Linde PLC $LIN Shares Newly Purchased by State of Alaska Department of Revenue

Key Points

• State of Alaska’s Department of Revenue bought 54,668 Linde shares worth approximately $25.9 million in the third quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 82.8% of the company.
• Linde reported quarterly earnings of $4.50 per share and revenue of $9.29 billion, both slightly above analyst expectations; revenue increased 9.3% year over year. The company also reaffirmed fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $17.70–$17.90.
• Analysts remain broadly bullish, with a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $547.10, although one report described the stock as fully valued. Linde pays a quarterly dividend of $1.60, equivalent to a 1.3% annual yield.

State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN - Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 54,668 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $25,948,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Mainsail Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Linde in the third quarter worth $308,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH bought a new stake in Linde in the third quarter valued at $57,186,000. ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new stake in Linde in the third quarter valued at $2,334,000. Triangle Securities Wealth Management acquired a new position in shares of Linde during the third quarter valued at $2,444,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in shares of Linde during the third quarter valued at $881,000. 82.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Linde Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ LIN traded up $2.16 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $494.86. 828,003 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,320,112. Linde PLC has a 52 week low of $387.78 and a 52 week high of $548.20. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $478.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $498.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.88 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The company has a market cap of $228.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.95, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.71.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.49 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $9.29 billion during 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 quarterly revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.09 earnings per share. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-17.900 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Linde PLC will post 17.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Linde Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd were paid a $1.60 dividend. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 3rd. Linde's dividend payout ratio is currently 41.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price target on shares of Linde from $553.00 to $549.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Linde in a research report on Monday. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $577.00 price objective on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Linde in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Bank of America upped their target price on shares of Linde from $532.00 to $550.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Berenberg Bank restated a "buy" rating on shares of Linde in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $547.10.

Key Linde News

Here are the key news stories impacting Linde this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays upgraded Linde to “strong buy,” providing the strongest near-term bullish catalyst and signaling increased confidence in the industrial-gases company’s earnings outlook.
• Positive Sentiment: Linde is highlighted as a potentially durable dividend-growth company with pricing power. Its ability to raise prices while retaining customers could support margins and earnings growth. 5 Boring Dividend Stocks That Could Keep Growing While Customers Pay More
• Positive Sentiment: Linde’s exposure to industrial gases and secular growth markets, including demand associated with artificial-intelligence infrastructure, reinforces the longer-term growth case. Linde plc Adds Exposure to Industrial Gases and Secular Growth Trends
• Neutral Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada maintained an “outperform” rating but lowered its price target from $553 to $549. The revised target still implies approximately 10.8% upside, suggesting analysts remain constructive despite slightly more conservative expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent coverage also points to Linde’s potential role in supplying the AI economy and its industrial-gas expansion, while a contract to supply explosion-proof forklifts to Iraq’s Ministry of Oil represents a smaller commercial development. Linde is Powering the AI Revolution
• Negative Sentiment: One valuation-focused report argues that Linde appears fully valued based on current earnings. With shares trading at a premium earnings multiple, additional gains may depend on continued earnings growth rather than multiple expansion. Linde Stock Looks Fully Valued on Current Earnings

Linde Profile

Linde plc NASDAQ: LIN is a global industrial gases and engineering company that supplies gases, related equipment and process technologies to customers in healthcare, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, food and beverage, electronics, and other industries. Its products include oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and specialty gases.

The company provides gases through on-site production facilities, pipelines, bulk deliveries and packaged cylinders. It also designs and builds industrial gas plants and offers technologies and services for applications such as hydrogen production, carbon capture, clean energy, semiconductor manufacturing, metal fabrication and medical care.

Linde traces its history to 1879, when German engineer Carl von Linde developed refrigeration and gas-related technologies.

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