Linde: A Great Business That's A Bit Too Expensive

Linde (LIN) remains a best-in-class industrial with robust margins, 33 years of dividend growth, and disciplined capital allocation. Q1'26 results reinforced business resilience: 10% EPS growth, 30% margins, and $1.5B returned to shareholders, despite only 1% underlying volume growth. Secular tailwinds in electronics, aerospace, and helium offer long-term upside, but near-term volume recovery is not yet visible, especially in EMEA.