Corning Delivers Outstanding Third-Quarter Results(1)

CORNING, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) today announced third-quarter 2026 results that exceeded guidance and provided its outlook for fourth-quarter 2026.

News Summary:

• Corning grew third-quarter core sales 19% year over year to $5.08 billion – the strongest growth since the launch of Springboard – and grew core EPS nearly twice as fast to $0.91.
  • Optical Communications continued to drive powerful growth, with Q3 sales up 44% to $2.38 billion; Enterprise Networks grew sales 84%, with Gen AI product sales growing more than 100% year over year.
  • Solar grew sales 37% year over year, as production continued to ramp, albeit at a slower pace than anticipated. As productivity continues to improve, so will output and profitability. Additionally, in Q3, U.S. trade action under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 improves the overall pricing environment and demand for U.S.-made solar products. Overall, the company is making solid progress building a more than $3 billion Solar revenue stream.
  • Glass Innovations continued to successfully execute its “More Corning” content strategy, driving adoption of Corning innovations and outperforming TV unit, notebook, and smartphone markets, which have been impacted by memory pricing.
• In the fourth quarter, management expects to grow core sales approximately 19% year over year to a range of $5.2 billion to $5.3 billion and grow core EPS approximately 36% year over year to a range of $0.96 to $1.00.
• Corning’s strong third-quarter results and fourth-quarter outlook demonstrate that the acceleration of growth outlined in the company’s “20-30-40” Springboard Plan has begun.
  • In the third quarter, Corning secured four long-term, multibillion-dollar customer agreements, including with Verizon and AT&T. The company’s growing number of major customer agreements underpins the growth outlined in Springboard.

Wendell P. Weeks, chairman, chief executive officer, and president, said, “We delivered an outstanding third quarter. Year over year, core sales grew 19% to $5.08 billion, and core EPS grew 36% to $0.91. We expanded core gross margin 150 basis points to 40.5%, core operating margin 310 basis points to 22.7%, and core ROIC 330 basis points to 16.7% – with strong adjusted free cash flow of $661 million, while investing more than half a billion in capital expenditures to address demand for our innovations. Our strong results provide excellent proof points of the acceleration of growth outlined in our ‘20-30-40’ Springboard Plan.”

Weeks continued, “We continue to successfully expand our content within customers’ ecosystems and outperform our underlying markets. For example, in Optical Communications, faster adoption of our innovations helped us double our Gen AI sales year over year in the quarter, outpacing GPU unit growth.”

Ed Schlesinger, executive vice president and chief financial officer, said, “When we upgraded Springboard in May, we laid out a path to double our annualized sales run rate from $20 billion to $40 billion by the end of 2030. We also expect to grow earnings faster than sales, with significantly higher ROIC and substantially more free cash flow. To support that growth, we have steadily added capacity, backed by long-term customer agreements that share the cost and risk of expansions. As a result, we have been able to grow adjusted free cash flow to $2.27 billion through the first nine months of 2026 while investing to meet demand.”

Schlesinger continued, “Looking ahead, we expect our outstanding performance to continue. In the fourth quarter, we expect to grow core sales approximately 19% year over year to a range of $5.2 billion to $5.3 billion and grow core EPS approximately 36% year over year to a range of $0.96 to $1.00.”

Third-Quarter 2026 Financial Highlights:

• GAAP sales were $4.86 billion, up 18% year over year. Core sales were $5.08 billion, up 19% year over year.
• GAAP EPS was $0.78, up 56% year over year. Core EPS was $0.91, up 36% year over year. The difference between GAAP and core EPS principally reflects adjustments for hedged exposures, along with discrete tax items. A complete quantitative reconciliation of these and other reconciling items appears in the tables accompanying this release.
• GAAP gross margin was 37.3%. Core gross margin expanded 150 basis points year over year to 40.5%.
• GAAP operating margin was 18.8%. Core operating margin expanded 310 basis points year over year to 22.7%.
• GAAP operating cash flow was $1.06 billion, and adjusted free cash flow was $661 million.

Fourth-Quarter 2026 Outlook:

• In the fourth quarter, management expects to grow core sales approximately 19% year over year to a range of $5.2 billion to $5.3 billion and grow core EPS approximately 36% year over year to a range of $0.96 to $1.00.

Third-Quarter 2026 Results and Comparisons
(In millions, except per-share amounts)

Third-Quarter 2026 Segment Results
(In millions)
The third-quarter results below are prepared on a basis consistent with Corning’s segment reporting as presented in the company’s consolidated financial statements.

Effective in the first quarter of 2026, Corning revised its segment reporting structure to align with its current operating and management structure. As a result, the company created a Glass Innovations segment, combining its former Display and Specialty Materials segments. Corning also created a Solar segment, which includes Hemlock Semiconductor Group and the company’s solar wafer and module manufacturing businesses. Optical Communications and Automotive remain unchanged. All other results will be grouped as Life Sciences and Emerging Growth Businesses. Prior-period results have been recast to conform to the current presentation.

Upcoming Investor Events
On Dec. 1, Corning Incorporated will attend the UBS Global Technology and AI Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition, the company will schedule management visits to investor offices in select cities. Visit the company’s Investor Relations website for up-to-date information.

Third-Quarter Conference Call Information
The company will host its third-quarter conference call on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 8:30 a.m. ET. To participate, individuals may preregister here prior to the start of the call. Once the required fields are completed, click “Register.” A telephone number and PIN will be auto generated and will pop up on screen. Participants will have the choice to “Dial In” or have the system “Call Me.” A confirmation email will also be sent with specific dial-in information. To listen to a live audio webcast of the call, go to the company’s Investor Relations events page and follow the instructions.

Presentation of Information in this News Release
This news release includes non-GAAP financial measures. Non-GAAP financial measures are not in accordance with, or an alternative to, GAAP. Corning’s non-GAAP financial measures exclude the impact of items that are driven by general economic conditions and events that do not reflect the underlying fundamentals and trends in the company’s operations. The company believes presenting non-GAAP financial measures assists in analyzing financial performance without the impact of items that may obscure trends in the company’s underlying performance. Definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures can be found on the company’s website by going to the Investor Relations page and clicking “Quarterly Results” under the “Financials and Filings” tab. These reconciliations also accompany this news release.

With respect to the outlook for future periods, it is not possible to provide reconciliations for these non-GAAP measures because management does not forecast the movement of foreign currencies against the U.S. dollar, or other items that do not reflect ongoing operations, nor does it forecast items that have not yet occurred or are out of management’s control. As a result, management is unable to provide outlook information on a GAAP basis.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
The statements contained in this release and related comments by management that are not historical facts or information and contain words such as “will,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “see,” “would,” “target,” “estimate,” “forecast” or similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and include estimates and assumptions related to economic, competitive and legislative developments. Such statements relate to future events that by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, the Company’s Springboard plan, projected financial and operating performance, anticipated sales opportunities, long-term growth strategy, expected capital deployment, innovation and commercialization plans, and anticipated impacts of customer agreements.

Although the company believes that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions regarding, among other things, current estimates and forecasts, general economic conditions, its knowledge of its business and key performance indicators that impact the company, there can be no assurance that these forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws.

Some of the risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: global economic trends, competition and geopolitical risks, or an escalation of sanctions, tariffs or other trade tensions between the U.S. and other countries, and related impacts on our businesses’ global supply chains and strategies; changes in macroeconomic and market conditions and market volatility, including developments and volatility arising from health crisis events, inflation, interest rates, the value of securities and other financial assets, precious metals, oil, natural gas, raw materials and other commodity prices and exchange rates (particularly between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, Mexican peso, Chinese yuan, South Korean won, euro and New Taiwan dollar), decreases or sudden increases of consumer demand, and the impact of such changes and volatility on our financial position and businesses; the availability of or adverse changes relating to government grants, tax credits or other government incentives; the duration and severity of health crisis events, such as an epidemic or pandemic, and its impact across our businesses on demand, personnel, operations, our global supply chains and stock price; possible disruption in commercial activities or our supply chain due to terrorist activity, cyber-attack, armed conflict, political or financial instability, natural disasters, international trade disputes or major health concerns; loss of intellectual property due to theft, cyber-attack, or disruption to our information technology infrastructure; ability to enforce patents and protect intellectual property and trade secrets; disruption to Corning’s, our suppliers’ and manufacturers’ supply chain, equipment, facilities, IT systems or operations; product demand and industry capacity; competitive products and pricing; availability and costs of critical components, materials, equipment, natural resources and utilities; new product development and commercialization; our solar business development, including manufacturing facility construction, ramp, and operations, and the achievement of solar revenue and profitability targets; order activity and demand from major customers; the amount and timing of our cash flows and earnings and other conditions, which may affect our ability to pay our quarterly dividend at the planned level or to repurchase shares at planned levels; the amount and timing of any future dividends; the effects of acquisitions, dispositions and other similar transactions; the effect of regulatory and legal developments; ability to pace capital spending to anticipated levels of customer demand; our ability to increase margins through implementation of operational changes, pricing actions and cost reduction measures; rate of technology change; adverse litigation; product and component performance issues; retention of key personnel; customer ability to maintain profitable operations and obtain financing to fund ongoing operations and manufacturing expansions and pay receivables when due; loss of significant customers; changes in tax laws, regulations and international tax standards; the impacts of audits by taxing authorities; the potential impact of legislation, government regulations, and other government action and investigations; and other risks detailed in Corning’s SEC filings.

For a complete listing of risks and other factors, please reference the risk factors and forward-looking statements described in our annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

Web Disclosure
In accordance with guidance provided by the SEC regarding the use of company websites and social media channels to disclose material information, Corning Incorporated (“Corning”) wishes to notify investors, media, and other interested parties that it uses its website (https://www.corning.com/worldwide/en/about-us/news-events.html) to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors, or supplemental to information contained in this or other press releases. The list of websites and social media channels that the company uses may be updated on Corning’s media and website from time to time. Corning encourages investors, media, and other interested parties to review the information Corning may publish through its website and social media channels as described above, in addition to the company’s SEC filings, press releases, conference calls, and webcasts.

About Corning Incorporated
Corning (www.corning.com) is one of the world’s leading innovators in materials science, with a 175-year track record of life-changing inventions. Corning applies its unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramic science, and optical physics, along with its deep manufacturing and engineering capabilities to develop category-defining products that transform industries and enhance people’s lives. Corning succeeds through sustained investment in RD&E, a unique combination of material and process innovation, and deep, trust-based relationships with customers who are global leaders in their industries. Corning’s capabilities are versatile and synergistic, which allows the company to evolve to meet changing market needs, while also helping its customers capture new opportunities in dynamic industries. Today, Corning’s markets include optical communications, mobile consumer electronics, display, automotive, solar, semiconductors, and life sciences.

Media Relations Contact:
Gabrielle Bailey
(607) 684-4557
baileygr@corning.com

Investor Relations Contact:
Christopher Keenan
(607) 974-6716
keenanct@corning.com