About Us

Laser Focus World is an industry bedrock—first published in 1965 and still going strong. We publish original articles about cutting-edge advances in lasers, optics, photonics, sensors, and quantum technologies, as well as test and measurement, and the shift currently underway to usher in the photonic integrated circuits, optical interconnects, and copackaged electronics and photonics to deliver the speed and efficiency essential for data centers of the future.

Our 80,000 qualified print subscribers—and 130,000 12-month engaged online audience—trust us to dive in and provide original journalism you won’t find elsewhere covering key emerging areas such as laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, lasers in space, integrated photonics, chipscale lasers, LiDAR, metasurfaces, high-energy laser weaponry, photonic crystals, and quantum computing/sensors/communications. We cover the innovations driving these markets.

Laser Focus World is part of Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

A Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast dives deep into the fascinating world of photonics. Our weekly episodes feature interviews and discussions with industry and research experts, providing valuable perspectives on the issues, technologies, and trends shaping the photonics community.

Social Media

Bluesky • Facebook • Instagram • LinkedIn • YouTube

Meet the Laser Focus World Team

Editorial

Sales

Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology
My Watchlist
Indicators
Industrial Laser Index
Markets
Stocks
ETFs
Tools
Markets:
Overview
News
Currencies
International
Treasuries

Dividend King H.B. Fuller Rises On Hopes For Rebound

By: MarketBeat

H.B. A Fuller Company stocks price forecast

Dividend King H.B. Fuller (NYSE: FUL) issued what can only be called a weak report, but shares are rising. It takes a little digging, the news that has the market moving higher is far down in the report, but the details add up to 1 thing: leverage. The company has worked to raise prices and cut costs, which widened the margin. Execs also see “tapering” of destocking activity across the broad portfolio, which suggests volume will improve within the next few quarters.

This boils down to a lever for earnings growth when volume picks up, which is why shares are rising. H.B. Fuller is a Dividend King with a low payout ratio and earnings leverage in the forecast, and that suggests dividend health and the potential for aggressive distribution increases. 

“Our confidence remains high in a stronger second half performance as we expect customer destocking activities to fade, EBITDA margins to continue to expand due to price and raw material cost management, demand in China to improve, better foreign currency comparisons, and restructuring benefits to ramp through the end of the year,” said CEO Celeste Mastin. 

H.B. Fuller: Weak Quarter, Optimistic Outlook 

H.B. Fuller had a weak quarter, with revenue of $898.25 million falling 9.6% YOY and missing the consensus estimates by nearly 750 basis points. The decline is driven by a 14.2% decline in volume that was only partially offset by a 5.9% increase in price. The volume decline is contrary to activity in most sectors due to overstock and inventory buildup created during the pandemic. Construction led on a segment basis with a decline of 13.6%, followed by a 10.2% contraction in Engineering and a 7.6% decline in Hygiene, Health & Consumables. 

The good news is the margin. The company margin improved at the gross and adjusted EBITDA levels to drive improved cash flow and stable earnings. The company’s cash flow improved by $94 million YOY, although the bottom line results do not reflect that. The adjusted $0.93 is down from last year’s $1.11 and missed consensus by $0.11. 

Guidance isn’t spectacular, but it is helping to lift the market. The company reiterated its expectations for adjusted EBITDA growth of 9% to 15% but revised its revenue and earnings targets lower. The takeaway is that revenue and earnings are expected in a range bracketing the consensus, but there is ample room for the company to miss that target.

The next major catalyst may not come until later in the year when the company reports earnings for Q3. If it follows up with more positive margin development and commentary about industry normalization, the stock could rally to a new high. 

The Institutional Tide May Have Shifted 

With no analysts raising their sentiment, weak guidance, and barely enough short interest to move the needle, the question of who is buying the stock needs to be answered. The institutions have been selling for the last 12 months at a pace of more than 2:1, so it probably isn’t them unless it is. The stock is trading near long-term lows and offers relative value for yield and safety. With leverage and rebound entering the picture, the institutions, which own 93% of the stock, may have begun to buy again. If so, shares of the stock will likely move higher. 

The technical outlook is bullish for this dividend king. The stock gained over 5%, exceeding the short- and long-term moving averages. The move is accompanied by bullish crossovers in MACD and stochastic that point to higher prices. Both are low in their ranges and suggest the move could have legs. If so, the all-time high near $80 could be a cautious target. 

HB Fuller Stock Price chart

More News

View More
SoundHound Breaks Critical Resistance: How High Can It Get Now?
Via MarketBeat
Topics Artificial Intelligence
Tickers SOUN
Klarna IPO: BNPL Stock or Something Bigger?
Via MarketBeat
Topics Artificial Intelligence Initial Public Offering
Tickers AFRM KLAR
Why Teradyne Is a Core Play in the AI Hardware Boom
Via MarketBeat
Topics Artificial Intelligence Economy
Tickers TER
Meta Debuts Next-Gen AI Glasses—A Turning Point for Reality Labs?
Via MarketBeat
Topics Artificial Intelligence
Tickers AAPL META
How IREN is Building an AI Powerhouse on a Bitcoin Foundation
Via MarketBeat
Topics Artificial Intelligence Supply Chain
Tickers IREN NVDA
Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.