FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Shares from the healthcare sector were not popular with investors on Tuesday. The shares of laboratory supplier Sartorius fell by 3.3 percent to 315.40 euros at the end of the Dax. They slipped back below the 200-day line, which is highly regarded on the market as an indicator of the longer-term trend.

Bayer shares fell by 1.6 percent to 30.27 euros, their lowest level since the end of 2005, with the US court proceedings surrounding the weedkiller glyphosate and concerns about possible additional provisions weighing on the share price. One trader also pointed out that the US investment firm Wolfe Research had downgraded the shares from "outperform" to "peer perform".

Merck KGaA shares lost 2.9 percent to 149.25 euros. As on the previous day, the shares of the chemicals and pharmaceuticals group failed to break back above the 200-day line. The line has been a stubborn resistance for the share price since the spring of last year./bek/jha/