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Side-by-side financial comparison of Linde plc (LIN) and Medline Inc. (MDLN). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Linde plc is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($8.8B vs $7.4B, roughly 1.2× Medline Inc.). On growth, Medline Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (10.7% vs 8.2%). Medline Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($316.0M vs $898.0K).
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.
Medline Inc. is an American public healthcare company headquartered in Northfield, Illinois. In June 2021 it was acquired by a consortium of private equity firms Blackstone, Carlyle and Hellman & Friedman valuing the company at $34 billion in one of the largest leveraged buyouts of all time. It was the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies providing products, education, clinical programs and services across the continuum of care with operations in ov...
LIN vs MDLN — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $8.8B | $7.4B |
| Net Profit | — | $239.0M |
| Gross Margin | 48.5% | 25.0% |
| Operating Margin | 27.8% | 5.7% |
| Net Margin | — | 3.3% |
| Revenue YoY | 8.2% | 10.7% |
| Net Profit YoY | — | -59.9% |
| EPS (diluted) | $3.98 | $0.16 |
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 | $8.8B | $7.4B | ||
| Q4 25 | $8.8B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $8.6B | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $8.5B | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $8.1B | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $8.3B | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $8.4B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $8.3B | — |
| Q1 26 | — | $239.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.5B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.9B | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.8B | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.7B | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.7B | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.6B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.7B | — |
| Q1 26 | 48.5% | 25.0% | ||
| Q4 25 | — | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | — | ||
| Q2 25 | — | — | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | — | — | ||
| Q3 24 | — | — | ||
| Q2 24 | — | — |
| Q1 26 | 27.8% | 5.7% | ||
| Q4 25 | 23.0% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 27.5% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 27.7% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 26.9% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 27.4% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 25.0% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 26.4% | — |
| Q1 26 | — | 3.3% | ||
| Q4 25 | 17.5% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 22.4% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 20.8% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 20.6% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 20.8% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 18.5% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 20.1% | — |
| Q1 26 | $3.98 | $0.16 | ||
| Q4 25 | $3.28 | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $4.09 | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $3.73 | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $3.51 | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $3.61 | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.22 | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $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 | $4.0B | $2.2B |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $24.7B | $12.5B |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $40.1B | $19.3B |
| Total Assets | $86.3B | $39.0B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.62× | 0.65× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | $4.0B | $2.2B | ||
| 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 | — |
| Q1 26 | $24.7B | $12.5B | ||
| Q4 25 | $20.7B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $18.6B | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $19.7B | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $17.6B | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $15.3B | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $17.5B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $16.9B | — |
| Q1 26 | $40.1B | $19.3B | ||
| Q4 25 | $38.2B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $38.6B | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $38.5B | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $38.0B | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $38.1B | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $39.2B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $38.2B | — |
| Q1 26 | $86.3B | $39.0B | ||
| Q4 25 | $86.8B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $86.0B | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $86.1B | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $82.7B | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $80.1B | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $82.5B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $80.2B | — |
| Q1 26 | 0.62× | 0.65× | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.54× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.48× | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.51× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.46× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 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 | — | $412.0M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $898.0K | $316.0M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | 0.0% | 4.3% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | — | 1.3% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | 1.72× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $4.2B | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | $412.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $3.0B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.9B | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $2.2B | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.2B | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.8B | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.7B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.9B | — |
| Q1 26 | $898.0K | $316.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.6B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.7B | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $954.0M | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $891.0M | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.6B | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.7B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $796.0M | — |
| Q1 26 | 0.0% | 4.3% | ||
| Q4 25 | 17.9% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 19.4% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 11.2% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 11.0% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 18.8% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 19.9% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 9.6% | — |
| Q1 26 | — | 1.3% | ||
| Q4 25 | 16.6% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 14.8% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 14.8% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 15.7% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 15.1% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 12.8% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 13.7% | — |
| Q1 26 | — | 1.72× | ||
| Q4 25 | 1.98× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.53× | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.25× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.29× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.63× | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.76× | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.16× | — |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
LIN
Segment breakdown not available.
MDLN
| Supply Chain Solutions segment | $3.9B | 53% |
| Medline Brand segment | $3.5B | 47% |
