ABBV vs. NVO: AbbVie vs. Novo Nordisk Stock Comparison

Company Profile

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

AbbVie (ABBV) 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

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Novo Nordisk (NVO) earns 58.38% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; AbbVie (ABBV) has no ROE this period.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 33.92% 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.

Both AbbVie (ABBV) at 39.59% 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 AbbVie (ABBV) at 8.57% 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 AbbVie (ABBV) at -0.84% 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 AbbVie (ABBV) at 0.87 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.

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Novo Nordisk (NVO) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62 against its industry range, while AbbVie (ABBV) reports no figure this period.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Both AbbVie (ABBV) at 2.40% 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.

AbbVie (ABBV) reports payout ratio above 100% at 117.35%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports 45.36%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 10.18 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while AbbVie (ABBV) at 50.05 sits in the richer quartile — a clear split in what investors pay for each dollar of trailing earnings.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.53 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while AbbVie (ABBV) at 7.80 prices around its industry’s middle — NVO costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

AbbVie (ABBV) reports a negative P/B ratio of -112.34, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports 5.43, ranking against industry peers normally.

Valuation Metrics