ASND vs. EXEL: Ascendis Pharma vs. Exelixis Stock Comparison
How do Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Exelixis (EXEL) 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 Exelixis (EXEL) are both classified in the Biotechnology sub-industry within the broader Biotechnology industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | ASND | EXEL |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ascendis Pharma A/S | Exelixis Inc. |
| 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 | Biotechnology |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Biotechnology |
| Market Capitalization | 16.90 billion USD | 16.98 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | January 28, 2015 | April 17, 2000 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ASND | EXEL |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 29.46% | 74.98% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 40.62% | 50.33% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.03% | 31.10% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ASND | EXEL |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 38.62% | 34.17% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.38 | 0.41 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -55.93% | -35.41% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 698.39K | 2.33M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ASND | EXEL |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 2.07 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.99 | 3.23 |
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; Exelixis (EXEL) at 44.32% 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%
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
44.32%
- Max
- 109.18%
- EXEL
- 44.32%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 70.85% and Exelixis (EXEL) at 35.45% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.
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%
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
35.45%
- EXEL
- 35.45%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 64.98% and Exelixis (EXEL) at 40.75% 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%
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
40.75%
- Max
- 83.12%
- EXEL
- 40.75%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ASND | EXEL |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 118.78% | 44.32% |
| ROA (TTM) | 9.58% | 23.52% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 70.85% | 35.45% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 64.98% | 40.75% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 91.30% | 96.26% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Exelixis (EXEL) at 6.98% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Exelixis (EXEL) reports EPS growth of 57.95%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ASND | EXEL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 98.03% | 6.98% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 141.43% | 12.93% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 57.95% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 70.59% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 2.99 and Exelixis (EXEL) at 3.21 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
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
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
3.21
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- EXEL
- 3.21
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 and Exelixis (EXEL) at 0.09 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
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.09
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- EXEL
- 0.09
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ASND | EXEL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.99 | 3.21 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.31 | 0.09 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.37 | -0.71 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Ascendis Pharma (ASND) nor Exelixis (EXEL) 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%
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- EXEL
- 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 Exelixis (EXEL) 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%
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- EXEL
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ASND | EXEL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 19.68 and Exelixis (EXEL) at 20.83 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
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
20.83
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- EXEL
- 20.83
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 16.14 and Exelixis (EXEL) at 6.80 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
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
6.80
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- EXEL
- 6.80
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 10.45 and Exelixis (EXEL) at 9.28 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
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
EXEL
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
9.28
- Max
- 13.53
- EXEL
- 9.28
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ASND | EXEL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 19.68 | 20.83 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 16.14 | 6.80 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 10.45 | 9.28 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.08% | 4.47% |