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

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.

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

Q4 Earnings Outperformers: Leggett & Platt (NYSE:LEG) And The Rest Of The Home Furnishings Stocks

LEG Cover Image

Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Leggett & Platt (NYSE: LEG) and the best and worst performers in the home furnishings industry.

A healthy housing market is good for furniture demand as more consumers are buying, renting, moving, and renovating. On the other hand, periods of economic weakness or high interest rates discourage home sales and can squelch demand. In addition, home furnishing companies must contend with shifting consumer preferences such as the growing propensity to buy goods online, including big things like mattresses and sofas that were once thought to be immune from e-commerce competition.

The 5 home furnishings stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.5% below.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 5.6% since the latest earnings results.

Slowest Q4: Leggett & Platt (NYSE: LEG)

Founded in 1883, Leggett & Platt (NYSE: LEG) is a diversified manufacturer of products and components for various industries.

Leggett & Platt reported revenues of $1.06 billion, down 5.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 2.8%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a slower quarter for the company with full-year revenue and EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

President and CEO Karl Glassman commented, "In 2024, we made excellent progress on our strategic priorities, particularly the execution of our restructuring plan, which consistently met or exceeded our expectations. As part of our restructuring activities this year, we realized $22 million in EBIT benefit, generated $20 million in cash proceeds from real estate sales, minimized sales attrition, and kept costs on target. We prioritized balance sheet strength and reduced debt by $126 million. Additionally, we initiated a portfolio evaluation to assess opportunities for long-term growth and determine which businesses are the right long-term fit, through which we continue to explore a potential sale of our Aerospace Group."

Leggett & Platt Total Revenue

Leggett & Platt achieved the highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. Still, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 6% since reporting and currently trades at $8.07.

Read our full report on Leggett & Platt here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Mohawk Industries (NYSE: MHK)

Established in 1878, Mohawk Industries (NYSE: MHK) is a leading producer of floor-covering products for both residential and commercial applications.

Mohawk Industries reported revenues of $2.64 billion, flat year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.1%. The business performed better than its peers, but it was unfortunately a mixed quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates but EPS guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations significantly.

Mohawk Industries Total Revenue

Mohawk Industries delivered the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared to its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 6% since reporting. It currently trades at $114.67.

Is now the time to buy Mohawk Industries? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Somnigroup (NYSE: SGI)

Established through the merger of Tempur-Pedic and Sealy in 2012, Somnigroup (NYSE: SGI) is a bedding manufacturer known for its innovative memory foam mattresses and sleep products

Somnigroup reported revenues of $1.21 billion, up 3.2% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. Still, it was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 16.1% since the results and currently trades at $55.90.

Read our full analysis of Somnigroup’s results here.

Purple (NASDAQ: PRPL)

Founded by two brothers, Purple (NASDAQ: PRPL) creates sleep and home comfort products such as mattresses, pillows, and bedding accessories.

Purple reported revenues of $129 million, down 11.6% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Purple had the weakest performance against analyst estimates, slowest revenue growth, and weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is up 29% since reporting and currently trades at $0.86.

Read our full, actionable report on Purple here, it’s free.

La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB)

The prized possession of every mancave, La-Z-Boy (NYSE: LZB) is a furniture company specializing in recliners, sofas, and seats.

La-Z-Boy reported revenues of $521.8 million, up 4.3% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged a narrow beat of analysts’ Retail revenue estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter slightly missing analysts’ expectations.

La-Z-Boy scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 15.8% since reporting and currently trades at $38.11.

Read our full, actionable report on La-Z-Boy here, it’s free.


Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

Join Paid Stock Investor Research

Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here.

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.