New York, February 26, 2026, 11:41 (EST) — Regular session
- Corning shares fell about 4% in late-morning trading after two strong sessions
- Citigroup lifted its price target to $170 and flagged a near-term “catalyst watch” tied to an industry conference
- Traders are now watching management comments and any fresh signals on AI data-center optical demand
Corning Incorporated (GLW) shares fell 4.1% to $153.90 by 11:33 a.m. EST, a day after the stock climbed 5.8% and touched a 52-week high of $162.10. The shares traded between $150.33 and $158.88 on Thursday, with volume near 9.6 million shares; the Nasdaq was down 1.3%. 1
The pullback matters because Corning has become a crowded way to play the AI data-center buildout through optical fiber and connectivity gear. After a fast run, the stock has started to trade more like a momentum name: sharp pops on upgrades, then quick givebacks when the tape turns risk-off.
Citigroup is one reason traders have been leaning in. The bank raised its price target to $170 from $120 and put Corning on an “upside 30-day catalyst watch” ahead of the Optical Fiber Communication conference — shorthand for a near-term event the firm thinks can lift the stock. Citi also put Lumentum on the same list and called the pair “pillars” in the AI optical networking ecosystem, according to TheFly. 2
Other firms have been ratcheting targets higher as well. Citigroup analyst Asiya Merchant led the latest move, while UBS analyst Joshua Spector and Morgan Stanley analyst Meta Marshall have also lifted their targets this month, GuruFocus reported. 3
The OFC gathering in Los Angeles is one of the next checkpoints. The technical conference runs March 15–19, with the exhibition March 17–19, and it is a marquee forum for optical networking vendors and customers to talk roadmaps and deployments. 4
Corning’s recent rally has also leaned on customer headlines tied to data-center expansion. The company and Meta announced a multi-year agreement with a commitment of up to $6 billion for optical fiber, cable and connectivity products, and Corning said it would add manufacturing capacity in North Carolina. 5
In late January, Corning reported fourth-quarter “core” results — its adjusted metric — of $4.41 billion in core sales and $0.72 in core EPS, and it forecast first-quarter core sales of $4.2 billion to $4.3 billion with core EPS of $0.66 to $0.70. CEO Wendell Weeks said the company had “transformed” its financial profile under its Springboard plan, while CFO Ed Schlesinger pointed to “exciting momentum” heading into 2026. 6
Thursday’s drop looks like a pause after Wednesday’s surge rather than a single-company shock. The stock ran hard into a new high, and then the wider tech complex softened.
But the next leg is not guaranteed. Any hint that hyperscaler spending — big cloud players funding the AI buildout — is slowing, or that optical pricing and margins are not keeping up with capacity additions, could turn what’s been a tailwind into a headwind quickly.
Investors now watch for what Corning says at upcoming conference appearances, starting Feb. 27, and then for the OFC week in mid-March — not for slogans, but for order tone, delivery timelines and whether “AI demand” is still translating into numbers.
