Stryker earnings: third quarter 2026

In the third quarter of 2026 Stryker, the medical device maker, grew sales 7.7% to $6.5 billion, all of it from its own businesses rather than currency or deals. On the company's adjusted basis, which leaves out one-off charges, earnings per share rose about 10% to $3.52. The chief executive still said the quarter fell short of what the company itself had planned. Reported profit fell 12.3% to $753 million, held down by $293 million of write-downs on the value of assets, mainly past acquisitions, and a higher tax bill. ¹

Against what analysts expected

Stryker's adjusted earnings per share of $3.52 came in 4 cents below the $3.56 analysts on average expected, according to Nasdaq's earnings calendar. Its reported figure of $1.96, after write-downs, was below that forecast as well. ¹²

The strong points

• Sales grew 7.7% from a year ago, and all of that came from Stryker's existing businesses rather than currency or acquisitions. ¹
• On the company's adjusted basis, which leaves out one-off charges, earnings per share rose 10.3% to $3.52. ¹
• Over nine months the business brought in about $2.7 billion of cash after paying for equipment, more than its reported profit. ¹

The weak points

• The chief executive said the quarter fell short of the company's own expectations. ¹
• Selling and administrative costs grew 13.1%, faster than sales. ¹
• Growth was uneven: endoscopy sales rose 13.9%, while hip implant sales fell 1.0%. ¹

What the company expects

• For 2026 Stryker now expects sales to grow 6.5% to 7.0%, leaving out currency and deals. ¹
• Stryker expects adjusted earnings per share of $14.80 to $14.90 for 2026. ¹

Our verdict on the quarter

A mixed report. The underlying business grew well, with sales up 7.7% and adjusted profit per share up 10%, but the quarter fell short of both Stryker's own plan and analysts' forecasts, and the release does not show whether its outlook for the year moved up or down.

The results as published

• The results release itself
• The filing it came with (SEC)

Notes

1. Stryker's results release, 29 October 2026: sec.gov. ↩
2. Nasdaq's earnings calendar, 29 October 2026. ↩