Bayer posts higher first-quarter profit on strong crop science sales

Bayer posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter profit on the back of a solid crop science performance and said on May 12 it was keeping its full-year outlook unchanged. ^{[1, 2, 3]}

The German chemicals and pharmaceuticals group, based in Leverkusen, reported adjusted first-quarter EBITDA of €4.45 billion, above the €3.9 billion average forecast from analysts. ^{[1, 4, 2, 3]}

Crop science was the main driver of the quarter, with sources pointing to particularly strong soybean-seed revenue. One source said the division was a major contributor to the result and put crop science EBITDA at €3.0 billion. ^{[1, 4, 3]}

A Chinese-language source said operating profit rose 9% year on year and also reported EBITDA of €4.45 billion, while the English-language sources focused on adjusted first-quarter EBITDA. ^{[4, 1, 2, 3]}

Bayer still faces mass U.S. litigation over Roundup, the herbicide tied to its 2018 purchase of Monsanto. Sources said related costs have topped more than US$10 billion. ^{[1, 2]}

The company said it was reaffirming its 2026 guidance on a currency-adjusted basis, giving investors a near-term signal after the first-quarter beat. ^{[1, 2, 3]}