Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) Shares Gap Down – Here’s Why

Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN)’s stock price gapped down before the market opened on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $508.64, but opened at $474.98. Linde shares last traded at $478.2040, with a volume of 915,367 shares changing hands.

More Linde News

Here are the key news stories impacting Linde this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter results exceeded estimates: Adjusted EPS was $4.50, versus the $4.49 consensus, while revenue rose 9% year over year to $9.29 billion, topping the $9.02 billion estimate. Pricing, volume growth, currency benefits and acquisitions supported the performance, with electronics among the strongest end markets. LIN Q2 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates on Volume and Pricing Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor expansion adds a sizable 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, facility. The deal should strengthen Linde’s position in a strategically important, high-growth market. Linde to Invest $1 Billion in Arizona After Winning Semiconductor Supply Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Linde reported adjusted net income of $2.09 billion, up 8%, and adjusted EPS growth of 10% from the prior year. The figures point to continued operating momentum, though investors are focusing more heavily on forward guidance.
• Negative Sentiment: Forward guidance was modestly below consensus: Third-quarter EPS guidance of $4.45–$4.55 was below the $4.59 analyst estimate, while full-year 2026 guidance of $17.70–$17.90 was slightly below the $17.93 consensus. Although Linde raised the lower end of its annual outlook, the cautious forecast appears to be the main reason the stock has moved lower after the earnings release. Linde Raises Lower End of 2026 Guidance After Q2 Earnings Beat

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Seaport Research Partners increased their price objective on Linde from $525.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. Weiss Ratings raised Linde from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 target price on shares of Linde in a report on Monday, May 4th. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $559.00 price target on Linde in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Linde from $525.00 to $530.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. One 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $548.67.

Linde Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $221.71 billion, a PE ratio of 31.84, a PEG ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.72. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $516.05 and its 200-day moving average is $496.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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%. Linde’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last 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. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Linde PLC will post 17.89 EPS for the current year.

Linde Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a $1.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $6.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Linde’s dividend payout ratio is currently 42.50%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Linde

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Linde in the fourth quarter worth $3,246,750,000. Auto Owners Insurance Co boosted its holdings in shares of Linde by 42,539.0% during the 4th quarter. Auto Owners Insurance Co now owns 1,321,809 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $56,361,000 after buying an additional 1,318,709 shares in the last quarter. Capital International Investors boosted its holdings in shares of Linde by 20.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 7,610,387 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,245,255,000 after buying an additional 1,275,477 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in shares of Linde by 40.2% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 3,941,719 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,680,710,000 after buying an additional 1,130,001 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Linde by 26.0% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,402,317 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,303,494,000 after buying an additional 1,114,751 shares during the period. 82.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.