A vs. NVO: Agilent vs. Novo Nordisk Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Agilent (A) and Novo Nordisk (NVO) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but A is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services while NVO is classified in Pharmaceuticals.

Agilent (A) trades as ordinary local shares, while Novo Nordisk (NVO) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Both Agilent (A) at 20.97% and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 58.38% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

Both Agilent (A) at 19.53% and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 33.92% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.

Both Agilent (A) at 25.56% and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 40.05% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both Agilent (A) at 6.73% and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 6.43% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Both Agilent (A) at 3.16% and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 1.77% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Both Agilent (A) at 2.05 and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.85 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

Both Agilent (A) at 0.56 and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.62 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Both Agilent (A) at 0.59% and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 29.03% yield above their industries’ entire benchmark ranges — high enough that dividend safety, not income, becomes the first question.

Both Agilent (A) at 19.98% and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 45.36% pay out more of their earnings than any of their industry peers — the thinnest cover in their groups, so dividend headroom deserves attention.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 10.18 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Agilent (A) at 34.47 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for NVO, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.53 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Agilent (A) at 6.68 prices around its industry’s middle — NVO costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 5.43 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Agilent (A) at 6.69 carries an above-peer premium to book — A is pricier on assets.

Valuation Metrics