Meet the Super Semiconductor Stock Crushing Nvidia With a 12-Month Return of 129%
2026-07-30 17:30
•Anthony Di Pizio •The Motley Fool
•••••••• ••••• Axe Cap view
Why Corning Is the AI Supply Chain Stock Outperforming Nvidia
Corning, the century-old glass maker, is booming on fiber-optic demand, leaving Nvidia trailing in returns.
Nvidia has dominated the AI hardware headlines for years, but if you’ve been watching Corning (GLW), you’d know a different story on actual returns. Their 12-month stock gain of 129% dwarfs Nvidia’s single-digit run. Why? Corning’s fiber-optic cables are the unsung heroes inside data centers, enabling the insane speeds AI now requires. This shift away from traditional copper wiring sounds niche but is a critical infrastructure upgrade for the big cloud players. Meta and Amazon gave Corning huge contracts, underscoring long-term demand. For South Africans, this is relevant as tech infrastructure growth impacts the USD/ZAR exchange and South African firms like MTN, who rely on global data transport trends. However, Corning is expensive on price-to-earnings ratios and depends on execution of its capacity expansion; if cloud growth stalls or cheaper technologies emerge, the story could falter. Still, Corning’s rise shows that in tech disruption, the obvious winners aren’t always who you’d expect, especially from a local currency perspective. this is just our opinion and not financial advice
We recommend watching GLW for a tactical buy with a medium risk appetite, especially if USD/ZAR stabilizes below 18. Avoid broad Nvidia exposure for now since it looks less dynamic here.
- GLW
- USD/ZAR
- Execution risk on Corning's planned manufacturing expansion
- Potential slowdown in cloud infrastructure investments impacting fiber demand
6/10
Corning, a 175-year-old glass manufacturer, has emerged as a key player in the AI boom by supplying fiber-optic cables for data centers. With a 12-month return of 129%, the stock significantly outperformed Nvidia's 8% return. The company secured multi-billion dollar deals with Meta and Amazon, plans to expand manufacturing capacity tenfold, and projects doubling revenue from $20B to $40B by 2030. While trading at a higher P/E ratio than Nvidia currently, analysts believe the stock could deliver strong long-term returns if the company executes on its growth plans.
Our take is based on reporting first published by The Motley Fool.