ISRG vs MCD: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. and McDonald's Corporation — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-05-09.
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. · Healthcare
$451.29
+45.0% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
VS
McDonald's Corporation · Consumer Cyclical
$275.75
+18.8% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
ISRG has more upside to fair value
(+45.0%).
MCD trades at a lower forward P/E
(22.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
ISRG |
MCD |
| Current Price |
$451.29 |
$275.75 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$654.37 |
$327.62 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+45.0%
|
+18.8%
|
| Market Cap |
$160.3B |
$196.0B |
| Forward P/E |
53.8x
|
22.6x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
40.5x
|
16.7x
|
| Price / Sales |
15.2x
|
7.1x
|
| Price / FCF |
64.3x
|
27.9x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+23.0%
|
+9.4%
|
| Gross Margin |
66.3%
|
57.4%
|
| Operating Margin |
30.5%
|
46.0%
|
| Return on Equity |
17.0%
|
-434.0%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
1.55%
|
3.59%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Buy
|
Investment Thesis
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. is a leading healthcare company specializing in robotic-assisted surgery through its flagship da Vinci system, which has established a durable competitive moat with approximately 10,000 systems installed globally and nearly 17 million procedures performed by the end of 2024. The company benefits from a high-quality business model characterized by 85% recurring revenue, st…
McDonald's Corporation operates a global quick-service restaurant business with a strong competitive moat driven by brand recognition, extensive franchising, and digital innovation. The company reported $26.9 billion in revenue for fiscal 2025, growing 4% year-over-year, with significant contributions from its International Operated Markets segment growing nearly 8%. Despite a high valuation regi…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
ISRG |
MCD |
| Zone Low |
$490.78 |
$245.72 |
| Zone High |
$556.21 |
$278.48 |
| In Buy Zone? |
Yes
|
Yes
|