Reading the tape
NASDAQ: LIN
Linde plc
Basic Materials · Chemicals - Specialty
Market Cap
$228.14B
52w High
$521.28
52w Low
$387.78
P/E
32.12
Volume
1.69M
Outstanding Shares
462.60M
Price vs Fundamentals
Why The Stock Is Moving
Mixed / unclearLow confidence
1Y Price: 8.81%Revenue (TTM): 4.96%FCF (TTM): 3.77%P/FCF: 83rd pct
What changed
The stock rose 8.81% over the last year. Revenue grew 4.96% over the trailing twelve months. Operating margin moved from 26.59% to 28.79%. Free cash flow grew 3.77% over the trailing twelve months.
What the market seems to be pricing
The stock has moved higher against modestly improving underlying metrics. The operating data does not yet tell a clear story — the move may reflect sentiment, sector rotation, or macro factors rather than company-specific earnings power.
What would invalidate this read
Operating margin currently stands at 28.79%. A decisive move in revenue — currently up 4.96% — would be the clearest signal to resolve the ambiguity.
Company profile
Linde plc operates as an industrial gas and engineering company in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific.
CEOSanjiv Lamba
SectorBasic Materials
IndustryChemicals - Specialty
Employees65,069
IPO dateJun 17, 1992
Valuation
Forward P/E—
EV/EBITDA17.05
Enterprise value$220.74B
Stock splits
Dec 16, 2003↑ Forward
Every 1 shares became 2
Profitability & growth
Revenue growth8.25%
Gross margin45.99%▲18.37%vs FY2024
Operating margin28.79%▲0.96%vs FY2024
ROE18.04%▲4.65%vs FY2024
Analyst consensus
RatingBuy
Target price$559.14▲13.38%
24
Buy
4
Hold
0
Sell
Analyst ratings tend to be lagging indicators. Use as one signal among many.
Earnings
Full quarter-by-quarter history of actuals vs estimates. Switch into compare mode to inspect one metric year-over-year.
Next report
Aug 7, 2026
Q3 FY26 · EPS est $4.48 · Revenue est $8.99B
View
Dividends
$6.20/shareQuarterlyDividend Aristocrat · 33yrEx-div Jun 4, 2026 · in 24dSafeLIN pays a dividend with a 1.26% declared yield, 33 consecutive years of growth, growing at 8.91% annually, covered 1.8× by free cash flow.
Declared Yield
1.26%
Annual Div / Share
$6.20
5yr CAGR
+8.91%
Doubles every ~8.1yr
Payout Ratio
39.92%
Safe
Dividend Growth Rate
3yr CAGR
+8.23%
5yr CAGR
+8.91%
10yr CAGR
+7.78%
Dividend Safety
9/10Safe
Dividend History
Annualized dividend cycles per share
YearAnnual DivYoY
2026$6.20+7.3%
2025$5.78+8.4%
2024$5.33+9.0%
2023$4.89+9.6%
2022$4.46+10.2%
2021$4.05+10.1%
2020$3.68+8.1%
Income Projection
Invest
$
Growth rate:
Reinvest dividends
Today
$13/yr
$1/mo
In 5 yrs
$19/yr+53%
$2/mo
In 10 yrs
$30/yr+135%
$2/mo
| Today | In 5 yrs | In 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|
$13/yr $1/mo | $19/yr+53% $2/mo | $30/yr+135% $2/mo |
Yield-on-cost grows from 1.26% → 2.95% over 10yr
Analysis
Dividend Strengths
Dividend Aristocrat
LIN has raised its dividend for 33 consecutive years — qualifying as a Dividend Aristocrat, demonstrating long-term commitment to shareholder income.
Well-covered by free cash flow
The dividend is covered 1.8× by free cash flow, indicating the company generates sufficient cash to sustain and potentially grow the payout without straining its finances.
Strong dividend growth rate
The 5-year CAGR of 8.91% meaningfully outpaces inflation, compounding real income growth for long-term holders.
Risks to Watch
No strong risk signal stands out from the latest period pair.
Congressional Activity
Congress Trades in LIN
STOCK Act disclosures from senators and representatives.
Thomas H. Kean
NJhouseRepublicanPurchase2026-03-26$1,001 - $15,000+19d to discloseThomas H. Kean
NJhouseRepublicanPurchase2026-02-18$1,001 - $15,000+28d to disclose