MDLN vs ISRG vs BAX Stock Comparison

Medline, Intuitive Surgical and Baxter International Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
MDLN Medline Inc.
$32.38 -6.7% 1M
Market cap
$27.74B
P/E
33.1x
Revenue (TTM)
$28.57B
Div. yield
–
Medical Supplies Healthcare
3 wins
ISRG Intuitive Surgical Inc
$445.88 +10.0% 1M -19.1% 1Y
Market cap
$155.46B
P/E
52.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$11.58B
Div. yield
–
Medical Devices Healthcare
6 wins
BAX Baxter International Inc
$24.92 +6.6% 1M +7.6% 1Y
Market cap
$13.20B
P/E
–
Revenue (TTM)
$5.55B
Div. yield
0.01%
Medical Supplies Healthcare
2 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Intuitive Surgical leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Intuitive Surgical 6, Medline 3, Baxter International 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionMDLNISRGBAXLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $27.74B $155.46B $13.20B ISRG
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 33.1x 52.6x -12.4x MDLN
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 22.5x 38.9x 12.6x BAX
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months — +20.5% -49.1% ISRG
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 2.9% 25.5% -19.2% ISRG
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 5.4% — 3.4% MDLN
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 3.2x — 4.8x MDLN
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.01% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months — -19.1% +7.6% BAX
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years — +4.6%/yr -20.5%/yr ISRG
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 44.6% 34.6% 44.3% ISRG
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 67/100 80/100 44/100 ISRG

Percentile Scorecard

MDLNISRGBAX

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

AxisMDLNISRGBAX
Valuation 84 #37 of 227 54 #106 of 227 83 #40 of 227
Growth – 80 #45 of 219 19 #177 of 219
Profitability 73 #57 of 206 98 #6 of 206 72 #58 of 206
Financial Health 41 #140 of 238 78 #53 of 238 19 #193 of 238
Shareholder Returns 71 #39 of 134 92 #12 of 134 26 #99 of 134
Overall 67 80 44
  • MDLN ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics
  • ISRG ranked among 247 companies in Medical Devices and Diagnostics
  • BAX 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

PeriodMDLNISRGBAXSPY
1 month -6.7%+10.0%+6.6% -0.2%
3 months -20.1%+23.2%+2.3% +3.9%
6 months -26.8%-4.4%+38.9% +8.2%
Year to date -22.9%-21.3%+30.4% +12.9%
1 year —-19.1%+7.6% +12.3%
3 years —+72.2%-22.5% +87.4%
3 years, per year —+19.9%-8.2% +23.3%
5 years —+25.4%-68.3% +67.9%
5 years, per year —+4.6%-20.5% +10.9%
10 years —+505.1%-46.8% +261.1%
10 years, per year —+19.7%-6.1% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureMDLNISRGBAXSPY
Volatility, 1Y 44.6%34.6%44.3% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 48.7%37.4%48.0% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.610.891.16 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y —-0.550.17 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -36.7%-49.9%-82.3% -25.4%
From 52-week high -35.2%-24.8%-12.1% -1.2%
52-week high $49.99$592.85$28.35 $779.14
52-week low $31.64$332.02$15.80 $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.

MultipleMDLNISRGBAX
P/E now vs peer median 33.2xmedian 29.6x 52.6xmedian 29.6x -12.1xmedian 29.6x
P/S now vs peer median 1.5xmedian 2.9x 13.3xmedian 2.9x 2.3xmedian 2.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 17.0xmedian 17.4x 36.8xmedian 17.4x 13.4xmedian 17.4x
P/FCF now vs peer median 26.8xmedian 22.3x 43.0xmedian 22.3x 15.4xmedian 22.3x
P/B now vs peer median 2.2xmedian 2.3x 9.6xmedian 2.3x 2.1xmedian 2.3x
PEG now vs peer median —median 1.04 2.05median 1.04 -0.42median 1.04

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 monthsMDLNISRGBAX
Revenue $28.57B $11.58B $5.55B
Gross profit $7.79B $7.78B $3.78B
Operating income $2.03B $3.28B $532.00M
Net income $1.03B $2.97B -$1.06B
Free cash flow $1.59B $3.60B $839.00M
R&D – $1.49B $542.00M
EPS (diluted) $0.97 $8.41 $-2.05
Cash & equivalents $2.33B $2.98B $2.15B
Total debt $12.58B – $9.46B
Shares (diluted) 861.00M 351.60M 518.00M
Enterprise value $20.69B $135.74B $5.33B

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
MetricMDLNISRGBAX
P/E 33.2x 52.6x -12.1x
P/FCF 26.8x 43.0x 15.4x
P/Operating cash flow 21.2x 37.8x 9.6x
P/S 1.5x 13.3x 2.3x
P/B 2.2x 9.6x 2.1x
P/Tangible book 7.7x 10.4x 6.0x
EV/EBITDA 17.0x 36.8x 13.4x
EV/EBIT 25.8x 45.8x 38.0x
EV/Revenue 1.8x 13.0x 3.6x
EV/FCF 33.0x 41.8x 24.1x
EV/Operating cash flow 26.2x 36.8x 15.0x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) – 2.05 -0.42

Growth

14 metrics
MetricMDLNISRGBAX
Revenue growth (1Y) – 20.5% -49.1%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) – 19.1% -23.5%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – 21.9% -1.8%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – 19.5% -5.2%
Operating income growth (1Y) – 16.6% -50.8%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) – 24.8% 29.5%
Net income growth (1Y) – 7.5% -604.0%
Net income CAGR (3Y) – 24.4% 28.0%
EPS growth (1Y) – 10.8% -580.5%
EPS CAGR (3Y) – 25.7% 28.6%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) – 38.1% 56.3%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) – 26.4% -4.8%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) – 58.4% 153.5%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) – 42.0% -9.5%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricMDLNISRGBAX
Gross margin 27.3% 67.2% 68.1%
EBITDA margin 10.8% 35.3% 27.3%
Operating margin 7.1% 28.4% 9.6%
Pretax margin 4.3% 31.3% 5.1%
Net margin 2.9% 25.5% -19.2%
FCF margin 5.6% 31.1% 15.1%
Operating cash flow margin 7.0% 35.3% 24.2%
Return on equity 5.4% 17.3% -17.4%
Return on assets 2.6% 14.8% -5.4%
Return on invested capital 5.4% – 3.4%
Return on capital employed 5.6% 18.7% 3.3%
Asset turnover 0.7x 0.6x 0.3x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.0x 1.4x -1.3x
Stock comp / revenue 0.3% 7.2% 2.1%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricMDLNISRGBAX
Debt / assets 32.0% – 47.8%
Debt / equity 0.7x – 1.5x
Net debt / EBITDA 3.2x – 4.8x
Debt / FCF 7.9x – 11.3x
Liabilities / assets 51.5% 16.7% 68.6%
Equity / assets 48.5% 83.3% 31.4%
Interest coverage – – –
Current ratio 4.3x 3.3x 1.9x
Quick ratio 2.3x 2.3x 1.1x
Cash ratio 1.0x 1.6x 0.6x
Altman Z-score 2.44 30.55 2.12

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricMDLNISRGBAX
Dividend yield – – 0.2%
Net buyback yield 0.0% 2.8% -0.2%
Shareholder yield 0.0% 2.8% 0.0%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – -17.3%
Payout ratio (FCF) – – 21.9%
Dividend growth (1Y) – – -60.8%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – -32.0%

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.

ConsensusMDLNISRGBAX
Forward P/E 22.5xFY2026 38.9xFY2026 12.6xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $1.44FY2026 $11.47FY2026 $1.98FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +0.7%FY2026 +28.4%FY2026 -10.4%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +13.9% +4.5% -3.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $32.52BFY2026 $11.60BFY2026 $11.05BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +14.4%FY2026 +15.3%FY2026 -1.7%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +8.0% +11.3% +11.7%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersMDLNISRGBAX
Held by institutions 85.5% 86.2% 100.0%
Institutions holding 407 2,235 690
Change in shares held, QoQ +17.9% +4.6% +5.2%
Institutions buying 322 1,070 359
Institutions selling 68 877 193
Buyers to sellers 4.74 1.22 1.86

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.

MDLNISRGBAX
MDLN 1.00 0.23 0.30
ISRG 0.23 1.00 0.38
BAX 0.30 0.38 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, MDLN, ISRG and BAX?

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) is the largest by market capitalisation: Medline (MDLN) $27.74B, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) $155.46B, Baxter International (BAX) $13.20B.

Which stock is cheaper, MDLN, ISRG and BAX?

Medline (MDLN) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Medline (MDLN) 33.1x, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 52.6x, Baxter International (BAX) -12.4x). On next year's consensus earnings, Baxter International (BAX) is cheapest (Medline (MDLN) 22.5x, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 38.9x, Baxter International (BAX) 12.6x). 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%, Baxter International (BAX) -49.1%.

Which company is more profitable?

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) has the highest net margin (Medline (MDLN) 2.9%, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 25.5%, Baxter International (BAX) -19.2%). On return on invested capital, Medline (MDLN) leads (Medline (MDLN) 5.4%, Baxter International (BAX) 3.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Baxter International (BAX) returned the most: Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) -19.1%, Baxter International (BAX) +7.6%. Over five years, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) compounded fastest (Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) +4.6%/yr, Baxter International (BAX) -20.5%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: Medline (MDLN) 0.00%, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 0.00%, Baxter International (BAX) 0.01%. Medline (MDLN) and Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) has been the steadiest (Medline (MDLN) 44.6%, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 34.6%, Baxter International (BAX) 44.3%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, MDLN, ISRG and BAX?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) 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.