МОSCOW (MRC) -- Linde has reported an increase in revenue and operating of 5.3% and 5.4% year-on-year (YOY), respectively, in full-year 2015, as per company's press release.
Revenue was EUR17.94 billion (USD19.7 billion) in 2015, compared with EUR17.1 billion a year ago. Operating profit for the latest year was EUR4.13 billion, versus EUR3.92 billion in full-year 2014. Exchange rates had a positive impact on revenue and earnings, especially in the first six months, according to the company. Linde says it has sustained its position in a "challenging market environment".
The Executive Board and Supervisory Board will propose a resolution at the Annual General Meeting that a dividend of EUR3.45 per share be paid. This is an above-average increase of 9.5% compared with last year’s dividend of EUR3.15.
In the 2015 financial year, return on capital employed (ROCE) was 9.4 percent (2014: 9.5 percent). Operating cash flow rose by 19.7 percent to EUR 3.593 bn (2014: EUR 3.001 bn). This was due mainly to the good operating profit. After adjusting for pension plan funding in Germany in 2014, the increase in operating cash flow in 2015 was 8.8 percent.
As MRC informed earlier, Linde AG agreed with Gazprom to build a gas processing plant in eastern Russia. The plant will be part of Gazprom’s pipeline taking gas from eastern Siberia to China. Linde didn’t disclose the value of the contract.
The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 62,000 employees in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2012 financial year, Linde generated revenue of EUR 15.280 bn.
MRC