Linde PLC (LIN)

Largest industrial gas company in the world, estimated 30% market share. Competitive advantage is density of network and proximity to customers. Long-term, take-or-pay contracts, a guaranteed return. Supplies the healthcare, semiconductor, and green energy industries. 

Should do well in any sort of economic environment. Tends to grow earnings even in a recession. Well managed. She expects earnings to grow in range of 10%. Yield is 1.1%.

(Note the short timeframe.) Still likes it. Multi-year compounder going forward.

An industrial, but classified as a materials company because they make industrial gases. Low beta. Mission-critical inputs. Long-term, take-or-pay contracts. A happy shareholder.

Its industrial gas makes it unique. Regional monopolies. Quality compounder. Allocates capital reasonably at high rates of return. Disciplined payout ratio, share buybacks. Reasonable valuation. Quality defense, benefiting from manufacturing renaissance. Yield is 1.2%.

Can benefit no matter the political landscape in the US.

Like many industrials, it had a great run, but lacked a blow-out quarter. LIN needs to show volume growth.

Their tech is used in carbon capture and clean hydrogen systems. It could be an idea for the future, but he's not a buyer of ideas, but of taking ideas and making them a viable business. Maybe LIN can do it or not.

It reports Tuesday. They supply industrial gas to hospitals, oil/gas, semi-makers, dollar stores and vinters. It does fine when the economy struggle and great when it thrives.

LIN is one of the larger basic materials names in the US. It is a $197B company with a decent yield of 1.3%, a premium valuation of 27X forward earnings, but a strong and growing revenue base of $32.5B. It has decent debt levels, a growing margin, and strong cash flow generation, of which it uses most to repurchase shares. While its shares trade at an expensive valuation, its performance has been excellent, and its fundamentals continue to grow and expand. We would be comfortable owning LIN as part of a long-term position. 

Materials which we think might be in great demand in the future include: lithium and cobalt (lithium-ion batteries for EV and renewable energy storage), graphene (exceptional strength and conductivity), and advanced alloys (aerospace and automotive industries).
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Huge winner so far. Very well run. Not much competition in the space. Not a ton of growth ahead. Price being driven by infrastructure spend in the US. Look elsewhere for better valuations. Could look at on a major pullback.

An earnings winner. Continues to improve margins and generate consistent cash. Buy this and sleep at night.

They reported this morning. Really likes LIN. Take or pay contracts with high returns, so a dividend grower with little cyclicality in this industry.

Largest industrial gas company in the world. Good mix of end markets, some in defensives and some in growth. Usually take-or-pay contracts with commodity cost pass-throughs, ensuring high and stable ROE. 3+ decades of annual dividend growth. Yield is 1.37%.

A growth industrial name in natural gas, the top dog in an oligopic industry.

Has stagnant sales, but earnings growth has been terrific thanks to price increases and essential products that intend to de-carbonize while making better semis and providing oxygen, helium and especially green hydrogen. Just reported a mixed quarter of a top-line miss but bottom-line beat. Strip out variable costs, then underlying sales growth is 6% YOY. 

It has had great long term trends. Trades at 28X expected earnings. Analysts ratings are: Buy 30, Hold 4, Sell 2.