1 Reason Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) Is 1 of the Best Healthcare Stocks You Can Buy Today

Core Insights - Intuitive Surgical's shares have decreased by approximately 26% from their peak earlier this year, yet long-term shareholders have seen a remarkable increase of 5,490% over the past 20 years [1] Competitive Landscape - Intuitive Surgical faces competitive pressure from Medtronic, which has introduced the Hugo RAS system that showed successful results in a urologic procedure study [2] - Medtronic's Hugo RAS system received its first marketing approval from European regulators in 2021, and an application for U.S. marketing is expected to be submitted to the FDA, potentially allowing sales to begin in early 2026 [4] Operational Performance - In 2024, da Vinci systems conducted 2.68 million procedures, and the company expanded its da Vinci machine installations by 1,790 to a total of 11,040 globally [5] - Hospitals investing in da Vinci systems also commit significant resources to training surgical teams, creating high switching costs that hinder competitors like Medtronic from capturing market share [5] Financial Metrics - Despite the recent decline, Intuitive Surgical's shares are trading at over 55 times earnings estimates, indicating a high valuation [6] - The company anticipates a procedure volume increase of 15.5% to 17% for the year, suggesting strong growth potential [6]