2 Healthcare Stocks for Beginner Investors With a 40-Year Time Horizon

Core Insights - The healthcare sector offers diverse investment opportunities for new investors, including pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device companies [1][2] Company Analysis: Intuitive Surgical - Intuitive Surgical's flagship product, the da Vinci surgical system, facilitates complex, minimally invasive surgeries, driving profitability [3] - The company generates significant recurring revenue from instruments and accessories, which delivered over $1.5 billion in Q3 2025 due to rising procedure volumes [4] - Service contracts for the installed base of systems contributed approximately $396 million in revenue in Q3, while system sales accounted for $590 million, leading to total revenue of $2.5 billion, a 23% increase year-over-year [5] - The installed base of da Vinci systems grew to 10,763, a 13% increase year-over-year, with worldwide procedures increasing by about 20% [7] - Intuitive Surgical maintains a competitive advantage through high switching costs, extensive surgeon training, and a strong patent portfolio [8] - There is significant potential for growth in robotic surgery adoption as many eligible procedures still use traditional methods [9] Company Analysis: Johnson & Johnson - Johnson & Johnson is recognized as a Dividend King, having increased its dividend for 63 consecutive years, with a recent quarterly dividend of $1.30 per share, reflecting a 4.8% increase [11][12] - The "innovative medicine" segment generated $15.56 billion in net sales in Q3, a 6.8% year-over-year increase, driven by strong demand for oncology and immunology drugs [13] - Notable drug sales included Darzalex, which rose over 20%, and Tremfya, which jumped over 40% [14] - The medtech segment also performed well, with $8.43 billion in sales in Q3, a 6.8% increase year-over-year, primarily due to electrophysiology cardiovascular products [16] - Overall Q3 sales reached $24 billion, a 6.8% increase year-over-year, with net earnings of $5.2 billion, representing a 91% increase from the previous year [16] - Johnson & Johnson holds a AAA credit rating from S&P Global, indicating high creditworthiness and low risk of default [17]