** Shares in Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO rise 3.2% after a report saying activist hedge fund Parvus Asset Management was building a stake in the Danish drugmaker
** The report said Parvus was building a stake to influence nomination of Novo's next CEO, amid investor concerns that the Danish drugmaker has lost its first-mover advantage in the obesity drug market
** Nordnet analyst Per Hansen notes that momentum in Novo shares has turned after the CEO exit announcement, and says that Parvus might be seeing a buying opportunity more than a governance play
** "It is unlikely the stake is mainly about influencing the next CEO; more likely Parvus sees a mix of cheap valuation and market opportunity," Hansen adds
** Novo told Reuters in an email that it does not "have anything to add"
** Parvus did not immediately respond to a request for comment
** Novo shares, at their highest in nearly three months, are among top gainers on the pan-European STOXX 600 .STOXX
(Reporting by Jesus Calero)
((jesus.calero@thomsonreuters.com))
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