	bayer confident of posting good results chemicals group bayer ag bayg f said it expects to post another good result in after raising pre tax profit to a new record high in the company said that this was despite the mark s further strengthening against the dollar and other currencies and despite an increase in competitive pressure the further progress of our business will depend largely on the extent to which threats to free trade materialise and on the developments of exchange rates raw material and energy costs bayer said world group pre tax profit rose to billion marks in exceeding the previous year s record of billion parent company pre tax profit increased to billion from billion the company gave no net profit figures or any indication of the likely dividend bayer paid a mark dividend on results up one mark from a year earlier bayer said that world group operating profit declined slightly in against but non operating results showed a further improvement bayer said that the decline in world group turnover to billion marks from billion in reflected mainly the sharp fall in the dollar against the mark lower prices on the raw material side had also brought pressure on selling prices it added in volume terms however sales rose slightly against the company said without giving details the western europe north america and far east regions developed well in local currency but here too the translation of local currency sales into marks distorted the picture especially in the case of north america it said bayer said parent company volume sales were also higher in although turnover fell pct to billion marks capacity use was high at the parent company in resulting in a decline in marginal unit costs this combined with savings in raw material and energy costs helped offset falling prices and cost increases in other areas the rise in pre tax parent company profit was due to lower extraordinary expenses and higher net interest income plastics organic chemicals polyurethanes and coating raw materials all developed well it said turning to the fourth quarter bayer said that world group turnover fell to billion marks in the last three months of from billion in the same period parent company turnover in the fourth quarter fell pct to billion marks with domestic turnover pct lower and foreign turnover pct lower exports accounted for pct of turnover in the quarter against pct in the same quarter of reuter 
