On August 1, 1863 businessman Friedrich Bayer and master dyer Johann Friedrich Weskott established a dyestuffs factory in Barmen, now a part of Wuppertal. Soon afterwards, in 1865, the two men purchased an interest in a coal tar dye factory in the United States and began exporting intermediates. In 1876 a dyestuffs factory was opened in Moscow. The descendants of Bayer and Weskott established the joint stock company Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedr. Bayer & Co. on July 1, 1881. The Flers plant in northern France started production in 1883. In 1884 the chemist Carl Duisberg began his career at Bayer. Under his management, Bayer scientists made pioneering discoveries. The Pharmaceutical Department was established in 1888. In 1891 the Leverkusen site was purchased. Bayer researcher Dr. Felix Hoffmann first synthesized acetylsalicylic acid in a chemically pure and stable form in 1897. Aspirin® was registered as a trademark in 1899 and became the world's favorite pain killer. In 1912 the company's headquarters were transferred to Leverkusen. Farbenfabriken vorm. Friedr. Bayer & Co. merged with other companies to form I.G. Farbenindustrie AG in 1925. Leverkusen became the main production center of the I.G.'s Lower Rhine operating consortium. Following the Second World War, the Allies seized and later broke up I.G. Farben. Bayer was re-established as Farbenfabriken Bayer AG in 1951 and changed its name to Bayer AG in 1972. The push for expansion as an international health care and chemicals group began.
Bayer is a research-based, growth-oriented global enterprise with core competencies in health care, nutrition and innovative materials.
As of December 31, 2007 the number of employees in the Bayer Group was 106,200. The regional split is as follows:
Europe | 56,200 |
- there of Germany | 39,100 |
North America | 16,800 |
Asia / Pacific | 18,900 |
Latin America / Africa / Middle East | 14,300 |
For fiscal 2006 the Bayer Group reported net sales of € 32,385 million and a net income of € 4,711 million.
The consolidated financial statements of the Bayer Group as of December 31, 2006 have been prepared – pursuant to Section 315a of the German Commercial Code – according to the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), London, which are recognized by the European Union, and the Interpretations of the International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC), in effect at the closing date.
The fiscal year is the calendar year.
Bayer welcomes the Corporate Governance Code. Our commitment to these principles in the interest of value creation dates from long before.
Declaration of Conformity 2007 
PDF / 250 KB 
collectentsprechenserklaerung_2007_e.pdf Corporate Governance Declaration of conformity 2007pdf
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The Bayer stock was listed for the first time on November 12, 1953 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
In view of the class of stock (bearer shares), the company does not have a share register like companies that issue registered shares. Data on its ownership structure have to be compiled by conducting special surveys.
On May 6, 2008, the Credit Suisse Group, Zürich, Switzerland, notified us of the following pursuant to Section 21, Paragraph 1, and Section 24 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG) in its own name and in the name and on behalf of the following companies:
1. The proportion of voting rights held by Credit Suisse, Zürich, Switzerland, in Bayer AG exceeded the 3 percent threshold on April 30, 2008, and on that date amounted to 3.199 percent (24,451,126 voting rights). 2.836 percent (21,679,235 voting rights) are attributable to this company pursuant to Section 22, Paragraph 1, Sentence 1, No. 1 of the German Securities Trading Act and 0.363 percent (2,771,891 voting rights) are attributable to it pursuant to Section 22, Paragraph 1, Sentence 1, No. 6, in conjunction with Section 22, Paragraph 1, Sentence 2 of the German Securities Trading Act.
2. The proportion of voting rights held by Credit Suisse Group, Zürich, Switzerland, in Bayer AG also exceeded the 3 percent threshold on April 30, 2008 and on that date amouned to 3.239 percent (24,753,689 voting rights). 2.837 percent (21,684,887 voting rights) are attributable to this company pursuant to Section 22, Paragraph 1, Sentence 1, No. 1 of the German Securities Trading Act and 0.401 percent (3,068,802 voting rights) are attributable to it pursuant to Section 22, Paragraph 1, Sentence 1, No. 6, in conjunction with Section 22, Paragraph 1, Sentence 2 of the German Securities Trading Act.
3. The chain of controlling companies is as follows (beginning with the lowest company): Credit Suisse and Credit Suisse Group.
The Capital Group Companies, Inc., U.S.A., has notified us pursuant to Section 21, Paragraph 1 of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG) that the proportion of voting rights it holds in our company exceeded the 10 percent threshold on September 19, 2006 and that since that date it has held 10.0179 percent of the voting rights. The Capital Research and Management Company, U.S.A., which according to our information is a subsidiary of The Capital Group Companies, Inc., also has notified us that the proportion of voting rights it holds in our company exceeded the 10 percent threshold on November 8, 2006 and that since that date it has held 10.0852 percent of the voting rights.
At present, no other shareholder has notified us that it has exceeded the German Securities Trading Act's treshold of 3 percent.
To motivate and enhance their performance, Bayer allows its employees to benefit directly from the company's success. We offer three different programs for defined participant groups. Eligibility for the different programs varies with an employee’s position in the company, since people at higher levels of management are considered to have a greater direct influence on the company’s economic performance and thus on the performance of Bayer stock. Bayer therefore offers the stock program Aspire for members of the Board of Management, for other Group Executives (members of the “Group Leadership Circles”), and for other senior managers, and a Stock Participation Program for all other groups of employees.
Information about the dividend for fiscal 2007
Conforming to the proposal of the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board, the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on April 25, 2008 passed the resolution to pay a dividend for fiscal 2007 of EUR 1.35 per share – up 35 percent from the previous year. resulting in a total dividend payment of €1,032 million and a payout ratio of 36 percent calculated on core earnings per share. The target payout ratio of 30 to 40 percent has thus been achieved. The dividend yield calculated on the share price of €62.53 at year end 2007 amounts to 2.2 percent.
The next Ordinary Stockholders' Meeting of Bayer AG will take place on May 12, 2009.
