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Side-by-side financial comparison of Linde plc (LIN) and Southern Company (SO). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Linde plc is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($8.8B vs $7.0B, roughly 1.3× Southern Company). Linde plc runs the higher net margin — 17.5% vs 4.9%, a 12.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Southern Company posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (146.8% vs 5.8%). Over the past eight quarters, Linde plc's revenue compounded faster (4.0% CAGR vs 3.9%).
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.
Southern Company is an American gas and electric utility holding company based in the Southern United States. It is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with executive offices located in Birmingham, Alabama. As of 2021 it is the second largest utility company in the U.S. in terms of customer base. Through its subsidiaries it serves 9 million gas and electric utility customers in 6 states. Southern Company's regulated regional electric utilities serve a 120,000-square-mile (310,000 km2) territor...
LIN vs SO — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $8.8B | $7.0B |
| Net Profit | $1.5B | $341.0M |
| Gross Margin | — | — |
| Operating Margin | 23.0% | 13.1% |
| Net Margin | 17.5% | 4.9% |
| Revenue YoY | 5.8% | 146.8% |
| Net Profit YoY | -11.3% | 483.1% |
| EPS (diluted) | $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 | — | $7.0B | ||
| Q4 25 | $8.8B | $7.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $8.6B | $7.8B | ||
| Q2 25 | $8.5B | $7.0B | ||
| Q1 25 | $8.1B | $7.8B | ||
| Q4 24 | $8.3B | $6.3B | ||
| Q3 24 | $8.4B | $7.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | $8.3B | $6.5B |
| Q1 26 | — | $341.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.5B | $341.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.9B | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.8B | $880.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.7B | $1.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.7B | $466.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.6B | $1.5B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.7B | $1.2B |
| Q1 26 | — | 13.1% | ||
| Q4 25 | 23.0% | 13.1% | ||
| Q3 25 | 27.5% | 33.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 27.7% | 25.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 26.9% | 25.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 27.4% | 16.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 25.0% | 32.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 26.4% | 30.0% |
| Q1 26 | — | 4.9% | ||
| Q4 25 | 17.5% | 4.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 22.4% | 21.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | 20.8% | 12.6% | ||
| Q1 25 | 20.6% | 16.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 20.8% | 7.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 18.5% | 21.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 20.1% | 18.6% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $3.28 | $0.38 | ||
| Q3 25 | $4.09 | $1.54 | ||
| Q2 25 | $3.73 | $0.79 | ||
| Q1 25 | $3.51 | $1.21 | ||
| Q4 24 | $3.61 | $0.48 | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.22 | $1.39 | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.44 | $1.09 |
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 | $20.7B | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $38.2B | — |
| Total Assets | $86.8B | — |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.54× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $5.1B | $1.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $4.5B | $3.3B | ||
| Q2 25 | $4.8B | $1.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $5.3B | $2.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $4.8B | $1.1B | ||
| Q3 24 | $5.2B | $1.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $4.6B | $1.2B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $20.7B | $65.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $18.6B | $64.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | $19.7B | $63.0B | ||
| Q1 25 | $17.6B | $62.9B | ||
| Q4 24 | $15.3B | $58.8B | ||
| Q3 24 | $17.5B | $61.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | $16.9B | $59.9B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $38.2B | $36.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $38.6B | $38.3B | ||
| Q2 25 | $38.5B | $37.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $38.0B | $37.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $38.1B | $33.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $39.2B | $36.9B | ||
| Q2 24 | $38.2B | $36.1B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $86.8B | $155.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | $86.0B | $153.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $86.1B | $148.9B | ||
| Q1 25 | $82.7B | $148.1B | ||
| Q4 24 | $80.1B | $145.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $82.5B | $144.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $80.2B | $141.9B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.54× | 1.82× | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.48× | 1.69× | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.51× | 1.69× | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.46× | 1.69× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.40× | 1.77× | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.45× | 1.66× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.44× | 1.66× |
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 | $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.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $3.0B | $2.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.9B | $3.8B | ||
| Q2 25 | $2.2B | $2.2B | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.2B | $1.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.8B | $2.2B | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.7B | $3.6B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.9B | $2.7B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.6B | $-1.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.7B | $559.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $954.0M | $-619.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $891.0M | $-1.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.6B | $-576.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.7B | $1.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | $796.0M | $563.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 17.9% | -24.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | 19.4% | 7.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 11.2% | -8.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 11.0% | -15.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 18.8% | -9.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | 19.9% | 17.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 9.6% | 8.7% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 16.6% | 61.4% | ||
| Q3 25 | 14.8% | 41.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 14.8% | 40.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 15.7% | 31.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 15.1% | 43.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 12.8% | 31.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | 13.7% | 32.9% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 1.98× | 7.62× | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.53× | 2.21× | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.25× | 2.48× | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.29× | 0.98× | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.63× | 4.66× | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.76× | 2.36× | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.16× | 2.23× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
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% |
SO
Segment breakdown not available.
