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

2 Profitable Stocks with Solid Fundamentals and 1 We Avoid

ADBE Cover Image

Not all profitable companies are built to last - some rely on outdated models or unsustainable advantages. Just because a business is in the green today doesn’t mean it will thrive tomorrow.

A business making money today isn’t necessarily a winner, which is why we analyze companies across multiple dimensions at StockStory. Keeping that in mind, here are two profitable companies that balance growth and profitability and one that may face some trouble.

One Stock to Sell:

Qualys (QLYS)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 31.2%

Founded in 1999 as one of the first subscription security companies, Qualys (NASDAQ: QLYS) provides organizations with software to assess their exposure to cyber-attacks.

Why Does QLYS Give Us Pause?

  1. Offerings struggled to generate meaningful interest as its average billings growth of 5.2% over the last year did not impress
  2. Estimated sales growth of 6.6% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its three-year trend
  3. Free cash flow margin is forecasted to shrink by 6.9 percentage points in the coming year, suggesting the company will consume more capital to keep up with its competitors

Qualys is trading at $139.60 per share, or 7.7x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than QLYS.

Two Stocks to Watch:

Adobe (ADBE)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 36.4%

One of the most well-known Silicon Valley software companies around, Adobe (NASDAQ: ADBE) is a leading provider of software as service in the digital design and document management space.

Why Does ADBE Stand Out?

  1. Software is difficult to replicate at scale and results in a best-in-class gross margin of 89.2%
  2. Highly efficient business model is illustrated by its impressive 36.4% operating margin, and its profits increased over the last year as it scaled
  3. Impressive free cash flow profitability enables the company to fund new investments or reward investors with share buybacks/dividends

At $366.75 per share, Adobe trades at 6.4x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.

Coinbase (COIN)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 32.4%

Widely regarded as the face of crypto, Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) is a blockchain infrastructure company updating the financial system with its trading, staking, stablecoin, and other payment solutions.

Why Are We Backing COIN?

  1. Customer spending is rising as the company has focused on monetization over the last two years, leading to 58.2% annual growth in its average revenue per user
  2. Incremental sales over the last two years have been highly profitable as its earnings per share increased by 64.5% annually, topping its revenue gains
  3. COIN is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders, and its recently improved profitability means it’s becoming even less capital-intensive

Coinbase’s stock price of $415.10 implies a valuation ratio of 31.9x forward EV/EBITDA. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2024, markets tanked as investors feared a full-blown trade war. But those who panicked and sold missed the subsequent rebound that’s already erased most losses.

Don’t let fear keep you from great opportunities and take a look at 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

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.

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 following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.