Should You Buy Intuitive Surgical Stock Before Oct. 21?

Core Insights - Investing in future technologies positions Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) as a compelling long-term investment opportunity, particularly with its robotic-assisted da Vinci surgical systems poised to transform the healthcare sector [1] - The high cost of the da Vinci systems, exceeding $2 million, makes the growth in install base and procedure rates critical metrics for investors to assess demand strength [2] - Concerns over tariffs are impacting the stock performance, with the company set to report earnings on October 21, which could influence investor sentiment if tariff worries are deemed exaggerated [3] Financial Performance - Intuitive Surgical's stock has declined by 14% since its Q2 earnings report, falling from $511 to just over $438 as of September 25 [4] - The stock has shown significant volatility over the past year, with sharp fluctuations following earnings announcements [5] - The company reported a 17% increase in da Vinci procedures last quarter, with an install base of 10,488 systems, reflecting a 14% year-over-year growth [8] - Revenue for the last quarter reached $2.4 billion, marking a 21% increase, while net income rose by 25% [8] Tariff Impact - The stock's decline in July was attributed to concerns regarding tariffs, which the company estimated could increase its cost of sales by over 1% [7] - CFO Jamie Samath highlighted the potential for future tariff rates to significantly impact costs, contributing to investor uncertainty [7] - Investors may remain cautious until there is more clarity on the financial implications of tariffs [7]