5 Best Dividend Paying Stocks to Buy Right Now

3. Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 104

Analysts grew more optimistic on Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) following the company’s first-quarter results and updated outlook. On May 5, BMO Capital raised its price recommendation on Linde to $560 from $545. It reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares after the company delivered an earnings beat. The firm views Linde as one of the stronger performers in the sector, supported by favorable pricing trends, healthy demand growth in the US, and improving conditions in the helium market. According to the analyst, those factors could help the company exceed its expectations for 2026.

The same day, RBC Capital also lifted its price goal on Linde, raising it to $570 from $552. It kept an Outperform rating on the stock.RBC described the quarter as largely in line with expectations but pointed to the company’s higher full-year 2026 guidance as an encouraging sign. The analyst said the updated outlook reflects expectations for low single-digit volume growth and high single-digit earnings-per-share growth. The firm noted that foreign exchange tailwinds are likely to fade during the second half of the year. Even so, Linde’s guidance does not appear to include any meaningful benefit from improving helium market conditions. If those trends continue, the company could move toward the upper end of its FY26 earnings guidance range of $17.60 to $17.90 per share.

Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is a global industrial gases and engineering company headquartered in the United Kingdom. The company operates through four segments: Americas, EMEA, APAC, and Engineering.