How does Corning (GLW) make money?

Corning (GLW) generates revenue primarily from Optical Communications, which accounted for 53% of total revenue in TTM through Q2 2026. The company reported $17B in revenue and converted 11.2% of it into net profit, equivalent to roughly $1.9B in net income — what's left after the cost of revenue, operating expenses, interest, and income taxes.

What is the gross profit margin of Corning (GLW)?

Corning (GLW) reported a gross profit margin of 36.3% in TTM through Q2 2026, equivalent to $6.16B in gross profit on $17B in revenue. Gross margin measures how much of each dollar of revenue remains after the direct cost of producing or delivering the product — a higher figure typically signals pricing power, scale, or a less capital-intensive business model.

What is the operating profit margin of Corning (GLW)?

Corning (GLW) reported an operating profit margin of 15.5% in TTM through Q2 2026, equivalent to $2.62B in operating income. Operating margin captures profitability after research & development, sales & marketing, and general & administrative expenses — but before interest, taxes, and one-off items — and is the cleanest single read on the underlying business's efficiency.

What is the net profit margin of Corning (GLW)?

Corning (GLW) reported a net profit margin of 11.2% in TTM through Q2 2026, equivalent to $1.9B in net income. Net margin is the bottom-line share of revenue that survives every expense — operating costs, interest, and income taxes — and is the figure that flows directly into earnings per share.

Is Corning (GLW) profitable?

Yes. Corning (GLW) reported $1.9B in net income for TTM through Q2 2026, with a net profit margin of 11.2%. The company earned more from its operations than it paid out in costs, interest, and income taxes, leaving positive earnings on the bottom line.

How much does Corning (GLW) invest in research and development?

Corning (GLW) invested $1.14B in research and development during TTM through Q2 2026, roughly 6.7% of total revenue. R&D spending funds the company's future product pipeline and is expensed in full on the income statement rather than capitalised, which makes the operating margin sensitive to how aggressively management chooses to reinvest in innovation.

How much does Corning (GLW) spend on capital expenditures?

Corning (GLW) spent $1.52B on capital expenditures (CapEx) during TTM through Q2 2026, roughly 9.0% of total revenue. CapEx represents long-lived investment in property, equipment, data centres, and other physical infrastructure, and is subtracted from operating cash flow to arrive at free cash flow.

How much free cash flow does Corning (GLW) generate?

Corning (GLW) generated $2.4B in free cash flow during TTM through Q2 2026, a free-cash-flow margin of 14.1%. Free cash flow is the cash left after capital expenditures and represents the discretionary pool the company can use to pay dividends, repurchase shares, repay debt, or fund acquisitions without raising external capital.

What is the effective tax rate of Corning (GLW)?

Corning (GLW) had an effective tax rate of 13.8% in TTM through Q2 2026. The effective rate is the actual share of pre-tax income paid as income taxes and can differ materially from the statutory rate due to foreign earnings mix, tax credits (such as R&D), share-based compensation deductions, and one-off discrete items.

What are the main business segments of Corning (GLW)?

Corning (GLW) reports revenue across 7 reportable product segments, led by Optical Communications at 53% of total revenue in TTM through Q2 2026. See the revenue-by-segment table on this page for the full breakdown and how each segment feeds into the income-statement waterfall above.

How Corning Makes Money: 2026 Visual Revenue Map

Corning (GLW) Income Statement Flow — TTM through Q2 2026

Calculated from the four most recent reported quarters, ending June 30, 2026 (reported July 29, 2026).

Corning discloses geographic revenue only in annual filings. to view the full breakdown.

Corning (GLW) Revenue by Product Segment — TTM through Q2 2026

Aggregated from the four quarterly disclosures behind this TTM. Minor differences vs the company's annual filing can occur if reported segments changed mid-year.

Revenue contribution by product segment for Corning (GLW), TTM through Q2 2026.
Segment	Revenue (USD)	% of total
Optical Communications	$9B	53%
Automotive Products	$2.24B	13.2%
Display Technologies	$1.9B	11.2%
Specialty Materials	$1.43B	8.4%
Life Sciences	$1.19B	7%
Polycrystalline Silicon	$651M	3.8%
All Other	$557M	3.3%
Total	$17B	100%

Optical Communications$9B
Automotive Products$2.24B
Display Technologies$1.9B
Specialty Materials$1.43B
Life Sciences$1.19B
Polycrystalline Silicon$651M
All Other$557M
Total$17B

Revenue Breakdown — TTM through Q2 2026

In TTM through Q2 2026, Corning (GLW) reports revenue across 7 reportable product segments; the largest segment was Optical Communications at 53%, followed by Automotive Products (13.2%) and Display Technologies (11.2%).

Frequently asked questions

Data & methodology

Corning (GLW) Key Financials

Charts, filings, and peer comparison for every metric

Trains Company Knowledge

Explore more

Deep-dives across the income statement, cash flow, capital return, and valuation

Overview

GLW Overview

Counters

Income Statement

Cash Flow

Capital Return

How this company returns cash to shareholders — buybacks, dividends, and stock splits.

Forecast & Valuation