Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) Issues Earnings Results

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) released its quarterly earnings data on Friday. The basic materials company reported $4.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.06, Briefing.com reports. Linde had a return on equity of 19.52% and a net margin of 20.30%.The business had revenue of $8.78 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.60 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.95 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Linde updated its FY 2026 guidance to 17.600-17.900 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance to 4.400-4.500 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Linde’s conference call:

• Q1 financials beat expectations: EPS was $4.33 (+10% YoY), operating margin held at 30% and return on capital remained ~24% on $8.8B sales (underlying sales +3%).
• Updated guidance raised the bottom end — Q2 EPS $4.40–$4.50 (8–10% growth) and full?year EPS $17.60–$17.90 (7–9%), with a 1% currency tailwind and the company noting upside if helium improves.
• Electronics and backlog momentum: electronics sales grew ~10% driven by advanced chip investments, Linde is investing >$1B in ultra?high?purity plants and ended the quarter with a $7.1B sale?of?gas backlog with more large projects expected.
• Helium disruption presents uncertainty — recent shortages tightened markets but Linde is ~85–90% contracted, prioritizing customer commitments and pursuing multi?year contracts rather than spot sales, so any incremental benefit is treated as upside to guidance.
• Regional headwinds persist: EMEA volumes remain weak as customers shift production to feedstock?advantaged locations (helping Americas), while APAC saw seasonal softness and some lower?margin equipment sales that weighed on near?term margins.

Linde Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of NASDAQ LIN traded up $6.78 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $507.92. 2,577,095 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,528,647. The stock has a market capitalization of $235.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $496.93 and its 200 day moving average price is $456.09. Linde has a 12 month low of $387.78 and a 12 month high of $521.28.

Linde Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 18th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be given a dividend of $1.60 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Linde’s payout ratio is currently 43.87%.

Insider Activity at Linde

In other news, VP Guillermo Bichara sold 9,455 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $480.45, for a total transaction of $4,542,654.75. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 22,138 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,636,202.10. The trade was a 29.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Sean Durbin sold 6,520 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $477.27, for a total value of $3,111,800.40. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 8,151 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,890,227.77. This represents a 44.44% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 20,332 shares of company stock worth $9,749,257. Corporate insiders own 0.70% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Linde

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Binnacle Investments Inc raised its holdings in shares of Linde by 10.2% during the second quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 237 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $111,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. raised its holdings in shares of Linde by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. now owns 3,852 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,642,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management raised its holdings in shares of Linde by 69.2% during the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 66 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Linde by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Insigneo Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,248 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $532,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Linde by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC now owns 548 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $233,000 after purchasing an additional 32 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.80% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Linde

Here are the key news stories impacting Linde this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results topped expectations — adjusted EPS $4.33 vs. $4.27 consensus and revenue $8.78B (up ~8% YoY); management cited pricing and project start?ups as growth drivers. Business Wire: Linde Reports First-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its dividend alongside the quarter, a shareholder?friendly move that supports income and signals confidence in cash flow. Zacks: Linde Q1 Earnings Beat, Dividend Raised
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability remains strong — net margin (~20.3%) and ROE (~19.5%) indicate healthy cash conversion and operational leverage that support valuations. MarketBeat: Linde Q1 Summary
• Neutral Sentiment: Q2 guidance given at $4.40–$4.50 is essentially in line with the Street (consensus ~4.45), so near?term guidance doesn’t materially surprise investors either way. Seeking Alpha: Q1 Results Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Management hosted an earnings call and published the slide deck/transcript — useful for assessing segment dynamics (industrial gases, projects) but no new strategic shifts announced. Seeking Alpha: Q1 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: FY 2026 guidance set to $17.60–$17.90 has a midpoint slightly below the current consensus (~17.83), which could be viewed as a modest disappointment if investors expected an upward revision. Zacks: What Key Metrics Say

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on LIN shares. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Linde from $550.00 to $579.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $530.00 price objective on shares of Linde in a research note on Friday, February 6th. DZ Bank downgraded Linde from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $460.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Linde from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating and lifted their price objective for the stock from $455.00 to $525.00 in a research note on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on Linde from $512.00 to $552.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $527.80.

Linde Company Profile

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.