Linde plc Stock Price Targets

Comprehensive analysis of short, mid, and long-term price targets for Linde plc (LIN).

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Give me a comprehensive price target analysis for Linde plc (LIN).

Price level drawings executed

  • Horizontal lines drawn on LIN reflecting the Low, Median, and High price targets, extended 30 days into the future from 2025-10-07:
    • Low Target: 381.00 (blue) from 2025-10-07 to 2025-11-06
    • Median Target: 520.00 (orange) from 2025-10-07 to 2025-11-06
    • High Target: 576.00 (green) from 2025-10-07 to 2025-11-06

Executive Summary

  • LIN trades around $468.55 with a balanced risk/reward profile given established profitability and a solid, cash-generative core business in the industrial gas sector.
  • Analysts currently project a median target of $520 and a high of $576, implying upside ~11% to ~23% over the next 3–12 months while a downside risk remains if earnings momentum weakens or leverage concerns rise.
  • Key near-term dynamics include a modestly bearish short-term price action (price sits below the 50-day MA) but with favorable fundamentals and improving EPS revisions in the more recent period.

Fundamental Analysis

  • Core valuation and risk metrics
    • Market Cap: $221.00B
    • Enterprise Value: $241.46B
    • Trailing P/E: 33.35
    • Forward P/E: 27.64
    • Price to Book: 5.70
    • Dividend Yield: 1.29% (vs five-year avg 1.33%)
    • Beta: 0.94 (near-market volatility)
    • Return on Equity (ROE): 17.3%
    • Return on Assets (ROA): 6.95%
    • Debt to Equity: 64.82x (high leverage by some metrics but typical for asset-heavy industrials)
  • Balance sheet and cash flow
    • Total Cash: $4.79B
    • Total Debt: $25.92B
    • Net Debt position implied (approx.): $21.13B
    • Cash generation appears solid given EBITDA and operating margins; however, sizable debt burden remains a constraint to immediate re-leveraging flexibility.
  • Profitability
    • Gross Margin: 48.45%
    • Operating Margin: 28.26%
    • Net Profit Margin: 20.20%
  • Leverage and liquidity signals
    • Leverage remains elevated but aligned with industry norms for a large, asset-intensive firm.
    • Liquidity appears steady, though net debt load warrants monitoring for potential deleveraging or cash deployment changes (buybacks/dividends/acquisitions).

Earnings Analysis Recent Earnings Summary (selected highlights)

  • 2025-06-30 (most recent quarter reported in the dataset)
    • Total Revenue: $8.495B
    • Gross Profit: $4.189B
    • Operating Income: $2.359B
    • EBITDA: $3.355B
    • Net Income (Continuing Ops): $1.767B
    • Diluted EPS: $3.73
    • Basic EPS: $3.75
  • 2025-03-31
    • Total Revenue: $8.112B
    • Gross Profit: $3.955B
    • Operating Income: $2.221B
    • EBITDA: $3.150B
    • Net Income (Continuing Ops): $1.673B
    • Diluted EPS: $3.51
    • Basic EPS: $3.53
  • 2024-12-31
    • Total Revenue: $8.282B
    • Gross Profit: $3.962B
    • Operating Income: $2.196B
    • EBITDA: $3.461B
    • Net Income (Continuing Ops): $1.725B
    • Diluted EPS: Not shown in the excerpt
  • 2024-06-30 to 2024-09-30 periods show consistent revenue and earnings progression, though the quarterly EPS data in the dataset is not uniformly filled beyond the 2025-06-30 and 2025-03-31 quarters.
  • EPS Trend
    • Current 0q: 4.17695
    • +1q: 4.23727 (quarter-over-quarter up; near-term acceleration)
    • 0y: 16.44943 (year-ago level; indicates strong annual cadence when comparing trailing quarters)
    • +1y: 18.00321 (expected year-over-year uplift)
  • EPS Revisions
    • 0q revisions: Up Last 7 Days = 0, Up Last 30 Days = 3, Down Last 30 Days = 8, Down Last 7 Days = 1
    • +1q revisions: Up Last 7 Days = 1, Up Last 30 Days = 7, Down Last 30 Days = 3, Down Last 7 Days = 0
    • 0y revisions: Up Last 7 Days = 1, Up Last 30 Days = 1, Down Last 30 Days = 1, Down Last 7 Days = 0
    • +1y revisions: Up Last 7 Days = 1, Up Last 30 Days = 1, Down Last 30 Days = 1, Down Last 7 Days = 0
    • Interpretation: The near-term (+1q) revisions show a tilt toward upgrades relative to the 0q period, suggesting improving sentiment over the last 30–90 days.
  • Earnings Quality
    • Revenue growth remains solid (Q2 2025 revenue around $8.5B).
    • Profitability is supported by gross/margin profile (gross ~48.4%; operating ~28.3%; net ~20.2%).
    • Cash generation robust while debt levels are a consideration for leverage-sensitive investors.

Technical Analysis

  • Price action and current positioning
    • Current price: $468.55
    • Price action near-term shows the stock trading below the 50-day moving average (MA), which sits around $473.6, implying mild near-term bearish tilt.
  • Moving Averages
    • 50-Day MA: approximately $473.6 (latest date 2025-10-06)
    • Price trading below the 50-day MA indicates potential continuation of consolidation or a retest of support levels rather than a quick breakout.
  • RSI (14)
    • Latest RSI around 46.7 (mid-range, not indicating overbought/oversold extremes)
  • MACD (12,26,9)
    • Latest MACD: -1.5 with Signal -0.3 (bearish crossover trend recently, potential for continued near-term softness unless momentum improves)
  • Current Support/Resistance context
    • Immediate support around the 50-day MA near $473 (with price at $468.55)
    • Nearby resistance around the 52-week high and key levels near $520 (the median target)
  • Technical takeaway
    • The stock is in a cautious zone near-term. The bullish case hinges on positive earnings momentum and EPS revisions sustaining upside, while the bearish MACD and price below the 50-day MA warrant confirmation of a bottom before a meaningful move higher.

Analyst Consensus & Price Targets

  • Current consensus metrics
    • Target Low: $381.00
    • Target Median: $520.00
    • Target High: $576.00
    • Current Price: $468.55
    • Target Mean: $513.14
    • Number of Analysts: 22
  • Interpretation
    • The median target implies roughly +11% upside over the next 3–12 months, with a bull-case of +23% relative to current levels.
    • The low target suggests a potential downside scenario down to the mid-$300s, reflecting risk factors (e.g., higher debt burden, macro headwinds). The broad range indicates dispersion in analyst views, but the majority tilt toward mid-to-high single-digit upside.
  • Potential catalysts
    • Earnings revisions and EPS trajectory (near-term upgrades noted in the +1q revisions)
    • Margin expansion or cash-flow strength supporting valuation
    • Macro/sector dynamics for industrial gases and end-market demand (manufacturing, healthcare, energy)

Price Target Analysis (Short, Mid, Long-Term)

  • Short-Term (3 months)
    • Price Target: Median 520 (range 381–576)
    • Current Price: 468.55
    • Upside potential: ~11% to 23% depending on which target is realized
    • Justification and drivers:
      • Near-term EPS momentum turning marginally positive (0q to +1q trend shows firming EPS trajectory, per EPS Trend data)
      • EPS revisions trend improves in the +1q cycle (more upgrades than downgrades in recent window)
      • Solid revenue base and margins supporting earnings resilience
    • Key risks:
      • MACD remains negative and RSI mid-range; price could test the 50-day MA or slide back toward sub-450 if earnings surprises disappoint or macro headwinds intensify
  • Mid-Term (12 months)
    • Price Target: Median around 520; High target up to 576
    • Upside potential: roughly 11–23% from current levels; potential to approach the high if multiple expands and earnings momentum sustains
    • Justification and drivers:
      • Analyst consensus indicates a constructive view with strong mean target (~$513)
      • EPS momentum: +1q revisions improving sentiment
      • Cash flow generation and margin stability support a higher multiple over a 12-month horizon
    • Key risks:
      • If leverage remains elevated or if commodity/currency headwinds persist, multiple may compress
      • Competitive dynamics and energy-market volatility could affect demand for industrial gases
  • Long-Term (3+ years)
    • Price Target: bull-case scenario around 576 (based on High Target) with potential for higher if global industrial gas demand and energy transition investments accelerate
    • Justification and drivers:
      • The business model benefits from long-term secular demand for gases in healthcare, manufacturing, and energy, alongside ongoing margin discipline
      • Potential for strategic share repurchases or capital deployment that could support higher equity valuation
    • Key risks:
      • Structural debt burden and cyclicality of industrial demand
      • Regulatory or economic shocks could compress margins or growth trajectories
  • Summary: The analyst targets imply a constructive but uncertain path over the next 12–36 months, with upside supported by earnings momentum and margin stability but tempered by leverage and macro risk.

Key Risks & Opportunities

  • Major Risks
    • High debt load (Total Debt ≈ $25.92B) relative to cash position (~$4.79B) could constrain near-term financial flexibility and deleveraging trajectories.
    • Valuation: trailing P/E near 33x vs forward ~28x; multiple compression risk in a rising-rate environment or if growth decelerates.
    • MACD negative momentum and near-term price below the 50-day MA suggest potential near-term downside risk without continued earnings improvement.
  • Key Opportunities
    • Improving EPS revisions (especially in the +1q window) signal improving sentiment and possible upside surprise in upcoming quarters.
    • Margin resilience (gross 48.4%, operating 28.3%) provides runway for margin expansion with volume growth and efficiency gains.
    • Robust cash generation could enable shareholder-friendly actions (dividends maintenance, share repurchases) and strategic investments to strengthen long-term growth.

Investment Recommendation

  • Recommendation: Hold to Buy-leaning Neutral with a constructive longer-term upside.
    • Near-term: Cautious stance due to price trading below the 50-day MA and negative MACD signals; monitor for a confirmed MACD turn and a test of the $473–$480 area for a potential bounce.
    • Medium-term: If EPS momentum continues and revisions tilt more positives (as seen in the +1q window), the stock could trend toward the median target of $520 and potentially reach the high of $576.
    • Long-term: The stock could reach/close to the high target if deleveraging occurs, earnings persistently beat estimates, and the broader market supports higher multiples for non-cyclical, margin-stable industrials.
  • Expected return potential (12–24 months): Approximately 9–23% upside from current levels depending on the trajectory of earnings revisions and macro conditions. Downside risk remains if debt constraints and macro headwinds intensify.

Price Target Summary (numerical snapshot)

  • Current price: 468.55
  • Analyst targets:
    • Target Low: 381.00
    • Target Median: 520.00
    • Target High: 576.00
    • Target Mean: 513.14
    • Analysts covering: 22

Appendix: Data references used

  • Price targets and coverage: Target Low/Median/High, Mean, and number of opinions (22) from the provided Analyst Price Targets dataset.
  • Earnings and EPS data: Recent earnings summary (revenue, gross/operating/EBITDA/net income, EPS) and the EPS Trend data for current and forward periods.
  • EPS revisions: Up/Down revisions in the 0q and +1q windows and their distribution.
  • Technical indicators: 50-day MA, RSI, and MACD data for the last 60 days; current price action relative to the 50-day MA, RSI level, and MACD signal.

Notes on the visual chart drawings

  • Low Target line drawn at 381 (blue) extending to 2025-11-06
  • Median Target line drawn at 520 (orange) extending to 2025-11-06
  • High Target line drawn at 576 (green) extending to 2025-11-06

If you’d like, I can tailor the price target analysis to a specific risk tolerance (e.g., cap downside to 15% or focus strictly on upside scenarios) or provide a more detailed quarterly earnings bridge showing how the 0q to +1q revisions could translate into forward EPS trajectories.

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