Shares of Novo Nordisk ( NVO 4.37%) were moving higher on Wednesday. The company's stock gained 4.9% as of 1:50 p.m. ET, but gained as much as 5.8% earlier in the day. The leg up comes as the S&P 500 ( ^GSPC 0.26%) gained 0.2%, and the Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC 0.02%) lost 0.1% on the day.

Demand for weight-loss drugs surged throughout 2024, outpacing supply for most of the year. In December, Novo Holdings, an investment foundation of Novo Nordisk, acquired three manufacturing sites in Catalent to expand its production capacity.

Shares of Novo Nordisk climbed 4.5% on Wednesday after the Danish pharmaceutical giant reported a stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter net profit, driven by soaring demand for its obesity treatment,