Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN) Receives Average Rating of "Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Analysts remain bullish on Linde: Thirteen brokerages give the stock a consensus “Buy” rating, with an average 12-month price target of approximately $548.67.
• Second-quarter results topped expectations: EPS came in at $4.50 and revenue reached $9.29 billion, up 9.3% year over year. Linde also plans to invest about $1 billion in Arizona after securing a long-term semiconductor-gas supply agreement.
• Guidance was slightly below consensus: The company forecast full-year 2026 EPS of $17.70–$17.90 and third-quarter EPS of $4.45–$4.55. Linde also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.60 per share, equivalent to a 1.3% annual yield.

Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN - Get Free Report) has been given a consensus rating of "Buy" by the thirteen brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $548.6667.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on LIN. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Linde in a report on Friday, July 17th. UBS Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $600.00 price objective on shares of Linde in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Seaport Research Partners upped their target price on Linde from $525.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $525.00 target price on shares of Linde in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $575.00 target price on shares of Linde in a report on Monday, May 4th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Linde during the second quarter valued at about $25,000. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID boosted its holdings in Linde by 96.6% in the first quarter. Legacy Wealth Managment LLC ID now owns 57 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC grew its stake 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 in the last quarter. Triumph Capital Management grew its stake 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Strengthening Families & Communities LLC increased its holdings in Linde by 134.5% during 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 last quarter. 82.80% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Linde Price Performance

LIN opened at $478.38 on Friday. Linde has a 52-week low of $387.78 and a 52-week high of $548.20. The company has a 50 day moving average of $515.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $496.23. The company has a market cap of $221.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

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, beating 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 20.44% and a return on equity of 19.80%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $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, analysts expect that Linde will post 17.89 earnings per share for the current year.

Linde Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be paid a dividend of $1.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Linde's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 42.50%.

Linde News Summary

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

Linde Company 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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