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

2 Stocks Under $50 on Our Watchlist and 1 to Ignore

BILL Cover Image

The $10-50 price range often includes mid-sized businesses with proven track records and plenty of growth runway ahead. They also usually carry less risk than penny stocks, though they’re not immune to volatility as many lack the scale advantages of their larger peers.

These dynamics 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. Keeping that in mind, here are two stocks under $50 with huge potential and one best left ignored.

One Stock Under $50 to Sell:

Moderna (MRNA)

Share Price: $34.42

Rising to global prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic with one of the first effective vaccines, Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) develops messenger RNA (mRNA) medicines that direct the body's cells to produce proteins with therapeutic or preventive benefits for various diseases.

Why Do We Avoid MRNA?

  1. Historically negative EPS raises concerns for risk-averse investors and makes its earnings potential harder to gauge
  2. Free cash flow margin shrank by 309.9 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive
  3. Limited cash reserves may force the company to seek unfavorable financing terms that could dilute shareholders

Moderna is trading at $34.42 per share, or 6.4x forward price-to-sales. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why MRNA doesn’t pass our bar.

Two Stocks Under $50 to Watch:

Bill.com (BILL)

Share Price: $46.69

Started by René Lacerte in 2006 after selling his previous payroll and accounting software company PayCycle to Intuit, Bill.com (NYSE: BILL) is a software as a service platform that aims to make payments and billing processes easier for small and medium-sized businesses.

Why Are We Fans of BILL?

  1. Winning new contracts that can potentially increase in value as its billings growth has averaged 15.3% over the last year
  2. Software is difficult to replicate at scale and leads to a stellar gross margin of 84.5%
  3. Well-designed software integrates seamlessly with other workflows, enabling swift payback periods on marketing expenses and customer growth at scale

Bill.com’s stock price of $46.69 implies a valuation ratio of 3x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

IMAX (IMAX)

Share Price: $26.17

Originally developed for World Expo '67 in Montreal as an innovative projection system, IMAX (NYSE: IMAX) provides proprietary large-format cinema technology and systems that deliver immersive movie experiences with enhanced image quality and sound.

Why Do We Love IMAX?

  1. Impressive 19.7% annual revenue growth over the last five years indicates it’s winning market share this cycle
  2. Free cash flow turned positive over the last five years, indicating the company has passed a significant test
  3. Improving returns on capital suggest its past investments are beginning to deliver value

At $26.17 per share, IMAX trades at 20.9x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our in-depth 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-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% 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

StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.

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