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NVO vs. UTHR: Novo Nordisk vs. United Therapeutics Stock Comparison

How do Novo Nordisk (NVO) and United Therapeutics (UTHR) 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 United Therapeutics (UTHR) both fall under the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group, but NVO is classified in Pharmaceuticals while UTHR is classified in Biotechnology.

United Therapeutics (UTHR) 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 United Therapeutics (UTHR)
Profile ItemNVOUTHR
NameNovo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADRUnited Therapeutics Corporation
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 USD23.94 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateApril 30, 1981June 17, 1999
Security TypeADRCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

NVO
UTHR
GSPC
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR), 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 United Therapeutics (UTHR). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and United Therapeutics (UTHR)
MetricNVOUTHR
Total Return (1Y)-5.29%28.77%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)-23.41%37.63%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)-4.13%23.78%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

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

Risk Metrics

Novo Nordisk (NVO) is heavily traded at around 12.11M shares per day, whereas United Therapeutics (UTHR) sees a more moderate 694.55K — larger orders in the latter may require more patience and tighter control over order sizing.

Risk profile metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and United Therapeutics (UTHR)
MetricNVOUTHR
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)45.98%35.00%
Beta (5Y)0.670.49
Max Drawdown (5Y)-74.70%-33.00%
Avg. Volume (3M)12.11M694.55K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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NVO and UTHR 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 United Therapeutics (UTHR)
MetricNVOUTHR
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)-0.210.70
Sortino Ratio (1Y)-0.281.29

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 58.38% and United Therapeutics (UTHR) at 19.13% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

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%

UTHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

19.13%

Max
109.18%
UTHR
19.13%
Q3
6.23%
Median
-26.66%
Q1
-64.05%
Min
-167.77%
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR): A comparison of their ROE against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 33.92% and United Therapeutics (UTHR) at 38.61% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.

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%

UTHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

38.61%

UTHR
38.61%
Max
18.05%
Q3
4.78%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-4.14%
Min
-17.05%
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR): A comparison of their net margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 40.05% and United Therapeutics (UTHR) at 28.99% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

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%

UTHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

28.99%

Max
83.12%
UTHR
28.99%
Q3
14.77%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-78.82%
Min
-207.40%
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR): A comparison of their operating margin against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and United Therapeutics (UTHR)
MetricNVOUTHR
ROE (TTM)58.38%19.13%
ROA (TTM)19.05%10.91%
Net Margin (TTM)33.92%38.61%
Operating Margin (TTM)40.05%28.99%
Gross Margin (TTM)83.33%86.34%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 6.43% and United Therapeutics (UTHR) at 10.61% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 1.77% and United Therapeutics (UTHR) at 13.07% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and United Therapeutics (UTHR)
MetricNVOUTHR
Revenue Growth (YoY)6.43%10.61%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)20.43%18.02%
EPS Growth (YoY)1.77%13.07%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)23.52%22.92%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

United Therapeutics (UTHR) at 4.61 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

UTHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

4.61

Max
25.13
Q3
12.13
Median
5.52
UTHR
4.61
Q1
2.47
Min
0.10
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR): A comparison of their current ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Novo Nordisk (NVO) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62 against its industry range, while United Therapeutics (UTHR) reports no figure this period.

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

UTHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

--

Max
1.42
Q3
0.65
Median
0.15
Q1
0.02
Min
0.00
UTHR
--
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR): UTHR does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; NVO is benchmarked against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and United Therapeutics (UTHR)
MetricNVOUTHR
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.854.61
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.62--
Net Debt / EBITDA0.49-1.53

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

United Therapeutics (UTHR) 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%

UTHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

UTHR
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. United Therapeutics (UTHR): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

United Therapeutics (UTHR) 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%

UTHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.00%

UTHR
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. United Therapeutics (UTHR): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Novo Nordisk (NVO) and United Therapeutics (UTHR)
MetricNVOUTHR
Dividend Yield (TTM)29.03%0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)45.36%0.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 10.18 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while United Therapeutics (UTHR) at 21.22 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for NVO, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

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

UTHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

21.22

Max
85.34
Q3
43.46
Median
26.69
UTHR
21.22
Q1
13.30
Min
0.07
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.53 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while United Therapeutics (UTHR) at 7.51 prices around its industry’s middle — NVO costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

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

UTHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

7.51

Max
58.18
Q3
25.77
UTHR
7.51
Median
7.30
Q1
3.01
Min
0.01
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

On P/B ratio, both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 5.43 and United Therapeutics (UTHR) at 3.80 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

UTHR

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

3.80

Max
13.53
Q3
6.54
UTHR
3.80
Median
3.25
Q1
1.69
Min
-5.59
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Novo Nordisk (NVO) vs. United Therapeutics (UTHR): 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 United Therapeutics (UTHR)
MetricNVOUTHR
P/E Ratio (TTM)10.1821.22
P/S Ratio (TTM)0.537.51
P/B Ratio (MRQ)5.433.80
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)18.43%1.90%