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

3 of Wall Street’s Favorite Stocks Skating on Thin Ice

BALY Cover Image

Wall Street is overwhelmingly bullish on the stocks in this article, with price targets suggesting significant upside potential. However, it’s worth remembering that analysts rarely issue sell ratings, partly because their firms often seek other business from the same companies they cover.

Unlike the investment banks, we created StockStory to provide independent analysis that helps you determine which companies are truly worth following. That said, here are three stocks where Wall Street’s enthusiasm may be misplaced and some other investments worth exploring instead.

Bally's (BALY)

Consensus Price Target: $13.50 (45.8% implied return)

Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Bally's Corporation (NYSE: BALY) is a diversified global casino-entertainment company that owns and manages casinos, resorts, and online gaming platforms.

Why Are We Out on BALY?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 2.9% over the last two years was below our standards for the consumer discretionary sector
  2. Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results
  3. Short cash runway increases the probability of a capital raise that dilutes existing shareholders

At $9.26 per share, Bally's trades at 1.7x forward EV-to-EBITDA. To fully understand why you should be careful with BALY, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Alta (ALTG)

Consensus Price Target: $8.08 (29.1% implied return)

Founded in 1984, Alta Equipment Group (NYSE: ALTG) is a provider of industrial and construction equipment and services across the Midwest and Northeast United States.

Why Do We Think ALTG Will Underperform?

  1. Muted 5.8% annual revenue growth over the last two years shows its demand lagged behind its industrials peers
  2. Negative free cash flow raises questions about the return timeline for its investments
  3. Depletion of cash reserves could lead to a fundraising event that triggers shareholder dilution

Alta’s stock price of $6.26 implies a valuation ratio of 1.1x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why ALTG doesn’t pass our bar.

Danaher (DHR)

Consensus Price Target: $247.14 (22.7% implied return)

Born from a real estate investment trust that transformed into a manufacturing powerhouse, Danaher (NYSE: DHR) is a global science and technology company that provides specialized equipment, software, and services for biotechnology, life sciences, and diagnostics.

Why Are We Wary of DHR?

  1. Organic sales performance over the past two years indicates the company may need to make strategic adjustments or rely on M&A to catalyze faster growth
  2. Overall productivity fell over the last two years as its plummeting sales were accompanied by a decline in its adjusted operating margin
  3. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 6.2 percentage points

Danaher is trading at $201.34 per share, or 25.9x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than DHR.

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 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. 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-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today.

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