European stocks advanced as Novo Nordisk A/S rallied after a US competitor scrapped a copycat of the Wegovy weight-loss pill.

Novo Nordisk A/S shares rose after Hims & Hers Health Inc. agreed to stop selling a copycat version of the new Wegovy weight-loss pill following US government threats to crack down on knockoffs. Bloomberg's Sam Fazeli reports. (Source: Bloomberg)

Novo Nordisk shares surged at the European market Open, reversing some of last week’s plunge, after Hims & Hers Health pulled a copycat version of the new Wegovy weight-loss pill. The Danish pharma giant's stock rose as much as 8.6% in early Copenhagen trading, clocking its biggest gain so far this year. Hims & Hers said it would stop offering the treatment in a post on X Saturday, a day after the US Food and Drug Administration pledged to crack down on copycat weight-loss drugs.  Elsewhere, sterling fell against the euro to its lowest level since January 22 as the UK political crisis deepened after Starmer’s chief of staff quit on Sunday. The Opening Trade has everything you need to know as markets open across Europe. With analysis you won't find anywhere else, we break down the biggest stories of the day and speak to top guests who have skin in the game. Hosted by Anna Edwards, Guy Johnson and Tom Mackenzie. (Source: Bloomberg)

European stocks turned higher in a volatile Friday session as a rebound in drugmaker Novo Nordisk A/S helped counter weakness in carmakers.

Novo Nordisk is predicting a 13% drop in sales in 2026. As the company’s patents on Ozempic expire, could cheaper, generic versions give the company a run for its money? Big Take host David Gura talks to Bloomberg reporters Naomi Kresge and Amber Tong about what comes next. (Source: Bloomberg)

On today’s Big Take podcast: Novo Nordisk’s patents on Ozempic are starting to expire. What does that mean for the global weight-loss drug market?

European stocks fell as sentiment took a hit from weak US jobs data, with investors also tracking a busy slate of earnings and key interest-rate decisions. Novo Nordisk A/S dropped as a US competitor plans to offer cheaper copies of its new weight loss pill.

Within the span of 19 hours, weight loss drugmakers Novo Nordisk A/S and Eli Lilly & Co. offered wildly divergent views on where business is headed. After Novo shocked the market by warning sales could decline by as much as 13% this year, Lilly followed with a surprise to the upside, forecasting an as much as 27% rise.

Eli Lilly & Co. provided an upbeat sales forecast for the year Wednesday as strong demand for its weight loss drug cemented its position at the top of the obesity market. The guidance was a sharp contrast to rival Novo Nordisk A/S, which warned investors Tuesday that its sales could drop as much as 13% this year on intensifying price competition in the weight loss market. Lilly, on the other hand, expects its sales to grow as much as 27% this year. Bloomberg's Sam Fazeli reports. (Source: Bloomberg)

Novo Nordisk A/S shares plunged after the company shocked investors by forecasting a steep decline in sales, evidence of an intensifying price war in obesity drugs.Sales will fall by as much as 13% this year, the company said Tuesday. Pressure from lower prices for its blockbuster weight-loss drugs, in part due to the US government's push to cut prices, will contribute to the decline. The shares fell as much as 20% in early Copenhagen trading, the biggest intraday decline since July, more than wiping out the previous gains for this year. Sam Fazeli, Director of Research at Bloomberg Intelligence joins Stephen Carroll and Caroline Hepker to discuss. (Source: Bloomberg)

Global software, financial services and asset management stocks get hit by concerns about competition from a new AI automation tool released by Anthropic PBC. Investors are fretting that many businesses will come under increased threat from advances in generative AI. Novo Nordisk shares plunged after the company shocked investors by forecasting a steep decline in sales, evidence of an intensifying price war in obesity drugs. UBS shares drop after the bank’s CFO said more headwinds in US wealth should be expected in the first half following 4Q net outflows, the third straight quarter of declines. The Opening Trade has everything you need to know as markets open across Europe. With analysis you won't find anywhere else, we break down the biggest stories of the day and speak to top guests who have skin in the game. Hosted by Anna Edwards, Guy Johnson and Tom Mackenzie. (Source: Bloomberg)

US equity futures take a breather from a global rout driven by stocks sensitive to potential disruption from Anthropic's new automation tool. Investors await results from Alphabet and Qualcomm as AMD's AI-fueled outlook disappoints. Shares of Novo Nordisk plunges as the drugmaker forecasts sales to fall as much 13% this year. Iran asks the US to move the scheduled diplomatic talks this week from Turkey to Oman and to limit the agenda to Tehran's nuclear program. Stephanie Guild of Robinhood discusses the opportunities in software stocks amid the recent selloff. (Source: Bloomberg)

Novo Nordisk Chief Executive Officer Mike Doustdar talks about the company's outlook as it faces headwinds on its main obesity and diabetes drugs and its shares plunged. Doustdar tells Bloomberg Television he is "confident" that "the volume build up will happen." He also talks about job cuts and says "we don't have any plans of mass layoffs." (Source: Bloomberg)

On today's show, President Donald Trump reiterated that the US and Iran are maintaining diplomatic talks, even after an earlier skirmish in the Arabian Sea spooked oil markets amid heightened tensions between the two countries. A new AI automation tool from Anthropic has sparked a $285 billion selloff in stocks. Traders are dumping software shares on fears about the destruction AI could cause. Novo Nordisk shocked investors by forecasting a steep decline in sales this year, a sign of how intensifying price wars in obesity drugs and the Trump administration’s pressure on pharmaceutical prices will hit the company’s results. Meanwhile, UBS announced a $3 billion buyback for 2026, with the potential to buy more, after posting a $1.2 billion quarterly profit that exceeded expectations. Today's guests: WisdomTree Macroeconomic Research Director Aneeka Gupta, Infineon CFO Sven Schneider & Equinor CFO Torgrim Reitan (Source: Bloomberg)

Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar discusses the company's updated 2026 sales guidance, forecasting a decline of 5 to 13% at constant exchange rates. Doustdar highlights the strong uptake of Novo Nordisk's oral GLP-1 treatment Wegovy, which has reached over 170,000 patients within four weeks of launch. (Source: Bloomberg)

Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar addresses concerns about the duration of the current slump in the company's legacy business due to price reductions and volume uptake dynamics. He highlights the strong initial uptake of the Wegovy pill, with 170,000 patients in four weeks, marking it as one of the most successful pharmaceutical launches in recent history. (Source: Bloomberg)

Novo Nordisk A/S shares are bouncing back from their worst ever year, with bulls hoping that a pill version of its blockbuster obesity shot will help finally turn things around for the Danish drugmaker.

Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. is planning to launch a generic version of Novo Nordisk A/S’s Ozempic in March after the drug’s patent expiry, becoming one of the first firms to capture the gold rush for the therapy in the South Asian country.

European stocks posted their fifth straight weekly advance as investors remained confident about artificial intelligence demand. Novo Nordisk A/S jumped 6.5% after the UK regulator approved a higher dose of its obesity drug.

The fund controlling Novo Nordisk A/S will make the largest donation in its history with a grant worth as much as 5.5 billion kroner ($860 million) for a Danish life science organization to help boost European innovation and jobs.