Updated: Friday, December 12, 2025 (U.S. market close)
Company: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISRG)
Intuitive Surgical stock finished the week on the back foot—even as the robotic-surgery leader delivered a meaningful regulatory win. Shares of ISRG closed at $542.32 on Friday, Dec. 12, capping a five-session slide from $566.89 on Monday, Dec. 8 (a decline of roughly 4.3% across the week). [1]
The pullback came amid a busy headline flow that investors often take seriously in high-multiple medtech names: FDA clearance expanding da Vinci SP’s U.S. indications, a Citigroup downgrade, a Wells Fargo price-target increase, and fresh insider-selling paperwork. [2]
Below is what moved Intuitive Surgical stock this week—and what to watch in the week ahead.
ISRG stock this week: the numbers investors are watching
Intuitive Surgical shares ended Friday (Dec. 12) at $542.32, down about 0.9% on the day. [3]
Daily closes (Dec. 8–12, 2025):
- Mon, Dec. 8: $566.89 [4]
- Tue, Dec. 9: $558.13 [5]
- Wed, Dec. 10: $555.92 [6]
- Thu, Dec. 11: $547.36 [7]
- Fri, Dec. 12: $542.32 [8]
From a positioning standpoint, ISRG ended the week roughly 12% below its 52-week high of $616 (set earlier this year), but still well above its 52-week low. [9]
The headline catalyst: FDA expands da Vinci SP indications
The most durable “business” headline of the week was regulatory.
On Dec. 10, Intuitive announced that the U.S. FDA cleared its da Vinci Single Port (SP) system for use in inguinal hernia repair, cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), and appendectomy—three procedures that sit squarely in general surgery and represent a much larger day-to-day market than some of SP’s earlier U.S. indications. [10]
Why this matters for ISRG stock:
- Broader addressable procedure base: Hernia repairs, gallbladder removals, and appendectomies are common procedures—exactly the sort of everyday surgical volume that can compound recurring revenue (instruments, accessories, and service) once adoption takes hold. [11]
- SP adoption narrative: MedTech Dive noted the clearance adds to SP’s existing indications (urology, colorectal, thoracic, transoral) as Intuitive works to expand platform adoption. [12]
- Competitive context: Industry coverage also framed the win against a backdrop of intensifying competition across surgical robotics—one reason the market sometimes demands clearer medium-term guideposts. [13]
So why did the stock still fall this week? In short: regulatory wins can be long-term positives while the stock trades on valuation, expectations, and near-term narrative—and that narrative was heavily shaped by analyst actions and positioning.
Analyst forecasts and Wall Street tone: Citi downgrade vs. Wells Fargo target raise
Citi: downgraded ISRG to Neutral
On Dec. 11, Citi downgraded Intuitive Surgical to Neutral from Buy and reduced its price target to $635 from $650 (as reported in multiple market-note roundups). [14]
One widely circulated rationale from coverage of the note: Citi pointed to Intuitive having provided “little in terms of 2026 expectations”—a key phrase for investors after a period where ISRG has often traded like a “premium growth compounder.” [15]
Wells Fargo: raised target, reiterated bullish stance
On Dec. 12, MT Newswires coverage (carried by MarketScreener) reported Wells Fargo raised its price target to $654 from $600, maintaining an Overweight rating. [16]
That same report also cited FactSet-polled analysts with an average “overweight” stance and a mean price target around $605.44—useful context for how Citi and Wells Fargo sit on the target spectrum (both above the mean, even with Citi’s downgrade). [17]
How to read the crosscurrents:
- Citi’s move looks less like a “company is broken” call and more like a reset of expectations into 2026—which can weigh on a stock in the near term if investors were positioned for unambiguous upside. [18]
- Wells Fargo’s higher target underscores the ongoing bullish argument: the market opportunity is expanding, and Intuitive continues to add indications/tools that can support longer-term procedure growth. [19]
Insider activity: what the Form 144 and Form 4 headlines really mean
Two insider-related items hit feeds this week:
- Dec. 12: Reuters/Refinitiv reported that VP Mark Brosius filed a Form 144 proposing the sale of 5,276 shares, with the filing indicating the plan was pursuant to a prearranged 10b5‑1 trading plan. [20]
- Dec. 10: Reuters/Refinitiv also highlighted a Form 4 from VP Myriam Curet McAdams showing a small transaction set including a planned exercise and sale line items. [21]
Important context for investors:
A Form 144 and many Form 4 headlines often reflect scheduled selling under 10b5‑1 plans, tax/option activity, or routine diversification—not necessarily a change in fundamentals. Still, in a week where the stock was already drifting lower, insider-sale headlines can reinforce a “risk-off” tone for short-term traders. [22]
The fundamental backdrop: procedure growth remains the core driver
Beyond week-to-week headlines, ISRG’s long-term story still tends to come down to:
- Procedure growth,
- Expansion of the installed base, and
- High recurring revenue per procedure from instruments/accessories/service. [23]
The most recent quarterly narrative (from the fall earnings season) was notably strong:
- Investopedia reported Intuitive’s Q3 results beat expectations, with revenue rising sharply year over year and management raising 2025 da Vinci procedure growth guidance to ~17%–17.5%. [24]
- Reuters coverage of the Oct. 21 earnings also noted Intuitive raised its 2025 adjusted gross profit margin outlook and discussed tariff impacts as part of that forecast range. [25]
This matters for the week ahead because it explains the “tug of war” investors are seeing:
- Bulls see platform expansion + procedure growth compounding (and now an SP expansion into general surgery procedures). [26]
- Skeptics focus on valuation and the need for clearer 2026 framing, especially after a run where good news can get priced in quickly. [27]
Valuation and technical setup heading into next week
As of Friday’s close, Intuitive Surgical sits in “premium medtech compounder” territory by most common valuation yardsticks:
- Market cap around $192B
- P/E shown around ~69 (data-provider figure)
From a technical tone perspective, recent commentary has been mixed:
- Earlier in December, technical write-ups highlighted a “golden crossover” setup in ISRG (a bullish moving-average signal), reflecting how strongly the stock had rebounded into year-end before the current pullback. [28]
- This week’s action, however, was about five straight lower closes and a drift toward the low-$540s area. [29]
Practical takeaway:
If ISRG is going to stabilize near-term, many investors will be watching whether the stock can hold recent lows and whether the next wave of analyst notes shifts back toward 2026 upside visibility rather than “expectations risk.”
Week ahead: what to watch for ISRG stock (Dec. 15–19, 2025)
1) Follow-through from the da Vinci SP clearance
The FDA expansion is meaningful, but the stock’s next move will likely hinge on how quickly investors believe the clearance can translate into utilization and hospital adoption—especially in common general surgery categories. [30]
What to watch:
- Any additional commercial updates, surgeon training commentary, or early adopter signals in channel checks and analyst notes.
2) More analyst actions—and whether 2026 framing improves
After Citi’s downgrade and Wells Fargo’s higher target, the next incremental move could come from:
- Additional price-target changes,
- “Top picks for 2026” lists,
- Or broader medtech sector outlook notes. [31]
3) Insider headlines as sentiment accelerants (not thesis changers)
Expect more SEC-form stories to circulate into year-end. They can matter tactically, even if they don’t change the business outlook. [32]
4) The next “big calendar” catalysts are in January
Even if the coming week is quiet on the company-event front, investors are already looking toward early 2026:
- Intuitive’s investor calendar shows a presentation at the 44th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Jan. 14, 2026. [33]
- Earnings timing varies by source and can change, but market calendars commonly place ISRG’s next report in late January 2026 (often shown around Jan. 21–22 as an estimate/projected date window). [34]
Bottom line for Intuitive Surgical stock today
Intuitive Surgical ends the week with a classic high-quality-growth setup: a real product/regulatory catalyst (expanded da Vinci SP indications) colliding with expectations management (Citi’s downgrade and “2026 visibility” debate) and the normal noise of insider paperwork. [35]
For the week ahead, the key question isn’t whether robotic surgery demand is real—it’s whether ISRG can re-accelerate investor confidence around 2026 growth and margins while the stock trades at a premium valuation. [36]
References
1. www.nasdaq.com, 2. www.globenewswire.com, 3. www.nasdaq.com, 4. www.nasdaq.com, 5. www.nasdaq.com, 6. www.nasdaq.com, 7. www.nasdaq.com, 8. www.nasdaq.com, 9. www.marketwatch.com, 10. www.globenewswire.com, 11. www.globenewswire.com, 12. www.medtechdive.com, 13. www.mddionline.com, 14. www.tipranks.com, 15. seekingalpha.com, 16. www.marketscreener.com, 17. www.marketscreener.com, 18. seekingalpha.com, 19. www.marketscreener.com, 20. www.tradingview.com, 21. www.tradingview.com, 22. www.tradingview.com, 23. www.reuters.com, 24. www.investopedia.com, 25. www.reuters.com, 26. www.globenewswire.com, 27. seekingalpha.com, 28. www.nasdaq.com, 29. www.nasdaq.com, 30. www.globenewswire.com, 31. www.streetinsider.com, 32. www.tradingview.com, 33. investor.intuitivesurgical.com, 34. www.marketscreener.com, 35. www.globenewswire.com, 36. www.reuters.com
