ASND vs. WAT: Ascendis Pharma vs. Waters Stock Comparison
How do Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Waters (WAT) 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 Waters (WAT) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but ASND is classified in Biotechnology while WAT is classified in Life Sciences Tools & Services.
| Profile Item | ASND | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Ascendis Pharma A/S | Waters Corporation |
| 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 | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Life Sciences Tools & Services |
| Market Capitalization | 16.90 billion USD | 44.93 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | January 28, 2015 | November 17, 1995 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | ASND | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 29.46% | 27.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 40.62% | 23.32% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.03% | 6.27% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | ASND | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 38.62% | 35.45% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.38 | 1.13 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -55.93% | -36.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 698.39K | 816.72K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | ASND | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.65 | 0.66 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.99 | 0.98 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 118.78% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Waters (WAT) at 1.12%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
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%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.12%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- WAT
- 1.12%
- Median
- -26.66%
- 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 Waters (WAT) at 1.76% 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%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
1.76%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- WAT
- 1.76%
- 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 Waters (WAT) at 11.38%, 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%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
11.38%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- WAT
- 11.38%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | ASND | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 118.78% | 1.12% |
| ROA (TTM) | 9.58% | 2.36% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 70.85% | 1.76% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 64.98% | 11.38% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 91.30% | 49.83% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Waters (WAT) at 6.99% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Waters (WAT) reports EPS growth of 0.47%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | ASND | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 98.03% | 6.99% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 141.43% | 2.12% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 0.47% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -2.84% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Short-term liquidity can only be read on one side of this pairing: Ascendis Pharma (ASND) shows current ratio of 2.99 against its industry benchmark, while Waters (WAT) has no reading this period.
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
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- Min
- 0.10
- WAT
- --
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 and Waters (WAT) at 0.34 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
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.34
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- WAT
- 0.34
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | ASND | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.99 | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.31 | 0.34 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -1.37 | 3.23 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Ascendis Pharma (ASND) nor Waters (WAT) 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%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- WAT
- 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 Waters (WAT) 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%
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- WAT
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | ASND | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 19.68 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Waters (WAT) at 191.46 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for WAT’s trailing earnings.
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
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
191.46
- WAT
- 191.46
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 16.14 and Waters (WAT) at 8.01 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
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
8.01
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- WAT
- 8.01
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Waters (WAT) at 2.94 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
WAT
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.94
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- WAT
- 2.94
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ASND | WAT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 19.68 | 191.46 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 16.14 | 8.01 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 10.45 | 2.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.08% | -- |