New York, Jan 25, 2026, 14:50 (EST) — Market closed.
- Linde (LIN) rose 1.3% to $451.57 on Friday, marking its fourth straight session of gains.
- Attention shifts to the Fed’s January 27-28 meeting and Linde’s quarterly earnings report on February 5.
- Linde will mark a near-term milestone with its board chair change on Jan. 31.
Linde plc (LIN) shares climbed 1.3% on Friday, finishing at $451.57. Trading volume hit roughly 1.64 million shares. U.S. markets remain closed on Sunday.
The S&P 500 finished nearly unchanged, while the Dow edged lower following a week shaped by geopolitical jitters. On Friday, materials topped sector performers, a trend that often drags industrial stocks like Linde into the mix. 1
The upcoming session kicks off a Federal Reserve week, with the FOMC holding its two-day meeting on Jan. 27-28. The policy statement will drop at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, followed by a press conference at 2:30 p.m. Monday brings U.S. durable-goods orders, a key indicator of demand for items like machinery that often influences opinions on factory activity. 2
Linde plans to report its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings on Feb. 5, ahead of the market open, followed by a conference call later that day. 3
Friday’s close marked the fourth gain in a row. Since Jan. 20, the stock has climbed roughly 4.3%, according to recent Nasdaq settlement prices. 4
In the industrial gases sector, Air Products closed Friday roughly 1% lower at $261.35. This divergence highlighted just how fast capital can shift within a tight group once the broader market loses momentum.
Macro factors remain front and center. PNC’s chief investment strategist Yung-Yu Ma called the recent market moves a “short but steep roller-coaster ride.” Franklin Templeton’s Chris Galipeau was more direct: “earnings are the driver.” Oxford Economics’ Michael Pearce noted in a report that the Fed might opt for “an extended pause” on rate hikes. 5
Linde is set for a board shake-up. A filing from September revealed that chairman Stephen Angel will step down on Jan. 31. CEO Sanjiv Lamba is lined up to take over as chairman. 6
Still, Linde’s shares behave like a top-tier industrial stock, which means they can be volatile when rate outlooks change. If the Fed tightens its stance on inflation or signs emerge that business investment is slowing, materials stocks that have run up could quickly give back gains.
Looking ahead, Linde has its next event lined up: Juan Pelaez, VP of investor relations, is set to speak at Citi’s Global Industrial Tech and Mobility Conference on Feb. 17. 7
Traders are focused on Monday’s data and the Fed’s announcement on Wednesday. Linde investors, meanwhile, have their sights set on Feb. 5, when earnings and any changes in demand outlook should steer the stock’s path through February.
