Corning Wins Up to $6B Meta Deal to Supply Fiber for US AI Data Centers — Shares Jump 16%

Corning has signed a multiyear agreement with Meta Platforms worth up to $6 billion to supply optical fiber, cable and connectivity technologies for Meta’s next-generation AI data centers in the United States. The deal names Meta as an anchor customer while supporting Corning’s manufacturing expansion in North Carolina, including a major upgrade at its Hickory optical cable plant. Corning expects the contract to raise North Carolina employment by roughly 15–20%, sustaining more than 5,000 workers at two large fiber and cable facilities. The market reacted sharply: Corning shares surged as much as 16.7% to a record intraday high, while Meta shares slipped modestly ahead of results. Corning’s strong recent performance — including a 58% jump in optical communications sales and the launch of its high-density Contour cable — highlights accelerating demand from hyperscalers for AI infrastructure. Key takeaways for traders: the Meta fiber deal underscores onshoring and AI infrastructure supply-chain themes; large industrial supply contracts can produce sharp, stock-specific rallies; and related component, semiconductor and telecom suppliers may see spillover investor interest. Primary keywords: Meta fiber deal, Corning, AI data centers, optical fiber. Secondary keywords: manufacturing expansion, Contour high-density cable, hyperscalers, US jobs, stock reaction.