Instruments and medical devices · 19/36 against 25/36 checks · to 2026-09-08
ISRG vs TMO.
Intuitive SurgicalMakes the da Vinci surgical robots and earns most of its money on their instruments.
Thermo Fisher ScientificSells instruments, consumables and services to laboratories and drug developers.→Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) and Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) are within reach of each other at $123.7B and $223.0B, and on the filings Thermo Fisher Scientific passes more, 25 checks of 36 against 19.
Which passes more checks?
widest gap first→The two are furthest apart on Trend analysis, where Thermo Fisher Scientific passes 5 more of the six.
| ISRG | TMO | |
|---|---|---|
| Trend analysis | 0/6 | 5/6 |
| Growth | 6/6 | 3/6 |
| Shareholder returns | 3/6 | 6/6 |
| Health | 4/6 | 6/6 |
| Quality | 5/6 | 4/6 |
| Value | 1/6 | 1/6 |
| All checks | 19/36 | 25/36 |
→Thermo Fisher Scientific turns over $46.3B to Intuitive Surgical's $11.0B, 4.2 times as much. Intuitive Surgical keeps 28.4% of revenue as profit against 15.1% at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Which is growing faster, ISRG or TMO?
→Intuitive Surgical grew revenue faster last year, +20.7% against +7.2% at Thermo Fisher Scientific - 13 points apart. Over three years the order is the same, Intuitive Surgical at +17.4% and Thermo Fisher Scientific at -0.3%.
| ISRG | TMO | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue (TTM) | $11.0B | $46.3B |
| Revenue growth, 1 year | +20.7% | +7.2% |
| Revenue CAGR, 3 years | +17.4% | -0.3% |
| Net income (TTM) | $3.1B | $7.0B |
| Free cash flow (TTM) | $3.2B | $7.3B |
Which hands more back to owners?
→Thermo Fisher Scientific pays 0.3% at today's price and Intuitive Surgical effectively pays nothing, which is the clearest difference in what each hands back.
| ISRG | TMO | |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | - | 0.3% |
| Payout ratio | - | 9.1% |
| Years of unbroken dividend | - | - |
Which balance sheet is stronger?
| ISRG | TMO | |
|---|---|---|
| Debt / equity | - | 0.87x |
| Interest coverage | - | 5.5x |
| Cash and short-term investments | $5.2B | $4.1B |
Which keeps more of each sale?
→Intuitive Surgical keeps more of each sale: gross margin of 66.7% against 24.4%, a gap of 42 points that flows into everything below it.
| ISRG | TMO | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 66.7% | 24.4% |
| Operating margin | 31.3% | 17.6% |
| Return on equity | 17.3% | 13.3% |
Which is cheaper?
→Thermo Fisher Scientific is the cheaper of the two on earnings, 32.6x against 40.5x. Against their own histories, Intuitive Surgical is below its 57.6x median and Thermo Fisher Scientific is above its 29.8x.
| ISRG | TMO | |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $350.16 | $603.02 |
| Market cap | $123.7B | $223.0B |
| P/E | 40.5x | 32.6x |
| P/E, own median own 11-year median / own 11-year median | 57.6x | 29.8x |
| P/S | 11.2x | 4.8x |
| Free cash flow yield | 2.6% | 3.3% |
Where they differ most
the checks behind the gapTrend analysis: Thermo Fisher Scientific 5 ahead
- Price above the Kumo cloud $603.02 against a cloud top of $541.16
- Tenkan above the Kijun Tenkan $616.48 above the Kijun $604.75, 69 sessions since they crossed
- The Senkou cloud ahead is rising the Senkou spans already drawn for the next 26 sessions are rising
- Price above the Kumo cloud $350.16, below the cloud bottom of $368.92
- Price above the Tenkan and the Kijun $350.16 against the Tenkan (9 sessions) at $364.96 and the Kijun (26) at $376.43
- Tenkan above the Kijun Tenkan $364.96 below the Kijun $376.43, 4 sessions since they crossed
Growth: Intuitive Surgical 3 ahead
- Outgrew its sector last year 20.7% vs 13.6% (sector 70th pct, n=154)
- Sustained growth beats its sector (3 years) 17.4% vs 12.4% (sector 70th pct, n=146)
- Profits grew last year 20.4% vs 0.0%
- Outgrew its sector last year 7.2% vs 13.6% (sector 70th pct, n=154)
- Sustained growth beats its sector (3 years) -0.3% vs 12.4% (sector 70th pct, n=146)
- Profit growth beats its peers 0.2% vs 18.2% (sector 70th pct, n=71)