LIVE
ISRG
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. · Healthcare
$406.78
-7.88% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
MDT
Medtronic plc · Healthcare
$79.34
+0.97% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
ISRG
3
MDT
2
Comparison scoreboard
ISRG LEADS 3/5AI Score
ISRG ✓50.7
MDT 40.3
1Y Return
ISRG -20.57%
MDT ✓-7.93%
Fwd P/E
ISRG 34.88
MDT ✓12.52
Target Up.
ISRG ✓+37.47%
MDT +22.19%
Op. Margin
ISRG ✓30.87%
MDT 21.30%
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
ISRG vs MDT Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
Intuitive Surgical and Medtronic represent two contrasting medtech investment profiles: ISRG is a high-growth, high-margin platform business with a dominant moat in robotic surgery, while MDT is a large-cap value play seeking to re-accelerate growth across a diversified but underperforming portfolio. ISRG commands a significant valuation premium that reflects its superior growth and moat; MDT trades at a discount that reflects years of execution challenges.
The core question is whether an investor wants to pay a premium for Intuitive Surgical's proven platform monopoly or accept Medtronic's discount and bet on a management turnaround across a more complex, diversified business.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
ISRG holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. MDT leads on both 1-year return (-7.93%) and forward P/E (12.52x vs 34.88x for ISRG), a relatively favorable combination of momentum and valuation. ISRG leads on both revenue growth (23.00%) and operating margin (30.87%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for ISRG (+37.47%) than for MDT (+22.19%).
Normalized 1Y performance
ISRG
MDT
Recent returns
ISRG
MDT
Analyst price targets & sentiment
ISRG · 28 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (2.0/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$350.00
analyst high$675.00
analyst mean$565.08
current price$406.78
+37.5% upside to analyst mean
MDT
Price target range
analyst mean$98.00
current price$79.34
+22.2% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
ISRG may suit investors who:
- →want exposure to the dominant platform in robotic-assisted surgery with a durable competitive moat
- →value recurring revenue models driven by procedure volume rather than capital equipment cycles
- →are comfortable paying 50x+ earnings for consistent double-digit growth
- →prefer focused businesses with clear market leadership over diversified conglomerates
MDT may suit investors who:
- →seek a discounted large-cap medtech with dividend income while a turnaround plays out
- →want broad healthcare device exposure across cardiovascular, neuro, and surgical segments
- →are willing to accept below-market growth in exchange for a lower entry valuation
- →believe new management can unlock MDT's underlying portfolio value
Performance & AI score
| Metric | ISRG | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 50.7 | 40.3 |
| AI rank | #423 | #1065 |
| Latest close | $406.78 | $79.34 |
| 1M return | -7.88% | +0.97% |
| 6M return | -26.95% | -19.29% |
| 1Y return | -20.57% | -7.93% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | ISRG | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $7.98K (-20.2%) started 2025-06-18 | $9.25K (-7.5%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $13.65K (+36.5%) started 2021-06-21 | $8.12K (-18.8%) started 2021-06-21 |
| 10Y ago | $56.49K (+464.9%) started 2016-06-20 | $15.14K (+51.4%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | ISRG | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $145.58B | $102.97B |
| Trailing P/E | 50.01 | 21.50 |
| Forward P/E | 34.88 | 12.52 |
| Price/Sales | 22.91 | N/A |
| EV/Revenue | 13.34 | 3.38 |
| Analyst target | $565.08 | $98.00 |
| Target upside | +37.47% | +22.19% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | ISRG | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 23.00% | 9.90% |
| Earnings growth | 18.80% | 17.10% |
| EPS growth | +18.80% | +17.10% |
| FCF margin | +21.30% | +11.20% |
| Operating margin | 30.87% | 21.30% |
| Profit margin | 28.15% | 13.20% |
| ROIC proxy | 17.23% | 9.93% |
| Return on equity | 17.23% | 9.93% |
| Dividend yield | N/A | 3.59% |
| Beta | 1.45 | 0.60 |
| Debt/equity | 0.95 | 57.06 |
| Current ratio | 4.61 | 2.54 |
| Quick ratio | 3.26 | 1.55 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
ISRG max drawdown32.16%
MDT max drawdown30.00%
ISRG max wkly drop8.79%
MDT max wkly drop7.05%
5Y risk snapshot
ISRG max drawdown49.90%
MDT max drawdown45.10%
ISRG max wkly drop22.30%
MDT max wkly drop11.81%
10Y risk snapshot
ISRG max drawdown49.90%
MDT max drawdown45.10%
ISRG max wkly drop22.30%
MDT max wkly drop19.36%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | ISRG | MDT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -20.16% | -7.45% |
| CAGR | -20.19% | -7.46% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.73 | -0.47 | |
| Max drawdown | 32.16% | 30.00% | |
| Max daily drop | 6.67% | 3.91% | |
| Max wkly drop | 8.79% | 7.05% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +36.50% | -28.64% |
| CAGR | +6.43% | -6.54% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.22 | -0.40 | |
| Max drawdown | 49.90% | 45.10% | |
| Max daily drop | 14.34% | 7.26% | |
| Max wkly drop | 22.30% | 11.81% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +464.90% | +17.72% |
| CAGR | +18.92% | +1.65% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.56 | -0.01 | |
| Max drawdown | 49.90% | 45.10% | |
| Max daily drop | 14.34% | 12.82% | |
| Max wkly drop | 22.30% | 19.36% |
Business comparison
| Category | ISRG | MDT |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Intuitive Surgical, Inc. | Medtronic plc |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Medical Instruments & Supplies | N/A |
| Core business | Intuitive Surgical is the dominant manufacturer of robotic-assisted surgical systems, led by the da Vinci platform. Its razor-and-blade business model generates high-margin recurring revenue from instruments and accessories used in each procedure, plus service contracts for its installed base of over 9,000 systems globally. Ion, its flexible robotic bronchoscopy system for lung biopsy, expands addressable markets beyond soft-tissue surgery. | Medtronic is one of the world's largest medical device companies, with four segments: Cardiovascular, Neuroscience, Medical Surgical, and Diabetes. Its product portfolio spans cardiac pacemakers, spinal implants, insulin delivery systems, and surgical tools. The Hugo robotic surgical system is Medtronic's bet on competing with Intuitive Surgical in the robotic surgery market, though it remains early in its international rollout. Revenue is highly diversified across geographies and therapeutic areas. |
| Investor focus | Investors track procedure volume growth (the key recurring revenue driver), da Vinci system placements (the installed base growth), and the rollout of da Vinci 5 — which adds force feedback and improved ergonomics — as a cycle catalyst. | Investors track cardiac device growth (particularly TAVR and cardiac monitoring), the Hugo robotic system's international traction, diabetes segment restructuring, and whether management can return to sustainable mid-single-digit revenue growth after years of underperformance. |
ISRG strengths
- →Dominant robotic surgery platform with 9,000+ installed systems creating a durable recurring revenue moat
- →Procedure volumes are growing 15%+ annually driven by expanding surgical indications
- →Da Vinci 5 launch with force feedback technology reinforces switching costs and extends the upgrade cycle
MDT strengths
- →Highly diversified portfolio across cardiovascular, neuro, surgical, and diabetes reduces single-segment risk
- →Hugo robotic system provides optionality to compete in the fast-growing surgical robotics market
- →Largest medtech installed base globally with deep hospital relationships
Risks to watch — ISRG
- →Premium valuation (50x+ earnings) leaves limited margin for execution misses
- →Competing platforms from J&J (Ottava) and Medtronic (Hugo) threaten long-term market share
- →Hospital budget constraints and capital equipment spending cycles affect system placement timing
Risks to watch — MDT
- →Consistent revenue growth shortfalls versus peers over multiple years
- →Hugo robotic system is years behind da Vinci in clinical breadth and installed base
- →Diabetes segment faces competitive pressure from Abbott and Dexcom in CGM
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