Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) Issues Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 4.450-4.550 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 4.590. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Linde also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 17.700-17.900 EPS.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on LIN. Seaport Research Partners increased their target price on Linde from $525.00 to $575.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $525.00 price objective on shares of Linde in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Linde in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. They set an “overweight” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $575.00 price target on shares of Linde in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $600.00 price target on shares of Linde in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $548.67.

Linde Trading Down 5.9%

Shares of LIN stock traded down $30.26 on Friday, hitting $478.38. The company had a trading volume of 5,217,339 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,820,350. The firm has a market cap of $221.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.76, a P/E/G ratio of 3.21 and a beta of 0.72. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $515.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $496.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a current ratio of 0.83. Linde has a twelve month low of $387.78 and a twelve month high of $548.20.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The basic materials company reported $4.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.49 by $0.01. Linde had a return on equity of 19.80% and a net margin of 20.44%.The company had revenue of $9.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $4.09 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 9.3% on a year-over-year basis. 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 research analysts anticipate that Linde will post 17.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Linde Dividend Announcement

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

Key Stories Impacting Linde

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Linde

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Linde during the second quarter valued at $25,000. Triumph Capital Management raised its position in shares of Linde by 69.2% in the 4th quarter. Triumph Capital Management now owns 66 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares in the last quarter. EFG International AG bought a new position in shares of Linde in the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Sfam LLC acquired a new position in shares of Linde in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Wealth Watch Advisors INC bought a new stake in shares of Linde during the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.80% of the company’s stock.

Linde Company Profile

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.