Air Liquide unveiled a new strategic plan through 2030 on Monday, targeting annual growth in recurring net earnings per share of about 10% and launching its first-ever share buyback program, worth €4 billion over 2027-2028. The plan, named BEYOND, aims for compound annual growth of 10%, plus or minus 2 percentage points, in recurring net EPS from the end of 2025 to the end of 2030, along with recurring return on capital employed above 11% in 2030. The French industrial gases group expects sales to grow at a compound annual rate of 5%, plus or minus 1 point, outpacing industrial production by a factor of two to three, and targets a cumulative operating margin improvement of 400 to 600 basis points over 2026-2030. Capital allocation of more than €40 billion over the period will cover investments, acquisitions, dividends and buybacks, with more than half going toward industrial investments and acquisitions and about €24 billion in industrial investment decisions planned. Air Liquide named four priority markets — electronics and artificial intelligence, energy transition, healthcare and space — and said it expects electronics sales to grow at a weighted average annual rate above 10% over 2026-2030. CEO François Jackow said the group's profitability now allows it to go beyond reinvestment, including through the buyback and annual employee share purchase plans, and the company reaffirmed a 33% cut in Scope 1 and 2 carbon dioxide emissions by 2035 from 2020 levels and carbon neutrality by 2050.
Air Liquide SAAir Liquide unveiled BEYOND 2030 plan targeting ~10% annual recurring EPS growth and its first-ever €4 billion buyback over 2027-2028.
