Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a “Double Down” signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same “Total Conviction” signal is flashing for a company 1\/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue \u00bb<\/a> <\/p>\n It is, but there’s ample room for growth even with new entrants. Notably, Intuitive Surgical sold more da Vinci systems in the third quarter of 2026 than it did in the same quarter of 2025. So, despite new players, growth hasn’t stopped. And, notably, the number of procedures using a da Vinci system rose by 15%, while the number of installed systems increased by “only” 12% year over year. <\/p>\n The fact that procedures are increasing faster than robot sales is important to understand, because it highlights the demand for robotic surgery. It also leans into one of Intuitive Surgical’s largest strengths. The sale of robots accounts for roughly 25% of revenues, while the sale of instruments, accessories, and services makes up the rest of the top line. So while selling da Vinci systems is important, the real business driver is what amounts to parts and services. <\/p>\n Intuitive Surgical has a huge installed base <\/p>\n To be fair, Intuitive Surgical’s stock price has recovered from the earnings-related drop, and then some. But that drop highlights an ongoing perception issue. While new competition will likely be a business headwind, Intuitive Surgical’s already large installed base of over 12,000 systems has created an annuity-like cash flow machine to support the company’s business. And while surgical robotics is fairly well-established as a healthcare offering<\/a>, it is still nowhere near saturation. <\/p>\n So, as you look at Intuitive Surgical, you need to remember two key facts. First, the company has an incredibly strong foundation of recurring income from parts and services sales. And there’s likely to be ample room for growth ahead, despite increasing competition, as surgical robots in general gain traction worldwide. <\/p>\n Should you buy stock in Intuitive Surgical right now? <\/p>\n Before you buy stock in Intuitive Surgical, consider this: <\/p>\n The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks<\/a> for investors to buy now\u2026 and Intuitive Surgical wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. <\/p>\n Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $334,793!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,257,420!* <\/p>\n Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 874% \u2014 a market-crushing outperformance compared to 209% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. <\/p>\n See the 10 stocks \u00bb<\/a> <\/p>\n *Stock Advisor returns as of November 1, 2026. <\/p>\n Reuben Gregg Brewer<\/a> has positions in Medtronic. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Surgical and Medtronic. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson and 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<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/a> Image source: Getty Images. <\/p>\n