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

Updated on August 27, 2025

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

Company Profile

HSBC 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	HSBC	LIN
Company Name	HSBC Holdings plc	Linde plc
Country	United Kingdom	United Kingdom
GICS Sector	Financials	Materials
GICS Industry	Banks	Chemicals
Market Capitalization	226.34 billion USD	224.07 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NasdaqGS
Listing Date	July 16, 1999	June 17, 1992
Security Type	ADR	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of HSBC 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.

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

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	HSBC	LIN
5-Day Price Return	2.92%	-0.43%
13-Week Price Return	11.34%	4.11%
26-Week Price Return	7.71%	3.42%
52-Week Price Return	46.36%	3.50%
Month-to-Date Return	4.82%	3.82%
Year-to-Date Return	23.18%	14.14%
10-Day Avg. Volume	13.21M	1.47M
3-Month Avg. Volume	17.06M	1.73M
3-Month Volatility	17.14%	12.80%
Beta	1.56	0.96

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

HSBC

13.86%

Banks Industry

Max: 26.37%
Q3: 15.92%
Median: 12.25%
Q1: 8.69%
Min: 0.15%

HSBC’s Return on Equity of 13.86% is on par with the norm for the Banks 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.

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

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

HSBC

34.16%

Banks Industry

Max: 54.20%
Q3: 35.70%
Median: 28.97%
Q1: 22.53%
Min: 6.98%

HSBC’s Net Profit Margin of 34.16% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Banks industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

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.

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

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

HSBC

40.44%

Banks Industry

Max: 63.35%
Q3: 44.59%
Median: 37.24%
Q1: 28.25%
Min: 13.37%

HSBC’s Operating Profit Margin of 40.44% is around the midpoint for the Banks 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.

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

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	HSBC	LIN
Return on Equity (TTM)	13.86%	17.46%
Return on Assets (TTM)	0.85%	8.10%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	34.16%	20.20%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	40.44%	26.75%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	--	48.45%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

HSBC

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

For the Banks industry, the Current Ratio is often not the most suitable measure of short-term liquidity.

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.

HSBC vs. LIN: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Banks and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

HSBC

1.91

Banks Industry

Max: 4.75
Q3: 2.62
Median: 1.02
Q1: 0.39
Min: 0.00

The Debt-to-Equity Ratio is often not the primary focus for assessing leverage in the Banks industry.

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.

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

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

HSBC

Banks Industry

Max: --
Q3: --
Median: --
Q1: --
Min: --

The Interest Coverage Ratio is often not a primary indicator of debt servicing capacity in the Banks industry.

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.

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

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	HSBC	LIN
Current Ratio (MRQ)	--	0.93
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	--	0.70
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	1.91	0.67
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	--	33.09

Growth

Revenue Growth

HSBC 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

HSBC 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)

HSBC

6.14%

Banks Industry

Max: 10.27%
Q3: 5.83%
Median: 3.81%
Q1: 2.50%
Min: 0.00%

With a Dividend Yield of 6.14%, HSBC offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Banks 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.

HSBC vs. LIN: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Banks and Chemicals industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

HSBC

71.79%

Banks Industry

Max: 147.07%
Q3: 80.55%
Median: 54.40%
Q1: 35.71%
Min: 0.00%

HSBC’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 71.79% is within the typical range for the Banks industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

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.

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

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	HSBC	LIN
Dividend Yield (TTM)	6.14%	1.21%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	71.79%	40.71%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

HSBC

8.44

Banks Industry

Max: 20.05
Q3: 12.65
Median: 10.21
Q1: 7.54
Min: 2.74

HSBC’s P/E Ratio of 8.44 is within the middle range for the Banks 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.

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

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

HSBC

1.74

Banks Industry

Max: 5.06
Q3: 2.98
Median: 2.24
Q1: 1.59
Min: 0.45

The P/S Ratio is often not a primary valuation tool in the Banks industry.

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.

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

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

HSBC

1.08

Banks Industry

Max: 2.18
Q3: 1.36
Median: 1.09
Q1: 0.81
Min: 0.20

HSBC’s P/B Ratio of 1.08 is within the conventional range for the Banks 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.

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

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	HSBC	LIN
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	8.44	33.69
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	1.74	6.80
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	1.08	5.73
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	4.65	44.62