Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) vs Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (COGT) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Stability / Safety | ASND | Beta 0.24 vs COGT's 1.43 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | COGT | +415.9% vs ASND's +49.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ASND | -17.5% ROA vs COGT's -35.1%, ROIC -69.1% vs -66.4% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Ascendis Pharma is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies using its proprietary TransCon technology platform. It generates revenue primarily from sales of its approved growth hormone therapy SKYTROFA and through strategic partnerships — with future revenue expected from its pipeline of endocrinology and oncology treatments. The company's key competitive advantage is its TransCon platform, which enables sustained release of therapeutics with improved pharmacokinetics and reduced dosing frequency.
Cogent Biosciences is a biotechnology company developing precision therapies for genetically defined diseases, particularly focusing on cancers driven by specific mutations. The company generates revenue primarily through research collaborations and licensing agreements — it currently has no commercial products and relies on funding from partnerships and equity offerings to advance its clinical pipeline. Its key competitive advantage lies in its targeted approach to inhibiting specific oncogenic mutations like KIT D816V, which could offer differentiated efficacy and safety profiles compared to broader kinase inhibitors.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
ASND leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). COGT leads in 1 (Total Returns).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ASND and COGT operate at a comparable scale, with $718M and $0 in trailing revenue.
| Metric | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… | COGTCogent Bioscience… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $718M | $0 |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$119M | -$333M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$228M | -$329M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $43M | -$266M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +86.3% | — |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -19.0% | — |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -31.7% | — |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +6.0% | — |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +41.0% | — |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +15.6% | -13.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… | COGTCogent Bioscience… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $14.3B | $6.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $14.6B | $6.2B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -54.69x | -15.24x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 49.09x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 17.57x | — |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 4.13x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 278.56x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ASND scores 5/9 vs COGT's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… | COGTCogent Bioscience… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | -51.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -17.5% | -35.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -69.1% | -66.4% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -51.9% | -58.2% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 0.40x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $256M | -$59M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $616M | $312M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $871M | $253M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -0.62x | -108.87x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in COGT five years ago would be worth $47,205 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $14,939 for ASND. Over the past 12 months, COGT leads with a +415.9% total return vs ASND's +49.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors COGT at 43.2% vs ASND's 28.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… | COGTCogent Bioscience… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +9.5% | +11.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +49.1% | +415.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +110.2% | +193.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +49.4% | +372.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1245.8% | -12.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +28.1% | +43.2% |
Risk & Volatility
ASND is the less volatile stock with a 0.24 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than COGT's 1.43 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ASND currently trades 96.5% from its 52-week high vs COGT's 88.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… | COGTCogent Bioscience… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.24x | 1.43x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $242.00 | $43.73 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $124.06 | $3.72 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +96.5% | +88.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.8 | 58.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 573K | 1.7M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ASND as "Buy" and COGT as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 23.9% upside for COGT (target: $48) vs 22.7% for ASND (target: $287).
| Metric | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… | COGTCogent Bioscience… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $286.50 | $48.13 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 24 | 12 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.1% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) | 100 | 165.23 | +65.2% |
| Cogent Biosciences,… (COGT) | 100 | 1,725.45 | +1625.5% |
Cogent Biosciences,… (COGT) returned +372% over 5 years vs Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND)'s +49%. A $10,000 investment in COGT 5 years ago would be worth $47,205 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) | $5M | $692M | +14917.6% |
| Cogent Biosciences,… (COGT) | $6M | $0.00 | -100.0% |
Ascendis Pharma A/S's revenue grew from $5M (2016) to $692M (2025) — a 74.5% CAGR. Cogent Biosciences, Inc.'s revenue grew from $6M (2016) to $0M (2025) — a -100.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) | -14.9% | -31.7% | -112.9% |
| Cogent Biosciences,… (COGT) | -2.9% | -9.5% | -233.3% |
Ascendis Pharma A/S's net margin went from -15% (2016) to -32% (2025).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) | -2.58 | -3.62 | -40.3% |
| Cogent Biosciences,… (COGT) | -2.45 | -2.55 | -4.1% |
Ascendis Pharma A/S's EPS grew from $-2.58 (2016) to $-3.62 (2025). Cogent Biosciences, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-2.45 (2016) to $-2.55 (2025).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Ascendis Pharma A/S generated $44M FCF in 2025 (+110% vs 2021). Cogent Biosciences, Inc. generated $-266M FCF in 2025 (-340% vs 2021).
ASND vs COGT: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ASND or COGT a better buy right now?
Analysts rate Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) a "Buy" — based on 24 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — ASND or COGT?
Over the past 5 years, Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (COGT) delivered a total return of +372.1%, compared to +49.4% for Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND). A $10,000 investment in COGT five years ago would be worth approximately $47K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ASND returned +1246% versus COGT's -12.6%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — ASND or COGT?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) is the lower-risk stock at 0.24β versus Cogent Biosciences, Inc.'s 1.43β — meaning COGT is approximately 509% more volatile than ASND relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — ASND or COGT?
Cogent Biosciences, Inc. (COGT) is the more profitable company, earning 0.0% net margin versus -31.7% for Ascendis Pharma A/S — meaning it keeps 0.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: COGT leads at 0.0% versus -18.9% for ASND. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ASND leads at 85.1%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is ASND or COGT more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for COGT: 23.9% to $48.13.
06Which pays a better dividend — ASND or COGT?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
07Is ASND or COGT better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.24), +1246% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ASND: +1246%, COGT: -12.6%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between ASND and COGT?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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