NVO vs STEP Stock Comparison
NVO currently leads STEP in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 66 vs 57. The clearest difference is value, while STEP has the stronger risk resilience profile.
What is the main difference between NVO and STEP?
NVO leads the current stock comparison as Novo Nordisk A/S, with the clearest separation coming from value and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Novo Nordisk A/S vs StepStone Group Inc.
NVO leads
NVO leads by 9 AIQ points, primarily on Value and Momentum, and the lead has widened from 5 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors STEP on target upside.
Competitive: 4 of 6 evidence groups support NVO, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Novo Nordisk A/S
StepStone Group Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors NVO over STEP, 66 versus 57 as of Oct 21, 2026. NVO's advantage is driven primarily by stronger value and momentum, while STEP holds the stronger risk resilience profile. NVO also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors STEP. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor NVO today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability: the leader is throwing conflicting signals. NVO lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 5 to 9 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Novo Nordisk A/S and StepStone Group Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare NVO and STEP against another ticker
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AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Value60 vs 30NVO +30
- Momentum54 vs 40NVO +14
- Risk Resilience51 vs 58STEP +7
- Quality91 vs 97STEP +6
4 of 6 evidence groups favor NVO. NVO’s edge is concentrated in value and momentum; STEP keeps a meaningful risk resilience edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum +10
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum +2
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
NVO's lead widened by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — NVO and STEP both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
NVO (Novo Nordisk A/S): the stronger current systematic profile, led by value and momentum.
STEP (StepStone Group Inc.): the counter-case, on risk resilience, quality, analyst expectations — but at materially higher volatility, 35.4% against 22.8%.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
NVONVO on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
STEPSTEP on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
NVONVO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 30 points.
Momentum
NVONVO on the Momentum factor, by 14 points.
Lower downside
STEPSTEP on Risk Resilience, by 7 points.
Analyst upside
STEPSTEP on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors NVO, analyst targets favor STEP. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | NVO | STEP | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +11.4% | +46.2% | STEP has more room |
| Target dispersion | +16.1% | +56.5% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 3 | 8 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor NVO. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | NVO | 66 vs 57 |
| Fundamentals | NVOon balance | revenue growth -18.9% vs -35.6%; EPS growth -56.6% vs -13.5%; TTM ROE 59.1% vs 156.7%; gross margin 80.6% vs 60.9%; operating margin 43.1% vs -58.2% — NVO takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | NVO | Value 60 vs 30 |
| Technicals | NVO | Price vs 50-day -7.8% vs -10%; vs 200-day -12.4% vs -15.1% |
| Risk Resilience | STEP | Risk Resilience 51 vs 58 |
| Analyst expectations | STEP | Target upside 11.4% vs 46.2% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of NVO and STEP and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 9 points.
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on NVO.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20NVO lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 5 to 9 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- NVO +9
- 66 vs 57
- 7 sessions ago
- NVO +8
- 64 vs 56
- 30 sessions ago
- NVO +5
- 57 vs 52
- 90 sessions ago
- STEP +3
- 57 vs 60
The lead changed hands 6 times in this window, most recently on Sep 17 when NVO moved ahead of STEP.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only NVO
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
0 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral
Only STEP
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (4.72%)
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
Both carry 3 more signals that do not separate them: Bollinger Band Squeeze, Death Cross Active, Downtrend Structure Active.
NVO leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 2 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -0.74%, AIQ +2 points).
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -1.26%, AIQ +1 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1STEP closes the Value gap — currently 30 points behind, the largest single contributor to NVO's edge.
- 2STEP's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3NVO's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
NVO leads on balance| Metric | NVO | STEP |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -18.9% | -35.6% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -56.6% | -13.5% |
| Gross margin | 80.6% | 60.9% |
| Operating margin | 43.1% | -58.2% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 59.1% | 156.7% |
| Debt to equity | 0.63 | -2.91 |
Performance
NVO leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | NVO | STEP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 3.4% | 1.7% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -0.1% | -7.8% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -18.3% | 4.5% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -0.2% | -22.4% |
| Year to date | -22.7% | -33.1% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -29.8% | -30.5% |
Technicals
NVO has the stronger structure| Metric | NVO | STEP |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 62.9 | 48.1 |
| ADX (14) | 26.3 | 16.6 |
| Price vs 50-day | -7.8% | -10% |
| Price vs 200-day | -12.4% | -15.1% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 22.8% | 35.4% |
Risk
STEP is the more resilient| Metric | NVO | STEP |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.03 | 1.67 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.56 | -0.6 |
| Sortino ratio | -0.71 | -0.89 |
| Max drawdown | -44.8% | -48.2% |
| Current drawdown | -38.5% | -43.7% |
| Annualized volatility | 45.8% | 47.7% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3.1% | -4.7% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, NVO or STEP?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, NVO is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 66 against STEP's 57. The edge comes from value and momentum. STEP is not without a case — it holds the better risk resilience profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is NVO or STEP the better buy right now?
NVO carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Competitive — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Competitive rating means the two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
Why does the AIQ Score favor NVO over STEP?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. NVO leads Value by 30 points; NVO leads Momentum by 14 points; STEP leads Risk Resilience by 7 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, NVO or STEP?
Analyst price targets imply +11.4% upside for NVO and +46.2% for STEP, so the Street currently favors STEP. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors NVO. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, NVO or STEP?
NVO is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. NVO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 30 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, NVO or STEP?
STEP on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, NVO or STEP?
NVO on the Momentum factor, by 14 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, NVO or STEP?
STEP is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. STEP on Risk Resilience, by 7 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is NVO more profitable than STEP?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 80.6% vs 60.9%; operating margin 43.1% vs -58.2%; ttm roe 59.1% vs 156.7%. NVO leads on two measures and STEP on one measure, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is NVO's lead over STEP getting stronger or weaker?
NVO lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 5 to 9 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 6 times in that window, most recently on 2026-09-17, when NVO moved ahead of STEP.
What would change the NVO vs STEP verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: STEP closes the Value gap — currently 30 points behind, the largest single contributor to NVO's edge; STEP's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; NVO's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about NVO and STEP?
NVO: 1 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. STEP: 0 bullish / 3 bearish / 2 neutral. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on NVO is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On STEP it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare NVO and STEP with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.