Editor’s Note: Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG), MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO)
Intuitive Surgical Market Saturation Could Be Brief (seeking alpha)
Intuitive Surgical makes surgical robots. In early 2009, during the panic, it dropped briefly below $90 per share. Before that it had been above $290 per share for most of the last quarter of 2007 through the third quarter of 2008. I passed on ISRG in early 2009, concerned about possible saturation of hospitals’ needs and ability to pay for new robots, but ISRG rocketed above $500 in early 2012. On September 3, Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) closed at $385.17. Its 52-week high was $585.67 on February 1, while its 52-week low was $357.02 on July 19. Is this a buying opportunity like the kind I missed in 2009? Or was ISRG over $500 per share an example of a one-stock bubble, a mere cautionary tale?
Traders Purchase High Volume of MAKO Surgical Corp. Put Options (MAKO) (Zolmax News)
Shares of MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO) saw unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock traders bought 4,306 put options on the company, ARN reports. This is an increase of approximately 734% compared to the average volume of 516 put options. A number of research firms have recently commented on MAKO. Analysts at Needham & Company initiated coverage on shares of MAKO Surgical Corp. in a research note to investors on Thursday, August 8th. They set a “hold” rating on the stock. Separately, analysts at Zacks downgraded shares of MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO) from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research note to investors on Friday, August 2nd. They now have a $13.70 price target on the stock.
Intuitive Surgical Downgraded to Underweight at First Analysis (ISRG) (Daily Political)
First Analysis lowered shares of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a report released on Tuesday, TheFlyOnTheWall.com reports. Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Analysts at Zacks reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Intuitive Surgical in a research note to investors on Wednesday, August 28th. They now have a $406.00 price target on the stock. Separately, analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a buy rating on shares of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) in a research note to investors on Monday, July 29th. They now have a $425.00 price target on the stock.
Hedge Funds Are Selling MAKO Surgical Corp. (MAKO) (Insider Monkey)
In today’s marketplace, there are many gauges market participants can use to track publicly traded companies. A duo of the most under-the-radar are hedge fund and insider trading sentiment. As MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO) has experienced dropping sentiment from the entirety of the hedge funds we track, it’s easy to see that there is a sect of money managers who were dropping their entire stakes in Q1. At the top of the heap, Glenn Russell Dubin’s Highbridge Capital Management dropped the largest stake of all the hedgies we monitor, comprising about $8.9 million in stock. Kevin Kotler’s fund, Broadfin Capital, also said goodbye to its stock, about $1.1 million worth.
Intuitive Surgical Issues da Vinci Robot Recall (Injury Lawyer)
Amid an ongoing FDA investigation into complications with da Vinci robotic surgery, the agency has recently announced a Class 2 recall on 30 da Vinci robots that may not have been properly tested to meet compliance standards. Bloomberg reported on the da Vinci robot recall, which included the da Vinci Si Vision System Cart, Si Surgeon Side Cart, Instrument Control Box and Dual Camera Controller. Da Vinci robot manufacturer Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) issued an Urgent Device Correction notice to all affected customers on June 27, according to the FDA. Intuitive Surgical says that the affected robots have since been checked in the field and passed re-testing without problems.
