Bayer adjusted profit gains 15.8 percent on Monsanto, consumer health

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Bayer's adjusted core earnings rose 15.8 percent in the fourth quarter, boosted by the addition of U.S. seeds maker Monsanto and as its consumer healthcare business bounced back from earlier declines.

Fourth-quarter adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose to 2.07 billion euros (1.78 billion pounds), the maker of pharmaceuticals and farming pesticides said on Wednesday, beating the average analyst projection of 2.0 billion euros.

Previously announced write-downs on the value of consumer health brands and one-off charges from the closure of a German haemophilia drug plant led to a quarterly net loss of 3.9 billion euros.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; editing by Thomas Seythal)