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 Stock Under $50 on Our Watchlist and 2 to Ignore

CFLT Cover Image

Stocks trading between $10 and $50 can be particularly interesting as they frequently represent businesses that have survived their early challenges. However, investors should remain vigilant as some may still have unproven business models, leaving them vulnerable to the ebbs and flows of the broader market.

This is precisely where StockStory comes in - we do the heavy lifting to identify companies with solid fundamentals so you can invest with confidence. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock under $50 that could 10x and two best left ignored.

Two Stocks Under $50 to Sell:

Shyft (SHYF)

Share Price: $10.02

Notably receiving an order from FedEx for electric vehicles, Shyft (NASDAQ: SHYF) offers specialty vehicles and truck bodies for various industries.

Why Do We Avoid SHYF?

  1. Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 12.5% annually over the last two years
  2. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 5.3 percentage points
  3. Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up

Shyft is trading at $10.02 per share, or 14.3x forward price-to-earnings. If you’re considering SHYF for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

10x Genomics (TXG)

Share Price: $10.92

Founded in 2012, 10x Genomics (NASDAQ: TXG) develops single-cell and spatial genomics solutions, enabling researchers to analyze biological systems at high resolution.

Why Do We Pass on TXG?

  1. Cash-burning history makes us doubt the long-term viability of its business model
  2. Push for growth has led to negative returns on capital, signaling value destruction, and its decreasing returns suggest its historical profit centers are aging

At $10.92 per share, 10x Genomics trades at 2.1x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than TXG.

One Stock Under $50 to Watch:

Confluent (CFLT)

Share Price: $32.01

Started in 2014 by the team of engineers at LinkedIn who originally built it as an internal tool, Confluent (NASDAQ: CFLT) provides infrastructure software for organizations that makes it easy and fast to collect and move large amounts of data between different systems.

Why Are We Fans of CFLT?

  1. Average billings growth of 26.4% over the last year enhances its liquidity and shows there is steady demand for its products
  2. Platform plays a pivotal role in customer workflows as its net revenue retention rate punches in at 119%
  3. Projected revenue growth of 20.8% for the next 12 months suggests its momentum from the last three years will persist

Confluent’s stock price of $32.01 implies a valuation ratio of 9x forward price-to-sales. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

The Trump trade may have passed, but rates are still dropping and inflation is still cooling. Opportunities are ripe for those ready to act - and we’re here to help you pick them.

Get started 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 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 Sterling Infrastructure (+1,096% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

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