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Palantir beat estimates again. How high can the stock go?

Nvidia was the clear undisputed leader of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, but Palantir Technologies (NYSE:PLTR) is not far behind.

The data fusion specialist has just delivered another stunning earnings report, and if its after-hours gains hold, it will be up 172% year to date. Along the way, the company has achieved accelerated revenue growth, rapidly expanded its commercial business and gained market access S&P 500thanks to its increasing market capitalization and its consistent and growing profitability under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

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More than any other company, Palantir has also established itself as one of the software companies best benefiting from new AI technologies, thanks in large part to its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP).

The stock rose 12.6% in after-hours trading Monday as it reported third-quarter revenue growth of 30% year-over-year to $725.5 million, well above the consensus of $701.1 million . Growth in the US accelerated business by 44% to $499 million, with the US commercial segment increasing sales by 54% to $179 million.

Unlike many of its software competitors, Palantir is also highly profitable, with a GAAP operating margin of 16% and an adjusted operating margin of 38%. Adjusted earnings per share rose to $0.10 from $0.07, above the consensus of $0.09.

The company also raised its full-year revenue forecast to $2.805 billion to $2.809 billion from $2.74 billion to $2.75 billion. Third-quarter results marked Palantir's fifth consecutive quarter of accelerating revenue growth, an impressive achievement even given the excitement around artificial intelligence.

Image source: Getty Images.

If there was one reason to be skeptical about including Palantir stock in the report, it would be its valuation. As Palantir has soared this year, its market offering has also expanded.

At the earnings report, Palantir was trading at a sky-high price-to-sales ratio of 40. Such a valuation usually doesn't end well, but the AI-driven software stock continues to defy the odds, accelerating revenue growth and increasing profitability.

Palantir's model also bodes well for future growth since the company has already built its AI platform and the marginal cost of introducing it to new customers is minimal. In the third quarter, sales and marketing costs, the largest single item, rose 19%, and total operating costs rose just 14%, helping the company's GAAP operating income nearly triple.