Bayer CEO Rules out Group Breakup for Now — Update

By Adria Calatayud

Bayer's Chief Executive Bill Anderson ruled out a breakup of the group's operations for now, saying the company still has work to do before it can consider options.

The German conglomerate is focused on containing litigation uncertainty, reducing debt and internal bureaucracy, strengthening the drug pipeline of its pharma business, and improving the profitability of its agriculture unit. Anderson said Bayer wouldn't allow discussions on potential sales or spinoffs of its divisions to become a distraction.

"Our assessment today is that it's not time to take our eye off of that," Anderson said Tuesday during a call with reporters. "We need to stay really focused on driving those, and we'll keep our minds open and our heads up."

Some investors have long pushed the company to rethink its structure. Analysts said the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Bayer's favor in a long-standing case over its Roundup weedkiller could put a breakup back on the table.

Bayer's operations currently span an agriculture unit that sells pesticides and crop seeds, a pharma business that develops medicines for diseases like prostate cancer and chronic kidney disease, and a smaller division that makes over-the-counter drugs, nutritional supplements and other consumer-health products.

The company in early July said it would consolidate its U.S. glyphosate operations, including Roundup brands, into a business called Ruveon.

Anderson said the company regularly assesses what the best approach to its operations is. Whether Bayer's businesses stay together or not, continuing to work on its current priorities will put the company in a stronger position, he added.

For the second quarter, smaller litigation charges led Bayer to swing to a net profit. It posted a second-quarter net profit of 219 million euros, equivalent to $252.1 million, compared with a loss of 199 million euros for the same period last year, when its results were hit by litigation charges.

The company said it booked special charges, mainly due to litigation-related expenses, of 172 million euros compared with 981 million euros a year before.

Excluding special items, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization came to 2.14 billion euros, increasing 1.9%. Analysts polled by Vara had expected 1.94 billion euros.

Sales were 10.87 billion euros, up 2.2% when adjusted for currency and portfolio changes.

The company said its 2026 sales and earnings forecasts were unchanged when adjusted for currency changes.

Bayer said year-end net debt would be lower than originally projected, thanks to proceeds from a 3 billion-euro deal to sell a minority stake in its contraceptives business to Apollo. It now expects to end the year with net debt at between 29 billion and 30 billion euros, down from 32 billion to 33 billion euros previously.

Shares were up 3% in European afternoon trading.

Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 04, 2026 09:45 ET (13:45 GMT)