FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - A positive analyst comment from Goldman Sachs on Bayer's pharmaceutical prospects drove up the DAX-listed company's share price on Thursday. After a midweek setback, the pharmaceutical and agrochemical company's shares rose by just under one percent to €30.61, regaining momentum toward the €31 resistance level. The stock has now recovered by almost 60 percent in 2025.

Goldman analyst James Quigley is even more positive about Bayer following the study data published last weekend on the anticoagulant Asundexian, raising the price target from €34.50 to €38.50 with an unchanged "buy" rating.

According to the expert, the positive results for Asundexian in stroke prevention in patients who have previously suffered a stroke have greatly improved the outlook for the Leverkusen-based company's pharmaceuticals division.

Bayer is therefore seeking worldwide approval for the drug. Success could help to cushion the impact of lost sales due to expired patents for the anticoagulant Xarelto in the longer term. As a result of the study data published on Sunday and positive expert reactions, the share price climbed to just under €31.45 on Tuesday, its highest level since the beginning of 2024.

Quigley also points to possible progress in the US litigation surrounding the alleged cancer risks of the weed killer glyphosate. The Supreme Court of the United States is expected to rule soon on whether to accept a potentially landmark glyphosate case.

Bayer hopes for a positive landmark ruling if the case is accepted. The background to this is conflicting rulings by federal appeals courts in the dispute over alleged cancer risks posed by glyphosate. From the perspective of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), glyphosate does not pose any health risks when used in accordance with regulations. The EPA had approved the product label accordingly without a warning.

A preliminary decision on this is likely to be made soon, as analyst Quigley expects a statement on the issue from the Solicitor General – a position roughly equivalent to that of the US Attorney General – in mid-December. The Supreme Court had turned to the Solicitor General to obtain the US government's opinion on the issue of glyphosate.

If the report is positive for Bayer, Quigley sees 10 to 25 percent upside potential for the share price; he considers the price risk to be manageable in the event of a negative outcome, depending on whether the Supreme Court accepts the case for hearing. Bayer has already set aside enough money to cover 65,000 outstanding claims from plaintiffs and court settlements in the eight cases currently under appeal. /mis/tih/stk