ASND vs. QGEN: Ascendis Pharma vs. Qiagen Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN) 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 Qiagen (QGEN) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ASND is classified in Biotechnology while QGEN is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.

Company profile comparison for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Profile Item	ASND	QGEN
Name	Ascendis Pharma A/S	Qiagen N.V.
Country/Region	Denmark	Netherlands
GICS Sector	Health Care	Health Care
GICS Industry Group	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences	Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS Industry	Biotechnology	Life Sciences Tools & Services
GICS Sub-Industry	Biotechnology	Life Sciences Tools & Services
Market Capitalization	16.90 billion USD	10.39 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	NYSE
Listing Date	January 28, 2015	June 28, 1996
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ASND

QGEN

GSPC

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ASND	QGEN
Total Return (1Y)	29.46%	17.09%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	40.62%	10.44%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	10.03%	-0.72%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ASND

QGEN

GSPC

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ASND	QGEN
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	38.62%	35.52%
Beta (5Y)	0.38	0.56
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-55.93%	-41.97%
Avg. Volume (3M)	698.39K	3.68M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

ASND and QGEN are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ASND	QGEN
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.65	0.36
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.99	0.60

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; Qiagen (QGEN) at 10.81% 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%

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

10.81%

Max: 109.18%
QGEN: 10.81%
Q3: 6.23%
Median: -26.66%
Q1: -64.05%
Min: -167.77%

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 70.85% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 18.20% 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%

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

18.20%

QGEN: 18.20%
Max: 18.05%
Q3: 4.78%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -4.14%
Min: -17.05%

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 64.98% and Qiagen (QGEN) at 27.75% 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%

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

27.75%

Max: 83.12%
QGEN: 27.75%
Q3: 14.77%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: -78.82%
Min: -207.40%

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ASND	QGEN
ROE (TTM)	118.78%	10.81%
ROA (TTM)	9.58%	5.68%
Net Margin (TTM)	70.85%	18.20%
Operating Margin (TTM)	64.98%	27.75%
Gross Margin (TTM)	91.30%	67.06%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Qiagen (QGEN) at 5.65% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Qiagen (QGEN) reports EPS growth of 409.76%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ASND	QGEN
Revenue Growth (YoY)	98.03%	5.65%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	141.43%	-0.81%
EPS Growth (YoY)	--	409.76%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	-0.19%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 2.99 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 2.63 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

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.63

Max: 25.13
Q3: 12.13
Median: 5.52
QGEN: 2.63
Q1: 2.47
Min: 0.10

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 0.47 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

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.47

Max: 1.42
Q3: 0.65
QGEN: 0.47
Median: 0.15
Q1: 0.02
Min: 0.00

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ASND	QGEN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	2.99	2.63
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.31	0.47
Net Debt / EBITDA	-1.37	1.08

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 Qiagen (QGEN) reports a yield of 0.71%, 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%

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.71%

QGEN: 0.71%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

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 Qiagen (QGEN) reports a payout of 18.21%, 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%

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

18.21%

QGEN: 18.21%
Max: 0.00%
Q3: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ASND	QGEN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.71%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	18.21%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 19.68 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 27.21 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

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

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

27.21

Max: 85.34
Q3: 43.46
QGEN: 27.21
Median: 26.69
Q1: 13.30
Min: 0.07

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 16.14 and Qiagen (QGEN) at 4.91 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

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

4.91

Max: 58.18
Q3: 25.77
Median: 7.30
QGEN: 4.91
Q1: 3.01
Min: 0.01

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Qiagen (QGEN) at 2.99 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

QGEN

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.99

Max: 13.53
Q3: 6.54
Median: 3.25
QGEN: 2.99
Q1: 1.69
Min: -5.59

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Qiagen (QGEN): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Qiagen (QGEN)
Metric	ASND	QGEN
P/E Ratio (TTM)	19.68	27.21
P/S Ratio (TTM)	16.14	4.91
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	10.45	2.99
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	0.08%	3.62%