Intuit vs Block: Which Fintech Stock Is the Better Buy Now?

Intuit Inc. INTU and Block XYZ operate in the fintech space, offering digital financial tools for consumers and businesses. Intuit focuses on tax and accounting software, while XYZ specializes in payments and financial services.

Intuit leverages its broad ecosystem, QuickBooks, TurboTax, Credit Karma and Mailchimp to build a comprehensive platform for consumers, small businesses and professionals. Meanwhile, Block excels through the dual ecosystem of Square and Cash App, serving merchants and consumers.

Let's weigh the pros and cons of each to find out which stock deserves a spot in your portfolio.

The Case for Intuit

Intuit is a global fintech company that powers products such as TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, Mailchimp and Intuit Enterprise Suite. The company focuses on helping consumers manage taxes and personal finances while enabling businesses to run end-to-end operations. It reported strong third-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with revenue growth of 10.4%. As a result, the company expects revenue growth of approximately 13-14% for fiscal 2026.

Intuit's Global Business Solutions segment is a key driver of its business ecosystem. This segment's Online Ecosystem provides a seamless platform for accounting, payroll, payments and analytics. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, Global Business Solutions revenues grew 15.3% to $3.29 billion, including Online Ecosystem revenues, which rose 18.7%. For fiscal 2026, management expects the segment's revenues to grow approximately 16%.

Intuit's Consumer segment features Credit Karma, TurboTax and ProTax, together creating year-round financial tools. Management noted that average revenue per user (ARPU) is approximately 30% higher for customers using both TurboTax and Credit Karma than for those using TurboTax alone. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, the Consumer segment revenues grew 7.5%. For fiscal 2026, management expects Consumer Group revenue growth of 10%, including TurboTax at 7%, Credit Karma at 19% and ProTax at 4%.

Intuit maintains a disciplined capital distribution strategy, committed to boosting shareholder value via consistent dividend hikes and share repurchases. The company has increased its dividend five times over the past five years, with a 15.61% annualized growth rate. Supported by strong operating fundamentals, we expect dividends to remain sustainable in the future. It also repurchased $1.6 billion of stock in the third quarter of fiscal 2026 and received board approval for a new $8 billion repurchase authorization.

Story Continues

However, Intuit has its share of challenges, as its performance is partly tied to the health of small businesses, lending conditions and consumer tax filing dynamics. A slowdown in consumer spending or credit demand could impact its growth. The company's high costs and expenses remain a major concern. The competitive landscape in tax preparation and enterprise accounting creates pricing pressure, particularly during large contract renewals.

The Case for Block

Block continues to grow its comprehensive fintech platform, with its Square, Cash App and Afterpay ecosystems offering end-to-end solutions across payments, commerce, banking, investing and lending. XYZ's first-quarter 2026 results reflected decent top-line performance and strong gross profit growth. Its net revenues increased 4.9% year over year, while the gross profit climbed 27.1%, with Cash App rising 38.3% and Square increasing 9.4%.

Square, Block's merchant-facing ecosystem, remains strong. In the first quarter of 2026, Square Gross Payment Volume (GPV) rose 13.2% year over year. Additionally, the company partners with more than 140 independent sales organizations (ISO) to complement its direct sales and extend reach to new sellers. This month's merchant wins, including Ladurée Canada, Sofive Soccer Centers, Coffee Dose and Baker St Café, demonstrate its growing penetration across restaurants, specialty food, sports centers and retail businesses.

Block's momentum is driven mainly by Cash App, which has grown beyond peer-to-peer payments into a multi-service financial hub for digitally native users. Cash App is broadening its role in users' financial lives through payments, banking, commerce and bitcoin transactions. Cash App remains focused on making transactions faster, more convenient and more personalized. This month, it launched Cash App Tags, NFC-enabled physical payment accessories that let customers pay with a single tap without a phone or a card.

In early June, Block announced the launch of Afterpay on Cash App Card, making Buy Now, Pay Later ("BNPL") available to eligible Cash App Card customers. The feature targets American earners with variable incomes and customers who are underserved by the current financial system. It is being rolled out to Cash App's roughly 59 million monthly transacting active users. Block stands to benefit from increased card usage and merchant volume while capturing BNPL fees.

While Block faces headwinds, including sensitivity to macroeconomic conditions, intensifying competition and a younger-user base concentration, its diversified revenue streams, solid fundamentals and ongoing product innovation counterbalance those risks, positioning the company for durable growth and making it an attractive fintech investment.

How Do Zacks Estimates Compare for INTU & XYZ?

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Intuit's fiscal 2026 sales and EPS implies a year-over-year increase of 13.48% and 18.41%, respectively. EPS estimates have been trending northward over the past week.Zacks Investment Research

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Meanwhile, the consensus estimates for Block's 2026 sales and EPS indicate a year-over-year rise of 8.29% and 64.14%, respectively. EPS estimates have been trending upward over the past week.Zacks Investment Research

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Valuation: INTU vs. XYZ

In terms of forward 12-month Price/Sales (P/S), INTU stock is trading at 3.08X, above XYZ, which is currently trading at 1.68X. Although XYZ is trading above its one-year median of 1.53X, INTU is trading below its one-year median of 8.11X.

From a valuation perspective, we note that Intuit shares are trading at a premium to Block.Zacks Investment Research

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Price Performance: INTU vs. XYZ

Over the past month, shares of XYZ have outperformed INTU and the S&P 500 composite.Zacks Investment Research

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

INTU vs. XYZ: Which Stock Is the Better Buy?

Both Intuit and Block remain dominant players in the fintech space. Intuit's advantage lies in its scale and broad financial-software ecosystem, which makes it a reliable market leader. Block is solidifying its role as an innovation leader by growing the Square and Cash App ecosystems. However, Intuit's rising costs and expenses are a significant concern, while competitive pressures can weigh on pricing, particularly during large contract renewals.

Given Block's rising earnings estimates, cheaper valuation and recent stronger stock performance, it appears the smarter, lower-risk buy for investors.

Currently, INTU carry Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), while XYZ sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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