Intuit Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU) heads into Friday’s session with the wind at its back. The fintech giant’s shares climbed a little over 2% on Thursday, December 11, 2025, closing near the top of the day’s range and then nudging slightly higher in after‑hours trading as investors continued to digest its strong fiscal Q1 2026 results and a fresh wave of analyst and ownership data. [1]
Below is a concise rundown of how Intuit traded “after the bell” and the key facts to keep in mind before the U.S. stock market opens on Friday, December 12, 2025.
1. How Intuit Stock Traded on December 11, 2025
- Regular session performance:
INTU finished Thursday at $676.01, up about 2.05% on the day. During the regular session it traded between roughly $657.92 and $678.33, after opening just under $660. Volume came in around 2.7–2.8 million shares, very close to Intuit’s average daily turnover of roughly 2.7 million shares. [2] - After-hours price action:
Following the close, Intuit’s stock continued to edge higher. Quotes in extended trading hovered in the high $670s to around $680, with platforms like Yahoo Finance and Public showing after‑hours prints in roughly the $677–$680 range, up less than 1% from the closing price. [3] - Valuation snapshot:
At Thursday’s close, Intuit’s market value sits around $184 billion, with a trailing P/E ratio near 45, a PEG ratio around 2.7, and a beta of about 1.3, reflecting both its premium multiple and tech‑style volatility. Over the past 12 months, shares have traded between roughly $532.65 and $813.70. [4]
That combination — a solid up‑day, mild after‑hours strength, and a still‑elevated valuation — sets the tone for Friday’s open.
2. Why Intuit Is Back in Focus: Q1 2026 Beat and AI Story
Intuit’s current trading narrative is still dominated by its fiscal Q1 2026 (reported November 20, 2025), where the company delivered a broad‑based beat and doubled down on its AI ambitions.
Strong top‑ and bottom‑line growth
For fiscal Q1 2026, Intuit reported: [5]
- Revenue: about $3.87 billion, up roughly 18% year over year, and above consensus estimates (~$3.76 billion).
- Non‑GAAP EPS:$3.34, beating expectations of around $3.09.
- GAAP EPS:$1.59, with GAAP operating income up ~97% year over year, reflecting strong operating leverage.
- The company also highlighted consistent beats on both revenue and EPS over the last four quarters.
Segment performance was notably robust:
- Global Business Solutions (which includes QuickBooks & related offerings) grew revenue 18% to roughly $3.0 billion.
- Within that, the Online Ecosystem advanced 21%, and QuickBooks Online Accounting rose 25%.
- The Consumer segment (TurboTax, ProTax, and related products) delivered 21% growth to about $894 million, helped by a 27% jump at Credit Karma and steady gains in TurboTax and ProTax. [6]
Taken together, the report painted a picture of an ecosystem firing on multiple cylinders, not a single‑product story.
Guidance: steady double‑digit growth
Management reaffirmed its full‑year fiscal 2026 outlook, signaling confidence despite macro uncertainty: [7]
- Revenue: about $20.99–$21.19 billion, implying ~12–13% year‑over‑year growth.
- GAAP operating income: projected to grow ~17–19%.
- Non‑GAAP EPS: guidance in the $22.98–$23.18 range.
- Q2 2026 EPS guidance:$3.63–$3.68, again pointing to high‑single to low‑double‑digit earnings growth in the near term.
This growth outlook is a key reason analysts have largely stuck with bullish price targets even after a volatile year for high‑multiple tech names.
AI‑driven “expert platform” remains the core long‑term theme
In commentary around the quarter, CEO Sasan Goodarzi emphasized Intuit’s strategy as an “AI‑driven expert platform” that combines data, AI models, and human experts across TurboTax, QuickBooks, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp. The company describes this as a “system of intelligence” helping consumers and small businesses move from “lead to cash” and from “credit building to wealth building” in one integrated stack. [8]
That AI positioning is why some outlets list Intuit among the “best AI stocks to watch” this month, even though it’s not a traditional chip or infrastructure play. [9]
Capital returns: higher dividend and buybacks
Shareholder returns are part of the story, too:
- The board approved a 15% dividend increase to $1.20 per share quarterly (annualized $4.80), implying a yield of roughly 0.7% at current prices. [10]
- The upcoming payout is scheduled for January 16, 2026, to shareholders of record on January 9, 2026 — dates income investors may want to mark as we move through December. [11]
- Intuit also repurchased approximately $851 million of its own stock during the quarter, continuing a pattern of significant buybacks. [12]
For Friday’s open, traders will continue to anchor their view of INTU on this combination of strong fundamentals, AI‑driven growth, and generous capital returns — balanced against the reality of a rich valuation.
3. Latest Analyst Views and Stock Forecasts (as of December 11, 2025)
Zacks: Trending but fairly valued near term
A December 11 Zacks report flagged Intuit as a “trending stock” among its readership and laid out updated earnings expectations: [13]
- For the current quarter, analysts expect EPS of about $3.65, roughly 9.9% above the year‑ago period, though the consensus has been trimmed by about 5% over the last month.
- For the current fiscal year, consensus EPS sits around $23.10, implying ~14.6% growth year over year.
- For the next fiscal year, EPS estimates of about $26.34 suggest another ~14% growth.
- Revenue forecasts call for about $4.53 billion this quarter and $21.12 billion and $23.68 billion for the current and next fiscal years, each implying just over 12% annual growth.
Despite that healthy growth, Zacks assigns Intuit a Rank #3 (Hold) and a Value Style Score of “D”, indicating the shares trade at a premium versus peers on metrics like P/E, P/S, and P/CF.
In plain English: Zacks sees Intuit as fundamentally strong but not obviously cheap at today’s price.
Street-wide targets cluster in the low‑to‑mid $800s
Other analyst aggregators remain more overtly bullish:
- MarketBeat data show around 28 analysts with an average 12‑month price target near $798, with estimates ranging roughly from $530 on the low end to $900 on the high end. The consensus rating is “Moderate Buy”, with the bulk of analysts rating shares Buy/Outperform and only a small minority in the Hold or Sell camps. [14]
- StockAnalysis lists a “Strong Buy” consensus from about 18 analysts, with an average target around $811.72 and a range of roughly $700–$880. [15]
- MarketWatch pegs the average target in the low $820s (median around $823), with the top target near $971 and a low near $600. [16]
- Stocksguide and TickerNerd both report “Strong Buy”‑type ratings, with average or median targets in roughly the $820–$840 zone and a very skewed distribution of recommendations: dozens of Buy ratings, a handful of Hold, and just one Sell. [17]
- An InsiderMonkey summary notes that about 80% of analysts are bullish on Intuit, citing a median price target around $823, which represents mid‑20s percentage upside from prices earlier in the week. [18]
Taken together, Wall Street’s base case is that Intuit’s stock could see high‑teens to mid‑20s percent upside over the next 12 months — if management delivers on its AI‑driven growth plan and broader market conditions cooperate.
For Friday morning, that upbeat analyst backdrop acts as a psychological support: dips can attract buyers who still see a path toward the Street’s $800‑plus targets.
4. Insider Selling vs. Institutional Buying
Ownership trends have been a major subplot in the latest Intuit news cycle.
High-profile insider sales
The most eye‑catching move is from long‑time director and co‑founder Scott Cook:
- On December 9, Cook sold 74,095 shares at an average price of about $655.78, for proceeds of roughly $48.6 million.
- The sale trimmed his stake by about 1.26%, but he still controls around 5.82 million shares, valued at roughly $3.8 billion at recent prices. [19]
Another director, Richard L. Dalzell, sold 333 shares around $653.42, a comparatively minor transaction. [20]
MarketBeat’s summaries of SEC filings indicate that, over the last 90 days, company insiders in total have sold about 269,000 shares worth roughly $176 million, and insiders currently hold about 2.5% of Intuit’s outstanding stock. [21]
Insider sales at these levels are significant in dollar terms but not unusual for a mature, highly valued tech company whose long‑tenured leaders have substantial concentrated wealth tied up in shares. Still, the timing — after a strong AI‑driven rally and an earnings beat — is something traders may keep in mind into Friday’s session.
Big money institutions are still adding
Balancing that insider selling is a wave of institutional accumulation:
- The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its Intuit stake by about 55.9% in Q2 to 355,651 shares, valued around $280 million. [22]
- CIBC Asset Management trimmed its position by 3%, selling roughly 3,325 shares, but still holds more than 109,000 shares worth about $86 million. [23]
- Jasper Ridge Partners cut its holdings by 20.6% to 15,196 shares, worth nearly $12 million, while other giants like Vanguard, State Street, Price T. Rowe, Invesco, and Geode have been adding to large positions. [24]
Across these filings, institutional investors now own roughly 83–84% of Intuit’s shares, underscoring its status as a core holding in many large‑cap and growth‑oriented portfolios. [25]
Heading into Friday, the message is mixed but clear:
- Insiders are taking some money off the table.
- Institutions — the “big money” — largely remain committed, and in many cases have increased exposure.
For most investors, that combination argues for watching price action and volume more than any single insider transaction headline.
5. Short Interest: Modestly Low, But Rising
A December 9 report from Benzinga highlighted an uptick in bearish bets against Intuit: [26]
- Short interest stands at about 5.14 million shares, equal to ~2.11% of float.
- That figure is up roughly 14% versus the prior report.
- Based on recent trading volumes, it would take about 3.39 days for short sellers to fully cover their positions.
- Intuit’s short‑interest ratio remains below its peer average, which Benzinga pegs around 4.18% of float for similar software and fintech names.
In other words, there is a growing minority betting against Intuit — likely citing valuation, AI euphoria, or macro risks — but the stock is far from heavily shorted.
For Friday morning, this matters because:
- A sharp positive surprise (e.g., another bullish analyst note or macro tailwind) could create a modest short‑covering bid.
- Conversely, negative news could embolden bears, especially given the rich multiple.
6. Macro Backdrop Going Into December 12, 2025
Intuit doesn’t trade in a vacuum. Thursday’s broader macro backdrop is notably supportive for high‑quality growth stocks like INTU.
A Nasdaq/Zacks morning update on December 11 highlighted several bullish macro datapoints: [27]
- The Federal Reserve recently delivered a 25 basis point rate cut, while raising U.S. growth projections and lowering inflation forecasts, a combination that markets typically interpret as “soft‑landing‑friendly.”
- Weekly jobless claims came in around 236,000, roughly in line with the past year’s trend, while continuing claims fell sharply to about 1.84 million, the lowest since mid‑April — hardly recessionary levels.
- The U.S. trade deficit narrowed to around $52.8 billion, its lowest level since mid‑2020, indicating some improvement in external balances.
- Bond yields have been easing off recent highs, helping reduce pressure on long‑duration assets like growth stocks.
Lower yields and a less‑threatening inflation path tend to support premium‑multiple tech and software names, including Intuit — at least as long as growth expectations remain intact.
At the same time, other coverage this week has reminded investors that concerns about an AI‑valuation bubble in parts of the tech sector remain alive, with names like Oracle and other AI‑exposed stocks swinging sharply around earnings. [28]
So, the backdrop heading into Friday’s open is:
- Macro tailwinds (easier Fed, decent labor data, improving trade balance).
- Sentiment caution in anything AI‑related if markets decide valuations have outrun fundamentals.
Intuit, positioned as an AI‑enabled fintech platform rather than a pure AI infrastructure play, sits somewhere between those two narratives.
7. What to Watch for Intuit Before the Market Opens on December 12, 2025
Here’s a practical pre‑bell checklist for INTU watchers:
1. Pre‑market price vs. Thursday’s after‑hours range
- Thursday’s after‑hours quotes clustered around $677–$680. [29]
- If pre‑market trading on Friday holds above the $676 close and pushes convincingly through Thursday’s intraday high near $678–$679, it would confirm the current upward bias. [30]
- A slide back toward the mid‑$660s or below could signal that buyers are hesitant to chase the stock at these valuation levels.
2. Fresh analyst notes or rating changes
- Look for any overnight analyst reports reacting to:
- The recent Q1 print and guidance.
- Macro developments (Fed, jobless claims, trade data).
- Intuit’s positioning as one of the better‑funded AI‑driven software platforms. [31]
Even a small upgrade, downgrade, or price‑target tweak from a major firm can move a widely held stock like INTU at the open.
3. Follow‑through on institutional and insider headlines
- The Scott Cook sale and the new institutional filings are still fresh in investors’ minds. [32]
- Watch how the stock behaves on upticks vs. downticks:
- Strong buying into weakness would suggest institutions remain in accumulation mode.
- Heavy selling on small pullbacks could indicate that some holders are using the recent strength to lighten up.
4. Broader tech and AI sentiment
- Intuit often trades in sympathy with broader software, fintech, and AI‑themed baskets. Headlines about AI spending, cloud budgets, or enterprise software demand can ripple into INTU, even if it’s not mentioned by name. [33]
- If major AI or software peers rally on earnings or guidance, that could lend support to INTU on the open and vice versa.
5. Upcoming dividend and calendar catalysts
- As we move closer to the January 9, 2026 ex‑dividend date, income‑focused investors may start positioning to capture the boosted $1.20 quarterly payout. [34]
- Investors will also keep an eye out for any new conference appearances, product announcements, or AI‑related integrations (especially across TurboTax, QuickBooks, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp) that could shift the medium‑term growth narrative. Recent conference appearances by Intuit executives at events like the Barclays Global Technology Conference have already emphasized this theme. [35]
8. Key Takeaways Before Friday’s Bell
To sum up Intuit’s setup going into the December 12, 2025 open:
- Price action: The stock just logged a 2%+ gain and is slightly higher after hours, trading near the top of its recent range. [36]
- Fundamentals: Fiscal Q1 2026 showed high‑teens revenue growth, EPS beats, and accelerating profitability, with guidance calling for double‑digit growth across revenue and earnings for the full year. [37]
- Analysts: Street consensus remains clearly positive, with most targets in the $800–$830 range and an overall Moderate/Strong Buy tone, even as Zacks warns that the stock looks expensive relative to peers. [38]
- Ownership:Insiders are selling modest slices of very large holdings, while institutions continue to own and, in many cases, add to massive positions, leaving institutional ownership above 80%. [39]
- Sentiment & macro: Short interest is low but rising, Fed policy has turned more supportive, and recent economic data lean positive — all generally constructive for a high‑quality growth compounder like Intuit, but also a reminder that expectations are high and volatility can return quickly. [40]
References
1. stockanalysis.com, 2. stockanalysis.com, 3. finance.yahoo.com, 4. www.marketbeat.com, 5. www.marketbeat.com, 6. www.insidermonkey.com, 7. investors.intuit.com, 8. www.insidermonkey.com, 9. www.insidermonkey.com, 10. www.insidermonkey.com, 11. www.marketbeat.com, 12. www.insidermonkey.com, 13. finviz.com, 14. www.marketbeat.com, 15. stockanalysis.com, 16. www.marketwatch.com, 17. stocksguide.com, 18. www.insidermonkey.com, 19. www.marketbeat.com, 20. www.marketbeat.com, 21. www.marketbeat.com, 22. www.marketbeat.com, 23. www.marketbeat.com, 24. www.marketbeat.com, 25. www.marketbeat.com, 26. www.benzinga.com, 27. www.nasdaq.com, 28. finance.yahoo.com, 29. finance.yahoo.com, 30. stockanalysis.com, 31. www.insidermonkey.com, 32. www.marketbeat.com, 33. finance.yahoo.com, 34. www.marketbeat.com, 35. seekingalpha.com, 36. stockanalysis.com, 37. www.insidermonkey.com, 38. www.marketbeat.com, 39. www.marketbeat.com, 40. www.benzinga.com
