 6.5% after its profit forecast fell short of analysts&#8217; expectations, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/econ-s/25/02/43895372/walmarts-warning-fed-highlights-inflation-risks-chinese-stocks-surge-this-week-in-markets">raising concerns about consumer spending</a> amid ongoing inflation and trade uncertainties.
The Federal Reserve, in its latest meeting minutes, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43829352/fomc-minutes">highlighted the need for more evidence of cooling inflation</a> before considering rate cuts. Officials also pointed to potential inflationary pressures from possible shifts in trade and immigration policies, as well as supply chain disruptions due to geopolitical tensions.
In contrast, Chinese technology stocks experienced a surge, with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) rising 8.1% following strong earnings and optimistic guidance. This rally was bolstered by speculation of potential monetary policy easing by China&#8217;s central bank and anticipated fiscal stimulus measures from policymakers.
Benzinga provides daily reports on the stocks most popular with investors. Here are a few of this past week's most bullish and bearish posts that are worth another look.
The Bulls
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/02/43812953/super-micro-computer-stock-continues-to-climb-whats-going-on">"Super Micro Computer Stock Continues To Climb: What's Going On?"</a>, by Adam Eckert, reports that Super Micro Computer Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMCI#NASDAQ">SMCI</a>) shares surged 16.5% after the company announced strong preliminary first-quarter results and reassured investors by confirming it will file delayed financial reports by the Feb. 25 deadline, addressing governance concerns.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/02/43787535/archer-aviation-stock-is-rising-tuesday-whats-going-on">"Archer Aviation Stock Is Rising Tuesday: What's Going On?"</a>, by Adam Eckert, reports that Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ACHR#NYSE">ACHR</a>) shares climbed 8.16% after the company secured FAA certification to launch its pilot training academy, a key milestone in its goal to begin electric air taxi operations in 2025, with only one more regulatory approval remaining.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43819990/jetai-targets-ai-infrastructure-growth-with-new-data-center-in-nevada-stock-skyrockets">"Jet.AI Targets AI Infrastructure Growth With New Data Center In Nevada, Stock Skyrockets"</a>, by Shivani Kumaresan, reports that Jet.AI Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JTAI#NASDAQ">JTAI</a>) shares soared 69% after the company unveiled plans for a 50-megawatt AI data center in Nevada, aiming for a full gigawatt capacity, as it seeks to capitalize on the surging demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure.
For additional bullish calls of the past week, check out the following:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/02/43825695/xrp-rallies-5-on-etf-news-what-is-going-on">XRP Rallies 5% On ETF News: What Is Going On?</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/02/43855319/apple-stock-set-for-streaming-lift-severance-breaks-record-after-x-ads-tim-cook-promo">Apple Stock Set For Streaming Lift? ‘Severance' Breaks Record After X Ads, Tim Cook Promo</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/02/43816112/hedge-fund-shake-up-tiger-appaloosa-soros-outperform-buffett-icahn-ackman">Hedge Fund Shake-Up: Tiger, Appaloosa, Soros Outperform Buffett, Icahn, Ackman</a>
The Bears
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/02/43857040/palantir-stock-tanks-10-as-ceo-sell-plan-defense-budget-cuts-spark-sell-off">"Palantir Stock Tanks 10% As CEO Sell Plan, Defense Budget Cuts Spark Sell-Off"</a>, by Surbhi Jain, reports that Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NYSE">PLTR</a>) shares plunged 10% after CEO Alex Karp announced plans to sell nearly 10 million shares, raising investor concerns, while potential U.S. defense budget cuts threaten the company's lucrative government contracts, intensifying the sell-off.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43799173/occidental-petroleum-q4">"Occidental Petroleum Shares Slide After Mixed Q4 Results: EPS Beat, Revenues Miss"</a>, by Erica Kollmann, reports that Occidental Petroleum Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OXY#NYSE">OXY</a>) posted fourth-quarter earnings of 80 cents per share, surpassing analyst expectations of 70 cents, while revenue fell to $6.83 billion, missing the projected $7.05 billion.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43868719/dropbox-stock-falls-after-q4-report-arr-slips-paying-users-decrease">"Dropbox Stock Falls After Q4 Report: ARR Slips, Paying Users Decrease"</a>, by Erica Kollmann, reports that Dropbox Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DBX#NASDAQ">DBX</a>) shares fell 8.6% after the company announced a slight decrease in annual recurring revenue and a reduction of 15,000 paying users in the fourth quarter, despite exceeding earnings and revenue expectations.
For more bearish takes, be sure to see these posts:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43884153/us-services-drop-sharply-darkening-picture-of-high-prices-uncertainty-economist-says">US Services Drop Sharply: ‘Darkening Picture' Of High Prices, Uncertainty, Economist Says</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/02/43795095/viking-bails-on-apple-tesla-and-trims-nvidia-is-this-a-big-tech-rethink">Viking Bails On Apple, Tesla And Trims Nvidia: Is This A Big Tech Rethink?</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43869433/walmart-expects-slower-growth-in-an-uncertain-time-cfo-says-on-earnings-call">Walmart Expects Slower Growth In ‘An Uncertain Time,' CFO Says On Earnings Call</a>
Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following<a href="https://twitter.com/Benzinga"> Benzinga</a><a href="http://twitter.com/Benzinga"> on Twitter</a>.
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

Earnings

Market Summary

Federal Reserve

General

ACHR

BABA

JTAI

SMCI

Benzinga Bulls And Bears: SMCI, Jet.AI, Palantir, OXY And Wall Street Retreats From Record Highs

Wall Street eased from record highs after Walmart's weak outlook raised concerns about consumer spending and economic growth, while investors also assessed signals from the Federal Reserve <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43869433/walmart-expects-slower-growth-in-an-uncertain-time-cfo-says-on-earnings-call">and trade policy uncertainties.</a>
Minutes from the latest Fed meeting confirmed a cautious stance. Officials stressed the need for more evidence that inflation had cooled before considering rate cuts. Several policymakers suggested that rates could stay high if economic conditions remained <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43829352/fomc-minutes">strong and inflation persisted.</a>
They also cited inflation risks from potential shifts in trade and immigration policies, supply chain disruptions due to geopolitical tensions and stronger-than-expected consumer spending.
Earlier in the week, President Donald Trump announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on imports of autos, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, set to take effect on April 2, heightening trade uncertainty, particularly for multinational companies reliant <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43805852/trump-shakes-global-trade-with-25-auto-chip-and-pharma-tariffs-announcement-asian-stocks-pare-their-five-day-rally">on global supply chains</a>.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/etfs/specialty-etfs/25/02/43893016/rising-inflation-in-japan-3-etfs-to-watch-as-boj-navigates-rate-hike-expectations">Rising Inflation In Japan: 3 ETFs To Watch As BOJ Navigates Rate Hike Expectations</a>
On Tuesday, U.S. officials, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met with Russian representatives, headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Saudi Arabia to initiate discussions on ending <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/02/43787369/us-russian-officials-begin-ukraine-peace-talks-defense-sector-stocks-rise">the war in Ukraine.</a> Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated that his country will not accept any peace agreement negotiated without its direct participation. Notably, no European representatives attended talks in Saudi Arabia.
Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) — the S&amp;P 500's top performer in 2024 — plunged after reports indicated that the Pentagon, one of its largest clients, was preparing for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/02/43857040/palantir-stock-tanks-10-as-ceo-sell-plan-defense-budget-cuts-spark-sell-off">deep budget cuts</a>. Investor concerns grew further after CEO Alex Karp disclosed plans to sell nearly 10 million shares over the next six months.
Chinese technology stocks surged on Friday, led by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>), which spiked after delivering strong earnings and upbeat guidance. Optimism also rose amid speculation that China's central bank could ease monetary policy, alongside new fiscal stimulus measures from policymakers after the annual parliamentary meeting in early March.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/02/43893285/warren-buffetts-annual-shareholder-letter-arrives-saturday-could-investors-get-updates-on-apple-succession-new-investments">Warren Buffett&#8217;s Annual Shareholder Letter Arrives Saturday: Could Investors Get Updates On Apple, Succession, New Investments?</a></li>
</ul>
Image created using artificial intelligence via Midjourney.

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Walmart's Warning, Fed Highlights Inflation Risks, Chinese Stocks Surge: This Week In Markets

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Shares of software companies are trading lower amid overall market weakness on US consumer and economic concerns.

<ul>
<li>CELH</li>
<li>PLTR</li>
<li>NVDA</li>
<li>LUNR</li>
<li>RIVN</li>
<li>TSLA</li>
<li>HIMS</li>
<li>UNH</li>
<li>SMCI</li>
<li>BABA</li>
</ul>
Data from <a href="https://swaggystocks.com/dashboard/wallstreetbets/ticker-sentiment">https://swaggystocks.com/dashboard/wallstreetbets/ticker-sentiment</a>
&nbsp;

Trading Ideas

CELH

Hims & Hers Health, Inc. Class A Common Stock

HIMS

LUNR

RIVN

Top 10 Trending Stocks On WallStreetBets As Of February 21, 2025 (Via Swaggy Stocks)

Institutional investors were bullish on technology and financials during the fourth quarter of 2024 as these sectors saw major inflows, according to 13F filings with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). Investors were seen pulling back from the healthcare sector.
What Happened: 13F filings are mandatory reports filed by the managers overseeing at least $100 million in assets filed with the SEC. Adam Turnquist, the chief technical strategist at LPL Financial analyses the big rotation in the holdings of such funds for the fourth quarter.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Tech&#8217;s Resurgence and Financial Gains</h3>
The results of the U.S. presidential elections, hopes for deregulation, and the possibility of increased lending activity in the wake of Fed rate cuts led the investors to bump their stakes in technology and financials in the fourth quarter according to Turnquist.
After a slight dip in the third quarter, tech holdings surged by 0.7%, reflecting confidence in the sector&#8217;s growth potential. Rotation into financials increased by 0.6%.
&#8220;Communication services and consumer discretionary allocations both increased 0.5% from the third quarter, while allocations toward exchange-traded funds rose 0.4%,&#8221; according to LPL Financial&#8217;s note.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Healthcare Under Pressure</h3>
On the other hand, healthcare experienced a sharp decline, with allocations dropping by 1.4%.
This retreat followed a period of stagnation and was likely influenced by political factors. Turnquist said that &#8220;The nomination of the so-called anti-vaccine Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the potential for reduced Affordable Care Act subsidies,&#8221; was also a potential trigger.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Sectors</td>
<td>Changes In Q4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Technology</td>
<td>0.70%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Financials</td>
<td>0.60%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Communications</td>
<td>0.50%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Consumer Discretionary</td>
<td>0.50%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Other</td>
<td>0.40%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Energy</td>
<td>-0.10%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Industrials</td>
<td>-0.20%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Utilities</td>
<td>-0.20%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Consumer Staples</td>
<td>-0.30%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Materials</td>
<td>-0.30%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Real Estate</td>
<td>-0.30%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Health Care</td>
<td>-1.40%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43876325/quantum-computing-top-holders-in-q4-blackrock-vanguard-ubs-state-street-pour-money-in-rigetti-d-wave-ionq-qubt">Top Holders Of Quantum Computing Stocks In Q4: BlackRock, Vanguard, UBS, State Street Pour Money In Rigetti, D-Wave, IonQ, QUBT</a>
Why It Matters: These filings provide a window into the strategies of major players like hedge funds, pension funds, and endowments.
LPL Research&#8217;s Strategic and Tactical Asset Allocation Committee remains neutral on equities but favors large-cap growth and domestic companies. They also maintain a neutral stance on fixed income, recommending an &#8220;up-in-quality&#8221; approach and cautioning against adding duration due to expected interest rate volatility.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Hedge Funds Latgely Follow The Trend</h3>
Hedge funds largely mirrored the broader trend, increasing their tech holdings while reducing exposure to healthcare, according to the note.
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), and Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) were among the top picks, with significant increases in market value. However, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) saw a net selling of 2.1 million shares, and Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) and PDD Holdings Inc. ADR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>) also faced substantial reductions.
While the overall trend was consistent, individual hedge fund strategies varied. While Warren Buffett&#8216;s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BRK#NYSE">BRK</a>) increased its tech exposure and added Constellation Brands Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/STZ#NYSE">STZ</a>) while reducing its stake in Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BAC#NYSE">BAC</a>).
Conversely, Scion Asset Management, led by Michael Burry, favored healthcare and consumer staples, exiting positions in financials and consumer discretionary.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Bond Market Bets And ETF Insights</h3>
Beyond individual stocks, 13F filings revealed that four of the top ten purchased bond ETFs tracked the U.S. bond market. Large-cap growth ETFs also saw significant inflows, indicating a preference for these high-growth stocks, highlighted the note.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/02/43875557/donald-trump-airs-fort-knox-inspection-as-gold-edges-closer-to-3000-it-is-an-essential-component-of-portfolio-says-expert">Gold Is An &#8216;Essential Component&#8217; Of Portfolio, Says Expert As It Nears $3000 While Trump, Musk Suggest Fort Knox Inspection Amid The Surge</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Government

Hedge Funds

Analyst Ratings

Citigourp Global Markets 2% Protected Notes Linked To The Djia

Institutional Investors Load Up On Technology And Financial Stocks In Q4 While Reducing Positions In Healthcare Sector Amid Political Uncertainty

Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades, downgrades and initiations, please see our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">analyst ratings page</a>.
<ul>
<li>Loop Capital analyst Mark Schappel initiated coverage on Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) with a Buy rating and announced a price target of $141. Palantir shares closed at $112.06 on Wednesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PLTR/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Canaccord Genuity analyst Whitney Ijem initiated coverage on Palvella Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PVLA#NASDAQ">PVLA</a>) with a Buy rating and announced a price target of $39. Palvella Therapeutics shares closed at $20.97 on Wednesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PVLA/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Citigroup analyst Yigal Nochomovitz initiated coverage on Candel Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CADL#NASDAQ">CADL</a>) with a Buy rating and announced a price target of $25. Candel Therapeutics shares closed at $10.47 on Wednesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CADL/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Baird analyst Jeff Johnson initiated coverage on Beta Bionics, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BBNX#NASDAQ">BBNX</a>) with a Neutral rating and announced a price target of $20. Beta Bionics shares closed at $21.81 on Wednesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/BBNX/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>B. Riley Securities analyst Kyle Bauser initiated coverage on Electromed, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ELMD#NYSE">ELMD</a>) with a Buy rating and announced a price target of $38. Electromed shares closed at $28.54 on Wednesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ELMD/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
</ul>
Considering buying PLTR stock? Here&#8217;s what analysts think: 
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="610" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20143832/image-171-1024x610.png" alt="" class="wp-image-791733" style="width:651px;height:auto" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20143832/image-171-1024x610.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20143832/image-171-300x179.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20143832/image-171-768x458.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20143832/image-171.png 1077w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>
Read This Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43844722/walmart-dropbox-and-3-stocks-to-watch-heading-into-thursday">Walmart, Dropbox And 3 Stocks To Watch Heading Into Thursday</a></li>
</ul>

Initiation

Pre-Market Outlook

BBNX

CADL

ELMD

PVLA

This Palantir Technologies Analyst Begins Coverage On A Bullish Note; Here Are Top 5 Initiations For Thursday

Stocks tumbled Thursday, with all major indices in the red, one day after the S&amp;P 500 notched another all-time high in Wednesday&#8217;s trading session. Investors are weighing uncertainty surrounding tariff policies and disappointing guidance from Walmart while digesting new<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/forex/25/02/43843332/global-markets-mixed-dollar-dips-as-traders-react-to-trumps-tariff-plans-global-markets-today-while-us-slept"> initial jobless claims data.</a>
Mega-retailer Walmart, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>)&#8217;s shares dropped after the company issued fiscal 2026 guidance below analyst expectations, despite fourth-quarter results beating expectations.
Retail investor darling Palantir Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) added to Wednesday&#8217;s declines <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43849289/whats-going-on-with-palantir-stock-thursday">following a report </a>that the Trump administration told the Pentagon to prepare for sweeping budget cuts and CEO Alex Karp filed a new trading plan to sell up to $1.2 billion shares.
Read Next:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43836832/trump-administration-orders-sweeping-pentagon-cuts-defense-sector-stocks-on-watch"> Trump Administration Orders Sweeping Pentagon Cuts: Palantir, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Among Stocks On Watch</a>
Initial jobless claims rose by 5,000 to 219,000, above expectations of 215,000, while continuing claims rose to 186,900 in the first week of February.
WTI crude oil futures rose above $72 per barrel on Thursday, extending its streak of gains to four days as supply concerns outweighed a rise in U.S. stockpiles, according to TradingEconomics. 
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) rose 1.09% to $97,695. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury note pulled back slightly to 4.5%.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday's Performance In Major US Indices, ETFs</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-table"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>1 day % chg.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>19,911.27</td>
<td>-0.72%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>6,101.27 </td>
<td>-0.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>44,036.44</td>
<td>-1.32%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>2,252.49</td>
<td>-1.31%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
According to Benzinga Pro data:
<ul>
<li>The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) fell 0.67% to $608.82. </li>
<li>The SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) was down 1.26% at $441.02</li>
<li>The tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust Series (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) slipped 0.7% to $535.72. </li>
<li>The iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) was down 1.17% to $223.79. </li>
<li>The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) fell 1.39% to $223.10.</li>
<li>The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>)&nbsp;rose 0.6% to $92.57. </li>
</ul>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thursday's Stock Movers:&nbsp;</h2>
Cruise stocks Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RCL#NYSE">RCL</a>), Carnival Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CCL#NYSE">CCL</a>) and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NCHL#NYSE">NCHL</a>) tumbled, leading consumer discretionary stocks lower. The SPDR Select Sector Fund &#8211; Consumer Discretionary (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) fell 1.44%. 
Stocks reacting to company earnings reports included:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Carvana Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVNA#NYSE">CVNA</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Vale S.A. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VALE#NYSE">VALE</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>B2Gold Corp. (AMEX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BTG#AMEX">BTG</a>)</li>
<li>Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EXAS#NASDAQ">EXAS</a>)</li>
<li>Alamos Gold Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AGI#NYSE">AGI</a>)</li>
<li>Walmart, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) </li>
<li>Taseko Mines, Ltd. (AMEX:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TGB#AMEX">TGB</a>)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Shake Shack, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SHAK#NYSE">SHAK</a>) </li>
<li>Materialise NV (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MTLS#NASDAQ">MTLS</a>) </li>
<li>Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HAS#NASDAQ">HAS</a>) </li>
<li>Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) </li>
<li>Jumia Technologies AG (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JMIA#NYSE">JMIA</a>) </li>
<li>Birkenstock Holding Plc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIRK#NYSE">BIRK</a>) </li>
<li>Sabre Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SABR#NASDAQ">SABR</a>) </li>
<li>Ardelyx, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARDX#NASDAQ">ARDX</a>) </li>
</ul>
Companies reporting after Thursday's closing bell include:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Celsius Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CELH#NASDAQ">CELH</a>) </li>
<li>Dropbox, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DBX#NASDAQ">DBX</a>) </li>
<li>Iamgold Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IAG#NYSE">IAG</a>) </li>
<li>The RealReal, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/REAL#NASDAQ">REAL</a>) </li>
<li>Nu Holdings Ltd. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NU#NYSE">NU</a>) </li>
<li>Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ED#NYSE">ED</a>) </li>
<li>Rivian Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIVN#NASDAQ">RIVN</a>) </li>
<li>Block, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XYZ#NYSE">XYZ</a>) </li>
<li>Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BKNG#NASDAQ">BKNG</a>) </li>
<li>MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MELI#NASDAQ">MELI</a>) </li>
</ul>
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43703014/robert-f-kennedy-confirmed-as-trump-secretary-of-health">Robert F. Kennedy, Vaccine Skeptic, Confirmed As Trump&#8217;s Secretary Of Health: Health Care Stocks To Watch</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock.

Sector ETFs

Bonds

Broad U.S. Equity ETFs

Commodities

Movers

ETFs

$BTC

ARDX

BIRK

BKNG

CVNA

SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust

EXAS

JMIA

MELI

MTLS

NCHL

NCLH

REAL

SABR

SHAK

VALE

Select Sector SPDR-Consumer Discretionary

Palantir Rally Loses Steam, Walmart Outlook Disappoints: What's Driving Markets Thursday?

Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) stock plunged 10% on Wednesday after CEO Alex Karp adopted a new trading plan to sell nearly 10 million shares <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43837935/palantir-plunges-as-alex-karp-plans-123-billion-stock-sale-jim-cramer-urges-palanteers-to-support-the-stock-right-now-as-pentagon-eyes-defense-cuts">over the next six months</a>.
As if that wasn't enough, reports surfaced that the Pentagon—one of Palantir&#8217;s biggest clients—has been ordered to prepare for steep budget cuts.
The sell-off began after Palantir disclosed Karp&#8217;s new trading plan in a regulatory filing. While routine for executives, the sheer volume of planned sales raised eyebrows. Karp's move follows a meteoric rise in Palantir&#8217;s stock, which had surged nearly 50% year-to-date before Wednesday&#8217;s drop.
Palantir's current price-to-earnings ratio of nearly 600-to-1 suggests the stock is priced for perfection—leaving little room for nerves.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/43849289">What&#8217;s Going On With Palantir Stock Thursday?</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Pentagon Budget Cuts Add To The Pressure</h2>
The Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered an 8% annual cut to the U.S. defense budget for the next five years.
Palantir, known for its defense contracts, could face headwinds if the budget axe swings. The proposed cuts, driven by Elon Musk's &#8220;Department of Government Efficiency&#8221; initiative, have already sparked legal challenges.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Palantir Stock Remains A Battleground</h2>
Palantir stock trades at $100, below its eight-day simple moving average (SMA) of $115.05 &#8211; a bearish signal. However, it's still above the 20, 50, and 200-day SMAs, flashing multiple bullish signals. 
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent022025&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="629" height="489" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20112914/Screenshot-2025-02-20-at-9.58.47-PM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-791353" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20112914/Screenshot-2025-02-20-at-9.58.47-PM.png 629w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20112914/Screenshot-2025-02-20-at-9.58.47-PM-300x233.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 629px) 100vw, 629px" /></a></figure>
<a href="https://bzresearch.myclickfunnels.com/benzinga-pro-content-webinar-registration/?utm_source=BZprocontent022025&amp;t=be2bearmibe3na1">Chart created using Benzinga Pro</a>
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) sits at 52.07, nearing overbought territory, while the Moving Average Convergence/Divergence (MACD) indicator remains bullish at 10.16.
Bottom line? 
Palantir bulls aren't out of the game, but the battlefield just got a lot trickier.
Read Next: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/43842413">Dan Ives Says Pentagon Budget Cuts Are Positive For Palantir As PLTR Plunges Over 10%: &#8216;Bears Trying To Poke Holes Yet Again&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

Long Ideas

Technicals

Palantir Stock Tanks 10% As CEO Sell Plan, Defense Budget Cuts Spark Sell-Off

Macro Economic Events

Economics

Benzinga Market Summary: Walmart Issues Weaker-Than-Expected Outlook, S&P Falls, Palantir Continues Lower On Wednesday Reports Of Pentagon Budget Cuts

Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) shares are trading lower Thursday, adding to losses from Wednesday due to the potential for new <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43836832/trump-administration-orders-sweeping-pentagon-cuts-defense-sector-stocks-on-watch">defense spending cuts</a>. 
What To Know: Palantir shares tumbled Wednesday afternoon after the Trump administration told senior officials at the Pentagon to prepare&nbsp;for sweeping budget cuts, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/19/trump-pentagon-budget-cuts/">Washington Post</a>.
Defense Secretary&nbsp;Pete Hegseth reportedly sent a memo to senior leadership of the U.S. military telling them to prepare for 8% budget cuts in each of the next five years. 
Palantir generates a significant amount of its revenue from the U.S. government. In the company&#8217;s most recent quarter, U.S. government revenue increased 45% year-over-year to $343 million, while total revenue grew 36% year-over-year to $827.52 million.
Hegseth reportedly asked officials to come up with a plan for proposed cuts by Feb. 24. The memo also highlights 17 exempted categories including U.S. border protection, nuclear weapons and missile defense and drones and other munitions. The current Pentagon budget for 2025 is approximately $850 billion.
"The time for preparation is over — we must act urgently to revive the warrior ethos, rebuild our military, and reestablish deterrence," Hegseth reportedly said in the memo. 
"Our budget will resource the fighting force we need, cease unnecessary defense spending, reject excessive bureaucracy, and drive actionable reform including progress on the audit."
Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43846469/walmart-q4-earnings-shine-but-soft-fy26-outlook-disappoints-street">Walmart Q4 Earnings Shine, But Soft FY26 Outlook Disappoints Street</a>
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives argued in an X post on Wednesday that the spending cuts are actually positive for Palantir. 
&#8220;This Palantir sell-off is the bears trying to poke holes yet again in a transformational AI story that is getting stronger by the day. More focus on efficiency for the government between DOGE and DOD budget cuts is bullish for PLTR,&#8221; the analyst <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/02/43842413/pentagon-worry-for-palantir-pips-deepseek-concerns-for-nvidia-dan-ives-equates-incident-as-pltr-plunges-10-saying-its-not-a-headwind">said</a>.
Palantir shares may also be facing selling pressure on Thursday after CEO Alex Karp adopted a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43837935/palantir-plunges-as-alex-karp-plans-123-billion-stock-sale-jim-cramer-urges-palanteers-to-support-the-stock-right-now-as-pentagon-eyes-defense-cuts">new 10b5-1 trading plan </a>allowing him to sell up to 9.98 million shares by Sep. 12. 
Loop Capital analyst Mark Schappel initiated coverage on Palantir on Thursday with a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-stock-ratings">Buy rating</a> and set a price target of&nbsp;$141.
PLTR Price Action: <a href="http://benzinga.com/quote/pltr">Palantir shares</a> were down 5.69% at $105.68 at the time of publication Thursday, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga Pro</a>.
Photo: Shutterstock.

What's Going On With Palantir Stock Thursday?

<ul>
<li>PLTR</li>
<li>WMT</li>
<li>NBIS</li>
<li>BABA</li>
<li>SMCI</li>
<li>NVDA</li>
<li>CVNA</li>
<li>LUNR</li>
<li>TSLA</li>
<li>MSFT</li>
</ul>
Data from <a href="https://swaggystocks.com/dashboard/wallstreetbets/ticker-sentiment">https://swaggystocks.com/dashboard/wallstreetbets/ticker-sentiment</a>
&nbsp;

NBIS

Top 10 Trending Stocks On WallStreetBets As Of February 20, 2025 (Via Swaggy Stocks)

Palantir shares are trading lower amid possible continued weakness following yesterday's Washington Post report that stated that the Trump administration ordered the Pentagon to plan for budget cuts.

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) stock dropped 3.7% in the pre-market trading session on Thursday amid the Pentagon budget cut plan and the CEO&#8217;s stock sale plan.
What Happened: The shares of Palantir, the surveillance and defense software company, witnessed a decline since Wednesday&#8217;s trading session. This drop in stock price was triggered by the news of CEO Alex Karp&#8216;s new stock trading plan, 10b5-1, enabling him to sell up to 9.98 million shares by Sep. 12, worth almost $1.23 billion at current prices.
Adding to the company&#8217;s troubles, the U.S. Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth reportedly directed plans to slash the defense budget by 8% annually over the next five years. However, the budget cut memo details 17 categories that the Donald Trump administration aims to exempt from the cuts, such as the US-Mexico border operations, the modernization of nuclear weapons and missile defense, as well as the procurement of one-way attack drones and other munitions.
The current fiscal year&#8217;s budget stands at approximately $850 billion.
Palantir&#8217;s shares closed at $112.06 on Wednesday, marking more than a 10% drop. The company&#8217;s shares continued to fall in after-hours trading, with a further decline of more than 5%.
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/02/43837719/bitcoin-ethereum-dogecoin-gain-as-trump-reaffirms-crypto-support-are-short-sellers-exiting-the-market">Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin Gain As Trump Reaffirms Crypto Support: Are Short Sellers Exiting The Market?</a>
Why It Matters: Despite the recent downturn, Palantir has been one of the top-performing U.S. stocks over the past two years, with a nearly 50% increase in share price year-to-date before Wednesday&#8217;s drop. The company relies heavily on government defense contracts and derived 55% of its revenue in 2024 from this segment. Hence, the potential defense budget cuts and Karp&#8217;s new stock trading plan have rattled investors, causing a sharp reversal in the company&#8217;s stock performance.  
However, in a post on X, Dan Ives from Wedbush Securities stated <a href="http://Dan Ives Says Pentagon Budget Cuts Are Positive For Palantir As PLTR Plunges Over 10%: 'Bears Trying To Poke Holes Yet Again'">that this was &#8220;not a headwind</a>,&#8221; for the stock and that the company could benefit as the DOGE pushes for more efficiency in the defense sector. Meanwhile, CNBC's Jim Cramer called on investors to "support the stock."
In another development on Wednesday, Palantir announced a <a href="http://a multi-year strategic partnership with SAUR Group, aiming to transform contract management processes using Palantir Foundry's advanced Generative AI capabilities.">multi-year strategic partnership </a>with SAUR Group, aiming to transform contract management processes using Palantir Foundry's advanced Generative AI capabilities.
<ul>
<li>READ MORE: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/personal-finance/25/02/43718032/warren-buffett-was-asked-how-a-regular-person-gets-rich-he-detailed-exactly-how-hed-make-30-billion-starting-over-with-only-10000">Warren Buffett Was Asked How A Regular Person Gets Rich? He Detailed Exactly How He&#8217;d Make $30 Billion Starting Over With Only $10,000</a></li>
</ul>
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Palantir Stock Falls Nearly 4% In Thursday Pre-Market: What's Going On?

U.S. stock futures fell on Thursday after another session of scaling fresh records on Wednesday. Futures of all four benchmark indices declined in the premarket.
Wednesday's Federal Reserve minutes showed officials favored pausing rate cuts, citing potential inflation from Trump&#8217;s tariffs and deportations. However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced an 8% reduction in military spending over the next five years, which led to the fall in Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) stock.
The 10-year Treasury yield stood at 4.52%, while the two-year yield was at 4.26%. According to the CME Group's FedWatch <a href="https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/interest-rates/cme-fedwatch-tool.html">tool</a>, there is a 97.5% chance that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged for the March meeting. 
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Futures</td>
<td>Change (+/-)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>-0.16%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>-0.15%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>-0.10%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.22%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, fell in premarket on Thursday. SPY declined 0.15% to $612.03, and QQQ was down 0.16% to $538.64, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Cues From The Last Session
Only Financials and Materials declined among all the 11 sectors, whereas Health Care, Consumer Staples, Energy, Utilities, and Real Estate sectors led gains.
January&#8217;s Fed minutes revealed officials felt they could pause rate adjustments, needing more inflation progress and time to assess the economy.
Last week saw positive momentum across equity markets. The S&amp;P 500 was approximately up 1.5%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%, and the Nasdaq Composite gained 2.6% last week.
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Index</td>
<td>Performance (+/-)</td>
<td>Value</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq Composite</td>
<td>0.075%</td>
<td>20,056.25 </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>0.24%</td>
<td>6,144.15</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>0.16%</td>
<td>44,627.59</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>-0.34%</td>
<td>2,282.46</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
Insights From Analysts
Highlighting the back-to-back all-time highs scaled by the S&amp;P 5000, Kevin Gordon, director, and senior investment strategist at Schwab said, &#8220;The last two all-time highs for the S&amp;P 500 have happened without major help from the Magnificent Seven."
&#8220;That group&#8217;s last all-time high was in mid-December.&#8221;
Talking about the upcoming Walmart Inc. earnings, Alex Coffey, senior trading and derivatives strategist at Schwab said, &#8220;Walmart&#8217;s strong grocery and consumer staples mix allows consumers to trade down."
&#8220;Tariffs could hit margins, but groceries and staples could give Walmart some resiliency against competitors,&#8221; he added.
Charlie Bilello, the chief market strategist at Creative Planning highlighted that U.S. stocks have outperformed international stocks for over 16 years but this year, the international stocks were up 7.2% as compared to a 4.0% gain for the S&amp;P 500.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">US stocks have outperformed International stocks for over 16 years, by far the longest run of outperformance in history. So far this year, we&#39;re seeing the opposite, with International stocks up 7.2% vs. a 4.0% gain for the S&amp;P 500. Video: <a href="https://t.co/gl3vzKh3W0">https://t.co/gl3vzKh3W0</a> <a href="https://t.co/zAvUsKKnKW">pic.twitter.com/zAvUsKKnKW</a>
&mdash; Charlie Bilello (@charliebilello) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliebilello/status/1891895455732334902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The fourth quarter corporate earnings season shows the mega-cap tech companies driving the AI buildout are largely sticking with their AI capex, even after the DeepSeek news, BlackRock said in their weekly note.
"In the U.S., where AI is shaping up to be a key driver of new power demand, estimates of the scale of the nation's total power needs are huge and growing," it added.
Extreme heat driving air conditioning use, electrification of buildings and vehicles, and AI buildout could drive power demands, according to analysts at BlackRock.
"We see soaring power demand driving bouts of market volatility. We get active to find investment opportunities – like in utilities, grids and electrical equipment supply chains – and value selectivity as performance dispersion grows," the note stated.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-trade-futures">How to Trade Futures </a>
Upcoming Economic Data
Here&#8217;s what investors will keep On Thursday:
<ul>
<li>Initial jobless claims till Feb. 15 will be announced and the Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey for Feb will be out by 8:30 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee will be speaking at 09:35 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>January&#8217;s leading economic indicators will be released at 10:00 a.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Vice Chairman for Supervision Michael Barr will speak again at 2:30 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Fed Governor Adriana Kugler will be speaking at 5:00 p.m., ET.</li>
</ul>
Stocks In Focus:
<ul>
<li>Walmart Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WMT#NYSE">WMT</a>) declined 0.49% in premarket on Thursday ahead of its earnings, which will be released before the opening bell. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 64 cents per share on revenue of $180.25 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Block Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XYZ#NYSE">XYZ</a>) fell 0.024% as Wall Street expects it to report quarterly earnings of 86 cents per share on revenue of $6.25 billion. before the opening bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Southern Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>) was up 0.012% ahead of its earnings, which will be released during market hours. Analysts expect it to report quarterly earnings of 51 cents per share on revenue of $5.9 billion.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Rivian Automotive Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RIVN#NASDAQ">RIVN</a>) fell 0.72% as Wall Street expects it to report revenue of $1.4 billion after the closing bell.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Xos Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOS#NASDAQ">XOS</a>) jumped 27.08% after announcing that its Xos Hub, a mobile EV charger, is now on the GSA Schedule, simplifying federal agency procurement via GSA Advantage.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Microvision Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MVIS#NASDAQ">MVIS</a>) rallied 16.57% before partner Luxoft&#8217;s CES 2025 product reveal. Luxoft is a DXC Technology Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DXC#NYSE">DXC</a>) subsidiary.</li>
</ul>
Commodities, Gold And Global Equity Markets:
Crude oil futures were trading higher in the early New York session by 0.26% to hover around $72.29 per barrel.
The gold spot index was up by 0.63% to $2,951.94 per ounce after hitting a fresh record of $2,954.89. The Dollar Index was down 0.27% at 106.88 level.
Asian markets ended lower on Thursday. All indices including, China's CSI 300, South Korea's Kospi, Australia's ASX 200, Hong Kong's Hang Seng, and Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell. European markets were mixed in trade.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43839198/reduce-deficits-and-debt-full-stop-says-this-economist-as-trump-mulls-doge-dividend-by-giving-away-20-of-its-savings-to-public">&#8216;Reduce Deficits And Debt… Full Stop,&#8217; Says Craig Shapiro As Trump Mulls &#8216;DOGE Dividend&#8217; By Giving Away 20% Of Its Savings To Public</a></li>
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Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

MVIS

US Stocks Likely To Open Lower After Gaining For 2 Days: Walmart In Focus As Traders Await Retail Giant's Earnings

The possibility of Pentagon budget cuts along with CEO Alex Karp's stock trading plan triggered a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43837935/palantir-plunges-as-alex-karp-plans-123-billion-stock-sale-jim-cramer-urges-palanteers-to-support-the-stock-right-now-as-pentagon-eyes-defense-cuts">plunge</a> of over 10% in Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>)&#8217;s stock on Wednesday, with Wedbush analyst Dan Ives drawing a comparison of this event to the impact of DeepSeek on Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>).
What Happened: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly ordered Pentagon leaders to plan for 8% annual budget cuts over the next five years, with the current defense budget at $850 billion.
Ives, in an X post compared this to Nvidia's selloff after DeepSeek grabbed the top spot on Apple Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAP#NASDAQ">AAP</a>) App Store. He said this was "not a headwind," for the stock.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">This Palantir sell-off is the bears trying to poke holes yet again in a transformational AI story that is getting stronger by the day. More focus on efficiency for the government between DOGE and DOD budget cuts is bullish for PLTR given where they play in the Beltway &#x1f525;&#x1f3c6;&#x1f402; <a href="https://t.co/JzZfuUUuqa">https://t.co/JzZfuUUuqa</a>
&mdash; Dan Ives (@DivesTech) <a href="https://twitter.com/DivesTech/status/1892434685973639280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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PLTR deals with providing access to artificial intelligence targeting tools to the government and military contracts.
Additionally, the company informed the SEC that CEO Alex Karp adopted a new <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43837935/palantir-plunges-as-alex-karp-plans-123-billion-stock-sale-jim-cramer-urges-palanteers-to-support-the-stock-right-now-as-pentagon-eyes-defense-cuts">Rule 10b5-1</a> trading plan to sell up to 9.98 million shares by Sept. 12, potentially worth $1.23 billion, replacing a larger previous plan.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43841233/carvanas-brain-sebastian-says-ceo-as-he-vows-aggressive-ai-initiatives-to-process-very-deep-data">Carvana&#8217;s Online Chatbot Sebastian &#8216;Represents The Brain We&#8217;re Building,&#8217; Says CEO As Used Car Retailer Posts 50% Sales Growth In Q4</a>
Why It Matters: Ives also argued that the Department of Defense's budget cuts and more focus on efficiency are bullish factors for PLTR. He said PLTR will "GAIN" more share of their allocated budget's dollars.
CNBC&#8217;s Jim Cramer also urged investors to &#8220;support the stock,&#8221; via an X post.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Palantir down more than a half dollar. Time for the Palanteers to come in and support the stock right now.
&mdash; Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimcramer/status/1892189664989094037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hegseth's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43836832/trump-administration-orders-sweeping-pentagon-cuts-defense-sector-stocks-on-watch">order</a> as reported by the Washington Post mandated that proposed cuts shall be drafted by Feb. 24. It mentioned exemptions on nuclear weapon modernization, missile defense, and certain acquisitions like submarines, drones, and munitions. 
Price Action: PLTR fell 10.08% on Wednesday, contrasting with a slight 0.028% uptick in the Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which tracks the Nasdaq 100 index.
In premarket on Thursday, PLTR fell 2.9% whereas QQQ was down 0.27%. PLTR remains up 49.04% on a year-to-date basis and 378.89% over a year.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PLTR/analyst-ratings">Benzinga tracks 23 analysts</a> with an average price target of $65.5 for the stock, reflecting a &#8220;sell&#8221; rating. Estimates range widely from $7.5 to $125. Recent ratings from Citigroup, RBC Capital, and UBS average $85, suggesting a potential 22.51% downside.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/PLTR/analyst-ratings"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="383" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20044100/PLTR-ANR-new-1024x383.png" alt="" class="wp-image-790507" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20044100/PLTR-ANR-new-1024x383.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20044100/PLTR-ANR-new-300x112.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20044100/PLTR-ANR-new-768x287.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/20044100/PLTR-ANR-new.png 1060w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43839505/occidental-petroleum-achieves-near-term-debt-reduction-target-7-months-early-in-q4-continuing-this-momentum-management-sets-12-billion-target-for-q1">Warren Buffett&#8217;s Favorite Energy Stock Occidental Petroleum Achieves Near-Term Debt Reduction Target 7 Months Early In Q4: Management Sets $1.2 Billion Target For Q1</a></li>
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Dan Ives Says Pentagon Budget Cuts Are Positive For Palantir As PLTR Plunges Over 10%: 'Bears Trying To Poke Holes Yet Again'

Loop Capital analyst Mark Schappel initiates coverage on Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) with a Buy rating and announces Price Target of $141.

Price Target

Loop Capital Initiates Coverage On Palantir Technologies with Buy Rating, Announces Price Target of $141

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) shares tumbled over 5% on Wednesday in after-hours trading following reports of potential Pentagon budget cuts and CEO Alex Karp&#8216;s new stock trading plan rattled investors, marking a sharp reversal for one of the market&#8217;s top performers.
What Happened: The data analytics company&#8217;s stock closed at $112.06 after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly ordered Pentagon <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43836832/trump-administration-orders-sweeping-pentagon-cuts-defense-sector-stocks-on-watch">leaders to prepare plans for 8% annual budget cuts</a> over the next five years. The current defense budget stands at approximately $850 billion.
The sell-off intensified following Palantir&#8217;s disclosure to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that CEO Karp adopted a new Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, allowing him to sell up to 9.98 million shares by Sep. 12, potentially worth $1.23 billion at current prices. The plan replaces a previous larger selling arrangement.
CNBC&#8217;s Jim Cramer attempted to rally support amid the decline, calling on &#8220;Palanteers&#8221; via social media to &#8220;support the stock right now.&#8221; The company, valued at over $255 billion, has seen its shares surge 65% year-to-date and 410% over the past year, driven by strong demand for its AI platforms Gotham and Foundry.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Palantir down more than a half dollar. Time for the Palanteers to come in and support the stock right now.
&mdash; Jim Cramer (@jimcramer) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimcramer/status/1892189664989094037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43829352/fomc-minutes">Fed Minutes Reveal Officials See &#8216;High Degree Of Uncertainty&#8217; Requiring &#8216;A Careful Approach&#8217; On Rate Cuts</a>
Why It Matters: The proposed defense cuts come as part of the President Donald Trump administration&#8217;s broader initiative to reduce government spending, led by newly appointed Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk through the &#8220;Department of Government Efficiency.&#8221; 
Karp, who co-founded Palantir with Peter Thiel, publicly defended Musk&#8217;s appointment on Tuesday, suggesting progressives should engage in dialogue with <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43806845/palantir-ceo-alex-karp-backs-elon-musks-government-efficiency-efforts-calls-him-most-important-builder">Musk given his qualifications</a>.
Despite the stock&#8217;s recent volatility, Palantir reported strong <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43449486/palantir-q4-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-us-revenue-up-52-customer-count-up-43-strong-guidance-this-is-a-new-phase-unlike-anything-that-has-come-before">fourth-quarter 2024 results</a>, with revenue reaching $828 million and adjusted earnings of 14 cents per share. However, the company&#8217;s elevated price-to-earnings ratio is at 594.
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Image Via Shutterstock
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Palantir Plunges 5% After Hours As Alex Karp Plans $1.23 Billion Stock Sale, Cramer Urges 'Palanteers' For Support Amid Defense Cuts

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives remains bullish on AI stocks, predicting Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) will be the first to reach a $4 trillion market cap, followed by Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), despite concerns over tariffs and <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43685601/after-deepseek-shook-wall-street-chinas-baidu-gears-up-for-ai-battle-with-next-gen-ernie-5-0-launch-in-late-2025">rising competition</a> from China's DeepSeek.
What Happened: On Wednesday, Ives took to X, formerly Twitter, and reiterated his bullish stance on AI stocks and shared a link to his appearance on CNBC's Squawk Street.
&#8220;The bears can't see AI in the spreadsheets while in their hibernation caves… we focus on $325 billion of Big Tech Capex fueling this AI Revolution as the tech leaders of the future like Nvidia and Palantir lead tech higher in 2025,&#8221; he posted.
On CNBC's Squawk Street, Ives reiterated his confidence in Nvidia, calling it "a table pounder" and predicting it will reach a $5 trillion market cap in the future.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43685791/taiwan-semiconductor-could-be-the-lifeline-intel-needs-as-rumors-swirl-of-a-us-backed-joint-venture">Taiwan Semiconductor Could Be The Lifeline Intel Needs As Rumors Swirl Of A US-Backed Joint Venture</a>
Ives noted a significant 12% to 15% increase in semiconductor demand since October. &#8220;I think it just shows these enterprise use cases are exploding and that is really accelerating demand because no one wants to sort of lose their spot in line,&#8221; he said.
Despite <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/25/02/43827658/exclusive-apple-nvidia-tesla-or-boeing-which-company-faces-the-biggest-risk-from-trumps-china-tariffs-35-say-this-stock">concerns over tariffs</a> and valuation worries, Ives remains optimistic about the tech sector&#8217;s growth, predicting a 25% increase in tech stocks this year.
When asked about AI adoption in enterprise software, Ives pointed to Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) as the "golden child" of AI-driven monetization.
Ives also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/01/43350126/dan-ives-says-chinese-startup-deepseeks-6-million-ai-development-assertion-is-likely-a-fictional-sto">dismissed concerns</a> of China's DeepSeek R1 model undercutting U.S. firms. "From a DeepSeek perspective, 45-50 enterprises—not one has changed plans," he noted.
On Apple, Ives said, "The first one to hit $4 trillion will be Apple in our opinion, followed by Nvidia." He attributed this to Apple&#8217;s strategic focus on emerging markets and its partnership with Alibaba in China.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">The bears can't see AI in the spreadsheets while in their hibernation caves &#x1f43b;…we focus on $325 billion of Big Tech Capex fueling this AI Revolution as the tech leaders of the future like Nvidia and Palantir and Mag 7 lead tech higher in 2025&#x1f525;&#x1f3c6;&#x1f402;&#x1f37f;&#x1f30e; <a href="https://twitter.com/SquawkStreet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SquawkStreet</a> <a href="https://t.co/k3ML6YdTjW">https://t.co/k3ML6YdTjW</a>
&mdash; Dan Ives (@DivesTech) <a href="https://twitter.com/DivesTech/status/1892308017875505372?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Why It Matters: Major tech companies are heavily investing in artificial intelligence. Companies like Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) are expected to <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/25/02/43564458/big-techs-2025-ai-bill-is-320-billion-and-counting-can-investors-stomach-it">spend a record $320 billion</a> on AI infrastructure by 2025, up from $246 billion in 2024.
Nvidia is expected to report its fiscal <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43655881/nvidia-a-strong-buy-with-42-upside-says-analyst-predicting-positive-report-and-outlook-ahead-of-earnings">fourth-quarter earnings</a> on Thursday, Feb. 26 following the market close.
Price Action: Nvidia's stock declined 0.17% in after-hours trading to $139, following a 0.12% drop earlier on Wednesday, closing at $139.23, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro</a>. Apple's stock dipped 0.029% after hours to $244.80, after gaining 0.16% during regular trading, closing at $244.87.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock.com
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/01/43373775/tim-cook-praises-chinas-deepseek-for-driving-efficiency-stresses-apples-prudent-and-deliberate-approach-toward-capital-expenditure" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tim Cook Praises China&#8217;s DeepSeek For Driving Efficiency, Stresses Apple&#8217;s ‘Prudent And Deliberate&#8217; Approach Toward Capital Expenditure</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Top Analyst Predicts Apple Will Hit $4 Trillion First Followed By Nvidia — Says AI Demand Is 'Exploding' Despite Tariffs And DeepSeek Fears: 'The Bears Can't See AI In The Spreadsheets...'

Major U.S. indices closed higher on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&amp;P 500 each gaining nearly 0.2% to reach 44,627.59 and 6,144.15, respectively. The Nasdaq inched up 0.07% to finish at 20,056.25.
These are the top stocks that gained the attention of retail traders and investors throughout the day:
Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>)
Palantir Technologies saw its stock drop by 10.08%, closing at $112.06. The stock reached an intraday high of $125.41 and a low of $108.56, with a 52-week range between $20.33 and $125.41. The decline followed the Trump administration&#8217;s directive for the Pentagon to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43836832/trump-administration-orders-sweeping-pentagon-cuts-defense-sector-stocks-on-watch">prepare for significant budget cuts</a>, which could impact defense-related stocks like Palantir. The Pentagon&#8217;s budget cuts are expected to be 8% annually over the next five years.
Carvana Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVNA#NYSE">CVNA</a>)
Carvana&#8217;s stock decreased by 0.95%, closing at $281.82. The stock&#8217;s intraday high was $292.84, with a low of $280.20, and it has a 52-week range from $48.15 to $292.84. The dip came despite Carvana reporting a <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43831159/carvana-stock-hits-the-brakes-following-q4-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-upbeat-guidance-this-is-just-the-beginning">strong fourth-quarter performance</a>, with revenue of $3.55 billion, surpassing estimates. The company also reported earnings of 56 cents per share, beating expectations.
Enovix Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ENVX#NASDAQ">ENVX</a>)
Enovix saw a slight increase of 0.27%, closing at $11.19. The stock reached an intraday high of $11.42 and a low of $10.76, with a 52-week range between $5.70 and $18.68. The company reported <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43831159/carvana-stock-hits-the-brakes-following-q4-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-upbeat-guidance-this-is-just-the-beginning">fourth-quarter revenue</a> of $9.72 million, exceeding expectations. However, soft guidance for future quarters tempered investor enthusiasm.
Grab Holdings Ltd. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GRAB#NASDAQ">GRAB</a>)
Grab Holdings&#8217; stock rose by 0.75%, closing at $5.34. The stock&#8217;s intraday high was $5.37, with a low of $5.10, and it has a 52-week range from $2.98 to $5.72. The company&#8217;s shares have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/02/43794012/grab-shares-rise-following-singapores-2025-budget-announcement">seen an upside</a> after Singapore&#8217;s 2025 budget announcement as a 50% corporate income tax rebate could help businesses deal with rising costs. 
Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>)
Tesla&#8217;s stock increased by 1.82%, closing at $360.56. The stock reached an intraday high of $367.34 and a low of $353.67, with a 52-week range between $138.80 and $488.54. The rise follows news of Tesla&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43805175/elon-musks-tesla-prepares-for-india-expansion-engineer-confirms-hiring-push-we-are-looking-for-motivated-talent-to-help-us">expansion plans</a> in India, as the company seeks to hire talent to support its growth in the region.
Prepare for the day&#8217;s trading <a href="https://editorial.benzinga.com/wp-admin/Premarket%20Movers%20&amp;%20News">with top premarket movers and news</a> by Benzinga.
Image via Shutterstock
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This story was generated using <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro">Benzinga Neuro</a> and edited by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/shivdeep-dhaliwal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivdeep Dhaliwal</a>

ENVX

GRAB

Palantir, Carvana, Enovix, Grab, Tesla: Why These 5 Stocks Are On Investors' Radars Today

The Trump administration has ordered senior officials at the Pentagon and throughout the U.S. military to prepare <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/01/43266467/trumps-executive-orders-make-us-most-lethal-fighting-force-in-the-world-iron-dome-defense-system-get-woke-policies-out-of-military">for sweeping budget cuts.&nbsp;</a>
The Details: According to a Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/02/19/trump-pentagon-budget-cuts/">report</a>, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on Tuesday, sent a memo ordering senior officials to develop plans to cut 8% of the defense budget in each of the next five years. 
The order states plans for proposed cuts should be drawn up by Feb. 24 and includes many notable exemptions, including the modernization of nuclear weapons and missile defense, the acquisition of submarines, drones and other munitions.
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43703014/robert-f-kennedy-confirmed-as-trump-secretary-of-health">Robert F. Kennedy, Vaccine Skeptic, Confirmed As Trump&#8217;s Secretary Of Health: Health Care Stocks To Watch</a>
"The time for preparation is over — we must act urgently to revive the warrior ethos, rebuild our military, and reestablish deterrence," Hegseth wrote, according to the Washington Post which obtained the memo. 
"Our budget will resource the fighting force we need, cease unnecessary defense spending, reject excessive bureaucracy, and drive actionable reform including progress on the audit," Hegseth wrote.&nbsp;
Stocks To Watch: Shares of companies in the defense sector are on watch as details of any proposed cuts are not immediately clear.&nbsp;
Due to the above-listed exemptions which include submarines, missile defense and other munitions, many of the legacy defense contractors may not be the focus of proposed spending cuts but should still be monitored.&nbsp;
Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LMT#NYSE">LMT</a>), RTX Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RTX#NYSE">RTX</a>), General Dynamics Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GD#NYSE">GD</a>), and Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NOC#NYSE">NOC</a>) dipped following the Washington Post report but recovered quickly. 
However, shares of Palantir Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) fell more than 10% following the news. The large drop may have been due to the stock's recent run which produced gains of nearly 250% over the past six months. 
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Date	Put/Call	Strike Price	Exp Date	DTE	Trade Vol	Day Vol	Vol / OI	OI	Trade Type	Sentiment
12:16 PMFeb 20, 2025	PUT	$90.00	Mar 21, 2025	25	9643	1906	90	10756	SWEEP	BEARISH
12:01 PMFeb 20, 2025	CALL	$100.00	Apr 17, 2025	52	3199	500	70	4583	SWEEP	BULLISH
03:52 PMFeb 19, 2025	PUT	$100.00	Apr 17, 2025	52	8340	1011	132	6295	SWEEP	BEARISH
02:49 PMFeb 19, 2025	PUT	$115.00	Apr 04, 2025	39	1250	1184	880	142	SWEEP	BEARISH
02:52 PMFeb 14, 2025	CALL	$35.00	Mar 21, 2025	25	181	180	4	4345	TRADE	BULLISH
02:52 PMFeb 14, 2025	CALL	$35.00	Feb 21, 2025	-3	180	180	3	6284	TRADE	BULLISH
01:07 PMFeb 14, 2025	CALL	$30.00	Feb 21, 2025	-3	38	56	2	1735	SWEEP	NEUTRAL
01:07 PMFeb 14, 2025	PUT	$130.00	Mar 21, 2025	25	1518	600	129	1179	TRADE	NEUTRAL

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