Intuitive Surgical, Inc. vs STRYKER CORP, two Medical Devices stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Intuitive Surgical is a monopoly annuity, robotic systems installed once and monetized per procedure at a 30.9% operating margin; Stryker is a diversified execution machine, orthopedics and med-surg compounding at 15.6% with an acquisition engine attached. The economics rank them plainly, 28.2% net margin against 13.2%, 14.8% return on assets against 7.2%, Intuitive debt-free against Stryker's 0.64 turns. The multiples agree, 49.2 against 38.5, though the eleven-turn gap is modest for a doubled margin structure. Stryker pays the small dividend and yields more cash, 3.6% against 2%. The pair prices two kinds of moat: one product's depth against a portfolio's breadth, with depth commanding the premium it usually earns.
Comparison updated 2026-07-10.
| Metric | ISRG | SYK |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $404.75 | $332.30 |
| Market cap | $145.6B | $128.4B |
| Sector | Medical Devices | Medical Devices |
| Stage | Growth | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | — | +23.7% |
| P/E | 49.2 | 38.5 |
| P/B | 8.28 | 5.59 |
| P/S | 13.76 | 5.08 |
| EV/EBITDA | 44.6 | 21.3 |
| Revenue growth | +21.5% | +8.8% |
| Gross margin | 66.1% | 63.3% |
| Operating margin | 30.9% | 15.6% |
| Net margin | 28.1% | 13.2% |
| Return on equity | 16.9% | 14.5% |
| Return on assets | 14.8% | 7.2% |
| Return on invested capital | 16.1% | 11.6% |
| FCF yield | 1.9% | 3.6% |
| Dividend yield | — | 0.5% |
| Debt / equity | 0.00 | 0.64 |
| Current ratio | 4.61 | 2.11 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.52 | 4.73 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 5 / 9 | 5 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.