Air Liquide’s first-quarter sales top expectations By Reuters

(Reuters) – French industrial gas company Air Liquide (PA:AIRP) posted better-than-expected first-quarter sales on Friday, driven by strong growth in its healthcare business and high medical oxygen demand caused by the global coronavirus pandemic.

The company, which supplies gases such as oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to factories and hospitals, reported sales of 5.33 billion euros ($6.41 billion) for the first three months of the year, above analysts’ 5.25 billion euros forecast.