5 Medical Instruments Stocks to Buy Amid Huge Short-Term Price Upside

After several volatile years marked by inflation shocks, rising interest rates and uneven hospital spending, the U.S. medical instrument industry has entered 2026 on a firmer, yet selective, footing. Procedure volumes have largely normalized post-pandemic, as providers remain cautious on capital budgets and focus more on productivity, reliability and total cost of ownership.

The Zacks-defined Medical - Instruments industry is currently in the top 35% of the Zacks Industry Rank. Since the Medical Instruments industry is ranked in the top half of the Zacks Ranked Industries, we expect it to outperform the market over the next three to six months.

Here, we recommend five medical instruments stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank that have huge short-term price upside potential. These are: Intuitive Surgical Inc. ISRG, Globus Medical Inc. GMED, Edwards Lifesciences Corp. EW, Alcon Inc. ALC and IRADIMED Corp. IRMD. Each of our picks currently carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks year to date.

Intuitive Surgical Inc.

Zacks Rank #1 Intuitive Surgical is increasingly embedding AI and digital tools into its robotic ecosystem. Case Insights, integrated into da Vinci 5, combines surgical video with force and motion data, enabling objective performance indicators for surgeons. Early studies link such metrics to clinical outcomes, such as length of hospital stay in colorectal surgeries. These AI-enabled insights provide both training value for novice surgeons and real-time decision support for experts. 

Additionally, ISRG is piloting telecollaboration through Intuitive Telepresence, allowing remote surgical support and education. Commercial scaling, workflow changes, and regulatory adjustments initiatives align ISRG with broader AI-driven healthcare transformation. Over time, digital and AI features may become significant differentiators, deepening the company’s clinical moat and expanding its revenue streams.

Intuitive Surgical has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 14.9% and 12.7%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 0.5% over the past 30 days. 

The short-term average price target of brokerage firms for the stock represents an increase of 26% from the last closing price of $493.56. The brokerage target price is currently in the range of $440-$750. This indicates a maximum upside of 52% and a downside of 10.9%. 

Globus Medical Inc.

Zacks Rank #1 Globus Medical Nevro acquisition is set to further solidify its position in the musculoskeletal space, with its differentiated technologies and expansion into new markets. Continued strength in the U.S. Spine business is encouraging. GMED’s NuVasive merger boosts its top line. 

Strong industry trends, driven by rising aging population and musculoskeletal disorders, are expected to boost demand for its core products. GMED’s debt-free balance sheet bodes well. GMED’s expanding product portfolio, with nine launches in 2025 and a strong 2026 pipeline, looks promising.

Globus Medical has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 8% and 7.5%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 6.7% over the past seven days. 

The short-term average price target of brokerage firms for the stock represents an increase of 24.7% from the last closing price of $87.81. The brokerage target price is currently in the range of $90-$123. This indicates a maximum upside of 40.1% and no downside.

Edwards Lifesciences Corp.

Zacks Rank #2 Edwards Lifesciences’ Surgical Structural Heart business is gaining from strong adoption of its premium surgical technologies worldwide. EW divested its Critical Care arm in September 2024, and is now moving forward to develop the most comprehensive structural heart disease portfolio. 

Additionally, the TMTT business has seen consistent growth over the past few quarters, with EW efficiently scaling its fast-growing businesses. Entering into new therapeutic areas, such as AR and IFHM, looks highly promising. EW’s robust financial position also bodes well for the stock.  

Edwards Lifesciences has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 9.6% and 14.8%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 2.1% over the past 30 days. 

The short-term average price target of brokerage firms for the stock represents an increase of 14% from the last closing price of $84.26. The brokerage target price is currently in the range of $81-$110. This indicates a maximum upside of 30.5% and a downside of 3.9%. 

Alcon Inc.

Zacks Rank #2 Alcon continues to bank on the strength of its Surgical and Vision Care segments.Vivity and PanOptix continue to drive category leadership in the United States and worldwide. Meanwhile, Vision Care gains from ALC’s recent major innovations, like PRECISION1 family, the TOTAL30 family and DAILIES TOTAL1 for astigmatism. 

ALC’s steady rollout of breakthrough products reflects the strength of its pipeline and a clear understanding of customer needs. Strategic acquisitions also remain part of ALC’s growth strategy. Sound financial health further adds to the stock’s appeal.

Alcon has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 7.1% and 12.1%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 2.1% over the past 30 days. 

The short-term average price target of brokerage firms for the stock represents an increase of 13.9% from the last closing price of $81.85. The brokerage target price is currently in the range of $75-$112. This indicates a maximum upside of 36.8% and a downside of 8.4%. 

IRADIMED Corp.

Zacks Rank #2 IRADIMED is engaged in developing, manufacturing, marketing, and distributing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible products in the United States and internationally. IRMD serves hospitals, acute care facilities, and outpatient imaging centers.

IRMD offers non-magnetic intravenous (IV) infusion pump systems, IV tubing sets, IV poles, wireless remote displays/controls under the mRidium name, side car pump modules, dose error reduction systems; Masimo SET SpO2 monitoring products, MRI Pulse oximeters, and MRI oximeter remotes and displays under the iMagox name used during MRI procedures.

IRADIMED has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 10.8% and 8.8%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has remained the same over the past seven days. 

The short-term average price target of brokerage firms for the stock represents an increase of 19.9% from the last closing price of $100.18. The brokerage target price is currently in the range of $120-$120. This indicates a maximum upside of 20% and no downside.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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