PLTR vs. TSM: Palantir vs. Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Stock Comparison
How do Palantir (PLTR) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Palantir (PLTR) and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) share the Information Technology sector but sit in different industry groups — PLTR in Software & Services and TSM in Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment.
Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) has more than two decades of public-market history since October 9, 1997, whereas Palantir (PLTR) listed on September 30, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.
Palantir (PLTR) trades as ordinary local shares, while Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | PLTR | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Palantir Technologies Inc. Class A Common Stock | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. ADR |
| Country/Region | United States | Taiwan |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment |
| GICS Industry | Software | Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Application Software | Semiconductors |
| Market Capitalization | 386.44 billion USD | 1,947.21 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | September 30, 2020 | October 9, 1997 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | PLTR | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -4.94% | 37.26% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 109.97% | 64.12% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 47.47% | 28.19% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | PLTR | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 60.50% | 41.69% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.63 | 1.45 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -75.26% | -56.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 27.20M | 11.20M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | PLTR | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.15 | 0.79 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.24 | 1.15 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Palantir (PLTR) at 40.91% and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 41.86% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
40.91%
- Max
- 53.85%
- PLTR
- 40.91%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
41.86%
- Max
- 52.82%
- TSM
- 41.86%
- Q3
- 22.26%
- Median
- 10.58%
- Q1
- 1.29%
- Min
- -16.89%
Net Margin (TTM)
Palantir (PLTR) at 50.34% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 51.12% also retains a top-quartile share.
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
50.34%
- PLTR
- 50.34%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
51.12%
- Max
- 63.80%
- TSM
- 51.12%
- Q3
- 28.36%
- Median
- 11.44%
- Q1
- 0.90%
- Min
- -37.77%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Palantir (PLTR) at 46.89% and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 58.66% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
46.89%
- PLTR
- 46.89%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
58.66%
- TSM
- 58.66%
- Max
- 58.66%
- Q3
- 30.23%
- Median
- 15.91%
- Q1
- 7.54%
- Min
- -25.74%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | PLTR | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 40.91% | 41.86% |
| ROA (TTM) | 19.31% | 20.58% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 50.34% | 51.12% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 46.89% | 58.66% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 84.74% | 65.85% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both companies are growing quickly, but Palantir (PLTR) at 56.18% is the standout with revenue growth above its industry range; Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 31.61% also sits in the top quartile.
EPS Growth
Both companies show strong earnings momentum, but Palantir (PLTR) at 231.06% is the standout with EPS growth above its industry range; Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 46.41% also sits in the top quartile.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | PLTR | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 56.18% | 31.61% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 32.92% | 18.94% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 231.06% | 46.41% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 19.12% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 2.51 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Palantir (PLTR) at 7.10 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
7.10
- PLTR
- 7.10
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
2.51
- Max
- 10.33
- Q3
- 5.62
- Median
- 3.33
- TSM
- 2.51
- Q1
- 2.35
- Min
- 1.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Palantir (PLTR) at 0.02 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 0.12 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
0.02
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- PLTR
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
0.12
- Max
- 1.46
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.27
- TSM
- 0.12
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | PLTR | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 7.10 | 2.51 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.02 | 0.12 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -3.08 | -0.89 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Palantir (PLTR) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) reports a yield of 1.70%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- PLTR
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
1.70%
- TSM
- 1.70%
- Max
- 1.37%
- Q3
- 0.65%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Palantir (PLTR) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) reports a payout of 24.46%, ranking against industry peers normally.
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- PLTR
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
24.46%
- Max
- 49.64%
- TSM
- 24.46%
- Q3
- 21.71%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | PLTR | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.70% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 24.46% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 24.33 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Palantir (PLTR) at 112.94 sits in the richer quartile — PLTR needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
112.94
- PLTR
- 112.94
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
24.33
- Max
- 110.34
- Q3
- 66.81
- Median
- 37.02
- TSM
- 24.33
- Q1
- 23.96
- Min
- 8.12
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 0.39 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Palantir (PLTR) at 53.02 prices above its industry range — a wide gap in sales valuation between them.
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
53.02
- PLTR
- 53.02
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
0.39
- Max
- 21.42
- Q3
- 12.27
- Median
- 5.76
- Q1
- 2.73
- TSM
- 0.39
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Measured against book value, both Palantir (PLTR) at 34.41 and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg (TSM) at 71.65 look expensive — each P/B ratio sits above its industry’s benchmark range.
PLTR
Software & Services industry group
34.41
- PLTR
- 34.41
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
TSM
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry group
71.65
- TSM
- 71.65
- Max
- 14.06
- Q3
- 7.44
- Median
- 4.29
- Q1
- 2.30
- Min
- 0.20
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | PLTR | TSM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 112.94 | 24.33 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 53.02 | 0.39 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 34.41 | 71.65 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.69% | 61.78% |