Intuitive Surgical (symbol ISRG on Nasdaq) makes the “da Vinci,” a computerized surgical system. Intuitive’s shares trade at a high price, but you can buy as few as you wish through any broker.
Intuitive is one of the aggressive stock investing picks we analyze in our Stock Pickers Digest newsletter.
Guided by a miniature camera connected to a 3-D monitor, surgeons use the da Vinci to operate by remotely manipulating tiny robotic arms. This is safer and far less invasive than regular surgery. It reduces the patient’s recovery time, post-operative discomfort, scarring and infection risk.
In the three months ended December 31, 2010, Intuitive earned $121.2 million, or $3.10 a share. That’s up 56.4% from $77.5 million, or $2.02 a share a year earlier. Revenue rose 20.5% to $389.3 million from $323.0 million.
Revenue from replenishable supplies rose 33.5%. Intuitive gets over half of its income from stable and steady sales of replacement parts, training and other services. That cuts its risk.
Intuitive is debt free, and has cash of $1.6 billion, or $40.71 a share. It spends a high 8.4% of its revenue on research, and may use some of its cash to expand. The shares trade at 34.8 times the $9.47 a share that Intuitive earned in 2010.
You can get our full analysis, including our clear buy/sell/hold stock investing advice, on Intuitive and dozens of other stocks that may be suitable for the part of your portfolio you devote to aggressive stock investing in Stock Pickers Digest. What’s more, you can get one month free when you subscribe now. Click here to learn how.
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