Linde plc (LIN) Stock on December 9, 2025: 52‑Week Low, CEO Buying and Double‑Digit Upside Price Targets

Linde plc (NASDAQ: LIN), the world’s largest industrial gases company, is having a pivotal moment in the market. On December 9, 2025, the stock is trading near fresh 52‑week lows at the same time its CEO is buying nearly $1 million worth of shares, short interest is creeping higher, and Wall Street still sees sizeable upside over the next 12 months.

Below is a full roundup of today’s news, forecasts, and analysis — plus what it all could mean for Linde stock.

Key takeaways for Linde stock today (9 December 2025)

Share price and technicals: Different data providers show Linde closing the regular session on December 9 between roughly $393.8 and $395.1 per share, after trading in about a $391–$397 intraday range. After‑hours quotes have slipped further, to around $389. ^[1]
Fresh 52‑week low: Within the last day, Linde has made a new 52‑week low near $396, trading well below its 50‑day and 200‑day moving averages (around $434 and $458, respectively). ^[2]
Short interest: A new Benzinga short‑interest update shows 6.62 million shares sold short, about 1.4% of Linde’s free float, up 5.26% since the prior report — still lower than a peer‑group average short interest of 4.73%. ^[3]
Insider buying: On December 8, 2025, CEO Sanjiv Lamba bought 2,520 LIN shares, spending roughly $1.0 million, and bringing his stake to about 90,800 shares. ^[4]
Institutional moves: MarketBeat’s 13F tracking shows Federated Hermes Inc. has boosted its Linde holdings, while State Street Corp. sold about 194,000 shares and SVB Wealth LLC trimmed its position, pointing to portfolio reshuffling rather than a one‑way institutional exit. ^[5]
Q3 2025 fundamentals: Linde’s Q3 2025 sales rose ~3% year‑over‑year to about $8.6 billion, with adjusted EPS up around 7% to $4.21, topping analyst expectations. But Q4 EPS guidance of $4.10–$4.20 came in slightly below the Street’s ~$4.23 consensus, largely because of softer volumes in Europe. ^[6]
Analyst stance: Across multiple aggregators, analysts maintain an overall “Buy” / “Overweight” view, with average 12‑month price targets clustering around $505–$515, implying roughly 25–30% upside from current prices. ^[7]
Growth forecasts: Consensus models call for revenue to rise from about $34.2 billion in 2025 to ~$36.0 billion in 2026, and EPS to grow from roughly $16.6 to $18.0, implying mid‑single‑digit sales growth and high‑single‑digit EPS growth on top of already strong margins. ^[8]

Linde stock price action on December 9, 2025

Market data for December 9 show a stock under pressure but not in free‑fall:

StockAnalysis’s daily history logs Dec 9, 2025 as an open near $391, a high around $397, a low just under $391, and a close of about $395.06 with volume of roughly 1.55 million shares. ^[9]
Public.com’s after‑hours snapshot reports LIN at $388.99 as of 7:30 p.m. ET, down $4.83 (‑1.23%) from a regular‑session close they record at $393.82. ^[10]

Taken together, it’s fair to say that:

Linde closed the regular session just under $395 and then slipped below $390 in after‑hours trading.

A MarketBeat note highlights that the stock has set a new 52‑week low around $395.80, and is now trading well beneath its 50‑day (~$434) and 200‑day (~$458) moving averages — a technical pattern often associated with sustained downtrends or oversold conditions, depending on your interpretation. ^[11]

From a longer‑term lens:

Macrotrends data put Linde’s latest closing price on December 5 at $399.57, and historical data from Yahoo Finance show early October closes above $458, underscoring that LIN is down roughly 15% from its recent highs. ^[12]

Short interest and sentiment: modestly more bearish, but still low

Today’s Benzinga article, “How Is The Market Feeling About Linde PLC?” zeroes in on short interest: ^[13]

Short interest: 6.62 million LIN shares sold short.
As % of float: 1.4%.
Days to cover: 2.18 (based on average trading volume).
Peer comparison: Linde’s short interest percentage is below a peer average of 4.73%.

Key takeaway:

Short sellers have incrementally increased their bets against Linde, but the absolute level of short interest is still low for a large‑cap industrial. This looks more like rising caution than a heavily shorted “battleground” stock.

Insider buying: CEO Sanjiv Lamba buys nearly $1 million of shares

Several outlets report significant insider buying by Linde’s chief executive:

GuruFocus notes that on December 8, 2025, CEO Sanjiv Lamba bought 2,520 shares of LIN. ^[14]
Investing.com and MT Newswires peg the transaction value at roughly $999,000–$1,000,000, implying a purchase price in the high‑$390s per share. ^[15]
After this trade, Lamba’s total holdings rise to around 90,800 shares. ^[16]

Why this matters:

CEOs sell stock for many reasons (tax, diversification), but they generally buy for one main reason: they view the shares as attractive.
The timing — stepping in just as the stock hits 52‑week lows — can be read as a sign of internal confidence in Linde’s long‑term prospects despite short‑term volatility.

Of course, insider buying isn’t a guarantee of future gains, but it’s typically considered a positive signal when combined with solid fundamentals.

Institutional activity: portfolio rotation, not a stampede

Today’s MarketBeat 13F‑based alerts show mixed institutional flows:

Federated Hermes Inc. has increased its holdings in Linde, signalling continued conviction from a large active manager. ^[17]
State Street Corp. — one of the world’s largest asset managers and a major index‑fund provider — has sold 194,061 Linde shares in its latest filing. ^[18]
SVB Wealth LLC is reported to have trimmed its Linde position as well. ^[19]

These moves suggest a rebalancing of exposures rather than a uniform “all‑in” or “all‑out” stance from the institutional community. Linde remains a core holding in many global equity portfolios, consistent with its status as the largest materials company by market cap according to recent Motley Fool research. ^[20]

Q3 2025 earnings: solid beat, cautious Q4 guidance

Linde reported its Q3 2025 results on October 31. The official press release and subsequent coverage outline a picture of steady growth and strong profitability, mixed with some regional weakness: ^[21]

Headline numbers

Sales: About $8.6 billion, up 3% year‑over‑year.
Net income: Roughly $1.93 billion, a strong increase from the prior year.
Reported EPS: Around $4.09, up roughly 27% year‑on‑year.
Adjusted EPS: About $4.21, up ~7%, and ahead of analyst expectations of roughly $4.18.

Reuters notes that the quarter represented a clean earnings beat with sales growth in line with forecasts, highlighting the company’s ability to manage pricing and costs even in a choppy macro environment. ^[22]

Guidance and regional pressures

The more controversial piece was forward guidance:

Q4 2025 adjusted EPS guidance:$4.10–$4.20, versus a consensus estimate around $4.23. ^[23]
Management flagged a 3% decline in volumes in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, which accounts for about a quarter of Linde’s sales, and said they expect that weakness to continue. ^[24]

The backdrop: Europe’s chemicals and industrial sector has been facing muted demand, high input costs and regulatory pressure, all of which weigh on gas volumes and customer profitability. ^[25]

End‑market color: electronics and high‑value projects

The Q3 earnings call and subsequent analysis emphasize several structural growth drivers: ^[26]

Electronics: Increased semiconductor fab activity in Korea, Taiwan, the U.S. and parts of Asia boosted demand for high‑purity process gases and advanced materials.
Onsite and merchant projects: Growth has been driven by a mix of new onsite project start‑ups and rising demand for merchant and packaged gases, especially tied to higher‑end chip production.
Capital deployment: Management continues to prioritize high‑return capex and disciplined M&A, leaning into mega‑projects that lock in long‑term take‑or‑pay contracts with blue‑chip customers.

Overall, the quarter reinforced Linde’s high‑margin, cash‑generative profile, even as the company acknowledges a near‑term growth headwind in Europe.

Strategy and structural strengths: what the SWOT analysis highlights

A recent SWOT analysis of Linde on Investing.com frames the company as an industrial gas giant with significant long‑term tailwinds: ^[27]

Strengths

Global leadership: Linde is the largest industrial gas supplier in the world, with operations in over 100 countries and roughly $33 billion in 2024 revenue. ^[28]
Diversified end markets: Customers span chemicals, manufacturing, healthcare, steel, electronics and energy, spreading risk across sectors. ^[29]
Long‑term contracts & high switching costs: Onsite gas supply contracts can run 10–20 years, and the capital‑intensive nature of gas plants makes customers reluctant to switch suppliers, supporting recurring, inflation‑protected cash flows.
Exposure to megatrends: Linde is deeply involved in semiconductor manufacturing, hydrogen and clean‑energy infrastructure, and decarbonization projects, areas expected to benefit from secular growth and regulatory support. ^[30]

Weaknesses and risks

Cyclical industrial demand: Many customers are tied to GDP‑sensitive industries, so downturns can dampen volumes — as seen in Europe. ^[31]
Capital intensity: Large‑scale gas plants and hydrogen projects require significant up‑front capex, demanding careful capital allocation.
Regulatory and energy‑price risk: Particularly in Europe, where power costs, climate rules and permitting can impact margins and investment decisions. ^[32]

The bottom line from the SWOT work: Linde’s moat is wide, but near‑term cyclical and policy headwinds are real — which is exactly what the stock chart is reflecting right now.

Analyst ratings, price targets and forecasts

Despite the recent pullback, Wall Street’s stance on Linde remains decisively positive.

Consensus ratings

StockAnalysis data show 11 covering analysts with a consensus rating of “Buy”, with no “Sell” ratings in the mix. ^[33]
MarketWatch lists an average recommendation of “Overweight” across around 30 analyst ratings. ^[34]
GuruFocus aggregates 22 analysts with an average rating equivalent to “Outperform” (score 2.0 on a 1–5 scale). ^[35]

12‑month price targets

Across several platforms, the average 12‑month price target for LIN clusters in a fairly tight band:

~$504.91 average target, ranging from $455 to $540, implying about 28% upside from current levels. ^[36]
Nasdaq’s consensus shows an average target around $513.64, with a published range from roughly $384.81 to $588.00, and calls for projected revenue of about $36.9 billion and non‑GAAP EPS near $15.47 (on a slightly different basis). ^[37]
Fintel’s compilation puts the average one‑year target at about $514.13, with a low in the high‑$380s and a high in the low‑$590s. ^[38]
GuruFocus cites an average target of $512.10 based on 22 analysts, implying ~24% upside from a prior price around $412. ^[39]

In other words, most sell‑side models still assume LIN trades back into the low‑ to mid‑$500s over the next year, even after recent target cuts.

Recent analyst actions

Recent individual calls underline this constructive view, even as some firms trim expectations:

J.P. Morgan: Maintains “Overweight”, but cut its target from $475 to $455 on November 3. ^[40]
RBC Capital: Reiterated “Buy”, lowering its target from $576 to $540 in early November. ^[41]
Citigroup: Maintains a “Strong Buy”‑style stance with a target eased from $535 to $520. ^[42]
UBS: Upgraded Linde from Neutral to Strong Buy, with a target around $500 after previously sitting at $507. ^[43]
CICC: Initiated coverage on December 3 with an “Outperform” rating and a $510 target. ^[44]
TD Cowen: Recently nudged its target from $560 to $565 while reiterating a Buy rating. ^[45]

Earnings and growth forecasts

StockAnalysis’s forecast tables illustrate the Street’s current expectations: ^[46]

Revenue
- 2024: ~$33.0 billion
- 2025E: ~$34.2 billion (+3.7%)
- 2026E: ~$36.0 billion (+5.0%)
EPS (GAAP/adjusted blended forecast)
- 2024: ~13.62
- 2025E: ~16.58 (+~21.8%)
- 2026E: ~18.03 (+~8.7%)

At today’s sub‑$400 price, that implies:

~24× 2025E EPS and ~22× 2026E EPS, in line with the forward P/E figures on StockAnalysis’ page. ^[47]

This reinforces the widely held narrative: Linde is a high‑quality, high‑moat industrial that the market is willing to value at a premium, provided it keeps delivering mid‑single‑digit top‑line growth and high‑single‑digit to low‑double‑digit EPS growth.

Is Linde stock “fairly priced” after the pullback?

A recent Yahoo Finance analysis framed the debate explicitly: is Linde now a bargain or still an expensive safety play after its latest slide? ^[48]

Putting numbers around that debate:

The stock has fallen from the high‑$460s in early October to the mid‑$390s now, a drop of roughly 15%. ^[49]
Yet, even after this correction, Linde still trades on mid‑20s forward P/E multiples based on 2025 earnings, versus a broader market that’s generally lower (exact comparison depends on your index of choice). ^[50]
At the same time, consensus targets are 25–30% above today’s price, and the CEO is buying shares, which supports the bull case that the current sell‑off may be overdone. ^[51]

The emerging view from recent analysis and SWOT commentary is:

Bullish angle: Linde’s dominant position, recurring contracted revenue, exposure to semiconductors and clean energy, strong balance sheet, and robust EPS growth trajectory justify a premium valuation. At current prices, that premium has narrowed, potentially making the stock more attractive for long‑term, quality‑focused investors. ^[52]
Cautious angle: European weakness, macro uncertainty, and the still‑elevated multiple mean Linde might not be a classic “deep value” name. If growth or margins disappoint — especially in EMEA or in big capex projects like hydrogen — there could be further downside before the valuation truly resets. ^[53]

What to watch next for Linde plc (LIN)

For investors following Linde into 2026, the key watchpoints coming out of today’s news and recent reports are:

Q4 2025 results and 2026 guidance
- Does Q4 EPS land toward the upper half of the $4.10–$4.20 range?
- How conservative (or not) is management’s 2026 outlook versus current analyst models for ~5% revenue and ~9% EPS growth? ^[54]
Europe and industrial demand
- Any sign that EMEA volumes are stabilizing will be important, given the region’s ~25% revenue weight and recent 3% volume decline. ^[55]
Electronics and hydrogen pipelines
- Progress on semiconductor‑related projects and clean‑energy / hydrogen infrastructure will indicate whether Linde can lean on secular growth to offset cyclical softness. ^[56]
Further insider or institutional moves
- Additional buying by management or long‑only funds would strengthen the “confidence at lower prices” narrative; accelerated selling, especially from major institutions, would argue for more caution. ^[57]
Short‑interest trends
- With short interest still modest, a sharp rise could signal growing skepticism; a retreat back toward prior levels might suggest traders see downside as largely priced in. ^[58]

Final thoughts (and a quick reminder)

Linde’s story on December 9, 2025 is one of high‑quality fundamentals colliding with macro and valuation jitters:

The stock is trading near 52‑week lows despite solid earnings, strong cash flow and persistent analyst optimism.
At the same time, European demand weakness, rising short interest and lingering premium valuations are giving some investors pause.

Whether LIN is a compelling buy at these levels depends on your time horizon, risk tolerance and view on global industrial demand and clean‑energy build‑out.

Important: This article is for information and news purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation to buy or sell any security, or a personalized financial plan. Always do your own research and consider speaking with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.