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.

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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

3 Growth Stocks with Explosive Upside

CRWD Cover Image

Growth boosts valuation multiples, but it doesn’t always last forever. Companies that cannot maintain it are often penalized with large declines in market value, a lesson ingrained in investors who lost money in tech stocks during 2022.

Deciphering which businesses can sustain their high growth rates is a challenge for even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory. That said, here are three growth stocks expanding their competitive advantages.

CrowdStrike (CRWD)

One-Year Revenue Growth: +23.5%

Known for detecting the massive SolarWinds hack in 2020 that compromised numerous government agencies, CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD) provides cloud-based cybersecurity solutions that protect endpoints, cloud workloads, identity, and data through its Falcon platform.

Why Do We Love CRWD?

  1. Billings have averaged 25% growth over the last year, showing it’s securing new contracts that could potentially increase in value over time
  2. Estimated revenue growth of 21.6% for the next 12 months implies its momentum over the last two years will continue
  3. Software platform has product-market fit given the rapid recovery of its customer acquisition costs

At $479.13 per share, CrowdStrike trades at 22.8x forward price-to-sales. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.

Palantir Technologies (PLTR)

One-Year Revenue Growth: +38.8%

Named after the all-seeing stones in "Lord of the Rings," Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) develops software platforms that help government agencies and enterprises integrate, analyze, and operationalize their data for decision-making.

Why Are We Backing PLTR?

  1. Winning new contracts that can potentially increase in value as its billings growth has averaged 44.2% over the last year
  2. Fast payback periods on sales and marketing expenses allow the company to invest heavily and onboard many customers concurrently
  3. Impressive free cash flow profitability enables the company to fund new investments or reward investors with share buybacks/dividends

Palantir Technologies’s stock price of $176.90 implies a valuation ratio of 93.3x forward price-to-sales. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free for active Edge members .

Sprouts (SFM)

One-Year Revenue Growth: +16.8%

Playing on the secular trend of healthier living, Sprouts Farmers Market (NASDAQ: SFM) is a grocery store chain emphasizing natural and organic products.

Why Will SFM Outperform?

  1. Rapid rollout of new stores to capitalize on market opportunities makes sense given its strong same-store sales performance
  2. Same-store sales growth averaged 7.5% over the past two years, showing it’s bringing new and repeat shoppers into its stores
  3. Exciting sales outlook for the upcoming 12 months calls for 11.8% growth, an acceleration from its six-year trend

Sprouts is trading at $111.25 per share, or 19.7x 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-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% 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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