Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) Issues Earnings Results

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday. The basic materials company reported $4.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.49 by $0.01, Briefing.com reports. Linde had a net margin of 20.44% and a return on equity of 19.80%. The business had revenue of $9.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.02 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.09 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Linde updated its FY 2026 guidance to 17.700-17.900 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance to 4.450-4.550 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Linde’s conference call:

• Record quarterly performance: Second-quarter sales rose 9% to $9.3 billion and EPS increased 10% to $4.50, while the sale-of-gas backlog grew by $1 billion to a record $8.1 billion.
• Strong electronics and project pipeline: Linde secured new U.S. electronics projects and expects electronics to remain its largest backlog contributor, with more than 20 projects and approximately $1.3 billion of investments scheduled to start up during the rest of 2026.
• Margins declined: Operating margin excluding cost pass-through fell about 30 basis points year over year, primarily due to continued inflation, reimbursement and policy pressures in the U.S. home-care business; Linde is evaluating the unit’s strategic fit and expects sequential improvement beginning in the third quarter.
• Growth trends improved in several markets: Electronics grew 18% year over year, while manufacturing, aerospace, healthcare, food and beverage, and selected metals and mining markets showed healthy or improving demand, particularly in the U.S. and parts of APAC.
• Guidance was modestly raised: Third-quarter EPS is expected at $4.45–$4.55, and full-year EPS guidance is now $17.70–$17.90, with only the bottom end increased as management waits for more evidence that base-volume recovery will persist.

Linde Stock Down 5.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:LIN traded down $30.26 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $478.38. The stock had a trading volume of 5,203,660 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,416,409. Linde has a 1 year low of $387.78 and a 1 year high of $548.20. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $516.05 and its 200-day moving average is $496.36. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $221.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.72.

Linde Announces Dividend

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

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LIN. Seaport Research Partners boosted their price target on shares of Linde from $525.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Linde in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $525.00 target price on shares of Linde in a report on Friday, July 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $559.00 price target on Linde in a report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Linde from $525.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Linde currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $548.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Linde

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LIN. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Linde during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Triumph Capital Management lifted its stake in Linde by 69.2% in the fourth quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 66 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. EFG International AG purchased a new stake in Linde in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Sfam LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Linde in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC acquired a new stake in shares of Linde in the third quarter valued at approximately $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.80% of the company’s stock.

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.