Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) Trading Down 1.2% After Analyst Downgrade

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) shares traded down 1.2% during trading on Wednesday after Kepler Capital Markets downgraded the stock from a buy rating to a hold rating. The stock traded as low as $37.65 and last traded at $38.1270. 54,793,532 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 104% from the average session volume of 26,806,613 shares. The stock had previously closed at $38.59.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on NVO. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from an “underperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, February 12th. HSBC reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $54.00 price target on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $56.07.

Key Headlines Impacting Novo Nordisk A/S

Here are the key news stories impacting Novo Nordisk A/S this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic deal to pursue oral biologic delivery — Novo agreed to partner with Vivtex in an up-to-$2.1 billion arrangement to develop next‑generation oral medicines for obesity and diabetes, which could expand addressable markets if the technology works. WSJ: Novo Nordisk, Vivtex to Develop Obesity Drugs in Deal Valued at Up to $2.1 Billion
• Positive Sentiment: Promising Phase 2 China data for triple‑agonist UBT251 — a partner trial reported up to 19.7% mean weight loss, supporting Novo’s pipeline diversification beyond semaglutide. This helps offset concern about any single program. Reuters: Novo Nordisk, United Biotechnology obesity drug trial shows 19.7% weight loss
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest fell sharply in February — a nearly 15% drop reduces near-term short‑covering risk and signals some reduced bearish bets against the stock. (Short interest data summary)
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary framing the sell-off as a potential deep-value opportunity — some analysts and outlets argue the decline creates an entry point, while others caution that structural challenges remain. Benzinga: Novo Nordisk’s 40% Fall May Be Creating A Deep-Value Moment
• Negative Sentiment: Planned U.S. list‑price cuts for Ozempic and Wegovy (up to ~50%) will likely pressure revenue and margins in 2027 and beyond, even if they shore up access and volumes. CNBC: Novo Nordisk to slash GLP-1 list prices by up to 50% in U.S.
• Negative Sentiment: CagriSema trial missed non‑inferiority versus Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, triggering analyst downgrades and a reassessment of Novo’s competitive positioning post‑semaglutide. That clinical setback is a primary driver of the recent sell‑off and lower forecasts. CNBC: Novo Nordisk trial ‘own goal’ sparks flurry of analyst downgrades
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple sell‑side downgrades and price‑target cuts (including Deutsche Bank/Kepler) are amplifying selling pressure and reducing near‑term analyst support. (Downgrade reports)
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder litigation inquiry announced by the Schall Law Firm alleging possible misleading statements — adds legal risk and potential distraction. GlobeNewsWire: NVO Investors Have Opportunity to Join Fraud Investigation

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Novo Nordisk A/S

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NVO. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. increased its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S by 179.4% in the second quarter. Lockheed Martin Investment Management Co. now owns 43,450 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,999,000 after purchasing an additional 27,900 shares in the last quarter. Martin Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 53.8% during the 3rd quarter. Martin Capital Partners LLC now owns 117,577 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,524,000 after buying an additional 41,129 shares in the last quarter. Markel Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 2,368,649 shares of the company’s stock worth $131,436,000 after buying an additional 110,061 shares during the period. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,294,000. Finally, WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 2,732,182 shares of the company’s stock valued at $151,636,000 after acquiring an additional 97,477 shares during the period. 11.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Down 1.2%

The company has a market cap of $170.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.99 and a beta of 0.67. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $53.16 and its 200-day moving average is $53.04. The company has a current ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 3rd. The company reported $1.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $12.43 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.97 billion. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 33.03% and a return on equity of 68.91%. On average, analysts anticipate that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Novo Nordisk A/S Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Monday, March 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.2751 per share. This represents a yield of 541.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 30th. Novo Nordisk A/S’s dividend payout ratio is 23.63%.

About Novo Nordisk A/S

Novo Nordisk A/S is a Danish multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Bagsværd, Denmark, best known for its leadership in diabetes care and metabolic health. The company traces its roots to early Danish insulin production in the 1920s and was established in its current form through a 1989 merger of predecessor companies. Novo Nordisk develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and devices that address chronic and serious diseases, with a strong emphasis on long-term treatment and patient support.

The company’s core product portfolio centers on diabetes therapies, including a range of insulins and modern incretin-based treatments.