Gas supplier Praxair opens talks to buy Germay's Linde

U.S. industrial gas supplier Praxair Inc is in early-stage talks to acquire German peer Linde AG and create a market leader with a value of more than $60 billion, a person familiar with the matter said, sending shares in Linde higher. Such a deal would highlight a wave of consolidation sweeping the industrial gas sector, as slower economic growth has weakened demand in the manufacturing, metals and energy sectors and put pressure on smaller players to compete. A combination of Praxair and Linde