Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) Updates FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) updated its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 17.700-17.900 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 17.930. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Linde also updated its Q3 2026 guidance to 4.450-4.550 EPS.

Linde Trading Down 5.9%

Shares of Linde stock traded down $30.26 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $478.38. 5,213,460 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,425,866. Linde has a twelve month low of $387.78 and a twelve month high of $548.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $221.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $516.05 and a 200 day simple moving average of $496.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $9.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.02 billion. Linde had a net margin of 20.44% and a return on equity of 19.80%. The company’s revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.09 earnings per share. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.700-17.900 EPS and its Q3 2026 guidance at 4.450-4.550 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Linde will post 17.89 EPS for the current year.

Linde Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

LIN has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Seaport Research Partners lifted their price target on shares of Linde from $525.00 to $575.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Citigroup initiated coverage on Linde in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “overweight” rating for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Linde in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Evercore reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $525.00 price target on shares of Linde in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and set a $560.00 price target on shares of Linde in a research note on Tuesday, May 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Linde currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $548.67.

Linde News Roundup

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

Institutional Trading of Linde

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. State Street Corp grew its holdings in Linde by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 19,319,583 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $9,176,828,000 after acquiring an additional 172,162 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD raised its stake in shares of Linde by 7.7% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 9,784,371 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,171,959,000 after purchasing an additional 695,771 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Linde by 11.2% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 3,768,269 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,606,756,000 after purchasing an additional 378,343 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its position in shares of Linde by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Amundi now owns 2,789,397 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,189,371,000 after purchasing an additional 30,296 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FIL Ltd lifted its position in shares of Linde by 22.3% during the fourth quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 1,611,016 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $686,886,000 after purchasing an additional 293,874 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.80% of the company’s stock.

About Linde

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.