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Linde PLC’s (NYSE:LIN) Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Guillermo Bichara, recently sold a significant portion of his holdings in the company. According to a recent SEC filing, Bichara sold 4,833 shares of Linde’s ordinary stock at a price of $461.65 per share, totaling approximately $2.23 million. The sale occurred as Linde trades near $462, with the stock showing historically low volatility and maintaining strong financial health, as indicated by InvestingPro data.
Following this transaction, Bichara retains 22,778 shares directly, along with additional holdings through indirect ownership and various stock options. The sale was conducted under a pre-arranged 10b5-1 trading plan, which allows company insiders to sell stock at predetermined times to avoid concerns about insider trading. The company maintains strong fundamentals, with a 48% gross profit margin and a 33-year track record of consecutive dividend increases.
This transaction comes as part of Bichara’s ongoing management of his investment portfolio, and reflects his continued involvement with Linde, a leading global industrial gases and engineering company. For deeper insights into Linde’s valuation and growth prospects, InvestingPro subscribers can access comprehensive analysis and 12 additional exclusive ProTips.
In other recent news, Linde has announced an 8% increase in its quarterly dividend to $1.50 per share, continuing a 32-year streak of consecutive dividend growth. The company reported sales of $33 billion for the full year 2024, with underlying sales increasing by 2%. Despite surpassing earnings per share estimates for the fourth quarter of 2024 with an EPS of $3.97, Linde’s revenue of $8.28 billion fell short of expectations, leading to a softer-than-expected outlook for 2025. Analyst firms have adjusted their price targets for Linde, with Berenberg raising it to $505 and BMO Capital Markets to $510, both maintaining positive ratings. However, Mizuho (NYSE:MFG) Securities lowered its target to $510 while still retaining an Outperform rating, citing tempered expectations for 2025 earnings growth. Linde’s strategic shift towards capital expenditure-driven growth following the Praxair (NYSE:) merger has been noted, with analysts highlighting the company’s resilience amid market uncertainties. The company has maintained a strong return on invested capital and a substantial project backlog, despite facing challenges in industrial markets. CEO Sanjiv Lamba expressed confidence in Linde’s ability to deliver shareholder value through disciplined capital allocation and management actions.
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