Linde Posts Rise In Operating Profit

Linde AG LNAGF projects a rise in its sales and operating profit this year. Linde's fourth-quarter sales rose 3.3% y/y to EUR3.58 billion and net profit climbed 3.6% to EUR318 million. Linde's full-year sales climbed to EUR13.79 billion, versus EUR12.87 billion. Its operating profit surged 9.7% to EUR3.21 billion. Linde's management proposed a 2011 dividend of EUR2.50, up from EUR2.20 per share.