Stock·NASDAQ·Basic Materials
Linde (LIN)
- Market cap
- $229.80B
- P/E
- 31.76
- Dividend yield
- 1.26%
- Street target
- $550.00median of 28 analysts
- 52-week range
- $387.78 $548.20
The short version
Where LIN stands today, in four lines, and what CleaRank Financial AI makes of it.
LIN at a glance
Linde (LIN): Buy, 69/100 on CleaRank's AI score.
- Trend Up: the price is above both its 50- and 200-day moving averages ($478.77 and $489.46).
- Earnings LIN beat estimates in 5 of its last 5 quarters, yet fell the next day after 3 of those beats.
- Insiders Insiders sold $40.9M and bought $1.0M over the last 18 months.
- Valuation P/E of 31.8 against 30.2 for the Basic Materials sector: broadly in line with peers (+5%).
Figures as of October 16, 2026.
CleaRank Financial AI
LIN carries a CleaRank rating of Buy and a model score of 69/100.
Momentum is the strongest contributor, with the 14-day RSI at 67.9 in the bullish zone and the MACD line positive. Revenue growth pulls the score down the most, since revenue grew 9.30%, 9.7 percentage points slower than the sector median. The trend is up. The price sits 4.12% above its 50-day average of $478.77 and 1.85% above its 200-day average of $489.46. Across the past year, the price rose 12.21%.
Only on CleaRank
Figures we compute ourselves from LIN's own price, earnings and insider-filing history. Tap one to see it in context.
Price and trading
The chart, today's range and how far the price has moved over each period.
Trend checks
3/4Price above its 50-day average ›
The price of $498.50 is 4.1% above the 50-day simple moving average of $478.77.Price above its 200-day average ›
The price is 1.8% above the 200-day simple moving average of $489.46.50-day average above the 200-day ›
The 50-day average ($478.77) is 2.2% below the 200-day average ($489.46), the arrangement of a falling longer-term trend.In the upper half of its 52-week range ›
The price sits at 69% of its 52-week range, between $387.78 and $548.20.
LIN share price
Pick a period: each tab shows how far LIN has moved over it, to the last close.
Today's trading
Where LIN sits inside today's range and its 52-week range.
Fundamentals
Valuation against the sector, and the revenue and earnings behind it.
Valuation and quality checks
3/5P/E below the sector median ›
The trailing P/E of 31.76 is 5.2% above the Basic Materials median of 30.2.P/S below the sector median ›
The price-to-sales ratio of 6.41 is 52.7% above the sector median of 4.2.Profitable over the last 12 months ›
Net income over the last 12 months was $7.2B on revenue of $35.4B, a net margin of 20.4%.Beat estimates in most recent reports ›
LIN beat the EPS estimate in 5 of its last 5 reports.Pays a dividend ›
The trailing dividend yield is 1.26%, or $6.30 a share a year.
Key statistics
The headline figures for LIN.
As of October 16, 2026, LIN trades at $498.50, with a market value of $229.80B, a P/E ratio of 31.76 and a dividend yield of 1.26%.
What the numbers say
CleaRank Financial AI's reading of LIN's valuation, growth and risks.
LIN's P/E of 31.76 is 5.2% above the 30.2 median P/E of Basic Materials stocks, a gap that leaves it broadly in line with peers. Set against sales, the P/S of 6.41 is 52.6% above the sector median P/S of 4.2. To put the earnings base in scale, LIN reports trailing earnings of $15.53 per share.
In the latest year revenue grew 9.30%, 9.7 percentage points slower than the sector median of 19.0%. Margins stand at a net margin of 20.44% and an operating margin of 28.12%. It generates a return on equity of 18.40%, above the sector median of 17.9%. Debt-to-equity of 0.69 and a trailing dividend yield of 1.26% ($6.30 a share a year) round out the fundamentals.
The July 31, 2026 report beat expectations by 0.22%: EPS of $4.50 versus the $4.49 analysts expected. The market agreed: the stock rose 0.43% the following session.
Across its last 5 reports, LIN beat the estimate every time, but beats have not guaranteed gains: the stock fell the next day after 3 of them. Analysts' average EPS estimate for this fiscal year is $17.88, which would be growth of 8.6%, and $18.21 for next year (growth of 11.1%).
The price of LIN typically moves by 0.91% on a given day, which is the 30-day standard deviation of its daily returns.
LIN against the Basic Materials sector
How LIN compares with the median Basic Materials stock CleaRank tracks.
Price to earnings vs sector: Valuation is broadly in line with sector peers (5% difference), suggesting fair market pricing relative to industry standards.
Return vs XLB: Since May 5, 2025, LIN has gained 9.0% against a gain of 20.0% for XLB.
Performance against XLB
LIN and the Basic Materials sector fund over the same days.
Revenue and earnings
How much LIN sells, and how much of it becomes profit.
Revenue growth: Revenue grew 3.0% in FY2025 to $34.0B, from $33.0B a year earlier.
Profit margin: The net margin was 20.8% in FY2025, up from 20.4% the year before.
Profitable: LIN earned $7.1B in FY2025.
Earnings reality check
Did LIN beat what analysts expected, and how did the stock react?
Earnings record: LIN beat the analyst estimate in 5 of the last 5 quarters.
Market reaction: The stock fell in the first session after 3 of those 5 beats, so a beat has not been enough on its own.
| Report | Estimate | Actual | Surprise | First session | 5 sessions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 2026after close | $4.49 | $4.50 | +0.22% | +0.43% | +2.42% |
| May 1, 2026after close | $4.27 | $4.33 | +1.41% | -2.83% | -2.91% |
| Feb 5, 2026after close | $4.18 | $4.20 | +0.48% | -2.49% | +2.86% |
| Oct 31, 2025after close | $4.18 | $4.21 | +0.72% | -1.46% | +0.53% |
| Aug 1, 2025after close | $4.04 | $4.09 | +1.24% | +1.74% | +2.83% |
As of October 16, 2026, LIN has beaten the analyst EPS estimate in 5 of its last 5 reported quarters and fell in the first trading session after 3 of those beats; its latest report, on July 31, 2026, came in 0.22% above the estimate and the stock moved +0.43% in the first session.
The first session is the first full trading day on the news: the report day itself for a report before the open, the next day for one after the close. Surprise is actual EPS against the consensus estimate.
AI analysis and technicals
CleaRank's score and reasoning, the indicators behind it, and what the price moves with.
Momentum checks
3/3RSI not overbought or oversold ›
The 14-day RSI is 67.9, showing bullish momentum without being overbought.RSI above 50 ›
An RSI of 67.9 is above the 50 midpoint, so buyers have had the upper hand over the last 14 days.MACD line above zero ›
The MACD line is positive, so the 12-day average is above the 26-day average.
CleaRank AI analysis of LIN
The score, the reasoning behind it, and what could move the price next.
LIN is in an uptrend. The price of $498.50 sits 4.12% above its 50-day average of $478.77 and 1.85% above its 200-day average of $489.46. Even with the price back above the shorter average, the 50-day average is still 2.18% below the 200-day average, so the longer-run structure has not turned up yet. Within the 52-week range of $387.78 to $548.20, today's price is at 69% of the way up.
On momentum, the 14-day RSI reads 67.9, in the bullish zone, below the overbought line, with the MACD line positive. The short and long run point different ways: the price rose 7.88% over the past month, fell 2.87% over the past three months and rose 12.21% over the past year. The price rose 1.07% in the last session on volume 33.0% below its average.
Earnings beat ›
The July 31, 2026 report beat the EPS estimate by 0.22%, and the share price rose 0.43% in the first session after it.
Source: Earnings report, July 31, 2026Rating reaffirmed ›
Citigroup kept its Buy rating on October 7, 2026.
Source: Analyst action, Citigroup, October 7, 2026
New analyst coverage ›
Keybanc started coverage at Overweight on September 11, 2026.
Source: Analyst action, Keybanc, September 11, 2026
- The two levels to watch are the 52-week high at $548.20, which sits above the price, and the 200-day SMA at $489.46, which sits below it.
- The 14-day RSI reads 67.9, in the bullish zone, with the MACD line positive; readings above 70 or below 30 mark stretched momentum.
- LIN beat estimates in 5 of the last 5 reports, and after the July 31, 2026 report the share price moved up 0.43% in the first session.
LIN trades above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages ($478.77 and $489.46), which is what makes the trend up; losing the 200-day would be the first warning. The nearest level under the price is the 200-day SMA at $489.46.
LIN's next level overhead is its 52-week high of $548.20. Its RSI is in the bullish band, which supports the current direction while sitting near the overbought line.
Technical indicators
Momentum and trend for LIN, from its daily closes.
As of October 16, 2026, with LIN at $498.50, its 14-day RSI is 67.9 (showing bullish momentum without being overbought), its 50-day simple moving average is $478.77 and its 200-day is $489.46.
Calculated by CleaRank on daily closes as of October 16, 2026: Wilder's 14-day RSI, 50- and 200-day simple moving averages, MACD line (12, 26).
What LIN moves with
Correlation of daily returns over one year: +1 moves in step, 0 has no link, -1 moves the opposite way.
As of October 16, 2026, LIN's 1-year correlation of daily returns is +0.40 with S&P 500 (SPY), +0.29 with Nasdaq 100 (QQQ), +0.07 with Bitcoin (BTC) and +0.12 with gold (XAU).
What Wall Street expects
The analysts' target range and how their ratings split.
Analysts checks
3/3Most analysts rate it a buy ›
22 of 28 analysts rate it a buy or strong buy, 5 a hold and 1 a sell.Median target above the price ›
The median 12-month target of $550.00 is 10.3% above the price.More buy ratings than three months ago ›
22 of 28 rate it a buy now, against 20 of 27 three months ago.
LIN Wall Street View
12-month price targets
Ratings
Recent rating actions
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 7, 2026 | Citigroup | Maintains | Buy |
| Oct 5, 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Buy |
| Sep 28, 2026 | Argus Research | Maintains | Buy |
| Sep 11, 2026 | Keybanc | Initiates | Overweight |
| Aug 10, 2026 | BMO Capital | Maintains | Outperform |
| Aug 3, 2026 | Citigroup | Maintains | Buy |
As of October 16, 2026, 28 Wall Street analysts cover LIN: 22 rate it a buy or strong buy, 5 a hold and 1 a sell or strong sell. Their 12-month price targets range from $400.00 to $580.00, with a median of $550.00, 10.3% above the price of $498.50.
Source: TwelveData analyst consensus. Targets and ratings belong to the analysts, not to CleaRank.
A trade plan, if you want one
Entry, stop and target levels from the moving averages and recent volatility. Educational, not advice.
LIN trade plan
Entry, stop and target levels, sized to your account. Change the bias or the risk and every level updates.
Long entry pick an entry style
Risk management
Profit targets (Based on Conservative Entry)
These levels come from LIN's moving averages and recent volatility, not from a forecast. Educational levels, not financial advice; the full disclaimer is at the foot of the page.
Risk profile
How much LIN tends to move, against the market and on its own.
The long record
LIN's worst falls and recoveries, what $10,000 became, and which months have been kind to it.
Track record checks
4/4Average daily move under 2% ›
The price has moved 0.91% on an average day (30-day standard deviation of daily returns).Recovered from its worst fall ›
The worst fall was 30.4%, from February 2020 to March 2020, regained by July 2020.Most 1-year holds ended higher ›
89% of 1-year holding periods in the last 10 years ended with a gain.Beat the S&P 500 since the chart begins ›
$10,000 invested in October 2016 is now worth $44,221, against $42,525 in the S&P 500 (SPY).
LIN Drawdowns & Recovery
As of October 16, 2026, LIN's worst peak-to-trough fall over the last 10 years with dividends reinvested was -30.4% (February 2020 to March 2020); it regained that peak by July 2020, 4 months after the low, and 89% of 1-year holding periods ended with a gain.
From weekly closing values with dividends reinvested. A drawdown is the fall from the highest value reached so far to a later low.
Growth of $10,000
What $10,000 put into LIN in October 2016 is worth now, against the same amount in the S&P 500.
Against the market: LIN beat the S&P 500 over this period: $44,221 against $42,525.
A $10,000 investment in LIN in October 2016 would be worth about $44,221 today with dividends reinvested, compared with about $42,525 for the same investment in the S&P 500 benchmark (also with dividends reinvested).
Seasonal patterns
Which calendar months have been kind to LIN, and which have not.
Strongest month, November: an average of +3.63%, up in 7 of 10 years.
Weakest month, September: an average of -0.97%, up in 4 of 10 years.
This month, October: has averaged +1.52%, up in 6 of 9 years. Past seasonality does not repeat on schedule.
Over the last 10 years, LIN's strongest calendar month has been November (average +3.63%, up in 7 of 10 years) and its weakest September (average -0.97%, up in 4 of 10 years).
Average return for each calendar month over the last 10 years, from weekly closing prices with dividends included.
Long-term scenarios
Thousands of simulated paths from the price history. A range of outcomes, not a forecast.
Monte Carlo projection
Thousands of simulated paths for $10,000 in LIN, from its own past volatility. The shaded area holds 80% of them.
CleaRank's 10-year Monte Carlo simulation projects that a $10,000 investment in LIN today could grow to about $24,435 by 2036 in the base case, with a 90th-percentile outcome near $61,920 and a 10th-percentile outcome around $9,643. The simulation models price only; at today's 1.26% yield, dividends would add to these figures. Projections are statistical simulations, not guarantees.
LIN Stock Price Prediction: 2030
The same simulation in share prices, year by year.
CleaRank's simulation projects a price near $713 for LIN by 2030 in the base case, from $499 today (1.4x over 4 years). The 10th-percentile path ends near $396. These are outcomes of a Monte Carlo simulation run on LIN's historical return distribution, not price targets, and they assume no dividends are reinvested.
| Year | 10th percentile | Base case | 90th percentile | range base today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | $406 | $545 | $731 | |
| 2028 | $393 | $596 | $903 | |
| 2029 | $392 | $652 | $1,085 | |
| 2030 | $396 | $713 | $1,283 | |
| 2031 | $404 | $779 | $1,504 |
Method: a lognormal simulation of LIN's own volatility and capped historical trend, re-run daily; base case is the median path, the outer columns the 10th and 90th percentiles.
Insider trading
What the people running the company have bought and sold.
LIN insider trading
Shares the company's directors and officers bought and sold, from their own filings.
Month by month
Open-market purchases above the line, sales below.
Insider buying: Insiders bought $1.0M on the open market and sold $40.9M.
As of October 16, 2026, LIN insiders reported 8 open-market sales worth $40.9M and 2 open-market purchases worth $1.0M over the last 18 months; grants and option exercises are not counted.
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2026 | Paula Rosput Reynolds
Director
|
Buy | 100 | $47.9K |
| Jun 8, 2026 | Stefanos Innocenzi
Officer
|
Grant | 4.0K | - |
| May 15, 2026 | Robert L. Wood
Director
|
Sell | 5.2K | $2.6M |
| Mar 10, 2026 | Sean Durbin
Chief Operating Officer
|
Sell | 6.5K | $3.1M |
| Mar 10, 2026 | Guillermo Bichara
Officer
|
Sell | 4.4K | $2.1M |
| Mar 10, 2026 | Sean Durbin
Chief Operating Officer
|
Option | 7.0K | $1.2M |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Ann-Kristin Achleitner
Director
|
Grant | 470 | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Desiree Bacher
Officer
|
Grant | 1.2K | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Guillermo Bichara
Officer
|
Grant | 8.1K | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Sean Durbin
Chief Operating Officer
|
Grant | 7.7K | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Thomas Enders
Director
|
Grant | 470 | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Benjamin Glazer
Officer
|
Grant | 4.6K | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Kelcey E. Hoyt
Officer
|
Grant | 1.5K | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Josef Kaeser
Director
|
Grant | 470 | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Sanjiv Lamba
Chief Executive Officer
|
Grant | 33.9K | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Victoria Ossadnik
Director
|
Grant | 470 | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Binod Patwari
Officer
|
Grant | 938 | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Oliver Pfann
Officer
|
Grant | 1.1K | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Alberto Weisser
Director
|
Grant | 470 | - |
| Mar 9, 2026 | Matthew J. White
Chief Financial Officer
|
Grant | 13.9K | - |
| Feb 24, 2026 | Binod Patwari
Officer
|
Sell | 999 | $502.3K |
| Feb 24, 2026 | Binod Patwari
Officer
|
Option | 1.5K | $264.0K |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Guillermo Bichara
Officer
|
Sell | 9.5K | $4.5M |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Guillermo Bichara
Officer
|
Option | 27.0K | $4.8M |
| Jan 20, 2026 | Stephen F Angel
Director
|
Grant | 7.2K | - |
| Dec 8, 2025 | Sanjiv Lamba
Chief Executive Officer
|
Buy | 2.5K | $999.6K |
| Sep 11, 2025 | Guillermo Bichara
Officer
|
Grant | 640 | - |
| Aug 18, 2025 | Stephen F Angel
Director
|
Grant | 25.0K | - |
| Aug 18, 2025 | Thomas Enders
Director
|
Grant | 2.5K | - |
| Aug 7, 2025 | Stephen F Angel
Director
|
Sell | 50.3K | $23.8M |
| Aug 7, 2025 | Stephen F Angel
Director
|
Option | 125.0K | $14.8M |
| May 22, 2025 | Sean Durbin
Officer
|
Sell | 7.3K | $3.3M |
| May 22, 2025 | Sean Durbin
Officer
|
Option | 7.8K | $1.4M |
| May 16, 2025 | David Paul Strauss
Officer
|
Sell | 2.0K | $908.2K |
Source: TwelveData, from reported insider filings
Questions people ask
Answered from the figures on this page, as of October 16, 2026.