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Carderock Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN – Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 15,796 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,498,000. Linde accounts for about 1.8% of Carderock Capital Management Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in LIN. BIP Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of Linde by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. BIP Wealth LLC now owns 3,408 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,618,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in Linde by 11.9% during the third quarter. Boomfish Wealth Group LLC now owns 3,245 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,540,000 after purchasing an additional 344 shares during the last quarter. MBL Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Linde by 183.3% during the third quarter. MBL Wealth LLC now owns 2,490 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,182,000 after buying an additional 1,611 shares in the last quarter. Old North State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Linde in the third quarter worth approximately $1,380,000. Finally, Strategic Planning Group LLC grew its position in Linde by 5.7% in the third quarter. Strategic Planning Group LLC now owns 26,775 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $12,709,000 after buying an additional 1,441 shares during the last quarter. 82.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Linde Trading Down 0.3% NASDAQ LIN opened at $508.83 on Friday. Linde PLC has a twelve month low of $387.78 and a twelve month high of $548.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.88. The stock has a market cap of $234.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.87, a PEG ratio of 2.98 and a beta of 0.71. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $480.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $498.37.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.01. Linde had a return on equity of 20.09% and a net margin of 20.43%. The company had revenue of $9.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $4.09 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-17.900 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Linde PLC will post 17.86 EPS for the current year. Linde Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd were paid a $1.60 dividend. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 3rd. Linde’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.34%.

Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have issued reports on LIN shares. Barclays assumed coverage on Linde in a report on Monday, October 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $577.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Linde in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Linde in a research report on Monday. KeyCorp began coverage on Linde in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $542.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Argus decreased their price target on Linde from $563.00 to $538.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 28th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $547.10.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Linde

Linde Profile (Free Report)

Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is a global industrial gases and engineering company. It produces and distributes atmospheric gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon, as well as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and specialty gases. The company serves customers through packaged gases, bulk deliveries, on-site production and pipeline systems.

Linde’s products and services support a broad range of industries, including healthcare, food and beverage, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, refining, electronics and metals.

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Axxcess Wealth Management LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Linde PLC (NASDAQ: LIN) by 65.9% during the undefined quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,533 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 12,606 shares during

On October 19, 2026, we delve into the DCF analysis for Linde PLC LIN, a company that has seen a notable price performance with an 18.1% increase year-to-date and a 13.7% rise over the past year. However, the valuation models present a stark contrast:

DCF Earnings-based intrinsic value suggests a significant overvaluation compared to the current price, indicating a margin of safety of -103.4%. DCF Free Cash Flow (FCF)-based intrinsic value also points to overvaluation, with a margin of safety of -175.7%. The GF Score™ of 91/100 indicates strong financial health but raises questions about the reliability of the DCF inputs due to its low predictability rank of 2/5 stars. What Is LIN Worth? DCF Earnings-Based Model The DCF earnings-based model for Linde PLC employs a two-stage approach to estimate intrinsic value. The first stage anticipates a robust growth in earnings per share (EPS) over the next ten years, followed by a terminal growth phase. Below are the assumptions used in this model:

Parameter Value Current EPS (TTM, excl. non-recurring) $15.67 10-Year Growth Rate 10.9% 10-Year Treasury Rate 5.08% Discount Rate (ceil(Treasury) + 6%) 12% Terminal Growth Rate 4% In the first stage, the EPS is projected to grow at 10.9% annually for ten years, discounted at a rate of 12%. The calculation summary is as follows:

Stage Description Value Growth Stage (Years 1-10) EPS growing at 10.9%, discounted at 12% $148.48 Terminal Stage (Years 11-20) 4% terminal growth, discounted at 12% $96.60 Intrinsic Value Growth + Terminal $245.08 With the current price at $498.43, the intrinsic value of $245.08 indicates that Linde PLC is significantly overvalued, resulting in a margin of safety of -103.4%. Notably, GuruFocus employs EPS excluding non-recurring items because research indicates that stock prices correlate more closely with earnings than with free cash flow. For further analysis, you can visit the LIN DCF Calculator.

What Does the Free Cash Flow DCF Say? The Free Cash Flow (FCF)-based intrinsic value for Linde PLC stands at $180.79. This figure further corroborates the earnings-based DCF analysis, as both models indicate significant overvaluation. The margin of safety for the FCF-based valuation is -175.7%, reinforcing the notion that Linde PLC is trading at a premium compared to its intrinsic value.

How Does GF Value™ Compare to the DCF Models? The GF Value™ for Linde PLC is calculated at $513.00, suggesting a slight undervaluation of 2.8%. This proprietary measure from GuruFocus is derived from historical trading multiples, past business growth, and future performance estimates. While the DCF models indicate significant overvaluation, the GF Value™ presents a more favorable perspective, highlighting the discrepancy among the three valuation methods. For more insights, check the GF Value™.

What Does LIN's GF Score™ Tell Us? The GF Score™ evaluates a company's financial health and growth potential based on various metrics. Linde PLC boasts a strong GF Score™ of 91/100, indicating solid fundamentals. However, the predictability rank of 2/5 stars suggests that the DCF models may be less reliable for this stock. Below is a summary of LIN's GF Score™ metrics:

Metric Rating GF Score™ 91/100 Financial Strength 6/10 Profitability 9/10 Growth 9/10 Valuation 9/10 Momentum 5/10 For a comprehensive overview of LIN, visit the LIN stock page.

Key Assumptions and Limitations It is essential to recognize that DCF models are highly sensitive to the assumptions made regarding growth rates and discount rates. Stocks with low predictability ratings, such as Linde PLC, tend to yield less reliable DCF estimates. The terminal growth rate of 4% used in this analysis serves as a simplifying assumption that may not fully capture future market dynamics.

What This Means for Investors In synthesizing the three valuation perspectives—DCF earnings, DCF FCF, and GF Value™—a clear tension emerges. The DCF models indicate significant overvaluation, while the GF Value™ suggests a slight undervaluation. Given the low predictability rank and the mixed signals from the valuation models, investors should exercise caution. Additionally, the Guru 13F activity shows that 20 gurus currently hold Linde PLC, with 8 adding and 8 trimming their positions, while insiders have been net selling over the past 12 months. This insider activity could serve as a warning signal. For further insights into Linde PLC's valuation, explore the LIN DCF Calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions What is LIN's intrinsic value based on DCF?

earnings-based $245.08, FCF-based $180.79

Is LIN overvalued or undervalued?

Based on the DCF and GF Value™ consensus, LIN is significantly overvalued.

How reliable is the DCF model for LIN?

The DCF model's reliability is diminished due to its predictability rank of 2/5.

This stock alert was generated using automated technology and GuruFocus financial data to provide readers with timely and accurate market reporting. This content was reviewed by GuruFocus editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

Disclosures
I/We may personally own shares in some of the companies mentioned above. However, those positions are not material to either the company or to my/our portfolios.

Forbes J M & Co. LLP bought a new stake in Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN – Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 39,118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $18,567,000. Linde comprises about 1.3% of Forbes J M & Co. LLP’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in LIN. Atwood & Palmer Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Linde by 12.9% during the second quarter. Atwood & Palmer Inc. now owns 175 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $91,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Linde by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC now owns 511 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $253,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. lifted its position in Linde by 0.5% during the first quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 4,159 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,062,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. Ellenbecker Investment Group boosted its holdings in Linde by 3.7% in the first quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 652 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $323,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Principia Wealth Advisory LLC grew its position in Linde by 74.2% during the 2nd quarter. Principia Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 54 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 82.80% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on LIN shares. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Linde from $532.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Linde from $612.00 to $574.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 5th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Linde in a research note on Monday, October 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $577.00 price target for the company. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on shares of Linde from $535.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Evercore upped their price target on Linde from $515.00 to $525.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $547.10.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Linde Linde Stock Performance NASDAQ LIN opened at $498.43 on Friday. Linde PLC has a 1-year low of $387.78 and a 1-year high of $548.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $478.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $498.15. The company has a market capitalization of $229.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.20, a PEG ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 0.71.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $9.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.02 billion. Linde had a net margin of 20.43% and a return on equity of 20.09%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $4.09 EPS. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-17.900 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Linde PLC will post 17.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Linde Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd were paid a $1.60 dividend. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 3rd. Linde’s dividend payout ratio is 41.34%.

Linde News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Linde this week:

Positive Sentiment: Barclays turned bullish on Linde. The firm initiated coverage with an “overweight” rating, adding to recent positive sentiment around Linde’s earnings durability, pricing power and exposure to long-term industrial and technology demand. Barclays initiates coverage of Linde at overweight Positive Sentiment: Linde is expanding its carbon-capture business in Sweden. The company plans to build a facility capable of capturing 200,000 tonnes of CO2 annually at a waste-to-energy site, reinforcing its position in industrial decarbonization and potentially expanding its project pipeline. Linde to build 200,000-tonne CO2 capture plant at Swedish waste-to-energy facility Positive Sentiment: Linde’s Taiwan affiliate is pursuing hydrogen infrastructure growth. Linde LienHwa is developing hydrogen-as-a-service and refueling solutions, which could create longer-term revenue opportunities as Taiwan increases hydrogen adoption. Linde LienHwa tackles hydrogen transport dilemma with HaaS Interview: Linde LienHwa fuels Taiwan’s hydrogen push Neutral Sentiment: RBC remains constructive but lowered its target. Royal Bank of Canada cut its price target from $553 to $549 while retaining an “outperform” rating, suggesting continued confidence but slightly less near-term upside. Negative Sentiment: Valuation is becoming a concern. Commentary that Linde appears fully valued on current earnings could weigh on the stock, particularly given its elevated earnings multiple and the need for continued earnings growth to justify further appreciation. Linde Stock Looks Fully Valued On Current Earnings Linde Company Profile (Free Report)

Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is a global industrial gases and engineering company. It produces and distributes atmospheric gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon, as well as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and specialty gases. The company serves customers through packaged gases, bulk deliveries, on-site production and pipeline systems.

Linde’s products and services support a broad range of industries, including healthcare, food and beverage, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, refining, electronics and metals.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Linde Rocket Lab’s Neutron Delay Leaves Wall Street Bullish But Raises the Stakes for 2027 ManpowerGroup Stock Sinks on Q3 Results, But Fundamentals Stay Solid Does the AI Selloff Put Alphabet’s Breakout in Doubt? Bank Earnings Are Mixed—These 2 ETFs Offer Very Different Paths to a Recovery Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LIN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN – Free Report).

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Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN – Free Report) by 67.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 330,986 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 133,430 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 0.07% of Linde worth $157,103,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of LIN. Sanders Morris Harris LLC acquired a new position in Linde during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $847,000. First Financial Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in shares of Linde during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,034,000. Hikari Power Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Linde during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $20,965,000. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Linde by 271.8% in the 1st quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 8,462 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,195,000 after buying an additional 6,186 shares during the period. Finally, Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Linde in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,931,000. 82.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Linde Stock Up 0.1% Linde stock opened at $493.22 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $227.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.58, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.71. Linde PLC has a fifty-two week low of $387.78 and a fifty-two week high of $548.20. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $478.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $498.15.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.49 by $0.01. Linde had a return on equity of 20.09% and a net margin of 20.43%. The business had revenue of $9.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.02 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.09 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-17.900 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. Analysts predict that Linde PLC will post 17.86 EPS for the current fiscal year. Linde Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd were issued a $1.60 dividend. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 3rd. Linde’s dividend payout ratio is 41.34%.

More Linde News Here are the key news stories impacting Linde this week:

Positive Sentiment: Barclays upgraded Linde to “strong buy,” signaling increased confidence in the industrial-gases producer’s earnings outlook and business durability. Barclays upgrade report Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada retained an “outperform” rating and its revised $549 target still implies meaningful upside from the current share price, despite the modest target reduction. RBC analyst action Positive Sentiment: A recent article highlighted Linde’s exposure to industrial gases and long-term secular growth trends, reinforcing the company’s positioning in essential industrial markets. Linde adds exposure to industrial gases and secular growth trends Positive Sentiment: Linde was featured among dividend companies viewed as capable of raising prices without materially damaging demand, supporting its defensive appeal and potential for continued cash-flow growth. Five boring dividend stocks that could keep growing Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-rating coverage remains an important focus for investors, but the available report provides no specific new earnings or valuation forecast. What investment firms are saying about Linde Negative Sentiment: One valuation-focused analysis argued that Linde appears fully valued on current earnings. With a reported forward-looking valuation near 32 times earnings, this could limit upside and make the stock sensitive to weaker growth or disappointing guidance. Linde stock looks fully valued on current earnings Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts recently weighed in on LIN shares. DZ Bank reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Linde in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Linde in a research report on Monday, October 5th. Bank of America raised their target price on Linde from $532.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Linde from $580.00 to $560.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Evercore boosted their target price on shares of Linde from $515.00 to $525.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Linde currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $547.10.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Linde

Linde Company Profile (Free Report)

Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is a global industrial gases and engineering company that supplies gases, related equipment and process technologies to customers in healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, food and beverage, electronics, and other industries. Its products include oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and specialty gases.

The company provides gases through on-site production facilities, pipelines, bulk deliveries and packaged cylinders. It also designs and builds industrial gas plants and offers technologies and services for applications such as hydrogen production, carbon capture, clean energy, semiconductor manufacturing, metal fabrication and medical care.

Linde traces its history to 1879, when German engineer Carl von Linde developed refrigeration and gas-related technologies.

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First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. bought a new stake in Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN – Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 7,334 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,481,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Linde by 3.7% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 20,344,181 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $10,558,016,000 after acquiring an additional 719,052 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Linde by 26.0% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,402,317 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,303,494,000 after buying an additional 1,114,751 shares during the last quarter. Amundi raised its position in shares of Linde by 13.4% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 3,162,409 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,567,796,000 after buying an additional 373,012 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Linde by 2.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,740,541 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,358,712,000 after acquiring an additional 64,078 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in Linde by 18.0% during the 4th quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,250,532 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $959,605,000 after purchasing an additional 343,161 shares in the last quarter. 82.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Linde Price Performance Shares of LIN opened at $492.70 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $227.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.71. Linde PLC has a fifty-two week low of $387.78 and a fifty-two week high of $548.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The business’s 50-day moving average is $478.29 and its 200-day moving average is $498.13.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.01. Linde had a net margin of 20.43% and a return on equity of 20.09%. The business had revenue of $9.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $4.09 earnings per share. Linde’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-17.900 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Linde PLC will post 17.86 EPS for the current fiscal year. Linde Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd were issued a $1.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Linde’s dividend payout ratio is presently 41.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts have commented on LIN shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $580.00 price objective on shares of Linde and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Linde from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Linde from $532.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Argus cut their target price on shares of Linde from $563.00 to $538.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on Linde in a research note on Monday. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $577.00 target price for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $547.29.

Check Out Our Latest Analysis on LIN

Linde Company Profile (Free Report)

Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is a global industrial gases and engineering company that supplies gases, related equipment and process technologies to customers in healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, food and beverage, electronics, and other industries. Its products include oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and specialty gases.

The company provides gases through on-site production facilities, pipelines, bulk deliveries and packaged cylinders. It also designs and builds industrial gas plants and offers technologies and services for applications such as hydrogen production, carbon capture, clean energy, semiconductor manufacturing, metal fabrication and medical care.

Linde traces its history to 1879, when German engineer Carl von Linde developed refrigeration and gas-related technologies.

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Linde (NASDAQ:LIN – Get Free Report) and ARQ (NASDAQ:ARQ – Get Free Report) are both materials companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership and dividends.

Earnings and Valuation This table compares Linde and ARQ”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Linde $33.99 billion 6.56 $6.90 billion $15.48 31.25 ARQ $120.34 million 0.74 -$52.61 million ($1.26) -1.61 Linde has higher revenue and earnings than ARQ. ARQ is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Linde, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Linde and ARQ, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Linde 0 2 19 2 3.00 ARQ 1 1 1 0 2.00 Linde currently has a consensus target price of $545.80, suggesting a potential upside of 12.83%. ARQ has a consensus target price of $5.00, suggesting a potential upside of 146.31%. Given ARQ’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe ARQ is more favorable than Linde.

Insider & Institutional Ownership 82.8% of Linde shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 18.5% of ARQ shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.3% of Linde shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 20.1% of ARQ shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability This table compares Linde and ARQ’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Linde 20.43% 20.09% 9.28% ARQ -42.33% -2.54% -1.88% Risk & Volatility Linde has a beta of 0.71, indicating that its share price is 29% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ARQ has a beta of 2.08, indicating that its share price is 108% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary Linde beats ARQ on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Linde (Get Free Report)

Linde plc operates as an industrial gas company in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South Pacific. It offers atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases; and process gases, such as carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, electronic gases, specialty gases, and acetylene. The company also designs and constructs turnkey process plants for third-party customers, as well as for the gas businesses in various locations, such as air separation, hydrogen, synthesis, olefin, and natural gas plants. It serves a range of industries, including healthcare, chemicals and energy, manufacturing, metals and mining, food and beverage, and electronics. The company was founded in 1879 and is based in Woking, the United Kingdom.

About ARQ (Get Free Report)

Arq, Inc. is a holding company. It engages in the provision of environmental and emission control equipment to the power generation industry. The company operates through the following Segments: Refined Coal and Advanced Purification Technologies. The Refined Coal segment includes the Tinuum Group, Tinuum Services, and GWN Manager. The Advanced Purification Technologies segment refers to the sale of Activated Carbon Injection and Dry Sorbent Injection equipment systems, chemical sales, consulting services, and other sales related to the reduction of emissions in the coal-fired electric generation process and the electric utility industry. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, CO.

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Arkema (OTCMKTS:ARKAY – Get Free Report) and Linde (NASDAQ:LIN – Get Free Report) are both materials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership and dividends.

Volatility & Risk Arkema has a beta of 0.88, meaning that its stock price is 12% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Linde has a beta of 0.71, meaning that its stock price is 29% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability This table compares Arkema and Linde’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Arkema 0.67% 4.30% 2.15% Linde 20.43% 20.09% 9.28% Dividends Arkema pays an annual dividend of $3.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.1%. Linde pays an annual dividend of $6.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Arkema pays out 1,075.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Linde pays out 41.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Linde has raised its dividend for 5 consecutive years. Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current ratings for Arkema and Linde, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Arkema 1 6 0 0 1.86 Linde 0 2 19 2 3.00 Linde has a consensus price target of $546.80, suggesting a potential upside of 11.60%. Given Linde’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Linde is more favorable than Arkema.

Insider & Institutional Ownership 82.8% of Linde shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.3% of Linde shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings This table compares Arkema and Linde”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Arkema $10.26 billion 0.46 $71.28 million $0.29 212.95 Linde $33.99 billion 6.65 $6.90 billion $15.48 31.65 Linde has higher revenue and earnings than Arkema. Linde is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Arkema, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary Linde beats Arkema on 15 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Arkema (Get Free Report)

Arkema S.A. manufactures and sells specialty chemicals and advanced materials worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Adhesive Solutions, Advanced Materials and Coating Solutions, and Intermediates. The Adhesive Solutions segment provides solutions for construction, renovation of buildings, DIY, durable goods, and packaging and non-woven applications; and supplies technologies used in building activities for businesses and individuals, including sealants, tiles, flooring adhesives and waterproofing systems, and technologies used in industry, which include automotive, textiles, glazing, flexible and rigid packaging, and hygiene markets. This segment also offers performance polymers, such as specialty polyamides, PVDF, polyimides, fluorospecialties, and polyetherketoneketone; and performance additives which includes molecular sieves, organic peroxides, thiochemicals, and hydrogen peroxide. The Advance Materials and Coating Solutions segment offers coating solutions, including comprising EU/US acrylics and coating resins; coating additives, such as sartomer photocure resins and coatex rheology additives. This segment also provides decorative paints, industrial coatings, and adhesives; and solutions for applications in the paper, superabsorbent, water treatment and oil and gas extraction, and 3D printing and electronics industries. The Intermediates segment provides fluorogases and acrylics; and industrial intermediate chemicals used in construction, refrigeration and air conditioning, automotive, coatings, and water treatment sectors. Arkema S.A. was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Colombes, France.

About Linde (Get Free Report)

Linde plc operates as an industrial gas company in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South Pacific. It offers atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases; and process gases, such as carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, electronic gases, specialty gases, and acetylene. The company also designs and constructs turnkey process plants for third-party customers, as well as for the gas businesses in various locations, such as air separation, hydrogen, synthesis, olefin, and natural gas plants. It serves a range of industries, including healthcare, chemicals and energy, manufacturing, metals and mining, food and beverage, and electronics. The company was founded in 1879 and is based in Woking, the United Kingdom.

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Park National Corp OH bought a new stake in Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN – Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 15,956 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,574,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Principia Wealth Advisory LLC raised its position in Linde by 74.2% in the second quarter. Principia Wealth Advisory LLC now owns 54 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID increased its stake in shares of Linde by 96.6% in the first quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 57 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Linde by 1,450.0% in the first quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 62 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Polaris Financial Partners bought a new stake in shares of Linde during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, HHM Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Linde by 257.1% during the 1st quarter. HHM Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 75 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. 82.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades LIN has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Argus decreased their target price on Linde from $563.00 to $538.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Linde from $535.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Linde in a report on Monday. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Linde from $576.00 to $553.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $580.00 price objective on Linde and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $546.80.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on LIN Linde Trading Up 1.1% Shares of LIN traded up $5.14 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $484.62. 1,109,529 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,330,235. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $479.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $498.22. Linde PLC has a 12 month low of $387.78 and a 12 month high of $548.20. The stock has a market cap of $223.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.31, a P/E/G ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.71.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $9.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.02 billion. Linde had a net margin of 20.43% and a return on equity of 20.09%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.09 EPS. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-17.900 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Linde PLC will post 17.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Linde Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd were issued a $1.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Linde’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.34%.

Linde Company Profile (Free Report)

Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is a global industrial gases and engineering company that supplies gases, related equipment and process technologies to customers in healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, food and beverage, electronics, and other industries. Its products include oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and specialty gases.

The company provides gases through on-site production facilities, pipelines, bulk deliveries and packaged cylinders. It also designs and builds industrial gas plants and offers technologies and services for applications such as hydrogen production, carbon capture, clean energy, semiconductor manufacturing, metal fabrication and medical care.

Linde traces its history to 1879, when German engineer Carl von Linde developed refrigeration and gas-related technologies.

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Violich Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN – Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 1,415 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $672,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB acquired a new position in Linde during the third quarter worth $1,159,000. Polaris Financial Partners bought a new stake in shares of Linde during the third quarter worth about $31,000. First Financial Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in shares of Linde during the third quarter worth about $4,034,000. Burkett Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Linde in the 3rd quarter worth about $72,000. Finally, Stonebridge Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Linde by 2.6% in the 3rd quarter. Stonebridge Financial Group LLC now owns 13,162 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $6,247,000 after acquiring an additional 331 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.80% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts have issued reports on LIN shares. Citigroup cut their price target on Linde from $600.00 to $580.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $563.00 price objective (up from $559.00) on shares of Linde in a research note on Friday, September 11th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Linde from $580.00 to $575.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Linde in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, DZ Bank reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Linde in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Linde has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $547.05.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Linde Linde Price Performance LIN stock opened at $479.48 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $221.03 billion, a PE ratio of 30.97, a PEG ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 0.71. Linde PLC has a twelve month low of $387.78 and a twelve month high of $548.20. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $479.86 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $498.22.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $9.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.02 billion. Linde had a net margin of 20.43% and a return on equity of 20.09%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.09 earnings per share. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-17.900 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Linde PLC will post 17.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Linde Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd were paid a $1.60 dividend. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, September 3rd. Linde’s dividend payout ratio is currently 41.34%.

Linde Profile (Free Report)

Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is a global industrial gases and engineering company that supplies gases, related equipment and process technologies to customers in healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, food and beverage, electronics, and other industries. Its products include oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and specialty gases.

The company provides gases through on-site production facilities, pipelines, bulk deliveries and packaged cylinders. It also designs and builds industrial gas plants and offers technologies and services for applications such as hydrogen production, carbon capture, clean energy, semiconductor manufacturing, metal fabrication and medical care.

Linde traces its history to 1879, when German engineer Carl von Linde developed refrigeration and gas-related technologies.

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On September 29, 2026, Linde PLC LIN shares rose 0.3% to $473.37. The stock has fluctuated within a 52-week range of $387.78 to $548.20, reflecting a moderate level of volatility over the past year.

GF Value™ verdict: Linde is currently valued at $473.37, which is 7.4% below the GF Value™ estimate of $511.39.GF Score™ of 92/100 indicates a strong overall assessment of the company’s fundamentals.Insider activity shows a net selling of $11.8 million over the past 12 months, with insiders buying $1.0 million and selling $12.9 million.Is LIN Overvalued or Undervalued?According to the GF Value™, Linde PLC is currently undervalued by approximately 7.4%, with a market price of $473.37 compared to a fair value estimate of $511.39. This suggests a potential opportunity for investors looking to capitalize on the discrepancy between the current market price and the intrinsic value derived from historical trading multiples, business growth, and future performance expectations. The GF Valuation label indicates that the stock is fairly valued, suggesting that while it is currently undervalued, caution should still be exercised as market conditions may change.

The margin of safety of 7.4% provides some cushion for investors, but it is essential to consider the broader market dynamics and potential risks that could affect Linde’s stock price in the near future. This undervaluation could present an opportunity for long-term investors, provided they evaluate the potential risks and rewards carefully.

How Does LIN's Valuation Compare to Its History?MetricCurrentHistoricalP/E (TTM)30.6x34.2xForward P/E24.2x-Linde's current P/E ratio of 30.6x is 11% below its 5-year median P/E of 34.2x, indicating that the stock is trading below its historical valuation levels. This analysis aligns with the GF Value™ verdict, reinforcing the notion that Linde is undervalued at its current price, presenting a potentially attractive entry point for investors.

What Does LIN's GF Score™ Tell Us?The GF Score™ measures a company's overall financial health and performance based on various criteria, providing insights into its potential for long-term success. Linde's score of 92/100 reflects strong fundamentals across several key areas, particularly in profitability and growth.

MetricRatingGF Score™92Financial Strength6/10Profitability9/10Growth9/10Valuation9/10Momentum5/10Linde exhibits exceptional strength in profitability and growth, each scoring 9/10, indicating robust operational performance and the potential for future expansion. However, the financial strength rating of 6/10 suggests that there may be some areas for improvement, particularly in managing debt or liquidity. The momentum score of 5/10 indicates a neutral trend in share price performance, highlighting the importance of closely monitoring market conditions moving forward.

What Are Gurus and Insiders Doing with LIN?A total of 20 gurus currently hold Linde PLC shares, with an equal split of 8 adding to their positions and 8 trimming their holdings in recent quarters. This activity suggests a balanced sentiment among institutional investors regarding Linde's future prospects.

In terms of insider activity, over the past year, insiders have bought $1.0 million worth of shares while selling $12.9 million, resulting in a net selling position of $11.8 million. Such a pattern may indicate a lack of confidence from insiders regarding the stock's immediate prospects, which is an important consideration for potential investors. However, the presence of both buying and selling activities among gurus reflects a diverse range of opinions about the stock’s future trajectory.

What This Means for InvestorsWith a GF Value™ indicating that Linde PLC is currently undervalued by 7.4%, there is a potential opportunity for investors who believe in the company’s long-term growth trajectory. However, the insider selling activity and moderate financial strength suggest that caution is warranted. Investors should carefully weigh the undervaluation against the potential risks and market dynamics before making decisions.

For more detailed insights, visit the Linde PLC LIN stock page, and consider exploring the GF Value™ page for further analysis.

Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is LIN's GF Score™?

LIN has a GF Score™ of 92/100, indicating strong fundamentals and a favorable assessment of the company’s potential for long-term success.

Is LIN overvalued or undervalued?

LIN is currently undervalued, with a GF Value™ estimate indicating a 7.4% upside from its current price.

What is LIN's P/E ratio?

LIN's P/E ratio is 30.6x, which is 11% below its 5-year median P/E of 34.2x, suggesting it is trading below its historical valuation levels.

This stock alert was generated using automated technology and GuruFocus financial data to provide readers with timely and accurate market reporting. This content was reviewed by GuruFocus editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

On September 21, 2026, we delve into the DCF analysis for Linde PLC LIN , a company that has seen mixed price performance recently, with a year-to-date increase of 9.0% but a decline of 2.0% over the past year. Here’s a snapshot of our findings:

DCF Earnings-based intrinsic value indicates a significant overvaluation with a margin of safety of -37.5% compared to the current price. DCF Free Cash Flow (FCF)-based intrinsic value also points to overvaluation, showing a margin of safety of -135.4%. GF Score™ of 91/100 suggests strong fundamentals, but the low predictability rank of 2/5 stars raises concerns about the reliability of the DCF inputs. What Is LIN Worth? DCF Earnings-Based Model The DCF earnings-based model for Linde PLC utilizes a two-stage approach to estimate the intrinsic value of the stock. The first stage accounts for a high growth rate over the initial ten years, while the second stage reflects a more stable growth rate thereafter. Below are the key assumptions used in this model:

Parameter Value Current EPS (TTM, excl. non-recurring) $15.67 10-Year Growth Rate 13.3% 10-Year Treasury Rate 4.95% Discount Rate (ceil(Treasury) + 6%) 11% Terminal Growth Rate 4% The calculation summary for the two-stage model is as follows:

Stage Description Value Growth Stage (Years 1-10) EPS growing at 13.3%, discounted at 11% $188.24 Terminal Stage (Years 11-20) 4% terminal growth, discounted at 11% $146.56 Intrinsic Value Growth + Terminal $334.80 With the current price at $460.40, this indicates that Linde PLC is significantly overvalued, with a margin of safety of -37.5%. It is important to note that GuruFocus uses EPS excluding non-recurring items, as research indicates that stock prices correlate more closely with earnings than free cash flow. For further calculations, you can visit the LIN DCF Calculator.

What Does the Free Cash Flow DCF Say? The FCF-based intrinsic value for Linde PLC is calculated at $195.56. This value diverges significantly from the earnings-based intrinsic value of $334.80, indicating a strong disagreement between the two models. The FCF-based model also suggests that Linde is significantly overvalued, with a margin of safety of -135.4%.

How Does GF Value™ Compare to the DCF Models? In addition to the DCF models, the GF Value™ for Linde PLC stands at $510.76, suggesting a potential undervaluation of 9.9%. GF Value™ is GuruFocus' proprietary measure derived from historical trading multiples, past business growth, and future performance estimates. The divergence among the three models—DCF earnings, DCF FCF, and GF Value™—highlights the complexity of accurately assessing Linde's valuation. For more insights, visit the GF Value™ page.

What Does LIN's GF Score™ Tell Us? The GF Score™ evaluates a company's financial strength, profitability, growth potential, valuation, and momentum. Linde PLC's score of 91/100 indicates strong fundamentals, but the predictability rank of 2/5 stars suggests that the DCF model may be less reliable for this stock. Below is a summary of LIN's GF Score™ metrics:

Metric Rating GF Score™ 91/100 Financial Strength 6/10 Profitability 9/10 Growth 9/10 Valuation 10/10 Momentum 5/10 With a predictability rank of 2/5 stars, it is essential to approach the DCF model with caution when evaluating Linde PLC. For more detailed information, visit the LIN stock page.

Key Assumptions and Limitations It is crucial to recognize that DCF models are highly sensitive to the assumptions made regarding growth rates and discount rates. Stocks with low predictability ratings, such as Linde PLC, tend to produce less reliable DCF estimates. Additionally, the terminal growth rate of 4% is a simplifying assumption that may not accurately reflect future market conditions.

What This Means for Investors In synthesizing the three valuation models—DCF earnings, DCF FCF, and GF Value™—we find a notable disagreement. The DCF earnings model suggests significant overvaluation, while the FCF model indicates an even greater level of overvaluation. Conversely, the GF Value™ suggests a potential undervaluation. Given the low predictability rank and the mixed signals from the guru ownership data—20 gurus currently hold the stock with 8 adding and 8 trimming positions—investors should exercise caution. Insider activity also shows net selling over the past 12 months, which may further complicate the outlook. For a comprehensive analysis, check out the LIN DCF Calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions What is LIN's intrinsic value based on DCF?

According to the analysis, the earnings-based intrinsic value is $334.80, while the FCF-based intrinsic value is $195.56.

Is LIN overvalued or undervalued?

Both DCF models indicate that LIN is significantly overvalued, while GF Value™ suggests it may be undervalued.

How reliable is the DCF model for LIN?

The predictability rank of 2/5 suggests that the DCF model is less reliable for Linde PLC.

This stock alert was generated using automated technology and GuruFocus financial data to provide readers with timely and accurate market reporting. This content was reviewed by GuruFocus editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

Archer Investment Corp purchased a new stake in Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN – Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 1,289 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $669,000.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in LIN. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Linde by 0.9% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 19,319,583 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $9,176,828,000 after acquiring an additional 172,162 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Linde by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,353,011 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,820,533,000 after buying an additional 35,945 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of Linde by 8.6% during the fourth quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 10,127,594 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,318,325,000 after purchasing an additional 797,866 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of Linde by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,784,371 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,171,959,000 after buying an additional 695,771 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Linde during the fourth quarter valued at about $3,246,750,000. 82.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Linde from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $525.00 target price on shares of Linde in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Linde from $576.00 to $553.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Linde from $525.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price objective on shares of Linde from $559.00 to $564.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $545.38.

View Our Latest Stock Report on LIN Linde Trading Up 0.9% Linde stock opened at $489.51 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.75. Linde PLC has a one year low of $387.78 and a one year high of $548.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $225.65 billion, a PE ratio of 31.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.05 and a beta of 0.72. The business’s fifty day moving average is $505.33 and its 200 day moving average is $501.23.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.01. Linde had a return on equity of 20.09% and a net margin of 20.43%.The company had revenue of $9.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.02 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $4.09 EPS. Linde’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-17.900 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Linde PLC will post 17.85 EPS for the current year.

Linde Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a $1.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. Linde’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 41.34%.

Linde Company Profile (Free Report)

Linde (NASDAQ: LIN) is a multinational industrial gases and engineering company that supplies gases, related technologies and services to a wide range of industries. The company traces its current form to the 2018 combination of Germany’s Linde AG and U.S.-based Praxair, creating one of the largest global providers of industrial, specialty and medical gases. Linde’s business model centers on production, processing and distribution of gases as well as the design and construction of the plants and equipment needed to produce them.

Core products and services include atmospheric and process gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon; hydrogen and helium; carbon dioxide; and a portfolio of higher‑value specialty and electronic gases.

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On August 17, 2026, we delve into the DCF analysis for Linde PLC (LIN), a company currently trading at $482.74. The stock has experienced a mixed performance la

Linde plc remains a 'Hold' due to excessive valuation, despite its world-class fundamentals and robust profitability. LIN trades at a 27x-30x P/E, requiring unrealistic growth or sector re-rating to justify current levels and deliver meaningful upside. Recent results show strong margins, cash generation, and backlog, but capital allocation—especially buybacks at high multiples—raises concerns.

Release Date: July 31, 2026For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Positive Points Record sales and

Linde (LIN - Free Report) reported $9.29 billion in revenue for the quarter ended June 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 9.4%. EPS of $4.50 for the same period compares to $4.09 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.96 billion, representing a surprise of +3.62%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +0.22%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $4.49.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Linde performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Sales- Americas: $4.08 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $4.04 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +7.1%.Sales- EMEA: $2.3 billion compared to the $2.23 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +6.5% year over year.Sales- Other: $408 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $336.2 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +29.5%.Sales- Engineering: $625 million versus $546.11 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +13.4% change.Sales- APAC: $1.87 billion versus $1.78 billion estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +13% change.View all Key Company Metrics for Linde here>>>

Shares of Linde have returned -7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.5% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

Buy, Hold, or Wait: 3 Small-Cap Stocks Telling Different StoriesLinde NASDAQ: LIN reported record second-quarter sales and earnings per share, while expanding its sale-of-gas project backlog to a record $8.1 billion following a new U.S. electronics contract. The industrial-gases company also said it expects to start more than 20 projects during the remainder of 2026, representing approximately $1.3 billion of investment.

Chief Executive Officer Sanjiv Lamba said sales and EPS both increased at near-double-digit rates during the quarter. However, he said the company was not satisfied with its margin performance, citing pressure in its U.S. home care business and a sales mix that included higher volumes of lower-margin equipment and hard goods.

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Second-Quarter Results and Outlook China's Helium Ban Could Reshape the AI Supply ChainSecond-quarter sales totaled $9.3 billion, up 9% from a year earlier and 6% sequentially, Chief Financial Officer Matt White said. Foreign exchange added 2 percentage points to year-over-year sales growth, while acquisitions and engineering each contributed 1 percentage point. Higher cost pass-through added another 1 percentage point.

Excluding those items, underlying sales increased 4%, split between higher volume and pricing. Nearly half of the volume increase came from project startups in Asia-Pacific and the Americas, while the balance reflected organic growth in the U.S., China, Korea, India and the company’s advanced materials business. Pricing rose 2% from a year earlier, broadly tracking local inflation, White said.

Helium Stocks Soar on Conflict and Chip Demand: 5 Names to KnowOperating margin was 29.5%, down 60 basis points from the prior-year period, or down 30 basis points excluding cost pass-through. Adjusted EPS was $4.50, up 10% from a year earlier, aided by higher net income and a lower share count.

Linde guided for third-quarter EPS of $4.45 to $4.55, representing growth of 6% to 8% from a year earlier. The outlook assumes no year-over-year currency impact but includes a 1% sequential foreign-exchange headwind. The company raised the lower end of its full-year EPS outlook by $0.10, projecting $17.70 to $17.90, or growth of 8% to 9%, excluding an assumed 1% foreign-exchange tailwind.

White said the company is not yet incorporating the second quarter’s improvement in base volumes into its forward outlook. At the midpoint, third-quarter EPS is expected to rise $0.05 sequentially excluding foreign exchange, reflecting actions underway to improve performance.

Margin Pressure Centers on U.S. Home Care Lamba said the Americas segment was the primary source of margin pressure, particularly the U.S. home care business, known as Lincare. He said continued cost inflation and policy changes have outweighed the benefits of portfolio pruning efforts.

According to Lamba, Americas margins excluding the home care business would have risen 20 basis points, excluding cost pass-through. White said the home care profit headwind was higher than an analyst’s estimate of $30 million for the quarter, without providing a specific figure.

The company has installed a new management team at Lincare and is pursuing operational improvements, productivity initiatives and additional portfolio actions. Lamba said Linde is also evaluating the strategic fit of the business, “both in part and as a whole,” while seeking to improve its performance.

Higher sales of hard goods in the U.S. packaged-gases business also reduced margins, though management characterized the trend as a positive sign for manufacturing activity. U.S. hard-goods sales increased by a double-digit percentage from a year earlier. In Asia-Pacific, margins were affected by lower-margin equipment sales to electronics customers, which Linde said can support future gas-sales opportunities.

Electronics Backlog Supports Growth Plans Electronics remained Linde’s fastest-growing end market, supported by project startups and demand tied to artificial-intelligence-related hardware. The company added $1 billion of new U.S. electronics wins to its backlog to support advanced-node semiconductor fabrication investments. Linde has begun building plants under reimbursable letters of intent while final supply contracts are completed.

Lamba said Linde expects electronics to remain its largest backlog contributor and one of its fastest-growing markets. The company is pursuing additional opportunities in the U.S., Taiwan, Korea and China. Separately, Linde’s Taiwan joint venture won projects requiring approximately $800 million of investment in air separation and hydrogen production units for new semiconductor fabrication and advanced-packaging facilities.

The company expects its sale-of-gas backlog to still end 2026 with “an eight handle,” even after approximately $1.3 billion of project startups reduce the current $8.1 billion balance.

Management said manufacturing was the fastest-growing industrial market, particularly in the U.S., where aerospace and data-center-related construction supported activity. Aerospace represented more than one-third of manufacturing growth during the quarter. Manufacturing volumes also increased in Asia-Pacific and the Americas.

Metals and mining and chemicals and energy each grew at low-single-digit rates. Metals and mining was solid in the U.S. and Brazil, while chemicals growth was primarily driven by backlog contributions in Asia-Pacific. Lamba said these markets were otherwise broadly flat across other regions.

Capital Deployment, Helium and Space Opportunity Linde deployed $6 billion of capital year to date, split evenly between business investments and shareholder returns. Of that amount, $1.9 billion was directed to secured growth through acquisitions and project-backlog investments. White said the company expects secured growth to remain a significant use of capital given the record backlog, acquisition opportunities and project pipeline.

The company increased its expected capital spending, with the additional investment tied to backlog wins and base capital expenditures supporting commercial-space customers. White said commercial-space customers may use a combination of sale-of-gas arrangements and customer-owned plants operated and maintained by Linde, particularly for atmospheric gases. He said Linde is not seeing the same dynamic in hydrogen supply.

Lamba said the company remains on track to pursue a billion-dollar-plus space-market opportunity by 2030.

On helium, Lamba said Linde has maintained supply to contracted customers amid disruption related to the Middle East and has signed new long-term customer contracts. He said improved pricing has been partly offset by dislocation costs, which have limited the immediate margin benefit. Linde expects a more normalized helium market next year, though the pace will depend on resolution of issues affecting the Strait of Hormuz and the resumption of production and logistics flows from Qatar.

About Linde (NASDAQ:LIN)Linde NASDAQ: LIN is a multinational industrial gases and engineering company that supplies gases, related technologies and services to a wide range of industries. The company traces its current form to the 2018 combination of Germany's Linde AG and U.S.-based Praxair, creating one of the largest global providers of industrial, specialty and medical gases. Linde's business model centers on production, processing and distribution of gases as well as the design and construction of the plants and equipment needed to produce them.

Core products and services include atmospheric and process gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon; hydrogen and helium; carbon dioxide; and a portfolio of higher‑value specialty and electronic gases.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

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Linde (LIN - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $4.5 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.49 per share. This compares to earnings of $4.09 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +0.22%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this gas supplier would post earnings of $4.27 per share when it actually produced earnings of $4.33, delivering a surprise of +1.41%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.

Linde, which belongs to the Zacks Chemical - Specialty industry, posted revenues of $9.29 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.62%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $8.5 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Linde shares have added about 19.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.7%.

What's Next for Linde?While Linde has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Linde was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $4.53 on $9.07 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $17.89 on $35.97 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Chemical - Specialty is currently in the top 35% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Another stock from the same industry, Neo Performance Materials Inc. (NOPMF - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 11.

This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.50 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +177.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 123.7% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.

Neo Performance Materials Inc.'s revenues are expected to be $176.07 million, up 53.5% from the year-ago quarter.

WOKING, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Linde plc (Nasdaq: LIN) today reported second-quarter 2026 net income of $1,928 million and diluted earnings per share of $4.15, up 9% and up 11%, respectively. Excluding Linde AG purchase accounting impacts, adjusted net income was $2,089 million, up 8% versus prior year. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $4.50, 10% above prior year. Linde's sales for the second quarter were $9,289 million, up 9% versus prior year including 2% favorable currency impact.

WOKING, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Linde (Nasdaq: LIN) today announced that it has been awarded a new long-term agreement to supply ultra-high-purity industrial gases to one of the world's largest semiconductor manufacturers. The agreement will support the expansion of the customer's semiconductor manufacturing complex in Phoenix, Arizona. Linde will invest $1 billion to expand its existing on-site industrial gases complex in Phoenix, making the site one of Linde's largest investments for an ele.

Key Takeaways Linde's Q2 EPS estimate of $4.49 implies 9.8% growth, while revenues are seen rising 5.5%.Long-term contracts, resilient end markets and a strong project backlog may support results.Weak European industry and Middle East conflict may pressure demand and EMEA performance. Linde plc (LIN - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 31, before the opening bell.

Let us delve into the factors that are likely to have influenced the performance of this global industrial gas producer. However, before that, it would be worth reviewing LIN’s performance in the previous quarter.

LIN’s Highlights of Q1 Earnings & Surprise HistoryIn the last reported quarter, Linde’s earnings of $4.33 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.27, driven by stronger pricing and higher volumes from the Americas segment and increased APAC segment volumes. 

Linde’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average surprise of 1.03%. This is depicted in the graph below: 

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings per share (EPS) is pegged at $4.49, with two upward and no downward revisions over the past seven days. The bottom-line estimate implies an improvement of 9.8% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues is pegged at $8.96 billion, indicating a year-over-year improvement of 5.5%. 

Factors to Note for LINLinde is a global leader in the production of industrial gases, such as oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and others, which are used across several end markets, including healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals & energy and food & beverage, in multiple geographies.

The company is expected to have sustained a stable performance in the to-be-reported quarter, supported by its long-term, take-or-pay contracts with major on-site clients. Linde is expected to have benefited from its operations across several resilient end markets, such as healthcare and food & beverage. Moreover, LIN’s strong project backlog is also expected to have contributed positively to its earnings.

However, challenges are likely to have persisted, particularly due to weaker industrial activity in Europe, which may have dampened growth across cyclical end markets like Chemicals & Energy and Manufacturing. Moreover, the Middle East conflict may have further weighed on manufacturing activity in the region, resulting in softer demand for Linde's products and affecting the EMEA segment results.

These factors are anticipated to have affected demand and pricing dynamics, potentially hampering Linde’s quarterly performance.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for operating profit in the Americas segment is pegged at $1.3 billion, up from $1.21 billion reported in the second quarter of 2025.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for operating profit from the Engineering business unit is pinned at $94 million for the second quarter, up from $90 million recorded a year ago.

LIN's Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Linde this time. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. That is not the case here, as you will see below.

Earnings ESP: Linde’s Earnings ESP is -0.10%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.

Stocks to ConsiderHere are some other stocks that you may want to consider, as these, too, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this reporting cycle.

The Chemours Company (CC - Free Report) is a major provider of performance chemicals that are used in end-products and processes across a host of industries. The company has an Earnings ESP of +27.17% and a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Chemours Company is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on Aug. 4. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 43 cents per share, which suggests a 25.9% decline from the prior-year reported figure.

Huntsman Corporation (HUN - Free Report) manufactures diversified organic chemical products and markets them to a wide range of industrial and consumer customers. The company currently has an Earnings ESP of +4.31% and a Zacks Rank #3. 

Huntsman is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HUN’s earnings is pegged at 6 cents per share, indicating a 130% increase from the prior-year reported figure.

Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTX - Free Report) is involved in the production and marketing of a wide range of specialty mineral, mineral-based and synthetic mineral products. The company currently has an Earnings ESP of +5.52% and a Zacks Rank #2.

Minerals Technologies is scheduled to release second-quarter 2026 earnings on July 30. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MTX’s earnings is pegged at $1.64 per share, indicating a 5.8% increase from the prior-year reported figure.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 27th, 2026

Cypress Capital Group lowered its position in Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN – Free Report) by 78.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,129 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 4,094 shares during the quarter. Cypress Capital Group’s holdings in Linde were worth $559,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital International Investors grew its holdings in Linde by 20.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 7,610,387 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,245,255,000 after acquiring an additional 1,275,477 shares in the last quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG increased its position in shares of Linde by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. J. Safra Sarasin Holding AG now owns 83,262 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,493,000 after purchasing an additional 2,408 shares during the last quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp raised its stake in shares of Linde by 143.4% in the 4th quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp now owns 15,044 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,415,000 after purchasing an additional 8,863 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Linde by 177.2% in the 4th quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,263,064 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $538,558,000 after purchasing an additional 807,370 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trium Capital LLP lifted its position in shares of Linde by 85.3% during the fourth quarter. Trium Capital LLP now owns 5,132 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,188,000 after purchasing an additional 2,362 shares during the last quarter. 82.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts recently commented on LIN shares. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Linde in a report on Friday, July 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 target price on shares of Linde in a report on Monday, May 4th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $560.00 target price on shares of Linde in a research report on Tuesday, May 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $559.00 price target on Linde in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Seaport Research Partners upped their price target on Linde from $525.00 to $575.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Linde presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $548.67.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Linde

Linde Price Performance Shares of LIN opened at $512.28 on Monday. Linde PLC has a 12 month low of $387.78 and a 12 month high of $548.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $516.05 and a 200 day moving average price of $494.37. The company has a market cap of $236.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.02, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.72.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $4.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.06. Linde had a return on equity of 19.80% and a net margin of 20.44%.The company had revenue of $8.78 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.60 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $3.95 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.600-17.900 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 4.400-4.500 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Linde PLC will post 17.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Linde Company Profile (Free Report)

Linde (NASDAQ: LIN) is a multinational industrial gases and engineering company that supplies gases, related technologies and services to a wide range of industries. The company traces its current form to the 2018 combination of Germany’s Linde AG and U.S.-based Praxair, creating one of the largest global providers of industrial, specialty and medical gases. Linde’s business model centers on production, processing and distribution of gases as well as the design and construction of the plants and equipment needed to produce them.

Core products and services include atmospheric and process gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon; hydrogen and helium; carbon dioxide; and a portfolio of higher‑value specialty and electronic gases.

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Linde (LIN - Free Report) is expected to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook gives a good sense of the company's earnings picture, but how the actual results compare to these estimates is a powerful factor that could impact its near-term stock price.

The stock might move higher if these key numbers top expectations in the upcoming earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 31. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.

While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.

Zacks Consensus EstimateThis gas supplier is expected to post quarterly earnings of $4.49 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +9.8%.

Revenues are expected to be $8.96 billion, up 5.5% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.55% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.

Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.

Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.

A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.

Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).

How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Linde?For Linde, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -0.09%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Linde will beat the consensus EPS estimate.

Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.

For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Linde would post earnings of $4.27 per share when it actually produced earnings of $4.33, delivering a surprise of +1.41%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates four times.

Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.

That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Linde doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.

An Industry Player's Expected ResultsAmong the stocks in the Zacks Chemical - Specialty industry, Quaker Chemical (KWR - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $1.68 per share for the quarter ended June 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -1.8%. This quarter's revenue is expected to be $511.83 million, up 5.9% from the year-ago quarter.

Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for Quaker Chemical has been revised 1.5% down to the current level. Nevertheless, the company now has an Earnings ESP of -0.67%, reflecting a lower Most Accurate Estimate.

This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Quaker Chemical will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed EPS estimates just once.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

WOKING, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Linde (Nasdaq: LIN) has been included in the FTSE4Good Index Series for the 11th consecutive year, recognizing its continued leadership in sustainable business practices. “Sustainability is embedded in how we operate—from driving continuous improvement across our operations while supporting our customers' decarbonization goals to robust governance and community engagement,” said Erin Catapano, Vice President Sustainability, Linde. “Our continued inclusion in th.