Got $1,500? These 2 Stocks Could Be Bargain Buys for 2022 and Beyond

While the ongoing stock market volatility has rocked nearly every sector lately, investors with a long-term buy-and-hold perspective can still find opportunities amid the storm. 

The reality is that the most momentous investor returns usually occur on a few days of the year. No one -- and I mean no one -- knows when those days will be. For investors looking to build upon and compound their portfolio gains through the years, this is best accomplished by staying in the market and consistently investing through its highs and lows, rather than jumping in and out in hopes of timing the right moment to buy or sell a stock. 

If you're in the position to keep building your portfolio in the current market and have $1,500 to put into stocks -- money you don't need to pay bills or other expenses -- here are two top healthcare stocks to take a second look at now. 

1. Teladoc 

It hasn't been an easy time for Teladoc Health (TDOC -2.91%) investors over the past year or so -- not by a long shot. As a shareholder of Teladoc myself, I've felt the pain of the stock's downfall as much as anyone. From the company's rapid ascent in the earlier days of the pandemic to the stock's equally momentous retreat with other growth stocks (and following the $10 billion write-down of its Livongo acquisition in the first half of 2022), investors have had to exert particular patience with this stock.

However, if the company's recent earnings report is any indication, we could be seeing the beginning of Teladoc's much-awaited recovery. In the third quarter, Teladoc reported that its revenue grew 17% from the year-ago period, while total visits on its platform jumped 14% on a year-over-year basis.

Although the company still reported a net loss of roughly $74 million, it's worth noting that this is a considerable improvement on a sequential basis. In the previous quarter, Teladoc's net loss came to an eye-watering $3.1 billion due to another massive impairment charge attributable to the Livongo acquisition. On a year-over-year basis, Teladoc trimmed its net loss by about $10 million or 13%.

Looking at the first nine months of 2022 as a whole, Teladoc's revenue and total platform visits increased by 20% and 25%, respectively, from the same stretch in 2021. The company also reported positive adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) of $152.4 million for the nine-month period.  

Taking a step back from the events of recent quarters, my investment thesis about Teladoc -- the reason I bought the stock in the first place -- remains intact.

The company remains an unequivocal leader in the global telehealth market: a space on track to hit a valuation of $787 billion by the year 2028.  The combination of an aging population coupled with the convenience and affordability that telehealth options provide make Teladoc's platform an indispensable fixture in the modern age and well beyond. 

And while a single quarter alone shouldn't cause you to buy or sell a stock, the company's top and bottom line beat in its third-quarter report could pose the start of the journey back that investors like myself have been waiting for as it gradually recovers from the financial impact of the Livongo acquisition and integrates these various systems into its business operations for the long term. 

At its current share price, a $1,500 investment in Teladoc would leave you with approximately 52 shares. 

2. Intuitive Surgical 

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG -0.50%) has managed to remain in firm control of the lion's share of the global surgical robotics market for nearly three decades and counting. The most recent estimates place Intuitive Surgical's market share at a whopping 80%. 

This fact, coupled with the company's incredible history of top- and bottom-line growth, has made Intuitive Surgical one of those rock-solid healthcare stocks investors can buy and hold for many years.

Intuitive Surgical's top-selling and flagship product is its Da Vinci Surgical System. This system was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000. From cardiovascular procedures to general surgery, the Da Vinci Surgical System has been used in millions of procedures globally since that time. 

Even though procedure volumes have been shaken globally in recent quarters as certain markets have grappled with rising COVID-19 cases -- and these factors have been evident in Intuitive Surgical's financial reports -- none of these headwinds are at all related to the company's core, underlying business. And in the most recent quarter, Da Vinci procedure volume showed strong signs of recovery, rising 20% from the year-ago period.

Even with the challenges of the current environment, Intuitive Surgical has increased its annual revenue, net income, and cash from operations by respective amounts of 28%, 24%, and 31% over the trailing three-year period alone.  

In the first nine months of 2022, Intuitive Surgical's revenue increased 10% compared to the same period in 2021 to $4.6 billion. While its bottom line was down slightly on a year-over-year basis, the company still reported net income just shy of $1 billion for that nine-month window. Meanwhile, it closed the period with $7.4 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and investments on its balance sheet.  

A $1,500 investment in Intuitive Surgical would garner you about six shares in the current market.