Linde (LIN) Q3 Earnings Top Estimates

Core Viewpoint - Linde reported quarterly earnings of $3.94 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.89 per share, and showing an increase from $3.63 per share a year ago, indicating a positive earnings surprise of 1.29% [1] Financial Performance - Linde's revenues for the quarter ended September 2024 were $8.36 billion, slightly missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.27%, but up from $8.16 billion year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Linde has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times, but has only topped consensus revenue estimates once [2] Stock Performance - Linde shares have increased approximately 15.3% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 21.9%, indicating underperformance relative to the broader market [3] Future Outlook - The company's earnings outlook will be crucial for determining the stock's immediate price movement, with current consensus EPS estimates for the upcoming quarter at $4.04 on revenues of $8.57 billion, and for the current fiscal year at $15.52 on revenues of $33.52 billion [7] - The estimate revisions trend for Linde is currently mixed, resulting in a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting the stock is expected to perform in line with the market in the near future [6] Industry Context - The Chemical - Specialty industry, to which Linde belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 33% of over 250 Zacks industries, which may negatively impact stock performance [8]