Q4 Earnings: These Buy-Rated Stocks Crushed Expectations

Core Insights - The 2025 Q4 earnings cycle has shown resilience with strong overall growth among S&P 500 companies, particularly highlighted by Cardinal Health (CAH) and Palantir (PLTR) delivering notably strong results [1][9]. Palantir Performance - Palantir reported sales of $1.4 billion, reflecting a 70% year-over-year growth, with U.S. sales reaching $1.1 billion, up 93% year-over-year and 28% sequentially [2][3]. - The company secured over $4.2 billion in total contract value (TCV), marking an increase of more than 130% from the previous year [3]. - Palantir's customer base expanded by 34% compared to the year-ago period [3]. Cardinal Health Performance - Cardinal Health achieved a double-beat relative to consensus expectations, with sales increasing by 18.8% year-over-year and adjusted EPS growing by 36.3% year-over-year [10]. - The growth was broad-based, particularly in Pharmaceuticals and Specialty Solutions, which saw a 19% year-over-year increase and accounts for approximately 90% of total sales [11]. - Following the strong quarterly performance, Cardinal Health raised its FY26 outlook, projecting adjusted EPS in the range of $10.15 - $10.35, indicating a 24.5% year-over-year growth [12].