Bayer vs Volkswagen: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Bayer reported ~$51.5B of revenue in FY2025 and a net loss of ~$4.1B. Volkswagen reported ~$363.8B of revenue in FY2025 and ~$7.5B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Bayer
- Latest revenue
- ~$51.5B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~-$4.1B
- Net margin
- -7.9%
- Revenue growth
- +3.3% a year, FY2017–FY2025
Volkswagen
- Latest revenue
- ~$363.8B (FY2025)
- Net income
- ~$7.5B
- Net margin
- 2.1%
- Revenue growth
- +6.5% a year, FY2021–FY2025
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.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen Group reported ~$364 billion (EUR 321.9 billion) in 2025 sales revenue, slightly below ~$367 billion (EUR 324.7 billion) in 2024, and an operating result of ~$10.1 billion (EUR 8.9 billion), a 2.8% margin. Earnings were held down by U.S. tariffs, restructuring provisions, the cost of Porsche's product strategy change, and weaker results from the Chinese joint ventures. Deliveries were broadly stable at 8.984 million vehicles. The December 2024 agreement with IG Metall for the Volkswagen brand in Germany avoids compulsory redundancies but plans to cut more than 35,000 jobs by 2030 through attrition and early retirement, and to reduce German plant capacity. In the first half of 2026 sales revenue was about $179 billion (EUR 158.1 billion), roughly flat, while the operating result fell 11.6% to about $6.67 billion (EUR 5.9 billion) (3.8% margin). In September 2026 Volkswagen cut its full-year forecast to about $356 billion (EUR 315 billion) in sales revenue and an operating margin of up to 1%, citing China, a faster shift to EVs, a roughly $6.78 billion (EUR 6 billion) goodwill impairment on the Porsche segment, and extra restructuring and China impairments.
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 |
Volkswagen
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | ~$363.8B | ~$7.5B | 2.1% | -0.8% | Source |
| FY2024 | ~$366.9B | ~$12.1B | 3.3% | +0.7% | Source |
| FY2023 | ~$364.2B | ~$18B | 4.9% | +15.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | ~$315.3B | ~$16.8B | 5.3% | +11.5% | Source |
| FY2021 | ~$282.7B | ~$16.8B | 5.9% | — | 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.
Volkswagen
- Passenger vehicle sales
- Premium and luxury vehicle sales
- Commercial vehicles
- Parts and aftersales
- Financial services
- Leasing and fleet services
- Software and mobility services
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.
Volkswagen
How it makes money
Volkswagen earns most of its revenue by selling new cars, vans, trucks and buses through brand groups: Core (Volkswagen, Skoda, SEAT/CUPRA, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles), Progressive (Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati), Sport Luxury (Porsche) and TRATON (Scania, MAN, International, Volkswagen Truck & Bus).
Growth strategy
Volkswagen's growth strategy centers on cost reduction, platform simplification, brand accountability, premium profitability, China-specific EV development, battery and software investment, hybrid and combustion optimization where demand remains strong, and selective partnerships such as Rivian and XPeng.
Competitive advantage
Volkswagen's advantage is industrial scale plus brand breadth. Few competitors can cover entry-level European cars, global volume SUVs, Audi premium vehicles, Porsche sports cars, Lamborghini supercars, Bentley luxury cars, Ducati motorcycles, Scania and MAN trucks, and a major financial services arm. The purchasing leverage and installed dealer base are hard to replicate.
Questions about Bayer vs Volkswagen
Which company has higher revenue — Bayer AG or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Bayer AG reported ~$51.5B (FY2025), while Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft reported ~$363.8B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is the larger business, with Bayer AG reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Bayer AG vs Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Bayer AG's market capitalisation stands at $47.1B, while Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft's is $35.5B. Bayer AG carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft.
Which is more financially efficient — Bayer AG or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
Bayer AG generates $585k / employee in revenue per employee, while Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft generates $549k / employee. Bayer AG 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 Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft make money?
Bayer AG and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Bayer AG: Bayer runs two very different businesses plus a consumer brand portfolio. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft: Volkswagen earns most of its revenue by selling new cars, vans, trucks and buses through brand groups: Core (Volkswagen, Skoda, SEAT/CUPRA, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles), Progressive (Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati), Sport Luxury (Porsche) and TRATON (Scania, MAN, International, Volkswagen Truck & Bus).
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Bayer AG or Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Bayer AG trades at 0.9x P/S and Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft at 0.1x P/S. Bayer AG commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Bayer AG bigger than Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft?
By last reported revenue, Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (~$363.8B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Bayer AG (~$51.5B (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 Volkswagen overview