Companies /Technology

Corning Inc

NYSE: GLW Electronic Components
$154.35
▲ $8.35 (+5.72%) today
Markets closed · 4:27pm ET

Q4 2025 Earnings

Reported Jan 28, 2026, 7:05am ET · SEC source
$0.72
Beat +1.41%
EPS · est. $0.71
$4.4B
Miss −10.70%
Revenue · est. $4.9B
+52.7%
Beating market
GLW vs S&P since report
6 quarters
Consecutive EPS beats

Market Reaction

% change · around the report
−5%0+5%Jan 28Jan 29report 7:05am ETearnings−1.0%−4.6%
−5%0+5%Jan 28Jan 29earnings−1.0%−4.6%
GLW −4.6%S&P 500 −1.0%
−5%0+5%Jan 28Jan 29report 7:05am ETearnings−1.7%−4.6%
−5%0+5%Jan 28Jan 29earnings−1.7%−4.6%
GLW −4.6%NASDAQ −1.7%
−5%0+5%+10%Jan 27Feb 5report 7:05am ETearnings−2.3%−0.6%
−5%0+5%+10%Jan 27Feb 5earnings−2.3%−0.6%
GLW −0.6%S&P 500 −2.3%
−5%0+5%+10%Jan 27Feb 5report 7:05am ETearnings−5.7%−0.6%
−5%0+5%+10%Jan 27Feb 5earnings−5.7%−0.6%
GLW −0.6%NASDAQ −5.7%
−4.98%
Day of report
−1.23%
Next session
+5.19%
One week
+51.38%
30 days

S&P 500 over the same 30 days: −1.30%.

Did GLW Beat Earnings? Q4 2025 Results

Corning closed out fiscal 2025 with a mixed but broadly encouraging quarter, posting Q4 core earnings per share of $0.72 against a consensus estimate of $0.71, a beat of 1.41%, while revenue of $4.41 billion fell short of the $4.94 billion analyst target despite climbing 20.4% year over year. The shortfall on the top line was tempered by the underlying strength of Corning's Optical Communications segment, which generated $1.70 billion in Q4 net sales, up 24% year over year, as relentless demand from data center buildouts and enterprise connectivity continued to reshape the company's earnings mix. Core operating margin expanded to 20.2% in the quarter, up 390 basis points over two years, underscoring the improving profitability profile that has drawn substantial institutional interest in the stock. A landmark multiyear agreement with Meta, valued at up to $6.00 billion, reinforced Corning's role as a key supplier of AI infrastructure. Looking ahead, management guided Q1 2026 core sales of $4.20 billion to $4.30 billion, representing approximately 15% year-over-year growth, with core EPS of $0.66 to $0.70.

Key Takeaways
  • Strong Optical Communications growth driven by data center and enterprise connectivity demand
  • Core operating margin expanded 390 bps to 20.2% from Q4 2023 to Q4 2025
  • Core ROIC expanded 540 bps to 14.2% from Q4 2023 to Q4 2025
  • Hemlock and Emerging Growth Businesses Q4 revenue surged 62% YoY
  • Adjusted free cash flow nearly doubled to $1.72 billion for FY 2025 vs FY 2023
  • Core EPS grew twice as fast as core sales in 2025, and adjusted free cash flow grew three times as fast

“Since the launch of Springboard two years ago, we have transformed Corning's financial profile: From Q4-2023 to Q4-2025, we expanded core operating margin by 390 basis points to 20.2%, and expanded core ROIC 540 basis points to 14.2%, while nearly doubling adjusted free cash flow to $1.72 billion for full-year 2025. We now have a highly profitable launch point for future growth.”

Corning CEO, on the earnings call

Forward Guidance & Outlook

For Q1 2026, management expects year-over-year growth to accelerate, with core sales up approximately 15% to a range of $4.2 billion to $4.3 billion, and core EPS growing to a range of $0.66 to $0.70. The upgraded Springboard plan now targets $11 billion in incremental annualized sales by the end of 2028 (up from the original $8 billion), $6.5 billion in incremental annualized sales by end of 2026 under the internal plan (up from $6 billion), and $5.75 billion under the high-confidence plan by end of 2026 (up from $4 billion).

GLW YoY Financials

Q4 2025 vs Q4 2024 · SEC filings Q4 2024 Q4 2025
$0$2.0B$4.0B$3.5B$4.2BRevenue$1.2B$1.5BGross Profit$393.0M$672.0MOperating Income$310.0M$540.0MNet Income
$0$2.0B$4.0BRevenueGross ProfitOperating IncomeNet Income

GLW Revenue by Segment

Optical Communications$1.7B+24.0%
Glass Innovations$544.0M+6.0%
Display Technologies
Display
Specialty Materials
Life Sciences and Emerging Growth Businesses$526.0M+62.0%
Automotive$440.0M−1.0%
Solar

Figures from SEC filings and company reports. Not investment advice.