Woking, the United Kingdom-based Linde plc (LIN) operates as an industrial gas and engineering company. Valued at $213.3 billion by market cap, LIN is the world's largest industrial gas company that offers industrial gases, technologies, and gas processing solutions that are used in production of clean hydrogen and carbon capture systems for energy transition, medical oxygen, and specialty gases for electronics. The global multinational chemical company is expected to announce its fiscal first-quarter earnings for 2025 before the market opens on Thursday, May 1.
Ahead of the event, analysts expect LIN to report a profit of $3.92 per share on a diluted basis, up 4.5% from $3.75 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has consistently surpassed Wall Street’s EPS estimates in its last four quarterly reports.
For the full year, analysts expect LIN to report EPS of $16.50, up 6.4% from $15.51 in fiscal 2024. Its EPS is expected to rise 8.6% year over year to $17.91 in fiscal 2026.
LIN stock has underperformed the S&P 500’s ($SPX) 4.4% gains over the past 52 weeks, with shares up marginally during this period. However, it outperformed the Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLB) 9.7% dip over the same time frame.
LIN's performance has been affected by sluggish industrial activity, increased competition, fluctuating energy prices, global economic uncertainty, and unfavorable currency fluctuations.
On Feb. 6,LIN shares closed up more than 1% after reporting its Q4 results. Its adjusted EPS of $3.97 exceeded Wall Street expectations of $3.94. The company’s revenue was $8.3 billion, missing Wall Street forecasts of $8.4 billion.
Analysts’ consensus opinion on LIN stock is bullish, with a “Strong Buy” rating overall. Out of 24 analysts covering the stock, 17 advise a “Strong Buy” rating, one suggests a “Moderate Buy,” and six give a “Hold.” LIN’s average analyst price target is $503.14, indicating a potential upside of 12.3% from the current levels.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
