The Linde Group is a world leading industrial gases and engineering company with more than 53,000 employees working in around 70 countries worldwide. Following the acquisition of The BOC Group the company has gases and engineering sales of approximately 12 billion euro. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services.

On a comparable basis 10.6 percent rise in sales to 10.516 billion euro 
On a comparable basis operating profit (EBITDA) up 10 percent to 1.876 billion euro 
Increase in dividend from 1.40 euro to 1.50 euro per share proposed

Wiesbaden/Munich, March 2, 2007 - The Executive Board of The Linde Group today agreed the financial statements of Linde AG and Linde Group for the fiscal year 2006 and recommended that they be approved by the Supervisory Board. The Supervisory Board will meet on March 9 to approve the financial statements.

The key audited financial figures of the Group for fiscal 2006: In the fiscal year 2006, Linde successfully continued its earnings-oriented growth trend and saw a double-digit increase in sales and operating profit (EBITDA). "We have met all of our targets", says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Reitzle, Chief Executive Officer of the Executive Board of Linde AG. "Thanks to the outstanding performance of our employees, we were able to meet all of our business objectives and tackle the difficult challenges of Linde's extensive corporate restructuring at the same time."

Sales increased by 30.8 percent to 12.439 billion Euro (2005: 9.511 billion Euro). On a comparable basis that is adjusted for first-time consolidation of the BOC Group plc sales rose by 10.6 percent to 10.516 billion Euro. 

The operating profit (EBITDA) amounts to 3.830 billion Euro and is therefore more than double that of the previous year (1.705 billion Euro). Special items must be taken into account in this development: a book profit from the sale of KION Group as well as one-time expenses for acquisition and divestment processes. After adjustment for these special items, Linde has improved its EBITDA by 30 percent to 2.216 billion Euro. Without BOC, EBITDA rose by 10 percent to 1.876 billion Euro. 

Earnings after taxes and minority interests - including special items - rose to 1.838 billion Euro (2005: 514 million Euro). Earnings per share excluding special items were 4.66 Euro (2005: 4.30 Euro). 

The Executive Board of Linde AG recommends to the Supervisory Board to propose a resolution at the shareholders' meeting on June 5, 2007 to increase the dividend from 1.40 to 1.50 Euro per share. 

Linde will present detailed information on the fiscal year 2006, the developments in the individual business segments and the prospects of the newly positioned Group at its press conference on annual results on March 12, 2007 in Munich.