MRNA vs. NVO: Moderna vs. Novo Nordisk Stock Comparison
How do Moderna (MRNA) and Novo Nordisk (NVO) 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
Moderna (MRNA) and Novo Nordisk (NVO) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but MRNA is classified in Biotechnology while NVO is classified in Pharmaceuticals.
Moderna (MRNA) trades as ordinary local shares, while Novo Nordisk (NVO) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | MRNA | NVO |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Moderna Inc. | Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR |
| Country/Region | United States | Denmark |
| GICS Sector | Health Care | Health Care |
| GICS Industry Group | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences | Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences |
| GICS Industry | Biotechnology | Pharmaceuticals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Biotechnology | Pharmaceuticals |
| Market Capitalization | 101.48 billion USD | 177.74 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | December 7, 2018 | April 30, 1981 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | MRNA | NVO |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 1,031.66% | -5.29% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 58.68% | -23.41% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 3.23% | -4.13% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | MRNA | NVO |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 194.88% | 45.98% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.08 | 0.67 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -93.93% | -74.70% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 21.61M | 12.11M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | MRNA | NVO |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 5.27 | -0.21 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 20.44 | -0.28 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Moderna (MRNA) reports a negative ROE of -39.00%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports 58.38%, ranking against industry peers normally.
MRNA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-39.00%
- Max
- 109.18%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- MRNA
- -39.00%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
NVO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
58.38%
- Max
- 109.18%
- NVO
- 58.38%
- Q3
- 6.23%
- Median
- -26.66%
- Q1
- -64.05%
- Min
- -167.77%
Net Margin (TTM)
Moderna (MRNA) reports a negative net margin of -141.43%, usually indicating a net loss over the period. Meanwhile Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports 33.92%, ranking against industry peers normally.
MRNA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-141.43%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
- MRNA
- -141.43%
NVO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
33.92%
- NVO
- 33.92%
- Max
- 18.05%
- Q3
- 4.78%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -4.14%
- Min
- -17.05%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Moderna (MRNA) reports a negative operating margin of -557.93%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports 40.05%, ranking against industry peers normally.
MRNA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
-557.93%
- Max
- 83.12%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
- MRNA
- -557.93%
NVO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
40.05%
- Max
- 83.12%
- NVO
- 40.05%
- Q3
- 14.77%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -78.82%
- Min
- -207.40%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | MRNA | NVO |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -39.00% | 58.38% |
| ROA (TTM) | -13.26% | 19.05% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -141.43% | 33.92% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -557.93% | 40.05% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -66.02% | 83.33% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 6.43% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Moderna (MRNA) at -39.92% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports EPS growth of 1.77%, ranked against its industry; Moderna (MRNA) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | MRNA | NVO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -39.92% | 6.43% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -53.30% | 20.43% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | 1.77% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | 23.52% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Moderna (MRNA) at 2.30 and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.85 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
MRNA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
2.30
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- MRNA
- 2.30
- Min
- 0.10
NVO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.85
- Max
- 25.13
- Q3
- 12.13
- Median
- 5.52
- Q1
- 2.47
- NVO
- 0.85
- Min
- 0.10
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Moderna (MRNA) at 0.19 and Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.62 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
MRNA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.19
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- MRNA
- 0.19
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
NVO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.62
- Max
- 1.42
- Q3
- 0.65
- NVO
- 0.62
- Median
- 0.15
- Q1
- 0.02
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | MRNA | NVO |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.30 | 0.85 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.19 | 0.62 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | 0.49 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Moderna (MRNA) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports a yield of 29.03%, ranking against industry peers normally.
MRNA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- MRNA
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NVO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
29.03%
- NVO
- 29.03%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Moderna (MRNA) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports a payout of 45.36%, ranking against industry peers normally.
MRNA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.00%
- MRNA
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
NVO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
45.36%
- NVO
- 45.36%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | MRNA | NVO |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 29.03% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 45.36% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Novo Nordisk (NVO) trades at 10.18 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Moderna (MRNA) has no P/E ratio this period.
MRNA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
--
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- Min
- 0.07
- MRNA
- --
NVO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
10.18
- Max
- 85.34
- Q3
- 43.46
- Median
- 26.69
- Q1
- 13.30
- NVO
- 10.18
- Min
- 0.07
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.53 looks cheap on sales in the lower P/S ratio quartile, while Moderna (MRNA) at 45.55 looks rich in the upper quartile — a clear gap in price per dollar of revenue.
MRNA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
45.55
- Max
- 58.18
- MRNA
- 45.55
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- Min
- 0.01
NVO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
0.53
- Max
- 58.18
- Q3
- 25.77
- Median
- 7.30
- Q1
- 3.01
- NVO
- 0.53
- Min
- 0.01
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 5.43 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Moderna (MRNA) at 11.58 carries an above-peer premium to book — MRNA is pricier on assets.
MRNA
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
11.58
- Max
- 13.53
- MRNA
- 11.58
- Q3
- 6.54
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
NVO
Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group
5.43
- Max
- 13.53
- Q3
- 6.54
- NVO
- 5.43
- Median
- 3.25
- Q1
- 1.69
- Min
- -5.59
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | MRNA | NVO |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | 10.18 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 45.55 | 0.53 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 11.58 | 5.43 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.29% | 18.43% |