ISRG vs MDT vs ALC Stock Comparison

Intuitive Surgical, Medtronic and Alcon Prices as of Nov 2, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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ISRG Intuitive Surgical Inc
$436.87 +11.5% 1M -18.2% 1Y
Market cap
$151.42B
P/E
51.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$11.58B
Div. yield
–
Medical Devices Healthcare
5 wins
MDT Medtronic plc
$99.31 +15.0% 1M +9.5% 1Y
Market cap
$127.12B
P/E
24.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$37.54B
Div. yield
2.88%
Medical Devices Healthcare
6 wins
ALC Alcon Inc
$73.60 +15.5% 1M -0.4% 1Y
Market cap
$35.87B
P/E
56.5x
Revenue (TTM)
$10.80B
Div. yield
0.38%
Medical Devices Healthcare

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Medtronic leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Medtronic 6, Intuitive Surgical 5). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionISRGMDTALCLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $151.42B $127.12B $35.87B ISRG
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 51.6x 24.3x 56.5x MDT
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 38.1x 17.8x 22.9x MDT
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +20.5% +9.8% +8.5% ISRG
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 25.5% 13.9% 6.0% ISRG
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — 6.9% 3.6% MDT
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — 2.0x — –
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield — 2.88% 0.38% MDT
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -18.2% +9.5% -0.4% MDT
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +3.9%/yr -3.9%/yr -3.1%/yr ISRG
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 34.8% 24.9% 28.8% MDT
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 79/100 65/100 68/100 ISRG

Percentile Scorecard

ISRGMDTALC

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisISRGMDTALC
Valuation 50 #113 of 227 81 #44 of 227 77 #52 of 227
Growth 79 #47 of 220 51 #108 of 220 49 #113 of 220
Profitability 97 #7 of 209 88 #27 of 209 76 #51 of 209
Financial Health 78 #54 of 240 50 #121 of 240 61 #95 of 240
Shareholder Returns 92 #12 of 138 56 #61 of 138 76 #34 of 138
Overall 79 65 68
  • ISRG ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics
  • MDT ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics
  • ALC ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodISRGMDTALCSPY
1 month +11.5%+15.0%+15.5% -2.3%
3 months +16.4%+14.5%+4.8% -0.7%
6 months -3.4%+26.8%+0.2% +4.8%
Year to date -22.9%+3.4%-6.6% +10.3%
1 year -18.2%+9.5%-0.4% +10.3%
3 years +56.9%+36.9%-1.0% +73.0%
3 years, per year +16.2%+11.0%-0.3% +20.1%
5 years +20.9%-18.0%-14.7% +61.9%
5 years, per year +3.9%-3.9%-3.1% +10.1%
10 years +489.9%+22.5%— +258.6%
10 years, per year +19.4%+2.0%— +13.6%

Risk

MeasureISRGMDTALCSPY
Volatility, 1Y 34.8%24.9%28.8% 12.8%
Downside volatility, 1Y 37.8%22.1%29.1% 12.8%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.900.090.37 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.520.38-0.01 0.80
Max drawdown, 5Y -49.9%-43.6%-38.4% -25.4%
From 52-week high -26.3%-5.7%-15.6% -3.5%
52-week high $592.85$105.35$87.18 $779.14
52-week low $332.02$73.75$62.02 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleISRGMDTALC
P/E now vs peer median 51.6xmedian 28.4x 24.3xmedian 28.4x 56.5xmedian 28.4x
P/S now vs peer median 13.1xmedian 3.0x 3.4xmedian 3.0x 3.3xmedian 3.0x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 36.0xmedian 18.0x 15.1xmedian 18.0x —median 18.0x
P/FCF now vs peer median 42.1xmedian 25.0x 20.7xmedian 25.0x 20.6xmedian 25.0x
P/B now vs peer median 9.4xmedian 2.3x 2.5xmedian 2.3x 1.7xmedian 2.3x
PEG now vs peer median 2.01median 0.93 1.68median 0.93 2.69median 0.93

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsISRGMDTALC
Revenue $11.58B $37.54B $10.80B
Gross profit $7.78B $24.41B $6.17B
Operating income $3.28B $6.79B $948.00M
Net income $2.97B $5.27B $643.00M
Free cash flow $3.60B $6.13B $1.74B
R&D $1.49B $2.92B $1.43B
EPS (diluted) $8.41 $4.07 $1.30
Cash & equivalents $2.98B $1.69B $1.36B
Total debt – $28.15B $4.72B
Shares (diluted) 351.60M 1.29B 496.20M
Enterprise value $131.84B $92.99B $26.84B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricISRGMDTALC
P/E 51.6x 24.3x 56.5x
P/FCF 42.1x 20.7x 20.6x
P/Operating cash flow 37.0x 15.8x 15.5x
P/S 13.1x 3.4x 3.3x
P/B 9.4x 2.5x 1.7x
P/Tangible book 10.2x 3.1x 2.7x
EV/EBITDA 36.0x 15.1x –
EV/EBIT 44.9x 21.6x 40.6x
EV/Revenue 12.7x 3.9x 3.6x
EV/FCF 41.0x 23.9x 22.1x
EV/Operating cash flow 36.0x 18.2x 16.7x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 2.01 1.68 2.69

Growth

14 metrics
MetricISRGMDTALC
Revenue growth (1Y) 20.5% 9.8% 8.5%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 19.1% 6.0% 5.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 21.9% 9.3% 11.7%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 19.5% 5.6% 7.3%
Operating income growth (1Y) 16.6% 10.9% -34.3%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 24.8% 6.4% 7.5%
Net income growth (1Y) 7.5% 12.4% -40.1%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 24.4% 13.0% 21.1%
EPS growth (1Y) 10.8% 12.4% -40.7%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 25.7% 14.5% 21.0%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 38.1% 12.4% 10.3%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 26.4% 11.3% 25.9%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 58.4% 15.6% 7.5%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 42.0% 11.3% 48.0%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricISRGMDTALC
Gross margin 67.2% 65.0% 57.2%
EBITDA margin 35.3% 25.9% –
Operating margin 28.4% 18.1% 8.8%
Pretax margin 31.3% 17.6% 6.9%
Net margin 25.5% 13.9% 6.0%
FCF margin 31.1% 16.3% 16.1%
Operating cash flow margin 35.3% 21.4% 21.4%
Return on equity 17.3% 10.4% 2.9%
Return on assets 14.8% 5.7% 2.1%
Return on invested capital – 6.9% 3.6%
Return on capital employed 18.7% 8.3% 3.4%
Asset turnover 0.6x 0.4x 0.3x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.4x 1.5x 3.6x
Stock comp / revenue 7.2% 1.3% 1.6%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricISRGMDTALC
Debt / assets – 30.2% 15.2%
Debt / equity – 0.6x 0.2x
Net debt / EBITDA – 2.0x –
Debt / FCF – 4.6x 2.7x
Liabilities / assets 16.7% 45.5% 30.6%
Equity / assets 83.3% 54.5% 69.4%
Interest coverage – 9.4x 9.2x
Current ratio 3.3x 2.1x 2.1x
Quick ratio 2.3x 1.3x 1.3x
Cash ratio 1.6x 0.7x 0.7x
Altman Z-score 29.97 3.10 –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricISRGMDTALC
Dividend yield – 2.9% 0.4%
Net buyback yield 2.8% 0.2% 2.5%
Shareholder yield 2.8% 3.0% 2.9%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 69.3% –
Payout ratio (FCF) – 59.5% –
Dividend growth (1Y) – 1.4% –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 0.2% –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusISRGMDTALC
Forward P/E 38.1xFY2026 17.8xFY2026 22.9xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $11.47FY2026 $5.57FY2026 $3.22FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +28.4%FY2026 +0.7%FY2026 +7.7%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +4.5% +7.2% +15.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $11.60BFY2026 $39.92BFY2026 $10.50BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +15.3%FY2026 +9.8%FY2026 +4.3%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +11.3% -4.7% +8.1%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersISRGMDTALC
Held by institutions 86.2% 85.1% 48.8%
Institutions holding 2,238 2,127 631
Change in shares held, QoQ +4.6% -0.2% +5.3%
Institutions buying 1,072 1,015 227
Institutions selling 878 914 274
Buyers to sellers 1.22 1.11 0.83

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

ISRGMDTALC
ISRG 1.00 0.44 0.39
MDT 0.44 1.00 0.48
ALC 0.39 0.48 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, ISRG, MDT and ALC?

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) is the largest by market capitalisation: Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) $151.42B, Medtronic (MDT) $127.12B, Alcon (ALC) $35.87B.

Which stock is cheaper, ISRG, MDT and ALC?

Medtronic (MDT) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 51.6x, Medtronic (MDT) 24.3x, Alcon (ALC) 56.5x). On next year's consensus earnings, Medtronic (MDT) is cheapest (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 38.1x, Medtronic (MDT) 17.8x, Alcon (ALC) 22.9x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) +20.5%, Medtronic (MDT) +9.8%, Alcon (ALC) +8.5%.

Which company is more profitable?

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) has the highest net margin (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 25.5%, Medtronic (MDT) 13.9%, Alcon (ALC) 6.0%). On return on invested capital, Medtronic (MDT) leads (Medtronic (MDT) 6.9%, Alcon (ALC) 3.6%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Medtronic (MDT) returned the most: Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) -18.2%, Medtronic (MDT) +9.5%, Alcon (ALC) -0.4%. Over five years, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) compounded fastest (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) +3.9%/yr, Medtronic (MDT) -3.9%/yr, Alcon (ALC) -3.1%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Medtronic (MDT) has the highest dividend yield: Medtronic (MDT) 2.88%, Alcon (ALC) 0.38%. Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Medtronic (MDT) has been the steadiest (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 34.8%, Medtronic (MDT) 24.9%, Alcon (ALC) 28.8%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, ISRG, MDT and ALC?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Medtronic (MDT) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.