Palantir Technologies (PLTR) rose 123% in 2025 as governments and companies demanded their AI-powered data analytics platforms.
Western Digital (WDC) posted revenue growth of 51% to $9.52 billion in fiscal 2025 by supplying high-capacity storage for AI data centers.
Newmont (NEM) increased due to the rise in the price of gold with Level 1 mines, while Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) grew HBO Max to 128 million subscribers and reduced debt from $38 billion to $35.6 billion.
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Palantir Technologies (NYSE:PLTR) has ridden the artificial intelligence (AI) wave with relentless force through 2025, offering data analytics platforms that governments and businesses can’t get enough of. While NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) has faltered amid chip supply shortages and valuation jitters, Palantir’s momentum shows no signs of slowing: its shares are up nearly 123% this year.
He’s one of the S&P 500’s top performers, a testament to AI’s tough demand for actionable insights. However, three names that go unnoticed… Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC), Newmont (NYSE:NEM), and Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) — left it behind, posting even bigger gains. But can these top performers maintain their lead, outperforming Palantir and the broader market in 2026?
Western Digital’s rise in 2025 was because it became the backbone of AI’s data hunger: its hard drives and flash storage fueled the insatiable needs of hyperscale data centers. As cloud giants ramped up their server farms to train massive models, demand for high-capacity nearline HDDs skyrocketed, with Western Digital shipping exabytes that powered everything from generative AI to analytics workloads.
The company spun off its flash business earlier this year, focusing on HDDs and maintaining a stake in the separate entity, building value and drawing plaudits from investors. Revenue rose 51% to $9.52 billion by fiscal 2025, turning profitable, margins rebounded sharply, and free cash flow turned positive. Momentum continues into fiscal 2026, with first-quarter revenue up 27% and earnings up 367%, crushing estimates.
This execution, plus innovations like UltraSMR technology for denser storage, positioned Western Digital as an essential AI infrastructure, eclipsing proprietary software like Palantir.
Looking ahead to 2026, momentum appears poised to continue if AI capital spending remains strong. Analysts have a “Buy” rating with average targets of around $181 per share, suggesting a 10% upside to its current price of $163, although highs reach $250 on hyperscale bets.
Government AI pushes and enterprise data lakes could add tailwinds, but risks include supply chain issues or a drop in NAND prices after the spinoff. If Western Digital captures share of rivals like Seagate technology (NYSE:STX) in AI-optimized storage, which offers cost savings in the billions, could extend its hardware lead over Palantir’s analytics layer.
Newmont experienced a perfect storm in 2025: Soaring gold prices, above $3,000 an ounce, collided with growing demand for the metal from a surprising new corner: artificial intelligence data centers. As hyperscalers rushed to build facilities, gold emerged as a critical and indispensable component in specific, high-reliability parts of next-generation AI chips and data center infrastructure.
Newmont, already the world’s largest gold producer, cashed in on record margins as it advanced its Tier 1 portfolio, with Cadillac in Canada, Tanami Expansion 2 in Australia and Ahafo North in Ghana reaching commercial production ahead of schedule. Cost discipline kept all-in sustaining costs below $1,600 per ounce even as production increased to 7 million ounces annually, boosting free cash flow to more than $4 billion and enabling $2 billion in buybacks plus a dividend that yields 1% annually.
Looking ahead to 2026, the situation remains favorable, especially if gold exceeds $4,200 per ounce and if AI-driven industrial demand grows. Analysts forecast another year of between $2.5 billion and $3 billion in FCF at current prices, with the expansion of Nevada Gold Mines JV and Yanacocha Sulfides adding low-cost ounces. Newmont’s balance sheet (net debt is less than $3 billion) gives it flexibility to make more acquisitions in a consolidating industry. The gold miner appears positioned to continue outperforming Palantir software gains with hard asset leverage in the same megatrend.
Warner Bros Discovery flipped its script in 2025, turning post-merger woes into a comeback through streaming savvy and cost discipline. HBO Max’s subscriber base grew to 128 million, profitability emerged as linear TV declined, and it scored at the box office, with hits driving 23% adjusted revenue growth.
Aggressive deleveraging also reduced debt from $38 billion to $33.3 billion, while a planned corporate split sparked the unlocking of value: one entity for studios/HBO, another for cable like CNN and HGTV. Warner Bros. also benefited from rumors of acquisitions of supreme skydance (NASDAQ:PSKY), Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA), and netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX), which raised hopes of a prayer war.
Next year could be Warner Bros Discovery’s biggest-grossing year, with CEO David Zaslav calling it HBO Max’s “biggest growth” through European expansion and a stacked slate, including a gremlins reboot in 2027 and robust TV output.
Analysts are targeting $22.47, but bids could rise if splits or sales materialize, easing debt by separating assets. Risks remain, including regulatory hurdles in acquisition deals, erosion of cord cutting and a stagnation of $41 billion to $42 billion in revenue if streaming comparisons tighten. However, with FCF rising and content that prioritizes quality over quantity, it could eclipse Palantir’s B2B work by combining the broad appeal of entertainment with profitability.
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