Linde Shows Strong First-Quarter Results, Reins in Base Capex

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Global industrial gases producer Linde plc (NYSE:LIN) (Guildford, England) weathered its first quarter relatively well, but still plans to cut back on base capital expenses by $400 million this year with an eye on potentially rougher times ahead.

Industrial Info is tracking more than $2 billion in project activity by Linde, including more than $970 million worth in North America.

Click on the image at right for a graph showing Linde project activity by world region.

The company reported an operating profit of $733 million, 11% above what it reported in first-quarter 2019. Sales for the just-ended quarter were $6.7 billion, a 3% decrease.

"Linde entered 2020 with a very robust balance sheet, $10 billion of contractually secured backlog and significant opportunities to enhance the portfolio and overall business quality -- all of which will serve us well during these uncertain times," said Chief Executive Officer Steve Angel in the company's earnings press release.

However, the company plans to reduce its base capital expenses, which include maintenance and projects valued at $5 million or less, by $400 million this year. Overall capital expenditures are expected to run between $3 billion and $3.4 billion. The company expects to see a quarter-over-quarter drop in sales volumes in the second quarter due to the stall in the economy and COVID-19 issues.

Angel said during the company's earnings conference call that some of its projects under contract with various customers might experience some schedule slippages, but he sees no cancellations because that would be too expensive for Linde's customers. Linde merged with Praxair in 2018.

In the U.S., Industrial Info is tracking 11 capital projects by Linde worth more than $900 million.

Major U.S. projects under development include:

• Saint James 170 million-standard-cubic-foot-per-day hydrogen plant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; see project report
• Grassroot, 170 million-standard-cubic-foot-per-day hydrogen plant in Sweeny, Texas; see project report
• Delaware City 25 million-standard-cubic-foot-per-day hydrogen unit addition in Delaware; see project report.

Linde's China operations have substantially recovered from the COVID-19 outbreak, Angel said. Its European operations are showing signs of improvement, but the U.S. still is "at the bottom of the curve," he added.

One part of Linde that promises to show substantial results during the COVID-19 outbreak this year is its Healthcare segment, including its Lincare subsidiary, which provides home respiratory care in the U.S. Angel said that Lincare's employees have "performed heroic acts to get ventilators to critical areas of need."

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.