Stryker Q1 2026 Earnings Analysis

**Beta Finch Podcast Script - Stryker Q1 2026 Earnings**---**ALEX:** Welcome to Beta Finch, your AI-powered earnings breakdown where we cut through the noise to bring you what really matters from corporate America's quarterly reports. I'm Alex.**JORDAN:** And I'm Jordan. Today we're diving into Stryker's Q1 2026 results, and wow, this was definitely not your typical earnings call.**ALEX:** Before we get into it, I need to mention that this podcast is AI-generated content for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing we discuss should be considered investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.**JORDAN:** Absolutely. So Alex, let's start with the elephant in the room - Stryker got hit by a cyberattack late in Q1. How bad was the damage?**ALEX:** It was significant, Jordan. Organic sales growth came in at just 2.4% - way below what you'd normally expect from Stryker. Even more telling, adjusted earnings per share dropped 8.5% to $2.60. CEO Kevin Lobo mentioned they had 40,000 laptops wiped and were essentially shut down for about three weeks.**JORDAN:** That's brutal. But here's what caught my attention - despite all this chaos, they maintained their full-year guidance. That's either incredibly optimistic or they have serious confidence in their recovery plan.**ALEX:** I'm leaning toward confidence. CFO Preston Wells was pretty detailed about why they think they'll bounce back. He explained that different business units were affected differently based on their operating models. For example, their orthopedic business has a lot of consigned inventory sitting right at hospitals, so surgeries could continue even when Stryker's systems were down.**JORDAN:** Right, it was more of a revenue recognition issue there rather than lost procedures. But their capital equipment business - things like hospital beds and defibrillators - that's where they really got hit because those are made-to-order products.**ALEX:** Exactly. And Wells said most of that lost production will shift to Q3 and Q4 rather than Q2, which makes sense given manufacturing lead times. What I found interesting was how resilient their underlying business seems to be.**JORDAN:** Talk about that resilience - what are the bright spots?**ALEX:** Well, they had their best-ever Q1 for Mako robot installations, both in the US and internationally. That's their surgical robotics platform, and utilization rates are climbing. Plus they just got European approval for Pangaea - that's their trauma plating system that's been driving explosive growth in the US.**JORDAN:** And let's not forget the M&A activity. They announced they're acquiring Amplitude Vascular Systems, which gets them into the intravascular lithotripsy space. That's basically using sound waves to break up calcified plaque in blood vessels.**ALEX:** Kevin Lobo was really bullish on that deal during the Q&A. He said it fits perfectly with their existing peripheral vascular business through Inari, which they bought last year. Same call points, same physicians.**JORDAN:** Speaking of the Q&A, there were some great nuggets in there. One analyst asked about competitive dynamics in orthopedics, and Lobo basically said "bring it on." He mentioned they expect to keep outgrowing the orthopedic market by 200 to 300 basis points, just like they have been.**ALEX:** I loved his comment about their robotics portfolio too. He said the new Mako RPS - that's their handheld robotic system - is getting great feedback, especially in ambulatory surgery centers. It's like a stepping stone for surgeons who find full Mako too intimidating.**JORDAN:** The international story is pretty compelling too. While the US grew 1.9%, international was up 3.9% despite the cyber issues. Lobo highlighted Japan as their second-largest market outside the US, and it's experiencing "tremendous growth."**ALEX:** And they're just gettingThis episode includes AI-generated content.