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.

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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 Stock Under $50 on Our Watchlist and 2 to Steer Clear Of

APG Cover Image

The $10-50 price range often includes mid-sized businesses with proven track records and plenty of growth runway ahead. They also usually carry less risk than penny stocks, though they’re not immune to volatility as many lack the scale advantages of their larger peers.

Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock under $50 with massive upside potential and two that may have trouble.

Two Stocks Under $50 to Sell:

APi (APG)

Share Price: $46.90

Started in 1926 as an insulation contractor, APi (NYSE: APG) provides life safety solutions and specialty services for buildings and infrastructure.

Why Does APG Worry Us?

  1. Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
  2. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 3.9 percentage points
  3. Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities

APi’s stock price of $46.90 implies a valuation ratio of 22.6x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why APG doesn’t pass our bar.

REV Group (REVG)

Share Price: $44.90

Offering the first full-electric North American fire truck, REV (NYSE: REVG) manufactures and sells specialty vehicles.

Why Do We Think Twice About REVG?

  1. Products and services are facing end-market challenges during this cycle, as seen in its flat sales over the last five years
  2. Gross margin of 12% is below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D
  3. Poor expense management has led to an operating margin of 3% that is below the industry average

At $44.90 per share, REV Group trades at 16.1x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than REVG.

One Stock Under $50 to Watch:

Cadence Bank (CADE)

Share Price: $31.42

With roots dating back to 1885 and a strategic focus on middle-market commercial lending, Cadence Bank (NYSE: CADE) is a regional financial institution providing commercial banking, retail banking, wealth management, and treasury services.

Why Does CADE Stand Out?

  1. Impressive 20% annual net interest income growth over the last four years indicates it’s winning market share this cycle
  2. Earnings growth has topped the peer group average over the last two years as its EPS has compounded at -2.4% annually
  3. Impressive 22% annual tangible book value per share growth over the last two years indicates it’s building equity value this cycle

Cadence Bank is trading at $31.42 per share, or 1x forward P/B. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

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 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).

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 Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

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