ASND vs. DHR: Ascendis Pharma vs. Danaher Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR) 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 Danaher (DHR) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ASND is classified in Biotechnology while DHR is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.

Company profile comparison for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR)
Profile Item	ASND	DHR
Name	Ascendis Pharma A/S	Danaher Corp.
Country/Region	Denmark	United States
GICS Sector	Health Care	Health Care
GICS Industry Group	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS Industry	Biotechnology	Life Sciences Tools & Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Biotechnology	Life Sciences Tools & Services
Market Capitalization	16.90 billion USD	161.86 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	NYSE
Listing Date	January 28, 2015	December 29, 1978
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ASND

DHR

GSPC

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR)
Metric	ASND	DHR
Total Return (1Y)	29.46%	11.88%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	40.62%	6.67%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	10.03%	-2.05%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ASND

DHR

GSPC

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR)
Metric	ASND	DHR
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	38.62%	30.61%
Beta (5Y)	0.38	0.76
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-55.93%	-43.31%
Avg. Volume (3M)	698.39K	3.94M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ASND and DHR are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR)
Metric	ASND	DHR
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.65	0.25
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.99	0.35

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; Danaher (DHR) at 8.19% 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%

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

8.19%

Max: 109.18%
DHR: 8.19%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 70.85% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Danaher (DHR) at 16.91% 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%

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

16.91%

Max: 18.05%
DHR: 16.91%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 64.98% and Danaher (DHR) at 21.13% 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%

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

21.13%

Max: 83.12%
DHR: 21.13%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR)
Metric	ASND	DHR
ROE (TTM)	118.78%	8.19%
ROA (TTM)	9.58%	4.06%
Net Margin (TTM)	70.85%	16.91%
Operating Margin (TTM)	64.98%	21.13%
Gross Margin (TTM)	91.30%	59.36%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Danaher (DHR) at 2.90% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Danaher (DHR) reports EPS growth of -4.54%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR)
Metric	ASND	DHR
Revenue Growth (YoY)	98.03%	2.90%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	141.43%	-2.67%
EPS Growth (YoY)	--	-4.54%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	-19.44%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 2.99 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Danaher (DHR) at 1.63 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for DHR.

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

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

1.63

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
Q1: 2.47
DHR: 1.63
Min: 0.10

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 and Danaher (DHR) at 0.52 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

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

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.52

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
DHR: 0.52
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR)
Metric	ASND	DHR
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.99	1.63
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.31	0.52
Net Debt / EBITDA	-1.37	2.68

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 Danaher (DHR) reports a yield of 0.67%, 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%

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.67%

DHR: 0.67%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

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 Danaher (DHR) reports a payout of 25.17%, 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%

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

25.17%

DHR: 25.17%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR)
Metric	ASND	DHR
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.67%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	25.17%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 19.68 and Danaher (DHR) at 38.12 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

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

38.12

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
DHR: 38.12
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 16.14 and Danaher (DHR) at 6.32 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

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

6.32

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
DHR: 6.32
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Danaher (DHR) at 3.02 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

DHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

3.02

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
DHR: 3.02
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Danaher (DHR): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Danaher (DHR)
Metric	ASND	DHR
P/E Ratio (TTM)	19.68	38.12
P/S Ratio (TTM)	16.14	6.32
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	10.45	3.02
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	0.08%	2.93%