BABA vs. LIN: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 22, 2025

Here’s a clear look at BABA and LIN, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

BABA trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors a convenient way to access its foreign-listed shares. In contrast, LIN is a standard domestic listing.

Symbol	BABA	LIN
Company Name	Alibaba Group Holding Limited	Linde plc
Country	Hong Kong	United Kingdom
GICS Sector	Consumer Discretionary	Materials
GICS Industry	Broadline Retail	Chemicals
Market Capitalization	287.31 billion USD	226.18 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NasdaqGS
Listing Date	September 19, 2014	June 17, 1992
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of BABA and LIN by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

BABA vs. LIN: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	BABA	LIN
5-Day Price Return	-2.28%	0.99%
13-Week Price Return	-2.82%	4.79%
26-Week Price Return	-0.04%	4.62%
52-Week Price Return	42.40%	5.19%
Month-to-Date Return	-0.95%	4.80%
Year-to-Date Return	40.92%	15.21%
10-Day Avg. Volume	11.26M	1.36M
3-Month Avg. Volume	14.09M	1.77M
3-Month Volatility	33.97%	12.85%
Beta	0.11	0.96

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

BABA

13.27%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 49.17%
Q3: 28.98%
Median: 19.22%
Q1: 10.86%
Min: -11.14%

BABA’s Return on Equity of 13.27% is on par with the norm for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

LIN

17.46%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 26.17%
Q3: 13.48%
Median: 8.13%
Q1: 2.52%
Min: -11.86%

In the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry, LIN’s Return on Equity of 17.46% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

BABA

12.99%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 19.78%
Q3: 11.90%
Median: 8.63%
Q1: 5.21%
Min: 0.82%

A Net Profit Margin of 12.99% places BABA in the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

LIN

20.20%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 21.80%
Q3: 9.57%
Median: 4.44%
Q1: 1.14%
Min: -11.30%

A Net Profit Margin of 20.20% places LIN in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

BABA

14.14%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 27.23%
Q3: 15.96%
Median: 11.13%
Q1: 8.31%
Min: 1.77%

BABA’s Operating Profit Margin of 14.14% is around the midpoint for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

LIN

26.75%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 27.33%
Q3: 13.97%
Median: 8.08%
Q1: 4.46%
Min: -8.10%

An Operating Profit Margin of 26.75% places LIN in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	BABA	LIN
Return on Equity (TTM)	13.27%	17.46%
Return on Assets (TTM)	7.19%	8.10%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	12.99%	20.20%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	14.14%	26.75%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	39.95%	48.45%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

BABA

1.55

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 3.54
Q3: 2.42
Median: 1.49
Q1: 1.22
Min: 0.67

BABA’s Current Ratio of 1.55 aligns with the median group of the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

LIN

0.93

Chemicals Industry

Max: 3.38
Q3: 2.23
Median: 1.73
Q1: 1.39
Min: 0.55

LIN’s Current Ratio of 0.93 falls into the lower quartile for the Chemicals industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

BABA

0.23

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 2.14
Q3: 1.34
Median: 0.63
Q1: 0.27
Min: 0.00

Falling into the lower quartile for the Broadline Retail industry, BABA’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.23 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

LIN

0.67

Chemicals Industry

Max: 1.65
Q3: 0.94
Median: 0.65
Q1: 0.41
Min: 0.00

LIN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.67 is typical for the Chemicals industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

BABA

9.56

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 37.34
Q3: 20.63
Median: 11.28
Q1: 4.22
Min: -19.29

BABA’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 9.56 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

LIN

33.09

Chemicals Industry

Max: 56.43
Q3: 26.33
Median: 9.38
Q1: 3.10
Min: -9.39

LIN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 33.09 is in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	BABA	LIN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.55	0.93
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	1.08	0.70
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.23	0.67
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	9.56	33.09

Growth

Revenue Growth

BABA vs. LIN: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

BABA vs. LIN: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

BABA

2.79%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 5.46%
Q3: 2.38%
Median: 0.43%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 2.79%, BABA offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Broadline Retail industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

LIN

1.21%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 6.56%
Q3: 4.04%
Median: 2.47%
Q1: 1.45%
Min: 0.00%

LIN’s Dividend Yield of 1.21% is in the lower quartile for the Chemicals industry. This suggests the company’s strategy likely favors retaining earnings for growth over providing a high dividend income.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

BABA

103.01%

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 131.17%
Q3: 63.48%
Median: 29.43%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

BABA’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 103.01% is in the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

LIN

40.71%

Chemicals Industry

Max: 181.25%
Q3: 95.01%
Median: 53.52%
Q1: 26.59%
Min: 0.00%

LIN’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 40.71% is within the typical range for the Chemicals industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	BABA	LIN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	2.79%	1.21%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	103.01%	40.71%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

BABA

16.04

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 66.12
Q3: 35.17
Median: 16.29
Q1: 10.47
Min: 5.94

BABA’s P/E Ratio of 16.04 is within the middle range for the Broadline Retail industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

LIN

33.69

Chemicals Industry

Max: 42.94
Q3: 29.77
Median: 20.37
Q1: 14.27
Min: 6.19

A P/E Ratio of 33.69 places LIN in the upper quartile for the Chemicals industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

BABA

2.08

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 5.40
Q3: 3.33
Median: 2.04
Q1: 0.80
Min: 0.16

BABA’s P/S Ratio of 2.08 aligns with the market consensus for the Broadline Retail industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

LIN

6.80

Chemicals Industry

Max: 4.36
Q3: 2.23
Median: 1.01
Q1: 0.55
Min: 0.16

With a P/S Ratio of 6.80, LIN trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Chemicals industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

BABA

2.23

Broadline Retail Industry

Max: 9.06
Q3: 5.22
Median: 3.48
Q1: 1.90
Min: 0.74

BABA’s P/B Ratio of 2.23 is within the conventional range for the Broadline Retail industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

LIN

5.73

Chemicals Industry

Max: 4.92
Q3: 2.56
Median: 1.54
Q1: 0.97
Min: 0.30

At 5.73, LIN’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Chemicals industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

BABA vs. LIN: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Broadline Retail and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	BABA	LIN
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	16.04	33.69
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	2.08	6.80
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	2.23	5.73
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	26.78	44.62