FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - A report by "Platow Borse" about a possible spin-off of the Crop Science division by the Bayer Group drove the share price in after-hours trading on Friday. At its peak, the shares on Tradegate gained 4.8 percent compared to the main Xetra trading session to 51.10 euros. The most recent gain was 2.5 percent to 50 euros.

Bayer CEO Bill Anderson is reportedly working on plans to spin off the agrochemicals division with a view to listing it on the stock market along the lines of Siemens Energy. Market participants have repeatedly speculated about this option in the past. However, skeptics counter that the weed killer glyphosate is still associated with risks that stand in the way of a spinoff./bek/he