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

1 Small-Cap Stock Worth Your Attention and 2 to Question

ROKU Cover Image

Small-cap stocks can be incredibly lucrative investments because their lack of analyst coverage leads to frequent mispricings. However, these businesses (and their stock prices) often stay small because their subscale operations make it harder to expand their competitive moats.

The downside that can come from buying these securities is precisely why we started StockStory - to isolate the long-term winners from the losers so you can invest with confidence. That said, here is one small-cap stock that could be the next 100 bagger and two best left ignored.

Two Small-Cap Stocks to Sell:

Roku (ROKU)

Market Cap: $9.03 billion

Spun out from Netflix, Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) makes hardware players that offer access to various online streaming TV services.

Why Do We Think Twice About ROKU?

  1. Focus on expanding its platform came at the expense of monetization as its average revenue per user fell by 1.4% annually
  2. Expenses have increased as a percentage of revenue over the last few years as its EBITDA margin fell by 7.1 percentage points
  3. Performance over the past three years shows its incremental sales were much less profitable, as its earnings per share fell by 34.6% annually

Roku’s stock price of $61.51 implies a valuation ratio of 24.7x forward EV/EBITDA. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than ROKU.

Quanex (NX)

Market Cap: $855 million

Starting in the seamless tube industry, Quanex (NYSE: NX) manufactures building products like window, door, kitchen, and bath cabinet components.

Why Does NX Worry Us?

  1. Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 4.6 percentage points
  2. Incremental sales over the last two years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 6.9% annually while its revenue grew
  3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 6.7 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

Quanex is trading at $18.20 per share, or 7.1x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with NX, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Small-Cap Stock to Watch:

Procore (PCOR)

Market Cap: $9.67 billion

Used to manage the multi-year expansion of the Panama Canal that began in 2007, Procore (NYSE: PCOR) offers a software-as-service project, finance, and quality management platform for the construction industry.

Why Do We Like PCOR?

  1. ARR trends over the last year show it’s maintaining a steady flow of long-term contracts that contribute positively to its revenue predictability
  2. Software is difficult to replicate at scale and leads to a premier gross margin of 81.2%
  3. Free cash flow margin is expected to increase by 5.8 percentage points next year, suggesting the company will have more capital to invest or return to shareholders

At $64.85 per share, Procore trades at 7.3x forward price-to-sales. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.

Stocks That Overcame Trump’s 2018 Tariffs

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 Growth Stocks for this month. 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 United Rentals (+322% 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.