Bayer vs Visa: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Bayer reported ~$51.5B of revenue in FY2025 and a net loss of ~$4.1B. Visa reported $40B of revenue in FY2025 and $20.1B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Financial summary
Bayer
Bayer's accounts still carry the 2018 Monsanto acquisition. FY2025 sales were ~$51.5 billion (EUR 45,575 million), down 2.2 percent as reported and up 1.1 percent adjusted for currency and portfolio. EBITDA before special items was ~$11 billion (EUR 9.7 billion) and free cash flow ~$2.35 billion (EUR 2,084 million), yet the group reported an EBIT of minus ~$1.22 billion (EUR 1,077 million) and a net loss of ~$4.09 billion (EUR 3,620 million), because other operating expenses net of income reached minus ~$8.34 billion (EUR 7,377 million), mainly litigation provisions. Net financial debt fell 8.5 percent to ~$33.7 billion (EUR 29,843 million). The dividend has stayed at the legally required minimum of EUR 0.11 per share since 2023, so cash goes to debt and settlements rather than shareholders.
Visa
Visa's fiscal year ends September 30. Fiscal 2025 net revenue was USD 40.0 billion, up 11% from USD 35.9 billion in fiscal 2024, and GAAP net income was USD 20.1 billion. Growth continued in fiscal 2026: in the third quarter (April to June 2026) net revenue rose 14% to USD 11.6 billion, quarterly payments volume passed USD 4 trillion for the first time, and Visa returned USD 6.2 billion to shareholders through buybacks and dividends. Fiscal 2026 full-year results are due in late October 2026.
Revenue and profit by year
Bayer
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$51.5B | ~-$4.1B | -7.9% | -2.2% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$52.7B | ~-$2.9B | -5.5% | -2.2% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$53.8B | ~-$3.3B | -6.2% | -6.1% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$57.3B | ~$4.7B | 8.2% | +15.1% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$49.8B | ~$1.1B | 2.3% | +6.5% | Source |
| FY2020 | ~$46.8B | ~-$11.9B | -25.4% | -4.9% | Source |
| FY2019 | ~$49.2B | ~$4.6B | 9.4% | +10.0% | Source |
| FY2018 | ~$44.7B | ~$1.9B | 4.3% | +13.1% | Source |
| FY2017 | ~$39.6B | ~$8.3B | 21.0% | — | Source |
Visa
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $40B | $20.1B | 50.1% | +11.3% | Source |
| FY2024 | $35.9B | $19.7B | 55.0% | +10.0% | Source |
| FY2023 | $32.7B | $17.3B | 52.9% | +11.4% | Source |
| FY2022 | $29.3B | $15B | 51.0% | +21.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $24.1B | $12.3B | 51.1% | +10.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $21.8B | $10.9B | 49.7% | -4.9% | Source |
| FY2019 | $23B | $12.1B | 52.6% | +11.5% | Source |
| FY2018 | $20.6B | $10.3B | 50.0% | +12.3% | Source |
| FY2017 | $18.4B | $6.7B | 36.5% | +21.7% | Source |
| FY2016 | $15.1B | $6B | 39.7% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
Bayer
- Crop Science
about 47%
Seeds, biotech traits, crop protection chemicals and digital farming produced ~$24.4 billion (EUR 21,622 million) of 2025 sales, led by Corn Seed and Traits at ~$8.08 billion (EUR 7,149 million).
- Pharmaceuticals
about 39%
Prescription medicines produced ~$20.1 billion (EUR 17,829 million) of 2025 sales, with Eylea at ~$3.51 billion (EUR 3,110 million), Nubeqa at ~$2.7 billion (EUR 2,385 million), Xarelto at ~$2.65 billion (EUR 2,344 million) and the Mirena family at ~$1.54 billion (EUR 1,366 million).
- Consumer Health
about 13%
Over-the-counter brands produced ~$6.56 billion (EUR 5,802 million) of 2025 sales across nutritionals, allergy and cold, pain and cardio, digestive health and dermatology.
Visa
- Service revenue
- Data processing revenue
- International transaction revenue
- Value-added services
- Visa Direct
- Fraud and risk tools
Business model and strategy
Bayer
How it makes money
Bayer runs two very different businesses plus a consumer brand portfolio. Pharmaceuticals spent ~$3.91 billion (EUR 3,456 million) on research and development in 2025 to develop and launch patented specialty medicines in oncology, cardiovascular and renal disease, women's health and radiology, and sells them to hospitals and specialist prescribers at high gross margins.
Growth strategy
After a strategic review in March 2024 Bayer decided not to break itself up, keeping the three divisions together while it works on litigation and debt. Growth therefore has to come from inside: scaling Nubeqa, which reached ~$2.7 billion (EUR 2,385 million) of sales in 2025, and Kerendia at ~$937 million (EUR 829 million); launching Lynkuet, Beyonttra and Hyrnuo; filing gadoquatrane in radiology;
Competitive advantage
Bayer's strongest position is in seeds and traits. Corn Seed and Traits alone generated ~$8.08 billion (EUR 7,149 million) of sales in 2025, up 9.0 percent as reported, because growers buy hybrid seed together with the trait packages licensed into it and then buy matching crop protection chemistry. Changing seed supplier means changing agronomic practice mid-rotation, which slows share loss.
Visa
How it makes money
Visa earns fees from the banks and other clients that use its network, not interest from cardholders. Its reported revenue lines are service revenue (based on payments volume), data processing revenue (based on transactions authorized, cleared and settled over VisaNet), international transaction revenue (cross-border and currency conversion activity) and other revenue, including value-added services such as fraud and…
Growth strategy
Visa's growth strategy is to expand credentials, increase digital acceptance, grow cross-border and e-commerce volume, sell more value-added services, scale Visa Direct, support tap-to-pay and tokenized commerce, and embed Visa capabilities inside fintech and banking platforms.
Competitive advantage
Visa's moat is a three-sided network effect. Consumers use Visa because merchants accept it, merchants accept Visa because consumers carry it, and banks issue Visa credentials because both sides already participate. The company also has fraud data, global rules, brand trust, dispute standards, token infrastructure, and bank relationships built across decades. A competitor cannot simply copy the software;
Questions about Bayer vs Visa
Which company has higher revenue — Bayer AG or Visa Inc.?
Bayer AG reported ~$51.5B (FY2025), while Visa Inc. reported $40.0B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Bayer AG is the larger business, with Visa Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Bayer AG vs Visa Inc.?
Bayer AG's market capitalisation stands at $47.1B, while Visa Inc.'s is $676.0B. Visa Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Bayer AG.
Which is more financially efficient — Bayer AG or Visa Inc.?
Bayer AG generates $585k / employee in revenue per employee, while Visa Inc. generates $1.17M / employee. Visa Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do Bayer AG and Visa Inc. make money?
Bayer AG and Visa Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Bayer AG: Bayer runs two very different businesses plus a consumer brand portfolio. Visa Inc.: Visa earns fees from the banks and other clients that use its network, not interest from cardholders.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Bayer AG or Visa Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Bayer AG trades at 0.9x P/S and Visa Inc. at 16.9x P/S. Visa Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Bayer AG. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Bayer AG bigger than Visa Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Bayer AG (~$51.5B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Visa Inc. ($40.0B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Bayer vs Visa overview