Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISRG)

Intuitive Surgical faces near-term headwinds from tariffs and increased competition in the robotic-assisted surgery market from Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson. Despite trading at a premium valuation of 47.6x forward earnings, the company's strong competitive moat, expanding market opportunity, and consistent financial growth position it as an attractive long-term investment for buy-and-hold investors willing to tolerate near-term volatility.

The Motley Fool•Prosper Junior Bakiny

Mar 27

Elon Musk announced Terafab, a $25 billion joint venture between Tesla, SpaceX, and XAI to build a vertically integrated semiconductor factory producing 1 terawatt of AI computing power annually. The facility aims to address supply chain bottlenecks and support Tesla's robotaxi and humanoid robot ambitions, plus SpaceX's orbital AI satellite constellation. While ambitious, industry experts question feasibility given the complexity of chip fabrication and Musk's mixed track record on delivery timelines.

The Motley Fool•Motley Fool Staff

Mar 27

The article recommends two defensive healthcare stocks for portfolio protection during market uncertainty: Abbott Laboratories, a diversified healthcare company with four business units and a 50+ year dividend growth track record, and Intuitive Surgical, the global leader in robotic surgery with strong competitive advantages through surgeon training and recurring accessory revenue.

The Motley Fool•Adria Cimino

Mar 22

The FDA issued an early alert regarding a safety issue with Intuitive Surgical's curved-tip stapler devices used in the da Vinci Surgical System. The devices have failed to form complete staple lines during procedures involving blood vessels, potentially causing unintended tissue cutting and severe bleeding. As of February 23, 2026, four serious injuries and one death have been reported. Intuitive Surgical has advised healthcare providers to remove affected devices from use and switch to alternative surgical tools.

Benzinga•Vandana Singh

Mar 19

The global surgical stapling devices market was valued at USD 5.47 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 10.14 billion by 2035, growing at a 7.2% CAGR. Growth is driven by increasing surgical volumes, adoption of minimally invasive and robotic procedures, rising obesity and colorectal disease prevalence, and technological innovations in powered stapling systems. North America leads the market while Asia Pacific shows the fastest growth.

GlobeNewswire Inc.•Healthcare Foresights

Mar 18

Intuitive Surgical reported strong Q4 2025 results with 19% revenue growth and 18% procedure volume growth, but management guided for a notable deceleration to 13-15% procedure growth in 2026. While the business fundamentals remain solid, the stock's valuation at 63x earnings leaves little room for error. The analyst recommends holding for current shareholders but staying on the sidelines for new investors, with interest only at a 45x earnings valuation.

The Motley Fool•Daniel Sparks

Mar 12

Despite facing recent headwinds, Intuitive Surgical and DexCom are positioned for strong long-term growth. Intuitive Surgical benefits from aging population trends and a wide competitive moat despite new competition from Medtronic's Hugo system. DexCom has significant untapped market potential with millions of uninsured diabetes patients and expanding into non-diabetic markets with products like Stelo.

The Motley Fool•Prosper Junior Bakiny

Mar 10

The article recommends two healthcare dividend stocks: Becton, Dickinson (BDX), a Dividend King with 50+ years of consecutive dividend increases and a 2.4% yield, and Medtronic (MDT), an aspiring Dividend King with a 2.9% yield and new surgical robotics growth potential. Both stocks are trading below $1,000 and currently out of favor with Wall Street, presenting potential buying opportunities for long-term dividend investors.

The Motley Fool•Reuben Gregg Brewer

Mar 8

Medtronic has just received FDA approval for its Hugo surgical robot system in the U.S., positioning it as a potential growth opportunity similar to Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci system. With a P/E of 27 compared to Intuitive Surgical's 64, Medtronic appears undervalued and could see significant upside if Hugo achieves similar adoption rates. The company also offers a 2.9% dividend yield with decades of increases, making it attractive for dividend investors.

The Motley Fool•Reuben Gregg Brewer

Mar 1

Medtronic is positioned as an attractive lifetime hold in the medical device sector, expanding into robotic surgery with FDA approval for its Hugo system. The company offers a compelling valuation (P/E of 16.3), a 48-year dividend increase streak with a 2.9% yield, and is spinning off its diabetes division to focus on faster-growing businesses. Recent Q3 results showed 8.7% revenue growth year-over-year.

The Motley Fool•Selena Maranjian

Feb 28