Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) Reaches New 52-Week High – Here’s Why

Linde PLC (NASDAQ:LIN)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $548.20 and last traded at $539.1630, with a volume of 244118 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $540.52.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Linde from $525.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $575.00 target price on shares of Linde in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price target on Linde from $552.00 to $570.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Citigroup began coverage on Linde in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. Finally, Seaport Research Partners lifted their price objective on Linde from $525.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $543.27.

Linde Stock Down 0.1%

The company has a 50-day moving average of $511.51 and a two-hundred day moving average of $484.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The company has a market capitalization of $249.75 billion, a PE ratio of 35.95, a P/E/G ratio of 3.43 and a beta of 0.72.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $4.33 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.27 by $0.06. Linde had a return on equity of 19.80% and a net margin of 20.44%.The business had revenue of $8.78 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.95 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. Linde has set its FY 2026 guidance at 17.600-17.900 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 4.400-4.500 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Linde PLC will post 17.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Linde Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th were paid a dividend of $1.60 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, June 4th. This represents a $6.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Linde’s payout ratio is 42.50%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Linde

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LIN. Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC raised its position in shares of Linde by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC now owns 511 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $253,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the period. Blalock Williams LLC lifted its stake in shares of Linde by 4.5% during the 4th quarter. Blalock Williams LLC now owns 510 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $217,000 after buying an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Linde by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 1,102 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $470,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. Valmark Advisers Inc. boosted its holdings in Linde by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Valmark Advisers Inc. now owns 4,159 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,062,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. Finally, Binnacle Investments Inc boosted its holdings in Linde by 10.2% in the 2nd quarter. Binnacle Investments Inc now owns 237 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $111,000 after buying an additional 22 shares during the period. 82.80% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Linde

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.