Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Intuit Inc. (INTU) vs Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | INTU | 15.6% revenue growth vs CRM's 9.6% |
| Value | CRM | Lower P/E (16.5x vs 17.6x) |
| Quality / Margins | INTU | 21.6% net margin vs CRM's 18.0% |
| Stability / Safety | INTU | Beta 0.93 vs CRM's 1.04 |
| Dividends | INTU | 1.0% yield, 14-year raise streak, vs CRM's 0.9% |
| Momentum (1Y) | INTU | -32.6% vs CRM's -34.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | INTU | 12.7% ROA vs CRM's 6.6%, ROIC 16.5% vs 10.9% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Valuation efficiency (growth/$)
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Intuit is a financial technology company that provides software and services for small businesses, self-employed individuals, and consumers to manage their finances and taxes. It generates revenue primarily through subscription software—QuickBooks for small businesses (~60% of revenue) and TurboTax for consumer tax preparation (~30%)—plus payment processing and credit services. Its competitive moat comes from deep integration across its ecosystem—linking accounting, payroll, payments, and tax filing—which creates high switching costs for its millions of small business and individual customers.
Salesforce is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) software company that helps businesses manage sales, service, marketing, and commerce operations. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for its SaaS platform—with sales cloud (~30%), service cloud (~25%), and platform/other (~45%) being its main segments. Its competitive moat lies in its massive ecosystem of integrated applications, enterprise data architecture, and high switching costs for customers deeply embedded in its platform.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
INTU leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). CRM leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CRM is the larger business by revenue, generating $41.5B annually — 2.1x INTU's $20.1B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 21.6% (INTU) to 18.0% (CRM). On growth, INTU holds the edge at +17.4% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | INTUIntuit Inc. | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $20.1B | $41.5B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $5.9B | $11.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $4.3B | $7.5B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $6.8B | $14.4B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +81.2% | +77.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +27.1% | +21.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +21.6% | +18.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +34.0% | +34.7% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +17.4% | +12.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +47.9% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
At 25.0x trailing earnings, CRM trades at a 17% valuation discount to INTU's 29.9x P/E. Adjusting for growth (PEG ratio), CRM offers better value at 2.04x vs INTU's 2.05x — a lower PEG means you pay less per unit of expected earnings growth.
| Metric | INTUIntuit Inc. | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $114.2B | $187.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $117.9B | $186.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 29.92x | 24.97x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 17.64x | 16.54x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 2.05x | 2.04x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 20.57x | 20.95x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 6.06x | 4.51x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 5.87x | 3.15x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 18.77x | 13.01x |
Profitability & Efficiency
INTU delivers a 22.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $23 in annual profit, vs $13 for CRM. CRM carries lower financial leverage with a 0.11x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to INTU's 0.34x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), INTU scores 9/9 vs CRM's 8/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | INTUIntuit Inc. | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +22.8% | +12.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +12.7% | +6.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +16.5% | +10.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +19.2% | +11.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 9 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.34x | 0.11x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $3.8B | -$590M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2.9B | $7.3B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $6.6B | $6.7B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 428.27x | 44.14x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in INTU five years ago would be worth $10,487 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $9,104 for CRM. Over the past 12 months, INTU leads with a -32.6% total return vs CRM's -34.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CRM at 6.6% vs INTU's 1.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | INTUIntuit Inc. | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -34.8% | -23.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -32.6% | -34.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +3.3% | +21.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +4.9% | -9.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +350.0% | +192.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +1.1% | +6.6% |
Risk & Volatility
INTU is the less volatile stock with a 0.93 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CRM's 1.04 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. CRM currently trades 64.3% from its 52-week high vs INTU's 50.3% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | INTUIntuit Inc. | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.93x | 1.04x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $813.70 | $303.07 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $349.00 | $174.57 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +50.3% | +64.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 33.1 | 47.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.7M | 8.6M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates INTU as "Buy" and CRM as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 78.0% upside for INTU (target: $728) vs 53.5% for CRM (target: $299). For income investors, INTU offers the higher dividend yield at 1.03% vs CRM's 0.85%.
| Metric | INTUIntuit Inc. | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $728.11 | $299.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 42 | 97 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +1.0% | +0.9% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 14 | 2 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $4.20 | $1.66 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +2.4% | +6.7% |
Historical Charts
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Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intuit Inc. (INTU) | 100 | 173.24 | +73.2% |
| Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | 100 | 119.26 | +19.3% |
Intuit Inc. (INTU) returned +5% over 5 years vs Salesforce, Inc. (CRM)'s -9%. A $10,000 investment in INTU 5 years ago would be worth $10,487 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intuit Inc. (INTU) | $5.2B | $18.8B | +263.7% |
| Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | $8.4B | $41.5B | +394.8% |
Salesforce, Inc.'s revenue grew from $8.4B (2017) to $41.5B (2026) — a 19.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intuit Inc. (INTU) | 18.8% | 20.5% | +9.5% |
| Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | 3.8% | 18.0% | +366.6% |
Salesforce, Inc.'s net margin went from 4% (2017) to 18% (2026).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intuit Inc. (INTU) | 42.4 | 48.5 | +14.4% |
| Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | 393.2 | 25 | -93.6% |
Intuit Inc. has traded in a 39x–85x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~30x. Salesforce, Inc. has traded in a 25x–393x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~25x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intuit Inc. (INTU) | 3.72 | 13.67 | +267.5% |
| Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | 0.26 | 7.8 | +2900.0% |
Salesforce, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.26 (2017) to $7.80 (2026) — a 46% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Intuit Inc. generated $6B FCF in 2025 (+95% vs 2021). Salesforce, Inc. generated $14B FCF in 2026 (+252% vs 2021).
INTU vs CRM: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is INTU or CRM a better buy right now?
Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) offers the better valuation at 25.0x trailing P/E (16.5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Intuit Inc. (INTU) a "Buy" — based on 42 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — INTU or CRM?
On trailing P/E, Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) is the cheapest at 25.0x versus Intuit Inc. at 29.9x. On forward P/E, Salesforce, Inc. is actually cheaper at 16.5x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Intuit Inc. wins at 1.21x versus Salesforce, Inc.'s 1.35x — a reasonable growth-adjusted valuation.
03Which is the better long-term investment — INTU or CRM?
Over the past 5 years, Intuit Inc. (INTU) delivered a total return of +4.9%, compared to -9.0% for Salesforce, Inc. (CRM). A $10,000 investment in INTU five years ago would be worth approximately $10K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: INTU returned +350.0% versus CRM's +192.3%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — INTU or CRM?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Intuit Inc. (INTU) is the lower-risk stock at 0.93β versus Salesforce, Inc.'s 1.04β — meaning CRM is approximately 12% more volatile than INTU relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 11% versus 34% for Intuit Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — INTU or CRM?
Intuit Inc. (INTU) is the more profitable company, earning 20.5% net margin versus 18.0% for Salesforce, Inc. — meaning it keeps 20.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: INTU leads at 26.1% versus 21.5% for CRM. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — INTU leads at 80.8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is INTU or CRM more undervalued right now?
The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential. By this metric, Intuit Inc. (INTU) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 1.21x versus Salesforce, Inc.'s 1.35x. A PEG below 1.5 suggests fair-to-attractive pricing relative to expected growth. On forward earnings alone, Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) trades at 16.5x forward P/E versus 17.6x for Intuit Inc. — 1.1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for INTU: 78.0% to $728.11.
07Which pays a better dividend — INTU or CRM?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Intuit Inc. (INTU) offers the highest yield at 1.0%, versus 0.9% for Salesforce, Inc. (CRM).
08Is INTU or CRM better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Intuit Inc. (INTU) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.93), 1.0% yield, +350.0% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (INTU: +350.0%, CRM: +192.3%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between INTU and CRM?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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