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

3 Consumer Stocks Walking a Fine Line

By: StockStory

KTB Cover Image

Consumer discretionary businesses are levered to the highs and lows of economic cycles. This sensitive demand profile can cause discretionary stocks to plummet when macro uncertainty enters the fray, and over the past six months, the industry has shed 3%. This performance was disappointing since the S&P 500 held steady.

While some companies have durable competitive advantages that enable them to grow consistently, the odds aren’t great for the ones we’re analyzing today. Keeping that in mind, here are three consumer stocks we’re passing on.

Kontoor Brands (KTB)

Market Cap: $3.32 billion

Founded in 2019 after separating from VF Corporation, Kontoor Brands (NYSE: KTB) is a clothing company known for its high-quality denim products.

Why Does KTB Worry Us?

  1. Constant currency growth was below our standards over the past two years, suggesting it might need to invest in product improvements to get back on track
  2. Projected sales growth of 2.2% for the next 12 months suggests sluggish demand
  3. Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last five years as they only grew by 4.9% annually

Kontoor Brands’s stock price of $59.60 implies a valuation ratio of 11.3x forward price-to-earnings. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why KTB doesn’t pass our bar.

PENN Entertainment (PENN)

Market Cap: $2.50 billion

Established in 1982, PENN Entertainment (NASDAQ: PENN) is a diversified American operator of casinos, sports betting, and entertainment venues.

Why Do We Steer Clear of PENN?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 1.4% over the last two years was below our standards for the consumer discretionary sector
  2. Earnings per share fell by 24.3% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew, showing its incremental sales were much less profitable
  3. Eroding returns on capital from an already low base indicate that management’s recent investments are destroying value

At $16.51 per share, PENN Entertainment trades at 30.2x forward price-to-earnings. To fully understand why you should be careful with PENN, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Scholastic (SCHL)

Market Cap: $587 million

Creator of the legendary Scholastic Book Fair, Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL) is an international company specializing in children's publishing, education, and media services.

Why Should You Sell SCHL?

  1. Sales were flat over the last five years, indicating it's failed to expand its business
  2. Sales over the last five years were less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 18.9% annually while its revenue was flat
  3. Low returns on capital reflect management’s struggle to allocate funds effectively

Scholastic is trading at $19.47 per share, or 8.9x forward price-to-earnings. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including SCHL in your portfolio.

Stocks We Like More

With rates dropping, inflation stabilizing, and the elections in the rearview mirror, all signs point to the start of a new bull run - and we’re laser-focused on finding the best stocks for this upcoming cycle.

Put yourself in the driver’s seat 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 175% over the last five years.

Stocks that made our list in 2019 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+2,183% between December 2019 and December 2024) as well as under-the-radar businesses like United Rentals (+322% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

More News

View More
Bassett Furniture: Buy Now, Sit Back, and Collect Dividends
Via MarketBeat
Tickers BSET ETD HVT
AST SpaceMobile's Big Win: Shares Soar on New Deal With Verizon
Via MarketBeat
Tickers ASTS JOBY RGTI T VOD VZ
Catch the Next Bitcoin Rally With These 3 ETFs
Via MarketBeat
Topics ETFs
Tickers BITQ FBTC IBIT
MarketBeat Week in Review – 10/06 - 10/10
Via MarketBeat
Topics Economy
Tickers ACHR AMD AMZN AVGO CELH CRWV
3 Heavily Shorted Stocks That Could Pop on Rate Cuts
Via MarketBeat
Topics Artificial Intelligence Economy
Tickers ETSY SMR SOUN
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.