:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-2193602808-ffd1a6eb5cba42d4a729f965f40e0718.jpg "Here’s Why Morgan Stanley Analysts Downgraded Novo Nordisk’s Stock")
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Key Takeaways
- Morgan Stanley downgraded and cut the price target on Novo Nordisk stock, citing GLP-1 concerns.
- The analysts also raised doubts about the effectiveness of the drugmaker’s experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.
An analyst’s concerns about demand for Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight-loss drugs is weighing on the drugmaker’s shares to start the week.
U.S.-listed shares of Novo Nordisk (NVO) slid in recent trading following a downgrade from Morgan Stanley, which raised concerns about demand for the company’s GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as their effectiveness in fighting Alzheimer’s disease.
The bank dropped its rating to “underweight” from “equal weight,” and lowered the price target to $47 from $59. The stock was recently down less than 1% to below $55, slightly extending year-to-date declines.
Why This Matters to You
Morgan Stanley has downgraded Novo Nordisk, whose U.S. shares are already down a third this year. That downgrade forecasts slowing demand for weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, generic competition abroad, and trial results that may disappoint those looking for an Alzheimer’s breakthrough.
Morgan Stanley wrote in a note to clients that “prescriptions for Ozempic and Wegovy have been stagnating in the US; we forecast a decline in the US GLP-1 diabetes franchise in 2026 due to market share and price pressure, and we expect Ozempic ex-US growth to be impacted by the first generic competition in Canada and emerging markets.”
The analysts said that they believe the results of trials of Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 treatments for Alzheimer’s disease coming in the next few week will likely fall short of showing statistically significant outcomes.
AndtThey warned about the downside risks of potential price cuts for Ozempic and Wegovy in Medicare Part D plans, as well as doubts about the company’s experimental obesity/diabetes combination drug CagriSemi outperforming rival Eli Lilly’s (LLY) Zepbound.
U.S.-listed shares of Novo Nordisk have lost a third of their value this year.
