Bayer figure parmi les premiers groupes mondiaux dans les secteurs de la chimie et de la pharmacie. Ses activités s'articulent autour de 4 pôles :
- polymères: plastiques élaborés, caoutchouc, polyuréthanes (1er fournisseur de matériaux en polyuréthanes pour l'industrie du revêtement), fibres 
- santé. Bayer commercialise environ 150 médicaments (dont l'aspirine) et des systèmes de diagnostics in vitro (1er producteur au monde de tests de grossesse). La recherche du groupe s'oriente vers les maladies cardio-vasculaires et respiratoires et les dysfonctionnements du système nerveux 
- chimie: silicones, chimie organique, restauration chimique du cuir et des textiles ;
- agriculture  : protection des cultures et soins vétérinaires.

Bayer makes official takeover offer for Schering
Acceptance period for the offer of EUR 86 per share ends on May 31, 2006 / Wenning: Offer is a worthwhile one for Schering shareholders
Leverkusen, April 13, 2006 – The Bayer Group officially published the offer document for the takeover of Schering AG today. As already announced on March 23, 2006, the company is offering EUR 86 for each Schering share. This represents a total transaction value of approximately EUR 16.5 billion. The increase compared with the previously communicated figure of EUR 16.3 billion is primarily attributable to the fact that Schering AG has meanwhile issued shares from its own shareholding for fulfillment of employee options and will likely continue to do so during the validity period of the offer. The offer can be accepted from now until the close of May 31, 2006, and is approximately 61 percent above the unweighted 12-month average price and some 39 percent above the closing price for the Schering share before the first takeover rumors surfaced. “It is thus worthwhile for Schering shareholders to accept our offer,” said Bayer Management Board Chairman Werner Wenning.

Bayer establishes a start-up company for the production of electroluminescent films
EUR 24.5 million investment volume / Over 150 employees planned by 2012
The first series production of the special electroluminescent film was for illuminating the inside of ladies’ handbags. The technology used at LYTTRON enables films that light up when an electric current is applied to be molded into any shape, opening up endless design possibilities.
Leverkusen – Bayer has established a start-up company for the production of electroluminescent films. The volume of investment in LYTTRON Technology GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bayer MaterialScience AG subgroup, is around EUR 24.5 million.
“Bayer MaterialScience is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-tech materials. We see ourselves as a technology driver, developing innovative materials for our customers,” said Ian Paterson, Management Board member responsible for Innovation and Marketing at Bayer MaterialScience AG. “For example, in recent months we have created structures for rapidly transforming ideas into marketable products and applications that were not previously part of our core business. Now the first promising project has given rise to a separate start-up company.” Paterson described the foundation of LYTTRON Technology GmbH as a logical step in the implementation of the company’s innovation strategy.

Monday · March 06, 2006   Spring Financial News Conference on March 6 
Wenning: 2005 a very successful year for Bayer
Strong growth: sales increase by 17.6 percent to EUR 27,383 million / EBIT before special items climbs by 55.9 percent to EUR 3,300 million / Strong cash flow performance – return on capital at record level / Further improvement in the underlying operating result targeted for 2006 / 2006 off to a good start
Leverkusen - The Bayer Group made significant gains in sales, earnings and cash flow last year. “2005 was one of the most successful years in our company?s history,” said Bayer AG Management Board Chairman Werner Wenning at the Spring Financial News Conference in Leverkusen on Monday. Sales of the Bayer Group rose by 17.6 percent year on year to EUR 27,383 million (2004: EUR 23,278 million), while the operating result (EBIT) before special items climbed by 55.9 percent to EUR 3,300 million (2004: EUR 2,117 million). “These numbers underscore the fact that our strategic realignment toward innovation and growth has brought a sustained improvement in the Bayer Group?s earning power,” declared Wenning. He said the company intends to build on this positive performance in 2006, achieve further growth in all areas and improve the underlying operating result once again. “The pleasing business trend in the first two months of 2006 justifies our optimism,” Bayer?s CEO added. 
The expansion in sales in 2005 was partly due to the consumer health products acquired from Roche and to business with Lanxess. Adjusted for the effects of currency and portfolio changes, Group sales rose by 7.5 percent. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) before special items moved ahead by 24.9 percent to EUR 5,082 million (2004: EUR 4,069 million), yielding an underlying EBITDA margin of 18.6 percent in 2005. “This already put us very close to our target return for 2006,” commented Wenning. 
The strong performance for the full year was bolstered by the continuing upward trend in the fourth quarter. This was the strongest quarter of 2005 in terms of sales, which rose to EUR 7,095 million (Q4 2004: EUR 6,111 million). Underlying EBIT in the fourth quarter improved by 54.5 percent year on year to EUR 615 million (Q4 2004: EUR 398 million). 
Positive earnings performance in all three subgroups 
Earnings of all three subgroups improved significantly in 2005. Bayer HealthCare and Bayer MaterialScience also posted strong growth in sales. 
Sales of Bayer HealthCare rose by 17.0 percent to EUR 9,429 million (2004: EUR 8,058 million), with the consumer health business acquired from Roche accounting for a substantial EUR 1,061 million. Due to strong growth in its core business, the Pharmaceuticals Division almost completely offset the decline in sales of its anti-infective Cipro® caused by the patent expiration in the United States, and the drop in reported sales revenues due to the marketing of its primary care products in the U.S. by Schering-Plough. The products Levitra® and Trasylol® performed particularly well in the market, both expanding by 35 percent. Bayer?s strongest-selling drug product, Kogenate®, improved by 18 percent. 
EBIT of Bayer HealthCare before special items climbed by 26.9 percent to EUR 1,319 million (2004: EUR 1,039 million), with underlying earnings growth strongest in the Pharmaceuticals, Biological Products and Consumer Care divisions. The underlying EBITDA margin rose to 18.9 percent, which means HealthCare has already exceeded the margin of more than 17 percent targeted for 2006. 
In a difficult market environment, sales of Bayer CropScience in 2005 were slightly lower at EUR 5,896 million (2004: EUR 5,946 million). This was due in particular to lower sales of insecticides and fungicides, which were held back by the exceptionally long droughts in Brazil, southern Europe and Australia. 
Nonetheless, underlying EBIT of Bayer CropScience rose by 31.2 percent to EUR 685 million (2004: EUR 522 million), mainly because of the absence of goodwill amortization. Without this effect, underlying EBIT rose by 6 percent. The underlying EBITDA margin rose to 21.6 percent. Against the background of adverse market development, especially in Brazil, Bayer CropScience will not yet be able to achieve its target EBITDA margin of 25 percent for 2006, Wenning said. Further restructuring will be carried out to improve the subgroup?s profitability. 
Bayer MaterialScience achieved by far the highest growth rates for both sales and earnings. Sales rose by 24.4 percent to EUR 10,695 million (2004: EUR 8,597 million), largely as a result of selling price increases that were necessary in light of the sharp rise in raw material costs. Due to this gratifying expansion in business, underlying EBIT at Bayer MaterialScience moved ahead by 110.2 percent to EUR 1,404 million (2004: EUR 668 million). The underlying EBITDA margin climbed to 18.2 percent. Thus Bayer MaterialScience met its 2006 target margin of 18 percent a year earlier than planned. 
Highest growth rates registered in Europe 
More than half of the increase in business was achieved in Europe, where sales rose by 22.0 percent to EUR 11,930 million. Sales in Germany grew even more strongly, advancing by 37.4 percent to EUR 4,176 million. Adjusted for the effects of portfolio changes - primarily sales to Lanxess and revenues from the acquired Roche OTC business - the increase in Germany was approximately 10 percent, compared to about 6 percent for Europe as a whole. Sales in the North America region advanced by 12.7 percent to EUR 7,340 million. In the Asia/Pacific region, China was the main growth driver with sales there advancing by 39 percent. Sales in the region as a whole climbed by 15.5 percent to EUR 4,578 million. In the Latin America/Africa/Middle East region, sales moved ahead by 16.7 percent to EUR 3,535 million. 
Net income more than doubled to EUR 1.6 billion 
There were, however, a number of special items which on aggregate diminished the gratifying earnings performance in 2005 by EUR 488 million. After these special items, EBIT improved by 50 percent to EUR 2,812 million (2004: EUR 1,875 million) and EBITDA by 21.2 percent to EUR 4,647 million (2004: EUR 3,834 million) million. Net income jumped by EUR 912 million to EUR 1,597 million. 
The growth in earnings was also reflected in the gross cash flow, which advanced by 20.5 percent to EUR 3,477 million (2004: EUR 2,885 million). Net cash flow rose even more significantly, gaining 56.6 percent to EUR 3,542 million (2004: EUR 2,262 million). Of particular importance to the Bayer Chairman was the fact that the return on capital was at a record level, with a cash flow return on investment of 12.4 percent. “This means that we created considerable value for Bayer, and of course for our stockholders too.” 

15/03/05 Bayer s’attend pour 2005 à une nette croissance du chiffre d’affaires et du résultat pour les activités maintenues
03/02/05 Bayer CropScience intends to further expand its market leadership position in Latin America
Sales in Latin America rise 32 % in the first nine months of 2004