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 Growth Stock with Impressive Fundamentals and 2 to Think Twice About

BASE Cover Image

Growth is oxygen. But when it evaporates, the consequences can be extreme - ask anyone who bought Cisco in the Dot-Com Bubble (Nvidia?) or newer investors who lived through the 2020 to 2022 COVID cycle.

Luckily for you, our job at StockStory is to help you avoid short-term fads by pointing you toward high-quality businesses that can generate sustainable long-term growth. On that note, here is one growth stock expanding its competitive advantage and two climbing an uphill battle.

Two Growth Stocks to Sell:

Couchbase (BASE)

One-Year Revenue Growth: +16.3%

Formed in 2011 with the merger of Membase and CouchOne, Couchbase (NASDAQ: BASE) is a database-as-a-service platform that allows enterprises to store large volumes of semi-structured data.

Why Do We Think Twice About BASE?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 19.2% over the last three years was below our standards for the software sector
  2. Competitive market means the company must spend more on sales and marketing to stand out even if the return on investment is low
  3. Historical operating losses point to an inefficient cost structure

Couchbase’s stock price of $17.59 implies a valuation ratio of 4x forward price-to-sales. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including BASE in your portfolio.

Casella Waste Systems (CWST)

One-Year Revenue Growth: +21.6%

Starting with the founder picking up garbage with a pickup truck he purchased using savings from high school, Casella (NASDAQ: CWST) offers waste management services for businesses, residents, and the government.

Why Are We Cautious About CWST?

  1. Organic revenue growth fell short of our benchmarks over the past two years and implies it may need to improve its products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy
  2. Efficiency has decreased over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 4 percentage points
  3. Issuance of new shares partly offset its revenue growth over the last two years as its earnings per share were flat

Casella Waste Systems is trading at $116.75 per share, or 96.7x forward P/E. If you’re considering CWST for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

One Growth Stock to Buy:

Insulet (PODD)

One-Year Revenue Growth: +22.1%

Revolutionizing diabetes care with its tubeless "Pod" technology, Insulet (NASDAQ: PODD) develops and manufactures innovative insulin delivery systems for people with diabetes, primarily through its Omnipod product line.

Why Are We Backing PODD?

  1. Average constant currency growth of 25.7% over the past two years demonstrates its ability to grow internationally despite currency fluctuations
  2. Incremental sales over the last five years have been highly profitable as its earnings per share increased by 78% annually, topping its revenue gains
  3. Free cash flow margin grew by 19.7 percentage points over the last five years, giving the company more chips to play with

At $257.90 per share, Insulet trades at 65.9x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free.

Stocks That Overcame Trump’s 2018 Tariffs

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 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 Comfort Systems (+751% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

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