NVO vs. VRTX: Novo Nordisk vs. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Stock Comparison

Company Profile

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

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) 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.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 58.38% and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 20.80% sit in the top peer quartile for ROE, suggesting each generates more profit from shareholders’ equity than typical industry peers.

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 33.92% and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 30.70% keep an unusually large share of revenue as bottom-line profit — each net margin clears its industry’s benchmark range.

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 40.05% and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 35.57% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 6.43% and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 8.90% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.85 and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 2.34 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

Both Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.62 and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 0.31 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) 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.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) 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.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 10.18 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 35.21 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for NVO, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 0.53 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 10.71 prices around its industry’s middle — NVO costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) at 5.43 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) at 6.63 carries an above-peer premium to book — VRTX is pricier on assets.

Valuation Metrics