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 of Wall Street’s Favorite Stocks in the Doghouse

PD Cover Image

Wall Street has set ambitious price targets for the stocks in this article. While this suggests attractive upside potential, it’s important to remain skeptical because analysts face institutional pressures that can sometimes lead to overly optimistic forecasts.

At StockStory, we look beyond the headlines with our independent analysis to determine whether these bullish calls are justified. That said, here are three stocks where Wall Street’s enthusiasm may be misplaced and some other investments worth exploring instead.

PagerDuty (PD)

Consensus Price Target: $20 (25.6% implied return)

Started by three former Amazon engineers, PagerDuty (NYSE: PD) is a software-as-a-service platform that helps companies respond to IT incidents fast and make sure that any downtime is minimized.

Why Are We Wary of PD?

  1. Customers had second thoughts about committing to its platform over the last year as its average billings growth of 8.1% underwhelmed
  2. Persistent operating losses suggest the business manages its expenses poorly
  3. Free cash flow margin is forecasted to shrink by 3.3 percentage points in the coming year, suggesting the company will consume more capital to keep up with its competitors

PagerDuty’s stock price of $15.92 implies a valuation ratio of 2.9x forward price-to-sales. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including PD in your portfolio.

Amkor (AMKR)

Consensus Price Target: $23.85 (36.3% implied return)

Operating through a largely Asian facility footprint, Amkor Technologies (NASDAQ: AMKR) provides outsourced packaging and testing for semiconductors.

Why Should You Sell AMKR?

  1. Annual sales declines of 5.1% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
  2. High input costs result in an inferior gross margin of 14.5% that must be offset through higher volumes
  3. Substandard operating profitability and its deterioration over the last five years limit its responsiveness to unforeseen market trends

Amkor is trading at $17.50 per share, or 10.7x forward P/E. If you’re considering AMKR for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Blink Charging (BLNK)

Consensus Price Target: $2.42 (236% implied return)

One of the first EV charging companies to go public, Blink Charging (NASDAQ: BLNK) is a manufacturer, owner, operator, and provider of electric vehicle charging equipment and networked EV charging services.

Why Are We Hesitant About BLNK?

  1. Issuance of new shares over the last five years caused its earnings per share to fall by 10.2% annually while its revenue grew
  2. Cash burn makes us question whether it can achieve sustainable long-term growth
  3. Depletion of cash reserves could lead to a fundraising event that triggers shareholder dilution

At $0.72 per share, Blink Charging trades at 0.7x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than BLNK.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth.

While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we’re leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. 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-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% 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.