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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) Stock Analysis

This is a peer-relative look at Ascendis Pharma (ASND): its performance, risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividend, and valuation are each measured against its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peers, so every number reads in context rather than in isolation.

Company Profile

Company profile fields for Ascendis Pharma (ASND)
Profile ItemASND
NameAscendis Pharma A/S
Country/RegionDenmark
GICS SectorHealth Care
GICS Industry GroupPharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS IndustryBiotechnology
GICS Sub-IndustryBiotechnology
Market Capitalization16.90 billion USD
CurrencyUSD
ExchangeNasdaq
Listing DateJanuary 28, 2015
Security TypeCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ASND
GSPC
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. S&P 500 (GSPC): Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and S&P 500 (GSPC). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and S&P 500 (GSPC). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) metric values compared with Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry-group medians
MetricCurrent stock: ASNDIndustry group median
Total Return (1Y)29.46%24.62%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)40.62%20.37%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)10.03%-4.02%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ASND
GSPC
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. S&P 500 (GSPC): Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and S&P 500 (GSPC). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) metric values compared with Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry-group medians
MetricCurrent stock: ASNDIndustry group median
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)38.62%66.36%
Beta (5Y)0.380.93
Max Drawdown (5Y)-55.93%-80.19%

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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Each dot is a stock plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. ASND is highlighted; the dashed line is the Capital Allocation Line from the risk-free rate through the industry median — dots above it are stronger on a risk-adjusted basis.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) metric values compared with Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry-group medians
MetricCurrent stock: ASNDIndustry group median
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.650.36
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.990.58

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) posts ROE of 118.78%, above the industry benchmark range. Equity is being turned into profit at an exceptional rate, but very high ROE should still be checked against leverage, buybacks, and the size of the equity base.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

118.78%

Group distribution
ASND
118.78%
Max
109.18%
Q3
6.23%
Median
-26.66%
Q1
-64.05%
Min
-167.77%
Largest peers
ASND
118.78%
LLY
86.02%
NVS
24.33%
AZN
22.57%
JNJ
20.02%
MRK
5.06%
ABBV
--
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Where Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stands on ROE within its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peer group — the box is the group’s distribution and the dots its largest members.

Net Margin (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) keeps 70.85% of revenue as net profit on net margin, above the industry benchmark range. That is unusually strong bottom-line conversion, though tax effects, asset sales, or other one-off gains should be checked before treating it as durable.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

70.85%

Group distribution
ASND
70.85%
Max
18.05%
Q3
4.78%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-4.14%
Min
-17.05%
Largest peers
ASND
70.85%
LLY
31.90%
AZN
17.68%
NVS
17.49%
JNJ
16.20%
ABBV
15.67%
MRK
3.64%
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Where Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stands on net margin within its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peer group — the box is the group’s distribution and the dots its largest members.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) turns 64.98% of revenue into operating profit, putting operating margin in the upper peer quartile. Before financing and taxes enter the picture, the day-to-day business keeps more of each sales dollar than most industry peers.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

64.98%

Group distribution
Max
83.12%
ASND
64.98%
Q3
14.77%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-78.82%
Min
-207.40%
Largest peers
ASND
64.98%
LLY
53.66%
ABBV
39.59%
MRK
35.22%
NVS
34.27%
AZN
29.57%
JNJ
25.74%
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Where Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stands on operating margin within its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peer group — the box is the group’s distribution and the dots its largest members.

Profitability Metrics

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) metric values compared with Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry-group medians
MetricCurrent stock: ASNDIndustry group median
ROE (TTM)118.78%-26.66%
ROA (TTM)9.58%-12.50%
Net Margin (TTM)70.85%0.00%
Operating Margin (TTM)64.98%0.00%
Gross Margin (TTM)91.30%37.87%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) grew revenue 98.03%, in the upper peer quartile. The top line is expanding faster than at most industry peers, which points to share gains or stronger pricing.

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Ascendis Pharma (ASND): Revenue Growth across different time periods, set against Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry-group medians.

EPS Growth

No usable EPS growth is available for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) this period, so the earnings-momentum read is skipped.

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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) doesn't report EPS Growth this period; the bars show the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry-group medians on their own.

Growth Metrics

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) metric values compared with Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry-group medians
MetricCurrent stock: ASNDIndustry group median
Revenue Growth (YoY)98.03%11.45%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)141.43%9.94%
EPS Growth (YoY)--4.28%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--4.17%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has current ratio of 2.99, in the healthier middle range for its industry. The short-term asset cushion looks balanced relative to peers rather than stretched thin.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.99

Group distribution
Max
25.13
Q3
12.13
Median
5.52
ASND
2.99
Q1
2.47
Min
0.10
Largest peers
ASND
2.99
LLY
1.39
MRK
1.35
JNJ
1.02
AZN
1.01
NVS
0.88
ABBV
0.87
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Where Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stands on current ratio within its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peer group — the box is the group’s distribution and the dots its largest members.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, roughly in line with the peer group’s normal leverage range. Its mix of debt and equity looks typical for the industry.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.31

Group distribution
Max
1.42
Q3
0.65
ASND
0.31
Median
0.15
Q1
0.02
Min
0.00
Largest peers
NVS
1.29
LLY
1.23
MRK
1.20
AZN
0.66
JNJ
0.55
ASND
0.31
ABBV
--
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Where Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stands on debt-to-equity ratio within its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peer group — the box is the group’s distribution and the dots its largest members.

Financial Strength Metrics

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) metric values compared with Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry-group medians
MetricCurrent stock: ASNDIndustry group median
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.995.52
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.310.15
Net Debt / EBITDA-1.371.08

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) pays no dividend, leaving dividend yield at 0.00% this period. Shareholders may still receive value through reinvestment or buybacks, but there is no dividend income to compare here.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

Group distribution
ASND
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Largest peers
NVS
2.88%
ABBV
2.40%
MRK
2.29%
JNJ
1.94%
AZN
1.73%
LLY
0.49%
ASND
0.00%
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Where Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stands on dividend yield within its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peer group — the box is the group’s distribution and the dots its largest members.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) paid no earnings out as dividends this period, leaving payout ratio at 0.00%. There is no dividend payout to size against earnings.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

Group distribution
ASND
0.00%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
Largest peers
MRK
343.43%
ABBV
117.35%
NVS
90.46%
JNJ
80.12%
AZN
45.38%
LLY
21.71%
ASND
0.00%
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Where Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stands on payout ratio within its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peer group — the box is the group’s distribution and the dots its largest members.

Dividend Metrics

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) metric values compared with Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry-group medians
MetricCurrent stock: ASNDIndustry group median
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%0.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) trades at P/E ratio of 19.68, near the industry’s usual earnings multiple. The stock is not showing a clear peer discount or premium on trailing earnings.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

19.68

Group distribution
Max
85.34
Q3
43.46
Median
26.69
ASND
19.68
Q1
13.30
Min
0.07
Largest peers
MRK
148.21
ABBV
50.05
LLY
43.95
JNJ
41.92
NVS
31.02
AZN
26.37
ASND
19.68
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Where Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stands on P/E ratio within its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peer group — the box is the group’s distribution and the dots its largest members.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) trades at 16.14 on P/S ratio, roughly in the peer group’s normal range. The market is not making a strong cheap-or-rich statement about its revenue base.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

16.14

Group distribution
Max
58.18
Q3
25.77
ASND
16.14
Median
7.30
Q1
3.01
Min
0.01
Largest peers
ASND
16.14
LLY
13.95
ABBV
7.80
JNJ
6.69
MRK
5.37
NVS
5.35
AZN
4.63
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Where Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stands on P/S ratio within its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peer group — the box is the group’s distribution and the dots its largest members.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) trades at 10.45 on P/B ratio, in the higher book-value quartile. The market is paying a premium to book, so stronger ROE, cleaner assets, or a better growth profile need to justify it.

ASND

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

10.45

Group distribution
Max
13.53
ASND
10.45
Q3
6.54
Median
3.25
Q1
1.69
Min
-5.59
Largest peers
LLY
29.96
ASND
10.45
NVS
8.25
JNJ
8.16
MRK
8.06
AZN
5.59
ABBV
-112.34
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Where Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stands on P/B ratio within its Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences peer group — the box is the group’s distribution and the dots its largest members.

Valuation Metrics

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) metric values compared with Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry-group medians
MetricCurrent stock: ASNDIndustry group median
P/E Ratio (TTM)19.6826.69
P/S Ratio (TTM)16.147.30
P/B Ratio (MRQ)10.453.25
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)0.08%-1.66%