Medtronic vs. Intuitive Surgical: Which MedTech Stock Is the Better Buy Right Now?

Medtronic has launched new devices that will help further improve its financial results.

Intuitive Surgical's latest da Vinci system could expand its addressable market.

Each stock will appeal to investors with different priorities.

Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) and Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) , two medical device leaders, haven't performed well this year. While weakness in the broader healthcare sector hasn't helped, they have both encountered company-specific issues that have contributed to their lagging the market. The good news is that there are solid reasons to think they can bounce back, but which one should investors consider right now?

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Medtronic has many qualities: A large medical device business with dozens of products across several therapeutic areas. The company has a deep footprint in the healthcare sector , a strong reputation, and it records consistent revenue and earnings. However, its most recent financial results have been mixed. In the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2026, which ended on April 24, Medtronic's revenue increased by 9.9% to $9.8 billion. The company's adjusted earnings per share (EPS) were $1.55, a 4.3% decline due to higher costs from multiple sources, including tariffs.

Worse, the company's guidance for the next fiscal year fell short of analysts' expectations, sending the stock lower following its earnings release. Still, there are several things to be excited about. Medtronic posted its highest annual revenue growth in a decade during its last fiscal year.

It has addressed some of the top-line growth concerns investors had, partly thanks to its Pulse Field Ablation franchise. Further, the company launched new products that should eventually contribute to sales growth. Last year, Medtronic announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had cleared its Hugo robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system for urologic procedures, putting it in direct competition with Intuitive Surgical.