Stock Market Today, Feb. 18: Palantir Technologies Rises After Mizuho Upgrade Highlights AI Growth Potential

2026-02-18 17:04:00 ET

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) , a data integration and analytics specialist, closed Wednesday at $135.38, up 1.77%. The stock moved higher as investors responded to a Mizuho upgrade, fresh AI partnerships, and its Miami headquarters relocation, while watching how these shifts translate into sustained commercial growth.
Trading volume reached 58.4 million shares, coming in about 29% above compared with its three-month average of 45.1 million shares. Palantir Technologies IPO'd in 2020 and has grown 1,325% since going public.

The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX:^GSPC) advanced 0.56% to 6,881, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX:^IXIC) rose 0.78% to finish at 22,754. Among software - infrastructure peers, International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) closed at $260.84 (up 0.98%) and Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE:BAH) finished at $78.30 (up 2.46%), reflecting solid peer momentum.

Mizuho has upgraded the data-analytics company's stock to the equivalent of a buy rating with a price target of $195. The firm highlighted Palantir as unique due to its impressive revenue growth and margin expansion, describing it as "unlike anything else in software."

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