** Shares of Palantir Technologies PLTR.O are up 4% on Thurs after brokerage D.A. Davidson upgraded its rating on the stock to a "buy" from "neutral" and raised its PT to $175 from $165

** PLTR, a software company that specializes in data analytics, was last trading at $130.76, and analysts' median PT on the stock is $190, per LSEG

** D.A. Davidson analysts write in a research note that the co "has grown into its valuation as profits have soared, and the multiple has come in, providing investors with a gift just in time for the United States of America's 250th birthday."

** It said it believes Palantir's valuation is "the most attractive it has been in a while"

** The brokerage says PLTR has advantages over other software cos. For one, businesses built on "an orchestration tool, such as with Palantir, would only experience a minor transition as Palantir swaps the AI models underneath its solution."

** Ratings on the stock include 10 "strong buys" or "buys," 14 "hold" ratings and three "sell" or "strong sell" recommendations

** PLTR is down about 27% YTD compared with a more than 11% YTD gain in the Nasdaq