Janus Henderson Group PLC Decreases Stock Position in Linde PLC $LIN

Key Points

• Janus Henderson Group cut its Linde stake by 77.9% in the first quarter, selling 199,692 shares and retaining 56,668 shares valued at approximately $28.1 million. Institutional investors still own 82.8% of Linde’s outstanding stock.
• Linde’s latest quarterly results exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $4.50 and revenue of $9.29 billion, up 9.3% year over year. However, its third-quarter and full-year 2026 EPS guidance came in below analyst consensus estimates.
• Linde declared a quarterly dividend of $1.60 per share, representing an annualized dividend of $6.40 and a 1.3% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Buy” rating with an average price target of $548.67.

Janus Henderson Group PLC cut its stake in Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN - Free Report) by 77.9% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 56,668 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 199,692 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC's holdings in Linde were worth $28,057,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of LIN. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Linde in the 2nd quarter worth about $25,000. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID boosted its stake in shares of Linde by 96.6% during the 1st 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 during the period. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Linde by 1,450.0% during the 1st quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 62 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management grew its holdings in Linde by 69.2% during the 4th 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. Finally, Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its position in Linde by 134.5% in the 4th quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 68 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 39 shares during the period. 82.80% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Linde Stock Performance

Shares of LIN opened at $478.38 on Monday. Linde PLC has a 1-year low of $387.78 and a 1-year high of $548.20. The company has a 50-day moving average of $515.27 and a 200 day moving average of $496.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $221.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.90, a PEG ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 0.72. 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 (NASDAQ:LIN - Get Free Report) last issued 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. The business 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% compared to the same quarter last year. 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. On average, research analysts expect that Linde PLC will post 17.84 EPS for the current year.

Linde Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be paid a $1.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Linde's dividend payout ratio is 41.34%.

Key Stories Impacting Linde

Here are the key news stories impacting Linde this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded estimates: Adjusted EPS rose 10% year over year to $4.50, narrowly beating the $4.49 consensus, while sales increased 9% to $9.29 billion versus expectations of $9.02 billion. Growth benefited from higher pricing, stronger volumes, favorable currency effects and acquisitions. LIN Q2 Earnings & Revenues Beat Estimates on Volume & Pricing Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor expansion adds a long-term growth opportunity: Linde secured a long-term agreement to supply ultra-high-purity gases to a major semiconductor manufacturer and plans to invest approximately $1 billion to expand its Phoenix, Arizona, production complex. The deal should support recurring sales tied to U.S. chip manufacturing capacity. Linde to invest $1 billion in Arizona after winning semiconductor supply deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Electronics was a leading end-market: Management highlighted volume and pricing gains, with electronics demand providing notable support. The earnings call also offered additional detail on operating performance and capital investment plans. Linde plc Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Forward guidance fell short of consensus: Linde forecast third-quarter EPS of $4.45–$4.55, below the $4.59 analyst estimate, and full-year 2026 EPS of $17.70–$17.90, below the $17.93 consensus. Although the company raised the lower end of its annual forecast, the outlook implies limited near-term upside relative to expectations. Linde raises lower end of 2026 guidance after Q2 earnings beat

Analysts Set New Price Targets

LIN has been the subject of several analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners raised their price objective on shares of Linde from $525.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $560.00 price target on shares of Linde in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $559.00 price target on Linde in a report on Friday, July 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Linde from $525.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Linde from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Linde has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $548.67.

Linde 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.

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