Linde (WBO:LIN) Beneish M-Score: -2.62 (As of Jun. 24, 2026)


WBO:LIN Linde PLC WBO:LIN
26 GF Score
Price €455.60
GF Value €437.71
Valuation Fairly Valued
! 7 Warning Signs
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What is Linde Beneish M-Score?

Linde WBO:LIN +1.65% 26 Beneish M-Score is -2.62 as of Jun. 24, 2026. GuruFocus rates WBO:LIN with a GF Score™ of 26/100 and a GF Value™ of €437.71 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,529 Chemicals companies, Linde ranks better than 59.91% on this metric.

The zones of discrimination for M-Score is as such:

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Good Sign:

Beneish M-Score -2.62 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

The historical rank and industry rank for Linde's Beneish M-Score or its related term are showing as below:

WBO:LIN' s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -2.94   Med: -2.7   Max: -0.71
Current: -2.62

During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Linde was -0.71. The lowest was -2.94. And the median was -2.70.


Linde Beneish M-Score Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Linde's Beneish M-Score can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Linde Beneish M-Score Chart

Linde Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Beneish M-Score
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -2.75 -2.72 -2.69 -2.70 -2.62

Linde Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Beneish M-Score Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -2.68 -2.63 -2.61 -2.62 -2.62

WBO:LIN vs SHW, ECL, APD: Beneish M-Score Comparison

For the Specialty Chemicals subindustry, Linde's Beneish M-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Beneish M-Score data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Linde Beneish M-Score vs Chemicals Industry

For the Chemicals industry and Basic Materials sector, Linde's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Linde's Beneish M-Score falls into.


WBO:LIN
26GF Score
Linde PLC WBO:LIN
Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Linde Beneish M-Score Calculation

The M-score was created by Professor Messod Beneish. Instead of measuring the bankruptcy risk (Altman Z-Score) or business trend (Piotroski F-Score), M-score can be used to detect the risk of earnings manipulation. This is the original research paper on M-score.

The M-Score Variables:

The M-score of Linde for today is based on a combination of the following eight different indices:

M=-4.84+0.92 * DSRI+0.528 * GMI+0.404 * AQI+0.892 * SGI+0.115 * DEPI
=-4.84+0.92 * 1.0346+0.528 * 0.9895+0.404 * 0.9936+0.892 * 0.9727+0.115 * 1.0892
-0.172 * SGAI+4.679 * TATA-0.327 * LVGI
-0.172 * 1.0336+4.679 * -0.038372-0.327 * 1.0524
=-2.67

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

This Year (Mar26) TTM:Last Year (Mar25) TTM:
Total Receivables was €4,880 Mil.
Revenue was 7595.565 + 7484.456 + 7339.98 + 7365.165 = €29,785 Mil.
Gross Profit was 3683.17 + 3601.318 + 3609.072 + 3631.863 = €14,525 Mil.
Total Current Assets was €11,030 Mil.
Total Assets was €74,662 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was €24,708 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was €3,269 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was €3,042 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was €13,313 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was €17,178 Mil.
Net Income was 1606.305 + 1306.62 + 1643.508 + 1531.122 = €6,088 Mil.
Non Operating Income was 101.205 + -236.558 + 69.864 + 64.158 = €-1 Mil.
Cash Flow from Operations was 1937.6 + 2587.62 + 2511.696 + 1916.937 = €8,954 Mil.
Total Receivables was €4,850 Mil.
Revenue was 7503.6 + 7909.31 + 7528.756 + 7680.043 = €30,622 Mil.
Gross Profit was 3658.375 + 3783.71 + 3604 + 3730.864 = €14,777 Mil.
Total Current Assets was €12,577 Mil.
Total Assets was €76,501 Mil.
Property, Plant and Equipment(Net PPE) was €23,782 Mil.
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization(DDA) was €3,469 Mil.
Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) was €3,026 Mil.
Total Current Liabilities was €13,399 Mil.
Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation was €16,287 Mil.




1. DSRI = Days Sales in Receivables Index

Measured as the ratio of Revenue in Total Receivables in year t to year t-1.

A large increase in DSR could be indicative of revenue inflation.

DSRI=(Receivables_t / Revenue_t) / (Receivables_t-1 / Revenue_t-1)
=(4880.33 / 29785.166) / (4849.775 / 30621.709)
=0.163851 / 0.158377
=1.0346

2. GMI = Gross Margin Index

Measured as the ratio of gross margin in year t-1 to gross margin in year t.

Gross margin has deteriorated when this index is above 1. A firm with poorer prospects is more likely to manipulate earnings.

GMI=GrossMargin_t-1 / GrossMargin_t
=(GrossProfit_t-1 / Revenue_t-1) / (GrossProfit_t / Revenue_t)
=(14776.949 / 30621.709) / (14525.423 / 29785.166)
=0.482564 / 0.487673
=0.9895

3. AQI = Asset Quality Index

AQI is the ratio of asset quality in year t to year t-1.

Asset quality is measured as the ratio of non-current assets other than Property, Plant and Equipment to Total Assets.

AQI=(1 - (CurrentAssets_t + PPE_t) / TotalAssets_t) / (1 - (CurrentAssets_t-1 + PPE_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=(1 - (11029.615 + 24707.86) / 74662.475) / (1 - (12577.225 + 23781.75) / 76501.2)
=0.521346 / 0.524727
=0.9936

4. SGI = Sales Growth Index

Ratio of Revenue in year t to sales in year t-1.

Sales growth is not itself a measure of manipulation. However, growth companies are likely to find themselves under pressure to manipulate in order to keep up appearances.

SGI=Sales_t / Sales_t-1
=Revenue_t / Revenue_t-1
=29785.166 / 30621.709
=0.9727

5. DEPI = Depreciation Index

Measured as the ratio of the rate of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization in year t-1 to the corresponding rate in year t.

DEPI greater than 1 indicates that assets are being depreciated at a slower rate. This suggests that the firm might be revising useful asset life assumptions upwards, or adopting a new method that is income friendly.

DEPI=(Depreciation_t-1 / (Depreciaton_t-1 + PPE_t-1)) / (Depreciation_t / (Depreciaton_t + PPE_t))
=(3468.607 / (3468.607 + 23781.75)) / (3269.401 / (3269.401 + 24707.86))
=0.127287 / 0.116859
=1.0892

Note: If the Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization data is not available, we assume that the depreciation rate is constant and set the Depreciation Index to 1.

6. SGAI = Sales, General and Administrative expenses Index

The ratio of Selling, General, & Admin. Expense(SGA) to Sales in year t relative to year t-1.

SGA expenses index > 1 means that the company is becoming less efficient in generate sales.

SGAI=(SGA_t / Sales_t) / (SGA_t-1 /Sales_t-1)
=(3042.499 / 29785.166) / (3026.303 / 30621.709)
=0.102148 / 0.098829
=1.0336

7. LVGI = Leverage Index

The ratio of total debt to Total Assets in year t relative to yeat t-1.

An LVGI > 1 indicates an increase in leverage

LVGI=((LTD_t + CurrentLiabilities_t) / TotalAssets_t) / ((LTD_t-1 + CurrentLiabilities_t-1) / TotalAssets_t-1)
=((17178.035 + 13313.215) / 74662.475) / ((16287.4 + 13398.625) / 76501.2)
=0.408388 / 0.388047
=1.0524

8. TATA = Total Accruals to Total Assets

Total accruals calculated as the change in working capital accounts other than cash less depreciation.

TATA=(IncomefromContinuingOperations_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(NetIncome_t - NonOperatingIncome_t - CashFlowsfromOperations_t) / TotalAssets_t
=(6087.555 - -1.331 - 8953.853) / 74662.475
=-0.038372

An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator. An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.

Linde has a M-score of -2.67 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Beneish M-Score →
What does a Beneish M-Score of -2.62 mean?
Linde (WBO:LIN) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.62 as of Jun. 24, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Linde and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Linde ranks #613 out of 1529 companies in the Chemicals industry, placing it in the top 40.1%.
Is Linde's Beneish M-Score too high?
Linde's current Beneish M-Score is -2.62. Based on the distribution chart, Linde ranks #613 out of 1529 companies in the Chemicals industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Linde has a GF Score™ of 26/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Linde's Beneish M-Score compare to SHW and ECL?
According to the Chemicals industry distribution chart, Linde ranks #613 out of 1529 companies for Beneish M-Score. This puts Linde in the upper half of its industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Beneish M-Score for a Chemicals company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Chemicals industry context. However, Beneish M-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Beneish M-Score mean?
A high Beneish M-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Linde and its competitors. Linde's current Beneish M-Score is -2.62. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Linde stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Linde (WBO:LIN) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is €437.71, compared to a current price of €455.60 — trading 4.1% above its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.62. Linde's overall GF Score™ is 26/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Beneish M-Score calculated?
Beneish M-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Linde (WBO:LIN), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.62 as of Jun. 24, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Is Linde (WBO:LIN) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Linde stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of €455.60 is trading 4.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of €437.71. GuruFocus considers Linde to be Fairly Valued.

Key valuation signals for WBO:LIN:

  • Beneish M-Score: -2.62
  • GF Value™: €437.71 vs. price of €455.60 (4.1% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 26/100 with 7 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the WBO:LIN stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Linde Business Description

Address 10 Riverview Drive, Danbury, CT, USA, 06810
Linde is the largest industrial gas supplier in the world, with operations in over 100 countries. The firm's main products are atmospheric gases (including oxygen, nitrogen, and argon) and process gases (including hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and helium), as well as equipment used in industrial gas production. Linde serves a wide variety of end markets, including chemicals, manufacturing, healthcare, and steelmaking. Linde generated approximately $34 billion in revenue in 2025.
26GF Score

Get the complete analysis for WBO:LIN

Beneish M-Score is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

€455.60
Price
€437.71
GF Value