Intuitive Surgical Shares Climb 1.34% with $960M Volume Ranking 91st Amid Expansion and Analyst Optimism

On August 22, 2025, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) shares rose 1.34% to $476.16, with a trading volume of $0.96 billion, ranking 91st in market activity. The company, a leader in robotic-assisted surgical systems, reported a 21% year-over-year revenue increase to $2.44 billion in Q2 2025, driven by higher procedure volumes and system placements. Recent regulatory approvals for its da Vinci 5 system in Europe and Japan underscore its market expansion efforts. Analysts project modest earnings growth for the fiscal year, with a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating from 29 analysts, including 18 "Strong Buy" recommendations.

Despite strong quarterly results, ISRG has underperformed broader market indices over the past 12 months, lagging behind the S&P 500’s 13.3% gain. The stock’s 3.6% rally over the same period contrasts with a 7.2% decline in the healthcare equipment ETF (XHE). RBC Capital raised its price target to $615, reflecting confidence in Intuitive’s long-term margins and procedure growth projections of 15.5%–17%. However, the stock’s elevated P/E ratio of 65.53 and PEG ratio of 3.94 indicate valuation concerns relative to industry peers.

Short interest in ISRG rose 11.11% recently, with a days-to-cover ratio of 2.4, signaling mixed investor sentiment. Institutional ownership remains robust at 83.64%, while insider selling activity in the past three months totaled $7.9 million. Analysts highlight the company’s $9.53 billion in cash reserves and consistent earnings surprises as strengths, though valuation multiples suggest limited near-term upside. The mean price target of $597.12 implies a 27.1% potential gain, while the highest analyst target of $685 represents a 45.8% upside.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day generated a total profit of $2,550 from 2022 to the present. The cumulative return reached 255%, with a maximum drawdown of -22.3%, reflecting a volatile yet ultimately profitable market trajectory.