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.

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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 Worth Your Attention and 2 to Avoid

S Cover Image

The $10-50 price range often includes mid-sized businesses with proven track records and plenty of growth runway ahead. They also usually carry less risk than penny stocks, though they’re not immune to volatility as many lack the scale advantages of their larger peers.

These dynamics can cause headaches for even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the good companies from the bad. That said, here is one stock under $50 with massive upside potential and two that could be down big.

Two Stocks Under $50 to Sell:

Paycor (PYCR)

Share Price: $22.49

Founded in 1990 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Paycor (NASDAQ: PYCR) provides software for small businesses to manage their payroll and HR needs in one place.

Why Does PYCR Fall Short?

  1. Estimated sales growth of 9.6% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its three-year trend
  2. Steep infrastructure costs and weaker unit economics for a software company are reflected in its low gross margin of 66%
  3. Suboptimal cost structure is highlighted by its history of operating losses

At $22.49 per share, Paycor trades at 5.3x forward price-to-sales. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including PYCR in your portfolio.

Medifast (MED)

Share Price: $14.01

Known for its Optavia program that combines portion-controlled meal replacements with coaching, Medifast (NYSE: MED) has a broad product portfolio of bars, snacks, drinks, and desserts for those looking to lose weight or consume healthier foods.

Why Are We Out on MED?

  1. Annual revenue declines of 30.3% over the last three years indicate problems with its market positioning
  2. Operating margin declined by 10.2 percentage points over the last year as its sales cratered
  3. Earnings per share have contracted by 27% annually over the last three years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance

Medifast’s stock price of $14.01 implies a valuation ratio of 0.4x forward price-to-sales. If you’re considering MED for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

One Stock Under $50 to Watch:

SentinelOne (S)

Share Price: $20.05

With roots in the Israeli cyber intelligence community, SentinelOne (NYSE: S) provides software to help organizations efficiently detect, prevent, and investigate cyber attacks.

Why Do We Like S?

  1. ARR growth averaged 30.9% over the last year, showing customers are willing to take multi-year bets on its offerings
  2. Expected revenue growth of 22.9% for the next year suggests its market share will rise
  3. Free cash flow margin is on track to jump by 7.5 percentage points next year, meaning the company will have more resources to pursue growth initiatives, repurchase shares, or pay dividends

SentinelOne is trading at $20.05 per share, or 6.4x forward price-to-sales. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs.

While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 176% over the last five years.

Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

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