Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) finished last year on a lackluster note. The stock fell more than 25%. What weighed on the robotic surgery giant? Coronavirus shutdowns in China meant lower procedure volumes there, and therefore, less revenue. Rising inflation led to higher costs for Intuitive. And unfavorable currency exchanges presented another challenge.

Though these challenges remain, the market is looking at Intuitive through a brighter lens these days. Shares of the robotic surgery giant have climbed more than 15% so far this year. Now you may be wondering if this momentum can continue -- and if you should buy, sell, or hold shares of this innovative company. Let's find out.

First, let's take a closer look at why the shares suffered last year. Since Intuitive is a healthcare company, we could expect it to hold up during times of trouble. To a certain degree, it does. But the pandemic has been a unique time: Shutdowns have resulted in cancellations of nonessential surgeries. Outside of pandemic times, this generally doesn't happen.

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Source Fool.com