BofA lowers rating of Novo Nordisk after Wegovy-maker issues profit warning

Published 30/07/2025, 13:14
© Reuters

Investing.com - Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO)’s weight-loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic could face increased pressure in the future, weighing on the Danish pharmaceutical group’s earnings, according to analysts at BofA Securities.

The two blockbuster treatments, which have been responsible for recently powering returns at Novo Nordisk and turning it into one of Europe’s most valuable listed company, is grappling with "more competitive dynamics on [the] horizon," the bank said in a note downgrading their rating of the stock to "neutral" from "buy."

Compounded, or copycat, drugs based on the same ingredients as name-brand options have hit demand for Wegovy.

For Ozempic, the possible expiry of a patent in Canada in Novo Nordisk’s 2026 fiscal year has also not been reflected in the firm’s estimates, while risks hover from a push by the Trump administration to lower drug prices in the U.S. as well, the analysts flagged.

The worries over Wegovy and Ozempic come as investors have already fretted over Novo Nordisk’s plans to expand its drug pipeline and navigate challenges in its key U.S. market.

On Tuesday, concerns over Wegovy and Ozempic led Novo Nordisk to slash its full-year 2025 guidance on Tuesday, sending its shares tumbling and wiping $70 billion off of its market value.

Novo Nordisk said it expects 2025 sales growth of 8–14% and operating profit growth of 10–16% at constant exchange rates, down from prior forecasts of 13–21% and 16–24%, respectively.

The company stated that the revisions were driven by weaker expectations for Wegovy and Ozempic in the United States, as well as lower-than-expected uptake in select international markets.

“Sales growth in the first six months of 2025 was positively impacted by gross-to-net sales adjustments related to prior years,” the company said.

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