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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The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

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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

1 Stock Under $50 with Promising Prospects and 2 to Question

LYFT 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.

This is precisely where StockStory comes in - we do the heavy lifting to identify companies with solid fundamentals so you can invest with confidence. That said, here is one stock under $50 that could 10x and two that could be down big.

Two Stocks Under $50 to Sell:

Global Industrial (GIC)

Share Price: $26.62

Formerly known as Systemax, Global Industrial (NYSE: GIC) distributes industrial and commercial products to businesses and institutions.

Why Do We Steer Clear of GIC?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 5.7% over the last four years was below our standards for the industrials sector
  2. Earnings per share fell by 6.8% annually over the last two years while its revenue grew, showing its incremental sales were much less profitable
  3. Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up

Global Industrial’s stock price of $26.62 implies a valuation ratio of 16.6x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than GIC.

TTM Technologies (TTMI)

Share Price: $37.40

As one of the world's largest printed circuit board manufacturers with facilities spanning North America and Asia, TTM Technologies (NASDAQ: TTMI) manufactures printed circuit boards (PCBs) and radio frequency (RF) components for aerospace, defense, automotive, and telecommunications industries.

Why Are We Out on TTMI?

  1. 1.3% annual revenue growth over the last two years was slower than its business services peers
  2. 9.2 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company’s increased investments to defend its market position
  3. ROIC of 4.7% reflects management’s challenges in identifying attractive investment opportunities

At $37.40 per share, TTM Technologies trades at 17.8x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with TTMI, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Stock Under $50 to Watch:

Lyft (LYFT)

Share Price: $14.68

Founded by Logan Green and John Zimmer as a long-distance intercity carpooling company Zimride, Lyft (NASDAQ: LYFT) operates a ridesharing network in the US and Canada.

Why Are We Fans of LYFT?

  1. Active Riders have grown by 10.1% annually, allowing for more profitable cross-selling opportunities if it can build complementary products and features
  2. Performance over the past three years shows its incremental sales were extremely profitable, as its annual earnings per share growth of 72.9% outpaced its revenue gains
  3. Free cash flow margin jumped by 23.3 percentage points over the last few years, giving the company more resources to pursue growth initiatives, repurchase shares, or pay dividends

Lyft is trading at $14.68 per share, or 12.1x forward EV/EBITDA. Is now a good 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 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 Comfort Systems (+782% 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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