Palantir (NASDAQ: PLTR) has minted many millionaires during the past three years. The artificial intelligence (AI) software company hovered near penny-stock territory in 2023 and is currently valued at about $125 per share. It used to trade for more than $200 per share at its all-time high, showing how much the stock has gained in recent years.

However, some investors may be concerned that most of the gains are in the past. The millionaire-maker stocks of yesterday aren't always the millionaire-makers of today. Palantir has some compelling fundamentals that suggest it can flip the script, but there are some meaningful hurdles new investors face.

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Fundamental growth has been impressive

Palantir operates a great business model that produces rising revenue and profit. Having the key metrics go up each quarter is the hallmark of stocks that steadily gain value over the long run. The first quarter featured 85% year-over-year revenue growth, with U.S. revenue more than doubling year over year.

That's an important detail because most of Palantir's revenue comes from the U.S. government and businesses. The fact that U.S. revenue growth is outpacing overall revenue growth means that a rising U.S. segment will lift up the entire business in a meaningful way.

Palantir locks in long-term contracts, which result in high annual recurring revenue. Its AI platform is critical for governments and enterprises that use artificial intelligence to analyze and interpret data. It also lets companies create AI agents to perform various tasks autonomously.

More than 200 of its Q1 deals exceeded $1 million in value, with 47 of those deals being worth more than $10 million. Investors are bullish about Q2 earnings, which will come out in August, with company forecasts suggesting a sequential revenue jump.

The valuation leaves little room for error

Even the bears will acknowledge that Palantir has a great business model, but at what price? This is the question that deflates some bullish narratives as the focus shifts from a rising business to a 138 price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio.

Net income more than quadrupled year over year in the first quarter, so it's possible that continued profit margin expansion could make the valuation more reasonable. Palantir wrapped up the quarter with a net profit margin just above 50%, and if the company can continue to maintain high top-line growth, its profit has more room to expand.