What $1K Invested in Intuitive Surgical 10 Years Ago Would Be Worth Today

Imagine you threw $1,000 at Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) back in November 2015. Fast forward a decade, and that investment would’ve ballooned to $10,079—a mind-bending 908% gain.

For context: the S&P 500 returned 219% over the same period, and gold? Just 264%. ISRG basically lapped them both.

What’s the Play?

ISRG isn’t just another medtech stock. The company dominates the robotic-assisted surgery space with its da Vinci system—think AI-powered surgical robots that let doctors perform minimally-invasive procedures with superior precision. Their newer da Vinci 5 is gaining serious traction, with 240 U.S. placements in Q3 alone.

Why It’s Still Hot

2024 Numbers: $8.35B in revenue, up 17.2% YoY. The breakdown tells the story—60.8% from instruments/accessories (recurring revenue stream), 23.6% from system sales, and 15.6% from services.

Here’s what matters: global procedures jumped 19% YoY, with U.S. growth at 16% and overseas at 24%. The company just raised 2025 guidance to 17-17.5% growth with margins expanding to 67-67.5%.

The Catch

Gross margins took a hit from tariffs and higher costs. Medicaid policy uncertainty is also on the radar. But analysts aren’t worried—10 earnings revisions upward vs. zero downward for 2025. Stock’s up 7.14% in four weeks.

Bottom line: Sometimes the best investments are boring healthcare plays, not sexy meme stocks.