vs
Side-by-side financial comparison of LITHIA MOTORS INC (LAD) and Linde plc (LIN). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
LITHIA MOTORS INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($9.3B vs $8.8B, roughly 1.1× Linde plc). Linde plc runs the higher net margin — 17.5% vs 1.1%, a 16.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Linde plc posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (5.8% vs 1.0%). Over the past eight quarters, Linde plc's revenue compounded faster (4.0% CAGR vs 0.2%).
Lithia Motors, Inc. is an American nationwide automotive dealership group headquartered in Medford, Oregon. As of 2025, Lithia is the largest automotive retailer in the United States by revenue, ahead of competitors such as AutoNation and Penske Automotive Group. As of December 31, 2024, Lithia operates 459 dealership locations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The company employs approximately 30,000 people worldwide.
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.
LAD vs LIN — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $9.3B | $8.8B |
| Net Profit | $102.0M | $1.5B |
| Gross Margin | 15.3% | — |
| Operating Margin | 3.6% | 23.0% |
| Net Margin | 1.1% | 17.5% |
| Revenue YoY | 1.0% | 5.8% |
| Net Profit YoY | 5.9% | -11.3% |
| EPS (diluted) | $4.28 | $3.28 |
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.
| Q1 26 | $9.3B | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $9.2B | $8.8B | ||
| Q3 25 | $9.7B | $8.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | $9.6B | $8.5B | ||
| Q1 25 | $9.2B | $8.1B | ||
| Q4 24 | $9.2B | $8.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $9.2B | $8.4B | ||
| Q2 24 | $9.2B | $8.3B |
| Q1 26 | $102.0M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $136.9M | $1.5B | ||
| Q3 25 | $217.1M | $1.9B | ||
| Q2 25 | $256.1M | $1.8B | ||
| Q1 25 | $209.5M | $1.7B | ||
| Q4 24 | $216.1M | $1.7B | ||
| Q3 24 | $209.1M | $1.6B | ||
| Q2 24 | $214.2M | $1.7B |
| Q1 26 | 15.3% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 14.9% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 15.2% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 15.5% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 15.4% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 15.0% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 15.5% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 15.4% | — |
| Q1 26 | 3.6% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 3.7% | 23.0% | ||
| Q3 25 | 4.4% | 27.5% | ||
| Q2 25 | 4.4% | 27.7% | ||
| Q1 25 | 4.4% | 26.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 4.5% | 27.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 4.6% | 25.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 4.3% | 26.4% |
| Q1 26 | 1.1% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 1.5% | 17.5% | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.2% | 22.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.7% | 20.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | 2.3% | 20.6% | ||
| Q4 24 | 2.4% | 20.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.3% | 18.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.3% | 20.1% |
| Q1 26 | $4.28 | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $5.90 | $3.28 | ||
| Q3 25 | $8.61 | $4.09 | ||
| Q2 25 | $9.87 | $3.73 | ||
| Q1 25 | $7.94 | $3.51 | ||
| Q4 24 | $8.09 | $3.61 | ||
| Q3 24 | $7.80 | $3.22 | ||
| Q2 24 | $7.87 | $3.44 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | — | $5.1B |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $6.4B | $20.7B |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $6.4B | $38.2B |
| Total Assets | $25.7B | $86.8B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 1.01× | 0.54× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | — | $5.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | $206.5M | $4.5B | ||
| Q2 25 | $202.8M | $4.8B | ||
| Q1 25 | $234.4M | $5.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | — | $4.8B | ||
| Q3 24 | $209.8M | $5.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $516.4M | $4.6B |
| Q1 26 | $6.4B | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $9.7B | $20.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $18.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | — | $19.7B | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $17.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $8.2B | $15.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | — | $17.5B | ||
| Q2 24 | — | $16.9B |
| Q1 26 | $6.4B | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $6.6B | $38.2B | ||
| Q3 25 | $6.8B | $38.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | $7.0B | $38.5B | ||
| Q1 25 | $6.8B | $38.0B | ||
| Q4 24 | $6.7B | $38.1B | ||
| Q3 24 | $6.6B | $39.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $6.4B | $38.2B |
| Q1 26 | $25.7B | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $25.1B | $86.8B | ||
| Q3 25 | $24.5B | $86.0B | ||
| Q2 25 | $24.2B | $86.1B | ||
| Q1 25 | $23.5B | $82.7B | ||
| Q4 24 | $23.1B | $80.1B | ||
| Q3 24 | $23.3B | $82.5B | ||
| Q2 24 | $23.2B | $80.2B |
| Q1 26 | 1.01× | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 1.47× | 0.54× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 0.48× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 0.51× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 0.46× | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.23× | 0.40× | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 0.45× | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 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 | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $212.2M | $3.0B |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | — | $1.6B |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | — | 17.9% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 1.0% | 16.6% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 2.08× | 1.98× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | — | $5.1B |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | $212.2M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $123.7M | $3.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $-98.4M | $2.9B | ||
| Q2 25 | $9.3M | $2.2B | ||
| Q1 25 | $322.1M | $2.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $61.8M | $2.8B | ||
| Q3 24 | $219.3M | $2.7B | ||
| Q2 24 | $-148.4M | $1.9B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $30.5M | $1.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $-207.3M | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 25 | $-70.8M | $954.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $253.4M | $891.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-17.7M | $1.6B | ||
| Q3 24 | $157.1M | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 24 | $-278.5M | $796.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.3% | 17.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | -2.1% | 19.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | -0.7% | 11.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 2.8% | 11.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | -0.2% | 18.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.7% | 19.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | -3.0% | 9.6% |
| Q1 26 | 1.0% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 1.0% | 16.6% | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.1% | 14.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.8% | 14.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.7% | 15.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.9% | 15.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.7% | 12.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.4% | 13.7% |
| Q1 26 | 2.08× | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.90× | 1.98× | ||
| Q3 25 | -0.45× | 1.53× | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.04× | 1.25× | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.54× | 1.29× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.29× | 1.63× | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.05× | 1.76× | ||
| Q2 24 | -0.69× | 1.16× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
LAD
| New vehicle | $4.4B | 47% |
| Used vehicle | $3.5B | 38% |
| Aftersales | $1.0B | 11% |
| Finance and insurance | $359.7M | 4% |
LIN
| Other | $4.9B | 56% |
| Packaged Gas | $1.6B | 19% |
| Merchant | $1.2B | 14% |
| On Site | $950.0M | 11% |
| Other Distribution Methods | $64.0M | 1% |
