Medtronic Offers High Dividend Yield, Intuitive Surgical Focuses on Growth
Intuitive Surgical, a leader in surgical robotics, has not paid a dividend, focusing solely on growth, which may disappoint investors seeking passive income ideas. Meanwhile, Medtronic, a diversified medical device company, offers a high dividend yield of 3%, providing a reliable passive income stream.
Intuitive Surgical's business model revolves around selling robots, parts, and services, with accessories contributing to 60% of sales. In the fiscal Q1 2026, Medtronic's medical surgical division, which includes the Hugo surgical robot, generated $2 billion in sales, slightly lower than Intuitive Surgical's $2.4 billion. Technological advances, particularly surgical robots, are transforming the healthcare sector, with Medtronic covering around 70 diseases and Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci system performing 17% more surgeries worldwide in Q2 2025 compared to Q2 2024.
Medtronic, which develops, manufactures, and distributes a wide range of medical technology products, has increased its dividend annually for 48 consecutive years. This consistency, nearing Dividend King status, offers a reliable passive income stream for investors. For those interested in surgical robots but seeking passive income, Medtronic serves as a high-yield alternative to Intuitive Surgical.
While Intuitive Surgical focuses on growth without dividends, Medtronic offers a high dividend yield and a reliable passive income stream. Both companies contribute significantly to the transformation of the healthcare sector through technological advances, particularly in surgical robots.
