Linde plc (LIN)
NASDAQMaterialsSpecialty ChemicalsSnapshot 2026-07-31
Reading LIN? Create a free portfolio, then add this holding for ongoing Reports and tracking. Track it in a free portfolio. No credit card.
Create your account →NASDAQMaterialsSpecialty ChemicalsSnapshot 2026-07-31
Reading LIN? Create a free portfolio, then add this holding for ongoing Reports and tracking. Track it in a free portfolio. No credit card.
Create your account →Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Materials: fringe margins under pressure (3q confirmed)
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
The reason to own it still holds.
View ThesisRevenue is growing steadily — about 5% over the past year.
View GrowthMiddle-of-the-pack quality for its industry.
View QualityManagement screens strong on capital allocation, earnings delivery, margins, guidance credibility.
View ManagementExpectations look high — the market is pricing in about 20% growth a year, above the roughly 6% analysts expect, leaving little room for error.
View ValuationModerate volatility — typically moves about 1% a day.
View RiskLinde's growth strategy relies on strong earnings and capital investments. Recent earnings showed a 9% revenue increase year over year, with Q2 EPS growth targets of 8% to 10%. It trades at 29.5 times P/E, above the peer median of 18.8 times. The market expects more growth than Linde forecasts, indicating full expectations. A specific risk is the potential for a guidance cut, with an 18% chance of missing estimates. Peer multiples imply a price about 28% below where it trades.
Trailing returns as of 2026-07-31. LIN is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 29 analysts currently covering LIN (as of Jul 2026).
Based on 7 Wall Street analysts offering 12-month price targets for LIN in the last 4 months.
A consensus fair price across 14 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-08-01. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Materials (broad) — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Advances: Support growth with capital expenditures of $5.5B to $6.0B in 2026
Investment supports growth in electronics market.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-07-31. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
Current $478.38
The last 12 months of price, then the range of analyst 12-month targets from today’s $478.38.
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Above average on quality vs scored peers
A second lens on the 12-month fair value: for companies that score high on measured quality (profitability, balance-sheet safety, earnings stability), this read trusts more of today's profit margins instead of averaging them toward their multi-year history the way the headline number does. Shown alongside the fair value above, not in place of it. A diagnostic, not a price target or a buy/sell signal.
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Advances: Achieve Q2 EPS growth of 8% to 10%
Earnings call confirms EPS growth target for Q2.
Threatens: Achieve Q2 EPS growth of 8% to 10%
Q2 EPS growth missed expectations despite beating estimates.

Potential legal issues could impact financial performance.

Lawsuit could impact financial performance and growth objectives.

Space propellant growth aligns with management's growth objectives.

Partnership with SpaceX enhances growth potential.
Raising price targets indicates confidence in growth prospects.