Intuit provides financial management and tax preparation software for individuals and small businesses in the prepackaged software industry.
It is the dominant player in its niche, best known for its flagship products like QuickBooks, TurboTax, and Mailchimp.
Updated: February 19, 2026, 16:00 EST
INTU has suffered severe technical damage, plummeting over 50% from its peak and currently trading near 52-week lows. The stock is deeply oversold after dramatically underperforming the market with sharp monthly and quarterly declines. While this creates potential for a technical bounce, the trend remains decidedly negative and lacks clear signs of reversal.
The company demonstrates strong underlying business health, with solid revenue growth and robust gross margins near 79%. Profitability is improving significantly, and its conservative debt levels provide financial stability. However, operational efficiency metrics like return on equity are relatively low, suggesting room for better utilization of shareholder capital.
INTU's valuation presents the greatest concern, with a forward P/E exceeding 100 and a high PEG ratio, indicating the stock is pricing in near-perfect future growth. Combined with its elevated beta and substantial historical volatility, this creates a high-risk profile where execution missteps could lead to further multiple contraction.
Consider Holding or Awaiting a Better Entry Point. INTU's high-quality fundamentals are overshadowed by extreme valuation and severe technical weakness. The stock appears to be pricing in an optimistic growth trajectory that leaves little room for error. While the company's strong market position and profitability are appealing, investors should wait for either a more attractive valuation or clear technical confirmation of a trend reversal before committing new capital. This is not a low-risk buying opportunity at current levels.
Based on the comprehensive analysis, here is the 12-month outlook for INTU (Intuit):
12-Month Outlook for INTU
The primary catalyst for INTU over the next year will be its ability to meet the lofty growth expectations embedded in its valuation, particularly through the expansion of its small business and credit platform (Mailchimp, QuickBooks) to offset potential cyclical pressures in its consumer tax segment. However, the main risk is substantial; given its forward P/E exceeding 100, the stock is highly vulnerable to any signs of growth deceleration or an operational misstep, which could trigger significant multiple contraction from current elevated levels. While a technical bounce from oversold conditions is possible, the negative trend and extreme valuation create a high-risk profile. In the absence of a stated analyst consensus, a prudent target price range is difficult to establish, but a meaningful re-rating higher is unlikely without a clear improvement in both valuation metrics and technical momentum, suggesting the stock may struggle to sustainably break far above the $400-$450 range without flawless execution.
Most Wall Street analysts are optimistic about Intuit Inc.'s 12-month outlook, with consensus target around $381.54, indicating expected upside potential.
Overall, INTU has investment potential but also faces challenges. Here are key factors to weigh before investing.
INTU has experienced severe underperformance over the past year, marked by significant price erosion and substantial negative returns relative to the broader market.
The stock's short-term performance is exceptionally weak, with a 31.63% drop over one month and a dramatic 42.05% decline over three months, significantly underperforming the market by over 42 percentage points and reflecting heightened volatility given its beta above 1. Currently, the stock is trading just above its 52-week low of $375.40, having fallen over 53% from its recent peak and placing it in deeply oversold territory based on its position within the 52-week range.
| Period | INTU Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | -27.9% | +1.0% |
| 3m | -41.3% | +1.9% |
| 6m | -46.5% | +6.5% |
| 1y | -34.1% | +12.1% |
| ytd | -39.4% | +0.2% |
Revenue & Profitability INTU demonstrates solid revenue growth, with Q1 FY2026 revenue increasing to $3.885 billion from $3.831 billion in the prior quarter. Profitability improved significantly, with operating income margin expanding from 8.8% to 13.7% and net margin strengthening to 11.5%. The company maintains a robust gross profit margin near 79%, indicating strong pricing power in its core offerings.
Financial Health The company maintains a conservative capital structure with a low debt ratio of 20.4% and a manageable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Interest coverage remains strong at approximately 9.2 times, providing ample capacity to service debt obligations. The current ratio of 1.39 indicates sufficient short-term liquidity, though the cash ratio of 0.47 suggests some reliance on receivables for immediate liquidity.
Operational Efficiency INTU's operational efficiency shows room for improvement, with return on equity at 2.3% and asset turnover of 0.12 indicating relatively low capital efficiency. The negative cash conversion cycle of -24 days demonstrates excellent working capital management, allowing the company to fund operations through supplier credit. However, the modest ROE suggests potential for better leverage of shareholder equity to generate returns.
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Try Now & Get Tesla Stock RewardValuation Level: Based on the forward PE ratio of 104.4 and a PEG ratio of 5.92, INTU appears significantly overvalued relative to its current earnings and near-term growth prospects. The extremely high forward multiple suggests the market is pricing in exceptionally strong future earnings expansion. The substantial premium compared to the trailing PE of 27.0 indicates investors are paying for projected growth rather than current performance.
Peer Comparison: With no industry average data available for comparison, this analysis is limited. However, the elevated EV/EBITDA ratio of 255.1 and price-to-book ratio of 5.75 suggest premium valuation multiples that would likely exceed most software industry peers if benchmarked. The absence of comparable industry metrics prevents definitive contextual assessment against sector norms.
Volatility risk for INTU is elevated, as evidenced by a Beta of 1.234, implying the stock is more volatile than the broader market. This susceptibility to market swings is starkly illustrated by the substantial one-year maximum drawdown of -53.04%, indicating significant potential for capital depreciation during downturns.
Operational and execution risks represent the primary concern, as the absence of notable short interest diminishes speculative risk but shifts focus to the company's core business. While liquidity is typically robust for a large-cap stock like INTU, investor attention remains on the company's ability to execute its strategy effectively in a competitive and evolving software landscape.
Neutral. Shares are deeply oversold technically and the company has strong fundamentals with robust profitability and a healthy balance sheet. However, the stock trades at a significant premium with a high forward P/E, presenting a valuation risk. This setup may appeal to long-term, growth-oriented investors who are confident in Intuit's AI strategy and can tolerate near-term volatility.
Based on standard valuation metrics, INTU appears significantly overvalued. The stock trades at a forward PE of 104.4 and a PEG ratio of 5.92, both of which are extremely high and indicate investors are pricing in exceptional future earnings growth. While the company's profitability and financial health are strong, these valuation multiples suggest the market's growth expectations may be overly optimistic, creating a substantial premium. The price-to-sales ratio of 5.72 also points to a lofty valuation relative to current revenue.
Based on the provided information, here are the key risks of holding INTU stock, ordered by importance:
1. Market/Volatility Risk: The stock's high beta of 1.234 and severe 53.04% maximum drawdown indicate it is highly susceptible to market downturns, leading to significant potential for capital depreciation. 2. Execution/Competitive Risk: As the primary concern, INTU faces pressure to effectively execute its strategy and maintain its competitive position amidst rapid evolution in the software landscape, a risk underscored by its recent dramatic underperformance. 3. Profitability/Efficiency Risk: Despite solid revenue growth, the company's low return on equity (2.3%) and asset turnover (0.12) point to inefficiencies in generating profits from its invested capital and assets. 4. Liquidity Risk: While the current ratio is adequate, a cash ratio of 0.47 indicates a reliance on receivables rather than cash for immediate liquidity, which could present challenges in a sharp downturn.
Based on the provided analysis, the forecast for INTU stock through 2026 is characterized by strong fundamentals weighed against a demanding valuation.
My target price range for 2026 is $450-$550, with a base case around $480 and a bull case requiring flawless execution to approach the higher end. Key growth drivers include the expansion of its small business ecosystem (QuickBooks, Mailchimp) and sustained monetization within its consumer tax software. The forecast assumes continued revenue growth and margin stability, but it is highly sensitive to any deceleration that could trigger a significant contraction from its current forward P/E exceeding 100. This valuation multiple represents the primary uncertainty, making the stock susceptible to volatility if growth expectations are not met.