Gas suppliers Praxair, Linde discuss merger: sources

NEW YORK/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - U.S. industrial gas supplier Praxair Inc and German peer Linde AG have held initial talks about a merger to create a market leader with a value of more than $60 billion, people familiar with the matter said, sending shares in Linde more than 7 percent higher. An agreement would accelerate consolidation sweeping the industrial gas sector where slower economic growth has weakened demand in the manufacturing, metals and energy sectors and put pressure on smaller playe