Buyback yield (TTM)
1.87%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
3.10%
5Y share count change
-11.8%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$4.30B
Cumulative buybacks
$37.78B
Key takeaways
- Linde (LIN) repurchased about $4.30B of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is down 11.8% over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are net-shrinking the share base.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 32.55× — repurchases more than cover SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +13.4% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 191% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for Linde (LIN)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for Linde (LIN)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for Linde (LIN)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for Linde (LIN)
Latest: $4.60B
Overview
2025's annual buyback spend for Linde (LIN) came in at $4.60B – edged up 2.7% year-over-year.
Linde buyback spend has grown for 2 consecutive years, with a +13.4% compound annual growth rate over 2020–2025 (5 years).
Linde buyback spend peaked at $5.17B in 2022; the latest annual figure is $4.60B in 2025 (11.0% below peak).
The highest annual buyback spend of $5.17B was reported in 2022. The lowest in the available history was $0.00 in 1991.
Linde Buyback Spend 2025: $4.60B
In 2025, Linde reported buyback spend of $4.60B, edged up 2.7% from 2024.
Linde Buyback Spend 2024: $4.48B
Linde buyback spend in 2024 was $4.48B, grew 13.2% from 2023.
Linde Buyback Spend 2023: $3.96B
2023's buyback spend for Linde came in at $3.96B, declined 23.4% below 2022.
Linde Buyback Spend 2022: $5.17B
Linde posted buyback spend of $5.17B in 2022, grew 12.1% from 2021. This figure represents the highest annual value in the available history.
Linde Buyback Spend 2021: $4.61B
Linde buyback spend in 2021 was $4.61B.
See more financial history for Linde (LIN).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $4.60B | $133.00M | $4.47B | 2.31% | 0.47B | -2.8% | |
| 2024 | $4.48B | $0.00 | $4.48B | 2.25% | 0.48B | -2.1% | |
| 2023 | $3.96B | $141.00M | $3.82B | 1.99% | 0.49B | -2.3% | |
| 2022 | $5.17B | $107.00M | $5.06B | 3.21% | 0.50B | -3.4% | |
| 2021 | $4.61B | $128.00M | $4.48B | 2.60% | 0.52B | -1.7% | |
| 2020 | $2.46B | $133.00M | $2.32B | 1.78% | 0.53B | -2.6% | |
| 2019 | $2.66B | $95.00M | $2.56B | 2.33% | 0.55B | +63.2% | |
| 2018 | $599.00M | $62.00M | $537.00M | 0.84% | 0.33B | +15.6% | |
| 2017 | $12.00M | $59.00M | −$47.00M | 0.03% | 0.29B | +0.5% | |
| 2016 | $228.00M | $39.00M | $189.00M | 0.68% | 0.29B | -0.4% | |
| 2015 | $725.00M | $30.00M | $695.00M | 2.48% | 0.29B | -2.2% | |
| 2014 | $862.00M | $51.00M | $811.00M | 2.29% | 0.30B | -1.1% | |
| 2013 | $590.00M | $70.00M | $520.00M | 1.54% | 0.30B | -1.0% | |
| 2012 | $623.00M | $70.00M | $553.00M | 1.92% | 0.30B | -1.6% | |
| 2011 | $937.00M | $62.00M | $875.00M | 2.93% | 0.31B | -1.5% | |
| 2010 | $587.00M | $47.00M | $540.00M | 2.01% | 0.31B | -0.3% | |
| 2009 | $236.00M | $39.00M | $197.00M | 0.96% | 0.31B | -1.9% | |
| 2008 | $1.08B | $0.00 | $1.08B | 5.90% | 0.32B | -2.0% | |
| 2007 | $959.00M | $0.00 | $959.00M | 3.42% | 0.32B | -1.4% | |
| 2006 | $487.00M | $0.00 | $487.00M | 2.54% | 0.33B | -0.1% | |
| 2005 | $396.00M | $0.00 | $396.00M | 2.31% | 0.33B | -0.5% | |
| 2004 | $394.00M | $0.00 | $394.00M | 2.75% | 0.33B | +0.1% | |
| 2003 | $271.00M | $0.00 | $271.00M | 2.17% | 0.33B | +0.5% | |
| 2002 | $276.00M | $0.00 | $276.00M | 2.94% | 0.33B | +0.8% | |
| 2001 | $76.00M | $0.00 | $76.00M | 0.85% | 0.33B | +1.5% | |
| 2000 | $144.00M | $0.00 | $144.00M | — | 0.32B | -0.7% | |
| 1999 | $73.00M | $0.00 | $73.00M | — | 0.32B | -0.7% | |
| 1998 | $97.00M | $0.00 | $97.00M | — | 0.33B | -0.4% | |
| 1997 | $137.00M | $0.00 | $137.00M | — | 0.33B | +3.2% | |
| 1996 | $7.00M | $0.00 | $7.00M | — | 0.32B | — | |
| 1995 | $45.00M | $0.00 | $45.00M | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $8.00M | $0.00 | $8.00M | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — |
- 2025$4.60B
- 2024$4.48B
- 2023$3.96B
- 2022$5.17B
- 2021$4.61B
- 2020$2.46B
- 2019$2.66B
- 2018$599.00M
- 2017$12.00M
- 2016$228.00M
- 2015$725.00M
- 2014$862.00M
- 2013$590.00M
- 2012$623.00M
- 2011$937.00M
- 2010$587.00M
- 2009$236.00M
- 2008$1.08B
- 2007$959.00M
- 2006$487.00M
- 2005$396.00M
- 2004$394.00M
- 2003$271.00M
- 2002$276.00M
- 2001$76.00M
- 2000$144.00M
- 1999$73.00M
- 1998$97.00M
- 1997$137.00M
- 1996$7.00M
- 1995$45.00M
- 1994$8.00M
- 1993$0.00
- 1992$0.00
- 1991$0.00
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for Linde (LIN)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 32.55×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for Linde (LIN)
How Linde splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as Linde, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $2.30B | |
| $1.66B | |
| $1.18B | |
| $783.80M | |
| $682.89M | |
| $107.00M | |
| $0.00 | |
| $0.00 |
- $2.30B
- $1.66B
- $1.18B
- $783.80M
- $682.89M
- $107.00M
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $2.25B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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