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Woking, United Kingdom-based Linde plc (LIN) is a global industrial gases and engineering company and the world's largest industrial gas company. With a market cap of $225.9 billion, the company produces and distributes essential gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, helium, carbon dioxide and specialty gases, while also designing and building plants and equipment used to produce and process industrial gases.

Linde has struggled to keep pace with the broader market over the past year, climbing 4.2% compared to the S&P 500 Index ($SPX) 21.3% surge. However, the picture has brightened considerably in 2026, with the stock climbing 15.5% YTD and outperforming the S&P 500's 13.3% advance.

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Yet, LIN has trailed the State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLB), which has risen 20.4% over the past year and 17.3% in 2026. 

Linde shares tumbled 6% on July 31 after the company released its second-quarter results, as investors focused on margin pressure and a relatively modest increase in its full-year outlook despite a solid quarter. Sales rose 9.3% year over year to $9.29 billion, while adjusted EPS climbed 10% to $4.50, ahead of analysts' expectations driven by strong demand in its electronics business. However, the adjusted operating margin declined 60 basis points to 29.5%, as cost inflation offset pricing and productivity gains. Linde raised the lower end of its FY2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $17.70-$17.90 from $17.60-$17.90, but the modest upgrade fell short of investor expectations.

For the current year, which ends in December, analysts expect LIN's EPS to rise 8.4% to $17.85 on a diluted basis. The company surpassed the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.

Among the 24 analysts covering LIN stock, the consensus is a "Strong Buy." That's based on 17 "Strong Buy" ratings, two "Moderate Buys," and five "Holds."

This configuration is more bearish than a month ago when the stock had 18 "Strong Buy" suggestions.

On Aug. 3, RBC Capital lowered its price target for Linde to $553 from $576 while maintaining an "Outperform" rating. The firm viewed Linde's Q2 results as solid and noted that the company raised its FY2026 guidance. 

LIN's mean price target of $551.96 indicates a premium of 12.1% from the current market price. Its Street-high target of $612 suggests a 24.3% upside potential from current price levels. 

On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah 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. This article was originally published on Barchart.com