Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $561.82, but opened at $533.96. Intuitive Surgical shares last traded at $539.8390, with a volume of 477,785 shares traded.

Key Stories Impacting Intuitive Surgical

Here are the key news stories impacting Intuitive Surgical this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Phase‑3 update on IS‑001 imaging drug — Intuitive advanced its Phase‑3 study aimed at reducing ureter injuries in robotic colorectal surgery, a safety-focused adjoint that could expand the company’s addressable offering and reinforce surgical‑safety differentiation. Intuitive Surgical Advances Phase 3 Imaging Drug
• Positive Sentiment: daVinci systems demand highlighted — Company commentary and industry coverage say system performance “exceeded expectations” and Intuitive is pushing for more placements, supporting procedure growth and recurring consumable revenue. Intuitive says daVinci systems ‘exceeded expectations,’ it wants more
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains — At least some brokers (e.g., Bernstein) have reiterated buy ratings, signaling continued sell‑side conviction in ISRG’s long‑term growth profile despite near‑term noise. Bernstein Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)
• Positive Sentiment: Investor take: “buying the dip” narratives are emerging — Several bullish commentaries argue the pullback is an entry point given Intuitive’s wide moat, recurring consumables and procedure tailwinds. Intuitive Surgical: Buying The Dip On This Wide-Moat Compounder
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts preparing for Q4 — Preview pieces outline the metrics (procedures, system placements, ASPs, margin drivers) that will matter when full Q4 results and guidance details arrive; these previews can amplify volatility around the print. Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) Q4 Earnings on the Horizon
• Neutral Sentiment: Brokerage commentary roundup — Coverage pieces remind investors that analyst ratings and model changes often move shares; they’re useful context but not a definitive signal by themselves. Brokers Suggest Investing in Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)
• Negative Sentiment: Preliminary Q4 revenue reaction — Although Intuitive reported strong preliminary Q4 and full‑year revenue growth, shares dipped as investors parsed procedure trends, margin dynamics and what management said about demand cadence. That disconnect between a beat and stock action is a key reason for the pullback. Intuitive Surgical Stock Dips on Q4 Preliminary Revenue Results
• Negative Sentiment: Softer 2026 outlook flagged — Company commentary and reporting point to a softer 2026 outlook that trimmed forward expectations, which is the primary negative driver behind today’s weakness. Intuitive Surgical Sets Softer 2026 Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction analysis — Coverage asking “why did shares dive?” notes investors punished the stock for guidance/trajectory concerns despite the beat, illustrating that forward commentary and margin clarity matter more than one‑time beats. Intuitive Surgical Crushed Fourth-Quarter Forecasts. So Why Did Shares Dive?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on ISRG. HSBC boosted their price target on shares of Intuitive Surgical from $595.00 to $644.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 23rd. Zacks Research raised shares of Intuitive Surgical from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Truist Financial increased their price target on shares of Intuitive Surgical from $620.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Evercore ISI set a $580.00 price target on shares of Intuitive Surgical in a report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Intuitive Surgical from $600.00 to $654.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $622.17.

Intuitive Surgical Trading Down 1.2%

The stock has a market capitalization of $191.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 70.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 1.67. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $566.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $512.30.

Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The medical equipment provider reported $2.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.99 by $0.41. Intuitive Surgical had a return on equity of 15.08% and a net margin of 28.58%.The company had revenue of $2.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.84 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 22.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Intuitive Surgical, Inc. will post 6.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Intuitive Surgical

In other Intuitive Surgical news, EVP Henry L. Charlton sold 13,731 shares of Intuitive Surgical stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $580.00, for a total value of $7,963,980.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,056 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,772,480. The trade was a 81.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Mark Brosius sold 4,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $547.36, for a total transaction of $2,463,120.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 907 shares in the company, valued at $496,455.52. This trade represents a 83.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 114,007 shares of company stock worth $63,533,844 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Intuitive Surgical

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in Intuitive Surgical by 24.9% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,672 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $1,916,000 after purchasing an additional 731 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in shares of Intuitive Surgical by 12.2% during the second quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,409 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $766,000 after buying an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Balefire LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Intuitive Surgical during the second quarter worth approximately $449,000. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Intuitive Surgical by 7.4% during the second quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,786 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $970,000 after buying an additional 123 shares during the period. Finally, Pines Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Intuitive Surgical by 27.5% in the second quarter. Pines Wealth Management LLC now owns 603 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $328,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.64% of the company’s stock.

About Intuitive Surgical

Intuitive Surgical, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, is a medical technology company focused on the design, manufacture and service of robotic-assisted surgical systems. The company is best known for its da Vinci surgical systems, which enable minimally invasive procedures by translating a surgeon’s hand movements into finer, scaled motions of small instruments inside the patient. Intuitive’s business centers on supplying hospitals and surgical centers with systems, instruments and related technologies that aim to improve precision, visualization and control in the operating room.

In addition to its core surgical platforms, Intuitive markets a portfolio of reusable and disposable instruments, accessories, and proprietary software, and provides training, servicing and clinical support to its customers.