New York, February 16, 2026, 14:17 EST — Market closed.
- Intuit finished Friday at $399.40, up 0.3%—the final close ahead of the U.S. holiday shutdown.
- Intuit’s head of marketing says AI “agents” have shrunk campaign timelines that once stretched for weeks.
- Up next: Intuit Connect ON event on Feb. 24, followed by fiscal Q2 earnings two days later, Feb. 26.
Intuit Inc (INTU.O) edged up 0.3% to finish at $399.40 on Friday, as the market weighed remarks from the company’s marketing chief following its Super Bowl advertising blitz. Speaking with Fortune, Chief Marketing Officer Thomas Ranese described Intuit’s use of AI “agents”—software that handles pieces of its campaigns. He sounded a skeptical note on rivals’ claims around AI, saying, “If they say they have, I don’t believe them,” about marketers who insist they’ve mastered the technology. (Fortune)
With U.S. stock markets and banks shuttered for Presidents Day on Monday, trading volume was sparse. Markets are scheduled to pick up again Tuesday. (AP News)
The timing is critical for Intuit right now, with tax season in full swing and its stock caught up in the so-called “AI scare trade”—that’s the term for the selloff hitting companies seen as easy targets for new artificial intelligence tools. Reuters put Intuit among the Nasdaq 100’s worst performers so far this year. Investors are spooked, according to Robert Pavlik of Dakota Wealth, who thinks AI could “replace built‑out models” before long. (Reuters)
Rate-sensitive growth names are still contending with macro headwinds. U.S. markets are closed and some Asian exchanges are offline for Lunar New Year, leaving stock futures mostly flat, according to Reuters. Traders have their eyes on upcoming U.S. Q4 GDP numbers and a batch of global business surveys set for later in the week. Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid noted his team is projecting U.S. fourth-quarter growth to come in at 2.5%. (Reuters)
Friday saw bigger moves among peers. H&R Block (HRB.N) jumped nearly 9.5%. Paychex (PAYX.O), which handles payroll, advanced around 2.1%, and Adobe (ADBE.O) tacked on about 0.5%.
Company news might shake things up. Intuit’s next “Intuit Connect ON” virtual gathering lands Feb. 24, aimed at accountants. The company plans to spotlight changes to its platform along with new Intuit Intelligence features. (Intuit Events)
Hard numbers drop two days out. Intuit’s fiscal second-quarter report lands Feb. 26, after the bell. Executives plan to walk through the results on a call later that day. (Intuit Inc.)
Still, this setup swings both directions. Worries that rapidly evolving AI could disrupt entrenched business models have driven the broader software selloff, leaving traders on edge for sudden swings if companies tweak their outlook. (Reuters)
That leaves Intuit watching closely: early TurboTax activity matters more than usual, and small-business spending trends could tip the scales. How aggressively the company ramps up marketing to hold its ground will be key.
Markets open again Tuesday after the holiday. Then comes Intuit’s Feb. 24 event, with results and the call set for Feb. 26.
