This Healthcare Stock Trades at a Richer Valuation Than Nvidia. Could It Also Deliver Bigger Long-Term Returns?
This Healthcare Stock Trades at a Richer Valuation Than Nvidia. Could It Also Deliver Bigger Long-Term Returns?
Reuben Gregg Brewer, The Motley FoolSun, June 21, 2026 at 2:35 PM UTC
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Key Points -
Nvidia makes the computer chips that power artificial intelligence.
The chipmaker is doing well right now, but competition is fierce, and technology is changing rapidly.
This healthcare company is an industry leader, and every new product it sells comes with an annuity-like income stream.
10 stocks we like better than Intuitive Surgical ›
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is at the forefront of the worldwide artificial intelligence (AI) revolution now unfolding. Investors have rewarded the stock, affording it a lofty price-to-earnings ratio of 31x. That number looks small compared to Intuitive Surgical's (NASDAQ: ISRG) 50x P/E. Here's why investors could be shocked by the potential offered by Intuitive Surgical, which actually looks cheap compared to its own history right now.
Artificial intelligence is changing the world
There's no question about it, AI is already having a profound impact on the world. And the poster child for the AI revolution taking shape is Nvidia, a company that makes high-powered computer chips. At the end of the day, AI is just a fancy computer program, so chips are very important. Nvidia is doing very well right now as a business, as companies work to build out their AI capabilities.
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However, technology changes quickly, and the industry is highly competitive. Nvidia is at the top right now, but that's no guarantee it will remain there. While it could remain the industry leader, it could also be displaced if another chipmaker leapfrogs its chip technology.
Intuitive Surgical is a leader in a vital market that addresses something that doesn't change very quickly: the human body. And while its P/E ratio is 50x, far higher than Nvidia's, the medical device maker is actually cheaper than it has been. Its five-year average P/E ratio is nearly 70%. Here's why you may want to buy Intuitive Surgical while it still looks cheap relative to its own history.
What does Intuitive Surgical do?
Intuitive Surgical is a leader in surgical robotics. Robotic surgery is less invasive and offers better outcomes, which is driving strong demand. The number of surgeries performed with one of Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci surgical robots rose 17% year over year in the first quarter of 2026. That's notable because the number of da Vinci robots operating worldwide increased by only 12%.
That said, the real story with Intuitive Surgical isn't actually the robots it sells. They only account for around 25% of the company's top line. The rest comes from the services, instruments, and accessories that support da Vinci robots. These are annuity-like income streams, since da Vinci robots require maintenance and regular parts replacement. And, equally important, every new da Vinci robot put into service increases the opportunity from what amounts to the company's parts and services business.
There's another growth opportunity, as well, because surgical robots are still a fairly new healthcare technology. Healthcare is highly regulated, and medical devices must be approved for specific applications. Thus, Intuitive Surgical's growth will also be bolstered by expanded use cases for the da Vinci system. For example, in late 2025, the company announced that the FDA had "cleared the da Vinci Single Port (SP) surgical system for use in inguinal hernia repair, cholecystectomy, and appendectomy procedures."
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Why Intuitive Surgical could be bigger than Nvidia
Once Nvidia sells a chip, it is basically done with that sale. When Intuitive Surgical sells a new surgical robot, it increases the company's annuity-like income stream from parts and services sales. And since the human body changes at a glacial pace, da Vinci robots won't be obsolete in a few months or years, like an AI chip might be.
While Intuitive Surgical is more expensive than Nvidia, there is a significant long-term opportunity (including the potential to increasingly incorporate AI into the da Vinci platform). Given the discount from Intuitive Surgical's historical valuation, now could be a good time to jump on this growth stock for more aggressive investors.
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Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Surgical and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2028 $520 calls on Intuitive Surgical and short January 2028 $530 calls on Intuitive Surgical. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Source: “AOL Money”
