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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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

2 Volatile Stocks with Promising Prospects and 1 to Approach with Caution

CFLT Cover Image

Volatility cuts both ways - while it creates opportunities, it also increases risk, making sharp declines just as likely as big gains. This unpredictability can shake out even the most experienced investors.

At StockStory, our job is to help you avoid costly mistakes and stay on the right side of the trade. That said, here are two volatile stocks with massive upside potential and one that might not be worth the risk.

One Stock to Sell:

Rush Street Interactive (RSI)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.20

Specializing in online casino gaming and sports betting, Rush Street Interactive (NYSE: RSI) is an operator of digital gaming platforms.

Why Does RSI Give Us Pause?

  1. Subpar operating margin of 0.5% constrains its ability to invest in process improvements or effectively respond to new competitive threats
  2. Ability to fund investments or reward shareholders with increased buybacks or dividends is restricted by its weak free cash flow margin of 8.8% for the last two years

At $13.82 per share, Rush Street Interactive trades at 42.3x forward P/E. If you’re considering RSI for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Two Stocks to Watch:

Confluent (CFLT)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.89

Started in 2014 by the team of engineers at LinkedIn who originally built it as an internal tool, Confluent (NASDAQ: CFLT) provides infrastructure software for organizations that makes it easy and fast to collect and move large amounts of data between different systems.

Why Does CFLT Stand Out?

  1. Winning new contracts that can potentially increase in value as its billings growth has averaged 27.9% over the last year
  2. Forecasted revenue growth of 17.4% for the next 12 months indicates its momentum over the last three years is sustainable
  3. Healthy unit economics are reflected in its 73.9% gross margin and give it more money to invest in marketing and R&D

Confluent is trading at $24.44 per share, or 6.9x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.

Coinbase (COIN)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 2.53

Widely regarded as the face of crypto, Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) is a blockchain infrastructure company updating the financial system with its trading, staking, stablecoin, and other payment solutions.

Why Will COIN Beat the Market?

  1. Customers are spending more money on its platform as its average revenue per user has increased by 58.2% annually over the last two years
  2. Performance over the past two years shows its incremental sales were extremely profitable, as its annual earnings per share growth of 64.5% outpaced its revenue gains
  3. Robust free cash flow margin of 25.9% gives it many options for capital deployment, and its improved cash conversion implies it’s becoming a less capital-intensive business

Coinbase’s stock price of $240.03 implies a valuation ratio of 18.7x forward EV/EBITDA. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025.

While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we’re homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver’s seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out 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 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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