2 Healthcare Stocks for Beginner Investors With a 10-Year Time Horizon

Core Insights - The article highlights two healthcare stocks, Intuitive Surgical and GE HealthCare Technologies, as potential long-term investment opportunities for investors looking to enrich their portfolios over the coming decades [1][2]. Intuitive Surgical - Intuitive Surgical is the leader in robotic-assisted surgery, primarily due to its da Vinci surgical system, which has a dominant global market position and significant switching costs for hospitals [4][5]. - The company generates substantial recurring revenue from instruments, accessories, and service contracts, which are more significant than initial system sales [5]. - In Q3 2025, Intuitive Surgical reported revenue of $2.5 billion, a 23% increase year-over-year, with $1.5 billion from instruments and accessories, $590 million from systems, and $396 million from services [6]. - The company has a robust balance sheet with approximately $8.4 billion in cash and investments, allowing for future growth investments [10]. - The robotic-assisted surgery market remains underpenetrated, with an aging population and increasing demand for minimally invasive procedures providing a growing opportunity for Intuitive Surgical [8][9]. GE HealthCare Technologies - GE HealthCare Technologies, spun off from General Electric in 2023, offers a wide range of medical products, including imaging equipment and patient monitoring systems, aimed at creating a more focused and agile healthcare technology company [11]. - The company is actively integrating AI into its products, enhancing medical imaging quality and diagnostic capabilities [12][15]. - In Q3 2025, GE HealthCare reported revenue of $5.1 billion, a 6% increase year-over-year, with its pharmaceutical diagnostics segment growing by 20% [16][18]. - Despite facing margin pressures from tariffs, GE HealthCare reported a net income of $446 million and generated free cash flow of approximately $483 million in the same quarter [18].