German stock market: whose business has gained new momentum?
The German economic engine has slowly started to gather pace again after a winter standstill. In this overview, we bring you three companies on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange whose financial results for the first quarter of 2026 show the clearest acceleration in business activity. Although sportswear manufacturer Puma showed a net profit growth reaching thousands of percent on paper, we are leaving them out of the top three. Their result was not driven by real sales success, but by favorable exchange rates and one-off tax effects. Our focus is on companies whose growth is backed by a genuinely strengthening core business.
BAYNBayer (BAYN)
Bayer's operating profit made a remarkable turnaround in the first quarter, growing by 10.1% compared to the same period last year and reaching 3.2 billion euros. Although the company's total revenue still fell slightly, they managed to cut costs faster than revenues declined. In addition, the stock is supported by positive news from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which granted Fast Track designation to their new kidney drug Kerendia, helping to alleviate concerns about the expiration of patents for older drugs.
The main engine of this strong result is Bayer's agricultural unit, where successful sales of soybean and corn seeds in North America, combined with lower production costs, boosted profitability. For investors, this shows that although the company's pharmaceutical business is under pressure due to tighter competition, a strong agricultural business and the faster market introduction of new drugs can successfully offset this weakness.
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The information provided is not investment advice. RYTM analyses are generated with AI assistance and are intended for informational purposes only. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.