Intuitive Surgical develops, produces, and markets a robotic system for assisting minimally invasive surgery. It also provides the instrumentation, disposable accessories, and warranty services for the system. The company has placed more than 8,600 da Vinci systems in hospitals worldwide, with more than 5,000 installations in the US and a growing number in emerging markets.

Management's ability to "raise guidance" can often be a catalyst for market-beating returns in the quarters ahead. The first-quarter earnings season has crossed the 90% mark and is wrapping up, with blended earnings (actual results and the consensus for those still to report) showing a year-over-year gain of almost 7%, according to Refinitiv. That is considerably better than the 4%-7% advance expected at the start of the earnings period. Leading the outperformance were strong gains in Communication Services earnings, up 43%, and Consumer Discretionary, up 26%. On the flipside, Healthcare and Energy, both down 24%, are performing the worst. Our analysts are always on the lookout for companies that boost outlooks during earnings season, as this is often a signal for momentum in the months ahead. Here is an initial list of BUY-rated companies in the Argus Fundamental Universe of Coverage at which management raised guidance or increased its outlook during the 1Q24 EPS reporting season.

Intuitive Surgical designs, manufactures, and markets da Vinci robotic surgical systems, and related instruments and accessories in the U.S. and internationally. The da Vinci system enables surgeons to perform a wide range of surgical procedures with shorter recovery periods and higher patient comfort. ISRG was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.

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