Corning (NYSE:GLW) Updates Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Corning (NYSE:GLW) updated its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.660-0.700 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.670. The company issued revenue guidance of $4.2 billion-$4.3 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $4.2 billion.

Corning Trading Down 4.8%

Shares of GLW opened at $104.48 on Thursday. Corning has a fifty-two week low of $37.31 and a fifty-two week high of $113.99. The business has a 50-day moving average of $88.96 and a 200 day moving average of $79.46. The firm has a market cap of $89.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 66.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.56.

Corning (NYSE:GLW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The electronics maker reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.01. Corning had a net margin of 9.16% and a return on equity of 18.12%. The business had revenue of $4.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.35 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.57 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 13.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Corning has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.660-0.700 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Corning will post 2.33 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GLW has been the topic of several recent research reports. Mizuho increased their target price on Corning from $97.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings lowered Corning from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Corning from $100.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Argus lifted their target price on Corning from $68.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price target on Corning from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $103.08.

Insider Transactions at Corning

In related news, EVP Lewis A. Steverson sold 23,142 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.05, for a total value of $2,060,795.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 17,575 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,565,053.75. This trade represents a 56.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Edward A. Schlesinger sold 20,893 shares of Corning stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.25, for a total transaction of $1,906,486.25. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 66,959 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,110,008.75. The trade was a 23.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Corning News

Here are the key news stories impacting Corning this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Multiyear Meta deal — Meta agreed to buy up to $6 billion of Corning fiber‑optic cable through 2030, which materially expands Corning’s addressable demand for AI/data‑center builds and supports multi‑year revenue visibility. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat driven by Optical Communications — Corning reported Q4 revenue of $4.41B and EPS $0.72, topping estimates; Optical Communications surged ~24% on Gen‑AI-related demand, lifting margins and revenue growth. This validates the company’s exposure to hyperscaler spending. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/price target lift — JPMorgan upgraded GLW to “Overweight” and raised its price target to $115, signaling analyst conviction that the new deals and demand mix justify upside versus recent levels. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q1 guidance roughly in line / sales outlook strong — Corning set Q1 EPS guidance of $0.660–0.700 and said sales are expected above estimates, driven by resilient fiber demand; guidance is supportive but not a major beat. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company materials and transcript available — Full press release, slide deck and earnings‑call transcript provide more detail on margins, backlog and execution; read them to assess sustainability of the optical growth. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Pullback after a big run-up — Shares had hit record highs on the Meta news and a 16% rally; today’s decline appears driven by profit‑taking and rotation after that sharp move, with valuation metrics (e.g., a high P/E) likely amplifying volatility. Read More.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Corning

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GLW. Polar Capital Holdings Plc boosted its holdings in shares of Corning by 141.2% in the 3rd quarter. Polar Capital Holdings Plc now owns 4,011,153 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $329,035,000 after purchasing an additional 2,348,125 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in Corning in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $185,221,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. grew its position in Corning by 93.0% during the second quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 3,407,608 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $179,206,000 after acquiring an additional 1,641,558 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its position in Corning by 197.7% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,922,585 shares of the electronics maker’s stock valued at $100,782,000 after acquiring an additional 1,276,708 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its stake in shares of Corning by 267.3% during the second quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 1,453,531 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $76,441,000 after acquiring an additional 1,057,788 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 69.80% of the company’s stock.

Corning Company Profile

Corning Incorporated is a global manufacturer specializing in specialty glass, ceramics and related materials and technologies. Headquartered in Corning, New York, the company supplies engineered materials and components used across multiple industries, including consumer electronics, telecommunications, automotive emissions control, pharmaceutical and life sciences, and industrial and scientific applications. Corning emphasizes materials science and precision manufacturing to develop durable, high-performance glass and ceramic products.

Key product lines include specialty display glass used by television and mobile-device manufacturers, cover glass marketed under well-known trade names for smartphones and tablets, and optical fiber and cable and related hardware for telecommunications networks.