Linde plc (LIN) Rose on Investors’ Favour Its Defensive Business Profile

Impax Asset Management, an investment management firm based in London, specializing in sustainable investing, released its first-quarter 2026 investor letter for its “Impax Global Environmental Markets Fund”. A copy of the letter is available to download here. The Fund stood resilient in the quarter by outperforming its primary benchmark, the MSCI ACWI index. The stock selection in Information Technology (IT), along with businesses with strong earnings and Materials, drove the performance in a volatile environment. Global equity markets started the year on a positive note, but finished lower due to a risk-off environment. In this landscape, the firm’s emphasis is on solutions such as renewable energy to improve energy security and efficiency, as well as on more efficient grids, power storage, and technologies that reduce energy intensity.  In addition, please check the firm’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.

In its first-quarter 2026 investor letter, Impax Global Environmental Markets Fund highlighted Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN). Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is a global chemical company and a leading provider of industrial gases. On June 2, 2026, Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) closed at $495.91 per share. One-month return of Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) was -1.19%, and its shares gained 4.67% over the past 52 weeks. Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) has a market capitalization of $230.1 billion.

Impax Global Environmental Markets Fund stated the following regarding Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:

“Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) (Industrial Energy Efficiency, US) moved higher as the market rewarded the company’s defensive business profile during a volatile, risk-off quarter. Strong quarterly results and optimism around the company’s exposure to space end markets also provided a tailwind for stock performance.”

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Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 104 hedge fund portfolios held Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) at the end of the first quarter, up from 89 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

In another article, we covered Linde plc (NASDAQ:LIN) and shared the list of best dividend paying stocks to buy. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

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