New York, March 3, 2026, 17:34 EST — After-hours
- Intuit shares rose about 3.5% on Tuesday, extending a five-day run.
- The move came on heavier-than-usual volume even as the broader market fell.
- Investors are parsing management’s latest tax-season playbook: more local offices, more AI, more assisted filing.
Intuit Inc shares rose 3.5% on Tuesday to $433.35 after the bell, pushing the tax software maker further off last month’s lows as investors leaned back into tax-season names.
The stock notched a fifth straight session of gains and traded around 5.9 million shares, above its 50-day average, even as the S&P 500 fell nearly 1%. Intuit remains down about 47% from its 52-week high hit in late July, a slide that has kept the stock on “show-me” watch lists. 1
Why it matters now: the U.S. tax season is in its busiest stretch, and Intuit is trying to pull more filers into higher-touch services, not just do-it-yourself software. Business Insider reported Intuit plans to open nearly 600 offices and 20 TurboTax-branded storefronts in 2026, leaning on in-person help to win trust and close sales during the run-up to the April 15 filing deadline. 2
At a Morgan Stanley conference this week, CEO Sasan Goodarzi pointed to solid growth across the business while flagging friction points that investors have been pressing on. He said IRS returns were “down,” but TurboTax growth was running ahead, and he acknowledged Mailchimp has been a weak spot even as Intuit pushes an “AI-driven expert platform” pitch. 3
Traders also took note of how the stock is behaving: steady gains on rising volume, and a bounce even on a down tape. That can draw short-covering and momentum flows, especially in large-cap software that has been battered since mid-2025.
The storefront strategy is a sharper turn than Intuit’s traditional digital model. In the Business Insider report, consumer group executive Mark Notarainni said the company learned in its 2025 pilot that many customers wanted to meet in person, and he contrasted TurboTax’s approach with H&R Block’s big retail footprint.
Intuit is making a cost bet at the same time. Physical sites and more assisted filing can lift revenue per customer, but staffing, marketing and support can pressure margins if volume does not follow.
There is also a demand risk that is hard to hand-wave away. If IRS filing activity stays soft and consumers trade down, the company may need to spend more to hold share, and any stumble at Mailchimp could keep a lid on the multiple.
Peers moved in a mixed tape, with some large software names rising more than Intuit on the day, underscoring that Tuesday’s jump did not fully erase investor caution about the group.
Next up, investors will watch for fresh reads on TurboTax Live demand and appointment traffic as the season moves toward April 15, and for any incremental commentary on Mailchimp traction and the pace of AI-driven product rollouts.
