Linde PLC $LIN is WCM Investment Management LLC's 7th Largest Position

Key Points

• WCM Investment Management trimmed its Linde stake by 1.2% in the first quarter, but the stock remains a major holding at 3.7% of the portfolio and the fund’s 7th largest position.
• Linde’s latest quarterly results beat expectations, with EPS of $4.33 versus $4.27 expected and revenue of $8.78 billion versus $8.60 billion expected. Revenue rose 8.2% year over year, and the company reaffirmed strong FY 2026 and Q2 2026 guidance.
• The company continues to draw bullish analyst support, with multiple firms reiterating buy-equivalent ratings and a consensus price target of $548.67. Linde also recently paid a quarterly dividend of $1.60 per share, equal to a 1.2% annualized yield.

WCM Investment Management LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN - Free Report) by 1.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,234,984 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 39,064 shares during the quarter. Linde accounts for 3.7% of WCM Investment Management LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest position. WCM Investment Management LLC owned about 0.70% of Linde worth $1,615,098,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of LIN. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Linde in the 2nd quarter worth $25,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Linde by 1,450.0% during the first quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC now owns 62 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management increased its stake in shares of Linde by 69.2% in the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 66 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC raised its holdings in Linde by 134.5% in the fourth quarter. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC now owns 68 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Finally, High Note Wealth LLC boosted its stake in Linde by 108.6% during the 4th quarter. High Note Wealth LLC now owns 73 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. 82.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Linde Price Performance

Shares of LIN opened at $513.22 on Monday. Linde PLC has a one year low of $387.78 and a one year high of $548.20. The stock's fifty day moving average is $515.95 and its 200-day moving average is $491.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $237.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 0.72.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN - Get Free Report) last announced 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. The firm had revenue of $8.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.60 billion. Linde had a net margin of 20.44% and a return on equity of 19.80%. Linde's revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.95 EPS. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.600-17.900 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 4.400-4.500 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Linde PLC will post 17.88 EPS for the current year.

Linde Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th were paid a dividend of $1.60 per share. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 4th. Linde's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LIN has been the subject of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $560.00 price objective on shares of Linde in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Linde in a research note on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $559.00 price objective on shares of Linde in a report on Friday. Evercore reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $525.00 target price on shares of Linde in a report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Linde in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an "overweight" rating for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $548.67.

About Linde

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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