Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.07 EPS

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The basic materials company reported $4.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.52 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. Linde had a net margin of 20.43% and a return on equity of 20.09%. The business had revenue of $9.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.21 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis.

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

• Third-quarter results reached records: sales rose 9% to $9.4 billion, operating profit increased 8% to $2.8 billion, and EPS grew 9% to $4.59.
• Electronics grew 15%, supported by strength in Asia-Pacific and the U.S.; approximately $2 billion of electronics projects under construction is expected to support continued double-digit growth.
• Linde continues to hold roughly $8 billion of sale-of-gas backlog, with nearly $3 billion of sale-of-plant backlog, providing visibility for future growth and higher supply density.
• Management recorded a $425 million restructuring charge and said Lincare remains a material earnings headwind; the company is restructuring the business and evaluating strategic alternatives, but does not expect meaningful profit improvement in the fourth quarter.
• Fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $4.40–$4.50 implies 5%–7% year-over-year growth, with management citing currency, seasonality, weaker equity income and continued caution on the economy; Europe remains essentially flat with no near-term industrial recovery catalyst.

Linde Stock Up 2.2%

Shares of NASDAQ LIN traded up $11.20 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $514.35. 878,333 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,301,671. The stock has a market cap of $237.10 billion, a PE ratio of 33.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 0.71. Linde has a fifty-two week low of $387.78 and a fifty-two week high of $548.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.75 and a current ratio of 0.88. The company’s fifty day moving average is $482.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $492.00.

Linde Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 17th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 3rd will be given a $1.60 dividend. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 3rd. Linde’s payout ratio is currently 41.34%.

Linde News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Linde this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Linde reported third-quarter adjusted EPS of $4.59, above the $4.52 analyst consensus and up 9% year over year. Revenue rose 9.3% to $9.4 billion, exceeding estimates of $9.16 billion. Higher pricing, volume growth in the Americas and strong electronics demand helped drive the beat. Linde Surpasses Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 earnings outlook, while highlighting a $7.9 billion project backlog, restructuring benefits and continued demand for chip-making gases tied to artificial intelligence and semiconductor investment. These factors support longer-term growth despite uneven industrial markets. LIN Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Restructuring and Growth Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its Linde price target from $577 to $591 and assigned an “overweight” rating, implying roughly 15% upside from the referenced share price. The upgrade reinforces the bullish reaction to Linde’s earnings momentum and outlook. Barclays Stock Recommendations
• Neutral Sentiment: Linde guided to fourth-quarter adjusted EPS of $4.40–$4.50. While consistent with continued profitability, the outlook is below third-quarter EPS and reflects potential near-term pressure from industrial demand and margins. Linde Q4 EPS Guidance and Restructuring Charge
• Negative Sentiment: Reported GAAP net income declined 12% and diluted EPS fell 11%, primarily because of purchase-accounting effects, restructuring and other charges. Linde also expects a $425 million restructuring charge, which could weigh on near-term results even though adjusted earnings improved.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LIN has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Linde from $535.00 to $560.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Argus cut their target price on Linde from $563.00 to $538.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Mizuho set a $583.00 price target on shares of Linde in a research report on Thursday. DZ Bank reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Linde in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Linde from $577.00 to $591.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Linde currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $548.29.

About Linde

Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is a global industrial gases and engineering company. It produces and distributes atmospheric gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and argon, as well as hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and specialty gases. The company serves customers through packaged gases, bulk deliveries, on-site production and pipeline systems.

Linde’s products and services support a broad range of industries, including healthcare, food and beverage, manufacturing, chemicals, energy, refining, electronics and metals.