ASND vs. AZN: Ascendis Pharma vs. AstraZeneca Stock Comparison
How do Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and AstraZeneca (AZN) 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
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and AstraZeneca (AZN) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ASND is classified in Biotechnology while AZN is classified in Pharmaceuticals.
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) trades as ordinary local shares, while AstraZeneca (AZN) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | ASND | AZN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ascendis Pharma A/S | AstraZeneca PLC American Depositary Shares |
| Country/Region | Denmark | United Kingdom |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Biotechnology | Pharmaceuticals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Pharmaceuticals |
| Market Capitalization | 16.90 billion USD | 289.14 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | January 28, 2015 | May 12, 1993 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ASND | AZN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 29.46% | 12.64% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 40.62% | 15.75% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.03% | 10.63% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ASND | AZN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 38.62% | 28.21% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.38 | 0.22 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -55.93% | -27.87% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 698.39K | 3.14M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ASND | AZN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 0.30 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.99 | 0.44 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both companies show strong equity returns, but Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 118.78% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; AstraZeneca (AZN) at 22.57% also sits in the top quartile.
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%
AZN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
22.57%
- Max
- 109.18%
- AZN
- 22.57%
- 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 AstraZeneca (AZN) at 17.68% also retains a top-quartile share.
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%
AZN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
17.68%
- Max
- 18.05%
- AZN
- 17.68%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 64.98% and AstraZeneca (AZN) at 29.57% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.
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%
AZN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
29.57%
- Max
- 83.12%
- AZN
- 29.57%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ASND | AZN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 118.78% | 22.57% |
| ROA (TTM) | 9.58% | 8.59% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 70.85% | 17.68% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 64.98% | 29.57% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 91.30% | 81.78% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while AstraZeneca (AZN) at 8.63% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: AstraZeneca (AZN) reports EPS growth of 45.33%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ASND | AZN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 98.03% | 8.63% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 141.43% | 9.82% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 45.33% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 45.80% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 2.99 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while AstraZeneca (AZN) at 1.01 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for AZN.
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
AZN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.01
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- AZN
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while AstraZeneca (AZN) at 0.66 uses more debt funding than most peers.
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
AZN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.66
- Max
- 1.42
- AZN
- 0.66
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ASND | AZN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.99 | 1.01 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.31 | 0.66 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.37 | 1.23 |
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 AstraZeneca (AZN) reports a yield of 1.73%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
AZN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.73%
- AZN
- 1.73%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile AstraZeneca (AZN) reports a payout of 45.38%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
AZN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
45.38%
- AZN
- 45.38%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ASND | AZN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.73% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 45.38% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 19.68 and AstraZeneca (AZN) at 26.37 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
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
AZN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
26.37
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- AZN
- 26.37
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 16.14 and AstraZeneca (AZN) at 4.63 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
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
AZN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.63
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- AZN
- 4.63
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
AstraZeneca (AZN) at 5.59 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 10.45 carries an above-peer premium to book — ASND is pricier on assets.
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
AZN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
5.59
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- AZN
- 5.59
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ASND | AZN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 19.68 | 26.37 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 16.14 | 4.63 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 10.45 | 5.59 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.08% | 1.95% |