Linde plc reported a solid first quarter with strong sales growth and EPS expansion, demonstrating resilience in challenging global conditions. The company's operating model and capital allocation discipline continue to drive shareholder value.
Sales increased 8% year-over-year to $8.8 billion, with underlying sales up 3% driven by price and volume.
positiveAdjusted EPS grew 10% year-over-year to $4.33, exceeding prior year growth.
positiveOperating profit increased 8% year-over-year to $2.6 billion, with adjusted operating profit margin at a strong 30.0%.
positiveOperating cash flow of $2.2 billion increased 4% year-over-year, supporting free cash flow of $898 million.
positiveAdjusted operating profit margin was 30.0%, down 10 basis points year-over-year.
attentionEMEA underlying sales decreased 2% driven by lower volumes in chemicals and energy and manufacturing end markets.
attentionLinde Engineering sales were down 8% year-over-year.
attentionCash and cash equivalents decreased by $1.1 billion from the prior quarter.
attentionMargin expansion indicates improving profitability and operational efficiency. Measured in basis points (bps): 100 bps = 1.0%.
| Segment | Current | Prior Yr | YoY | % Total | CC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Americas | N/A | — | — | — | +6.0% |
APAC | N/A | — | — | — | +6.0% |
EMEA | N/A | — | — | — | -2.0% |
Engineering | N/A | — | — | — | — |
Other | N/A | — | — | — | — |
| Total Revenue | $0.00M | — | — | 100.0% | — |
Segment performance shows business unit health and growth drivers. Constant currency (CC) removes FX impact for like-for-like comparison.
Forward-looking guidance is subject to change and does not constitute a guarantee. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates.
Special items are non-recurring events that may distort period-over-period comparisons. Analysts typically adjust for these when calculating normalized earnings.
Linde employees delivered another solid quarter with 10% EPS growth, 30% operating margin and 24% return on capital under increasingly challenging global conditions.
These results underscore the resiliency of our operating model, discipline of capital allocation and perseverance of management actions.
Looking ahead, I’m confident the Linde team will continue to create shareholder value in any environment.
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