Intuitive Surgical (ISRG): analysis in plain words
Is Intuitive Surgical cheap or expensive? How it makes money, whether it grows and its risks, explained in plain words and with its official accounts.
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) is listed on the Nasdaq and we classify it in healthcare and pharma. Below are its key dated figures, how it makes money, how it compares with its sector, what works for and against Intuitive Surgical according to those figures, and the questions people ask most about the stock. No buy or sell tips.
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) key figures as of November 4, 2026
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $482.10 | Last price on November 4, 2026 |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 58.3x | Price over earnings per share |
| Revenue growth | +21.7% | Latest quarter vs the same quarter a year earlier |
| Net margin (TTM) | 25.5% | Profit for every 100 of sales |
| Net debt / EBITDA | Net cash (more cash than debt) | Years of operating profit to repay debt |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | Annual dividend over price |
| Market cap | $170.3 billion | What the stock market values it at |
The Intuitive Surgical figures come from Yahoo Finance, the same source the Fintols analysis uses, retrieved on November 4, 2026. Any ISRG figure that is not available shows as N/A: we do not estimate it.
How Intuitive Surgical makes money
Intuitive Surgical sells the da Vinci surgical robot and the Ion lung biopsy system to hospitals. Its biggest revenue source is instruments and accessories used up in each procedure, followed by system sales and leases and service contracts. The United States is its main market, with growing international sales.
Over the last 12 months, Intuitive Surgical brought in revenue of $11.6 billion. For every 100 it sells, Intuitive Surgical keeps 66.6 after the direct cost of what it sells (gross margin) and 33.3 after all operating costs (operating margin).
Intuitive Surgical against its sector
To know whether a Intuitive Surgical figure is high or low you have to put it next to similar companies. This table compares Intuitive Surgical with the median of the 30 healthcare and pharma companies Fintols covers, with data as of November 4, 2026.
| Figure | Intuitive Surgical | healthcare and pharma median |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 58.3x | 31.3x (30) |
| Revenue growth | +21.7% | +8.3% (33) |
| Net margin | 25.5% | 14.9% (33) |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 1.52% (33) |
| Net debt / EBITDA | -0.9x | 1.6x (31) |
In short, against the typical healthcare and pharma company, Intuitive Surgical trades on a higher P/E, grows faster and earns a wider margin. By size, Intuitive Surgical ranks number 12 of 28 healthcare and pharma companies quoted in USD on Fintols.
The bull case for Intuitive Surgical
These are the strengths in the Intuitive Surgical figures as of November 4, 2026:
- Intuitive Surgical is selling more than a year ago: +21.7% in its latest quarter (the typical healthcare and pharma company grew +8.3%).
- Its net margin over the last 12 months is 25.5% (sector median: 14.9%): Intuitive Surgical turns a large share of its sales into profit.
The main risk for Intuitive Surgical
The price already assumes a lot: Intuitive Surgical trades at 58.3x its last 12 months of earnings, against 31.3x for the healthcare and pharma median. If growth disappoints, the multiple can shrink and the share price with it.
And, like the rest of healthcare and pharma, Intuitive Surgical is exposed to a key drug losing patent protection or a clinical trial failing, plus government pressure on prices.
Frequently asked questions about Intuitive Surgical
Is it a good time to buy Intuitive Surgical stock?
Fintols does not tell you whether to buy or sell Intuitive Surgical, and nobody knows what the price will do tomorrow. What we can show you is where it stands today. As of November 4, 2026, Intuitive Surgical stock trades at $482.10, 20% below its 52-week high ($603.88) and 47% above its low ($328.57). Its P/E is 58.3x against a healthcare and pharma median of 31.3x, and 38.7x on the earnings analysts expect over the next 12 months. With Intuitive Surgical, as with any stock, timing matters less than understanding the business, investing for the long run and not betting everything on a single company.
Does Intuitive Surgical pay a dividend?
No. As of November 4, 2026, Intuitive Surgical does not pay a dividend: what it earns stays in the company to grow, invest or, where it does so, buy back shares. Anyone buying Intuitive Surgical today is counting on the share price rising, not on income.
Is Intuitive Surgical stock expensive?
It depends on what you compare it with. On P/E, Intuitive Surgical trades at 58.3x its last 12 months of earnings: more expensive than the healthcare and pharma median (31.3x). A high P/E alone does not make Intuitive Surgical expensive: it can be justified if earnings grow fast, and a low one can reflect a business in trouble.
Who are Intuitive Surgical's competitors?
On Fintols we compare Intuitive Surgical with Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic and Merck, which are also in healthcare and pharma. As of November 4, 2026, Johnson & Johnson is worth $665.2 billion and trades on a P/E of 41.9; Medtronic is worth $134.3 billion and trades on a P/E of 25.8; Merck is worth $371.0 billion and trades on a P/E of 151.9. Each has a side-by-side comparison with Intuitive Surgical below.
Intuitive Surgical competitors
- Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) analysis · Intuitive Surgical vs Johnson & Johnson comparison
- Medtronic (MDT) analysis · Intuitive Surgical vs Medtronic comparison
- Merck (MRK) analysis · Intuitive Surgical vs Merck comparison
To understand Intuitive Surgical better
- DCF and WACC Explained: A Practical Valuation Guide
- P/E Ratio and EPS Explained: How to Read Them Without Traps
More companies like Intuitive Surgical: healthcare and pharma stocks, S&P 500 companies and S&P 100 companies. Open the full ISRG analysis with its valuation and scenarios. Educational content about Intuitive Surgical, not investment advice.