Sifting through countless of stocks in the Health Care Equipment & Supplies industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.
Read on to learn how Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.
About Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc.
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, and markets single-use medical products for interventional, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures in the United States, China, Japan, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Cardiovascular and Endoscopy. The company offers micropuncture kits, angiographic needles, sheaths, guide wires, and safety products; peripheral intervention products comprising angiography, drainage, delivery systems, and embolotherapy products; oncology products, such as soft tissue biopsy products and accessories; cardiac intervention products consisting of cardiac access, angiography, electrophysiology and cardiac rhythm management, fluid management, hemodynamic monitoring, hemostasis, and intervention products; and spine products, including vertebral augmentation, radiofrequency ablation, and bone biopsy systems. It also provides custom procedural solutions, including critical care products, syringes, manifold kits, and trays and packs; coating services for medical tubes and wires; and sensor components for microelectromechanical systems. In addition, the company offers gastroenterology products, such as esophageal stents, cryoballoon and inflation devices, gauges, and balloon dilators; pulmonary products consisting of laser-cut tracheobronchial stents, and over-the-wire and direct visualization delivery systems; and kits and accessories for endoscopy and bronchoscopy procedures. It sells its products to hospitals, alternate site-based physicians, technicians, and nurses through direct sales force, independent distributors, original equipment manufacturer partners, and custom procedure tray manufacturers. The company exports its products to Canada, Western Europe, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, India, New Zealand, and South Africa. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in South Jordan, Utah.
AtriCure, Inc. engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of devices for surgical ablation of cardiac tissue, exclusion of the left atrial appendage, and temporarily blocking pain by ablating peripheral nerves to medical centers in the United States, the Asia-Pacific, and internationally. It offers Isolator Synergy Ablation System clamps, a single-use disposable radio frequency products; multifunctional pens and linear ablation devices, a single-use disposable RF products for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias; cryoICE Cryoablation System that enables the user to make linear ablations of varied lengths; and EPi-Sense Systems, a single-use disposable device used for the treatment of symptomatic, drug-refractory, and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation. It also provides cryoSPHERE probe, which provides temporary pain relief by applying cryothermic energy to targeted intercoastal peripheral nerves in the ribcage; AtriClip System, an implantable device coupled to a single-use disposable applier; cryoXT probes, a cryoablation device designed specifically for Cryo Nerve Block therapy; LARIAT System, a solution for soft-tissue closure; Lumitip dissectors to separate tissues to provide access to key anatomical structures that are targeted for ablation; Glidepath guides for placement of clamps; and Subtle Cannula’s to support access for EPi-Sense catheters. In addition, the company sells various reusable cardiac surgery instruments. It markets and sells its products through independent distributors and direct sales personnel. The company was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Mason, Ohio.
Latest Health Care Equipment & Supplies and Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure, Inc. Stock News
As of September 2, 2026, Merit Medical Systems, Inc. had a $5.4 billion market capitalization, compared to the Health Care Equipment & Supplies median of $416.1 million. Merit Medical Systems, Inc.’s stock is up 1.8% in 2026, up 0.2% in the previous five trading days and down 0.61% in the past year.
Currently, Merit Medical Systems, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 37.1. Merit Medical Systems, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.6 billion with a 9.2% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 9.5%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $4.302 per share for the current fiscal year. Merit Medical Systems, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.
As of September 2, 2026, AtriCure, Inc. had a $2.7 billion market cap, putting it in the 58th percentile of all stocks. AtriCure, Inc.’s stock is up 31.6% in 2026, up 5.7% in the previous five trading days and up 44.92% in the past year.
Currently, AtriCure, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 249.2. AtriCure, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $569.6 million with a 1.9% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 12.9%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $0.284 per share for the current fiscal year. AtriCure, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.
How We Compare Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc. Stock Grades
Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.
AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.
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Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc. Stock Value Grades
| Company | Ticker | Value |
| Merit Medical Systems, Inc. | MMSI | D |
| AtriCure, Inc. | ATRC | F |
Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection.
Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.
AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade derives from a stock’s value score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.
Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are a good value and so on.
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a Value Score of 22, which is Expensive.
AtriCure, Inc. has a Value Score of 7, which is Ultra Expensive.
The Value Stock Winner: No Clear Winner
Neither Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure or Inc. has a high enough value grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolio. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure or Inc. is the better investment when it comes to value.
Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc.’s Quality Grades
| Company | Ticker | Quality |
| Merit Medical Systems, Inc. | MMSI | B |
| AtriCure, Inc. | ATRC | B |
Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.
The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.
The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.
Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a Quality Score of 80, which is Strong.
AtriCure, Inc. has a Quality Score of 77, which is Strong.
The Quality Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!
Looking at the Quality Grade breakdown above, both Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc. have a grade of B. For investors who focus solely on a company’s overall quality, you will need to conduct further research into both companies to see if they are a good fit for your portfolio. As a good rule of thumb, you should always analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before choosing a company to invest in.
Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades
| Company | Ticker | Earnings Estimate |
| Merit Medical Systems, Inc. | MMSI | B |
| AtriCure, Inc. | ATRC | B |
Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).
Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.
Merit Medical Systems, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 75, which is Positive.
AtriCure, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 67, which is Positive.
The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!
Looking at the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, both Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc. have a grade of B. For those focusing solely on a company’s estimate revisions, other financial metrics will need to be evaluated to determine whether Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure or Inc. is a better fit.
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Other Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc. Grades
In addition to Quality, Value and Estimate Revisions, A+ Investor also provides grades for Growth and Momentum.
Momentum grades help uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming.
Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.
These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.
So, Which Is the Better Investment, Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure or Inc. Stock?
Overall, Merit Medical Systems, Inc. stock has a Value Score of 22, Estimate Revisions Score of 75 and Quality Score of 80.
AtriCure, Inc. stock has a Value Score of 7, Estimate Revisions Score of 67 and Quality Score of 77.
Comparing Merit Medical Systems, Inc., AtriCure and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.
Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.
A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.
AAII Disclaimer
We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.
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