NVO Stock Gains After Parvus Asset Management Builds Stake
Shares of Novo Nordisk NVO gained 5% on June 10, following a report that activist hedge fund Parvus Asset Management is building a stake in the company.
Per the Financial Times, this London-based hedge fund, Parvus Asset Management, is raising its stake in NVO to influence the appointment of the company's new chief executive officer (CEO).
Last month, shares of the company dipped after it announced that CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen would step down from his position following a mutual agreement with the company's board.
Parvus Asset Management did not reveal its exact stake in NVO and is not required to do so if it owns less than 5% of the company, as per Danish securities rules.
While Jørgensen's tenure was quite successful with NVO becoming one of the top players in the obesity market, recent market challenges and a decline in the company's share price since mid-2024 prompted the Novo Nordisk Foundation Board to initiate discussions around a change in leadership. Consequently, Novo Nordisk's board and Jørgensen mutually agreed that a leadership transition would be in the best interest of the company and its shareholders.
Year to date, Novo Nordisk's shares have lost 6.7% against the industry's growth of 3.1%.
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Novo Nordisk's semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist, medicines gained significant traction, capturing a dominant share of the market. Among the most notable products are Ozempic injection and Rybelsus oral pill for type 2 diabetes (T2D), and Wegovy, an injection for weight management. Ozempic is also indicated for treating chronic kidney disease and Wegovy received FDA approval last year to reduce the risk of heart disease.
NVO announced that it will present data from the STEP UP trial on a higher dose of Wegovy (semaglutide 7.2 mg) for those in need of greater weight loss. The data will be presented at the upcoming American Diabetes Association (ADA) 85th Scientific Sessions in Chicago, set to be held during June 20-23, 2025.
Management stated that the data will reinforce semaglutide's efficacy in both a clinical and real-world setting, including cardiometabolic and kidney health benefits for those with obesity and diabetes.
Novo Nordisk will also present full results from the phase III REDEFINE 1 and 2 studies on CagriSema.
CagriSema, a fixed-dose combination of a long-acting amylin analogue and Wegovy, is the most advanced candidate in Novo Nordisk's obesity pipeline. Management stated that the REDEFINE 1 and 2 studies will provide insights into the transformational potential of CagriSema.
NVO will also present data on pipeline candidate amycretin, demonstrating its commitment to obesity innovation and individualized healthcare solutions.
Shares likely gained on June 10 due to investors' optimism about the upcoming presentations.
The recent market challenges have resulted in a decline in NVO's share price. Stiff competition in the obesity market from its arch-rival, Eli Lilly LLY, and pipeline and regulatory setbacks weigh on the share price. NVO's semaglutide drugs have only been off the FDA's supply shortage list since February 2025.
Lilly markets its tirzepatide injections, Mounjaro for T2D, and Zepbound for obesity. It has achieved stupendous success for its obesity drugs.
Novo Nordisk A/S price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Novo Nordisk A/S Quote
To tackle the increasing competitive pressure in the industry and diversify from its injectable GLP-1 products, including Wegovy and Ozempic, NVO is rapidly developing new obesity treatments to retain its edge, especially in the lucrative U.S. market. The FDA accepted Novo Nordisk's regulatory application, seeking the approval of oral semaglutide 25 mg for obesity, for review. A final decision from the regulatory body is expected around the turn of the year.
Novo Nordisk currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A couple of better-ranked large-cap pharma stocks are Novartis NVS and Bayer BAYRY, both carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate Novartis' 2025 earnings per share (EPS) has risen from $8.46 to $8.74 over the past 60 days. EPS estimates for 2026 have jumped 35 cents to $9.02 during this timeframe. The stock has risen 24.7% so far this year.
BAYRY's 2025 EPS estimate has increased from $1.19 to $1.25 for 2025 over the past 60 days, while that for 2026 has gone up from $1.28 to $1.31 over the same timeframe. Year to date, shares of Bayer have surged 56.7%.
BAYRY's earnings beat estimates in one of the trailing four quarters, matched twice and missed on the remaining occasion, the average negative surprise being 13.91%.
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