BAYER LIFTS FORECAST AFTER PROFIT LEAPS

Bayer raised its full-year earnings forecast after strong sales of plastics and prescription-free drugs helped it to easily beat analysts' forecasts for quarterly earnings, boosting its shares. The German drugs and chemicals group said third-quarter earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) and special items rose to 691 million euros, well ahead of even the 555 million-euro top forecast in a Reuters poll of 13 analysts.

Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/09/AR2005110900402.html)