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

3 Russell 2000 Stocks Facing Headwinds

OPEN Cover Image

The Russell 2000 (^RUT) is home to many small-cap stocks, offering investors the chance to uncover hidden gems before the broader market catches on. However, these companies often come with higher volatility and risk, as their smaller size makes them more vulnerable to economic downturns.

Navigating this part of the market can be tricky, which is why we built StockStory to help you separate the winners from the laggards. That said, here are three Russell 2000 stocks to steer clear of and some alternatives to watch instead.

Opendoor (OPEN)

Market Cap: $495.6 million

Founded by real estate guru Eric Wu, Opendoor (NASDAQ: OPEN) offers a technology-driven, convenient, and streamlined process to buy and sell homes.

Why Do We Avoid OPEN?

  1. Demand for its offerings was relatively low as its number of homes purchased has underwhelmed
  2. Cash burn makes us question whether it can achieve sustainable long-term growth
  3. Short cash runway increases the probability of a capital raise that dilutes existing shareholders

At $0.69 per share, Opendoor trades at 0.1x forward price-to-sales. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including OPEN in your portfolio.

Shake Shack (SHAK)

Market Cap: $4.72 billion

Started as a hot dog cart in New York City's Madison Square Park, Shake Shack (NYSE: SHAK) is a fast-food restaurant known for its burgers and milkshakes.

Why Are We Wary of SHAK?

  1. Operating margin of 0.6% falls short of the industry average, and the smaller profit dollars make it harder to react to unexpected market developments
  2. Ability to fund investments or reward shareholders with increased buybacks or dividends is restricted by its weak free cash flow margin of 1.6% for the last two years
  3. Negative returns on capital show that some of its growth strategies have backfired

Shake Shack is trading at $117.28 per share, or 88.3x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why SHAK doesn’t pass our bar.

DistributionNOW (DNOW)

Market Cap: $1.54 billion

Spun off from National Oilwell Varco, DistributionNOW (NYSE: DNOW) provides distribution and supply chain solutions for the energy and industrial end markets.

Why Do We Steer Clear of DNOW?

  1. Annual sales declines of 2.8% for the past five years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
  2. Falling earnings per share over the last two years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term
  3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 4.8 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

DistributionNOW’s stock price of $14.59 implies a valuation ratio of 10.1x forward EV-to-EBITDA. If you’re considering DNOW for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

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 Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

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.