Group 1 - Affirm Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFRM) is recognized as one of the top 10 financial stocks for long-term investment, particularly following a partnership with Intuit to integrate buy now, pay later (BNPL) options into QuickBooks [1] - The partnership aims to enhance small businesses' payment solutions, potentially increasing conversions and improving cash flows [1] - Kyle Peterson of Needham upgraded Affirm from Hold to Buy, setting a price target of $100, indicating a potential upside of 69.5% from current levels, which is higher than the median Wall Street estimate of 55.38% [2] Group 2 - Affirm operates a payment network across Canada, the United States, and internationally, offering a consumer-focused app and point-of-sale payment solutions [3] - The company was incorporated in 2012 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California [3] - The potential acquisition of a limited bank charter could significantly impact Affirm by providing access to deposit funding for loans and reducing third-party risks [2]

Finance Enrique Lores Multinational digital payments company PayPal announced that HP’s chief executive Enrique Lores will succeed Alex Chriss as its next president and CEO. During a 20-year tenure at Intuit, the American technology firm behind Credit Karma and TurboTax, Chriss held various leadership roles. He was overseeing QuickBooks and Mailchimp as executive vice president and general manager of the Small Business and Self-Employed Group when he left in September 2023. The board thanked Chriss for ...

Intuit (INTU) closed the most recent trading day at $444.98, moving +2.51% from the previous trading session. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.51% loss on the day. Meanwhile, the Dow gained 0.53%, and the Nasdaq, a tech-heavy index, lost 1.51%. The stock of maker of TurboTax, QuickBooks and other accounting software has fallen by 32.93% in the past month, lagging the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 0.27% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.93%.Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of I ...

Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ:INTU) is one of the noteworthy S&P 500 stocks Jim Cramer highlighted. Cramer highlighted the significant change in the company’s valuation, as he commented: Looking at last month’s biggest losers, number two, number four, number seven, number nine, and number ten, they are all software companies. They’re all the same business model. They’re all weighed down by the same thing as AppLovin, AI worries that are shrinking price-to-earnings multiples. The second worst performer in the S&P 50 ...

Stocks broadly sank on Tuesday as investors moved to dump shares of software companies amid fears that artificial intelligence tools could eat into those companies' businesses.On the S&P 500, the technology sector was by far the worst performer, leading the index to end the day lower by 0.8%. The Nasdaq Composite, which contains more technology companies, tumbled 1.4%.The selling came after AI startup Anthropic on Friday announced an automated agent that could complete legal, data analytics, finance and sal ...

Core Viewpoint - Intuit is experiencing a stock decline despite solid fiscal first-quarter results and a reaffirmed full-year outlook for double-digit revenue and earnings growth, attributed to broader market trends affecting software valuations [1][2]. Financial Performance - Intuit reported fiscal first-quarter revenue of approximately $3.9 billion, reflecting an 18% year-over-year increase, with non-GAAP earnings per share at $3.34, up 34% [3]. - The fastest-growing segment was Credit Karma, with revenue rising 27% year-over-year to $649 million, while the global business solutions segment saw an 18% increase to about $3.0 billion [4]. Growth Outlook - The company maintains its fiscal 2026 revenue growth guidance of 12% to 13% year-over-year, which is slower than the 16% growth reported in fiscal 2025, raising concerns among some investors [6][7]. - Intuit's conservative revenue guidance is consistent with past forecasts, suggesting potential for exceeding expectations in fiscal 2026 [7]. AI Integration - AI is seen as a potential catalyst for growth, with Intuit rolling out proactive AI agents that automate workflows, showing early signs of adding substantial value for customers [8]. - CEO Sasan Goodarzi highlighted that 2.8 million customers are utilizing AI agents, which are saving significant time and improving payment speeds [9]. Strategic Implications - The expansion of AI tools could create new revenue opportunities and increase customer retention by raising switching costs as users adapt to these technologies [10]. - Intuit's stock is viewed as undervalued, with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 22, despite the recent sell-off [11].

Core Insights - Side gigs can be profitable for many Americans but come with tax complexities that require proper planning and understanding of deductions available to freelancers and gig workers [1] Group 1: Tax Deductions for Gig Workers - The Home Office Deduction is significantly underclaimed, with only an estimated 15% of eligible sole proprietors taking advantage of it, despite many working primarily from home [3] - Freelancers often miss or underclaim the home office deduction due to perceived risks, but it is legitimate if a specific area is used exclusively for business [4] - A general guideline suggests deducting between 8% and 15% of housing expenses, which can result in substantial savings depending on the city [4][5] Group 2: Vehicle and Mileage Deductions - Vehicle use is a valuable deduction for gig workers, especially for those who drive frequently, such as Uber and DoorDash drivers, who may overlook thousands of deductible miles [6] - Many freelancers fail to log business miles accurately, often confusing personal and business use, which can lead to mistakes in deductions [7] - It is important to choose between the standard mileage rate and actual expenses, as both cannot be used simultaneously [7] Group 3: Software and Digital Tools Deductions - Many freelancers neglect to deduct costs associated with software and digital tools that are essential for their work, despite these being eligible for deductions [8] - Business-related subscriptions and educational expenses related to digital tools like Canva, Zoom, and QuickBooks can also be deducted [8]

Core Viewpoint - Commvault Systems (CVLT) reported quarterly earnings of $1.17 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.98 per share, and showing an increase from $0.94 per share a year ago, indicating a positive earnings surprise of +19.39% [1] Financial Performance - The company achieved revenues of $313.83 million for the quarter ended December 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.96%, and up from $262.63 million in the same quarter last year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Commvault has exceeded consensus EPS estimates three times and topped consensus revenue estimates four times [2] Stock Performance - Commvault shares have increased approximately 3.2% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 1.5% [3] Future Outlook - The company's earnings outlook will be crucial for determining the sustainability of its stock price movement, with current consensus EPS estimates at $1.00 for the coming quarter and $3.91 for the current fiscal year [4][7] - The estimate revisions trend for Commvault was unfavorable prior to the earnings release, resulting in a Zacks Rank 4 (Sell) for the stock, indicating expected underperformance in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Computer - Software industry, to which Commvault belongs, is currently ranked in the top 34% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a favorable environment for stocks in this sector [8]

Core Insights - The financial accounting process is identified as a fertile ground for AI monetization potential, which is largely underestimated by investors [1] - Leading software providers like Intuit and Workday are expected to significantly enhance customer ROI and tap into new market spaces through AI [1] Group 1: Automation in Accounting - Accounting work is ideal for AI automation due to its clear rules, large data volumes, and high repetition, with accountants currently spending 50%-65% of their time on data processing and account classification [2] - AI can reduce tasks that typically take about 3 hours to approximately 8 minutes, allowing accountants to focus on higher-value consulting and strategic work [3] - Each significant improvement in AI application can save about 20% of processing time per client task, potentially doubling the number of clients an accountant can serve [3] Group 2: Labor Market Dynamics - Concerns about AI leading to job losses in accounting are overstated, as the industry faces a labor shortage with 75% of CPAs set to retire in the next decade and new entrants at a historical low [4][7] - AI is expected to enhance the capabilities of existing accountants rather than replace them, enabling teams to handle more business and clients without increasing headcount [7] Group 3: Monetization Pathways for Software Giants - The significant ROI from AI indicates that software providers should capture a portion of this value, with Intuit expected to monetize through upgrades to higher-tier QuickBooks plans and increased adoption of online services [8] - Workday may monetize through additional purchases of its intelligent agent products and accelerated use of Flex Credits [8] Group 4: Adoption Speed and Market Readiness - The adoption speed of AI varies, with small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) likely to adopt faster due to simpler infrastructure and higher risk tolerance compared to larger enterprises [11] - Initial AI use cases are expected to target low-risk tasks, with acceleration towards more complex tasks as data readiness and governance improve [11] Group 5: Structural Opportunities in Financial Accounting - The financial accounting sector is seen as a fertile ground for AI due to high ROI from back-office process automation, low existing automation levels, and increasing labor shortages [12] - Evidence suggests that AI applications in financial accounting are driving quantifiable efficiency revolutions, reshaping software vendors' business models and revenue growth trajectories [14]

Company Overview - Intuit provides accounting software QuickBooks and online marketing platform Mailchimp, along with retail tax filing tool TurboTax and personal finance platform Credit Karma, holding a dominant market share in the US for small to midsize business accounting and self-serve tax filing [8] Recent Trading Activity - Recent options trading for Intuit shows a bullish sentiment with 75% of traders being bullish and only 8% bearish, indicating strong investor confidence [1] - Significant investors are targeting a price range for Intuit between $480.0 and $700.0 over the last three months based on trading activity [2] Options Volume and Open Interest - The analysis of volume and open interest reveals liquidity and investor interest in Intuit's options, particularly within the strike price range of $480.0 to $700.0 over the past 30 days [3][4] Analyst Opinions and Price Targets - Three professional analysts have set an average price target of $747.0 for Intuit in the last 30 days, reflecting a generally positive outlook [10] - Current trading volume for Intuit is 945,308, with the stock price at $566.95, showing a slight increase of 0.03% [11] - Analysts from Wells Fargo, TD Cowen, and Truist Securities have adjusted their ratings and price targets, with new targets set at $700, $802, and $739 respectively, indicating varied perspectives on the stock's future performance [11]