Compare Stocks › AXP vs LIN
American Express Company (AXP) vs Linde plc (LIN)
AXP
American Express Company
$319.68
VS
LIN
Linde plc
$507.92
Rewards
AXP
- ★Gross margin of 62.8% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
- ★American Express Company scores 100/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
- ★Return on equity has consistently exceeded 20% over 4 years, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.
LIN
- ★Each dollar of retained earnings has created $2.61 of earning power — management is an exceptional capital allocator.
- ★Altman Z-Score of 3.51 indicates very low bankruptcy risk — the company is firmly in the safe zone.
Risks
AXP
- ⚠Altman Z-Score of 0.93 places the company in the distress zone — financial patterns resemble those of companies that experienced bankruptcy.
- ⚠7 insider sales totaling $36.4M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.
- ⚠Free cash flow has declined at a 5.9% CAGR over the past 4 years — a concerning trend.
LIN
- ⚠FCF yield of 2.0% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
- ⚠PEG ratio of 2.51 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
- ⚠Insiders have sold $10.3M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
Key Valuation Metrics
Learn more →AXP
LIN
Valuation
N/A
Free Cash Flow
$4.69B
N/A
FCF Yield
2.00%
19.96
Trailing P/E
33.66
15.90
Forward P/E
25.77
Quality & Moat
12.37%
ROIC
11.74%
31.48%
ROE
17.21%
62.76%
Gross Margin
48.77%
1.13
PEG Ratio
2.51
Balance Sheet Safety
1.78
Debt / Equity
0.66
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
N/A
Net Debt / EBITDA
1.65
1.19%
Dividend Yield
1.26%
AXP: 6Ties: 1LIN: 2
AXPLIN
Historical Fundamentals
Learn more →AXP
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
LIN
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.
$1 Retained Earnings Test
Learn more →AXP
$6.18
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$23.29B
Δ Market Cap
+$144.01B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
LIN
$3.17
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$11.71B
Δ Market Cap
+$37.08B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis
Learn more →AXP
34.4% Margin of Safety
Price is 34.4% below estimated fair value
Current Price: $319.68
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $487.58
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
LIN
62.0% Overvalued
Price is 62.0% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $507.92
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Fair Value: $313.44
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth
Learn more →AXP
Requires positive FCF to compute implied growth rate.
LIN
What growth rate is the market pricing in at $508?
+16.2%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +21.5%
The market implies +16.2% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.
Standard FCF implies +21.5%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.
Economic Moat Score
Learn more →AXP
100/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Wide moat driven primarily by revenue predictability. Margin Stability is the area most vulnerable to competitive pressure.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
LIN
63/100
Narrow Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None
Narrow moat with revenue predictability as the key competitive advantage. Improving reinvestment efficiency would strengthen the moat.
Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
Forensic Accounting
Learn more →AXP
-2.51
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
LIN
-2.65
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone
M-Score Trend
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
Ownership Breakdown
Learn more →AXP
Insiders 22.3%Institutions 65.6%Retail & Other 12.1%
No. of Institutional Holders3,664
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
LIN
Insiders 0.3%Institutions 87.8%Retail & Other 12.0%
No. of Institutional Holders3,177
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
Insider Buying Activity
Learn more →AXP
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$4,054
@ $176.26 · 2025-04-09
ANGELAKIS MICHAEL J
Director
$998,593
@ $269.89 · 2025-03-07
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
LIN
0
Buys (3M)
1
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $999,634
LAMBA SANJIV
Chief Executive Officer
$999,634
@ $396.68 · 2025-12-08
REYNOLDS PAULA ROSPUT
Director
$44,134
@ $441.34 · 2024-12-12
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.
Insider Selling Activity
Learn more →AXP
7
Sells (3M)
19
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $151.85M
LIEBERMAN QUINN JESSICA
Officer
$909,661
@ $300.02 · 2026-03-06
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$4.77M
@ $340.67 · 2026-02-19
GROSFIELD HOWARD M
Officer
$2.82M
@ $346.73 · 2026-02-12
RADHAKRISHNAN RAVIKUMAR S
Chief Technology Officer
$5.35M
@ $356.58 · 2026-02-09
SEEGER LAUREEN E
Officer
$4.60M
@ $360.99 · 2026-02-09
PICKETT DENISE
Officer
$8.35M
@ $356.91 · 2026-02-05
MARRS ANNA
Officer
$9.60M
@ $350.01 · 2026-02-05
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$538,902
@ $384.93 · 2025-12-12
RUTLEDGE ELIZABETH
Officer
$18.01M
@ $360.21 · 2025-10-31
TABISH DOUGLAS J
Officer
$894,359
@ $355.61 · 2025-10-23
PICKETT DENISE
Officer
$1.75M
@ $350.73 · 2025-10-22
SQUERI STEPHEN J
Chief Executive Officer
$37.03M
@ $329.86 · 2025-09-04
HERENA MONIQUE
Officer
$2.83M
@ $325.88 · 2025-09-03
BUCKMINSTER DOUGLAS E
Officer
$7.67M
@ $326.37 · 2025-09-02
SEEGER LAUREEN E
Officer
$23.37M
@ $296.90 · 2025-08-06
MARRS ANNA
Officer
$1.71M
@ $310.77 · 2025-07-29
MCNEAL GLENDA G
Officer
$15.47M
@ $309.50 · 2025-07-29
MARQUEZ RAFAEL
Officer
$3.56M
@ $296.93 · 2025-05-20
GROSFIELD HOWARD M
Officer
$2.60M
@ $275.50 · 2025-05-06
MCNEAL GLENDA G
Officer
$799,009
@ $264.66 · 2025-04-29
MARRS ANNA
President
$6.32M
@ $287.88 · 2025-03-04
LIEBERMAN QUINN JESSICA
Officer
$897,590
@ $296.43 · 2025-02-26
MCNEAL GLENDA G
Officer
$2.29M
@ $309.96 · 2025-02-11
SQUERI STEPHEN J
Chief Executive Officer
$16.24M
@ $319.45 · 2025-02-06
PICKETT DENISE
Officer
$7.25M
@ $318.69 · 2025-02-05
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$3.53M
@ $317.01 · 2025-02-05
RADHAKRISHNAN RAVIKUMAR S
Chief Technology Officer
$3.03M
@ $319.17 · 2025-02-05
JOABAR RAYMOND D
Officer
$4.77M
@ $313.94 · 2025-01-28
LE CAILLEC CHRISTOPHE
Chief Financial Officer
$1.82M
@ $303.48 · 2024-11-27
HERENA MONIQUE
Officer
$374,010
@ $287.70 · 2024-11-07
SQUERI STEPHEN J
Chief Executive Officer
$48.90M
@ $286.57 · 2024-11-07
BUCKMINSTER DOUGLAS E
Officer
$3.55M
@ $270.98 · 2024-10-29
WILLIAMS ANRE D.
Officer
$21.05M
@ $270.26 · 2024-10-22
PICKETT DENISE
Officer
$666,213
@ $240.68 · 2024-05-22
SKYLER JENNIFER
Officer
$3.58M
@ $241.73 · 2024-05-10
LIEBERMAN QUINN JESSICA
Officer
$729,770
@ $232.41 · 2024-05-06
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
LIN
4
Sells (3M)
6
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $37.38M
BICHARA GUILLERMO
Officer
$2.09M
@ $480.79 · 2026-03-10
DURBIN SEAN
Chief Operating Officer
$3.11M
@ $477.27 · 2026-03-10
PATWARI BINOD
Officer
$502,262
@ $502.76 · 2026-02-24
BICHARA GUILLERMO
Officer
$4.54M
@ $480.45 · 2026-02-17
ANGEL STEPHEN F
Director
$23.82M
@ $473.38 · 2025-08-07
DURBIN SEAN
Officer
$3.31M
@ $456.45 · 2025-05-22
BICHARA GUILLERMO
Officer
$2.23M
@ $461.65 · 2025-03-11
STRAUSS DAVID PAUL
Officer
$1.16M
@ $469.74 · 2025-03-03
NOWICKI JUERGEN
Officer
$3.12M
@ $459.62 · 2025-02-20
PATWARI BINOD
Officer
$640,570
@ $457.55 · 2025-02-18
WOOD ROBERT L.
Director
$1.32M
@ $456.26 · 2025-02-10
STRAUSS DAVID PAUL
Officer
$963,388
@ $434.35 · 2024-12-16
BICHARA GUILLERMO
Officer
$2.02M
@ $460.72 · 2024-12-04
PANIKAR JOHN
Officer
$4.64M
@ $462.75 · 2024-09-10
DURBIN SEAN
Officer
$1.90M
@ $456.42 · 2024-08-16
DURBIN SEAN
Officer
$1.90M
@ $456.42 · 2024-08-16
PFANN OLIVER
Officer
$463,681
@ $453.70 · 2024-08-16
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.
🎭 Mr. Market's Mood
Learn more →AXP
😐Neutral(49/100)
"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
LIN
😏Greed(66/100)
"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"
Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
⚖️ Buffett Signal
Learn more →AXP
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (49)
LIN
⚪Awaiting DCF Data
The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.
DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Greed (66)