Corning (NYSE:GLW) Hits New 12-Month High After Analyst Upgrade

Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) shares reached a new 52-week high on Thursday after Citigroup raised their price target on the stock from $120.00 to $170.00. Citigroup currently has a buy rating on the stock. Corning traded as high as $162.10 and last traded at $160.0940, with a volume of 17166557 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $151.59.

GLW has been the subject of several other reports. Argus boosted their price objective on Corning from $68.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Fox Advisors lowered Corning from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Corning from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 17th. Susquehanna raised their price objective on Corning from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Barclays set a $100.00 target price on shares of Corning in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $125.42.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Corning news, VP John Z. Zhang sold 1,531 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.75, for a total value of $204,771.25. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Eric S. Musser sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.25, for a total transaction of $1,953,750.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 4,926 shares in the company, valued at approximately $641,611.50. The trade was a 75.28% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 233,201 shares of company stock worth $32,614,558 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.40% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Corning

Here are the key news stories impacting Corning this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup set a new $170 price target for GLW, signaling confidence in Corning’s growth prospects and supporting higher valuation expectations. Corning (NYSE:GLW) Given New $170.00 Price Target at Citigroup
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades pushed the stock to a fresh 52‑week high and prompted short‑term buying; one report notes shares trading materially higher following the upgrades. Corning (NYSE:GLW) Trading Up 5.6% Following Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: UBS says Nvidia’s strong Q4 results provide a favorable read‑through for Corning (demand in data centers and advanced optics), bolstering expectations for Corning’s end‑market strength. Corning Gets Strong Read Through From Nvidia Results, UBS Says
• Positive Sentiment: A CNBC piece argues Corning’s near‑record price and elevated valuation are justified by durable end‑market demand and improving fundamentals, which may attract momentum investors. Why Corning’s near record stock price and historically expensive valuation are worth it
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces (Yahoo Finance, Zacks) explain the stock’s ~45.9% run since the last earnings report and look at upcoming estimates — useful context but not new catalysts. Why Is Corning (GLW) Up 45.9% Since Last Earnings Report?
• Neutral Sentiment: Another analytical take from Zacks reiterates the same thesis on recent earnings and what to watch next (estimates/guidance). Why Is Corning (GLW) Up 45.9% Since Last Earnings Report?
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Wendell P. Weeks sold 137,514 shares (~$21.4M) on Feb. 26, reducing his stake by ~15.5% per the SEC filing; insider sales can trigger short‑term caution among investors despite his remaining large holding. SEC Form 4 — Weeks insider sale

Institutional Trading of Corning

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Corning by 46.0% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,705 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $319,000 after acquiring an additional 2,114 shares during the period. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Corning in the 1st quarter valued at $729,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Corning by 9.3% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 64,704 shares of the electronics maker’s stock worth $2,962,000 after purchasing an additional 5,522 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Corning during the 2nd quarter worth $401,000. Finally, Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of Corning during the 2nd quarter worth about $266,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 69.80% of the company’s stock.

Corning Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $108.27 and its 200-day moving average is $90.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $128.96 billion, a PE ratio of 81.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.13.

Corning (NYSE:GLW) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The electronics maker reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $4.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.35 billion. Corning had a net margin of 10.21% and a return on equity of 18.72%. Corning’s revenue was up 13.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.57 earnings per share. Corning has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.660-0.700 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Corning Incorporated will post 2.33 earnings per share for the current year.

Corning Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.28 per share. This represents a $1.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Corning’s dividend payout ratio is 60.87%.

About Corning

Corning Incorporated is a global manufacturer specializing in specialty glass, ceramics and related materials and technologies. Headquartered in Corning, New York, the company supplies engineered materials and components used across multiple industries, including consumer electronics, telecommunications, automotive emissions control, pharmaceutical and life sciences, and industrial and scientific applications. Corning emphasizes materials science and precision manufacturing to develop durable, high-performance glass and ceramic products.

Key product lines include specialty display glass used by television and mobile-device manufacturers, cover glass marketed under well-known trade names for smartphones and tablets, and optical fiber and cable and related hardware for telecommunications networks.