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Side-by-side financial comparison of CF Industries (CF) and Linde plc (LIN). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

CF Industries is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($1.9B vs $8.8M, roughly 213.2× Linde plc). On growth, CF Industries posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (22.8% vs 8.2%). CF Industries produced more free cash flow last quarter ($313.0M vs $898.0K). Over the past eight quarters, CF Industries's revenue compounded faster (12.8% CAGR vs -96.7%).

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. is an American manufacturer and distributor of agricultural fertilizers, including ammonia, urea, and ammonium nitrate products. The company is based in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and was founded in 1946 as the Central Farmers Fertilizer Company. For its first 56 years, it was a federation of regional agricultural supply cooperatives. CF then demutualized, and became a publicly traded company.

Linde is a global multinational chemical company and the world's largest industrial gas supplier by market share and revenue. Founded by German scientist and engineer Carl von Linde in 1879 in Wiesbaden, Germany, the company is now headquartered in Woking, United Kingdom, and registered in Ireland as Linde plc. Linde plc was formed in 2018 through the merger of Linde AG and Praxair, which was founded in 1907 in the United States as Linde Air Products Company.

CF vs LIN — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CF
CF
213.2× larger
CF
$1.9B
$8.8M
LIN
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CF
CF
+14.6% gap
CF
22.8%
8.2%
LIN
More free cash flow
CF
CF
$312.1M more FCF
CF
$313.0M
$898.0K
LIN
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CF
CF
Annualised
CF
12.8%
-96.7%
LIN

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Revenue
$1.9B
$8.8M
Net Profit
$495.0M
Gross Margin
40.9%
48.5%
Operating Margin
33.0%
27.8%
Net Margin
26.4%
Revenue YoY
22.8%
8.2%
Net Profit YoY
26.3%
EPS (diluted)
$2.56
$3.98

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
$8.8M
Q4 25
$1.9B
$8.8B
Q3 25
$1.7B
$8.6B
Q2 25
$1.9B
$8.5B
Q1 25
$1.7B
$8.1B
Q4 24
$1.5B
$8.3B
Q3 24
$1.4B
$8.4B
Q2 24
$1.6B
$8.3B
Net Profit
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
Q4 25
$495.0M
$1.5B
Q3 25
$460.0M
$1.9B
Q2 25
$492.0M
$1.8B
Q1 25
$351.0M
$1.7B
Q4 24
$392.0M
$1.7B
Q3 24
$341.0M
$1.6B
Q2 24
$506.0M
$1.7B
Gross Margin
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
48.5%
Q4 25
40.9%
Q3 25
38.1%
Q2 25
39.9%
Q1 25
34.4%
Q4 24
34.4%
Q3 24
32.4%
Q2 24
43.2%
Operating Margin
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
27.8%
Q4 25
33.0%
23.0%
Q3 25
35.0%
27.5%
Q2 25
34.3%
27.7%
Q1 25
27.4%
26.9%
Q4 24
28.9%
27.4%
Q3 24
26.6%
25.0%
Q2 24
40.6%
26.4%
Net Margin
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
Q4 25
26.4%
17.5%
Q3 25
27.7%
22.4%
Q2 25
26.0%
20.8%
Q1 25
21.1%
20.6%
Q4 24
25.7%
20.8%
Q3 24
24.9%
18.5%
Q2 24
32.2%
20.1%
EPS (diluted)
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
$3.98
Q4 25
$2.56
$3.28
Q3 25
$2.19
$4.09
Q2 25
$2.37
$3.73
Q1 25
$1.85
$3.51
Q4 24
$1.86
$3.61
Q3 24
$1.55
$3.22
Q2 24
$2.30
$3.44

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$4.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$3.2B
$24.7M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$4.8B
$40.1M
Total Assets
$14.1B
$86.3M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.66×
0.62×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
$4.0M
Q4 25
$5.1B
Q3 25
$4.5B
Q2 25
$4.8B
Q1 25
$5.3B
Q4 24
$4.8B
Q3 24
$5.2B
Q2 24
$4.6B
Total Debt
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
$24.7M
Q4 25
$3.2B
$20.7B
Q3 25
$3.0B
$18.6B
Q2 25
$3.0B
$19.7B
Q1 25
$3.0B
$17.6B
Q4 24
$3.0B
$15.3B
Q3 24
$3.0B
$17.5B
Q2 24
$3.0B
$16.9B
Stockholders' Equity
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
$40.1M
Q4 25
$4.8B
$38.2B
Q3 25
$4.8B
$38.6B
Q2 25
$5.0B
$38.5B
Q1 25
$4.8B
$38.0B
Q4 24
$5.0B
$38.1B
Q3 24
$5.2B
$39.2B
Q2 24
$5.5B
$38.2B
Total Assets
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
$86.3M
Q4 25
$14.1B
$86.8B
Q3 25
$14.2B
$86.0B
Q2 25
$13.8B
$86.1B
Q1 25
$13.3B
$82.7B
Q4 24
$13.5B
$80.1B
Q3 24
$13.8B
$82.5B
Q2 24
$13.8B
$80.2B
Debt / Equity
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
0.62×
Q4 25
0.66×
0.54×
Q3 25
0.61×
0.48×
Q2 25
0.60×
0.51×
Q1 25
0.62×
0.46×
Q4 24
0.60×
0.40×
Q3 24
0.57×
0.45×
Q2 24
0.54×
0.44×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$539.0M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$313.0M
$898.0K
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
16.7%
10.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
12.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.09×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.8B
$4.2B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
Q4 25
$539.0M
$3.0B
Q3 25
$1.1B
$2.9B
Q2 25
$563.0M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$586.0M
$2.2B
Q4 24
$420.0M
$2.8B
Q3 24
$931.0M
$2.7B
Q2 24
$475.0M
$1.9B
Free Cash Flow
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
$898.0K
Q4 25
$313.0M
$1.6B
Q3 25
$717.0M
$1.7B
Q2 25
$318.0M
$954.0M
Q1 25
$454.0M
$891.0M
Q4 24
$223.0M
$1.6B
Q3 24
$792.0M
$1.7B
Q2 24
$391.0M
$796.0M
FCF Margin
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
10.2%
Q4 25
16.7%
17.9%
Q3 25
43.2%
19.4%
Q2 25
16.8%
11.2%
Q1 25
27.3%
11.0%
Q4 24
14.6%
18.8%
Q3 24
57.8%
19.9%
Q2 24
24.9%
9.6%
Capex Intensity
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
Q4 25
12.1%
16.6%
Q3 25
20.9%
14.8%
Q2 25
13.0%
14.8%
Q1 25
7.9%
15.7%
Q4 24
12.9%
15.1%
Q3 24
10.1%
12.8%
Q2 24
5.3%
13.7%
Cash Conversion
CF
CF
LIN
LIN
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.09×
1.98×
Q3 25
2.31×
1.53×
Q2 25
1.14×
1.25×
Q1 25
1.67×
1.29×
Q4 24
1.07×
1.63×
Q3 24
2.73×
1.76×
Q2 24
0.94×
1.16×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

CF
CF

Ammonia$591.0M32%
UAN$493.0M26%
Urea$372.0M20%
Other$244.0M13%
Other Products$147.0M8%
Ammonium Nitrate Segment$25.0M1%

LIN
LIN

Segment breakdown not available.

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