New York, January 27, 2026, 18:10 EST — After-hours
Shares of Corning Incorporated surged Tuesday following news of a multiyear supply deal with Meta Platforms for fiber-optic cables and connectivity equipment serving AI data centers. The stock climbed 15.6% to $109.74 in after-hours trading, reaching an intraday peak of $113.70. After-hours trades occur after the market closes at 4 p.m.
This shift is significant since the AI data-center expansion isn’t just about chips anymore. It’s dragging in the less flashy hardware—fiber, cables, connectors—that shuttles data between racks and buildings, where bottlenecks can quickly drive up costs.
The timing is key, coming just ahead of Corning’s quarterly earnings. Investors are set to dig into how those major contracts translate into revenue and what spending is required to keep up with demand.
Corning announced it will provide Meta with optical fiber, cable, and connectivity products, while boosting manufacturing capacity in North Carolina. This includes scaling up its Hickory optical-cable facility, where Meta will act as an anchor customer—essentially the major buyer backing the expanded capacity. “Building the most advanced data centers in the U.S. requires world-class partners and American manufacturing,” said Joel Kaplan, Meta’s chief global affairs officer. 1
CNBC reported that Meta will continue paying Corning through 2030, according to Reuters. Meta aims to invest roughly $600 billion in U.S. tech infrastructure and jobs over the next three years. Corning CEO Wendell Weeks highlighted the domestic supply-chain benefits, saying, “Together with Meta, we’re strengthening domestic supply chains and helping ensure that advanced data centers are built using U.S. innovation.” 2
Meta shares crept up 0.1% to $672.97. Amphenol, which supplies connectivity parts for data centers, gained 7.4%. Belden barely moved.
Corning, famous for its Gorilla Glass on smartphones, also markets optical fiber and cable connecting data centers and telecom networks. Its shares have surged over 80% in 2025 and now trade near dot-com bubble heights, according to Investopedia. 3
The $6 billion figure sounds impressive, but it’s a ceiling, not a guarantee. Since the commitment is “up to” that amount, delays or shifts in major projects could curb the benefits of extra capacity. That would leave Corning more dependent on a small group of key clients.
Corning will release its Q4 earnings before markets open Wednesday, followed by a call at 8:30 a.m. ET. Investors are focused on updates regarding the Meta project and whether there will be shifts in guidance for its optical communications segment. 4
