Compare StocksLIN vs MSFT

Linde plc (LIN) vs Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)

LIN
Linde plc
$489.80
VS
MSFT
Microsoft Corporation
$389.02

Rewards

LIN
  • Each dollar of retained earnings has created $3.17 of market value — 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.
MSFT
  • Microsoft Corporation has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • Gross margin of 68.6% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • Microsoft Corporation scores 88/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.

Risks

LIN
  • FCF yield of 2.1% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
  • Insiders have sold $10.3M worth of stock in the past 3 months — significant insider liquidation.
MSFT
  • FCF yield of 2.5% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.

Key Valuation Metrics

Learn more →
LIN
MSFT
Valuation
$4.79B
Free Cash Flow
$71.61B
2.11%
FCF Yield
2.48%
33.55
Trailing P/E
24.33
25.15
Forward P/E
20.64
Quality & Moat
11.15%
ROIC
22.10%
17.36%
ROE
26.05%
48.84%
Gross Margin
68.59%
N/A
PEG Ratio
0.41
Balance Sheet Safety
0.71
Debt / Equity
0.32
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
1.72
Net Debt / EBITDA
0.19
1.31%
Dividend Yield
0.94%
LIN: 1Ties: 1MSFT: 9
LINMSFT

Historical Fundamentals

Learn more →
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.

MSFT

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 →
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
MSFT
$9.18
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$196.68B
Δ Market Cap
+$1.81T
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

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 →
LIN
62.9% Overvalued
Price is 62.9% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $489.80
Fair Value: $300.66
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
MSFT
0.5% Overvalued
Price is 0.5% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $389.02
Fair Value: $387.10
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

Learn more →
LIN

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $490?

+15.8%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +20.8%

The market implies +15.8% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.

Standard FCF implies +20.8%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.

MSFT

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $389?

+12.6%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +17.4%

The market implies +12.6% Owner Earnings growth, roughly in line with history — reasonably priced.

Standard FCF implies +17.4%, reflecting ongoing growth investment.

Economic Moat Score

Learn more →
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.
MSFT
88/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat driven primarily by revenue predictability. Reinvestment Efficiency 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.

Forensic Accounting

Learn more →
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.
MSFT
-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.

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 →
LIN
Insiders 0.3%Institutions 87.2%Retail & Other 12.5%
No. of Institutional Holders3,112
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.
MSFT
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 76.0%Retail & Other 23.9%
No. of Institutional Holders8,055
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 →
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
MSFT
1
Buys (3M)
2
Buys (12M)
Total value (12M): $3.44M
STANTON JOHN W.
Director
$1.99M
@ $397.35 · 2026-02-18
SMITH BRADFORD LEE
President
$1.45M
@ $377.47 · 2025-04-23
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 →
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
MSFT
1
Sells (3M)
13
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $172.43M
HOGAN KATHLEEN T
Officer
$5.05M
@ $409.55 · 2026-03-06
NUMOTO TAKESHI
Officer
$1.36M
@ $478.72 · 2025-12-04
ALTHOFF JUDSON
Officer
$6.27M
@ $491.52 · 2025-12-02
SMITH BRADFORD LEE
President
$19.97M
@ $518.64 · 2025-11-03
NADELLA SATYA
Chief Executive Officer
$75.32M
@ $504.78 · 2025-09-03
NUMOTO TAKESHI
Officer
$2.56M
@ $527.32 · 2025-08-12
NUMOTO TAKESHI
Officer
$1.39M
@ $463.00 · 2025-06-03
NUMOTO TAKESHI
Officer
$460,008
@ $460.01 · 2025-05-30
HOGAN KATHLEEN T
Officer
$9.76M
@ $453.77 · 2025-05-21
ALTHOFF JUDSON
Officer
$7.33M
@ $458.18 · 2025-05-19
COLEMAN AMY
Officer
$5.99M
@ $452.04 · 2025-05-15
SMITH BRADFORD LEE
President
$1.68M
@ $438.44 · 2025-05-05
SMITH BRADFORD LEE
President
$35.30M
@ $435.84 · 2025-05-05
NUMOTO TAKESHI
Officer
$1.12M
@ $447.41 · 2024-12-09
NUMOTO TAKESHI
Officer
$874,634
@ $437.32 · 2024-12-04
NUMOTO TAKESHI
Officer
$1.50M
@ $428.76 · 2024-12-02
ALTHOFF JUDSON
Officer
$10.43M
@ $417.00 · 2024-11-22
NUMOTO TAKESHI
Officer
$414,720
@ $414.72 · 2024-11-22
YOUNG CHRISTOPHER DAVID
Officer
$3.05M
@ $423.66 · 2024-11-12
HOGAN KATHLEEN T
Officer
$7.16M
@ $411.86 · 2024-09-10
NUMOTO TAKESHI
Officer
$1.03M
@ $411.04 · 2024-09-10
SMITH BRADFORD LEE
President
$16.10M
@ $402.59 · 2024-09-09
HOOD AMY E
Chief Financial Officer
$15.60M
@ $410.55 · 2024-09-05
NADELLA SATYA
Chief Executive Officer
$32.02M
@ $408.63 · 2024-09-04
NUMOTO TAKESHI
Officer
$235,535
@ $416.14 · 2024-06-03
ALTHOFF JUDSON
Officer
$10.64M
@ $425.68 · 2024-05-23
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 →
LIN
FearGreed
😐Neutral(60/100)

"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.
MSFT
FearGreed
😐Neutral(43/100)

"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.

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 →
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: Neutral (60)
MSFT
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 (43)
View LIN Full AnalysisView MSFT Full Analysis