Corning (GLW) shares surged 5.01% over the 24-hour period, staging a sharp recovery after a two-day tumble that had erased more than 20% of the company's market value. The rebound was driven by institutional pushback against the severity of the prior selloff and a massive bullish options trade.

Major brokerages including UBS and Oppenheimer reiterated buy ratings, arguing the pullback was overdone. Although both firms trimmed their price targets, they stressed that the long-term growth thesis built on AI data center fiber optic demand remains intact. UBS noted that Corning's strategy of locking in long-term offtake contracts provides greater earnings stability. Oppenheimer highlighted that Q2 enterprise-network sales jumped 65% and generative-AI-related revenue doubled, with the optical segment posting a record 21% net margin.

Adding fuel to the momentum, a $31.20 million purchase of deep-in-the-money September 2026 $115 calls was executed, signaling strong institutional conviction for significant long-term upside. Corning's CEO also recently emphasized robust demand for optical communication products, reinforcing the positive sentiment around the stock and the broader optical communications sector.