Surgical Drop: This Robot’s Stock Needs a Check-Up
Snack-Sized Version:
Intuitive Surgical’s stock dipped 1.36%, outpacing the broader market’s more casual slide of 0.27%. The company has underperformed the sector and market, falling over 6% while its peers rose. Despite that, Wall Street still expects good news in the next earnings report, predicting a revenue jump of nearly 17% and EPS growth of 7.87%. Zacks analysts remain lukewarm with a Rank #3 (Hold), reflecting neither doom nor boom. While revenue and earnings projections look healthy, the company trades at a lofty Forward P/E of 67.55, which makes even premium-priced lattes look like bargains. Analyst forecast revisions—often a stock’s mood ring—have shown little movement recently. Investors should stay tuned but maybe keep the champagne on ice for now.
Read the Full Meal:
Intuitive Surgical’s stock recently took a sharper cut than the overall market, dropping 1.36% compared to the S&P 500’s gentler 0.27% slip. Over the past month, it hasn’t been much better—its stock sank 6.09% while the broader Medical sector and the S&P 500 enjoyed healthy gains. You could say Intuitive’s shares missed the rally bus and got stuck waiting in the hospital lobby.
Despite this stumble, analysts haven’t lost hope. The next earnings report is expected to bring some good news. Projections show a 7.87% year-over-year EPS boost to $1.92 and a 16.81% spike in revenue, reaching $2.35 billion. For the full year, estimates suggest $7.84 in earnings per share and $9.65 billion in revenue—both improvements from last year. It’s like the company’s income is trying to book a room in the ICU: Increasing, but under pressure.
Investors are watching analyst forecast revisions closely, as these can be telling. Positive changes often hint at good news ahead, like the stock market equivalent of seeing the doctor smile before delivering your test results. Unfortunately, there haven’t been many smiles lately—EPS estimates have stayed flat. As a result, Intuitive carries a Zacks Rank of #3, which means “Hold,” or in market speak: “We’re just not that into you… yet.”
Then there’s the matter of valuation. Intuitive Surgical is rocking a Forward P/E of 67.55, more than double the industry average. If that weren’t enough, its PEG ratio is 4.47, while its peers are hanging out around 2.28. In simpler terms, it’s an expensive date, even if it’s charming and futuristic. Investors hoping for smoother performance may want to check vital signs again before making any big moves.