Intuitive beats quarterly profit estimates on strong demand for surgical robots

(Reuters) – Medical device maker Intuitive Surgical 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.

Industry bellwether Johnson & Johnson's medical technology business sales rose nearly 6% to $7.9 billion in the third quarter, but fell short of estimates due to headwinds in the Asia-Pacific region, including China and Japan.

Meanwhile, larger peer Abbott Laboratories slightly lifted its annual profit forecast on Wednesday, driven by strong demand for its medical devices, especially those that are used in diabetes care.

Sunnyvale, California-based Intuitive Surgical posted a revenue of $2.04 billion for the third quarter, 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)