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

Why Is Upwork (UPWK) Stock Soaring Today

UPWK Cover Image

What Happened?

Shares of online work marketplace Upwork (NASDAQ: UPWK) jumped 19% in the afternoon session after the company reported strong first quarter 2025 results which significantly beat analysts' revenue and EBITDA expectations, with full-year EBITDA and EPS guidance also coming in ahead of Wall Street's estimates. Despite only a 1% lift in sales and a 2% dip in total services volume, the business managed to protect its bottom line through more efficient cost management. On the other hand, its number of customers declined. Still, with AI-related spending climbing and new premium services gaining traction, Upwork has shown it can offset customer churn with better monetization and cost control. Overall, this print was mixed but still had some key positives.

The shares closed the day at $15.71, up 18% from previous close.

Is now the time to buy Upwork? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

What The Market Is Telling Us

Upwork’s shares are very volatile and have had 21 moves greater than 5% over the last year. But moves this big are rare even for Upwork and indicate this news significantly impacted the market’s perception of the business.

The biggest move we wrote about over the last year was 7 months ago when the stock gained 26% on the news that the company announced strong preliminary guidance for Q3 2024, with revenue and EPS expected to exceed the top end of the previous forecast range. Separately, the company announced a restructuring plan that would result in a 21% reduction in its workforce and help generate approximately $60 million in annualized cost savings.

Upwork is down 4.2% since the beginning of the year, and at $15.72 per share, it is trading 10.1% below its 52-week high of $17.49 from December 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Upwork’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,729.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it should be obvious by now that generative AI is going to have a huge impact on how large corporations do business. While Nvidia and AMD are trading close to all-time highs, we prefer a lesser-known (but still profitable) semiconductor stock benefiting from the rise of AI. Click here to access our free report on our favorite semiconductor growth story.

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.