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

Updated

Here’s a clear look at ASND and HCA, 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

HCA stands out with 91.85 billion USD in market value—about 9.62× ASND’s market cap of 9.55 billion USD.

HCA carries a higher beta at 1.47, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ASND remains steadier at 0.40.

ASND trades as an ADR, giving U.S. investors a simple on-ramp to its foreign shares, while HCA remains a standard domestic listing.

SymbolASNDHCA
Company NameAscendis Pharma A/SHCA Healthcare, Inc.
CountryDKUS
SectorHealthcareHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnologyMedical - Care Facilities
CEOMr. Jan Moller MikkelsenMr. Samuel N. Hazen
Price158.1 USD381.81 USD
Market Cap9.55 billion USD91.85 billion USD
Beta0.401.47
ExchangeNASDAQNYSE
IPO DateJanuary 28, 2015March 10, 2011
ADRYesNo

Performance Comparison

This chart compares the performance of ASND and HCA 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 ASND and HCA based on earnings, cash flow, sales, and book value. Pay attention to the following notable points where extreme values stand out.

  • ASND posts a negative P/E of -24.59, reflecting last year’s net loss, while HCA at 16.48 signals healthy earnings.
  • ASND posts a negative forward PEG of -2.23, hinting at anticipated earnings decline, whereas HCA at 1.23 has projections for stable or growing earnings.
  • Book value is underwater for both ASND (-44.27) and HCA (-27.06), meaning liabilities exceed assets—signaling a critical solvency risk for both companies.
  • ASND has a negative Price-to-Free Cash Flow ratio of -27.48, signaling it consumed more cash than it produced over the last year—an important liquidity warning. In contrast, HCA (P/FCF 18.56) indicates positive free cash flow generation.
SymbolASNDHCA
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)-24.5916.48
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)-2.231.23
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)22.921.28
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)-44.27-27.06
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)-27.4818.56
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)-35.809.76
EV-to-Sales (TTM)23.821.92
EV-to-Free Cash Flow (TTM)-28.5527.73

Dividend Comparison

ASND offers a 0% dividend yield, suggesting it may be reinvesting available cash back into the business for future growth, while HCA provides a 0.71% dividend yield, giving investors a steady income stream.

SymbolASNDHCA
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%0.71%

Financial Strength Metrics Comparison

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

  • ASND’s quick ratio of 0.71 suggests it may struggle to cover immediate liabilities without selling inventory or raising cash, whereas HCA at 1.06 maintains a comfortable buffer of liquid assets.
  • Both ASND (debt-to-equity ratio -4.46) and HCA (-13.20) exhibit negative shareholder equity—assets fall short of liabilities—signaling serious balance-sheet stress.
  • With negative EBIT (-3.72), ASND cannot cover its interest payments. HCA, with an interest coverage of 5.17, meets its interest obligations.
SymbolASNDHCA
Current Ratio (TTM)1.041.19
Quick Ratio (TTM)0.711.06
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)-4.46-13.20
Debt-to-Assets Ratio (TTM)0.800.78
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)-3.725.17