Average Tax Refunds Rise 10.8% Amid Economic Concerns
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 20 2026
0mins
Should l Buy XYZ?
Source: CNBC
- Increase in Refund Amounts: As of March 13, the average tax refund for individual filers reached $3,623, marking a 10.8% increase from last year's $3,271, indicating that many households are benefiting despite economic pressures.
- Filing Season Activity: The IRS has received approximately 69.7 million individual returns so far, with expectations to reach 164 million by the April 15 deadline, reflecting robust filing activity that may influence future fiscal policies.
- Impact of Rising Gas Prices: The national average gasoline price surged to $3.91 per gallon, up from $2.93 a month ago, with economists warning that this could offset some of the economic relief provided by tax refunds, particularly affecting low-income families.
- Policy Context: The Trump administration claims this will be the
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy XYZ?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on XYZ
Wall Street analysts forecast XYZ stock price to rise
30 Analyst Rating
25 Buy
3 Hold
2 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 57.030
Low
55.00
Averages
86.51
High
108.00
Current: 57.030
Low
55.00
Averages
86.51
High
108.00
About XYZ
Block, Inc. builds technology to increase access to the global economy. The Company operates through two segments: Square and Cash App. The Square includes managed payment services, software solutions, hardware, and financial services offered to sellers, excluding those that involve Cash App. The Cash App segment includes the financial tools available to individuals within the mobile Cash App, including peer-to-peer payments, bitcoin and stock investments. The Cash App also includes Cash App Card, which is linked to customer stored balances that customers can use to pay for purchases or withdraw funds from an ATM. Cash App also includes the BNPL platform. Its Afterpay business is transforming the way customers manage their spending over time. Its TIDAL business is a music platform that empowers artists to thrive as entrepreneurs. Its Bitkey business is a simple self-custody wallet built for bitcoin. Proto business is a suite of bitcoin mining products and services.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Market Dynamics and Company Outlook
- Oil Price Fluctuations: Brent crude oil prices surged by 4%, surpassing $117 per barrel, leading U.S. gas prices to exceed $4 per gallon; while the S&P 500 is expected to open higher, the market faces cost pressures from rising oil prices, potentially impacting overall economic recovery.
- Marvell and Nvidia Partnership: Marvell shares surged nearly 10% after announcing a strategic partnership with Nvidia, which will invest $2 billion to enhance the connectivity of Marvell's custom processors with Nvidia's networking technology, thereby strengthening Marvell's competitive position in the AI chip market.
- McCormick Acquires Unilever's Food Business: McCormick announced a $45 billion deal to acquire Unilever's food business, which will significantly expand its market share in spices and condiments, despite reporting only 1.2% organic sales growth in the last quarter, enhancing brand influence.
- Wells Fargo Downgrades Ford: Wells Fargo cut its price target for Ford from $11 to $10 and reiterated a sell rating, with analysts concerned that the fallout from the Iran war will increase raw material and freight costs, potentially impacting the profitability of automakers.
See More
Market Cap Game Show: Emily vs. Bill Showdown
- Market Capital Showdown: In this episode, Motley Fool analysts Emily Flippen and Bill Barker faced off in a market cap range challenge involving 10 companies, engaging listeners and enhancing the show's interactivity.
- Championship Battle: Emily, the reigning Market Cap Game Show world champion, showcased her investment analysis skills against Bill, ultimately winning with a score of 7 to 3, solidifying her champion status.
- Investor Education: The show utilized a fun game format to help listeners understand the significance of market caps, increasing public interest in investing and promoting financial literacy.
- Industry Insights: Analysts discussed the market performance of various companies, including Adyen and PayCom, providing deep insights into current market dynamics to assist investors in making informed decisions.
See More
Is Bitcoin Experiencing Its 'TCP/IP Moment'? Square Advances BTC Adoption for Everyday Transactions at Scale
Bitcoin Payments Accepted: Block's Square has begun accepting Bitcoin payments from qualified U.S. retailers, allowing customers to pay in BTC with automatic conversion to cash at checkout.
Industry Impact: The move has garnered attention from industry leaders, with Lightspark CEO David Marcus suggesting it could signify a pivotal moment for financial transactions, similar to how TCP/IP became foundational for internet communication.
User Benefits: Merchants accepting Bitcoin will automatically receive dollars, simplifying transactions for customers and eliminating the need to calculate capital gains on small Bitcoin payments.
Market Response: Following the announcement, Block's stock saw a rise of over 3%, reflecting improved retail sentiment around the company's Bitcoin initiatives and the broader market's shift from bearish to neutral.
See More
Global Payments Restructures Strategy and Market Outlook
- Market Share Expansion: Global Payments aims to dominate the merchant acquisition market through the acquisition of Worldpay, which is expected to accelerate cash flow and provide substantial returns to shareholders, thereby enhancing the company's position in the competitive payments industry.
- Financial Restructuring: The company undertook a major restructuring in early 2025, cutting costs and shedding assets, with expectations to boost free cash flow to $5 billion by 2028, further strengthening financial stability and supporting future shareholder return plans.
- Technological Innovation: Global Payments launched a new all-in-one point-of-sale system called Genius, aimed at enhancing brand recognition and customer loyalty, with analysts predicting this will drive greater success in future market promotions.
- Acquisition Integration: With the support of activist investor Elliott Management, Global Payments is integrating the Worldpay acquisition, expected to achieve $600 million in cost savings and enhance operational leverage, further strengthening its competitive edge in the market.
See More
Cathie Wood's ARK Capitalizes on the Dip by Selling Meta, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Other Stocks.
- Cathie Wood's Investment Strategy: Cathie Wood, a prominent technology investor, is known for capitalizing on market dips but chose not to buy this time.
- Market Context: This decision comes after the stock market experienced its worst day since the onset of the Iran war.
See More
Cathie Wood's ARK Capitalizes on the Dip by Selling Meta, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Other Stocks.
- Market Performance: The stock market experienced its worst day since the onset of the Iran war.
- Cathie Wood's Strategy: Notably, technology investor Cathie Wood, known for capitalizing on market dips, is not engaging in buying this time.
See More
Market Dynamics and Company Outlook
- Oil Price Fluctuations: Brent crude oil prices surged by 4%, surpassing $117 per barrel, leading U.S. gas prices to exceed $4 per gallon; while the S&P 500 is expected to open higher, the market faces cost pressures from rising oil prices, potentially impacting overall economic recovery.
- Marvell and Nvidia Partnership: Marvell shares surged nearly 10% after announcing a strategic partnership with Nvidia, which will invest $2 billion to enhance the connectivity of Marvell's custom processors with Nvidia's networking technology, thereby strengthening Marvell's competitive position in the AI chip market.
- McCormick Acquires Unilever's Food Business: McCormick announced a $45 billion deal to acquire Unilever's food business, which will significantly expand its market share in spices and condiments, despite reporting only 1.2% organic sales growth in the last quarter, enhancing brand influence.
- Wells Fargo Downgrades Ford: Wells Fargo cut its price target for Ford from $11 to $10 and reiterated a sell rating, with analysts concerned that the fallout from the Iran war will increase raw material and freight costs, potentially impacting the profitability of automakers.
See More
Market Cap Game Show: Emily vs. Bill Showdown
- Market Capital Showdown: In this episode, Motley Fool analysts Emily Flippen and Bill Barker faced off in a market cap range challenge involving 10 companies, engaging listeners and enhancing the show's interactivity.
- Championship Battle: Emily, the reigning Market Cap Game Show world champion, showcased her investment analysis skills against Bill, ultimately winning with a score of 7 to 3, solidifying her champion status.
- Investor Education: The show utilized a fun game format to help listeners understand the significance of market caps, increasing public interest in investing and promoting financial literacy.
- Industry Insights: Analysts discussed the market performance of various companies, including Adyen and PayCom, providing deep insights into current market dynamics to assist investors in making informed decisions.
See More
Is Bitcoin Experiencing Its 'TCP/IP Moment'? Square Advances BTC Adoption for Everyday Transactions at Scale
Bitcoin Payments Accepted: Block's Square has begun accepting Bitcoin payments from qualified U.S. retailers, allowing customers to pay in BTC with automatic conversion to cash at checkout.
Industry Impact: The move has garnered attention from industry leaders, with Lightspark CEO David Marcus suggesting it could signify a pivotal moment for financial transactions, similar to how TCP/IP became foundational for internet communication.
User Benefits: Merchants accepting Bitcoin will automatically receive dollars, simplifying transactions for customers and eliminating the need to calculate capital gains on small Bitcoin payments.
Market Response: Following the announcement, Block's stock saw a rise of over 3%, reflecting improved retail sentiment around the company's Bitcoin initiatives and the broader market's shift from bearish to neutral.
See More
Global Payments Restructures Strategy and Market Outlook
- Market Share Expansion: Global Payments aims to dominate the merchant acquisition market through the acquisition of Worldpay, which is expected to accelerate cash flow and provide substantial returns to shareholders, thereby enhancing the company's position in the competitive payments industry.
- Financial Restructuring: The company undertook a major restructuring in early 2025, cutting costs and shedding assets, with expectations to boost free cash flow to $5 billion by 2028, further strengthening financial stability and supporting future shareholder return plans.
- Technological Innovation: Global Payments launched a new all-in-one point-of-sale system called Genius, aimed at enhancing brand recognition and customer loyalty, with analysts predicting this will drive greater success in future market promotions.
- Acquisition Integration: With the support of activist investor Elliott Management, Global Payments is integrating the Worldpay acquisition, expected to achieve $600 million in cost savings and enhance operational leverage, further strengthening its competitive edge in the market.
See More
Cathie Wood's ARK Capitalizes on the Dip by Selling Meta, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Other Stocks.
- Cathie Wood's Investment Strategy: Cathie Wood, a prominent technology investor, is known for capitalizing on market dips but chose not to buy this time.
- Market Context: This decision comes after the stock market experienced its worst day since the onset of the Iran war.
See More
Cathie Wood's ARK Capitalizes on the Dip by Selling Meta, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Other Stocks.
- Market Performance: The stock market experienced its worst day since the onset of the Iran war.
- Cathie Wood's Strategy: Notably, technology investor Cathie Wood, known for capitalizing on market dips, is not engaging in buying this time.
See More
