Top Takes From RealMoney

The RealMoney contributors are in the business of trading and investing all day on the basis of ongoing news flow. Below, we offer the top five ideas that RealMoney contributors posted today and how they played those ideas.

TheStreet.com brings you the news all day, and with RealMoney's "Columnist Conversation," you can see how the pros are playing it on a real-time basis. Here are the top five ideas from today:

1. More on ISRG

By Jon "DRJ" Najarian

3:11 p.m. EST

Intuitive Surgical (ISRG Quote) has rallied more than $10 in the last three sessions since we cited unusual buying of stock and options in the company.

The sharp rise has taken place amid persistent takeover rumors involving Johnson & Johnson (JNJ Quote) and the robotic surgery giant, which last month reported fourth-quarter results that were squeezed by strained hospital budgets. A number of hedge funds have passed along the JNJ-for-ISRG buyout talk again today, but such rumor-driven rallies can end as abruptly as they start.

Just over a week ago, we cited the options activity in Intuitive Surgical after shares hit their lowest level since October 2005, trading to $87.14, but then investors seemed to recover their mojo and focused on the fact that even in such difficult times, Intuitive Surgical's net income grew 3.3%. Its shares are up another 5% in midday trading to about $108, but they were above $300 as recently as August.

2. Waiting for a Ramp

Doug Kass

2:18 p.m. EST

Stocks had every reason to fold up like a cheap suit today, but they haven't done so yet.

As I mentioned, individual names including Medco Health (MHS Quote) and Microsoft (MSFT Quote) look like they have turned.

It seems that amid a lot of skepticism and gloomy earnings reports, a nice ramp is imminent.

I added to my long rentals today; see you tomorrow!