Is Intuitive Surgical a public company?

Yes, it's a publicly listed company trading on the Nasdaq exchange with the ticker ISRG.

Is Intuitive Surgical a good stock to buy?

Intuitive Surgical is a stock that will suit investors looking for a high-quality growth stock and who are confident in the long-term prospects.

How to Buy Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) Stock

How to Buy Intuitive Surgical Stock (ISRG)

By Lee Samaha – Updated Dec 15, 2025 at 4:42 PM EST | Fact-checked by Margo Winton Parodi

Key Points

Intuitive Surgical specializes in robotic-assisted surgery and generates more than 80% of revenue from related services.
Buying ISRG stock requires an account with a brokerage and consideration of investment goals.
The company does not pay dividends, focusing instead on reinvesting into growth and expansion.

Investing in Intuitive Surgical (ISRG -0.40%) is the global leader in robotic-assisted surgery, best known for its da Vinci Surgical Systems. Surgeons in more than 70 countries have used its technology in over 16 million procedures, making the company a dominant force in minimally invasive surgery.

While the robots get the attention, the real business strength lies in Intuitive’s recurring revenue. More than 80% of sales come from instruments, accessories, service contracts, and operating leases tied to its installed base. That model has helped Intuitive generate steady profits and strong cash flow over time.

Here’s how to buy Intuitive Surgical stock and what to consider before investing.

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How to buy Intuitive Surgical stock

The company is listed on the NASDAQ exchange and has an average daily volume of shares traded of around 1.5 million.

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Here's the process for buying Intuitive Surgical stock:

Open your brokerage account: Log in to your brokerage account where you handle your investments. If you don't have one yet, take a look at our favorite brokers and trading platforms to find the right one for you.
Fund your account: Transfer money so you’re ready to invest.
Search for Intuitive Surgical: Enter the ticker "ISRG" into the search bar to bring up the stock's trading page.
Decide how many shares to buy: Consider your investment goals and how much of your portfolio you want to allocate to this stock.
Select order type: Choose between a market order to buy at the current price or a limit order to specify the maximum price you're willing to pay.
Submit your order: Confirm the details and submit your buy order.
Review your purchase: Check your portfolio to ensure your order was filled as expected and adjust your investment strategy accordingly.

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Should you invest in Intuitive Surgical stock?

Intuitive Surgical is a growth stock rather than a value stock, meaning relatively more of the value in the stock comes from its future earnings and cash-flow streams.

The company has a powerful competitive moat built around its installed base of da Vinci systems and a razor-and-blade revenue model. Each new system placement creates years of recurring sales from instruments, accessories, and services. As procedure volumes rise globally, Intuitive benefits even without dramatically increasing system sales.

That said, much of this strength is already reflected in the stock’s valuation. Intuitive doesn’t pay a dividend, and future returns depend largely on continued growth meeting high expectations. If adoption slows or competition intensifies, the stock could underperform.

Bottom line: Intuitive Surgical may appeal to long-term investors who want exposure to healthcare innovation and are comfortable paying a premium for market leadership. It’s best suited for growth-focused portfolios, not investors seeking dividends or bargain-priced stocks.

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NASDAQ: ISRG

Intuitive Surgical

Today's Change

(-0.40%) $-1.49

Current Price

$373.71

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$132B

Day's Range

$371.68 - $378.64

52wk Range

$328.57 - $603.88

Volume

Avg Vol

3.1M

Gross Margin

66.66%

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A robotic surgery machine. — Image source: Getty Images.

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Is Intuitive Surgical profitable?

Intuitive Surgical is a profitable healthcare company with an operating income of $2.4 billion in 2024. With its growing base of da Vinci systems, services revenue, and increasing recurring revenue, it's highly likely to grow sales and earnings for many years.

The company's nonrecurring revenue generates the bulk of its profits and is the key to its future earnings. The good news is that it's growing as a share of total revenue (from 71% in 2017 to 84% in 2024), indicating strong demand for the use of its systems in procedures.

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Does Intuitive Surgical pay a dividend?

As a company focused on growth, it doesn't pay dividends and is unlikely to do so for the foreseeable future.

How to invest in Intuitive Surgical through ETFs

You don’t have to buy Intuitive Surgical stock directly to gain exposure to the company. Another option is investing through exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which hold baskets of stocks and trade like individual shares.

Because Intuitive Surgical sits at the intersection of healthcare and robotics, it appears in several sector-focused ETFs:

iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (IHI +0.73%): One of the most direct ways to gain exposure. Intuitive Surgical is a top holding, meaning its performance has a meaningful impact on the fund.
Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ -0.96%): This ETF focuses on automation, robotics, and AI. Intuitive Surgical is a significant holding, alongside industrial and technology companies.
ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics ETF (ARKQ +0.65%): A more aggressive, actively managed ETF that includes Intuitive Surgical as a smaller position among emerging technology stocks.

ETFs can be a good choice if you want exposure to Intuitive Surgical while spreading risk across multiple companies in healthcare or robotics.

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Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)

An exchange-traded fund, or ETF, allows investors to buy many stocks or bonds at once.

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Will Intuitive Surgical stock split?

Management has already initiated three stock splits along the way. There was a 1:2 stock split in 2003 when the price was less than $2 a share, followed by a 3:1 split in the summer of 2017 and another 3:1 split in May 2021. The last two splits were driven by the spectacular rise in the stock price over the previous few decades (up 22,400% since the start of 2003).

Given that the stock price stood at around $546 a share as of late 2025, management could go for another stock split since there's been a significant appreciation in the share price.

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The bottom line

Intuitive Surgical is the clear leader in robotic-assisted surgery, with a powerful recurring-revenue model built around its da Vinci systems. That combination has driven strong, consistent growth and supports long-term earnings potential.

The trade-off is valuation. The stock doesn’t pay a dividend and already reflects high expectations for future growth. For investors comfortable with premium growth stocks, Intuitive Surgical could be a strong long-term holding. More conservative investors may prefer to gain exposure through ETFs or wait for a more attractive entry point.

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Investing in Intuitive Surgical FAQs

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About the Author

Lee Samaha is a contributing Stock Market Analyst at The Motley Fool covering industrials, electricals, energy, materials, transportation, and infrastructure stocks. Prior to The Motley Fool, Lee was a Civil Engineer and Investment Manager. He holds a Bachelor of Civil and Structural Engineering from Southampton University and a Certificate in Investment Management from Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. Lee first cut his investing teeth on The Motley Fool bulletin boards (commonly referred to as the “Fool Boards,”) and he’s infinitely grateful to all of the investors he learned from in this powerful investing community.

TMFSaintGermain

@LeeSamaha

Lee Samaha has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Surgical. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

How to Buy Intuitive Surgical Stock (ISRG)

Key Points

How to buy Intuitive Surgical stock

Should you invest in Intuitive Surgical stock?

NASDAQ: ISRG

Key Data Points

Is Intuitive Surgical profitable?

Does Intuitive Surgical pay a dividend?

How to invest in Intuitive Surgical through ETFs

Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)

Will Intuitive Surgical stock split?

The bottom line

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