Corning’s optical business jumps 44% as AI data centers demand more fiber

The glassmaker's third-quarter results show AI spending flowing well beyond chips, even as its stock has swung sharply in 2026 Nvidia gets the headlines, the memes, and the trillion-dollar valuation chatter. Corning, a company best known for glass, is quietly collecting a share of the AI spending boom too. The company’s Optical Communications segment posted a 44% year-over-year sales increase to $2.38 billion in the third quarter of 2026. The driver was demand for high-density optical fiber and related products used in AI data centers. Inside the quarter Corning (NYSE: GLW) reported results on or around October 27, 2026. Core sales came in at $5.08 billion, a 19% increase from the same quarter a year earlier. Core earnings per share reached $0.91, topping consensus estimates. The optical unit carried the quarter. Its $2.38 billion in sales made it the standout segment by a wide margin. Sales in the enterprise networks portion of Optical Communications jumped 84%, a surge tied to the push toward generative AI. That enterprise growth has outpaced the growth of GPU shipments. Corning’s guidance suggests management does not expect a slowdown next quarter. The company guided fourth-quar...