Novo Nordisk raises its outlook as Wegovy pill sales lift the quarter
The drugmaker lifts its full-year forecast, but reported operating profit falls after impairment charges.
Novo Nordisk raised its full-year outlook Wednesday as demand for its GLP-1 medicines supported third-quarter growth. The company now expects adjusted sales and adjusted operating profit to range from a 2% decline to 2% growth at constant exchange rates in 2026, compared with its previous forecast of a 6% decline to no growth.
Quarterly sales were 79.2 billion Danish kroner, up 4% at constant exchange rates. Adjusted operating profit rose 27% on the same basis to 31.72 billion kroner. Wegovy pill sales reached about 5.4 billion kroner, and the company said obesity products led growth.
The adjusted improvement did not carry through to reported operating profit, which fell 9% at constant exchange rates to 23.01 billion kroner. Novo recorded 8.7 billion kroner of non-cash impairment charges, including 4.6 billion related to ziltivekimab and 4.1 billion tied to its manufacturing network.
Shares rose in early European trading after the results. The higher forecast gives investors a stronger demand signal, but it still leaves the company expecting roughly flat adjusted sales and profit for the full year. The distinction between adjusted and reported earnings matters when judging the quarter.
