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ARGX vs. ASND: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated

Here’s a clear look at ARGX and ASND, comparing key factors like performance, valuation metrics, dividends, and financial strength. It’s built for investors or anyone curious to see how these two stocks match up.

Company Overview

ARGX dominates in value with a market cap of 35.72 billion USD, eclipsing ASND’s 9.55 billion USD by roughly 3.74×.

ASND carries a higher beta at 0.40, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ARGX remains steadier at 0.17.

ARGX and ASND are both ADRs—easy access for U.S. investors to foreign shares without dealing with overseas exchanges.

SymbolARGXASND
Company Nameargenx SEAscendis Pharma A/S
CountryNLDK
SectorHealthcareHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnologyBiotechnology
CEOMr. Timothy Van Hauwermeiren EMBA, M.Sc.Mr. Jan Moller Mikkelsen
Price584.95 USD158.1 USD
Market Cap35.72 billion USD9.55 billion USD
Beta0.170.40
ExchangeNASDAQNASDAQ
IPO DateMay 18, 2017January 28, 2015
ADRYesYes

Performance Comparison

This chart compares the performance of ARGX and ASND over the past year by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each (starting one year ago).

Hover over the lines to see the investment’s value and total return (%) at specific dates.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

Valuation Metrics Comparison

The section examines key financial ratios to assess the valuation of ARGX and ASND based on earnings, cash flow, sales, and book value. Pay attention to the following notable points where extreme values stand out.

  • ASND shows a negative P/E of -24.55, highlighting a year of losses, whereas ARGX at 51.08 trades on solid profitability.
  • ASND shows a negative forward PEG of -2.23, signaling expected earnings contraction, while ARGX at 1.35 maintains analysts’ projections for stable or improved profits.
  • ASND carries a sub-zero price-to-book ratio of -44.19, indicating negative equity. In contrast, ARGX (P/B 7.75) has positive book value.
  • ARGX and ASND both consumed more free cash flow than they generated last year—P/FCF of -455.95 and -27.43, respectively—highlighting persistent liquidity pressure.
SymbolARGXASND
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)51.08-24.55
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)1.35-2.23
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)16.5022.88
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)7.75-44.19
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)-455.95-27.43
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)4572.56-35.74
EV-to-Sales (TTM)15.8423.78
EV-to-Free Cash Flow (TTM)-437.78-28.50

Dividend Comparison

Neither ARGX nor ASND currently pays a dividend yield; this often indicates they are reinvesting earnings for growth, prioritizing long-term expansion over immediate cash returns to shareholders.

SymbolARGXASND
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%0.00%

Financial Strength Metrics Comparison

This section dives into the financial resilience of ARGX and ASND, spotlighting key metrics like liquidity, leverage, and debt coverage. Check out the standout observations below where notable differences or extremes pop up.

  • ASND posts a quick ratio of 0.71, indicating limited coverage of short-term debts from its most liquid assets—while ARGX at 6.68 enjoys stronger liquidity resilience.
  • ASND has negative equity (debt-to-equity ratio -4.46), suggesting asset shortfalls, whereas ARGX at 0.01 preserves healthier equity coverage.
  • Both ARGX and ASND report negative interest coverage ratios (-20.85, -3.72), meaning EBIT itself is negative—neither can cover interest, a critical solvency warning.
SymbolARGXASND
Current Ratio (TTM)7.291.04
Quick Ratio (TTM)6.680.71
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)0.01-4.46
Debt-to-Assets Ratio (TTM)0.010.80
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)-20.85-3.72