FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Bayer on Tuesday reported a marginal decline in its adjusted earnings in the first quarter, but beat analysts' forecasts on better-than-expected performance at its prescription drugs and agriculture divisions.

The company's quarterly earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), adjusted for one-off items, slipped to 4.41 billion euros ($4.76 billion), but came in above an average analyst estimate of 4.15 billion euros posted on the company's website.

"The Pharmaceuticals Division saw gains in growth and profitability, and the Crop Science Division outperformed in a difficult market," Bayer said in a statement.

Bayer also lowered its full-year earnings outlook, citing negative currency effects, but retained its operating forecast.

Based on end-of-March exchange rates, EBITDA before special items would likely come in between 10.2 billion and 10.8 billion euros in 2024, compared with a previous target range of between 10.4 billion and 11 billion euros.

That would be down from 11.7 billion in 2023.

CEO Bill Anderson said in March he would suspend for up to three years any preparations to break apart the German maker of pharmaceuticals, crop protection products and consumer health remedies.

Anderson, who became CEO in June 2023, has had a tumultuous start with a continued wave of U.S. litigation about an alleged cancer-causing effect of weedkiller glyphosate and a major setback in drug development late last year.

Last month, he won a vote of confidence at his first annual general meeting at the helm of the embattled healthcare and agriculture group, defying a challenge from one German fund managing house.

($1 = 0.9273 euros)