Intuitive Surgical, Inc. $ISRG Stock: Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI Boosts Stake

Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI grew its holdings in shares of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) by 6.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 41,642 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,512 shares during the quarter. Intuitive Surgical makes up 1.0% of Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. WI’s holdings in Intuitive Surgical were worth $16,933,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Atlas Brown Inc. increased its position in shares of Intuitive Surgical by 6.0% during the 3rd quarter. Atlas Brown Inc. now owns 563 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock valued at $229,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC bought a new stake in Intuitive Surgical in the third quarter worth $439,000. GK Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Intuitive Surgical in the third quarter worth $126,000. Successful Portfolios LLC boosted its stake in Intuitive Surgical by 6.0% during the third quarter. Successful Portfolios LLC now owns 534 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $216,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the period. Finally, Riversedge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Intuitive Surgical by 74.5% during the third quarter. Riversedge Advisors LLC now owns 1,654 shares of the medical equipment provider’s stock worth $673,000 after buying an additional 706 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.64% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Intuitive Surgical

In related news, Director Gary S. Guthart sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $400.00, for a total transaction of $4,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 1,245,679 shares in the company, valued at $498,271,600. This represents a 0.80% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Mark Brosius sold 77 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $375.57, for a total value of $28,918.89. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 881 shares in the company, valued at approximately $330,877.17. The trade was a 8.04% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 12,370 shares of company stock worth $4,891,989. 0.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Mizuho set a $500.00 price objective on shares of Intuitive Surgical and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Intuitive Surgical in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Intuitive Surgical from $520.00 to $515.00 in a report on Friday, June 12th. Raymond James Financial reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $483.00 price objective (down from $577.00) on shares of Intuitive Surgical in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Leerink Partners decreased their target price on Intuitive Surgical from $573.00 to $454.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $502.53.

Intuitive Surgical Stock Performance

NASDAQ ISRG opened at $423.96 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $386.36 and its 200-day moving average price is $411.26. Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has a 52-week low of $328.57 and a 52-week high of $603.88. The company has a market cap of $149.78 billion, a PE ratio of 48.56, a P/E/G ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 1.46.

Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The medical equipment provider reported $2.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.48 by $0.32. The company had revenue of $2.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.83 billion. Intuitive Surgical had a net margin of 28.45% and a return on equity of 16.91%. Intuitive Surgical’s revenue was up 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.81 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Intuitive Surgical, Inc. will post 8.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Intuitive Surgical

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays upgraded Intuitive Surgical to “strong buy” and initiated coverage at “overweight,” citing the company’s high-quality healthcare-equipment business despite a softer medical-device market. The bullish rating provides a near-term catalyst for the shares. Barclays initiates coverage of Intuitive Surgical
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler also assigned a Buy rating, reinforcing favorable sell-side sentiment around ISRG. Intuitive Surgical gets a Buy from Piper Sandler
• Positive Sentiment: The company’s single-port robotic platform is gaining momentum, with rising procedures, utilization and system placements. Expanding medical indications and international adoption could support longer-term revenue growth. Can ISRG’s Single-Port Platform Become the Next Billion-Dollar Franchise?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ average recommendation remains bullish, but commentary warns that consensus ratings can be overly optimistic and that ISRG’s valuation leaves limited room for disappointment. Is Intuitive Surgical a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Neutral Sentiment: A reported short-interest figure of zero shares and a zero-day days-to-cover ratio suggests the latest short-interest data may be incomplete or erroneous, limiting its usefulness as a trading signal.
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer expressed concern that Johnson & Johnson and other rivals could intensify competition in robotic surgery, potentially pressuring ISRG’s long-term market position. Intuitive Surgical and JNJ Give Jim Cramer More Than Valuation to Consider

About Intuitive Surgical

Intuitive Surgical, Inc develops and commercializes robotic-assisted systems and related technologies designed to support minimally invasive medical procedures. The company’s products are intended to help surgeons perform operations through small incisions while providing enhanced visualization, precision, and control.

Its principal product is the da Vinci Surgical System, a platform used across a range of specialties, including general surgery, urology, gynecology, thoracic surgery, and cardiac procedures.