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Intuitive Surgical develops, produces, and markets a robotic system for assisting minimally invasive surgery. It also provides the instrumentation, disposable accessories, and warranty services for the system. The company has placed more than 8,600 da Vinci systems in hospitals worldwide, with more than 5,000 installations in the US and a growing number in emerging markets.

Demand from all corners of the globe for the safety and security of U.S. Treasury debt has acted to keep a lid on long-term interest rates, even as the Federal Reserve has raised short-term rates aggressively over the past two-plus years and inflation has remained stubbornly high. Total public debt owed by the U.S. federal government was $34 trillion at the end of 4Q23, according to the DOT. Outside of U.S. investors, the two largest holders of U.S. public debt are Japan, which owns 3.4% of the debt, and China, which owns 2.3%. The other nations among the top 10 holders have 8% of the debt, so the top 10 holders collectively own about 14%. The grand total of U.S. debt owned by foreign holders is $8.0 trillion, or about 24% of the total. This absolute holdings level has increased 200 basis points over the past six months. Japan has been a leader here, as the nation's holdings have increased by 6%, or $55 billion in the past six months. China, meanwhile, has been selling, in part for political reasons. China's current Treasury holdings are lower by about $65 billion over the past year. Over in Europe, countries such as England, France, and Luxembourg have been buyers. We think this type of global demand for U.S. Treasuries should help keep a lid on long-term rates in 2024-2025.

Overnight events in the Middle East notwithstanding, WTI closed yesterday at $82.05/barrel, down slightly and below its recent high on April 5 and April 12 near $88. Crude oil traced out a bearish throwback, as its breakout over the top of the bullish channel that has been in place for about four months failed miserably. Generally, failed breakouts and failed breakdowns lead to decent-sized moves in the other direction. Almost the entire rally from the high $60s was labored and failed to generate much enthusiasm among market participants.

The Vickers Top Insider Picks is a daily report that utilizes a proprietary algorithm to identify 25 companies with compelling insider purchase histories based on transactions over the past three months.