Linde is a high-quality compounder with excellent long-term growth prospects and a dominant position in industrial gases. The company is the global market leader in industrial gases ahead of its French competitor Air Liquide. The company returned $7.4 billion to shareholders in 2025 through dividends and buybacks.
Cyborg Score Rationale
Full-year 2025 sales reached $34.0 billion, up 3% YoY; operating profit $10.1 billion, up 4%; net income $7.77 billion, up 4%. The company projects 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $17.40–$17.90, representing 6–9% growth over 2025. The company demonstrates consistent profitability, strong market position, and solid shareholder returns in a mission-critical sector.
Top Insights
Linde delivered Q4 earnings that beat analyst estimates, with revenues up 5.8% and adjusted net income rising 4%.
The company reported solid Q4 results with $8.8 billion in sales and $2.6 billion in operating profit, while also maintaining a robust project backlog of $10 billion.
Margin expansion in 2026 expected to exceed the long-term 30–50 basis point range due to restructuring and productivity actions.
The company helps avoid >2X its own GHG emissions through its products and services.
Named Competitors
Air Liquide — Leading industrial gases company
Smart Sand — Industrial sand supplier
Liberty Energy — Pressure pumping services
Recent Developments
(February 2026) Linde completes the sale of non-core business Gist Limited, a temperature-controlled logistics provider, to Marks & Spencer Group plc.
(January 2026) Linde acquires the remaining interests in nexAir, LLC, one of the largest independent packaged gas distributors in the United States with 2022 sales of approximately $400 million.
(October 2025) Strong Q3 results with above-market expectations driven by higher pricing and continued productivity initiatives
Open the full interactive Linde plc report
Strategic research, analyst-debate audio, full Cyborg Score breakdown across 11 dimensions, and saved-company audio playlists.