New York, Feb 6, 2026, 21:36 EST — The market has closed.
- Corning surged 8.3% on Friday, hitting $122.16 and pushing its hot 2026 rally even higher.
- Corning’s AI data-center fiber angle keeps attracting traders, spurred on by the Meta supply agreement and a solid Q1 outlook.
- The U.S. jobs report, now set for Feb. 11, lands just ahead of CPI on Feb. 13—both have the potential to shake up rate expectations and spark movement in high-growth names.
Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) jumped 8.3% to end Friday at $122.16—a level last touched during the dot-com boom—after trading as low as $113.00 and hitting an intraday high of $122.76. 1
This shift throws GLW right back into focus before Monday’s session. Investors ran the stock up nearly 11% last week, stacking about a 40% gain since late 2025. A pop like Friday’s tends to attract quick trades, but it also leaves a lot to live up to. 2
Corning’s fortunes have ridden the wave of data center investment, where its fiber and connectivity gear handle hefty data traffic. The story picked up pace after Meta, back in late January, agreed to buy as much as $6 billion in Corning fiber-optic cable for its AI data centers—a deal stretching over several years. Corning also committed to ramping up manufacturing in North Carolina. “Together with Meta, we’re strengthening domestic supply chains,” said CEO Wendell Weeks. 3
Corning stoked the fire on Jan. 28, projecting first-quarter sales that topped forecasts, citing solid appetite for its fiber-optic gear — a segment responsible for close to 40% of its total revenue. The shares have seen sharp swings since, with traders debating whether the AI infrastructure angle is already baked in. 4
Corning reported a 14% jump in fourth-quarter “core” sales, reaching $4.41 billion, with core EPS climbing 26% to $0.72. (“Core” refers to the company’s adjusted metric.) Executives also bumped up targets for the “Springboard” sales-growth initiative, raising their internal goal for additional annualized sales by the close of 2026. 5
Insider moves have cropped up in SEC filings following the rally. Senior vice president Fang Li unloaded 9,797 shares at $113.512, cashing in on options, according to a Form 4. In a separate disclosure, Weeks let go of 10,473 shares at $109.69—this one marked code “F,” a tag that usually signals shares withheld for taxes on equity awards. 6
Some of the lift is coming from the macro side as well. On Friday, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Philip Jefferson described himself as “cautiously optimistic” about what’s ahead, adding that policy is “well positioned” while the Fed monitors new data. The central bank left its key policy rate unchanged last week, sticking with the 3.50%-3.75% range. 7
Here’s the risk: higher bond yields or any hesitation in big tech spending, and the high-expectations trade could unravel in a hurry. Stocks have snapped back before—after a surge like Friday’s, even positive news might get shrugged off as “already known,” leaving room for rapid reversals.
Investors don’t have long to wait. The Bureau of Labor Statistics confirmed the postponed January U.S. employment figures are due out Wednesday, Feb. 11. Two days later, on Friday, Feb. 13 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, the January CPI lands. Both sets of numbers have the potential to shake up rate bets and stir up risk sentiment for the week ahead. 8
