ASND vs. PCVX: Ascendis Pharma vs. Vaxcyte Stock Comparison
How do Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Vaxcyte (PCVX) 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 Vaxcyte (PCVX) are both classified in the Biotechnology sub-industry within the broader Biotechnology industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | ASND | PCVX |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ascendis Pharma A/S | Vaxcyte Inc. |
| 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 | Biotechnology |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Biotechnology |
| Market Capitalization | 16.90 billion USD | 10.11 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | January 28, 2015 | June 12, 2020 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ASND | PCVX |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 29.46% | 59.00% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 40.62% | 11.29% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.03% | 21.60% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ASND | PCVX |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 38.62% | 56.01% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.38 | 1.26 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -55.93% | -76.22% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 698.39K | 2.12M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ASND | PCVX |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 0.98 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.99 | 1.76 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Vaxcyte (PCVX) reports a negative ROE of -42.68%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Ascendis Pharma (ASND) reports 118.78%, ranking against industry peers normally.
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%
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-42.68%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- PCVX
- -42.68%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 70.85% converts revenue to bottom-line profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 0.00% keeps roughly the typical share for its industry.
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%
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- PCVX
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 64.98% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 0.00%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
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%
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- PCVX
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ASND | PCVX |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 118.78% | -42.68% |
| ROA (TTM) | 9.58% | -24.98% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 70.85% | 0.00% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 64.98% | 0.00% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 91.30% | 0.00% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Only one side can be read here: Ascendis Pharma (ASND) reports revenue growth of 98.03%, ranked against its industry; Vaxcyte (PCVX) has no revenue growth figure this period.
EPS Growth
Neither Ascendis Pharma (ASND) nor Vaxcyte (PCVX) reports a EPS growth value for this period, so a direct comparison isn't possible.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ASND | PCVX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 98.03% | -- |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 141.43% | -- |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 2.99 and Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 4.56 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
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
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
4.56
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- PCVX
- 4.56
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 and Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 0.09 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
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
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.09
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.15
- PCVX
- 0.09
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ASND | PCVX |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.99 | 4.56 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.31 | 0.09 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.37 | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Ascendis Pharma (ASND) nor Vaxcyte (PCVX) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- PCVX
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Ascendis Pharma (ASND) nor Vaxcyte (PCVX) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
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%
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- PCVX
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ASND | PCVX |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Ascendis Pharma (ASND) trades at 19.68 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Vaxcyte (PCVX) has no P/E ratio this period.
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
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
- PCVX
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
A sales-based read is only available for Ascendis Pharma (ASND), whose P/S ratio of 16.14 ranks against industry peers; Vaxcyte (PCVX) reports no figure this period.
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
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
- PCVX
- --
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 3.83 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.
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
PCVX
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
3.83
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- PCVX
- 3.83
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ASND | PCVX |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 19.68 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 16.14 | -- |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 10.45 | 3.83 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.08% | -5.24% |