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Intuitive Surgical Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 16 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 1 lowered, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 19% to $2.89 billion: Revenue was $2.89 billion, up from $2.44 billion a year earlier. Management attributed the increase to procedure volume growth, higher da Vinci system leasing revenue, and a larger installed base. Source
  • Worldwide procedures grew about 16%: Da Vinci and Ion procedures combined rose about 16% against the prior-year quarter. Ion procedures grew faster than da Vinci procedures in the period. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS rose to $2.80: Non-GAAP net income was $1.00 billion, or $2.80 per diluted share, versus $2.19 a year earlier. GAAP diluted EPS was $2.29, against $1.81 a year earlier. Source
  • Da Vinci placements rose to 468: The company placed 468 da Vinci systems, including 246 da Vinci 5 systems, against 395 and 180 a year earlier. Ion placements were 55. Source
  • Non-GAAP gross margin reached 70.0%: Non-GAAP gross profit margin was 70.0% in the quarter, against 67.8% in the first quarter and 67.9% a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was 67.8%. Source
  • Tariff refunds lowered cost of revenue: Cost of revenue included refunds of $27.5 million in product costs and $8.4 million in service costs for tariffs paid in prior periods. Source
  • Cash balance rose to $8.63 billion: Cash, cash equivalents, and investments reached $8.63 billion, up $0.65 billion in the quarter, driven mainly by operating cash and partly offset by buybacks. Source

“We are pleased with company performance this quarter, which reflects the strength of our portfolio - from da Vinci and Ion to our growing digital solutions,”

Dave Rosa, Intuitive CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Worldwide da Vinci procedure growth Sourcefull year 2026approximately 13.5% to 15.5%Kept
Non-GAAP gross profit margin Sourcefull year 202668.0% to 69.0% of revenueRaised from 67.5% to 68.5% of revenue
Non-GAAP operating expense growth Sourcefull year 202611% to 13%Lowered from 11% to 14%
Tariff impact included in gross margin range Sourcefull year 20261.0% of revenueKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Non-GAAP gross profit margin range for 2026 raised to 68.0% to 69.0% from 67.5% to 68.5%. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Non-GAAP operating expense growth range for 2026 narrowed to 11% to 13% from 11% to 14%. Source
  • Guidance kept: Worldwide da Vinci procedure growth range for 2026 stayed at approximately 13.5% to 15.5%. Source
  • New: Second quarter includes a benefit from IEEPA tariff refunds for prior periods. The first quarter table shows no such refund. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 19% to $2.89 billion: Revenue was $2.89 billion, up from $2.44 billion a year earlier. Management attributed the increase to procedure volume growth, higher da Vinci system leasing revenue, and a larger installed base. Source
  • Worldwide procedures grew about 16%: Da Vinci and Ion procedures combined rose about 16% against the prior-year quarter. Ion procedures grew faster than da Vinci procedures in the period. Source
  • Non-GAAP EPS rose to $2.80: Non-GAAP net income was $1.00 billion, or $2.80 per diluted share, versus $2.19 a year earlier. GAAP diluted EPS was $2.29, against $1.81 a year earlier. Source
  • Operating income rose to $972 million: GAAP income from operations was $972 million, against $743 million a year earlier. Non-GAAP income from operations was $1.22 billion, against $0.95 billion. Source

Procedures and installed base

  • Ion procedures grew fastest: Ion procedures grew approximately 36% and da Vinci procedures about 15%. Ion placements were 55, against 54 a year earlier. Source
  • Installed base grew 12% to 11,710: The da Vinci installed base reached 11,710 systems at June 30, 2026, up 12% from 10,488. The Ion installed base rose 21% to 1,096 systems. Source
  • Instruments and accessories up 18%: Instruments and accessories revenue rose 18% to $1.73 billion, mainly on about 15% da Vinci procedure growth and about 36% Ion procedure growth. Source
  • Services revenue increased to $472 million: Services revenue was $472.4 million, against $391.2 million a year earlier, as shown in the quarterly income statement. Source

“Our commitment to customers around the world - our north star - remains the same: helping them deliver better patient outcomes, better patient and care team experiences, lower costs, and broader access to minimally invasive care.”

Dave Rosa, Intuitive CEO

Systems placements and leasing

  • Da Vinci placements rose to 468: The company placed 468 da Vinci systems, including 246 da Vinci 5 systems, against 395 and 180 a year earlier. Ion placements were 55. Source
  • Systems revenue rose to $685 million: Systems revenue was $685 million against $575 million. Management cited a higher lease installed base, higher da Vinci average selling prices, and more placements. Source
  • Operating lease share of placements: 254 placements were under operating lease arrangements, including 131 usage-based, against 193 and 124 a year earlier. Source

Costs, margins and tariffs

  • Non-GAAP gross margin reached 70.0%: Non-GAAP gross profit margin was 70.0% in the quarter, against 67.8% in the first quarter and 67.9% a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was 67.8%. Source
  • Tariff refunds lowered cost of revenue: Cost of revenue included refunds of $27.5 million in product costs and $8.4 million in service costs for tariffs paid in prior periods. Source
  • Operating expenses rose to $988.5 million: Total operating expenses were $988.5 million, against $874.5 million a year earlier. Research and development was $370.6 million in the quarter. Source
  • Share-based compensation rose to $213 million: GAAP income from operations included share-based compensation expense of $213 million, against $200 million a year earlier. Source

Earnings and tax items

  • Excess tax benefits fell: Excess tax benefits from share-based compensation were $17 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, against $33 million, or $0.09, a year earlier. Source
  • Income tax expense rose: Income tax expense was $231.4 million, against $167.9 million a year earlier and $114.4 million in the first quarter. Source
  • Fewer diluted shares outstanding: Diluted weighted-average shares were 357.3 million, against 364.1 million a year earlier. Basic weighted-average shares were 354.1 million. Source
  • Amortization and a facilities charge: Amortization of intangible assets was $24.0 million, against $3.2 million a year earlier. A $6.9 million facilities asset abandonment charge was excluded from non-GAAP results. Source

Cash, buybacks and acquisitions

  • Cash balance rose to $8.63 billion: Cash, cash equivalents, and investments reached $8.63 billion, up $0.65 billion in the quarter, driven mainly by operating cash and partly offset by buybacks. Source
  • Buybacks totaled $0.38 billion: The company repurchased 0.9 million shares for $0.38 billion in the second quarter. In the first quarter it repurchased 2.3 million shares for $1.1 billion. Source
  • Inventory and receivables rose: Inventory was $2,028.7 million and accounts receivable $1,673.2 million at June 30, 2026, against $1,840.0 million and $1,527.3 million at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Distribution businesses acquired in Europe: The company completed acquisition of da Vinci and Ion distribution businesses in Italy, Spain, and Portugal and is moving those markets from a distributor to a direct sales model. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Da Vinci surgical system placements Source468
Da Vinci 5 system placements Source246
Ion endoluminal system placements Source55
Da Vinci installed base Source11,710 systems
Ion installed base Source1,096 systems
Worldwide procedure growth Sourceapproximately 16%
Da Vinci procedure growth Sourceapproximately 15%
Ion procedure growth Sourceapproximately 36%

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Additional tariffs beyond current expectations could materially affect 2026 results, including the expected gross margin range. Source
  • Operational: The effect of tariffs depends on sourcing, including the share of components procured and finished goods made outside the United States, and on tariff scope and timing. Source
  • Financial: Certain items, including legal proceedings, cannot be forecast precisely and could be material to GAAP results. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.