Empowered Funds LLC Buys 1,104 Shares of Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN)

Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in shares of Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) by 12.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,164 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,104 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Linde were worth $4,255,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in LIN. Synergy Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Linde during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Linde during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates increased its position in shares of Linde by 144.8% during the fourth quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 71 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 42 shares during the period. Kozak & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Linde in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in Linde in the fourth quarter worth $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.80% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Linde

In other news, VP David P. Strauss sold 2,218 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $434.35, for a total transaction of $963,388.30. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 25,926 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,260,958.10. This represents a 7.88 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Paula Rosput Reynolds acquired 100 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $441.34 per share, with a total value of $44,134.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 233 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $102,832.22. This trade represents a 75.19 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Linde from $510.00 to $515.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 1st. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of Linde from $520.00 to $530.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 1st. Erste Group Bank reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Linde in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. TD Cowen upgraded Linde from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $480.00 to $515.00 in a research note on Monday, January 13th. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on Linde from $490.00 to $480.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Linde presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $501.82.

Linde Price Performance

Linde stock opened at $460.74 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $434.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $453.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.89. The firm has a market cap of $219.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.85, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.94. Linde plc has a 52 week low of $410.69 and a 52 week high of $487.49.

Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $3.97 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.93 by $0.04. Linde had a net margin of 19.89% and a return on equity of 18.71%. Equities research analysts forecast that Linde plc will post 16.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Linde Profile

Linde plc operates as an industrial gas company in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South Pacific. It offers atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases; and process gases, such as carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, electronic gases, specialty gases, and acetylene.