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

Nucor is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($9.5B vs $8.8B, roughly 1.1× Linde plc). Linde plc runs the higher net margin — 17.5% vs 7.8%, a 9.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Nucor posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (21.3% vs 5.8%). Over the past eight quarters, Nucor's revenue compounded faster (8.4% CAGR vs 4.0%).

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.

Nucor Corporation is an American company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that produces steel and related products. It is the largest steel producer in the United States and the largest recycler of scrap in North America. Nucor is the 16th-largest steel producer in the world. Along with Commercial Metals Company, it is one of two primary suppliers of rebar used to reinforce concrete in buildings, bridges, roads, and infrastructure in the U.S.

LIN vs NUE — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
NUE
NUE
1.1× larger
NUE
$9.5B
$8.8B
LIN
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
NUE
NUE
+15.5% gap
NUE
21.3%
5.8%
LIN
Higher net margin
LIN
LIN
9.6% more per $
LIN
17.5%
7.8%
NUE
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
NUE
NUE
Annualised
NUE
8.4%
4.0%
LIN

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Revenue
$8.8B
$9.5B
Net Profit
$1.5B
$743.0M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
23.0%
Net Margin
17.5%
7.8%
Revenue YoY
5.8%
21.3%
Net Profit YoY
-11.3%
376.3%
EPS (diluted)
$3.28
$3.23

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
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
$9.5B
Q4 25
$8.8B
$8.5B
Q3 25
$8.6B
$8.5B
Q2 25
$8.5B
$7.8B
Q1 25
$8.1B
Q4 24
$8.3B
$7.1B
Q3 24
$8.4B
$7.4B
Q2 24
$8.3B
$8.1B
Net Profit
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
$743.0M
Q4 25
$1.5B
$607.0M
Q3 25
$1.9B
$603.0M
Q2 25
$1.8B
$156.0M
Q1 25
$1.7B
Q4 24
$1.7B
$287.0M
Q3 24
$1.6B
$249.9M
Q2 24
$1.7B
$645.2M
Gross Margin
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
Q4 25
13.9%
Q3 25
14.5%
Q2 25
7.7%
Q1 25
Q4 24
8.9%
Q3 24
10.2%
Q2 24
14.8%
Operating Margin
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
Q4 25
23.0%
10.4%
Q3 25
27.5%
10.6%
Q2 25
27.7%
3.6%
Q1 25
26.9%
Q4 24
27.4%
5.5%
Q3 24
25.0%
5.2%
Q2 24
26.4%
11.1%
Net Margin
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
7.8%
Q4 25
17.5%
7.1%
Q3 25
22.4%
7.1%
Q2 25
20.8%
2.0%
Q1 25
20.6%
Q4 24
20.8%
4.1%
Q3 24
18.5%
3.4%
Q2 24
20.1%
8.0%
EPS (diluted)
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
$3.23
Q4 25
$3.28
$2.63
Q3 25
$4.09
$2.60
Q2 25
$3.73
$0.67
Q1 25
$3.51
Q4 24
$3.61
$1.27
Q3 24
$3.22
$1.05
Q2 24
$3.44
$2.68

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$5.1B
$2.5B
Total DebtLower is stronger
$20.7B
$134.0M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$38.2B
$22.5B
Total Assets
$86.8B
$35.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.54×
0.01×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
$2.5B
Q4 25
$5.1B
$2.7B
Q3 25
$4.5B
$2.5B
Q2 25
$4.8B
$4.1B
Q1 25
$5.3B
Q4 24
$4.8B
$4.1B
Q3 24
$5.2B
$4.9B
Q2 24
$4.6B
$5.4B
Total Debt
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
$134.0M
Q4 25
$20.7B
$6.7B
Q3 25
$18.6B
$6.7B
Q2 25
$19.7B
$6.7B
Q1 25
$17.6B
Q4 24
$15.3B
$5.7B
Q3 24
$17.5B
$5.7B
Q2 24
$16.9B
$5.6B
Stockholders' Equity
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
$22.5B
Q4 25
$38.2B
$20.8B
Q3 25
$38.6B
$20.4B
Q2 25
$38.5B
$20.1B
Q1 25
$38.0B
Q4 24
$38.1B
$20.3B
Q3 24
$39.2B
$20.5B
Q2 24
$38.2B
$20.7B
Total Assets
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
$35.6B
Q4 25
$86.8B
$34.8B
Q3 25
$86.0B
$34.2B
Q2 25
$86.1B
$34.7B
Q1 25
$82.7B
Q4 24
$80.1B
$33.9B
Q3 24
$82.5B
$34.3B
Q2 24
$80.2B
$34.2B
Debt / Equity
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
0.01×
Q4 25
0.54×
0.32×
Q3 25
0.48×
0.33×
Q2 25
0.51×
0.33×
Q1 25
0.46×
Q4 24
0.40×
0.28×
Q3 24
0.45×
0.28×
Q2 24
0.44×
0.27×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$3.0B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$1.6B
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
17.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
16.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.98×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$5.1B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
Q4 25
$3.0B
$1.3B
Q3 25
$2.9B
$732.0M
Q2 25
$2.2B
$364.0M
Q1 25
$2.2B
Q4 24
$2.8B
$733.4M
Q3 24
$2.7B
$1.3B
Q2 24
$1.9B
$1.5B
Free Cash Flow
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
Q4 25
$1.6B
$532.0M
Q3 25
$1.7B
$-222.0M
Q2 25
$954.0M
$-495.0M
Q1 25
$891.0M
Q4 24
$1.6B
$-145.8M
Q3 24
$1.7B
$478.1M
Q2 24
$796.0M
$684.4M
FCF Margin
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
Q4 25
17.9%
6.2%
Q3 25
19.4%
-2.6%
Q2 25
11.2%
-6.3%
Q1 25
11.0%
Q4 24
18.8%
-2.1%
Q3 24
19.9%
6.4%
Q2 24
9.6%
8.5%
Capex Intensity
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
Q4 25
16.6%
9.5%
Q3 25
14.8%
11.3%
Q2 25
14.8%
11.0%
Q1 25
15.7%
Q4 24
15.1%
12.4%
Q3 24
12.8%
11.1%
Q2 24
13.7%
9.9%
Cash Conversion
LIN
LIN
NUE
NUE
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.98×
2.21×
Q3 25
1.53×
1.21×
Q2 25
1.25×
2.33×
Q1 25
1.29×
Q4 24
1.63×
2.56×
Q3 24
1.76×
5.20×
Q2 24
1.16×
2.30×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

LIN
LIN

Other$4.9B56%
Packaged Gas$1.6B19%
Merchant$1.2B14%
On Site$950.0M11%
Other Distribution Methods$64.0M1%

NUE
NUE

Segment breakdown not available.

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