Caterpillar vs. Corning: Which Industrials Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?

The article compares two industrial stocks: Caterpillar, a construction and mining equipment leader with $67.6B in FY2025 revenue and $7.5B in free cash flow, and Corning, a materials science company with $15.6B in revenue growing 19.1% driven by AI infrastructure demand. While Caterpillar offers better valuation metrics (Forward P/E of 29.7x vs 45.7x), Corning benefits from AI tailwinds. Both stocks trade above historical averages, making them premium-priced choices for industrial investors.