Intuitive Surgical (ISRG 4.89%) released earnings last week, and investors who were hoping to get a bit more clarity on this stock from the report were sadly disappointed. The company declined to give 2014 guidance given the changing industry dynamics, including the impact of Obamacare. Shares fell 6% on the news.
Although investors didn't get specific guidance from the company, they did get a chance to see some idea of what to expect this year. Sales of the company's da Vinci surgical systems and the procedure growth rate are expected to be lower than in 2013. Combining that with an expected upward trend in operating expenses as the company focuses on international growth in Europe and Japan, and 2014 starts to look potentially challenging for the stock.
In this video from Friday's Market Checkup, Motley Fool health-care analyst David Williamson takes investors through the key things to watch with Intuitive Surgical, to see if it can pull out of the doldrums ahead.
