Corning Incorporated (GLW) reported third-quarter core sales of $5.08 billion, up 19% from a year earlier, the fastest year-over-year growth since the company launched its Springboard plan, and said it expects that pace to continue into the fourth quarter.

The materials-science company exceeded the outlook it had given in July, when it had projected core sales of $4.9 billion to $5.0 billion, or about 16% year-over-year growth, and core earnings of $0.85 to $0.89 a share. Management now expects fourth-quarter core sales of $5.2 billion to $5.3 billion, or about 19% year-over-year growth, and core earnings of $0.96 to $1.00 a share, or about 36% year-over-year growth.

Core earnings were $0.91 a share, up 36% from a year earlier. GAAP sales were $4.86 billion and GAAP earnings were $0.78 a share. The company said the gap between GAAP and core earnings principally reflected adjustments for hedged exposures and discrete tax items.

Optical Communications was the engine. Segment sales rose 44% to $2.38 billion, faster than the 32% increase recorded in the second quarter. Net income in the segment was $532 million. Enterprise Networks sales grew 84%, and the company said Gen AI product sales grew more than 100% year over year. Chairman and Chief Executive Wendell P. Weeks said faster adoption of Corning’s innovations helped the company double Gen AI sales in the quarter, outpacing GPU unit growth.

Solar sales were $436 million, up 37% from a year earlier, after a 90% increase in the second quarter. The company said production continued to ramp, albeit at a slower pace than anticipated, and that productivity gains would lift output and profitability. Solar swung to a $7 million net loss from a $30 million profit a year earlier. Weeks said U.S. trade action under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 improved the pricing environment and demand for U.S.-made solar products in the quarter. The company said it is making solid progress building a more than $3 billion Solar revenue stream.

Glass Innovations, which combines former Display and Specialty Materials businesses, posted sales of $1.51 billion, down 3% from a year earlier, with net income of $328 million. The company said the segment outperformed TV unit, notebook, and smartphone markets, which have been impacted by memory pricing. Automotive sales were $470 million. Life Sciences and Emerging Growth Businesses sales were $290 million, with a $28 million net loss.

Core gross margin expanded 150 basis points year over year to 40.5%. Core operating margin expanded 310 basis points to 22.7%, and core return on invested capital expanded 330 basis points to 16.7%. Adjusted free cash flow was $661 million. Capital expenditures were $545 million. Operating cash flow was $1.06 billion.

In the third quarter Corning secured four long-term, multibillion-dollar customer agreements, including with Verizon and AT&T. Weeks said the growing number of major customer agreements underpins the growth outlined in Springboard. Chief Financial Officer Ed Schlesinger said that when the company upgraded Springboard in May it laid out a path to double its annualized sales run rate from $20 billion to $40 billion by the end of 2030, with earnings growing faster than sales. He said adjusted free cash flow reached $2.27 billion through the first nine months of 2026.

The company said its third-quarter results and fourth-quarter outlook demonstrate that the acceleration of growth outlined in the “20-30-40” Springboard Plan has begun. Management’s fourth-quarter outlook has a core sales midpoint of $5.25 billion and a core earnings midpoint of $0.98 a share.