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

1 Volatile Stock to Own for Decades and 2 to Keep Off Your Radar

OPEN 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.

These stocks can be a rollercoaster, and StockStory is here to guide you through the ups and downs. Keeping that in mind, here is one volatile stock that could reward patient investors and two that might not be worth the risk.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Opendoor (OPEN)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.93

Founded by real estate guru Eric Wu, Opendoor (NASDAQ: OPEN) offers a technology-driven, convenient, and streamlined process to buy and sell homes.

Why Should You Sell OPEN?

  1. Sluggish trends in its homes purchased suggest customers aren’t adopting its solutions as quickly as the company hoped
  2. Cash burn makes us question whether it can achieve sustainable long-term growth
  3. Limited cash reserves may force the company to seek unfavorable financing terms that could dilute shareholders

Opendoor’s stock price of $0.58 implies a valuation ratio of 0.1x forward price-to-sales. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why OPEN doesn’t pass our bar.

HP (HPQ)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.24

Born from the legendary Silicon Valley garage startup founded by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard in 1939, HP (NYSE: HPQ) designs and sells personal computers, printers, and related technology products and services to consumers, businesses, and enterprises worldwide.

Why Are We Out on HPQ?

  1. Annual sales declines of 1% for the past five years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
  2. Earnings per share decreased by more than its revenue over the last two years, showing each sale was less profitable
  3. 4.1 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

HP is trading at $24.15 per share, or 6.7x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including HPQ in your portfolio.

One Stock to Buy:

Sterling (STRL)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 2.68

Involved in the construction of a major highway, the Grand Parkway in Houston, TX, Sterling Infrastructure (NASDAQ: STRL) provides civil infrastructure construction.

Why Is STRL a Good Business?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 11.9% over the past five years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains this cycle
  2. Free cash flow margin increased by 13.9 percentage points over the last five years, giving the company more capital to invest or return to shareholders
  3. Returns on capital are climbing as management makes more lucrative bets

At $224.02 per share, Sterling trades at 28.1x forward P/E. Is now the right 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 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 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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