ISRG vs MRK: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. and Merck & Co., Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-04-22.
Intuitive Surgical, Inc. · Healthcare
$451.29
+130.4% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
VS
Merck & Co., Inc. · Healthcare
$119.07
-4.0% upside to fair value
Grade D
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
ISRG has more upside to fair value
(+130.4%).
MRK trades at a lower forward P/E
(16.2x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
ISRG |
MRK |
| Current Price |
$451.29 |
$119.07 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$1,039.74 |
$114.30 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+130.4%
|
-4.0%
|
| Market Cap |
$160.3B |
$294.4B |
| Forward P/E |
53.8x
|
16.2x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
40.5x
|
12.6x
|
| Price / Sales |
15.2x
|
4.5x
|
| Price / FCF |
64.3x
|
23.8x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+23.0%
|
+5.0%
|
| Gross Margin |
66.3%
|
81.5%
|
| Operating Margin |
30.5%
|
41.2%
|
| Return on Equity |
17.0%
|
36.2%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
1.55%
|
4.2%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Hold
|
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…
Merck & Co., Inc. is a leading global healthcare company specializing in pharmaceuticals, particularly oncology and vaccines. The company benefits from a strong business quality characterized by a durable competitive moat, high gross margins of 81.5%, and a robust return on equity of 36.2%. Despite these strengths, the stock is currently fairly valued but slightly overvalued by 4% relative to its…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
ISRG |
MRK |
| Zone Low |
$779.81 |
$85.72 |
| Zone High |
$883.78 |
$97.16 |
| In Buy Zone? |
Yes
|
No
|