Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, specialty glass and ceramics giant Corning (GLW +0.80%) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Corning and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Corning facts
|
Headquarters (founded) |
Corning, N.Y. (1851) |
|
Market Cap |
$22.4 billion |
|
Industry |
Electronic components |
|
Trailing-12-Month Revenue |
$7.9 billion |
|
Management |
Chairman/CEO Wendell Weeks Vice Chairman/CFO James Flaws |
|
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) |
13.1% |
|
Cash / Debt |
$5.8 billion / $2.9 billion |
|
Dividend Yield |
2.6% |
|
Competitors |
3M TE Connectivity |
Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, 98% of the 5,399 members who have rated Corning believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.
Just last month, one of those Fools, Gainster, succinctly summed up the Corning bull case for our community:
A relatively cheap dividend stock with a trailing P/E of 12.3, in an innovative and long standing company, in a not so innovative industry. ...
They have positioned [themselves] as a brand in a lot of consumers mind with the Gorilla Glass, a uniquely durable kind of glass.
They have developed a fiber that is suitable for installing the last stretch to the consumer, tolerating more bending than other fibers.
Their unique and innovative products, targeted at a sort of niche in the tech industry, will probably secure them some nice margins and not too tough competition. They are experiencing some growth and might continue growing with the growth in smartphones, tablets and fiber to the home.
Besides being relatively cheap, they also pay a decent dividend of 2.8% at a reasonable payout ratio (28%). And they have loads of cash to weather harsh times.
