LIN Stock Surges 11% With A 9-day Winning Spree On BMO’s $507 Target
Linde (LIN) – a provider of industrial and specialty gases worldwide – hit a 9-day winning streak, with cumulative gains over this period amounting to 11%. The company’s market cap has surged by about $23 Bil over the last 9 days and currently stands at $233 Bil.
The stock has YTD (year-to-date) return of 16.4% compared to 0.9% for S&P 500. This calls for a re-evaluation of the stock’s valuation to find out whether this is an opportunity or a trap.
What Triggered The Rally?
[1] Analyst Price Target Hikes
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- BMO Capital Target Raised To $507
- UBS Maintained Buy, Target $550
- Impact: Reversed Post-Earnings Weakness, Propelled Stock To New Highs
Opportunity or Trap?
Below is our take on valuation.
There is a near-equal mix of good and bad in LIN stock given its overall Moderate operating performance and financial condition. But keeping in mind its Very High valuation, we think that the stock is Unattractive (For details, see Buy or Sell LIN).
But here is the real interesting point.
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Returns vs S&P 500
The following table summarizes the return for LIN stock vs. the S&P 500 index over different periods, including the current streak:
| Return Period | LIN | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1D | 1.3% | 0.7% |
| 9D (Current Streak) | 10.8% | -0.3% |
| 1M (21D) | 13.0% | 0.5% |
| 3M (63D) | 20.2% | 4.4% |
| YTD 2026 | 16.4% | 0.9% |
| 2025 | 3.2% | 16.4% |
| 2024 | 3.2% | 23.3% |
| 2023 | 27.7% | 24.2% |
Gains and Losses Streaks: S&P 500 Constituents
There are currently 64 S&P constituents with 3 days or more of consecutive gains and 32 constituents with 3 days or more of consecutive losses.
| Consecutive Days | # of Gainers | # of Losers |
|---|---|---|
| 3D | 36 | 13 |
| 4D | 10 | 15 |
| 5D | 13 | 0 |
| 6D | 4 | 2 |
| 7D or more | 1 | 2 |
| Total >=3 D | 64 | 32 |
Key Financials for Linde (LIN)
Last 2 Fiscal Years:
| Metric | FY2023 | FY2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenues | $32.9 Bil | $33.0 Bil |
| Operating Income | $8.1 Bil | $8.6 Bil |
| Net Income | $6.2 Bil | $6.6 Bil |
Last 2 Fiscal Quarters:
| Metric | 2025 FQ2 | 2025 FQ3 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenues | $8.5 Bil | $8.6 Bil |
| Operating Income | $2.3 Bil | $2.3 Bil |
| Net Income | $1.8 Bil | $1.9 Bil |
While LIN stock looks attractive given its winning streak, investing in a single stock without detailed, thorough analysis can be risky. The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 — the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride, as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.