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.

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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

1 Oversold Stock Ready to Bounce Back and 2 We Find Risky

BMI Cover Image

The past year hasn't been kind to the stocks featured in this article. Each has tumbled to their lowest points in 12 months, leaving investors to decide whether they're witnessing fire sales or falling knives.

At StockStory, we dig beneath the surface of price movements to uncover whether a company's fundamentals justify its current valuation or suggest hidden potential. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock where you should be greedy instead of fearful and two facing legitimate challenges.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Casella Waste Systems (CWST)

One-Month Return: -1.6%

Starting with the founder picking up garbage with a pickup truck he purchased using savings from high school, Casella (NASDAQ: CWST) offers waste management services for businesses, residents, and the government.

Why Does CWST Give Us Pause?

  1. Organic sales performance over the past two years indicates the company may need to make strategic adjustments or rely on M&A to catalyze faster growth
  2. Expenses have increased as a percentage of revenue over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 4.7 percentage points
  3. Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities, and its shrinking returns suggest its past profit sources are losing steam

At $87.39 per share, Casella Waste Systems trades at 80.3x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with CWST, check out our full research report (it’s free for active Edge members).

DXC (DXC)

One-Month Return: -6%

Born from the 2017 merger of Computer Sciences Corporation and HP Enterprise's services business, DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC) is a global IT services company that helps businesses transform their technology infrastructure, applications, and operations.

Why Do We Pass on DXC?

  1. Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
  2. Earnings per share have contracted by 1.7% annually over the last five years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance
  3. Underwhelming 1.2% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities, and its decreasing returns suggest its historical profit centers are aging

DXC’s stock price of $13.23 implies a valuation ratio of 4.2x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including DXC in your portfolio.

One Stock to Buy:

Badger Meter (BMI)

One-Month Return: +1.6%

The developer of the world’s first frost-proof water meter in 1905, Badger Meter (NYSE: BMI) provides water control and measure equipment to various industries.

Why Is BMI a Top Pick?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 17.8% over the past two years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains this cycle
  2. Performance over the past two years shows its incremental sales were extremely profitable, as its annual earnings per share growth of 32.1% outpaced its revenue gains
  3. Strong free cash flow margin of 15.2% enables it to reinvest or return capital consistently, and its recently improved profitability means it has even more resources to invest or distribute

Badger Meter is trading at $180.03 per share, or 36.4x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.

Stocks We Like Even More

Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.

Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today

StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.

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