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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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

UNF 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. Keeping that in mind, here are three low-volatility stocks to avoid and some better opportunities instead.

UniFirst (UNF)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.55

With a fleet of trucks making weekly deliveries to over 300,000 customer locations, UniFirst (NYSE: UNF) provides, rents, cleans, and maintains workplace uniforms and protective clothing for businesses across various industries.

Why Does UNF Give Us Pause?

  1. Demand is forecasted to shrink as its estimated sales for the next 12 months are flat
  2. Earnings per share fell by 2.7% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew, showing its incremental sales were much less profitable
  3. Low returns on capital reflect management’s struggle to allocate funds effectively, and its shrinking returns suggest its past profit sources are losing steam

UniFirst is trading at $183.58 per share, or 22.7x forward P/E. If you’re considering UNF for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

The Pennant Group (PNTG)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.60

Spun off from The Ensign Group in 2019 to focus on non-skilled nursing healthcare services, Pennant Group (NASDAQ: PNTG) operates home health, hospice, and senior living facilities across 13 western and midwestern states, serving patients of all ages including seniors.

Why Are We Hesitant About PNTG?

  1. Revenue base of $748.2 million puts it at a disadvantage compared to larger competitors exhibiting economies of scale
  2. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 5.8 percentage points
  3. High net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 6× could force the company to raise capital at unfavorable terms if market conditions deteriorate

At $27.78 per share, The Pennant Group trades at 24.5x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why PNTG doesn’t pass our bar.

Hilltop Holdings (HTH)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.58

Transformed from a residential communities business to a financial services powerhouse in 2007, Hilltop Holdings (NYSE: HTH) is a Texas-based financial holding company that provides banking, broker-dealer, and mortgage origination services.

Why Do We Think HTH Will Underperform?

  1. Loans are facing end-market challenges during this cycle, as seen in its flat net interest income over the last four years
  2. Projected 32 percentage point efficiency ratio increase over the next year signals its day-to-day expenses will rise
  3. Earnings per share decreased by more than its revenue over the last five years, showing each sale was less profitable

Hilltop Holdings’s stock price of $29.42 implies a valuation ratio of 0.8x forward P/B. To fully understand why you should be careful with HTH, check out 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 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 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

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