Intuitive Surgical stock faces $450 million antitrust charge

Published on 11/03/2026 at 14:12 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Intuitive Surgical stock posted 22% third-quarter revenue growth. Management expects 2026 da Vinci procedure growth near the midpoint of its 14% to 15% range.

Growth Meets Legal Overhang

Third-quarter revenue rose 22% year over year, driven by procedure growth and a larger installed base.
GAAP earnings declined after the antitrust charge, while non-GAAP earnings increased.
Management expects 2026 da Vinci procedure growth near the midpoint of its outlook range.

Intuitive Surgical, US46120E6023, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Intuitive Surgical reported strong third-quarter operating growth on October 20, 2026, but its results also reflected a major legal charge. In the company's earnings release, Intuitive Surgical said revenue for the quarter ended September 30 rose 22% year over year to USD 3.05 billion.

The real-time quote of Intuitive Surgical stock traded at 389.33 euros on Lang & Schwarz at 14:06 CET on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

Revenue Growth Across Platforms

Worldwide procedures across the da Vinci and Ion platforms increased approximately 15% from a year earlier. Da Vinci procedures rose approximately 14%, while Ion procedures grew approximately 31%. The installed base expanded to 12,094 da Vinci systems and 1,152 Ion systems at September 30.

Intuitive placed 546 da Vinci systems during the quarter, compared with 427 a year earlier. The placements included 315 da Vinci 5 systems, versus 240 in the prior-year period. Instruments and accessories revenue increased 18% to USD 1.80 billion, while systems revenue reached USD 769 million compared with USD 590 million in the third quarter of 2025.

Legal Charge Hits Reported Profit

GAAP net income attributable to Intuitive Surgical fell to USD 523 million, or USD 1.49 per diluted share, from USD 704 million, or USD 1.95 per share, in the prior-year quarter. The result included a pre-tax charge of USD 450 million tied to the proposed settlement of previously disclosed antitrust class-action litigation.

The settlement calls for a one-time payment and mutually agreed injunctive relief, without an admission of liability or wrongdoing. It remains subject to preliminary and final court approval. The after-tax expense was USD 347 million, reducing diluted earnings by USD 0.99 per share.

On the company's non-GAAP measure, which excludes litigation charges among other items, net income rose to USD 1.05 billion from USD 867 million. Non-GAAP diluted earnings increased to USD 3.00 per share from USD 2.40. The comparison also included a USD 22 million after-tax benefit from refunds for earlier tariffs.

Outlook Keeps Procedure Focus

Management expects worldwide da Vinci procedure growth of 14% to 15% for 2026 and expects the result to be near the midpoint of that range. It also forecasts a non-GAAP gross margin of 68.7% to 69.3% and operating expense growth of 11% to 13% for the year, assuming tariffs currently in effect remain in place through year-end.

Chief Executive Dave Rosa said customers performed more than 10,000 procedures per day on average during the quarter. The company also repurchased 7.8 million shares for USD 2.94 billion, while cash, cash equivalents, and investments ended the quarter at USD 6.80 billion.

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For investors, the quarter showed a resilient recurring procedure business and continued adoption of newer robotic systems, but the legal settlement weighs heavily on reported earnings and remains subject to court approval. More news and analyses on Intuitive Surgical stock.