Linde AG

Linde plc is the world's largest industrial gases company by market share and revenue, formed in 2018 through the merger of Germany's Linde AG and America's Praxair. Founded originally in 1879 by Carl von Linde in Germany, the company has evolved into a global leader serving diverse markets including chemicals, energy, food, electronics, healthcare, manufacturing, metals, and mining across more than 80 countries. With over 140 years of technological innovation, Linde provides essential industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, and specialty gases, along with cutting-edge engineering solutions and technologies. The company's business model centers on two principal areas: industrial and medical gases production and distribution, and engineering, procurement, and construction services. Linde operates through three geographic segments - Americas, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), and APAC (Asia/South Pacific) - serving approximately 2 million customers worldwide. The company reported revenue of $32.9 billion in 2023 with strong profitability metrics including a 27.6% operating margin and 25.4% return on capital. Linde's strategic priorities focus on clean hydrogen production, carbon capture systems, decarbonization technologies, and sustainable solutions that help customers transition to cleaner energy sources. The company maintains a robust project backlog of $8.5 billion and has demonstrated consistent shareholder value creation, returning $6.4 billion through dividends and share repurchases in 2023. Listed on NASDAQ under the ticker LIN, Linde ranks 463rd on the Fortune Global 500 and continues to drive innovation in industrial gases and engineering solutions.