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ASND vs. ZTS: Ascendis Pharma vs. Zoetis Stock Comparison

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

Company profile comparison for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Zoetis (ZTS)
Profile ItemASNDZTS
NameAscendis Pharma A/SZoetis Inc. Class A Common Stock
Country/RegionDenmarkUnited States
GICS SectorHealth CareHealth Care
GICS Industry GroupPharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life SciencesPharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS IndustryBiotechnologyPharmaceuticals
GICS Sub-IndustryBiotechnologyPharmaceuticals
Market Capitalization16.90 billion USD32.26 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNasdaqNYSE
Listing DateJanuary 28, 2015February 1, 2013
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ASND
ZTS
GSPC
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS), 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 Zoetis (ZTS). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Zoetis (ZTS)
MetricASNDZTS
Total Return (1Y)29.46%-30.10%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)40.62%-20.42%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)10.03%-16.87%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ASND
ZTS
GSPC
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS), 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 Zoetis (ZTS). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Zoetis (ZTS)
MetricASNDZTS
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)38.62%38.23%
Beta (5Y)0.380.66
Max Drawdown (5Y)-55.93%-70.45%
Avg. Volume (3M)698.39K4.65M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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ASND and ZTS 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 Zoetis (ZTS)
MetricASNDZTS
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.65-0.90
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.99-1.10

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; Zoetis (ZTS) at 57.63% 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%

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

57.63%

Max
109.18%
ZTS
57.63%
Q3
6.23%
Median
-26.66%
Q1
-64.05%
Min
-167.77%
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): 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 Zoetis (ZTS) at 26.41% 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%

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

26.41%

ZTS
26.41%
Max
18.05%
Q3
4.78%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-4.14%
Min
-17.05%
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): 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 Zoetis (ZTS) at 38.19% 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%

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

38.19%

Max
83.12%
ZTS
38.19%
Q3
14.77%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-78.82%
Min
-207.40%
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Zoetis (ZTS)
MetricASNDZTS
ROE (TTM)118.78%57.63%
ROA (TTM)9.58%14.87%
Net Margin (TTM)70.85%26.41%
Operating Margin (TTM)64.98%38.19%
Gross Margin (TTM)91.30%71.65%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 98.03% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Zoetis (ZTS) at 2.28% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for ASND.

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

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Zoetis (ZTS) reports EPS growth of 10.05%, ranked against its industry; Ascendis Pharma (ASND) has no EPS growth figure this period.

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

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Zoetis (ZTS)
MetricASNDZTS
Revenue Growth (YoY)98.03%2.28%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)141.43%5.42%
EPS Growth (YoY)--10.05%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)--10.27%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 2.99 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Zoetis (ZTS) at 2.35 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ZTS.

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

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.35

Max
25.13
Q3
12.13
Median
5.52
Q1
2.47
ZTS
2.35
Min
0.10
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 0.31 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while Zoetis (ZTS) at 2.80 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.

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

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.80

ZTS
2.80
Max
1.42
Q3
0.65
Median
0.15
Q1
0.02
Min
0.00
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): 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 Zoetis (ZTS)
MetricASNDZTS
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.992.35
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.312.80
Net Debt / EBITDA-1.371.92

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 Zoetis (ZTS) reports a yield of 2.55%, 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%

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.55%

ZTS
2.55%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): 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 Zoetis (ZTS) reports a payout of 35.24%, 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%

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

35.24%

ZTS
35.24%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Ascendis Pharma (ASND) and Zoetis (ZTS)
MetricASNDZTS
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%2.55%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%35.24%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 19.68 and Zoetis (ZTS) at 13.50 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

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

13.50

Max
85.34
Q3
43.46
Median
26.69
ZTS
13.50
Q1
13.30
Min
0.07
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): 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 Zoetis (ZTS) at 3.40 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

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

3.40

Max
58.18
Q3
25.77
Median
7.30
ZTS
3.40
Q1
3.01
Min
0.01
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both Ascendis Pharma (ASND) at 10.45 and Zoetis (ZTS) at 9.80 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.

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

ZTS

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

9.80

Max
13.53
ZTS
9.80
Q3
6.54
Median
3.25
Q1
1.69
Min
-5.59
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Ascendis Pharma (ASND) vs. Zoetis (ZTS): 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 Zoetis (ZTS)
MetricASNDZTS
P/E Ratio (TTM)19.6813.50
P/S Ratio (TTM)16.143.40
P/B Ratio (MRQ)10.459.80
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)0.08%6.36%