Linde plc (LIN) AI Stock Analysis

Headquartered in Woking, United Kingdom, Linde plc produces and distributes atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases, as well as 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 and internal operations, including air separation, hydrogen, synthesis gas, natural gas, and olefin facilities. Linde serves customers across healthcare, energy, manufacturing, food and beverage carbonation, fiber optics, steel making, aerospace, chemicals, and water treatment sectors, employing 64,649 people globally.

Linde generated a 5-year revenue CAGR of 4.5% from FY2020 to FY2025. Annual revenue expanded from $30.79B in FY2021 to $33.36B in FY2022, fell 1.5% to $32.85B in FY2023, reached $33.01B in FY2024, and rose 3.0% to $33.99B in FY2025. Operating margin expanded from 17.2% in FY2021 to 27.2% in FY2025, while gross margin improved from 28.0% to 37.8%. Net income grew from $3.83B in FY2021 to $6.90B in FY2025, lifting EPS from $10.69 to $16.45. In the quarter ended June 30, 2026, revenue increased 9.3% and earnings rose 11.3% year-over-year, bringing trailing twelve month revenue to $35.45B.

As of June 30, 2026, Linde held $4.90B in cash and short-term investments against total debt of $28.01B, resulting in net debt of $23.11B. Shareholders' equity was $39.08B and total assets were $88.35B, reflecting a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.88. In FY2025, the company produced $10.35B in operating cash flow and $5.09B in free cash flow, while directing $5.26B to capital expenditures, $4.60B to share buybacks, and $2.81B to dividends paid.

Linde trades at a trailing P/E of 32.2x and a forward P/E of 23.6x, with an EV/to EBITDA of 17.4x, an enterprise value of $237.43B, and a PEG ratio of 1.80. Its price-to-sales ratio is 6.5x and price-to-book is 5.5x. Over the past year, the stock gained 13.7%, trailing the 16.8% return for the S&P 500 (SPY). Over five years, Linde returned 73.0% compared to 83.0% for the S&P 500 (SPY). As of October 16, 2026, the share price of $498.43 stands 2.4% above its 200-day average.

Linde pays a forward annual dividend of $6.40 per share, which equates to a dividend yield of 1.28% and a payout ratio of 36.5%. The dividend is paid quarterly and has been distributed for 35 consecutive years. Over the last 5 years, dividend growth annualized at 9.3%. The most recent ex-dividend date was September 3, 2026.

Analyst ratings stand at 17 Strong Buy, 6 Buy, 5 Hold, 0 Sell, and 1 Strong Sell. The mean price target of $544.15 sits 9.2% above the October 16, 2026 closing price of $498.43. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, consensus estimates project revenue of $36.33B and EPS of $17.88, representing 8.6% EPS growth. Linde has beaten EPS estimates in 4 of the last 4 quarters, with its next earnings date scheduled for October 29, 2026.

This page is an AI-written research summary of Linde plc (LIN). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

Related: LIN income statement, LIN balance sheet, LIN key metrics, LIN analyst forecast, LIN chart. See the LIN stock overview for the latest quote and news.