Palantir Surges on USDA Contract Expanding Civil-Government Reach

Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares rose in pre-market trading after the USDA awarded a $300 million, multi-year contract to support the agency’s digital systems for farmers, signaling Palantir’s growing role beyond defense into civil government work. The deal includes improvements to supply-chain tracking, fraud reduction in farm programs, and faster disaster aid payments via the “One Farmer, One File” system. Palantir has prior USDA involvement, including the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. Analysts hold a Moderate Buy rating with an average target of about $194.06, implying roughly 33% upside.