LIN vs. MLM: Linde vs. Martin Marietta Materials Stock Comparison
How do Linde (LIN) and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) 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
Linde (LIN) and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) both fall under the Materials industry group, but LIN is classified in Chemicals while MLM is classified in Construction Materials.
| Profile Item | LIN | MLM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Linde plc | Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United Kingdom | United States |
| GICS Sector | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry Group | Materials | Materials |
| GICS Industry | Chemicals | Construction Materials |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Industrial Gases | Construction Materials |
| Market Capitalization | 236.54 billion USD | 36.85 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | Nasdaq | NYSE |
| Listing Date | June 17, 1992 | February 17, 1994 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | LIN | MLM |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 25.64% | -12.23% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 11.48% | 6.32% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 10.50% | 5.43% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | LIN | MLM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 19.00% | 29.72% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.67 | 1.02 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -22.82% | -33.19% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.05M | 805.11K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | LIN | MLM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.12 | -0.56 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.65 | -0.75 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Linde (LIN) at 17.72% and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 6.02% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
LIN
Materials industry group
17.72%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- LIN
- 17.72%
- Median
- 8.76%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
MLM
Materials industry group
6.02%
- Max
- 52.88%
- Q3
- 19.49%
- Median
- 8.76%
- MLM
- 6.02%
- Q1
- -3.41%
- Min
- -32.81%
Net Margin (TTM)
For every dollar of sales, both Linde (LIN) at 19.34% and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 31.88% retain more as net profit than most peers, landing in the top net margin quartile of their industries.
LIN
Materials industry group
19.34%
- Max
- 38.66%
- LIN
- 19.34%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
MLM
Materials industry group
31.88%
- Max
- 38.66%
- MLM
- 31.88%
- Q3
- 15.98%
- Median
- 5.28%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- -20.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Linde (LIN) at 27.97% and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 22.29% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
LIN
Materials industry group
27.97%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- LIN
- 27.97%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
MLM
Materials industry group
22.29%
- Max
- 66.70%
- Q3
- 28.92%
- MLM
- 22.29%
- Median
- 12.56%
- Q1
- 3.28%
- Min
- -14.07%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | LIN | MLM |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 17.72% | 6.02% |
| ROA (TTM) | 7.17% | 3.27% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 19.34% | 31.88% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 27.97% | 22.29% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 47.86% | 26.74% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Linde (LIN) at 2.97% and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 8.62% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both Linde (LIN) at 7.27% and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at -42.09% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | LIN | MLM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 2.97% | 8.62% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 0.62% | -0.06% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 7.27% | -42.09% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 21.08% | 10.61% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 1.63 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.
LIN
Materials industry group
0.86
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- Q1
- 1.45
- LIN
- 0.86
- Min
- 0.16
MLM
Materials industry group
1.63
- Max
- 5.96
- Q3
- 3.30
- Median
- 2.24
- MLM
- 1.63
- Q1
- 1.45
- Min
- 0.16
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both Linde (LIN) at 0.65 and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 0.75 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
LIN
Materials industry group
0.65
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- LIN
- 0.65
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
MLM
Materials industry group
0.75
- Max
- 1.98
- Q3
- 0.89
- MLM
- 0.75
- Median
- 0.47
- Q1
- 0.13
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | LIN | MLM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.86 | 1.63 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.65 | 0.75 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 1.65 | 5.88 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Linde (LIN) at 1.21% and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 0.63% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
LIN
Materials industry group
1.21%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- LIN
- 1.21%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MLM
Materials industry group
0.63%
- Max
- 4.52%
- Q3
- 1.85%
- MLM
- 0.63%
- Median
- 0.38%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 24.85% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Linde (LIN) at 41.83% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.
LIN
Materials industry group
41.83%
- Max
- 83.62%
- LIN
- 41.83%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MLM
Materials industry group
24.85%
- Max
- 83.62%
- Q3
- 41.37%
- MLM
- 24.85%
- Median
- 9.54%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | LIN | MLM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.21% | 0.63% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 41.83% | 24.85% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Linde (LIN) at 34.21 and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 38.67 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.
LIN
Materials industry group
34.21
- Max
- 59.00
- LIN
- 34.21
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
MLM
Materials industry group
38.67
- Max
- 59.00
- MLM
- 38.67
- Q3
- 32.93
- Median
- 18.82
- Q1
- 11.96
- Min
- 3.93
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Both Linde (LIN) at 6.53 and Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 5.11 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
LIN
Materials industry group
6.53
- Max
- 9.62
- LIN
- 6.53
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
MLM
Materials industry group
5.11
- Max
- 9.62
- MLM
- 5.11
- Q3
- 4.34
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.73
- Min
- 0.00
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Martin Marietta Materials (MLM) at 2.09 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.
LIN
Materials industry group
6.00
- Max
- 6.59
- LIN
- 6.00
- Q3
- 3.55
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
MLM
Materials industry group
2.09
- Max
- 6.59
- Q3
- 3.55
- MLM
- 2.09
- Median
- 2.08
- Q1
- 1.26
- Min
- -0.17
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | LIN | MLM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 34.21 | 38.67 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 6.53 | 5.11 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 6.00 | 2.09 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.77% | 4.54% |