Corning on Wednesday provided guidance for the first quarter that it said sits above the consensus view, attributing the stronger-than-expected outlook primarily to sustained demand for its fiber-optic product lines. Those fiber-optic offerings produce nearly 40% of Corning's revenue, underscoring the business's heavy dependence on optical communications sales.
The company, also known for its Gorilla Glass product used by handset makers, has increased investment in its optical communications operations as large technology firms scale data-center capacity to manage growing AI workloads. Corning emphasized the central role of its optical connectivity hardware in addressing the intense compute and data-transmission needs associated with modern AI infrastructure.
On Tuesday, Corning reached an agreement to supply fiber-optic cable to Meta Platforms under a multi-year arrangement with potential value up to $6 billion, aimed at supporting the social media company's AI-focused data centers. The deal underscores the demand drivers for Corning's optical communications division as cloud and AI deployments expand.
For the first quarter of 2026, Corning forecast core sales in a range of $4.2 billion to $4.3 billion. The midpoint of that range sits above analysts' estimates of $4.23 billion, based on LSEG data compiled by the company. The upbeat guidance follows a fourth quarter in which core sales topped expectations.
In the fourth quarter, Corning reported core sales of $4.41 billion, ahead of analysts' estimates of $4.35 billion. Its optical communications segment delivered net sales of $1.70 billion for the quarter, a figure the company said was in line with expectations.
Investors have responded to the company's performance and outlook. Corning's shares have climbed roughly 26% so far this year, extending an 84% gain recorded in 2025, according to the company report.
Promotional note included in the report text: The company posed the question, "Should you be buying GLW right now?" and referenced a product called ProPicks AI that evaluates GLW alongside thousands of other companies using more than 100 financial metrics. The promotional material describes the AI as identifying stocks with attractive risk-reward profiles based on current data and cites notable past winners, including Super Micro Computer (+185%) and AppLovin (+157%). The text also referenced a New Years Sale - 55% OFF.