ASND vs. NBIX: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ASND and NBIX, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ASND’s market capitalization stands at 10.52 billion USD, while NBIX’s is 12.78 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
With betas of 0.36 for ASND and 0.24 for NBIX, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.
ASND trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, NBIX is a standard domestic listing.
| Symbol | ASND | NBIX |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Ascendis Pharma A/S | Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. |
| Country | DK | US |
| Sector | Healthcare | Healthcare |
| Industry | Biotechnology | Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic |
| CEO | Jan Moller Mikkelsen | Kyle W. Gano |
| Price | 174.18 USD | 129.11 USD |
| Market Cap | 10.52 billion USD | 12.78 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.36 | 0.24 |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | January 28, 2015 | May 23, 1996 |
| ADR | Yes | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ASND and NBIX by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ASND
191.42%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 72.39%
- Q3
- -6.30%
- Median
- -32.82%
- Q1
- -68.26%
- Min
- -147.61%
ASND’s Return on Equity of 191.42% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Biotechnology industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.
NBIX
11.81%
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 51.32%
- Q3
- 9.89%
- Median
- -3.37%
- Q1
- -20.99%
- Min
- -36.07%
In the upper quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry, NBIX’s Return on Equity of 11.81% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Return on Invested Capital
ASND
-50.64%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 48.74%
- Q3
- -10.68%
- Median
- -31.65%
- Q1
- -52.92%
- Min
- -113.69%
ASND has a negative Return on Invested Capital of -50.64%. This indicates that its operations are failing to generate a profit on the total capital invested, signaling significant inefficiency or value destruction.
NBIX
10.31%
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 22.54%
- Q3
- 8.45%
- Median
- 1.42%
- Q1
- -9.01%
- Min
- -28.41%
In the upper quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry, NBIX’s Return on Invested Capital of 10.31% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
ASND
-92.67%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 87.75%
- Q3
- -5.05%
- Median
- -103.44%
- Q1
- -1,032.77%
- Min
- -2,366.07%
ASND has a negative Net Profit Margin of -92.67%, indicating the company is operating at a net loss as its expenses exceeded its revenues.
NBIX
12.68%
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 40.33%
- Q3
- 11.92%
- Median
- -0.45%
- Q1
- -13.07%
- Min
- -34.27%
A Net Profit Margin of 12.68% places NBIX in the upper quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
Operating Profit Margin
ASND
-90.54%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 87.75%
- Q3
- -3.28%
- Median
- -115.26%
- Q1
- -1,188.86%
- Min
- -2,943.30%
ASND has a negative Operating Profit Margin of -90.54%. This signifies the company is unprofitable at the operational level, as its core business expenses exceed its revenue.
NBIX
20.61%
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 46.91%
- Q3
- 19.02%
- Median
- 6.23%
- Q1
- -11.23%
- Min
- -51.89%
An Operating Profit Margin of 20.61% places NBIX in the upper quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ASND | NBIX |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 191.42% | 11.81% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | -32.19% | 8.29% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | -50.64% | 10.31% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | -92.67% | 12.68% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | -90.54% | 20.61% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 85.30% | 98.25% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ASND
1.04
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 28.73
- Q3
- 13.97
- Median
- 6.31
- Q1
- 3.60
- Min
- 0.02
ASND’s Current Ratio of 1.04 falls into the lower quartile for the Biotechnology industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
NBIX
3.13
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 5.74
- Q3
- 3.37
- Median
- 2.64
- Q1
- 1.73
- Min
- 0.88
NBIX’s Current Ratio of 3.13 aligns with the median group of the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ASND
-4.46
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 0.46
- Q3
- 0.22
- Median
- 0.06
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
ASND has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of -4.46, which indicates negative shareholder equity where liabilities exceed assets. This is a critical sign of financial distress.
NBIX
0.18
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 1.45
- Q3
- 1.06
- Median
- 0.62
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
NBIX’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.18 is typical for the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ASND
-3.72
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 108.32
- Q3
- -0.55
- Median
- -8.49
- Q1
- -74.83
- Min
- -168.36
ASND has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -3.72. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
NBIX
--
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 10.17
- Q3
- 3.39
- Median
- 0.85
- Q1
- -2.63
- Min
- -5.84
Interest Coverage Ratio data for NBIX is currently unavailable.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ASND | NBIX |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 1.04 | 3.13 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.71 | 3.02 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | -4.46 | 0.18 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.80 | 0.12 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | -1.34 | 0.47 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | -3.72 | -- |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ASND and NBIX. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ASND
0.00%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ASND currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
NBIX
0.00%
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 9.29%
- Q3
- 0.31%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NBIX currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ASND
0.00%
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
ASND has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
NBIX
0.00%
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 125.42%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NBIX has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ASND | NBIX |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ASND
-25.98
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 78.44
- Q3
- 48.98
- Median
- 20.50
- Q1
- 12.64
- Min
- 2.14
ASND has a negative P/E Ratio of -25.98. This occurs when a company has negative earnings (a net loss), making the ratio unsuitable for valuation analysis.
NBIX
42.09
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 40.89
- Q3
- 28.12
- Median
- 23.94
- Q1
- 18.79
- Min
- 7.76
At 42.09, NBIX’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ASND
-2.36
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 2.29
- Q3
- 1.10
- Median
- 0.49
- Q1
- 0.16
- Min
- 0.02
ASND has a negative Forward PEG Ratio of -2.36. This typically results from negative earnings or forecasts of declining future earnings, making the ratio not meaningful for valuation.
NBIX
1.48
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 4.19
- Q3
- 2.94
- Median
- 1.47
- Q1
- 0.35
- Min
- 0.00
NBIX’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.48 is within the middle range of its peers in the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ASND
24.22
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 110.90
- Q3
- 59.76
- Median
- 11.33
- Q1
- 4.45
- Min
- 0.17
ASND’s P/S Ratio of 24.22 aligns with the market consensus for the Biotechnology industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
NBIX
5.30
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 7.49
- Q3
- 4.45
- Median
- 2.12
- Q1
- 1.21
- Min
- 0.25
NBIX’s P/S Ratio of 5.30 is in the upper echelon for the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ASND
-46.77
Biotechnology Industry
- Max
- 15.78
- Q3
- 7.44
- Median
- 3.31
- Q1
- 1.58
- Min
- 0.31
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Biotechnology industry.
NBIX
5.08
Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic Industry
- Max
- 4.93
- Q3
- 3.95
- Median
- 2.14
- Q1
- 1.30
- Min
- 0.13
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic industry.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ASND | NBIX |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | -25.98 | 42.09 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | -2.36 | 1.48 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 24.22 | 5.30 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | -46.77 | 5.08 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | -29.03 | 25.96 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | -37.74 | 24.14 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 25.11 | 5.40 |