Linde Faces Margin Pressure From Lincare’s U.S. Home Care Unit
Linde CEO Sanjiv Lamba said portfolio pruning has not been enough to offset headwinds from higher cost inflation and policy changes. In Q2, operating margins excluding cost pass-through fell about 30 basis points, driven by the Americas, especially U.S. home care. Lincare helped during COVID, but labor and reimbursement changes hurt, prompting aggressive operational actions and review of the U.S. home care business’s strategic fit.