ASND vs. ELAN: Ascendis Pharma vs. Elanco Animal Health Stock Comparison
How do Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) 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 Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ASND is classified in Biotechnology while ELAN is classified in Pharmaceuticals.
| Profile Item | ASND | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ascendis Pharma A/S | Elanco Animal Health Incorporated |
| 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 | Pharmaceuticals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Pharmaceuticals |
| Market Capitalization | 16.90 billion USD | 12.86 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 28, 2015 | September 20, 2018 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ASND | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 29.46% | 24.03% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 40.62% | 37.47% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.03% | -4.24% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) has an aggressive beta of 1.65, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Ascendis Pharma (ASND) is defensive at 0.38 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | ASND | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 38.62% | 43.57% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.38 | 1.65 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -55.93% | -75.59% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 698.39K | 5.65M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ASND | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 0.45 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.99 | 0.66 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Ascendis Pharma (ASND) earns 118.78% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) has no ROE this period.
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%
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
- ELAN
- --
Net Margin (TTM)
Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) reports a negative net margin of -2.86%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Ascendis Pharma (ASND) reports 70.85%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-2.86%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- ELAN
- -2.86%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 64.98% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 6.64%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
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%
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.64%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- ELAN
- 6.64%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ASND | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 118.78% | -- |
| ROA (TTM) | 9.58% | -- |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 70.85% | -2.86% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 64.98% | 6.64% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 91.30% | 56.18% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 6.22% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) reports EPS growth of -169.12%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ASND | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 98.03% | 6.22% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 141.43% | 2.25% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | -169.12% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Ascendis Pharma (ASND) shows current ratio of 2.99 against its industry benchmark, while Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) has no reading this period.
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
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
- ELAN
- --
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 and Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 0.64 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
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.64
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- ELAN
- 0.64
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ASND | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.99 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.31 | 0.64 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.37 | 3.49 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Ascendis Pharma (ASND) nor Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ELAN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Ascendis Pharma (ASND) nor Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- ELAN
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ASND | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Ascendis Pharma (ASND) trades at 19.68 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) has no P/E ratio this period.
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
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
- ELAN
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 2.50 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 16.14 prices around its industry’s middle — ELAN costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
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
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.50
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- ELAN
- 2.50
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) at 1.95 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
ELAN
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.95
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- ELAN
- 1.95
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ASND | ELAN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 19.68 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 16.14 | 2.50 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 10.45 | 1.95 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.08% | -- |