Competitive view
LIN vs. two close competitors
This section compares the current company against two nearby peers on valuation, growth, margins, balance-sheet strength, and investment setup. Green generally marks the strongest relative figure for that row, while red marks the weakest.
YouTube
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation sits in a middle zone where future upside likely depends more on quarterly execution than on multiple re-rating alone.
Risk profile looks relatively manageable compared with many peers, especially if operating execution remains stable.
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Air Products & Chemicals
APD
Latest video
Q2 FY2026
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation sits in a middle zone where future upside likely depends more on quarterly execution than on multiple re-rating alone.
Balance-sheet leverage is elevated, so investors should watch refinancing costs and how much flexibility management really has.
YouTube
Sherwin-Williams Co.
SHW
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation sits in a middle zone where future upside likely depends more on quarterly execution than on multiple re-rating alone.
Balance-sheet leverage is elevated, so investors should watch refinancing costs and how much flexibility management really has.
Market Cap
More scale can mean deeper resources and resilience, although bigger does not automatically mean better upside.
LIN
$242.07B
Linde PLC
APD
$62.71B
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
$78.26B
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Trailing P/E
Lower trailing P/E can indicate a cheaper valuation relative to trailing earnings, but it may also reflect slower growth or higher perceived risk.
LIN
34.7x
Linde PLC
APD
29.7x
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
30.5x
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Forward P/E
Forward P/E is often a better read on what investors are paying for the next year of earnings power.
LIN
26.6x
Linde PLC
APD
19.8x
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
24.0x
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Revenue Growth
Higher revenue growth usually signals stronger demand, market share gains, or a business still in expansion mode.
LIN
8.2%
Linde PLC
APD
8.8%
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
6.8%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Earnings Growth
Faster earnings growth matters because it shows management is converting sales momentum into shareholder value.
LIN
13.4%
Linde PLC
APD
—
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
7.5%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Operating Margin
Higher operating margin suggests better operating discipline, pricing power, or a structurally stronger business model.
LIN
28.5%
Linde PLC
APD
23.6%
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
14.2%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Gross Margin
Gross margin helps show how much product-level pricing power and unit economics a company has before overhead.
LIN
48.8%
Linde PLC
APD
32.0%
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
49.0%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Net Margin
Higher net margin means more of each dollar of revenue reaches the bottom line after all costs.
LIN
20.4%
Linde PLC
APD
16.9%
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
10.9%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Return on Equity
ROE shows how efficiently management turns shareholder capital into profits, though leverage can inflate it.
LIN
18.2%
Linde PLC
APD
12.4%
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
60.7%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Free Cash Flow Yield
Higher free cash flow yield can indicate a stronger cash return relative to the stock's market value.
LIN
1.9%
Linde PLC
APD
-5.6%
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
2.7%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Debt to Equity
Lower leverage usually means less balance-sheet risk, though capital-intensive sectors naturally run higher debt loads.
LIN
65.64x
Linde PLC
APD
101.61x
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
329.52x
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Current Ratio
A stronger current ratio usually signals better short-term liquidity and more room to absorb shocks.
LIN
0.83x
Linde PLC
APD
1.43x
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
0.86x
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Beta
Lower beta often means lower volatility versus the market, while higher beta usually brings a rougher ride.
LIN
0.73
Linde PLC
APD
0.75
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
1.13
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Dividend Yield
Dividend yield matters for income-focused investors, but a high yield can also reflect a stressed stock price.
LIN
1.2%
Linde PLC
APD
2.6%
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
1.0%
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Analyst Upside
Higher analyst upside suggests the Street still sees room between current price and consensus fair value.
LIN
4.2%
Linde PLC
APD
16.4%
Air Products & Chemicals
SHW
17.5%
Sherwin-Williams Co.