Investors sold off after the German company was ordered to pay $2.25 billion in damages by a U.S. court.

It's the highest amount to pay out yet in the company's ongoing litigation linked to an alleged carcinogenic effect of its Roundup weedkiller.

On Friday (January 26), a jury in Philadelphia ordered Bayer to pay the figure to a Pennsylvania man.

He said he developed cancer from exposure to the Roundup weedkiller, which is based on the chemical glyphosate.

Bayer shares fell to their lowest in about eight weeks at the open on Monday.

They have lost 70% of their value since the company bought Monsanto six years ago.

Bayer is burdened by financial debt and a lack of free cash flow.

But the company said it is still committed to taking cases to trial, citing a record of having won 10 of the last 16 cases.

Four years ago, Bayer settled most of the Roundup cases that were pending at the time for up to $9.6 billion.

However, it failed to get court approval for an agreement to prevent future cases, and more than 50,000 claims now remain pending.