# Linde plc (LIN) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Basic Materials / Chemicals. Price $477.57, market value $220.2 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 30.8×** (5-yr avg 34.6×, 3-yr avg 30.2×). Linde plc trades at 30.8× trailing earnings, close to its own five-year average of 34.6×. The Basic Materials median in the September 2026 study was 19.0×. Forward P/E is 24.4×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 3.36**. A PEG of 3.36 means the P/E is high relative to expected earnings growth; the price already assumes a lot.
- **Price / sales: 6.2×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 6.2×.
- **Price / book: 5.6×**. The shares trade at 5.6× book value; most of the value is in earnings power and intangibles rather than the balance sheet.
- **EV / EBITDA: 18.0×**. Enterprise value is 18.0× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 2.3%** (5-yr avg 3.1%). Free cash flow equals 2.3% of the market value, below its five-year average of 3.1%, so the shares are pricier on cash than usual.
- **Earnings yield: 3.2%**. The inverse of the P/E: 3.2% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 26.5%**. 26.5% of revenue is left after running the business, an exceptional level.
- **Net margin: 20.3%**. 20.3% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 18.0%**. 18.0% on shareholders' equity is solid.
- **Return on invested capital: 13.3%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 13.3%.
- **Return on assets: 8.3%**. Each dollar of assets produces 8.3% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 3.0%** (3-yr 0.6%/yr, 5-yr 4.5%/yr). Revenue grew 3.0% over the last year, against 4.5% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 7.3%** (3-yr 21.1%/yr, 5-yr 25.4%/yr). Earnings per share rose 7.3%, roughly in step with revenue.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): -3.7%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at -3.7% a year over three years, lagging earnings: check whether profits are turning into cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.59**. Debt is 0.59 times equity, moderate leverage.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 1.3×**. It would take 1.3 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Altman Z-score: 4.15**. A Z-score of 4.15 places the company in the safe zone for bankruptcy risk.
- **Piotroski F-score: 4/9**. 4 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 1.34%** ($6.20 per share, trailing). Linde plc yields 1.34%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 41%** (58% of free cash flow). 41% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 26**. 26 straight years of increases (the data covers 26 years, so this may be longer): a record very few companies hold.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 9.3%/yr** (1-yr 7.9%). The dividend has grown 9.3% a year over five years.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (24 analysts). 24 analysts cover Linde plc; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of $544.54 (+14% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 2.1%** (YTD 12.7%, 3-mo -6.0%). The shares are up 2.1% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -12.9%** (23.2% above the low). Trading 13% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: below**. The price sits below its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of a downtrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 39**. An RSI of 39 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.10** (volatility 19%). Beta of 0.10 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=LIN · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/lin

Not investment advice.