The company also said it plans to step up its ongoing share buyback program to $1 billion (0.73 billion euros) from the previously announced $800 million (582.11 million euros). Damien Weyermann, an analyst at Zurich private bank Vontobel, told Dow Jones Newswires that he welcomed the improved outlook and the stepped-up buyback. Nina Baiker, an analyst with Zuercher Kantonalbank, said Syngenta's seeds division faced pressure stemming from rival Monsanto strong performance. But she said Syngenta's chemicals business has developed well.