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.

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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.

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 Cash-Producing Stock for Long-Term Investors and 2 That Underwhelm

OPAD Cover Image

Generating cash is essential for any business, but not all cash-rich companies are great investments. Some produce plenty of cash but fail to allocate it effectively, leading to missed opportunities.

Not all companies are created equal, and StockStory is here to surface the ones with real upside. Keeping that in mind, here is one cash-producing company that excels at turning cash into shareholder value and two best left off your watchlist.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Offerpad (OPAD)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 6.1%

Known for giving homeowners cash offers within 24 hours, Offerpad (NYSE: OPAD) operates a tech-enabled platform specializing in direct home buying and selling solutions.

Why Should You Sell OPAD?

  1. Demand for its offerings was relatively low as its number of homes purchased has underwhelmed
  2. Cash-burning history makes us doubt the long-term viability of its business model
  3. Negative earnings profile makes it challenging to secure favorable financing terms from lenders

Offerpad’s stock price of $4.02 implies a valuation ratio of 0.2x forward price-to-sales. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why OPAD doesn’t pass our bar.

Illinois Tool Works (ITW)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 17.3%

Founded by Byron Smith, an investor who held over 100 patents, Illinois Tool Works (NYSE: ITW) manufactures engineered components and specialized equipment for numerous industries.

Why Are We Wary of ITW?

  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. Demand will likely be soft over the next 12 months as Wall Street’s estimates imply tepid growth of 3.7%
  3. Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last two years as they only grew by 6.2% annually

At $259.20 per share, Illinois Tool Works trades at 24.4x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ITW in your portfolio.

One Stock to Watch:

Boston Scientific (BSX)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 18.8%

Founded in 1979 with a mission to advance less-invasive medicine, Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) develops and manufactures medical devices used in minimally invasive procedures across cardiovascular, urological, neurological, and gastrointestinal specialties.

Why Does BSX Catch Our Eye?

  1. Average organic revenue growth of 15.6% over the past two years demonstrates its ability to expand independently without relying on acquisitions
  2. Forecasted revenue growth of 13.5% for the next 12 months indicates its momentum over the last two years is sustainable
  3. Additional sales over the last five years increased its profitability as the 18.4% annual growth in its earnings per share outpaced its revenue

Boston Scientific is trading at $97.67 per share, or 32.1x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free for active Edge members.

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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 9 Market-Beating Stocks. 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 Comfort Systems (+782% 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

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