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.

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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 Small-Cap Stock with Exciting Potential and 2 to Think Twice About

TWI Cover Image

Small-cap stocks can be incredibly lucrative investments because their lack of analyst coverage leads to frequent mispricings. However, these businesses (and their stock prices) often stay small because their subscale operations make it harder to expand their competitive moats.

These trade-offs can cause headaches for even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the good companies from the bad. That said, here is one small-cap stock that could be the next 100 bagger and two that could be down big.

Two Small-Cap Stocks to Sell:

Titan International (TWI)

Market Cap: $663.8 million

Acquiring Goodyear’s farm tire business in 2005, Titan (NSYE:TWI) is a manufacturer and supplier of wheels, tires, and undercarriages used in off-highway vehicles such as construction vehicles.

Why Is TWI Risky?

  1. Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 7.4% annually over the last two years
  2. Competitive supply chain dynamics and steep production costs are reflected in its low gross margin of 14%
  3. Sales were less profitable over the last two years as its earnings per share fell by 93.4% annually, worse than its revenue declines

Titan International’s stock price of $11.12 implies a valuation ratio of 28.8x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with TWI, check out our full research report (it’s free).

RXO (RXO)

Market Cap: $2.60 billion

With access to millions of trucks, RXO (NYSE: RXO) offers full-truckload, less-than-truckload, and last-mile deliveries.

Why Are We Out on RXO?

  1. Muted 6.2% annual revenue growth over the last two years shows its demand lagged behind its industrials peers
  2. Performance over the past four years shows its incremental sales were much less profitable, as its earnings per share fell by 38.8% annually
  3. Short cash runway increases the probability of a capital raise that dilutes existing shareholders

RXO is trading at $15.87 per share, or 56.2x forward P/E. If you’re considering RXO for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

One Small-Cap Stock to Buy:

FirstSun Capital Bancorp (FSUN)

Market Cap: $961.6 million

Tracing its roots back to 1892 when it first opened its doors in Kansas, FirstSun Capital Bancorp (NASDAQ: FSUN) operates Sunflower Bank, providing commercial and consumer banking services to businesses and individuals across the Southwest region.

Why Are We Bullish on FSUN?

  1. Annual net interest income growth of 20.5% over the past four years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains this cycle
  2. Differentiated product suite results in a Strong performance of its loan book leads to a High-yielding loan book and low cost of funds lead to a premier net interest margin of 4.2%
  3. Annual tangible book value per share growth of 12.1% over the past five years was outstanding, reflecting strong capital accumulation this cycle

At $34.55 per share, FirstSun Capital Bancorp trades at 0.8x forward P/B. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

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 5 Strong Momentum 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-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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