APLS vs. ASND: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at APLS and ASND, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ASND’s market capitalization of 10.52 billion USD is significantly greater than APLS’s 2.29 billion USD, highlighting its more substantial market valuation.
APLS’s beta of 0.67 points to significantly higher volatility compared to ASND (beta: 0.36), suggesting APLS has greater potential for both gains and losses relative to market movements.
ASND is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. APLS, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.
| Symbol | APLS | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Ascendis Pharma A/S |
| Country | US | DK |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Biotechnology | Biotechnology |
| CEO | Cedric Francois | Jan Moller Mikkelsen |
| Price | 18.26 USD | 174.18 USD |
| Market Cap | 2.29 billion USD | 10.52 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.67 | 0.36 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | November 9, 2017 | January 28, 2015 |
| ADR | No | Yes |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of APLS and ASND by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
APLS
-100.06%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 72.39%
- Q3
- -6.30%
- Median
- -32.82%
- Q1
- -68.26%
- Min
- -147.61%
APLS has a negative Return on Equity of -100.06%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.
ASND
191.42%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 72.39%
- Q3
- -6.30%
- Median
- -32.82%
- Q1
- -68.26%
- Min
- -147.61%
ASND’s Return on Equity of 191.42% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Biotechnology industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
Return on Invested Capital
APLS
-29.46%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 48.74%
- Q3
- -10.68%
- Median
- -31.65%
- Q1
- -52.92%
- Min
- -113.69%
APLS has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -29.46%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.
ASND
-50.64%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 48.74%
- Q3
- -10.68%
- Median
- -31.65%
- Q1
- -52.92%
- Min
- -113.69%
ASND has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -50.64%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.
Net Profit Margin
APLS
-28.83%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 87.75%
- Q3
- -5.05%
- Median
- -103.44%
- Q1
- -1,032.77%
- Min
- -2,366.07%
APLS has a negative Net Profit Margin of -28.83%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.
ASND
-92.67%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 87.75%
- Q3
- -5.05%
- Median
- -103.44%
- Q1
- -1,032.77%
- Min
- -2,366.07%
ASND has a negative Net Profit Margin of -92.67%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.
Operating Profit Margin
APLS
-24.00%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 87.75%
- Q3
- -3.28%
- Median
- -115.26%
- Q1
- -1,188.86%
- Min
- -2,943.30%
APLS has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -24.00%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.
ASND
-90.54%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 87.75%
- Q3
- -3.28%
- Median
- -115.26%
- Q1
- -1,188.86%
- Min
- -2,943.30%
ASND has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -90.54%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | APLS | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | -100.06% | 191.42% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | -27.71% | -32.19% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | -29.46% | -50.64% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | -28.83% | -92.67% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | -24.00% | -90.54% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 82.94% | 85.30% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
APLS
4.08
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 28.73
- Q3
- 13.97
- Median
- 6.31
- Q1
- 3.60
- Min
- 0.02
APLS’s Current Ratio of 4.08 aligns with the median group of the Biotechnology industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
ASND
1.04
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 28.73
- Q3
- 13.97
- Median
- 6.31
- Q1
- 3.60
- Min
- 0.02
ASND’s Current Ratio of 1.04 falls into the lower quartile for the Biotechnology industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
APLS
2.86
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 0.46
- Q3
- 0.22
- Median
- 0.06
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 2.86, APLS operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Biotechnology industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
ASND
-4.46
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 0.46
- Q3
- 0.22
- Median
- 0.06
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
ASND has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of -4.46, which indicates negative shareholder equity where liabilities exceed assets. This is a critical sign of financial distress.
Interest Coverage Ratio
APLS
-4.19
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 108.32
- Q3
- -0.55
- Median
- -8.49
- Q1
- -74.83
- Min
- -168.36
APLS has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -4.19. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
ASND
-3.72
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 108.32
- Q3
- -0.55
- Median
- -8.49
- Q1
- -74.83
- Min
- -168.36
ASND has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -3.72. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | APLS | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 4.08 | 1.04 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 3.62 | 0.71 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 2.86 | -4.46 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.58 | 0.80 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | -0.63 | -1.34 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -4.19 | -3.72 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for APLS and ASND. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
APLS
0.00%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
APLS currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
ASND
0.00%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ASND currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio
APLS
0.00%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
APLS has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
ASND
0.00%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ASND has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | APLS | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
APLS
-10.24
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 78.44
- Q3
- 48.98
- Median
- 20.50
- Q1
- 12.64
- Min
- 2.14
APLS has a negative P/E Ratio of -10.24. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.
ASND
-25.98
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 78.44
- Q3
- 48.98
- Median
- 20.50
- Q1
- 12.64
- Min
- 2.14
ASND has a negative P/E Ratio of -25.98. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
APLS
0.81
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 2.29
- Q3
- 1.10
- Median
- 0.49
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.02
APLS’s Forward PEG Ratio of 0.81 is within the middle range of its peers in the Biotechnology industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
ASND
-2.36
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 2.29
- Q3
- 1.10
- Median
- 0.49
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.02
ASND has a negative Forward PEG Ratio of -2.36. This typically results from negative earnings or forecasts of declining future earnings, making the ratio not meaningful for valuation.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
APLS
2.96
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 110.90
- Q3
- 59.76
- Median
- 11.33
- Q1
- 4.45
- Min
- 0.17
In the lower quartile for the Biotechnology industry, APLS’s P/S Ratio of 2.96 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.
ASND
24.22
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 110.90
- Q3
- 59.76
- Median
- 11.33
- Q1
- 4.45
- Min
- 0.17
ASND’s P/S Ratio of 24.22 aligns with the market consensus for the Biotechnology industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio
APLS
13.95
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 15.78
- Q3
- 7.44
- Median
- 3.31
- Q1
- 1.58
- Min
- 0.31
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Biotechnology industry.
ASND
-46.77
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 15.78
- Q3
- 7.44
- Median
- 3.31
- Q1
- 1.58
- Min
- 0.31
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Biotechnology industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | APLS | ASND |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | -10.24 | -25.98 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 0.81 | -2.36 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 2.96 | 24.22 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 13.95 | -46.77 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -272.85 | -29.03 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | -13.67 | -37.74 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.10 | 25.11 |