Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease. The Diabetes and Obesity care segment provides products for diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular, and other emerging therapy areas. The Rare Disease segment offers products in the areas of rare blood disorders, rare endocrine disorders, and hormone replacement therapy. The company also provides insulin pens, growth hormone pens, and injection needles. In addition, it offers smart solutions for diabetes treatment, such as smart insulin pens and Dose Check, an insulin dose guidance application. The company has a collaboration agreement with Aspen Pharmaceuticals to produce insulin products. Novo Nordisk A/S was founded in 1923 and is headquartered in Bagsvaerd, Denmark.

Novo Nordisk A/S

Eli Lilly and Company LLY is a key player in the diabetes and obesity drug market, mainly due to the significant popularity and success of its GLP-1 therapies — Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss.
Mounjaro and Zepbound face strong competition from Novo Nordisk’s NVO semaglutide medicines, Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for obesity. Despite being on the market for only around three years, Mounjaro and Zepbound have become key top-line drivers for Lilly, with demand rising rapidly.
The obesity market is expected to expand to $100 billion by 2030, according to data from Goldman Sachs, which means fierce competition is inevitable. Though Lilly and Novo Nordisk presently dominate the market, they are making rapid progress in the development of more potent and convenient GLP-1-based candidates in their clinical pipeline to beat future competition.
Lilly is investing broadly in obesity and has several new molecules currently in clinical development. This includes two late-stage candidates, orforglipron, a once-daily oral GLP-1 small molecule, and retatrutide, a GGG tri-agonist and some mid-stage candidates, bimagrumab, eloralintide and mazdutide.
Lilly has already announced positive data from two out of the seven phase III studies on orforglipron in patients with type II diabetes and obesity involving over 3,600 participants. In the first study, called ACHIEVE-1, in type II diabetes patients, orforglipron lowered A1C by an average of 1.3%-1.6% across doses and also reduced weight by an average of 16lb (7.9%) at the highest dose. Top-line data from the second study called ATTAIN-1 in people with obesity (but without type II diabetes), announced in August, showed that patients taking the highest dose of orforglipron lost more than 27 pounds or 12.4% of their body weight.
However, the 12.4% weight loss achieved with the highest 36 mg dose of Lilly’s oral GLP-1 candidate, orforglipron in the ATTAIN-1 study fell short of investor expectations. Investors were probably expecting orforglipron to match Wegovy’s average weight loss in a range of 13-15% or even exceed that percentage. Patient discontinuation rates in the study were also considered high, with as high as 24.4% of patients in the 36 mg dose arm discontinuing treatment. Orforglipron is being viewed as a key candidate in Lilly's obesity pipeline, which has the potential to transform the obesity treatment space as both Zepbound and Wegovy are weekly injections.
No doubt, the weight-loss pill data was a disappointment. Many investors feel that the potential market for orforglipron is now less than previously expected. However, some investors feel the market reaction to the data was overblown and perceive that orforglipron may be used for maintenance therapy after patients lose weight with injectable products like Zepbound or Wegovy. Orforglipron has the potential to be approved as it has shown efficacy and safety consistent with injectable GLP-1 therapies while offering the convenience of a once-daily pill. There is significant demand for single oral pills for weight loss that can be manufactured at scale to meet global demand.
Lilly plans to report data from four additional orforglipron phase III studies in diabetes and obesity over the next five months. Lilly plans to file regulatory applications for orforglipron in obesity in the fourth quarter of 2025 and for type II diabetes in the first half of 2026.
It is also evaluating orforglipron in late-stage studies in other disease areas like obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension and also plans to initiate a new phase III study in people with knee osteoarthritis pain in overweight or obesity later this year.
Lilly is conducting late-stage studies on its other key candidate, retatrutide, a GGG tri-agonist, in obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, knee osteoarthritis, chronic low back pain and type II diabetes. It expects the first data readout from a phase III study on retatrutide in osteoarthritis of the knees later in 2025.
In conclusion, Lilly has a deep pipeline in obesity and diabetes with a range of oral and injectable medications with different mechanisms of action. We believe the orforglipron setback, though quite big, is not the end of the road for Lilly’s obesity pipeline plans.
Competition Heating Up in the Obesity Space
Several other companies, like Amgen AMGN and Viking Therapeutics VKTX, are also making rapid progress in the development of more potent and convenient GLP-1-based candidates in their clinical pipeline.
Amgen is developing MariTide, a GIPR/GLP-1 receptor, as a single dose in a convenient autoinjector device with a monthly and maybe less frequent dosing. In March, Amgen initiated two phase III studies on MariTide in obesity as part of its comprehensive MARITIME phase III program. Since June, Amgen has initiated two more phase III studies in other obesity related conditions.
Viking Therapeutics’ dual GIPR/GLP-1 receptor agonist, VK2735, is being developed both as oral and subcutaneous formulations for the treatment of obesity. The company recently announced mixed top-line results from a mid-stage study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the oral formulation of VK2735. Though patients on the highest drug dose lost up to 12.2% of their body weight after 13 weeks of daily dosing compared with 1.3% in the placebo group, a significant number of patients also dropped out of the study.
Phase III obesity studies with the subcutaneous formulation of VK2735 were recently initiated.
NVO, LLY and VKTX are racing to introduce oral weight-loss pills, as Wegovy and Zepbound are both injectable drugs. Novo Nordisk has already filed a new drug application (NDA) for an oral version of Wegovy and also has several next-generation candidates in its obesity pipeline, like CagriSema (a combination of semaglutide and cagrilintide) and an oral pill, amycretin (a dual GLP-1 and amylin receptor agonist). The FDA is expected to decide on the Wegovy oral formulation NDA in the fourth quarter.
LLY’s Stock Price, Valuation and Estimates
Lilly’s stock has declined 7.6% so far this year against the industry’s increase of 0.2%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, Lilly’s stock is expensive. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 25.29 forward earnings, higher than 14.64 for the industry. However, the stock is trading below its 5-year mean of 34.54.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Estimates for Lilly’s 2025 earnings have risen from $21.99 to $22.81 per share in the past 30 days, while those for 2026 have risen from $30.79 to $31.01 over the same timeframe.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
LLY’s Zacks Rank
Lilly has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
One Big Gain, Every Trading Day
To help you take full advantage of this market, you’re invited to access every stock recommendation in all our private portfolios - for just $1.
Zacks private portfolio services that closed 256 double and triple-digit winners in 2024 alone. That’s about one big gain every day the market was open. Of course, not all our picks are winners, but members have seen recent gains as high as +627% +1,340%, and +1,708%.
Imagine how much you could profit with a steady stream of real-time picks from all our services that cover a number of strategies to suit a variety of investing and trading styles.
See Stocks Now >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Is Orforglipron Pill Setback End of the Road for LLY's Obesity Plans?

Shares of Viking Therapeutics VKTX plunged 36% in the past week after it reported mixed top-line results from a mid-stage study evaluating the safety and efficacy of the oral formulation of its experimental obesity drug, VK2735.
Though patients on the highest drug dose lost up to 12.2% of their body weight after 13 weeks of daily dosing compared with 1.3% in the placebo group, a significant number of patients also dropped out of the study.
Though management did assure investors that they might be able to mitigate the side effects of oral VK2735 by gradually moving patients from low doses to higher ones, the results have raised negative sentiments around Viking’s stock. While many investors raised questions on the drug’s tolerability and safety profile, some even cited dampened prospects for Viking as an acquisition target.
Let’s analyze the company’s strengths and weaknesses to understand how to play the stock amid the recent share price decline.
Competition in the Obesity Space Heating Up
The obesity market has garnered much interest lately, with two companies, Eli Lilly LLY and Novo Nordisk NVO, dominating this space with their respective injectable obesity drugs Zepbound and Wegovy. According to research conducted by Goldman Sachs, the obesity market in the United States is expected to reach $100 billion by 2030.
In order to capitalize on the rapidly expanding obesity market, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Viking Therapeutics are racing to introduce oral weight-loss pills. Initially, investors thought LLY could dominate the oral obesity space like it is doing in the injectables space. However, the recently reported results from a late-stage study on Lilly’s once-daily oral GLP-1 pill were underwhelming, and, like Viking, also reported higher patient discontinuation rates.
These setbacks have likely paved the way for Novo Nordisk’s resurgence in the obesity space, which has been looking for a way to gain an edge over archrival Lilly. Currently, there are no approved pills for weight-loss management. A regulatory filing is currently under review by the FDA seeking approval for an oral version of Wegovy. Notably, Novo was also the first to capitalize on the opportunity with injectable obesity drugs. If the filing for the oral version is approved, Novo could once again take charge of the space.
Though Viking is also evaluating a subcutaneous version of VK2735 in two recently initiated late-stage studies, the data is not likely to be expected until the end of 2026 or early 2027.
Lack of Marketed Products: A Woe for VKTX
The company does not have any marketed drugs in its portfolio, nor does it have any collaboration partners. As a result, it has to shoulder significant cash burn due to ongoing clinical studies. This was also likely the reason that Viking has now decided to focus only on the obesity pipeline while exploring collaboration opportunities for its non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) candidates.
Assuming that the late-stage results on VK2735 SC are positive, they are still at least a couple of years away from potential commercialization.
VKTX Stock Performance, Valuation & Estimates
In the year so far, shares of Viking Therapeutics have plunged 38% against the industry’s 4% growth. The stock has also underperformed the broader Medical sector and the S&P 500 during this timeframe, as shown in the chart below. VKTX shares are currently trading below the 50 and 200-day moving averages.
VKTX Stock Underperforms Industry, Sector & S&P 500
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The company is trading at a premium to the industry. Going by the price/book ratio, the stock currently trades at 3.63 times trailing 12-month book value, higher than 2.98 times for the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Estimates for Viking Therapeutics’ 2025 and 2026 loss per share have widened significantly in the past 30 days.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
How to Play VKTX Stock
In our opinion, investors should steer clear of this Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) stock. Viking has its fair share of problems, including the lack of a stable income stream and the presence of pharma giants like Lilly and Novo in its target market spaces.
Although the company boasts a strong cash position ($808 million as of June 2025-end) and carries no debt, recent concerns over the tolerability and safety profile of oral VK2735 raise red flags. Adding to this, the stock’s premium valuation and downward revisions to earnings estimates make it difficult to justify building or increasing positions at this stage.
See our %%CTA_TEXT%% report – free today!
7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Post Obesity Pill Results Reveal: Buy, Sell or Hold VKTX Stock?

Shares of Viking Therapeutics VKTX plunged 42% yesterday after it reported top-line data from the phase II VENTURE-Oral Dosing study, which evaluated the safety and efficacy of the oral formulation of its experimental obesity drug, VK2735.
Though the study successfully achieved its primary and secondary endpoints, a large number of patients dropped out due to adverse events.
More on VKTX’s VENTURE-Oral Dosing Study Results
The 13-week study enrolled around 280 adults who were either obese or overweight and had at least one weight-related co-morbid condition. These patients were evenly randomized to one of the six dosing arms of the drug or placebo.
Per Viking, body-weight reductions were progressive at all doses throughout the study. Patients on the highest dose (120 mg) of oral VK2735 lost up to 12.2% of their body weight (26.6 lbs) after 13 weeks of daily dosing, compared with 1.3% in the placebo group. The company noted that the weight loss had not plateaued, suggesting potential for additional benefit in a longer study.
However, what led to the share price crash was the higher-than-expected patient discontinuation rates in the study. Per Viking, about 28% of VK2735-treated participants dropped out, compared with 18% for placebo. This raised questions about the drug’s tolerability and drove the steep sell-off, with some investors also citing dampened prospects for Viking as an acquisition target.
Year to date, Viking’s shares have lost over 39% against the industry’s 3% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Recent Developments in the Obesity Pill Space
This marks the second time this month that a much-awaited study on an obesity pill disappointed investors. Earlier this month, pharma giant Eli Lilly LLY reported a similar setback when it announced results from a late-stage study on orforglipron, its once-daily oral GLP-1 pill for obesity. While data from the study showed that treatment with the LLY drug achieved up to 12.4% weight loss, it missed investors’ expectations. Like Viking, Lilly also reported higher patient discontinuation rates in the ATTAIN-1 study.
The obesity market has garnered much interest lately, with two companies, Lilly and Novo Nordisk NVO, dominating this space with their respective injectable obesity drugs, Zepbound and Wegovy. According to research conducted by Goldman Sachs, the obesity market in the United States is expected to reach $100 billion by 2030.
In order to capitalize on the rapidly expanding obesity market, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Viking Therapeutics are racing to introduce oral weight-loss pills. However, it seems very likely that Novo Nordisk may become the first one to market an obesity pill — a regulatory filing is currently under review by the FDA seeking approval for an oral version of Wegovy. Notably, Novo was also the first to capitalize on the opportunity with injectable obesity drugs.
Viking Therapeutics, Inc. Price
VKTX’s Zacks Rank
Viking currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
#1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy (Not NVDA)
The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow.
One under-the-radar chipmaker is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. It specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.
See This Stock Now for Free >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Viking Therapeutics' Stock Tanks on Mixed Data From Obesity Pill Study

AbbVie’s ABBV stock has risen 11.5% in the past month, mainly due to its beat-and-raise performance in the second quarter. AbbVie announced its second-quarter results on July 31. It beat estimates for both earnings and sales. Earnings of $2.97 per share rose 12.1% year over year.
Revenues of $15.42 billion rose 6.6% year over year on a reported basis, driven by robust sales of key drugs like Rinvoq, Skyrizi, Venclexta and Vraylar, coupled with significant contributions from newer drugs, namely Ubrelvy, Elahere, Epkinly and Qulipta. Sales of Humira and Imbruvica declined year over year.
AbbVie also raised its revenue and EPS guidance for 2025 for the second time this year, backed by a strong momentum in the first half. The company expects adjusted EPS to be in the range of $11.88-$12.08, up from the previous guidance of $11.67-$11.87. Total revenues are expected to be approximately $60.5 billion, higher than the previous expectation of $59.7 billion.
However, a single quarter’s results are not so important for long-term investors, and the focus should rather be on the company’s strong fundamentals. Let’s understand the company’s strengths and weaknesses to better analyze how to play ABBV stock amid the post-earnings price gain.
ABBV’s Successful New Drugs — Skyrizi and Rinvoq
AbbVie lost patent protection for its blockbuster drug, Humira, in the United States in January 2023 and in the EU in 2018. Humira's sales are declining due to loss of exclusivity (“LOE”) and biosimilar erosion. However, AbbVie has successfully navigated the LOE of Humira by launching two other successful new immunology medicines, Skyrizi and Rinvoq, which are performing extremely well, bolstered by approvals in new indications and are expected to support top-line growth in the next few years.
Sales of Skyrizi and Rinvoq have successfully replaced Humira, which once generated more than 50% of its total revenues.
Skyrizi and Rinvoq generated combined sales of $11.6 billion in the first half of 2025. The drugs are seeing strong performance across all approved indications, especially in the popular inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) space, which includes two conditions — ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Importantly, Skyrizi and Rinvoq have demonstrated compelling head-to-head data against several novel therapies in clinical studies, which have given them a competitive advantage.
Skyrizi sales are now annualizing at almost $18 billion and Rinvoq at over $8 billion. AbbVie expects combined sales of Skyrizi and Rinvoq to be more than $25 billion in 2025 and more than $31 billion by 2027(Skyrizi: more than $20 billion; Rinvoq: more than $11 billion).
Strong immunology market growth, market share gains and momentum from new indications, such as the recent launch of Skyrizi in UC, as well as the potential for five new indications for Rinvoq over the next few years, are expected to drive these drugs’ growth. AbbVie expects to file a regulatory submission for Rinvoq for the alopecia areata indication later this year.
In addition, phase III data with Rinvoq in vitiligo are expected later in 2025, followed by hidradenitis suppurativa and systemic lupus erythematosus Phase III readouts in 2026. AbbVie believes that the next wave of potential approvals for Rinvoq could add roughly $2 billion to peak-year sales for the product.
ABBV’s Growing Oncology Portfolio
AbbVie has built a substantial oncology franchise with Imbruvica and Venclexta. Its oncology segment generated combined revenues of $3.3 billion in the first half of 2025, up 4.2% year over year as higher sales of Venclexta and contributions from new drugs, Elahere and Epkinly, more than offset the decline in Imbruvica sales. Some key oncology drugs approved in the past couple of years are Epkinly and Emrelis. Elahere was added to AbbVie’s oncology portfolio with the February 2024 acquisition of Immunogen.
AbbVie is also strengthening its portfolio of oncology medicines with the addition of antibody-drug conjugates or ADCs, which are being considered a disruptive innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. ADCs will allow better treatment of cancer by harnessing the targeting power of antibodies to deliver cytotoxic molecule drugs to tumors. The company now has two ADCs in its commercial portfolio (i.e., Elahere and Emrelis) and two additional ADCs in late-stage development (ABBV-400 and pivekimab sunirine), along with some others in early-stage development.
AbbVie’s neuroscience portfolio is also contributing to top-line growth. Sales of its neuroscience drugs increased 20.3% to almost $5 billion in the first half of 2025, driven by higher sales of Botox Therapeutic, depression drug Vraylar and newer migraine drugs Ubrelvy and Qulipta.
AbbVie on an Acquisition Spree
AbbVie has been on an acquisition spree in the past couple of years to bolster the early-stage pipeline that should drive long-term growth. Particularly, it is signing several M&A deals in the immunology space, its core area, while also signing some early-stage deals in oncology and neuroscience areas. AbbVie has executed more than 30 M&A transactions since the beginning of 2024. A key deal was the April 2025 licensing agreement with Denmark’s Gubra to develop GUB014295 (ABBV-295), a long-acting amylin analog for the treatment of obesity. The deal marked AbbVie’s entry into the obesity space, dominated by Eli Lilly LLY and Novo Nordisk NVO. AbbVie plans to invest further in obesity.
AbbVie recently closed the acquisition of privately held biotech Capstan Therapeutics, which will add Capstan’s lead asset, CPTX2309 — a potential first-in-class in vivo tLNP anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy — to its immunology pipeline.
ABBV’s Slowing Aesthetics Sales & Humira Erosion
Sales of AbbVie’s blockbuster drug Humira are declining due to biosimilar erosion. The launch of Humira biosimilars in the United States in 2023 significantly eroded the drug’s sales in 2024, with the decline being sharper in 2025 as more plans excluded branded Humira and moved to exclusive biosimilar contracts. Humira sales declined more than 50% in the first half of 2025. AbbVie expects Humira’s access in the United States to continue to decrease through the second half as more plans select exclusionary formularies for existing patients.
AbbVie is seeing declining sales of Juvederm fillers due to continued macro challenges and weakened consumer sentiment. The slowing growth of the U.S. facial injectables market and persistent economic headwinds, which are impacting consumer spending in some countries, including the United States, are hurting sales of Juvederm due to its higher price point. Juvederm sales declined 22.2% in the first half of 2025.
ABBV Stock Price, Valuation and Estimate Revision
AbbVie’s stock has gained 19.3% so far this year against a decrease of 1.1% for the industry. The stock has also outperformed the sector and the S&P 500 index, as seen in the chart below.
ABBV Stock Outperforms Industry, Sector & S&P 500
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, AbbVie is not very cheap. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 15.31 forward earnings, higher than 14.46 for the industry. The stock is cheaper than some other large drugmakers like Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca and J&J, but is priced much higher than most other large drugmakers. The stock is also trading above its five-year mean of 12.68.
ABBV Stock Valuation
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings has declined from $12.03 per share to $12.02, while that for 2026 has increased from $14.08 to $14.31 per share over the past 30 days.
ABBV Estimate Movement
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stay Invested in ABBV Stock
Though AbbVie faces its share of near-term headwinds, the company has faced its biggest challenge — Humira’s patent cliff — quite well and looks well-positioned for continued strong growth in the years ahead. AbbVie is returning to robust revenue growth in 2025, which is just the second year following the U.S. Humira LOE, driven by its ex-Humira platform. Sales of AbbVie’s ex-Humira drugs rose more than 22% (on a reported basis) in the quarter, driven by Skyrizi, Rinvoq and neuroscience drugs.
Boosted by its new product launches, AbbVie expects to return to mid-single-digit revenue growth in 2025 with a high single-digit CAGR through 2029, as the company has no significant LOE events for the rest of this decade. A substantial portion of this growth is expected to be driven by the robust performance of Skyrizi and Rinvoq. With no significant LOEs in this decade, AbbVie enjoys the flexibility to invest more in R&D to continue to acquire external innovation.
Rising stock price and estimates (for 2026), its solid pipeline and the fact that it is entering the second half of the year with substantial momentum are good enough reasons to stay invested in this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
#1 Semiconductor Stock to Buy (Not NVDA)
The incredible demand for data is fueling the market's next digital gold rush. As data centers continue to be built and constantly upgraded, the companies that provide the hardware for these behemoths will become the NVIDIAs of tomorrow.
One under-the-radar chipmaker is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. It specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.
See This Stock Now for Free >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

AbbVie Rises 11.5% in a Month: Buy, Hold or Sell the Stock?

Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO), the Danish drugmaker that's been riding high ever since it began putting out Ozempic and Wegovy GLP-1 injectables for treatment of diabetes and weight loss, got another shot in the arm yesterday -- one that helped the stock dodge the market downturn entirely and end the day somewhat in the green. The same news that helped Novo stock out yesterday, moreover, is today turning into solid gains as Novo Nordisk stock rises 2.5% through 11 a.m. ET.
And what news was that, you ask?
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »
Novo Nordisk now has an Ozempic pill.
Novo Nordisk's big news day
Citing a Novo spokesperson, pharmaceuticals news site BioPharmaDive reported yesterday that Novo Nordisk "earlier this year" submitted to the Food and Drug Administration an application to approve an oral form of its semaglutide GLP-1 weight loss drug.
BioPharmaDive notes that Novo has already reported positive clinical results with the new GLP-1 pill, which showed patients losing as much as 15% of their body weight over the course of a 64-week phase 3 trial.
Is Novo Nordisk stock a buy?
Curiously, this is both good news and bad news for Novo Nordisk stock. On the good news front, it stands to reason that if Ozempic is already a popular product despite its requiring patients to repeatedly stick themselves in the stomach with needles, then an oral form of Ozempic, no more complicated than swallowing a pill, will be even more popular -- and help Novo Nordisk to continue dominating this market.
On the other hand, BioPharmaDive notes that the pill Novo wants FDA approval for contains 70 times as much semaglutide as injectable Ozempic. The journal points out that such a large increase in dosage will require an even larger increase in Novo's production capacity, which only recently reached a point at which it can satisfy the injectables market.
Long story short, Novo has a big opportunity here, but needs to grow if it's to make the most of it.
Should you invest $1,000 in Novo Nordisk right now?
Before you buy stock in Novo Nordisk, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Novo Nordisk wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $532,771!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $593,970!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 781% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 149% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
*Stock Advisor returns as of April 21, 2025
Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Why Novo Nordisk Stock Popped Today

The NASDAQ 100 Pre-Market Indicator is down -14.36 to 23,699.4. The total Pre-Market volume is currently 178,882,121 shares traded.
The following are the most active stocks for the pre-market session:
Opendoor Technologies Inc (OPEN) is +0.38 at $4.16, with 20,195,663 shares traded. OPEN's current last sale is 437.89% of the target price of $0.95.
Intel Corporation (INTC) is +1.3801 at $25.04, with 8,460,558 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 6 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Sep 2025. The consensus EPS forecast is $-0.12. INTC's current last sale is 113.82% of the target price of $22.
Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (IOVA) is +0.34 at $2.84, with 8,341,565 shares traded. IOVA's current last sale is 37.87% of the target price of $7.5.
TEGNA Inc. (TGNA) is +0.92 at $21.10, with 4,161,054 shares traded. TGNA's current last sale is 105.5% of the target price of $20.
Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X Shares (TSLL) is +0.06 at $12.57, with 3,577,945 shares traded. This represents a 99.84% increase from its 52 Week Low.
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) is +0.24 at $176.49, with 2,188,268 shares traded. JNJ's current last sale is 100.85% of the target price of $175.
ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ) is +0.04 at $17.33, with 2,096,197 shares traded. This represents a 3.71% increase from its 52 Week Low.
Walmart Inc. (WMT) is +0.2984 at $101.00, with 1,995,708 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 3 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Jul 2025. The consensus EPS forecast is $0.73. WMT is scheduled to provide an earnings report on 8/21/2025, for the fiscal quarter ending Jul2025. The consensus earnings per share forecast is 0.73 per share, which represents a 67 percent increase over the EPS one Year Ago
Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) is +0.7093 at $54.46, with 1,738,012 shares traded. NVO's current last sale is 91.53% of the target price of $59.5.
NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) is +0.35 at $182.36, with 1,698,961 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for NVDA is in the "buy range".
XPeng Inc. (XPEV) is +0.51 at $20.41, with 1,610,378 shares traded. Smarter Analyst Reports: XPeng Reveals Innovative Products with Future Prospects
NIO Inc. (NIO) is +0.07 at $4.94, with 1,309,773 shares traded. NIO's current last sale is 116.24% of the target price of $4.25.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Pre-Market Most Active for Aug 19, 2025 : OPEN, INTC, IOVA, TGNA, TSLL, JNJ, SQQQ, WMT, NVO, NVDA, XPEV, NIO

Healthcare stocks are taking a beating due to several factors, including government policies.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More »
*Stock prices used were the afternoon prices of Aug. 14, 2025. The video was published on Aug. 16, 2025.
Should you invest $1,000 in Novo Nordisk right now?
Before you buy stock in Novo Nordisk, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Novo Nordisk wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $668,155!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,106,071!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,070% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 184% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
*Stock Advisor returns as of August 18, 2025
Parkev Tatevosian, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk and UnitedHealth Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Parkev Tatevosian is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through his link, he will earn some extra money that supports his channel. His opinions remain his own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

3 Undervalued Healthcare Stocks You Can Buy Now and Hold Long-Term

Autonomous Vehicles Hit an Inflection Point; GPT-5 Is Here

Novo Nordisk NVO announced that the FDA has granted accelerated approval to its blockbuster GLP-1 drug, Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg) for a new indication.
The regulatory body in the United States has now approved Wegovy for the treatment of noncirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in adults with moderate-to-advanced liver fibrosis (consistent with stages F2 to F3 fibrosis) in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
NVO shares were up 2.9% on Aug. 15 following the announcement of the news.
The latest FDA nod was based on data from part 1 of the ESSENCE study, which evaluated Wegovy for the treatment of MASH. Data from the same showed that treatment with Wegovy led to a statistically significant and superior improvement in liver fibrosis without worsening steatohepatitis and also helped resolve steatohepatitis without worsening liver fibrosis versus placebo.
Clinical data from the ESSENCE study highlighted the potential of Wegovy in treating MASH. At week 72, 36.8% of patients receiving Wegovy showed improvement in liver fibrosis without worsening steatohepatitis, compared with 22.4% of patients on placebo. Also, 62.9% of the patients on Wegovy achieved resolution of steatohepatitis without worsening liver fibrosis versus 34.3% on placebo.
Per management, Wegovy has now become the first and only GLP-1 therapy approved for MASH, marking a major milestone in liver care. The treatment not only halts disease activity but also helps reverse liver damage, giving patients a much-needed new treatment option.
Novo Nordisk’s success in recent years has been driven by the sales of Ozempic (injection) and Rybelsus (oral) for diabetes, and Wegovy for obesity. The company holds a strong position in diabetes care, with one of the industry's broadest portfolios.
Wegovy is one of the key revenue drivers for Novo Nordisk. In the first half of 2025, Wegovy generated DKK 36.9 billion in sales, up 78% year over year on strong prescription growth.
As of July 1, CVS Caremark, a major pharmacy benefit manager, designated Wegovy as its preferred GLP-1 therapy for weight loss. Wegovy is now approved for reducing major cardiovascular events, easing HFpEF symptoms and relieving osteoarthritis-related knee pain in obesity.
NVO's Competition for Wegovy in the Obesity Space
Eli Lilly LLY is Novo Nordisk’s fierce competitor in the obesity space. It markets its tirzepatide medicines as Mounjaro for T2D and Zepbound for obesity. Despite being on the market for less than three years, both drugs have become Lilly’s key top-line drivers. In the first half of 2025, they generated combined sales of $14.7 billion, accounting for 52% of Lilly’s total revenues.
We note that NVO has already completed a regulatory filing seeking the approval of a 25 mg oral semaglutide for obesity, currently under review by the FDA. A decision from the regulatory body is expected by the end of 2025. Potential approval would give Novo Nordisk a notable advantage as the sole manufacturer of a marketed oral obesity pill, positioning it to capture significant market share and drive ahead of LLY, which is also developing an oral obesity pill.
Several other companies, like Viking Therapeutics VKTX, are also making rapid progress in the development of GLP-1-based candidates in their clinical pipeline. Recently, Viking Therapeutics started two late-stage studies evaluating the subcutaneous formulation of its investigational obesity drug, VK2735. A mid-stage study is currently ongoing, evaluating an oral version of VKTX’s obesity drug, with a data readout expected later this year.
NVO's Stock Price, Valuation & Estimates
Year to date, shares of Novo Nordisk have plunged 39% compared with the industry’s decline of 2.8%. The company has also underperformed the sector and the S&P 500 during the same time frame, as seen in the chart below.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Novo Nordisk is trading at a premium to the industry, as seen in the chart below. Going by the price/earnings ratio, the company’s shares currently trade at 12.75 forward earnings, which is lower than 14.45 for the industry. The stock is trading much below its five-year mean of 29.25.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Earnings estimates for 2025 have declined from $3.98 to $3.89 per share over the past 30 days. During the same time frame, estimates for 2026 earnings per share have declined from $4.57 to $4.24.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
NVO's Zacks Rank
Novo Nordisk currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Free Report: Profiting from the 2nd Wave of AI Explosion
The next phase of the AI explosion is poised to create significant wealth for investors, especially those who get in early. It will add literally trillion of dollars to the economy and revolutionize nearly every part of our lives.
Investors who bought shares like Nvidia at the right time have had a shot at huge gains.
But the rocket ride in the "first wave" of AI stocks may soon come to an end. The sharp upward trajectory of these stocks will begin to level off, leaving exponential growth to a new wave of cutting-edge companies.
Zacks' AI Boom 2.0: The Second Wave report reveals 4 under-the-radar companies that may soon be shining stars of AI’s next leap forward.
Access AI Boom 2.0 now, absolutely free >>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

NVO Stock Up on FDA Nod for Wegovy in MASH: More Upside Ahead?

The NASDAQ 100 Pre-Market Indicator is down -39.27 to 23,672.8. The total Pre-Market volume is currently 176,050,320 shares traded.
The following are the most active stocks for the pre-market session:
Opendoor Technologies Inc (OPEN) is +0.12 at $3.29, with 8,955,016 shares traded. OPEN's current last sale is 346.32% of the target price of $0.95.
Direxion Daily TSLA Bull 2X Shares (TSLL) is -0.14 at $12.05, with 7,109,397 shares traded. This represents a 91.57% increase from its 52 Week Low.
iQIYI, Inc. (IQ) is +0.32 at $2.31, with 4,935,156 shares traded.IQ is scheduled to provide an earnings report on 8/20/2025, for the fiscal quarter ending Jun2025. The consensus earnings per share forecast is -0.04 per share, which represents a 1 percent increase over the EPS one Year Ago
iShares Ethereum Trust (ETHA) is -0.63 at $32.52, with 4,056,330 shares traded. This represents a 195.91% increase from its 52 Week Low.
ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ) is +0.08 at $17.35, with 3,566,746 shares traded. This represents a 3.83% increase from its 52 Week Low.
Intel Corporation (INTC) is -0.6 at $23.96, with 3,510,203 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 6 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Sep 2025. The consensus EPS forecast is $-0.12. INTC's current last sale is 108.91% of the target price of $22.
Novo Nordisk A/S (NVO) is +2.1548 at $53.98, with 2,826,636 shares traded. NVO's current last sale is 90.72% of the target price of $59.5.
NIO Inc. (NIO) is +0.0901 at $4.90, with 1,837,217 shares traded. NIO's current last sale is 115.3% of the target price of $4.25.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH) is +8.49 at $312.50, with 1,625,528 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for UNH is in the "buy range".
BigBear.ai, Inc. (BBAI) is -0.13 at $6.01, with 1,370,526 shares traded. BBAI's current last sale is 100.17% of the target price of $6.
Bank of America Corporation (BAC) is -0.09 at $46.85, with 1,179,909 shares traded. Over the last four weeks they have had 4 up revisions for the earnings forecast, for the fiscal quarter ending Dec 2025. The consensus EPS forecast is $0.96. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for BAC is in the "buy range".
Soho House & Co Inc. (SHCO) is +1.24 at $8.88, with 886,767 shares traded. As reported by Zacks, the current mean recommendation for SHCO is in the "strong buy range".
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Novo Nordisk A/S

Sign up and unlock all the capabilities of the AI-screener