Intuitive Surgical price target raised to $245 from $215 at Mizuho

Mizuho analyst Anthony Petrone raised the firm’s price target on Intuitive Surgical to $245 from $215 and keeps a Neutral rating on the shares. The analyst updated medtech and diagnostics models ahead of the Q4 earnings season to reflect feedback from last week’s West Coast broker conference and ongoing hospital/physician channel checks. The general tone suggested the elevated respiratory viral volumes did not impact inpatient volumes, although some pockets of weakness did emerge in outpatient elective procedures, the analyst tells investors in a research note.