Dear colleagues,
We have confirmed today that Linde is in preliminary talks about a potential merger with Praxair, Inc. These discussions are ongoing and have not resulted in any concrete results or agreements yet. It is currently not foreseeable whether there will be any kind of transaction. Should these talks be successfully continued, we will of course inform you, our employees, as well as the capital market and the public accordingly.
Whatever the outcome of these talks might be, Linde has laid down the tracks for a successful future. I have trust in our business model, our management team and all of you.
I expect our announcement will generate considerable media coverage and additional speculation. Please do not let that distract you. Please stay focused on your daily work in keeping Linde one of the leading gas and engineering companies in the world.