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

Updated

Here’s a clear look at ASND and NVO, 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

NVO stands out with 305.18 billion USD in market value—about 31.97× ASND’s market cap of 9.55 billion USD.

ASND’s beta of 0.40 points to much larger expected swings compared to NVO’s calmer 0.21, suggesting both higher upside and downside potential.

ASND and NVO are both ADRs—easy access for U.S. investors to foreign shares without dealing with overseas exchanges.

SymbolASNDNVO
Company NameAscendis Pharma A/SNovo Nordisk A/S
CountryDKDK
SectorHealthcareHealthcare
IndustryBiotechnologyDrug Manufacturers - General
CEOMr. Jan Moller MikkelsenMr. Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen
Price158.1 USD68.2 USD
Market Cap9.55 billion USD305.18 billion USD
Beta0.400.21
ExchangeNASDAQNYSE
IPO DateJanuary 28, 2015April 30, 1981
ADRYesYes

Performance Comparison

This chart compares the performance of ASND and NVO 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 NVO 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 -24.55, reflecting last year’s net loss, while NVO at 18.78 signals healthy earnings.
  • ASND posts a negative forward PEG of -2.23, hinting at anticipated earnings decline, whereas NVO at 1.31 has projections for stable or growing earnings.
  • ASND has a negative P/B ratio of -44.19, indicating its liabilities exceed assets (negative equity). NVO, with a P/B of 14.18, maintains positive shareholder equity.
  • ASND has a negative Price-to-Free Cash Flow ratio of -27.43, signaling it consumed more cash than it produced over the last year—an important liquidity warning. In contrast, NVO (P/FCF 26.50) indicates positive free cash flow generation.
SymbolASNDNVO
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)-24.5518.78
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)-2.231.31
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)22.886.53
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)-44.1914.18
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)-27.4326.50
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)-35.7412.81
EV-to-Sales (TTM)23.786.80
EV-to-Free Cash Flow (TTM)-28.5027.57

Dividend Comparison

ASND offers a 0% dividend yield, suggesting it may be reinvesting available cash back into the business for future growth, while NVO provides a 2.58% dividend yield, giving investors a steady income stream.

SymbolASNDNVO
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%2.58%

Financial Strength Metrics Comparison

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

  • NVO’s current ratio of 0.74 indicates its assets may not cover near-term debts, whereas ASND at 1.04 maintains healthy liquidity.
  • Both ASND (quick ratio 0.71) and NVO (quick ratio 0.56) fall below 0.8, meaning their most liquid assets—excluding inventory—aren’t enough to meet short-term obligations. This could force them to rely on receivables, inventory turn, or external financing.
  • ASND has negative equity (debt-to-equity ratio -4.46), an unusual warning sign, while NVO at 0.86 maintains a conventional debt-to-equity balance.
  • With negative EBIT (-3.72), ASND cannot cover its interest payments. NVO, with an interest coverage of 17.84, meets its interest obligations.
SymbolASNDNVO
Current Ratio (TTM)1.040.74
Quick Ratio (TTM)0.710.56
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)-4.460.86
Debt-to-Assets Ratio (TTM)0.800.24
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)-3.7217.84