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

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The basic materials company reported $4.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.52 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $9.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.16 billion. Linde had a net margin of 19.34% and a return on equity of 20.32%. Linde’s revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.21 EPS.

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%

NASDAQ LIN traded up $11.09 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $514.24. 3,116,791 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,053,955. The company has a quick ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a market cap of $237.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.17, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a 50 day moving average of $483.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $492.35. Linde has a 52-week low of $387.78 and a 52-week high of $548.20.

Linde Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 3rd will be paid a dividend of $1.60 per share. 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 presently 41.34%.

Key Linde News

Here are the key news stories impacting Linde this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results exceeded expectations: Adjusted EPS was $4.59, above the $4.52 consensus and up 9% year over year, while sales rose 9.3% to $9.40 billion, topping the $9.16 billion estimate. Linde Reports Third-Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Growth drivers remain intact: Higher pricing, volume growth in the Americas, strong electronics demand and AI-related semiconductor investment supported the quarter. Management also cited a $7.9 billion project backlog, providing visibility into future growth. LIN Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Restructuring and Growth Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their valuation targets: Barclays lifted its target from $577 to $591 and maintained an “overweight” rating, while RBC raised its target from $549 to $568 and upgraded or maintained an “outperform” view. The revisions signal continued confidence in Linde’s earnings durability and growth prospects.
• Neutral Sentiment: Underlying performance was stronger than reported GAAP results: GAAP net income declined 12% because of purchase-accounting effects and restructuring-related items, but adjusted net income increased 7% to $2.12 billion. Linde plc Q3 2026 Earnings Call Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Restructuring and near-term uncertainty temper the outlook: Linde expects a $425 million restructuring charge and guided fourth-quarter EPS to $4.40–$4.50. Uneven industrial demand, margin pressure and an evaluation of options for Lincare could limit near-term upside.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on LIN shares. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Linde from $577.00 to $591.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Mizuho set a $583.00 target price on Linde in a report on Thursday. Bank of America lifted their target price on Linde from $532.00 to $550.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of Linde in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Argus reduced their price target on shares of Linde from $563.00 to $538.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $550.14.

Linde Company Profile

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.