ABBV vs. ASND: AbbVie vs. Ascendis Pharma Stock Comparison
How do AbbVie (ABBV) and Ascendis Pharma (ASND) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
AbbVie (ABBV) and Ascendis Pharma (ASND) are both classified in the Biotechnology sub-industry within the broader Biotechnology industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | ABBV | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Name | AbbVie Inc. | Ascendis Pharma A/S |
| Country/Region | United States | Denmark |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Biotechnology | Biotechnology |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Biotechnology |
| Market Capitalization | 514.92 billion USD | 16.90 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | January 2, 2013 | January 28, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ABBV | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 37.33% | 29.46% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 32.74% | 40.62% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 24.73% | 10.03% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ABBV | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 25.65% | 38.62% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.21 | 0.38 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -21.92% | -55.93% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.76M | 698.39K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ABBV | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.29 | 0.65 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.02 | 0.99 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Ascendis Pharma (ASND) earns 118.78% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; AbbVie (ABBV) has no ROE this period.
ABBV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
- ABBV
- --
ASND
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
118.78%
- ASND
- 118.78%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 70.85% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and AbbVie (ABBV) at 15.67% also retains a top-quartile share.
ABBV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
15.67%
- Max
- 18.05%
- ABBV
- 15.67%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
ASND
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
70.85%
- ASND
- 70.85%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both AbbVie (ABBV) at 39.59% and Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 64.98% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
ABBV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
39.59%
- Max
- 83.12%
- ABBV
- 39.59%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
ASND
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
64.98%
- Max
- 83.12%
- ASND
- 64.98%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ABBV | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | 118.78% |
| ROA (TTM) | 10.74% | 9.58% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.67% | 70.85% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 39.59% | 64.98% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 73.72% | 91.30% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while AbbVie (ABBV) at 8.57% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: AbbVie (ABBV) reports EPS growth of -0.84%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ABBV | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 8.57% | 98.03% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 1.75% | 141.43% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -0.84% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -29.03% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 2.99 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while AbbVie (ABBV) at 0.87 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ABBV.
ABBV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.87
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- ABBV
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.10
ASND
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.99
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- ASND
- 2.99
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Ascendis Pharma (ASND) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31 against its industry range, while AbbVie (ABBV) reports no figure this period.
ABBV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
- ABBV
- --
ASND
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.31
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- ASND
- 0.31
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ABBV | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.87 | 2.99 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | 0.31 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.21 | -1.37 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile AbbVie (ABBV) reports a yield of 2.40%, ranking against industry peers normally.
ABBV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.40%
- ABBV
- 2.40%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ASND
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ASND
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
AbbVie (ABBV) reports payout ratio above 100% at 117.35%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%).
ABBV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
117.35%
- ABBV
- 117.35%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ASND
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ASND
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ABBV | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 2.40% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 117.35% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 19.68 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while AbbVie (ABBV) at 50.05 sits in the richer quartile — ABBV needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
ABBV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
50.05
- Max
- 85.34
- ABBV
- 50.05
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
ASND
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
19.68
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- ASND
- 19.68
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both AbbVie (ABBV) at 7.80 and Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 16.14 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
ABBV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
7.80
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- ABBV
- 7.80
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
ASND
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
16.14
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- ASND
- 16.14
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
AbbVie (ABBV) reports a negative P/B ratio of -112.34, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Ascendis Pharma (ASND) reports 10.45, ranking against industry peers normally.
ABBV
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-112.34
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
- ABBV
- -112.34
ASND
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
10.45
- Max
- 13.53
- ASND
- 10.45
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ABBV | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 50.05 | 19.68 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 7.80 | 16.14 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | -112.34 | 10.45 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 3.44% | 0.08% |