- Sales up 13.9 percent to 12.306 billion euro

- Operating profit* up 18.1 percent to 2.424 billion euro

- ROCE reaches double digits (10.3 percent) one year sooner thanplanned

- Net financial debt reduced by more than the forecast amount

- Proposed increase in dividend from 1.50 euro to 1.70 euro pershare

- Outlook for 2008: Again, an increase in sales and earningsexpected

- Medium-term target for 2010: Operating profit of over 3 billioneuro and ROCE of at least 13 percent

Munich, 17 March 2008 - The technology group The Linde Groupachieveddouble-digit growth in both sales and earnings in the 2007financialyear and achieved its major objectives sooner than planned. "Ourperformance in the first full year after the BOC acquisitioncommandsrespect," said Professor Dr Wolfgang Reitzle, Chief ExecutiveOfficerof Linde AG, at the press conference on the annual results. "Wehavemade better progress than expected. The new Linde Group is afast-growing global company which is highly profitable and veryrobust."

As a result, Linde is confident about the future. "At a Grouplevel,we expect once again to achieve sales growth in the currentfinancialyear 2008 and to increase earnings at a faster rate than sales,"explained CEO Reitzle. "We confirm our medium-term objective andareseeking to achieve Group operating profit of more than 3 billioneurofor the 2010 financial year. In terms of ROCE, our key performancemeasure, we want to achieve at least 13 percent in 2010."

To ensure the comparability of the business trends in 2007, theprioryear figures for sales and operating profit have been adjusted toreflect the new Group structure. The prior year figures thereforeinclude the operations of BOC for the full twelve-month period,whileKION, the forklift truck division sold in 2006, the BOC Edwardscomponents business and the other companies and other assets soldasa result of the BOC transaction have been excluded from thefigures.

On this basis, Group sales increased in the 2007 financial year by13.9 percent to 12.306 billion euro (2006: 10.803 billion euro).Group operating profit rose to 2.424 billion euro (2006: 2.053billion euro), which represents an increase of 18.1 percent.

Earnings before taxes on income (EBT) rose from 363 million euroto1.375 billion euro. A number of non-recurring items relating totheBOC acquisition should be taken into account here. On the onehand,EBT was positively affected by the book profit of 607 million euroonthe disposal of businesses, mainly as a result of conditionsimposedby the competition authorities, while on the other hand EBT wasreduced by the additional amortisation of 446 million eurorelatingto the purchase price allocation.

Earnings after tax from continuing operations showed acorrespondingincrease from 219 million euro to 996 million euro.

Earnings per share (EPS) after adjusting for non-recurring itemswas5.02 euro (2006: 4.66 euro). This means that Linde met itsobjectiveof achieving higher EPS in the new Group than in the Group priortothe reorganisation - one year earlier than planned.

In the case of ROCE, which was adjusted to reflect the new Groupstructure, Linde achieved a figure of 10.3 percent in the 2007financial year (2006: 11.4 percent), reaching double digits, alsooneyear earlier than expected. The slight decline when compared withtheprior year figure was due to a higher figure for average capitalemployed.

The Linde Group also made better progress with the repayment ofitsfinancial debt than originally forecast. It had originallybudgetedfor net debt of 7.2 to 7.5 billion euro, whereas actual debt attheyear-end was 6.427 billion euro (2006: 9.933 billion euro).

The Executive Board of Linde AG recommends to the SupervisoryBoardthat it proposes a resolution at the Shareholders' Meeting on 3June2008 to increase the dividend from 1.50 euro to 1.70 euro pershare.

All the business units and business areas contributed to the goodbusiness performance of the Group.

Gases Division

The Gases Division achieved sales growth of 9.4 percent in the2007financial year to 9.209 billion euro (2006: 8.421 billion euro),in aseamless continuation of the positive trend from 2006. Operatingprofit again increased at a faster rate than sales, with a rise of13.7 percent to 2.314 billion euro (2006: 2.035 billion euro). Allthe regions and product areas contributed to this positivebusinessperformance.

In the Western Europe operating segment, sales increased by 5.6percent to 4.026 billion euro (2006: 3.811 billion euro). WesternEurope remains the region which generates the highest level ofsalesin the Gases Division. Operating profit here rose 5.8 percent to1.097 billion euro (2006: 1.037 billion euro).

In the Americas operating segment, Linde's gases business grew by1.8percent to 2.348 billion euro (2006: 2.306 billion euro). On acomparable basis, after adjusting for exchange rate effects,changesin the price of natural gas and changes in the Group structure,theincrease in sales was 6.6 percent. The Gases Division in theAmericasregion achieved an increase in operating profit of 10.9 percent to447 million euro (2006: 403 million euro).

In the Asia & Eastern Europe operating segment, the gases businessonce again saw significant growth in sales of 34.9 percent to1.618billion euro (2006: 1.199 billion euro). Operating profit rose by49.2 percent to 467 million euro (2006: 313 million euro), whichmeant that it increased at a faster rate than sales in this regiontoo.

In the South Pacific & Africa operating segment, Linde was able tocontinue to expand its gases business, increasing sales by 9.8percent to 1.284 billion euro (2006: 1.169 billion euro). On acomparable basis, this represents an increase in sales of 13.3percent. Operating profit in this region rose 7.4 percent to 303million euro (2006: 282 million euro).

Good performances were also to be seen in the 2007 financial yearinthe individual product areas of the Gases Division. Sales in ouron-site business, where we supply industrial gases to the customerfrom plants directly situated on the user's site, grew by 5.0percentto 2.111 billion euro (2006: 2.011 billion euro). Sales ofliquefiedgases rose by 9.1 percent to 2.821 billion euro (2006: 2.586billioneuro), while sales of cylinder gases and related productsincreasedby 12.1 percent to 3.666 billion euro (2006: 3.269 billion euro).TheHealthcare or medical gases business achieved sales growth of 11.3percent to 983 million euro (2006: 883 million euro), once againintodouble figures.

Gases Division - Outlook

The gases business is and remains a very stable growth market.Lindeis expecting average annual growth in the world gases industry ofaround 7 percent in the next few years. The medium-term objectiveremains the same. Linde is seeking to grow at a faster rate thanthemarket and to increase earnings at a faster rate than sales.

Engineering Division

The engineering business of The Linde Group has continued itsprofitable growth in the 2007 financial year. There was furthersignificant growth in sales and earnings, following on from a verysuccessful year in 2006. Sales increased in 2007 by 40.4 percentto2.750 billion euro (2006: 1.958 billion euro), while operatingprofitrose by 39.5 percent to 240 million euro (2006: 172 million euro).

The order intake of the Engineering Division of 2.931 billion euroapproached the record level achieved in the 2006 financial year of3.123 billion euro. The order backlog at 31 December 2007 stood at4.391 billion euro, almost as high as the prior year figure of4.514billion euro.

These excellent figures are the result of a high level of demandforLinde technologies in all four main product areas of theEngineeringDivision: olefin plants, natural gas plants, air separationplants,hydrogen and synthesis gas plants.

Engineering Division - Outlook

Global economic conditions continue to favour international plantconstruction. Against this background, and given the high orderbacklog and the expected processing of orders, Linde anticipatessales growth in the Engineering Division in the next few years of8to 10 percent per annum.

Note: The 2007 annual report of The Linde Group is available ontheInternet at www.linde.com.

The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering companywitharound 50,000 employees working in about 100 countries andachievedsales in the 2007 financial year of EUR 12.3 billion. The strategyofThe Linde Group is geared towards earnings-based growth andfocuseson the expansion of its international business with forward-lookingproducts and services.For more information, please see The Linde Group online athttp://www.linde.com

For additional information:Press                        Investor RelationsUwe Wolfinger                Thomas EisenlohrTelephone: +49.89.35757-1320 Telephone: +49.89.35757-1330

*Operating profit: EBITDA before non-recurring items, includingtheshare of profit from associates and joint ventures.

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