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.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

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

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

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 Cash-Producing Stock on Our Watchlist and 2 to Think Twice About

DOV Cover Image

A company that generates cash isn’t automatically a winner. Some businesses stockpile cash but fail to reinvest wisely, limiting their ability to expand.

Cash flow is valuable, but it’s not everything - StockStory helps you identify the companies that truly put it to work. That said, here is one cash-producing company that leverages its financial strength to beat its competitors and two best left off your watchlist.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Dover (DOV)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 11.9%

A company that manufactured critical equipment for the United States military during World War II, Dover (NYSE: DOV) manufactures engineered components and specialized equipment for numerous industries.

Why Should You Sell DOV?

  1. Organic revenue growth fell short of our benchmarks over the past two years and implies it may need to improve its products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy
  2. Earnings growth underperformed the sector average over the last two years as its EPS grew by just 2.2% annually
  3. Free cash flow margin dropped by 3.3 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up

At $174.93 per share, Dover trades at 18.4x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with DOV, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Illinois Tool Works (ITW)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 18.1%

Founded by Byron Smith, an investor who held over 100 patents, Illinois Tool Works (NYSE: ITW) manufactures engineered components and specialized equipment for numerous industries.

Why Is ITW Not Exciting?

  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. Demand will likely be soft over the next 12 months as Wall Street’s estimates imply tepid growth of 1.3%
  3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 1.8 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

Illinois Tool Works’s stock price of $241.83 implies a valuation ratio of 23x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than ITW.

One Stock to Watch:

Medpace (MEDP)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 25.1%

Founded in 1992 as a scientifically-driven alternative to traditional contract research organizations, Medpace (NASDAQ: MEDP) provides outsourced clinical trial management and research services to help pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies develop new treatments.

Why Could MEDP Be a Winner?

  1. Average organic revenue growth of 17.8% over the past two years demonstrates its ability to expand independently without relying on acquisitions
  2. Performance over the past five years was turbocharged by share buybacks, which enabled its earnings per share to grow faster than its revenue
  3. Returns on capital are climbing as management makes more lucrative bets

Medpace is trading at $308.90 per share, or 24.7x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.

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 6 Stocks for this week. 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 Kadant (+351% 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

More News

View More

Recent Quotes

View More
Symbol Price Change (%)
AMZN  213.04
-1.43 (-0.67%)
AAPL  252.29
+4.84 (1.96%)
AMD  233.08
-1.48 (-0.63%)
BAC  51.28
+0.84 (1.67%)
GOOG  253.79
+1.91 (0.76%)
META  716.91
+4.84 (0.68%)
MSFT  513.58
+1.97 (0.39%)
NVDA  183.22
+1.41 (0.78%)
ORCL  291.31
-21.69 (-6.93%)
TSLA  439.31
+10.56 (2.46%)
Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.