LIN
Linde plcNASDAQMaterialsSpecialty ChemicalsSnapshot 2026-05-08
As of May 8, 2026, LIN has a composite score of 24.2 and a signal label of "mild favorable." This score is supported by high confidence in guidance credibility at 100.0 and a quality score of 78.8. However, the macro score is lower at 13.5, indicating some challenges in the broader economic environment. The top drivers influencing this scoring include macro growth, inflation, labor, and rates.
Price
Daily closes from AlphaVantage. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Factor signals
Read top-to-bottom: thesis (is this a strong company over a 1–3 year hold), watch flags (has something changed worth re-reading), and position context (how violent might the path be). Each pill is a parallel diagnostic — never aggregated into a single score.
Thesis
— is this a strong company over a 1–3 year hold?Why this rank
- Direction share1.00
- Slope (norm)-0.04
- Bonus0.00
Why this rank
Trailing four: 2024-Q3, 2025-Q1, 2025-Q2, 2025-Q3
Why this rank
Watch
— has something changed worth re-reading?Why this setup
EPS estimate $0.00 → $4.48. 7 raised, 1 cut, 18 covering analysts.
0 upgrades, 0 downgrades / 30d, 7 maintained. 75% of analysts rate Buy.
6 PT revisions / 30d. Avg target 14.1% above current price.
0 positive, 0 negative / 30d.
F4 · Management deep-dive — recent events, stated priorities, guidance track record
Recent 8-K events
7 material events in the last 24 months — top 5 listed below.
Stated priorities
3 priorityies extracted from earnings transcripts (as of 2026-05-08).
- 1.Support growth with CAPEXcapital allocationmixed35% progress
5/1: “Full-year capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $5.0 billion to $5.5 billion.”
Why this status
Stated in 3 of last 3 quarters. CAPEX guidance remains consistent at $5.0 billion to $5.5 billion. Despite the recurring emphasis on supporting growth, the financials do not show a clear trajectory of increased capital deployment, indicating limited progress in achieving this priority.
- 2.Increase EPS by 7% to 9%growthmixed63% progress
5/1: “For the full year 2026, the company expects adjusted diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $17.60 to $17.90, up 7% to 9%.”
Why this status
Stated in 2 of last 2 quarters. EPS guidance for 2026 is set at $17.60 to $17.90, reflecting a 7% to 9% increase. However, with net income declining from $1.93 billion in 2025-Q3 to $1.24 billion in 2025-Q4, the trajectory shows limited progress towards achieving the EPS growth target.
- 3.Achieve Q2 EPS growth of 8% to 10%growthmixed63% progress
5/1: “For the second quarter of 2026, Linde expects adjusted diluted earnings per share in the range of $4.40 to $4.50, up 8% to 10%.”
Why this status
Newly stated in 2026-Q2. The EPS guidance for Q2 2026 is $4.40 to $4.50, indicating an 8% to 10% growth target. However, with revenue declining from $8.62 billion in 2025-Q3 to $7.80 billion in 2025-Q4, the financial trajectory suggests challenges in achieving this growth target.
Guidance track record
Last 8 quarters of EPS guidance with actuals.
Per-quarter detail
| Period | Guidance | Actual | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-03-31 | $3.58 – $3.68 | $3.75 | beat |
| 2024-06-30 | $3.70 – $3.80 | $3.85 | beat |
| 2024-09-30 | $3.82 – $3.92 | $3.94 | beat |
| 2025-03-31 | $3.85 – $3.95 | $3.95 | inside |
| 2025-06-30 | $3.95 – $4.05 | $4.09 | beat |
| 2025-09-30 | $4.10 – $4.20 | $4.21 | beat |
| 2025-12-31 | $4.10 – $4.20 | $4.20 | inside |
| 2026-03-31 | $4.20 – $4.30 | $4.33 | beat |
Beat / inside / miss is computed from the guided range when issued; for point-estimate quarters a ±5% tolerance band around the mid is used. surprise_pct_vs_mid is unstable when guided EPS is near zero, so it is not surfaced as a headline.
Position context
— how violent might the path be while I hold it?Why this risk level
Recent vol — 30d annualized 19%; 252d 17%.
Drawdown — Max 1y −19%. Bad day move −2%.
Beta to sector ETF (XLB) — 0.04 over 1y.
Liquidity — score 100/100.
Sub-scores — vol 72/100, drawdown 62/100, beta 5/100, earnings vol —.
Calm + bullish setup — clean pre-earnings positioning pattern.
via XLB
Tailwind = sector leading the S&P 500; headwind = trailing. Both can be constructive — historically, headwind regimes have averaged stronger forward returns than tailwind.
Context label only — describes the market state (e.g. real bear vs narrative panic, healthy uptrend vs late-stage froth). It is not a per-ticker buy/sell signal and does not predict factor performance.
Not investment advice. As of 2026-05-08.
What changed
The most important moves since the prior daily snapshot.
- No material changes since the prior snapshot.
No material changes since the prior snapshot.
as of 2026-05-08
Management scorecard
How management runs the business — capital, margins, balance sheet, and how reliably they guide and deliver.
Met or beat guidance 100% of the last 8 guided quarters · 2.0% avg surprise
What management is focused on
Priorities management has stated in recent disclosures, with status and evidence drawn from earnings calls, filings, and press releases.
- #1
Support growth with CAPEX
Capital allocationNew since 2026-05-04Allocate capital expenditures in the range of $5.0 billion to $5.5 billion to support growth and maintenance.
Behind →MixedStated in 3 of last 3 quarters. CAPEX guidance remains consistent at $5.0 billion to $5.5 billion. Despite the recurring emphasis on supporting growth, the financials do not show a clear trajectory of increased capital deployment, indicating limited progress in achieving this priority.
35%CEO/CFO:“Full-year capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $5.0 billion to $5.5 billion.”Multiple sourcesSource dated 2026-05-01Stated 3 of last 8 quartersFirst seen 2026-05-04Show history (3)
- 2026-Q2Multiple sources
“Full-year capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $5.0 billion to $5.5 billion.”
- 2026-Q1Multiple sources
“Full-year capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $5.0 billion to $5.5 billion.”
- 2025-Q4Multiple sources
“Full-year capital expenditures are expected to be in the range of $5.0 billion to $5.5 billion.”
- #2
Increase EPS by 7% to 9%
GrowthNew since 2026-05-04Target an increase in adjusted diluted earnings per share by 7% to 9% for the full year 2026.
Behind →MixedStated in 2 of last 2 quarters. EPS guidance for 2026 is set at $17.60 to $17.90, reflecting a 7% to 9% increase. However, with net income declining from $1.93 billion in 2025-Q3 to $1.24 billion in 2025-Q4, the trajectory shows limited progress towards achieving the EPS growth target.
63%CEO/CFO:“For the full year 2026, the company expects adjusted diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $17.60 to $17.90, up 7% to 9%.”Multiple sourcesSource dated 2026-05-01Stated 2 of last 8 quartersFirst seen 2026-05-04Show history (2)
- 2026-Q2Multiple sources
“For the full year 2026, the company expects adjusted diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $17.60 to $17.90, up 7% to 9%.”
- 2026-Q1Multiple sources
“For the full year 2026, the company expects adjusted diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $17.40 to $17.90.”
- #3
Achieve Q2 EPS growth of 8% to 10%
GrowthNew since 2026-05-04Aim for an 8% to 10% increase in adjusted diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of 2026.
Behind →MixedNewly stated in 2026-Q2. The EPS guidance for Q2 2026 is $4.40 to $4.50, indicating an 8% to 10% growth target. However, with revenue declining from $8.62 billion in 2025-Q3 to $7.80 billion in 2025-Q4, the financial trajectory suggests challenges in achieving this growth target.
63%CEO/CFO:“For the second quarter of 2026, Linde expects adjusted diluted earnings per share in the range of $4.40 to $4.50, up 8% to 10%.”Multiple sourcesSource dated 2026-05-01Stated 1 of last 8 quartersFirst seen 2026-05-04Show history (1)
- 2026-Q2Multiple sources
“For the second quarter of 2026, Linde expects adjusted diluted earnings per share in the range of $4.40 to $4.50, up 8% to 10%.”
How this stock is priced
Two ways to read price: against peers in the same business, and against the company's own history.
Not enough peers to compare yet.
Cheaper than its own typical valuation.
P/E over the last 5 years
71 monthly pointsHow this compares
A side-by-side read on composite, valuation, and risk versus peers.
| Stock | Composite | Valuation | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
LIN Linde plc | +24 | inexpensive | moderate |
NEM Newmont | +17 | inexpensive | elevated |
FCX Freeport-McMoRan | +6.4 | — | elevated |
SHW Sherwin-Williams | +18 | inexpensive | moderate |
CRH CRH plc | +9.4 | inexpensive | elevated |
Risk — how this stock moves
What a normal day looks like, what a bad day looks like, and the worst the last year has thrown at it.
What could change this view
Conditional scenarios — if X happens, the score would shift by about Y points. These are not predictions.
- If materials sector trend rises from +0.10 into 'improving' (>= +0.20)+5.0 pts
- If next-quarter guidance is raised (currently NEW as of 2026-05-01)+4.0 pts
- If next-quarter guidance is cut (currently NEW as of 2026-05-01)-8.0 pts
- If materials sector trend falls from +0.10 into 'weakening' (<= -0.20)-5.0 pts
- If growth state reverses from +0.25 (positive) to -0.25 (negative)-3.5 pts
Material updates
Recent SEC 8-K filings ranked by likely impact, confidence, and recency.
- 2026-05-017d agoItem 2.02
hereof: Exhibit No. Description 99.1 Press Release dated May 1, 2026 104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) 2 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. LINDE PLC Date: May 1, 2026 By: /s/ Kelcey E. Hoyt Name: Kelcey E. Hoyt Title: Principal Accounting Officer 3
earnings preannouncementneutralscore 55 - 2026-02-053mo agoItem 2.02
hereof: Exhibit No. Description 99.1 Press Release dated February 5, 2026 104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) 2 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized. LINDE PLC By: /s/ Kelcey E. Hoyt Name: Kelcey E. Hoyt Title: Principal Accounting Officer Date: February 5, 2026 3
earnings preannouncementneutralscore 8 - 2025-12-035mo agoItem 1.01
Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. 364-Day Credit Agreement On December 3, 2025, Linde plc (the “Company”) and certain of its subsidiaries entered into an unsecured 364-day revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, and a syndicate of banking institutions as lenders. The initial borrowers under the Credit Agreement are the Company, Linde Inc., Linde GmbH and Linde Finance B.V. Additional subsidiaries of the Company may bec…
capital allocationneutralscore 2 - 2025-12-035mo agoItem 2.03
Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation Under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant. The information set forth above under “
capital allocationnegativescore 1 - 2025-11-205mo agoItem 8.01
Other Events. On November 20, 2025, Linde plc (the “Company”) issued €600 million aggregate principal amount of Floating Rate Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Notes”), issued €650 million aggregate principal amount of 3.125% Notes due 2032 (the “2032 Notes”) and issued €500 million aggregate principal amount of 3.750% Notes due 2038 (the “2038 Notes”). The 2027 Notes, the 2032 Notes and the 2038 Notes were issued pursuant to a Subscription Agreement, dated November 18, 2025, by and among the Company…
capital allocationneutralscore 1
Score history
The composite score, snapshot by snapshot. The dotted line at zero separates leaning-positive from leaning-negative.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.