When applied to stocks, the term "blue chip" generally refers to a well-established company with a strong market position and a track record of outperformance. Salesforce (CRM 1.05%) and Intuit (INTU 3.46%) are perfect examples. Both are industry leaders, and while the S&P 500 is up 82% over the past five years, Intuit and Salesforce shares have surged 253% and 284%, respectively, over the same period.
Even so, neither stock has been spared during the ongoing sell-off. With Wall Street worried about the economic ramifications of high inflation and geopolitical conflict, the S&P 500 has fallen 10% from its high, meaning it's in correction territory. But Salesforce and Intuit have both plunged over 30%. Fortunately, that means long-term investors can buy a few shares of these blue chip stocks at a discount.
Here's what you should know.
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1. Salesforce
Salesforce pioneered the modern customer relationship management (CRM) industry. It was among the first companies to deliver software as a cloud service, and its flair for innovation has kept it on the cutting edge of technology. Its CRM platform comprises a suite of software for sales, customer service, marketing, and commerce, all designed to facilitate productivity and collaboration. More broadly, those tools help organizations grow by building and maintaining good customer relationships.
To reinforce its core products, Salesforce also offers a low-code platform for drag-and-drop application development, an integration platform that syncs data across different systems, and analytics tools that help clients make sense of information. The company also supercharges its products with artificial intelligence, allowing businesses to automate service workflows, personalize marketing and commerce content, and make insightful sales decisions.
Thanks to the breadth of its platform, Salesforce has led the CRM industry for eight consecutive years. In fact, it captured a 23.9% market share through the first half of 2021, up from 19.5% in 2020. That means Salesforce holds more market share than its next four competitors combined -- and that dominance has translated into strong financial results. Over the past year, revenue rose 25% to $26 billion, fueled by double-digit growth across all product segments and geographies, and free cash flow climbed 29% to $5.3 billion.
Going forward, Salesforce puts its addressable market at $248 billion by 2025, leaving plenty of room for growth. And the founder-led management team is working to capitalize on that opportunity. Last year, Salesforce rolled out new features across its suite of CRM applications and acquired the communications platform Slack, a tool that now allows Salesforce clients to collaborate in real time even when they're working remotely.
In short, Salesforce has a durable competitive advantage in a sizable market, and with shares trading at 7.5 times sales -- a good deal lower than the five-year average of 8.9 times sales -- now looks like a good time to add this blue chip stock to your portfolio.
2. Intuit
Intuit specializes in financial software and services, and its portfolio includes well-known brands like TurboTax and QuickBooks. Millions of consumers use the former to file their taxes each year, while the latter is a suite of accounting and commerce tools for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and self-employed (SE) individuals. Intuit is the clear industry leader in both cases, holding 73% and 80% market share in U.S. tax preparation and accounting software, respectively.
Management is strengthening its market position by working to transform Inuit into an AI-driven expert platform. For instance, TurboTax and QuickBooks now have "live" options, allowing users to connect with tax and bookkeeping professionals. And in 2020, Intuit acquired Credit Karma, an AI-powered finance tool that connects consumers with credit cards, insurance policies, deposit accounts, and various loan products (e.g., personal loans, auto loans).
Collectively, Intuit's dominant position in the tax preparation and accounting spaces has led to consistently solid financial results. Over the past year, revenue climbed 48% to $11.4 billion, and free cash flow rose 24% to $3 billion. More importantly, Intuit has plenty of room to grow in the years ahead.
The company puts its core market opportunity at $64 billion, a figure that includes TurboTax and QuickBooks. But that figure jumps to $230 billion when you add Credit Karma and value-added products for QuickBooks, like payment processing and payroll software for SMBs. On that note, Intuit recently acquired Mailchimp, a company that helps SMBs build digital storefronts, run targeted ad campaigns, and manage their customer relationships. A few years from now, that move may look brilliant, as it creates obvious synergies with Intuit's QuickBooks ecosystem.
To summarize, Intuit is already the gold standard in tax preparation and accounting software, but its ambitious growth strategy could help it expand in the broader commerce and financial services markets. That's why this stock looks like a smart buy.
