Corning sees Q2 core EPS 73c-77c, consensus 75c

Sees revenue $4.6B, consensus $4.67B. Second-quarter guidance includes an extended maintenance shutdown at Corning’s (GLW) solar wafer facility, including the transition to a permanent power system while the company repairs, upgrades, and modifies production equipment to increase throughput in future quarters. This will cause an additional $30 million of expense in Q2 versus Q1 and is included in guidance. Ed Schlesinger, executive vice president and chief financial officer, said, “Our first-quarter results show continued excellent performance on our Springboard plan. We delivered our eighth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth, with core sales up 18% led by Optical Communications and our new Solar business, which was up 80%. Our solar ramp continues with our polysilicon business performing above our 20% corporate operating margin target in the first quarter, and our module business is on track to cross over in the second quarter. We continued to enhance the company’s financial profile, growing core EPS 30% year over year, while expanding core operating margin 220 basis points, core gross margin 120 basis points, and core ROIC 190 basis points. In the second quarter, we expect to grow core sales about 14% year over year to approximately $4.6 billion and to grow core EPS about 25% year over year to a range of $0.73 to $0.77. We have built into our second-quarter forecast an extended maintenance shutdown at our solar wafer facility, including the transition to a permanent power system while we repair, upgrade, and modify our production equipment to increase throughput in future quarters. This will cause an additional $30 million of expense versus the first quarter.”