Intuit's annual forecast falls short of estimates as it prioritizes customer growth

Aug 25 : Intuit forecast annual revenue below Wall Street expectations on Tuesday, as the TurboTax maker said its push for customer growth and market-share gains would weigh on near-term sales.

Shares of the California-based company, which have fallen more than 44 per cent so far this year, were down 13 per cent in extended trading.

The enterprise software provider projected fiscal 2027 revenue of $23.28 billion to $23.51 billion, representing growth of 9 per cent to 10 per cent, below analysts' estimate of $23.72 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.

It also implies a slowdown from Intuit's 14 per cent revenue growth in fiscal 2026.

Intuit attributed the revenue deceleration to weaker marketing platform sales, a continued decline in its desktop products and lower average revenue per TurboTax customer following changes designed to attract more users.

"Looking ahead, we're focused on scaling our Big Bets, accelerating customer growth, and making deliberate choices to create a stronger foundation for durable long-term growth," CEO Sasan Goodarzi said.

Software stocks have been pressured in recent months by fears that general-purpose AI tools could replace features offered by specialized providers.

Intuit forecast TurboTax revenue growth of 2 per cent to 3 per cent in fiscal 2027, compared with 7 per cent growth in 2026.

It expects revenue at Mailchimp, its marketing platform, to be flat to down 1 per cent in 2027. The company said it will begin reporting it as a separate segment in the first quarter.

The company sees annual earnings per share in the range of $22.88 to $23.12 on an adjusted basis, including a $5.81 impact from share-based compensation expense. Analysts expect earnings of $27.32.

Intuit forecast first-quarter revenue between $4.29 billion and $4.31 billion, below an estimate of $4.36 billion.

It expects quarterly adjusted earnings per share between $2.44 to $2.48, including a $1.48 impact from share-based compensation expense, while analysts expect earnings of $4.04 apiece.

Revenue for the fourth quarter grew 13.6 per cent to $4.35 billion, beating an estimate of $4.27 billion.