Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) vs Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | ASND | 90.2% revenue growth vs VRTX's 8.9% |
| Value | VRTX | Lower P/E (25.7x vs 49.1x) |
| Quality / Margins | VRTX | 31.3% net margin vs ASND's -31.7% |
| Stability / Safety | ASND | Beta 0.24 vs VRTX's 0.44 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ASND | +49.1% vs VRTX's +3.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | VRTX | 14.8% ROA vs ASND's -17.5%, ROIC 22.8% vs -69.1% |
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
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing transformative medicines for serious diseases, with its flagship franchise targeting cystic fibrosis. It generates nearly all its revenue from CF therapies — primarily Trikafta/Kaftrio — while building a pipeline in pain, kidney disease, and type 1 diabetes. Its moat stems from deep scientific expertise in CFTR biology and a dominant, near-monopoly position in the CF treatment market.
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.
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
VRTX leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). ASND leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
VRTX is the larger business by revenue, generating $11.7B annually — 16.3x ASND's $718M. VRTX is the more profitable business, keeping 31.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to ASND's -31.7%. On growth, ASND holds the edge at +41.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $11.7B | $718M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $4.2B | -$119M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $3.7B | -$228M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $3.3B | $43M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +86.3% | +86.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +34.1% | -19.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +31.3% | -31.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +28.5% | +6.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +11.0% | +41.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +4.7% | +15.6% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $126.2B | $14.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $124.8B | $14.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 32.43x | -54.69x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 25.66x | 49.09x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 3.91x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 26.63x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 10.52x | 17.57x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 6.87x | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 39.51x | 278.56x |
Profitability & Efficiency
| Metric | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +21.2% | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +14.8% | -17.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +22.8% | -69.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +23.0% | -51.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.20x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $3.7B | $256M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $5.1B | $616M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $3.7B | $871M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 348.55x | -0.62x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in VRTX five years ago would be worth $23,616 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $14,939 for ASND. Over the past 12 months, ASND leads with a +49.1% total return vs VRTX's +3.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ASND at 28.1% vs VRTX's 19.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +9.9% | +9.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +3.6% | +49.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +71.1% | +110.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +136.2% | +49.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +481.2% | +1245.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +19.6% | +28.1% |
Risk & Volatility
ASND is the less volatile stock with a 0.24 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than VRTX's 0.44 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.44x | 0.24x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $519.68 | $242.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $362.50 | $124.06 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +95.6% | +96.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 54.6 | 54.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.2M | 573K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates VRTX as "Buy" and ASND as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 22.7% upside for ASND (target: $287) vs 9.7% for VRTX (target: $545).
| Metric | VRTXVertex Pharmaceut… | ASNDAscendis Pharma A… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $545.08 | $286.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 55 | 24 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +1.6% | +0.1% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) | 100 | 203.2 | +103.2% |
| Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) | 100 | 165.23 | +65.2% |
Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) returned +136% over 5 years vs Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND)'s +49%. A $10,000 investment in VRTX 5 years ago would be worth $23,616 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) | $1.7B | $12.0B | +605.1% |
| Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) | $5M | $692M | +14917.6% |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's revenue grew from $1.7B (2016) to $12.0B (2025) — a 24.2% CAGR. Ascendis Pharma A/S's revenue grew from $5M (2016) to $692M (2025) — a 74.5% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) | -6.6% | 32.9% | +600.4% |
| Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) | -14.9% | -31.7% | -112.9% |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's net margin went from -7% (2016) to 33% (2025). Ascendis Pharma A/S's net margin went from -15% (2016) to -32% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) | 144.1 | 29.6 | -79.5% |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated has traded in a 21x–144x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~32x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertex Pharmaceutic… (VRTX) | -0.46 | 15.32 | +3430.4% |
| Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) | -2.58 | -3.62 | -40.3% |
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's EPS grew from $-0.46 (2016) to $15.32 (2025). Ascendis Pharma A/S's EPS grew from $-2.58 (2016) to $-3.62 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated generated $3B FCF in 2025 (+33% vs 2021). Ascendis Pharma A/S generated $44M FCF in 2025 (+110% vs 2021).
VRTX vs ASND: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is VRTX or ASND a better buy right now?
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) offers the better valuation at 32.4x trailing P/E (25.7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) a "Buy" — based on 55 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 has the better valuation — VRTX or ASND?
On forward P/E, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated is actually cheaper at 25.7x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — VRTX or ASND?
Over the past 5 years, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) delivered a total return of +136.2%, compared to +49.4% for Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND). A $10,000 investment in VRTX five years ago would be worth approximately $24K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ASND returned +1246% versus VRTX's +481.2%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — VRTX or ASND?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Ascendis Pharma A/S (ASND) is the lower-risk stock at 0.24β versus Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated's 0.44β — meaning VRTX is approximately 87% more volatile than ASND relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — VRTX or ASND?
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) is the more profitable company, earning 32.9% net margin versus -31.7% for Ascendis Pharma A/S — meaning it keeps 32.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: VRTX leads at 39.1% versus -18.9% for ASND. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — VRTX leads at 86.2%, 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.
06Is VRTX or ASND more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) trades at 25.7x forward P/E versus 49.1x for Ascendis Pharma A/S — 23.4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ASND: 22.7% to $286.50.
07Which pays a better dividend — VRTX or ASND?
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.
08Is VRTX or ASND 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%, VRTX: +481.2%), 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.
09What are the main differences between VRTX and ASND?
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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