Palantir: An Accounting

Tales from the 10-K

Palantir filed its 10-K last night, and oh it has stories to tell.

Accounts Receivable & Days Sales Outstanding

Palantir’s accounts receivable (AR) is first up. The traditional metric for AR is Days Sales Outstanding (DSO), with higher DSO implying customers are taking their time to pay for Palantir’s services for one reason or another.

In 9 of the last 12 quarters, AR grew faster than revenue – a persistent pattern generally attached to nefarious tricks such as channel stuffing, aggressive revenue recognition, or extended payment terms used as sales concessions. For real subscription businesses, AR growth should track revenue growth closely. When AR is volatile or outgrows revenue, it means the company is booking sales faster than it is collecting cash.