Corning Incorporated (GLW)
Corning makes specialty glass, ceramics, and optical fiber for smartphone screens, displays, and telecom networks.
Information Technology stock comparison
GLW vs TEL: which business are you actually underwriting?
Compare Corning Incorporated with TE Connectivity plc using their business models, SEC classifications, fiscal calendars, current primary filings, and the research questions that matter. This is a thesis framework—not a price target or automatic winner.
- Sector
- Information
- Industry
- Different SIC
- Shared themes
- 1
- Updated
- 2026-02-12
GLW vs TEL: quick comparison
| Company fact | GLW | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Corning Incorporated | TE Connectivity plc |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| SEC industry | Drawing & Insulating of Nonferrous Wire | Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, NEC |
| Fiscal year-end | December 31 | September 25 |
| Latest annual filing | 10-K · 2026-02-12 | 10-K · 2025-11-10 |
GLW vs TEL: audited financials
TEL reported about 1.1× the revenue of GLW in the latest audited fiscal year. On profitability, TEL converted a larger share of revenue into net income (10.7% versus 10.2%). Scale and margin are starting facts for the thesis, not the verdict.
| Metric | GLW | TEL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $15.6B | $17.3B |
| Net income | $1.6B | $1.8B |
| Operating cash flow | $2.7B | $4.1B |
| Diluted EPS | $1.83 | $6.16 |
| Net margin | 10.2% | 10.7% |
GLW: FY ending 2025-12-31 · TEL: FY ending 2025-09-26. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.
How the businesses differ
Why this pair belongs in the comparison set
GLW and TEL have different SEC industry classifications, but both map to the maintained Tariffs & trade research theme inside the Information Technology sector. A shared classification or theme makes the pair useful for a defined research question; it does not mean the companies have identical products, economics, or risks.
TE Connectivity plc (TEL)
TE Connectivity manufactures connectors and sensors that link power and data across transportation, industrial, and communications systems.
The useful starting point is not which ticker has performed better. It is whether the two companies convert the same economic forces into revenue and cash flow in the same way. GLW is classified by the SEC as Drawing & Insulating of Nonferrous Wire, while TEL is classified as Wholesale-Electronic Parts & Equipment, NEC. The different industry codes are a warning against treating sector membership as proof of identical economics.
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The thesis, the numbers behind it, and what would break it. Full access is $15 a month.
Read the full researchWhich thesis does each company fit?
Use the distinction below to decide which filing deserves deeper work. It is a research routing rule, not a recommendation or prediction.
Study GLW when…
- The AI capital-expenditure cycle
- Interest rates and the cost of long-duration growth
- Enterprise IT budgets and cloud migration
- Export controls and the US–China chip race
Study TEL when…
- The AI capital-expenditure cycle
- Interest rates and the cost of long-duration growth
- Enterprise IT budgets and cloud migration
- Export controls and the US–China chip race
Shared research themes
Tariffs & trade
SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence
Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable.GLW's fiscal year ends December 31, while TEL's ends September 25. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.
The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 13matched transaction rows for GLWand 11 for TEL. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.
GLW primary filings
TEL primary filings
What this comparison cannot tell you
This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.
A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.
GLW vs TEL FAQs
Are GLW and TEL direct competitors?
Corning Incorporated and TE Connectivity plc sit in the same Information Technology sector but have different SEC industry classifications. The comparison is most useful for portfolio role and sector exposure, not as a claim that every product competes directly.
Which is better, GLW or TEL?
There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.
Does this GLW vs TEL comparison include live prices?
No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Corning Incorporated and TE Connectivity plc tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.
Where does the company information come from?
Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-09-25. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.
Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-09-25. Independent educational research; not investment advice.
A comparison is the setup. The thesis is the call.
GLW vs TEL shows how the businesses differ. Membership is the monthly sourced view of who could benefit, what could break, and what evidence matters next. $15/month or $150/year.
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