Novo Nordisk (NVO): The #1 Healthcare Stock You Need in Your Portfolio Right Now

Healthcare giant defies market gravity while traditional finance plays catch-up.

The Diabetes Dominance Play

Novo Nordisk's metabolic franchise continues delivering blockbuster results that make Wall Street analysts look like medieval astrologers. Their GLP-1 portfolio isn't just treating diabetes—it's rewriting the pharmaceutical growth playbook entirely.

Manufacturing Moats & Margin Magic

Scaling complex biologics production creates barriers that would make even crypto miners jealous. While blockchain projects struggle with real-world adoption, Novo's supply chain operates with surgical precision across continents.

The Weight Loss Revolution

What started as diabetes management now targets obesity—a market larger than some national economies. Their therapeutics demonstrate something rare in healthcare: actual preventative outcomes rather than symptom management.

Financial Fortress Mentality

Cash flow generation so robust it makes treasury bonds look speculative. The company reinvests while maintaining dividend growth—a concept foreign to most tech startups burning venture capital.

Novo Nordisk executes while legacy healthcare plays regulatory games. One wonders if traditional pharma CEOs even check their stock prices anymore—or just wait for quarterly board meetings to learn their fate.

Image source: Getty Images.

Novo Nordisk and the oral GLP-1 weight loss market

There are two key reasons why Novo Nordisk can emerge victorious in the race to commercialize an oral version of a GLP-1 weight loss drug -- the currently approved drugs are injectables.

First, it's the first in line to be approved, with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision due in the fourth quarter of this year. In contrast, Eli Lilly plans to submit oral weight loss drug orforglipron for regulatory review in obesity in late 2025, and for type 2 diabetes in late 2026.

Second, based on the current data, Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy appears to have the edge over orforglipron in obesity. The company recently published results for the phase 3 (OASIS-4) trial, which demonstrated an efficacy and safety advantage over Eli Lilly's orforglipron.

Company

Drug (oral for weight loss)

Trial

Discontinuation rate due to adverse effects (treated)

Discontinuation rate due to adverse effects (placebo)

Body weight change

Data source: Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk presentations. *At the highest dosage.

Where next for Novo Nordisk?

All told, if Novo Nordisk can secure oral Wegovy approval first and continue to demonstrate superiority in the lab, while avoiding any operational mishaps, the company looks well-positioned to prosper in 2026.