Buy Corning as a Potential AI Beneficiary in 2026 Amid Robust Outlook

Corning Inc. GLW – a giant communication components manufacturer – reported strong fourth-quarter 2025 earnings results. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.72 surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.70 and the year-ago EPS of $0.57.  Quarterly revenues of $4.41 billion outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.1% and the year-ago revenues of $3.87 billion. In the reported quarter, net sales of the core optical communications business climbed 24.3% year over year. Total operating margin increased 1.7% from the year-ago quarter to 20.2%. Free cash flow nearly doubled in 2025 to $1.72 billion from $880 million in 2024.After benefiting the semiconductor industry immensely, the astonishing growth of the artificial intelligence (AI) technology globally is going to boost the communication components segment, especially the optical technology.AI-powered data centers need very high speed and efficiency to deliver outputs. As a result, the demand for optical communication components is expected to skyrocket in the near future. Coring is all set to tap this growth trajectory. Extensive AI-Focused PortfolioGLW offers several products focused on data centers, with a portfolio consisting of optical fiber, hardware, cables and connectors, enabling it to create optical solutions to meet evolving customer needs. This augurs well for its long-term growth. The growing adoption of innovative optical connectivity products for generative AI applications is expected to be a key growth driver for GLW in the upcoming quarters. Since both consumers and enterprises are using networks more extensively and the data thus generated is increasingly being used to train AI models, there is tremendous demand for quality networking. Additionally, data consumption patterns are changing, with a growing propensity to consume video content, creating the need for faster data transfer. Since optical networks are more efficient and most existing networks are copper-based, the demand for GLW’s optical solutions is particularly strong.Major CollaborationsCorning's fiber-optic products are in high demand from technology giants. The company is a technology partner of generative AI-focused semiconductor behemoth NVIDIA Corp. NVDA. GLW supports NVDA’s silicon photonics ecosystem-based AI infrastructure.Recently, Meta Platforms Inc. META clinched a deal with GLW for a total consideration of $6 billion through 20230. Per the agreement, GLW will supply cabling, optical fiber, and other communication components to META’s data centers. Strong GuidanceCorning projected that core sales would be in the range of $4.2-$4.3 billion in first-quarter 2026. Adjusted per-share earnings are expected between $0.66 and $0.70. GLW also raised its internal “Springboard” growth plan. The company is expected to generate $6.5 billion in incremental annualized sales by the end of 2026 and $11 billion by the end of 2028. The previous guidance was $6 billion and $8 billion for 2026 and 2028, respectively.Solid Estimate RevisionsCorning has an expected revenue and earnings growth rate of 11% and 20.5%, respectively, for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year’s earnings has improved 0.3% in the last seven days. The stock has a long-term (3-5 years) EPS growth rate of 18.8%, higher than the S&P 500’s growth rate of 16%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchInvestment ThesisCorning currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. The stock price has soared more than 100% in the past year. However, after the fourth-quarter results, it fell more than 5%. That was primarily due to the fact that the stock reached a 52-week high level the previous day on its META deal. Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchGLW is set to capitalize on the AI boom with robust business execution and an industry-leading product portfolio. At this stage, each and every fall in the stock price will open a good entry point. Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchBeyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is HereThe AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. Little-known AI firms tackling the world's biggest problems may be more lucrative in the coming months and years.SeeWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report Corning Incorporated (GLW): Free Stock Analysis Report Meta Platforms, Inc. (META): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks