LIN Linde plc - Fundamental Analysis
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LIN Stock | Fundamental Analysis & Investment Insights
NYSE
Basic Materials
Specialty Chemicals
Current Price
Live
$438.96
Analyst Target
$503.21
+14.6%
Upside
52W High
$486.38
52W Low
$387.78
At a glance
Key valuation, profitability, growth, and risk metrics.
Updated Jan 17, 2026
Market cap
$205.83B
P/E
29.34
ROE
18.0%
Profit margin
21.2%
Debt/Equity
0.65
Dividend yield
1.36%
AI Analysis
Powered by advanced machine learning algorithms
Confidence Score
72%
Analysis Accuracy
Linde plc's deterministic health scores present a mixed picture: the Piotroski F-Score of 4/9 indicates borderline stable financial health, while the absence of an Altman Z-Score prevents a full distress risk assessment. The company trades near its intrinsic value of $441.32 at $438.96, supported by strong profitability metrics including a 27.94% operating margin and 21.17% profit margin, though elevated valuation multiples and weak short-term technicals temper enthusiasm. Revenue growth is modest at 3.10% YoY, but earnings growth of 27.00% and solid analyst target consensus of $503.21 suggest continued confidence in future performance. However, bearish insider activity and deteriorating quarterly earnings surprises in recent quarters raise caution.
Key Strengths
High profitability with operating margin of 27.94% and ROE of 17.98%, outperforming sector averages
Strong earnings growth momentum with 27.00% YoY EPS increase
Attractive valuation relative to intrinsic value ($441.32) with current price at $438.96
Low debt/equity ratio of 0.65, indicating conservative capital structure relative to peers
Analyst consensus is strong_buy with a high target price of $503.21, implying 14.6% upside
Key Risks
Piotroski F-Score of 4/9 suggests weak to stable financial health, warranting caution on balance sheet strength
Current ratio of 0.82 and quick ratio of 0.62 indicate potential liquidity pressure
Valuation multiples are high: P/E of 29.34 and Price/Sales of 6.14 exceed sector averages
Insider selling of $23.82M in last 6 months signals bearish sentiment from insiders
Recent quarterly earnings have shown declining surprise trends, with 2 of last 4 misses and a -7.0% miss in Q4 2024
AI Fair Value Estimate
Based on comprehensive analysis
$441.32
+0.5% above current price
Performance Snowflake
Multi-dimensional analysis across 5 key categories
Overall
62
Strong
60
75
65
50
58
AI Verdict
Cautiously optimistic with structural strengths offset by liquidity and sentiment concerns
Key drivers: High profitability and earnings growth, Strong analyst outlook, Premium valuation and weak technical trend, Low Piotroski score and insider selling
Confidence
75%
Value
60/100
Ref P/E, PEG, Graham Number
Positives
- Trading close to intrinsic value of $441.32
- P/E of 29.34 in line with sector average of 28.88
Watchpoints
- High Price/Book of 5.31 and Price/Sales of 6.14 signal overvaluation risk
- Graham Number ($166.84) is significantly below current price, indicating speculative premium
Future
75/100
Ref Growth rates
Positives
- 27.00% YoY earnings growth
- 24.50% Q/Q earnings growth
- Analyst target price implies strong future upside
Watchpoints
- Revenue growth of 3.10% is below sector average of 5.90%
- PEG Ratio unavailable, limiting growth-adjusted valuation insight
Past
65/100
Ref Historical trends
Positives
- Consistent long-term earnings growth trend over 5 years (+81.6%)
- History of beating earnings estimates in majority of quarters
Watchpoints
- Recent quarters show weakening earnings surprises, including a -7.0% miss
- 1Y price return of +2.9% underperforms sector peers
Health
50/100
Ref Altman Z-Score, Piotroski F-Score
Positives
- Debt/Equity of 0.65 is below sector average of 0.91
- ROE of 17.98% exceeds sector average of 15.61%
Watchpoints
- Piotroski F-Score of 4/9 indicates borderline financial health
- Current ratio (0.82) and quick ratio (0.62) suggest near-term liquidity risk
Dividend
58/100
Ref Yield, Payout
Positives
- Payout ratio of 39.42% is sustainable
- Dividend Strength score of 40/100 indicates moderate reliability
Watchpoints
- Dividend yield of 1.36% is relatively low for a large-cap industrial
- No 5-year average yield data available, limiting trend analysis
Stock Price & Analyst Targets
Real-time price movements and analyst price targets
Current Price
$438.96
Analyst Target
$503.21
Upside/Downside
+14.6%
Multi-Horizon Performance vs Peers
Price momentum across 5Y → 1W horizons for LIN and closest competitors.
Updated 2026-01-16
| Company | 5Y | 3Y | 1Y | 6M | 1M | 1W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
LIN
Linde plc
Primary
|
+81.6% | +38.3% | +2.9% | -5.0% | +3.9% | -1.1% |
|
BHP
BHP Group Limited
Peer
|
+47.6% | +10.2% | +39.2% | +27.0% | +10.9% | +4.1% |
|
NEM
Newmont Corporation
Peer
|
+116.1% | +135.9% | +178.6% | +97.3% | +14.8% | +4.7% |
|
AEM
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
Peer
|
+242.0% | +301.0% | +145.0% | +70.0% | +18.3% | +8.6% |
|
SHW
The Sherwin-Williams Company
Peer
|
+54.7% | +48.4% | +1.9% | +5.7% | +9.1% | +1.3% |
Positive values indicate cumulative gains over the specified period. Comparables pulled from the same sector to highlight whether momentum is stock-specific or industry-wide.
Historical Performance Trends
Long-term financial metrics and growth patterns
Revenue & Net Income
Profit & Operating Margins
Return on Equity (ROE)
Quarterly Revenue Growth
Historical data shows last 12 quarters (3 years)
Valuation Metrics
Key valuation ratios and pricing indicators
P/E Ratio
29.34
Forward P/E
24.61
PEG Ratio
N/A
P/B Ratio
5.31
P/S Ratio
6.14
EV/Revenue
6.8
EV/EBITDA
17.33
Market Cap
$205.83B
Profitability
Profit margins and return metrics
Profit Margin
21.17%
Operating Margin
27.94%
Gross Margin
48.78%
ROE
17.98%
ROA
6.99%
Growth
Revenue and earnings growth rates
Revenue Growth
+3.1%
Earnings Growth
+27.0%
Q/Q Revenue Growth
N/A
Q/Q Earnings Growth
+24.5%
Financial Health
Balance sheet strength and liquidity metrics
Debt/Equity
0.65
Moderate
Current Ratio
0.82
Weak
Quick Ratio
0.62
Poor
Cash/Share
$9.66
Quarterly Earnings History
EPS performance vs analyst estimates
2026-02-05
$N/A
2025-10-31
$4.09
+6.4% surprise
2025-08-01
$4.09
+1.4% surprise
2025-05-01
$3.51
-0.7% surprise
Basic Materials Sector Comparison
Comparing LIN against 41 companies in the Basic Materials sector
(1 bullish, 21 neutral, 19 bearish)
P/E Ratio
29.34
This Stock
vs
30.38
Sector Avg
-3.4%
(Discount)
Return on Equity (ROE)
17.98%
This Stock
vs
0.39%
Sector Avg
+4456.0%
(Excellent)
Profit Margin
21.17%
This Stock
vs
-2.52%
Sector Avg
-939.0%
(Weaker)
Debt to Equity
0.65
This Stock
vs
0.61
Sector Avg
+6.8%
(Higher)
Revenue Growth
3.1%
This Stock
vs
14.81%
Sector Avg
-79.1%
(Slower)
Current Ratio
0.82
This Stock
vs
2.28
Sector Avg
-63.9%
(Weaker)
Similar Companies
Peer comparison within the same industry
| Company | AI Rating | Market Cap | P/E | ROE | Profit Margin | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
LIN
Linde plc
|
NEUTRAL | $205.83B | 29.34 | 18.0% | 21.2% | $438.96 | |
|
BHP
BHP Group Limited
|
NEUTRAL | $173.45B | 19.07 | 22.0% | 17.6% | $67.52 | |
|
NEM
Newmont Corporation
|
NEUTRAL | $125.36B | 17.75 | 22.9% | 33.4% | $114.12 | |
|
AEM
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
|
NEUTRAL | $107.71B | 31.23 | 15.7% | 32.6% | $214.54 | |
|
SHW
The Sherwin-Williams Company
|
NEUTRAL | $89.22B | 34.88 | 59.9% | 11.0% | $357.83 |
Recent Insider Trading
Insider buy and sell transactions from the last 6 months
| Date | Insider | Position | Transaction | Shares | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-12-08 | LAMBA SANJIV | Chief Executive Officer | Purchase | 2,520 | $999,634 |
| 2025-09-11 | BICHARA GUILLERMO | Officer | Gift | 640 | - |
| 2025-08-18 | ANGEL STEPHEN F | Director | Gift | 25,000 | - |
| 2025-08-18 | ENDERS THOMAS | Director | Gift | 2,500 | - |
| 2025-08-07 | ANGEL STEPHEN F | Director | Sale | 50,309 | $23,815,274 |
| 2025-08-07 | ANGEL STEPHEN F | Director | Option Exercise | 125,000 | $14,838,750 |
Insider transactions can signal confidence or concerns about company prospects
Wall Street Analysts
Professional analyst ratings and price targets
Consensus
STRONG_BUY
24 analysts
RBC Capital
2025-12-12
Outperform
Outperform
CICC
2025-12-03
Outperform
UBS
2025-11-11
Neutral
Buy
RBC Capital
2025-11-06
Outperform
Outperform
Citigroup
2025-11-03
Buy
Buy
JP Morgan
2025-11-03
Overweight
Overweight
B of A Securities
2025-11-03
Buy
Buy
Seaport Global
2025-11-03
Neutral
Buy
UBS
2025-10-06
Neutral
Neutral
Citigroup
2025-10-06
Buy
Buy
Past News Coverage
Recent headlines mentioning LIN from our newsroom.
Newest → oldest
No matching news yet.