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

General Industrial Machinery Stocks Q4 Teardown: L.B. Foster (NASDAQ:FSTR) Vs The Rest

FSTR Cover Image

Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q4 behind us, let’s have a look at L.B. Foster (NASDAQ: FSTR) and its peers.

Automation that increases efficiency and connected equipment that collects analyzable data have been trending, creating new demand for general industrial machinery companies. Those who innovate and create digitized solutions can spur sales and speed up replacement cycles, but all general industrial machinery companies are still at the whim of economic cycles. Consumer spending and interest rates, for example, can greatly impact the industrial production that drives demand for these companies’ offerings.

The 14 general industrial machinery stocks we track reported a slower Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 2.5% below.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 8.2% since the latest earnings results.

L.B. Foster (NASDAQ: FSTR)

Founded with a $2,500 loan, L.B. Foster (NASDAQ: FSTR) is a provider of products and services for the transportation and energy infrastructure sectors, including rail products, construction materials, and coating solutions.

L.B. Foster reported revenues of $128.2 million, down 5% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 2%. Overall, it was a softer quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

L.B. Foster Total Revenue

The stock is down 17.7% since reporting and currently trades at $21.29.

Read our full report on L.B. Foster here, it’s free.

Best Q4: GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE)

One of the original 12 companies on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, General Electric (NYSE: GE) is a multinational conglomerate providing technologies for various sectors including aviation, power, renewable energy, and healthcare.

GE Aerospace reported revenues of $10.81 billion, up 14.3% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 13.7%. The business had a stunning quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

GE Aerospace Total Revenue

GE Aerospace scored the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 9.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $206.73.

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

Weakest Q4: Albany (NYSE: AIN)

Founded in 1895, Albany (NYSE: AIN) is a global textiles and materials processing company, specializing in machine clothing for paper mills and engineered composite structures for aerospace and other industries.

Albany reported revenues of $286.9 million, down 11.3% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 4.2%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Albany delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 8.7% since the results and currently trades at $72.01.

Read our full analysis of Albany’s results here.

Kadant (NYSE: KAI)

Headquartered in Massachusetts, Kadant (NYSE: KAI) is a global supplier of high-value, critical components and engineered systems used in process industries worldwide.

Kadant reported revenues of $258 million, up 8.1% year on year. This result met analysts’ expectations. More broadly, it was a slower quarter as it produced full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is down 4.8% since reporting and currently trades at $339.01.

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

3M (NYSE: MMM)

Producers of the first asthma inhaler, 3M Company (NYSE: MMM) is a global conglomerate known for products in industries like healthcare, safety, electronics, and consumer goods.

3M reported revenues of $6.01 billion, flat year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 4.5%. Zooming out, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The stock is up 7.5% since reporting and currently trades at $151.60.

Read our full, actionable report on 3M here, it’s free.


Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Hidden Gem 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.