Intuitive beats quarterly profit estimates on strong demand for surgical robots
Adds outlook in paragraph 6, company comments in paragraph 7, background in paragraphs 8-9
By Mariam Sunny
Oct 17 (Reuters) -Medical device maker Intuitive Surgical ISRG.O beat Wall Street estimates for third-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by strong demand for its surgical robots used in minimally invasive procedures, sending shares up 6% in extended trading.
The company earned $1.84 per share on an adjusted basis for the quarter ended Sept. 30, beating analysts' average estimate of $1.63, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Medical device manufacturers have been benefiting from elevated demand for non-urgent surgeries as people, especially older Americans, catch up on procedures deferred during the pandemic.
Intuitive's surgical robots, da Vinci, are widely used for a range of procedures, including weight-loss surgeries and for conditions of the digestive system, bladder and heart.
Third-quarter volume of da Vinci procedures rose about 18% from a year ago, the company said.
Intuitive expects the volume of da Vinci procedures to grow between 16% and 17% this year, compared with the prior view of 15.5% to 17%.
The forecast does not reflect the significant impact to elective procedures due to the ongoing shortage of intravenous (IV) saline fluids or other hurricane-related effects, the company said on Thursday during the earnings call.
Production at Baxter International's BAX.N North Carolina plant, which makes 60% of the United States' supply of IV fluids and some key dialysis solutions, was closed late last month due to flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.
The shortage, triggered by this hit to production, is forcing hospitals to defer elective procedures and could hurt companies that make related medical devices, according to analysts.
Intuitive Surgical posted third-quarter revenue of $2.04 billion, in line with analyst estimates.
Sales at its instruments and accessories unit, which accounts for a major chunk of the revenue, rose 18% to $1.26 billion from a year ago, compared with estimates of $1.25 billion.
Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas
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