Intuitive Surgical, Inc. ISRG is well-poised for growth in the coming quarters, courtesy of its strength in robotics. The optimism, led by solid results in the last few quarters and its progress on the artificial intelligence (AI) front, is expected to contribute further. However, procedure adoption risks and stiff competition persist.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company have risen 59.3% year to date compared with the industry’s 4.6% growth. The S&P 500 Index has gained 25.3% during the same time frame.

Intuitive Surgical, the pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery and a renowned provider of minimally invasive care, has a market capitalization of $195.14 billion. It projects 18.7% growth over the next five years.

The company’s earnings surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 10.96%.

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Let’s delve deeper.

Upsides

Strength in Robotics: We are upbeat about Intuitive Surgical’s robot-based da Vinci surgical system, which enables minimally invasive surgery and reduces the trauma associated with open surgery. The minimally invasive nature of robotic surgeries should continue to shift patients away from conventional methods to ISRG’s da Vinci systems and other platforms.

The company’s top line is expected to benefit from continued growth in procedure volume, improved price realization and increased system placements. Additionally, the launch of Intuitive Surgical’s latest robotic system, the da Vinci 5, has shown strong demand. During the third quarter, ISRG placed 110 of its latest da Vinci 5 systems, reflecting robust sequential growth. The company had placed 78 systems till June-end. ISRG received approval for da Vinci 5 in Korea in October. Moreover, FDA approval for label expansion of the da Vinci X and Xi systems for radical prostatectomy is expected to boost revenues. During the third quarter, the company received FDA clearance for 8-millimeter SureForm 30 stapler. These developments should continue to drive the top line.

On its third-quarter 2024 earnings call, Intuitive Surgical reported a 15% year-over-year increase in the installed base of da Vinci systems. The utilization rate, measured by procedures per system, increased 3% year over year.

The Ion system, launched in 2019, continues to perform well. The company placed 58 Ion systems in the third quarter, up from 55 in the prior-year quarter. Procedures conducted with the Ion system surged 73%, reflecting the strong momentum in recent quarters. Furthermore, supply-chain improvements have alleviated constraints on Ion system sales, indicating the potential for higher placements and procedures in the coming quarters.

Progress on the AI Front: We are also positive about the growing adoption of minimally invasive robot-assisted surgeries, self-automated home-based care, the use of information technology for quick and improved patient care and the shift of the payment system to a value-based model. These developments indicate the high prevalence of AI in the MedTech space.

Per management, the rise of medical mechatronics, powerful computing, improved sensing, microfabrication and molecular imaging has enabled new solutions to old problems. AI has enhanced Intuitive Surgical’s product portfolio with clinical applications, diagnostic support, operational efficiency, electronic health record systems, practice workflows and supply-chain management.

Strong Q3 Results: ISRG’s solid third-quarter results also buoy optimism. The top line improved year over year. Revenues were primarily driven by continued growth in the company’s da Vinci procedure volume, coupled with strong Ion procedure growth. Intuitive Surgical has also been increasing the pricing of procedures to fight inflationary pressure, which aided sales growth.  The strong earnings performance was fueled by improvements in both gross and operating margins. Gross margin benefited from reduced costs associated with Intuitive Surgical’s latest platforms, Ion and SP, along with lower inventory reserves, cost savings on select purchased components, reduced freight expenses and better utilization of fixed overhead. The downward trend in gross margin is expected to persist through the remainder of 2024. Intuitive Surgical anticipates its primary revenue driver, procedure volume, to grow 16-17% in 2024.

Downside

Macro Challenges Continue: Intuitive Surgical may experience slower procedure growth during the fourth quarter, reflecting the increased effect of soft demand for bariatric procedures and increasing headwinds in Asia from prolonged physician strikes in Korea, delayed tenders and emerging domestic robotic systems in China.

The company expects the aforementioned factors to negatively impact its top-line growth by nearly a three-percentage point headwind in 2024. Meanwhile, any rise in supply-chain issues amid continuing geopolitical tensions may lead to choppy da Vinci 5 system placements in 2024. A challenging catheter supply may adversely impact Ion modulation system sales.

Estimate Trend

In the past 60 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 earnings has improved 3.1% to $6.88 per share.

The consensus mark for the company’s revenues is pegged at $8.13 billion, indicating a 14.1% improvement from the year-ago quarter’s reported number.

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. Price

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. price | Intuitive Surgical, Inc. Quote

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks from the medical industry are Masimo MASI, AngioDynamics ANGO and Globus Medical GMED.

Masimo, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, has an estimated growth rate of 13.5% for 2025. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

MASI’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 17.10%. Masimo’s shares have risen 47.6% year to date compared with the industry’s 4.8% growth.

AngioDynamics, carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present, has an estimated growth rate of 38.2% for 2025. ANGO’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, delivering an average surprise of 31.71%.

AngioDynamics’ shares have lost 12.9% year to date against the industry’s 4.8% growth.

Globus Medical, carrying a Zacks Rank of 2 at present, has an estimated long-term growth rate of 14.1%. GMED’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 12.1%. Its shares have risen 58.9% year to date compared with the industry’s 4.8% growth.

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