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 Low-Volatility Stocks Walking a Fine Line

DDS Cover Image

Stability is great, but low-volatility stocks may struggle to deliver market-beating returns over time as they sometimes underperform during bull markets.

Luckily for you, StockStory helps you navigate which companies are truly worth holding. That said, here are three low-volatility stocks to steer clear of and a few better alternatives.

Dillard's (DDS)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.88

With stores located largely in the Southern and Western US, Dillard’s (NYSE: DDS) is a department store chain that sells clothing, cosmetics, accessories, and home goods.

Why Is DDS Not Exciting?

  1. Poor same-store sales performance over the past two years indicates it’s having trouble bringing new shoppers into its brick-and-mortar locations
  2. Estimated sales decline of 2.1% for the next 12 months implies an even more challenging demand environment
  3. Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last year as its operating margin fell by 2.1 percentage points

Dillard's is trading at $396.02 per share, or 9.5x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why DDS doesn’t pass our bar.

Cracker Barrel (CBRL)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.33

Known for its country-themed food and merchandise, Cracker Barrel (NASDAQ: CBRL) is a beloved American restaurant and retail chain that celebrates the warmth and charm of Southern hospitality.

Why Do We Pass on CBRL?

  1. Sales trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 2.3% annual growth was below the typical restaurant company
  2. Earnings per share fell by 17.1% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew, showing its incremental sales were much less profitable
  3. 5× net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio makes lenders less willing to extend additional capital, potentially necessitating dilutive equity offerings

Cracker Barrel’s stock price of $58 implies a valuation ratio of 21.3x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than CBRL.

Ball (BALL)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.43

Started with a $200 loan in 1880, Ball (NYSE: BLL) manufactures aluminum packaging for beverages, personal care, and household products as well as aerospace systems and other technologies.

Why Are We Out on BALL?

  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. Ability to fund investments or reward shareholders with increased buybacks or dividends is restricted by its weak free cash flow margin of -0.6% for the last five years
  3. Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions

At $53.58 per share, Ball trades at 14.8x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including BALL in your portfolio.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth.

While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we’re leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market 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-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

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