Corning (GLW) Stock: $6 Billion Meta Deal Drives Manufacturing Expansion

TLDR

• Corning and Meta announced a multiyear agreement worth up to $6 billion for optical fiber and connectivity solutions
• The deal supports Meta’s AI data center expansion across the United States with American-made products
• Corning will expand North Carolina manufacturing with Meta as anchor customer at the Hickory facility
• Employment in North Carolina expected to grow 15-20 percent, maintaining over 5,000 workers
• Corning stock jumped 15.58 percent following the announcement, trading near 52-week highs

Corning has secured a multiyear partnership with Meta valued at up to $6 billion. The agreement will supply optical fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions for Meta’s data center network.

The deal focuses on accelerating data center buildout to support Meta’s applications and artificial intelligence initiatives. Corning will deliver its latest generation optical products designed for AI infrastructure demands.

Meta will become the anchor customer for Corning’s expanded optical cable facility in Hickory, North Carolina. The partnership emphasizes domestic manufacturing and American innovation.

Meta Platforms, Inc., META

Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Meta, highlighted the importance of world-class partners and American manufacturing for building advanced data centers. The collaboration strengthens U.S. supply chains for critical technology infrastructure.

North Carolina Manufacturing Gets Major Boost

Corning plans to expand manufacturing capabilities across its North Carolina operations. The investment will grow the company’s manufacturing footprint in the state.

Employment levels are projected to increase by 15 to 20 percent. Corning maintains more than 5,000 employees in North Carolina, including scientists, engineers, and production teams.

The facilities represent two of the world’s largest optical fiber and cable manufacturing operations. CEO Wendell Weeks emphasized the partnership’s role in sustaining a highly skilled workforce.

The expansion supports domestic production of technologies that power next-generation data centers. Corning’s products will meet the density and scale requirements of advanced AI infrastructure.

Strong Financial Performance Continues

Corning reported third quarter 2025 earnings per share of $0.67, exceeding the $0.66 Wall Street estimate. Revenue hit $4.27 billion, topping the $4.24 billion consensus.

The company posted 18.27 percent revenue growth over the past twelve months. Stock price returns reached 95.35 percent over the last year.

Corning has paid dividends for 19 consecutive years. Analysts expect profitability to continue in the coming year.

UBS raised its price target to $109 from $100 while maintaining a Buy rating. The firm cited strong optical segment growth driven by data center expansion.

Sales estimates for 2026 and 2027 were revised upward. Growth forecasts increased despite ongoing debates about AI spending levels.

Market Response and Valuation

Corning stock gained 15.58 percent following the Meta partnership announcement. The shares are trading near the 52-week high of $96.64.

Market capitalization stands at $81.41 billion. Some analysts note the stock appears overvalued at current levels despite strong recent performance.

Meta plans to invest the full $6 billion in Corning’s fiber-optic cable technology through 2030. The investment supports Meta’s expanding AI data center infrastructure requirements.

The agreement positions Corning to benefit from growing demand for optical connectivity in AI applications. The company supplies the latest innovations in fiber and cable technology.