Palantir Technologies(NYSE: PLTR) and Nvidia(NASDAQ: NVDA) have soared this year, climbing 141% and 174%, respectively, as the artificial intelligence (AI) boom accelerated. They may look tempting today because of their ongoing solid earnings growth and prospects for the AI market as a whole in the coming years. Analysts forecast that today's $200 billion AI market will expand to more than $1 trillion by the end of the decade.
Both Palantir and Nvidia could benefit -- and considering the pace of these stock's gains, investors understand this. But one billionaire investor in particular may have a different view when it comes to Palantir. In the second quarter, while Philippe Laffont of Coatue Management increased his holding of Nvidia, he sold his entire Palantir position. Does the billionaire know something that others don't? Let's find out.
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A big technology investor
First, it's important to note that Laffont invests heavily in technology -- holding more than 200 tech stocks in his fund -- and is a big investor in AI stocks, with positions in players from Amazon to Microsoft and Taiwan Semiconductor. In fact, AI is one of Laffont's top investing themes for this decade, according to an interview with him by The Financial Times in 2022.
And in Coatue's market outlook presented in July, the firm said, "our analysis suggests that public markets remain resilient and that AI continues to present a new vector of opportunity."
So, now let's move on to Laffont's moves in the second quarter, starting with the Palantir one. The average Wall Street analyst recommends holding the stock, and we've seen that the shares have continued to rise in recent times. On top of this, Palantir continues to report significant earnings growth. Just this week in its third-quarter earnings report, the software company reached record levels of revenue and net income -- and raised its annual revenue forecast.
Palantir helps its customers -- both governments and commercial -- aggregate their data and make the best possible use of it. The company's Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) harnesses the power of AI throughout the process, and customers have been flocking to AIP since its launch last year. The company has spoken of "unrelenting" demand quarter after quarter and has delivered double-digit revenue growth so there's reason to be optimistic about the future.
Now, let's return to our question: Does Philippe Laffont know something others don't? After all, Palantir's earnings are strong and the stock has been soaring -- yet Laffont sold his entire position. While it's important to consider the moves of billionaires, it's also important to remember that a particular sell may not be due to a loss of faith in a particular company.
Palantir's 500% gain
Coatue initially bought Palantir shares in the first quarter of 2023, and since that time, the stock has climbed more than 500%. So Laffont and his team may have decided to lock in gains and invest in other promising AI players. It's also possible that the company's sky-high valuation -- with the stock trading at 113 times forward earnings estimates -- pushed Laffont to make the move. After all, a high valuation could limit share performance in the coming months if investors decide the stock looks too pricey.
All of this means Laffont doesn't necessarily know something that others in the market don't. As mentioned, Palantir was a profitable investment for the billionaire, and he clearly still believes in the potential of AI to revolutionize many industries. But at a certain point, it's logical for an investor to lock in gains on certain holdings that have soared and pursue other opportunities.
And Laffont continued his bullish AI stance in the second quarter by increasing his position in Nvidia by more than 800%. As mentioned, Nvidia stock also has roared higher this year, but trading at 47 times forward earnings estimates, the stock still looks reasonably priced. And Nvidia has a key catalyst ahead, with the upcoming release of its new Blackwell architecture -- meaning that in spite of the recent gains, now may be a great time to get in on or increase positions in this top AI stock.
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John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Adria Cimino has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, Palantir Technologies, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
