Is APD or LIN cheaper?

On trailing earnings, APD is cheaper: APD trades at a 29.94 P/E and LIN at 34.63.

Which has grown faster, APD or LIN?

Over the past five years, APD grew revenue faster — APD at a 6.12% CAGR versus LIN at 4.55%.

Does APD or LIN pay a bigger dividend?

APD yields 2.54% and LIN yields 1.19% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is APD or LIN more profitable?

LIN runs the higher net margin — APD at 16.91% versus LIN at 20.56%.

Which has been the better investment, APD or LIN?

Over the past 10-year, LIN delivered the higher annualized total return — APD at 10.38% versus LIN at 18.48%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. (APD) vs Linde plc (LIN)

APD leads on 9 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and Linde plc across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 16, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

APD

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

$62.49B

$282.96Basic Materials

LIN

Linde plc

$238.87B

$521.48Basic Materials

Total return — APD vs LIN

growth of $100 · last 30y

APD +953.5%LIN +2419.6%LIN compounded faster

APD LIN

APD vs LIN: by the numbers

•LIN is the larger company ($238.87B vs $62.49B market cap).
•APD trades at the lower earnings multiple (29.94 vs 34.63 P/E).
•LIN converts more revenue to profit (20.56% vs 16.91% net margin).
•APD grew revenue faster over the past five years (6.12% vs 4.55% CAGR).
•APD pays the higher dividend yield (2.54% vs 1.19%).

Which is better, APD or LIN?

Metric tally: APD 9 · LIN 8

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueAPD(lower P/E)

GrowthAPD(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeAPD(higher dividend yield)

QualityLIN(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	APD	LIN
P/E ratio	29.94●	34.63
Forward P/E	19.80●	26.61
P/S ratio	5.06●	7.02
P/B ratio	4.03●	6.31
PEG ratio	1.40●	4.12
EV / EBITDA	17.73●	20.02
FCF yield	1.76%	2.10%●

Profitability

Metric	APD	LIN
Gross margin	31.98%	45.99%●
Operating margin	18.41%	28.79%●
Net margin	16.91%	20.56%●
ROE	13.47%	18.47%●
ROIC	-1.82%	8.97%●

Dividends

Metric	APD	LIN
Dividend yield	2.54%●	1.19%
Payout ratio	—	42.26%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	APD	LIN
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.12%●	4.55%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	16.58%	25.30%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)	6.54%●	1.07%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	1.17%	13.80%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, APD or LIN?: It depends on your goal. value: APD (lower P/E); growth: APD (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: APD (higher dividend yield); quality: LIN (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, APD leads 9 to 8.
Is APD or LIN cheaper?: On trailing earnings, APD is cheaper: APD trades at a 29.94 P/E and LIN at 34.63.
Which has grown faster, APD or LIN?: Over the past five years, APD grew revenue faster — APD at a 6.12% CAGR versus LIN at 4.55%.
Does APD or LIN pay a bigger dividend?: APD yields 2.54% and LIN yields 1.19% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is APD or LIN more profitable?: LIN runs the higher net margin — APD at 16.91% versus LIN at 20.56%.
Which has been the better investment, APD or LIN?: Over the past 10-year, LIN delivered the higher annualized total return — APD at 10.38% versus LIN at 18.48%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full APD analysis Full LIN analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Air Products and Chemicals P/E ratio Linde P/E ratio Air Products and Chemicals dividend yield Linde dividend yield Air Products and Chemicals ROE Linde ROE Air Products and Chemicals operating margin Linde operating margin Air Products and Chemicals revenue growth Linde revenue growth Air Products and Chemicals free cash flow Linde free cash flow

Air Products and Chemicals & Linde appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Dividend Aristocrats Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks Largest Companies by Market Cap

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 16, 2026.