Bayer shareholders sharply expressed their outrage at the fall in stock prices due to the ever-increasing legal risks arising from the acquisition of Monsanto by Bayer for $ 63 billion.

Several major investors said they would not support Bayer executives during a key vote planned at the end of the annual general meeting of investors.

Bayer executives, led by CEO Werner Baumann, expect a sharp drop in the approval rating for his actions, compared with 97 percent of the support expressed at last year’s annual meeting of shareholders shortly before the acquisition of Monsanto in June 2018.

“Due to the ongoing negative development at Bayer, high legal risks and a significant drop in stock prices, we refuse to ratify the actions of the board and the supervisory board during the financial year,” said Janne Werning, representing the interests of twenty top shareholders of the company.

Since last August, when the American jury found Monsanto guilty that the company had not warned about the alleged risks of cancer when using its weed control products, Bayer's market value fell by 30 billion euros or 34 billion dollars.

A similar defeat in court last month worsened the situation, and now over 13,000 claimants are claiming damages. Deutsche Bank's asset manager DWS said Bayer management should consult with shareholders before acquiring Monsanto.

“You indicate that the trials have not yet been lost. However, we and our customers have already lost something - money and trust, ”Nicholas Huber, head of corporate governance at DWS, told Bayer management.