JPMorgan holds EUR 61 target for Bayer stock before third-quarter results

Published on 10/21/2026 at 09:51 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

First-half sales rose 3.00 percent to EUR 24.30 billion. Bayer stock costs EUR 43.91 on October 21, 2026, 0.99 percent above the Xetra close.

Analyst view meets operating test

JPMorgan kept its EUR 61.00 Bayer target on October 16, 2026.
Bayer reported first-half sales of EUR 24.30 billion, up 3.00 percent.
Bayer stock traded at EUR 43.91 at 9:42 a.m. CEST at Lang & Schwarz on October 21, 2026, 0.99 percent above the Xetra close of October 20, 2026.

Schwarz-Weiß-Fotoreportage: Landwirt steht als dunkle Silhouette in einem Maisfeld, Morgennebel steigt auf, dramatischer Gegenlicht-Himmel — Landwirt als Silhouette auf nebligem Acker bei Morgengrauen – Crop Science / Pflanzenschutz, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Bayer (ISIN DE000BAY0017) was trading at EUR 43.91 at Lang & Schwarz on October 21, 2026, at 9:42 a.m. CEST, 0.99 percent above the Xetra close of October 20, 2026. The latest analyst signal came from JPMorgan, which kept its Overweight rating and EUR 61.00 target on October 16, 2026, according to 4investors.

Analyst targets meet a cautious test

The target leaves a wide gap between market valuation and analyst expectations, but the near-term test is operational. The same 4investors report said UBS retained a EUR 62.00 target and that JPMorgan expected Bayer to confirm its 2026 outlook. It also said JPMorgan's EBITDA forecast was 6.00 percent below consensus, making the November report important for the positive ratings.

What does the target mean for earnings?

Bayer's first-half performance provides the counterweight to that caution. In the Q2 2026 earnings call, Bayer reported sales of EUR 24.30 billion for the first six months, up 3.00 percent year over year, while core earnings per share rose 3.00 percent to EUR 3.66. Free cash flow was negative EUR 2.70 billion, compared with negative EUR 1.40 billion a year earlier, according to Yahoo Finance. The figures show why investors may separate growth in the operating businesses from cash pressure linked to litigation payments.

Three dates frame the Bayer story

On August 4, 2026, Bayer reported first-half sales of EUR 24.30 billion. On October 8, 2026, Bayer announced that the FDA accepted its finerenone application for chronic kidney disease without diabetes, based on a Phase III study of more than 1,500 patients, according to Bayer. On October 16, 2026, JPMorgan kept its EUR 61.00 target, the latest of the three dated developments.

Results arrive on November 3

Bayer will publish its third-quarter 2026 results on November 3, 2026, at 7:30 a.m. CET, followed by the investor call at 2:00 p.m. CET, according to Bayer. That release will test whether the full-year outlook can support the analyst targets while Crop Science faces a lower-margin product mix and Pharmaceuticals manages expected declines in established products.

Stock remains below analyst targets

The price is 28.02 percent below JPMorgan's EUR 61.00 target, using the Lang & Schwarz price and the analyst target in euros. Bayer's market value was EUR 43.1 billion as of October 21, 2026, while its 52-week range stood at EUR 25.78 to EUR 53.92.

Bayer was trading at EUR 43.91 at Lang & Schwarz on October 21, 2026, at 9:42 a.m. CEST, 0.99 percent above the Xetra close of October 20, 2026 at EUR 43.48. The further course of trading is shown by the continuously updated real-time quote of Bayer stock.