ASND vs. LLY: Ascendis Pharma vs. Eli Lilly Stock Comparison
How do Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Eli Lilly (LLY) 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 Eli Lilly (LLY) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ASND is classified in Biotechnology while LLY is classified in Pharmaceuticals.
| Profile Item | ASND | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ascendis Pharma A/S | Eli Lilly and Company |
| 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 | 1,206.07 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 28, 2015 | June 1, 1972 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ASND | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 29.46% | 52.36% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 40.62% | 34.18% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.03% | 41.08% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ASND | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 38.62% | 35.34% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.38 | 0.40 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -55.93% | -34.48% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 698.39K | 2.52M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ASND | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 1.36 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.99 | 2.29 |
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; Eli Lilly (LLY) at 86.02% 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%
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
86.02%
- Max
- 109.18%
- LLY
- 86.02%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 70.85% and Eli Lilly (LLY) at 31.90% 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%
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
31.90%
- LLY
- 31.90%
- 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 Eli Lilly (LLY) at 53.66% 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%
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
53.66%
- Max
- 83.12%
- LLY
- 53.66%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ASND | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 118.78% | 86.02% |
| ROA (TTM) | 9.58% | 21.06% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 70.85% | 31.90% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 64.98% | 53.66% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 91.30% | 83.63% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 44.70% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Eli Lilly (LLY) reports EPS growth of 95.99%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ASND | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 98.03% | 44.70% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 141.43% | 31.69% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 95.99% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 51.71% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 2.99 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 1.39 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for LLY.
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
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.39
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- LLY
- 1.39
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 1.23 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
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.23
- Max
- 1.42
- LLY
- 1.23
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ASND | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.99 | 1.39 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.31 | 1.23 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.37 | 0.96 |
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 Eli Lilly (LLY) reports a yield of 0.49%, 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%
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.49%
- LLY
- 0.49%
- 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 Eli Lilly (LLY) reports a payout of 21.71%, 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%
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
21.71%
- LLY
- 21.71%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ASND | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.49% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 21.71% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 19.68 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Eli Lilly (LLY) at 43.95 sits in the richer quartile — LLY needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.
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
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
43.95
- Max
- 85.34
- LLY
- 43.95
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 16.14 and Eli Lilly (LLY) at 13.95 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
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
13.95
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- LLY
- 13.95
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both look rich against book: Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 10.45 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and Eli Lilly (LLY) at 29.96 prices even higher, above its industry range.
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
LLY
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
29.96
- LLY
- 29.96
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ASND | LLY |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 19.68 | 43.95 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 16.14 | 13.95 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 10.45 | 29.96 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.08% | 0.77% |