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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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 of Wall Street’s Favorite Stocks That Fall Short

DOV Cover Image

Wall Street has set ambitious price targets for the stocks in this article. While this suggests attractive upside potential, it’s important to remain skeptical because analysts face institutional pressures that can sometimes lead to overly optimistic forecasts.

Unlike the investment banks, we created StockStory to provide independent analysis that helps you determine which companies are truly worth following. That said, here are three stocks where Wall Street’s estimates seem disconnected from reality and some better opportunities to consider.

Dover (DOV)

Consensus Price Target: $213.44 (26.7% implied return)

A company that manufactured critical equipment for the United States military during World War II, Dover (NYSE: DOV) manufactures engineered components and specialized equipment for numerous industries.

Why Do We Think DOV Will Underperform?

  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. Earnings growth over the last two years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 3.2% annually
  3. Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up

Dover is trading at $168.45 per share, or 17x forward P/E. If you’re considering DOV for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Clover Health (CLOV)

Consensus Price Target: $3.65 (38.8% implied return)

Founded in 2014 to improve healthcare for America's seniors through technology, Clover Health (NASDAQ: CLOV) provides Medicare Advantage plans for seniors with a focus on affordable care and uses its proprietary Clover Assistant software to help physicians manage patient care.

Why Does CLOV Give Us Pause?

  1. Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 18.1% annually over the last two years
  2. Revenue base of $1.61 billion puts it at a disadvantage compared to larger competitors exhibiting economies of scale
  3. Cash burn makes us question whether it can achieve sustainable long-term growth

At $2.63 per share, Clover Health trades at 18.5x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why CLOV doesn’t pass our bar.

Insight Enterprises (NSIT)

Consensus Price Target: $161.33 (44.7% implied return)

With over 35 years of IT expertise and partnerships with more than 8,000 technology providers, Insight Enterprises (NASDAQ: NSIT) provides end-to-end digital transformation solutions that help businesses modernize their IT infrastructure and maximize the value of technology.

Why Should You Dump NSIT?

  1. Sales tumbled by 7.2% annually over the last two years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
  2. Earnings growth over the last two years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 2.8% annually
  3. Lacking free cash flow generation means it has few chances to reinvest for growth, repurchase shares, or distribute capital

Insight Enterprises’s stock price of $111.47 implies a valuation ratio of 11x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including NSIT in your portfolio.

Stocks We Like More

Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.

The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check out our Top 6 Stocks for this week. 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 Tecnoglass (+1,754% 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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