Intuitive Surgical Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Rising Revenue

Now's the time to start prepping for Intuitive Surgical ISRG! Don't be caught off-guard: The company releases its next round of earnings this Tuesday, July 19, 2011.

Need to brush up a bit ahead of Tuesday's announcement? We've got just the thing. Here's your essential guide to Intuitive Surgical's second quarter earnings report.

Let's Do the Numbers:

Ahead of the company's earnings announcement, analysts are expecting a positive EPS reading of $2.71 per share and revenues of $409.1 million. We'll have to wait for Tuesday to see if Intuitive Surgical falls in line with analyst expectations and reports an estimated increase in both EPS and revenue from the year-ago quarter.

Here's how the company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Quarter	Q1	Q4	Q3	Q2
EPS Estimate	$2.49	$2.26	$2.09	$2.05
EPS Actual	$2.59	$3.02	$2.14	$2.19

Stock Performance:

As of July 13, 2011, Intuitive Surgical's current share price was $359.40. Since January 1st, shares of Intuitive Surgical have given investors a return of 39.4%.

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for Intuitive Surgical is a Hold.

Competitors:

Looking for a sympathy stock to trade or interested in the performance of other companies in the same sector? Take a look at one of Intuitive Surgical's peers.

• Medtronic MDT: Hold with a $0.9 recent quarter EPS

Intuitive Surgical is in the medical industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 2.3%.

Finally, a description of the main business areas of the company, in case you need a little refresher: Intuitive Surgical designs and manufactures da Vinci Surgical Systems, EndoWrist instruments and other surgical accessories.

Take Action:

Now that you're fully prepared, get ready to take quick action if the company reports any numbers significantly different from those listed above. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and what-to-do-next guide.

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