5 Dividend Stocks Better Than Cryptocurrencies

4. Linde plc (NYSE:LIN)

Dividend Yield as of March 24: 1.48%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 45

Linde plc (NYSE:LIN) is a multinational chemical corporation that is a leading provider of industrial gasses such as oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium, acetylene, and carbon monoxide, among others. 

On March 9, Linde plc (NYSE:LIN) shares rose 8.5% as the CEO Sanjiv Lamba disclosed his purchase of 3,750 ordinary shares, priced between $268.54 to $269.27. The transaction was worth approximately $1 million.

Linde plc (NYSE:LIN), a reliable dividend aristocrat, announced on February 28 a $1.17 per share quarterly dividend, a 10% increase from its prior dividend of $1.06. The dividend is payable on March 25, to shareholders of record on March 11. The company also disclosed a share repurchase program of up to $10 billion common shares. The maximum share capital repurchase amount will be 15% of outstanding shares and the program’s expiration date is July 31, 2024. 

HSBC analyst Martin Evans raised the price target on Linde plc (NYSE:LIN) to $382 from $366 and kept a Buy rating on the shares on February 18. The company reported a “strong increase” in Q4 performance and has strategic long-term contracts that will enable growth, the analyst told investors in a bullish thesis. 

Of the 45 hedge funds that held long positions in Linde plc (NYSE:LIN), Impax Asset Management is the leading shareholder of the company, with approximately $3 million shares worth over $1 billion.