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

1 Unpopular Stock that Deserves Some Love and 2 to Avoid

ALNT Cover Image

Wall Street’s bearish price targets for the stocks in this article signal serious concerns. Such forecasts are uncommon in an industry where maintaining cordial corporate relationships often trumps delivering the hard truth.

Accurately determining a company’s long-term prospects isn’t easy, especially when sentiment is weak. That’s where StockStory comes in - to help you find attractive investment candidates backed by unbiased research. That said, here is one stock where you should be greedy instead of fearful and two facing legitimate challenges.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Allient (ALNT)

Consensus Price Target: $34 (-1% implied return)

Founded in 1962, Allient (NASDAQ: ALNT) develops and manufactures precision and specialty-controlled motion components and systems.

Why Is ALNT Risky?

  1. Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 1.7% annually over the last two years
  2. Estimated sales growth of 3.7% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
  3. Performance over the past two years was negatively impacted by new share issuances as its earnings per share dropped by 16% annually, worse than its revenue

At $34.36 per share, Allient trades at 18x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why ALNT doesn’t pass our bar.

Dynex Capital (DX)

Consensus Price Target: $13.42 (9.4% implied return)

Operating in the financial markets since 1988 with a focus on capital preservation during economic turbulence, Dynex Capital (NYSE: DX) is a mortgage real estate investment trust that invests primarily in government-backed residential mortgage securities to generate income for shareholders.

Why Does DX Fall Short?

  1. Annual sales declines of 45.9% for the past four years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
  2. Earnings per share have dipped by 47% annually over the past five years, which is concerning because stock prices follow EPS over the long term
  3. Products and services are facing significant credit quality challenges during this cycle as tangible book value per share has declined by 5.1% annually over the last five years

Dynex Capital is trading at $12.26 per share, or 1x forward P/B. To fully understand why you should be careful with DX, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Stock to Watch:

Mirion (MIR)

Consensus Price Target: $19.60 (-1.9% implied return)

With its technology protecting workers in over 130 countries and equipment used in 80% of cancer centers worldwide, Mirion Technologies (NYSE: MIR) provides radiation detection, measurement, and monitoring solutions for medical, nuclear energy, defense, and scientific research applications.

Why Are We Fans of MIR?

  1. Market share has increased this cycle as its 9.4% annual revenue growth over the last three years was exceptional
  2. Earnings per share have massively outperformed its peers over the last two years, increasing by 16.8% annually
  3. Free cash flow margin expanded by 4.4 percentage points over the last five years, providing additional flexibility for investments and share buybacks/dividends

Mirion’s stock price of $19.98 implies a valuation ratio of 25.3x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself 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 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. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today

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