Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is included among the 16 Best Dividend Stocks with Rising Payouts. Linde (LIN) Gets Price Target Increase from BMO Capital Ahead of 2026 Outlook On February 10, BMO Capital analyst John McNulty slightly raised his price recommendation on Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) to $507 from $501. The analyst maintained an Outperform rating on the shares. He noted that the company is heading into 2026 with a stronger project backlog and continued pricing strength. These factors should help balance on ...

Core Insights - Linde plc is a leading global industrial gases and engineering company with a significant market presence, competing with major players like Air Liquide and Air Products and Chemicals [1][5] - Morgan Stanley has set a price target of $530 for Linde, indicating a potential upside of 17.3% from its current trading price of $451.85 [1][5] Financial Performance - Linde's recent Q4 2025 earnings call provided valuable insights into its financial performance, including key metrics such as revenue and profit margins, which are essential for understanding its market position [2][5] - The company's stock price is currently $451.54, reflecting a decrease of 1.77% or $8.15, with fluctuations observed today [3] - Over the past year, Linde's stock has reached a high of $486.38 and a low of $387.78, indicating volatility in its market performance [3] Market Metrics - Linde's market capitalization is approximately $210.85 billion, showcasing its significant presence in the industrial gases sector [4] - The trading volume for Linde today is 1,006,735 shares on the NASDAQ exchange, reflecting active investor interest [4]

Core Viewpoint - Linde plc has provided updated earnings guidance for the first quarter and full year of 2026, indicating a positive outlook for the company's financial performance [1]. Earnings Guidance - The company expects adjusted earnings for Q1 2026 to be in the range of $4.20 to $4.30 per share [1]. - For the full year 2026, Linde anticipates earnings to be between $17.40 and $17.90 per share [1]. - Analysts' consensus estimates for Q1 earnings is $4.24 per share, while for the full year, it is $17.83 per share [1]. Stock Performance - In pre-market trading, Linde's stock is priced at $462.88, reflecting a decrease of $10.45 or 2.21 percent [2].

Core Thesis - Linde plc is viewed positively due to its diversified revenue streams, strong earnings growth, and robust dividend profile despite recent share price declines attributed to sector-wide pressures [1][5][7] Company Overview - Linde plc is a leading global industrial gases and engineering company serving various end markets, including chemicals, energy, healthcare, food and beverage, electronics, manufacturing, and metals and mining [2] - The company's industrial gases and technologies are utilized in critical applications such as clean hydrogen production, carbon capture systems, medical oxygen, and specialty gases for electronics [2] Financial Performance - Linde reported diluted earnings per share of $4.21, reflecting a 7% year-over-year increase, with management forecasting a 3% to 6% increase for the next quarter and 5% to 6% growth for the full year 2025 [3] - The company has maintained a strong dividend profile, increasing dividends for over 30 years, currently offering a yield of approximately 1.5%, with annual dividend growth of about 8% to 9% and a payout ratio near 40% [4] Market Context - Despite strong fundamentals, Linde's share price has declined roughly 18% since October, influenced by broader sector pressures rather than company-specific issues, with peers like Air Liquide and Air Products experiencing similar declines [5] - The decline has been linked to softer global industrial demand and lower volumes reported by competitors, alongside macroeconomic concerns following disappointing earnings from Air Products [5] Insider Confidence and Analyst Outlook - Linde's CEO, Sanjiv Lamba, made a significant insider purchase of approximately $1 million, indicating strong confidence in the company's long-term outlook [6] - Analysts maintain a positive outlook, with average price targets around $497 compared to the current price of approximately $404, suggesting meaningful upside potential [6]

Core Viewpoint - Amphenol Corporation has appointed Sanjiv Lamba to its board of directors, increasing the board size to nine members [1] Company Summary - Sanjiv Lamba is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Linde plc, a prominent global industrial gases and engineering company [1] - Lamba was promoted to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Linde in 2022 [1]

Core Insights - Matt White, Executive Vice President and CFO of Linde, has joined the Board of Directors of Stoke Space, succeeding Steve Angel [1][2] - White brings over 20 years of leadership experience in global industrial and engineering companies, relevant to Stoke Space's goals [3] - Linde has been a key player in the U.S. space industry for over 60 years, recently announcing significant investments to expand production for rocket launches [5] Group 1: Leadership Changes - Matt White's appointment to the board is seen as a strategic move to leverage his extensive experience in industrial operations and project financing [6] - Steve Angel, the previous board member, provided crucial guidance during Stoke's development phase [6] Group 2: Company Background - Linde is recognized as the world's largest industrial gases and engineering company, overseeing global financial operations and large-scale capital programs [3] - The company has made new investments in Mims, Florida, and Brownsville, Texas, to enhance production capabilities for the space economy [5] Group 3: Strategic Importance - Stoke Space aims for full reusability in orbital launch, a transformative engineering challenge that aligns with Linde's expanding role in the U.S. space economy [6] - The collaboration between Linde and Stoke Space is expected to enhance infrastructure and reliability for sustained orbital access [6]

Core Insights - Linde plc reported strong financial results for Q3 2025, with net income of $1,929 million and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $4.09, reflecting increases of 24% and 27% respectively compared to the previous year [2][3] - The company anticipates continued growth, projecting adjusted diluted EPS for Q4 2025 in the range of $4.10 to $4.20, which represents a year-over-year increase of 3% to 6% [5][6] Financial Performance - Total sales for Q3 2025 reached $8,615 million, a 3% increase year-over-year, with underlying sales up 2% driven by price increases, while volumes remained flat [3][8] - Adjusted operating profit for the quarter was $2,558 million, up 3% from the prior year, with an adjusted operating profit margin of 29.7%, which is 10 basis points higher than the previous year [3][8] - Operating cash flow for Q3 2025 was $2,948 million, an 8% increase year-over-year, leading to a free cash flow of $1,672 million after capital expenditures of $1,276 million [4][8] Segment Performance - In the Americas, sales were $3,846 million, up 6% year-over-year, with operating profit of $1,199 million, representing 31.2% of sales [7] - Asia Pacific (APAC) sales were $1,741 million, a 1% increase year-over-year, with operating profit of $490 million, accounting for 28.1% of sales [9] - EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) sales reached $2,178 million, up 3% year-over-year, with an operating profit of $781 million, which is 35.9% of sales [10] - Linde Engineering reported sales of $519 million, down 15% year-over-year, with an operating profit of $101 million [11] Future Outlook - For the full year 2025, Linde expects adjusted diluted EPS to be in the range of $16.35 to $16.45, indicating a growth of 5% to 6% compared to the previous year [6][8] - Full-year capital expenditures are projected to be between $5.0 billion and $5.5 billion to support growth and maintenance, including a $7.1 billion contractual sale of gas project backlog [6]