German seed and crop input company Bayer continues to feel litigation pressures from its glyphosate-based herbicide, Roundup, while the ag supplier’s corn business takes off, per the company’s third quarter (Q3) fiscal year 2025 earnings.
The company faced 28 trials in federal and state courts for plaintiffs claiming exposure to the glyphosate-based product and received 17 “favorable outcomes,” as of Oct. 15, the company shared in its quarterly report. Bayer’s herbicide business, including Roundup, is the largest part of its crop science division, generating €1.155 billion in Q3, the company reported.
The quarterly earnings come as reporting and industry speculation swirled about Bayer potentially pulling back on Roundup. Bayer’s CEO – whose contract was recently extended – reassured investors that Roundup litigation will be addressed in 2026 and did not rule out any next steps, as he shared during Bayer’s earnings call.
“In litigation, as each prong of our strategy advances, we have a clearer view of the paths to significant containment. I say paths — plural — because there is not just one way to get there, and no one way alone will be enough. We are making significant progress, and we are confident in our objective to significantly contain litigation risk by the end of 2026,” Anderson said.
He added, “In the glyphosate litigation, we’re expecting a recommendation from the U.S. Solicitor General as to whether or not the U.S. Supreme Court should hear our case. We remain optimistic that this recommendation will occur in time for the current session, which ends in June of 2026. This is an important decision, and we have plans in place for all outcomes.
Bayer’s corn seed & traits business grows
Bayer’s crop science division saw strong demand for its corn seed and traits products and non-glyphosate-based herbicides, partially offset by U.S. and European regulatory headwinds, the company stated. For the quarter, Bayer’s crop science division generated €3.858 billion, down slightly from €3.986 billion in Q3 2024.
Bayer’s largest crop science market is Latin America, accounting for €1.916 billion in sales in Q3 2025, followed by North America, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia/Pacific, with €784 million, €758 million, and €400 million in sales, respectively, for the quarter.
Second largest to herbicides in crop sciences, Bayer’s corn seed and traits business achieved €760 million in sales for the quarter — an increase of 16.6% from the same quarter last year, the company reported.
“Based on the year-to-date performance, we feel confident in the full-year outlook for crop science and pharmaceuticals, both in terms of top and bottom line. ... For crop science, growth in the fourth quarter is driven by glyphosate, which is now anticipated at the upper end of our full-year sales guidance range and will have a dilutive impact to margin in Q4,” Wolfgang Nickl, CFO at Bayer, shared on the earnings call.
Bayer’s Q3 2025 by the numbers
As a group, Bayer achieved €9.660 billion in sales across its agriculture, pharmaceutical, and human health businesses for the Q3 2025, ending Sept. 30, down from €9.968 billion in the same quarter last year, the company shared in its financial statement.
Q3 earnings before income tax were €543 million in the red, following special charges of €1.064 billion — with €934 million attributed to litigation and legal risks — the company added.
Bayer stock closed at $8.37 the day of the financial results, up 5.75% for the day, as the stock inched closer to its 52-week high of $8.70.
