ASND vs. NVO: Ascendis Pharma vs. Novo Nordisk Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Novo Nordisk (NVO) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ASND is classified in Biotechnology while NVO is classified in Pharmaceuticals.

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) trades as ordinary local shares, while Novo Nordisk (NVO) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Novo Nordisk (NVO) is heavily traded at around 12.11M shares per day, whereas Ascendis Pharma (ASND) sees a more moderate 698.39K — larger orders in the latter may require more patience and tighter control over order sizing.

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Both companies show strong equity returns, but Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 118.78% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 58.38% also sits in the top quartile.

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 70.85% and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 33.92% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 64.98% and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 40.05% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 6.43% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.

Only one side can be read here: Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports EPS growth of 1.77%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 2.99 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.85 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for NVO.

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.62 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports a yield of 29.03%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports a payout of 45.36%, ranking against industry peers normally.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 10.18 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 19.68 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for NVO, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.53 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 16.14 prices around its industry’s middle — NVO costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 5.43 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.

Valuation Metrics