Smith Thornton Advisors LLC Makes New $411,000 Investment in Intuitive Surgical, Inc. $ISRG

Key Points

• Smith Thornton Advisors LLC made a significant investment of $411,000 in Intuitive Surgical, acquiring 756 shares during the second quarter.
• Recent analyst ratings show a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with a price target averaging $580.29, though several analysts have decreased their price targets in recent months.
• Insider trading activity raised concerns as key executives sold substantial shares, indicating a 59.69% decrease in one insider’s position following the trade.

Smith Thornton Advisors LLC bought a new position in Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 756 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock, valued at approximately $411,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Chilton Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Intuitive Surgical by 614.3% during the 1st quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC now owns 50 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 43 shares during the last quarter. Elite Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Intuitive Surgical during the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Princeton Global Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Intuitive Surgical during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new stake in shares of Intuitive Surgical during the 1st quarter worth $30,000. Finally, TD Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Intuitive Surgical by 300.0% during the 1st quarter. TD Capital Management LLC now owns 60 shares of the medical equipment provider's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares during the last quarter. 83.64% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on ISRG shares. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and set a $595.00 price objective (up from $575.00) on shares of Intuitive Surgical in a research note on Wednesday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Intuitive Surgical in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Intuitive Surgical from $621.00 to $567.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 1st. Zacks Research cut Intuitive Surgical from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 20th. Finally, BTIG Research decreased their price target on Intuitive Surgical from $571.00 to $529.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $580.29.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Intuitive Surgical news, insider Gary S. Guthart sold 29,360 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $472.49, for a total transaction of $13,872,306.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 19,827 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,368,059.23. This trade represents a 59.69% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Myriam Curet sold 4,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $492.48, for a total value of $2,216,160.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 353 shares in the company, valued at approximately $173,845.44. This trade represents a 92.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 45,224 shares of company stock valued at $21,716,492. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Intuitive Surgical Trading Up 2.8%

Shares of NASDAQ:ISRG opened at $458.47 on Tuesday. Intuitive Surgical, Inc. has a twelve month low of $425.00 and a twelve month high of $616.00. The company has a market cap of $164.35 billion, a PE ratio of 63.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.69 and a beta of 1.61. The company's 50 day moving average is $454.70 and its 200 day moving average is $495.81.

Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The medical equipment provider reported $2.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.93 by $0.26. Intuitive Surgical had a net margin of 28.51% and a return on equity of 14.56%. The company had revenue of $2.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.35 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.78 EPS. Intuitive Surgical's revenue for the quarter was up 21.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Intuitive Surgical, Inc. will post 6.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Intuitive Surgical Company Profile

Intuitive Surgical, Inc develops, manufactures, and markets products that enable physicians and healthcare providers to enhance the quality of and access to minimally invasive care in the United States and internationally. The company offers the da Vinci Surgical System that enables complex surgery using a minimally invasive approach; and Ion endoluminal system, which extends its commercial offerings beyond surgery into diagnostic procedures enabling minimally invasive biopsies in the lung.

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