Will the Bubble Burst on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks Nvidia and Palantir in 2026? History Weighs in and Offers a Big Clue.
The Motley Fool·2025-12-17 08:06

Core Insights - The article discusses the potential risks associated with the current AI market, particularly focusing on Nvidia and Palantir as leading companies in this sector [1][3][24] Company Analysis: Nvidia - Nvidia has become a dominant player in the AI space, recently surpassing a market cap of $5 trillion and holding over 90% market share in GPUs deployed in enterprise data centers [2][6] - The company is focused on innovation, with plans to release a new advanced AI chip annually, which may help maintain its competitive edge [7] - Nvidia's CUDA platform enhances customer loyalty by maximizing the potential of its GPUs, particularly in training large language models [9] Company Analysis: Palantir - Palantir's software platforms, Gotham and Foundry, have no direct competitors, providing a unique value proposition that drives sales and profit growth [10][11] - Gotham is utilized by the U.S. government for military planning and data analysis, while Foundry helps businesses streamline operations [10] - Palantir's strong operating cash flow and double-digit sales growth are supported by its competitive advantages in the market [11] Market Trends and Historical Context - The article draws parallels between the current AI boom and past technology bubbles, suggesting that overestimation of technology adoption rates could lead to a bubble-bursting event [13][14] - Historical data indicates that leading companies often experience unsustainable price-to-sales (P/S) ratios, with Nvidia and Palantir currently at P/S ratios of 23 and 120, respectively [19][21] - The article warns that while Nvidia's P/S ratio is below the unsustainable threshold of 30, Palantir's high ratio cannot be justified, indicating potential risks for both companies in the future [21][22]