JHX vs. LIN: James Hardie Industries vs. Linde Stock Comparison
How do James Hardie Industries (JHX) and Linde (LIN) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
James Hardie Industries (JHX) and Linde (LIN) both fall under the Materials industry group, but JHX is classified in Construction Materials while LIN is classified in Chemicals.
| Profile Item | JHX | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Name | James Hardie Industries plc | Linde plc |
| Country/Region | Ireland | United Kingdom |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Construction Materials | Chemicals |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Construction Materials | Industrial Gases |
| Market Capitalization | 16.20 billion USD | 236.54 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | October 22, 2001 | June 17, 1992 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | JHX | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 72.20% | 25.64% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 0.38% | 11.48% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -5.23% | 10.50% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
James Hardie Industries (JHX) has an aggressive beta of 1.74, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while Linde (LIN) is defensive at 0.67 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.
| Metric | JHX | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 44.97% | 19.00% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.74 | 0.67 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -60.26% | -22.82% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 9.36M | 2.05M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | JHX | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.51 | 1.12 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 2.59 | 1.65 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both James Hardie Industries (JHX) at 5.46% and Linde (LIN) at 17.72% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
JHX
Materials industry group
5.46%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- JHX
- 5.46%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
LIN
Materials industry group
17.72%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- LIN
- 17.72%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
Net Margin (TTM)
Linde (LIN) at 19.34% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of James Hardie Industries (JHX) at 6.22%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.
JHX
Materials industry group
6.22%
- Max
- 38.66%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- JHX
- 6.22%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
LIN
Materials industry group
19.34%
- Max
- 38.66%
- LIN
- 19.34%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both James Hardie Industries (JHX) at 19.56% and Linde (LIN) at 27.97% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
JHX
Materials industry group
19.56%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- JHX
- 19.56%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
LIN
Materials industry group
27.97%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- LIN
- 27.97%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | JHX | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 5.46% | 17.72% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.42% | 7.17% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 6.22% | 19.34% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 19.56% | 27.97% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 38.25% | 47.86% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both James Hardie Industries (JHX) at 24.71% and Linde (LIN) at 2.97% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Linde (LIN) at 7.27% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while James Hardie Industries (JHX) at -80.61% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | JHX | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 24.71% | 2.97% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 8.59% | 0.62% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -80.61% | 7.27% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -45.13% | 21.08% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
James Hardie Industries (JHX) at 2.12 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Linde (LIN) at 0.86 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for LIN.
JHX
Materials industry group
2.12
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- JHX
- 2.12
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
LIN
Materials industry group
0.86
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- LIN
- 0.86
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both James Hardie Industries (JHX) at 0.63 and Linde (LIN) at 0.65 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
JHX
Materials industry group
0.63
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- JHX
- 0.63
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
LIN
Materials industry group
0.65
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- LIN
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | JHX | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 2.12 | 0.86 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.63 | 0.65 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 2.43 | 1.65 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
James Hardie Industries (JHX) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Linde (LIN) reports a yield of 1.21%, ranking against industry peers normally.
JHX
Materials industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- Median
- 0.38%
- JHX
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LIN
Materials industry group
1.21%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- LIN
- 1.21%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
James Hardie Industries (JHX) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Linde (LIN) reports a payout of 41.83%, ranking against industry peers normally.
JHX
Materials industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- Median
- 9.54%
- JHX
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LIN
Materials industry group
41.83%
- Max
- 83.62%
- LIN
- 41.83%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | JHX | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 1.21% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 41.83% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both James Hardie Industries (JHX) at 48.02 and Linde (LIN) at 34.21 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.
JHX
Materials industry group
48.02
- Max
- 59.00
- JHX
- 48.02
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
LIN
Materials industry group
34.21
- Max
- 59.00
- LIN
- 34.21
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
James Hardie Industries (JHX) at 2.86 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Linde (LIN) at 6.53 sits in the pricier quartile — LIN costs more per dollar of sales.
JHX
Materials industry group
2.86
- Max
- 9.62
- Q3
- 4.34
- JHX
- 2.86
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
LIN
Materials industry group
6.53
- Max
- 9.62
- LIN
- 6.53
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
James Hardie Industries (JHX) at 2.41 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Linde (LIN) at 6.00 carries an above-peer premium to book — LIN is pricier on assets.
JHX
Materials industry group
2.41
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- JHX
- 2.41
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
LIN
Materials industry group
6.00
- Max
- 6.59
- LIN
- 6.00
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | JHX | LIN |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 48.02 | 34.21 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 2.86 | 6.53 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 2.41 | 6.00 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 0.98% | 1.77% |