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NVO vs. PCVX: Novo Nordisk vs. Vaxcyte Stock Comparison

How do Novo Nordisk (NVO) 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

Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but NVO is classified in Pharmaceuticals while PCVX is classified in Biotechnology.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) has more than two decades of public-market history since April 30, 1981, whereas Vaxcyte (PCVX) listed on June 12, 2020 and has a much shorter record to draw on.

Vaxcyte (PCVX) 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.

Company profile comparison for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX)
Profile ItemNVOPCVX
NameNovo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADRVaxcyte Inc.
Country/RegionDenmarkUnited States
GICS SectorHealth CareHealth Care
GICS Industry GroupPharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life SciencesPharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences
GICS IndustryPharmaceuticalsBiotechnology
GICS Sub-IndustryPharmaceuticalsBiotechnology
Market Capitalization177.74 billion USD10.11 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateApril 30, 1981June 12, 2020
Security TypeADRCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

NVO
PCVX
GSPC
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX), 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 Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX)
MetricNVOPCVX
Total Return (1Y)-5.29%59.00%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)-23.41%11.29%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-4.13%21.60%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

NVO
PCVX
GSPC
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX), 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 Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX)
MetricNVOPCVX
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)45.98%56.01%
Beta (5Y)0.671.26
Max Drawdown (5Y)-74.70%-76.22%
Avg. Volume (3M)12.11M2.12M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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NVO and PCVX 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 Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX)
MetricNVOPCVX
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.210.98
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.281.76

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 Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports 58.38%, ranking against industry peers normally.

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%

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%
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 33.92% 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.

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%

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%
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 40.05% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 0.00%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

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%

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%
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX)
MetricNVOPCVX
ROE (TTM)58.38%-42.68%
ROA (TTM)19.05%-24.98%
Net Margin (TTM)33.92%0.00%
Operating Margin (TTM)40.05%0.00%
Gross Margin (TTM)83.33%0.00%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Only one side can be read here: Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports revenue growth of 6.43%, ranked against its industry; Vaxcyte (PCVX) has no revenue growth figure this period.

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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Novo Nordisk (NVO) reports EPS growth of 1.77%, ranked against its industry; Vaxcyte (PCVX) has no EPS growth figure this period.

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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX)
MetricNVOPCVX
Revenue Growth (YoY)6.43%--
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)20.43%--
EPS Growth (YoY)1.77%--
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)23.52%--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 4.56 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.85 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for NVO.

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

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
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.62 and Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 0.09 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

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

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
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX)
MetricNVOPCVX
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.854.56
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.620.09
Net Debt / EBITDA0.49--

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Vaxcyte (PCVX) 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.

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%

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%
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Vaxcyte (PCVX) 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.

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%

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%
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX)
MetricNVOPCVX
Dividend Yield (TTM)29.03%0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)45.36%0.00%

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 Vaxcyte (PCVX) has no P/E ratio this period.

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

PCVX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

--

Max
85.34
Q3
43.46
Median
26.69
Q1
13.30
Min
0.07
PCVX
--
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): PCVX does not report P/E ratio, so it has no value marker; NVO is benchmarked against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

A sales-based read is only available for Novo Nordisk (NVO), whose P/S ratio of 0.53 ranks against industry peers; Vaxcyte (PCVX) reports no figure this period.

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

PCVX

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

--

Max
58.18
Q3
25.77
Median
7.30
Q1
3.01
Min
0.01
PCVX
--
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): PCVX does not report P/S ratio, so it has no value marker; NVO is benchmarked against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 5.43 and Vaxcyte (PCVX) at 3.83 are valued close to their industries’ norm against book — neither stands out from peers.

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

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
Loading chart…
Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. Vaxcyte (PCVX): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Vaxcyte (PCVX)
MetricNVOPCVX
P/E Ratio (TTM)10.18--
P/S Ratio (TTM)0.53--
P/B Ratio (MRQ)5.433.83
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)18.43%-5.24%