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APD vs LIN
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Air Products and Chemicals (APD) vs. Linde (LIN) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- LIN boasts a significantly larger market capitalization of approximately $236 billion compared to APD's $68 billion, reflecting greater scale in the industrial gases sector.
- APD has delivered stronger year-to-date returns of about 25%, outperforming LIN's 20% amid recent market activity.
- Both stocks benefit from positive analyst sentiment, with recent price target increases signaling optimism for commodity tailwinds and growth projects.
- LIN shows robust profitability with positive trailing twelve months (TTM) net income of $6.9 billion and strong free cash flow, contrasting APD's recent negative TTM net income.
- Diversified exposure to clean energy and electronics drives growth for both, though LIN edges in global project backlogs.
- Dividend yields favor APD at 2.4% versus LIN's 1.3%, appealing to income-focused investors.
Introduction
Air Products and Chemicals (APD) and Linde plc (LIN) are leading players in the industrial gases industry, supplying essential products like oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen to sectors including manufacturing, healthcare, and emerging clean energy applications. This stock comparison analyzes their recent market performance, financial health, and growth prospects, aiding traders seeking short-term momentum and long-term investors evaluating stability in the materials sector. With both navigating volatile commodity prices and technological shifts, understanding their relative positioning helps inform portfolio decisions in today's dynamic environment.
APD Overview and Recent Performance
Air Products and Chemicals (APD), a global supplier of industrial gases and related equipment, operates through segments like Americas, Asia, and Europe, focusing on hydrogen energy solutions and merchant gases. In recent market activity, APD shares have traded near the upper end of their 52-week range ($229–$307), reflecting stability around $304 with modest gains. Year-to-date performance stands at approximately 25%, bolstered by first-quarter fiscal 2026 results showing revenue of $3.1 billion and earnings per share (EPS) of $3.16, beating estimates. Key developments include plans for a new air separation unit (ASU) in Florida to support the space launch industry and analyst upgrades, such as RBC Capital's raised price target to $338, citing commodity tailwinds. These factors have sustained positive sentiment despite challenges like elevated debt levels.
LIN Overview and Recent Performance
Linde plc (LIN), the world's largest industrial gases company by market cap, provides atmospheric, process, and specialty gases across diverse end-markets including chemicals, electronics, and healthcare. Shares have hovered near 52-week highs ($388–$514) around $510 in recent weeks, with year-to-date gains of about 20%. Financials remain solid, with TTM revenue of $34 billion and net income of $6.9 billion, alongside positive levered free cash flow of $4.8 billion. Recent highlights feature recognition on Ethisphere's 2026 World's Most Ethical Companies list, quarterly dividend declarations, and analyst enthusiasm, including RBC Capital lifting its price target to $552 on expectations of earnings growth from a strong project backlog. Stable demand has underpinned resilient performance amid broader sector pressures.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Both APD and LIN operate similar business models centered on gas production and distribution, but LIN's larger scale offers broader geographic diversification and a deeper project pipeline in clean hydrogen and electronics. Growth drivers for APD include targeted expansions like ASUs for space and semiconductors, while LIN leverages ethical branding and ESG appeal. Recent momentum favors APD on YTD returns, but LIN exhibits greater stability with lower beta (0.79 vs. 0.81) and positive cash flows. Risk factors involve energy cost fluctuations and project execution delays for both, though APD's higher debt-to-equity (102%) contrasts LIN's 71%. Market sentiment tilts toward LIN for its profitability edge in recent analyses.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron's AI currently leans toward LIN due to its superior financial consistency, including positive TTM profitability and free cash flow generation, alongside a robust analyst-backed outlook amid stable sector demand. While APD shows promising project catalysts and dividend appeal, LIN's scale and lower relative volatility position it favorably for near-term trends. This assessment reflects observable momentum and risk-reward balance, subject to evolving market conditions.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
Both APD and LIN have recently benefited from renewed consumer interest in hydrogen as a fuel and energy storage medium, but both are involved with the production, storage, and transport of multiple kinds of gasses. While both companies are large, APD is approximately half the size of its counterpart. APD’s margins have outdone LIN’s, and they also appear to be more solid in terms of their current ratio, and yet LIN has enjoyed consistent stock price growth over the past years while APD is about where it was a year ago in terms of stock price at the time of this writing. The previous sentence also might be misleading, because just prior to one year ago, the company experienced a significant price jump in a short span of time, and the following months seem to confirm that a floor is present. Evaluating these companies on their other merits, outside of participation in the hydrogen market, is beneficial of course.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
APD’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileLIN’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- APD’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- LIN’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
APD’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while LIN’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- APD’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- LIN’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
Price Growth
APD (@Chemicals: Specialty) experienced а -0.26% price change this week, while LIN (@Chemicals: Specialty) price change was +3.09% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Chemicals: Specialty industry was +3.16%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.91%, and the average quarterly price growth was +23.26%.
Reported Earning Dates
APD is expected to report earnings on Jul 30, 2026.
LIN is expected to report earnings on Jul 23, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Chemicals: Specialty (+3.16% weekly)The specialty chemicals sector includes companies that produce chemicals and industrial gases, which are of relatively high-value, often made to customer specifications. Examples of specialty chemicals are electronic chemicals, industrial gases, coatings, adhesives and sealants, industrial and institutional cleaning chemicals. The products are often valued on the basis of their purposes/performances rather than for their composition. Linde Plc, Ecolab Inc., Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., and Dow, Inc. are some of the largest companies making specialty chemicals.
| APD | LIN | APD / LIN | |
| Capitalization | 62.7B | 242B | 26% |
| EBITDA | 4.54B | 13.4B | 34% |
| Gain YTD | 15.559 | 23.593 | 66% |
| P/E Ratio | 29.68 | 34.72 | 85% |
| Revenue | 12.5B | 34.7B | 36% |
| Total Cash | 951M | 3.96B | 24% |
| Total Debt | 18.4B | 26.3B | 70% |
APD | LIN | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 7 | 17 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 29 Undervalued | 48 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 88 | 15 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 61 | 48 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 57 | 27 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 78 | 50 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
APD's Valuation (29) in the Chemicals Specialty industry is in the same range as LIN (48). This means that APD’s stock grew similarly to LIN’s over the last 12 months.
LIN's Profit vs Risk Rating (15) in the Chemicals Specialty industry is significantly better than the same rating for APD (88). This means that LIN’s stock grew significantly faster than APD’s over the last 12 months.
LIN's SMR Rating (48) in the Chemicals Specialty industry is in the same range as APD (61). This means that LIN’s stock grew similarly to APD’s over the last 12 months.
LIN's Price Growth Rating (27) in the Chemicals Specialty industry is in the same range as APD (57). This means that LIN’s stock grew similarly to APD’s over the last 12 months.
LIN's P/E Growth Rating (50) in the Chemicals Specialty industry is in the same range as APD (78). This means that LIN’s stock grew similarly to APD’s over the last 12 months.
| APD | LIN | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 65% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 49% | 4 days ago 38% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 48% | 4 days ago 48% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | N/A | 4 days ago 55% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 56% | 4 days ago 48% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 52% | 4 days ago 45% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 53% | 4 days ago 48% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 8 days ago 59% | 14 days ago 45% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | N/A | 4 days ago 37% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 54% | 4 days ago 40% |
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APD and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, APD has been loosely correlated with FUL. These tickers have moved in lockstep 52% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if APD jumps, then FUL could also see price increases.