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: Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ:SWBI) And The Rest Of The Leisure Products Stocks

SWBI 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 Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ: SWBI) and its peers.

Leisure products cover a wide range of goods in the consumer discretionary sector. Maintaining a strong brand is key to success, and those who differentiate themselves will enjoy customer loyalty and pricing power while those who don’t may find themselves in precarious positions due to the non-essential nature of their offerings.

The 13 leisure products stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.7% below.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 26.4% since the latest earnings results.

Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ: SWBI)

With a history dating back to 1852, Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ: SWBI) is a firearms manufacturer known for its handguns and rifles.

Smith & Wesson reported revenues of $115.9 million, down 15.7% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 3%. Overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with some shareholders anticipating a better outcome.

Smith & Wesson Total Revenue

The stock is down 15.9% since reporting and currently trades at $9.29.

Read our full report on Smith & Wesson here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Malibu Boats (NASDAQ: MBUU)

Founded in California in 1982, Malibu Boats (NASDAQ: MBUU) is a manufacturer of high-performance sports boats and luxury watercrafts.

Malibu Boats reported revenues of $200.3 million, down 5.1% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.8%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Malibu Boats Total Revenue

The stock is down 33% since reporting. It currently trades at $25.71.

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

Weakest Q4: Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG)

Founded in 1903, Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) is an American motorcycle manufacturer known for its heavyweight motorcycles designed for cruising on highways.

Harley-Davidson reported revenues of $687.6 million, down 34.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a miss of analysts’ motorcycles sold estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Harley-Davidson delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 17.1% since the results and currently trades at $22.25.

Read our full analysis of Harley-Davidson’s results here.

Ruger (NYSE: RGR)

Founded in 1949, Ruger (NYSE: RGR) is an American manufacturer of firearms for the commercial sporting market.

Ruger reported revenues of $145.8 million, up 11.6% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 5.8%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it produced a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Ruger delivered the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 7.6% since reporting and currently trades at $38.15.

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

MasterCraft (NASDAQ: MCFT)

Started by a waterskiing instructor, MasterCraft (NASDAQ: MCFT) specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling sport boats.

MasterCraft reported revenues of $63.37 million, down 29.4% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 4.4%. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but EBITDA guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations significantly.

The stock is down 11.7% since reporting and currently trades at $16.09.

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

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Growth 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.