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 Cash-Producing Stocks with Open Questions

ENR Cover Image

While strong cash flow is a key indicator of stability, it doesn’t always translate to superior returns. Some cash-heavy businesses struggle with inefficient spending, slowing demand, or weak competitive positioning.

Luckily for you, we built StockStory to help you separate the good from the bad. Keeping that in mind, here are three cash-producing companies to avoid and some better opportunities instead.

Energizer (ENR)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 6.1%

Masterminds behind the viral Energizer Bunny mascot, Energizer (NYSE: ENR) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of batteries.

Why Does ENR Worry Us?

  1. Absence of organic revenue growth over the past two years suggests it may have to lean into acquisitions to drive its expansion
  2. Estimated sales growth of 1.3% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
  3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 4.6 percentage points over the last year, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

Energizer’s stock price of $21.20 implies a valuation ratio of 5.8x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why ENR doesn’t pass our bar.

Comcast (CMCSA)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 10.9%

Formerly known as American Cable Systems, Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) is a multinational telecommunications company offering a wide range of services.

Why Are We Out on CMCSA?

  1. Number of domestic broadband customers has disappointed over the past two years, indicating weak demand for its offerings
  2. Demand will likely fall over the next 12 months as Wall Street expects flat revenue
  3. Low returns on capital reflect management’s struggle to allocate funds effectively

Comcast is trading at $36.38 per share, or 8.3x forward P/E. If you’re considering CMCSA for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Malibu Boats (MBUU)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 2.5%

Founded in California in 1982, Malibu Boats (NASDAQ: MBUU) is a manufacturer of high-performance sports boats and luxury watercrafts.

Why Is MBUU Risky?

  1. Sluggish trends in its boats sold suggest customers aren’t adopting its solutions as quickly as the company hoped
  2. Sales over the last five years were less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 17.4% annually while its revenue was flat
  3. Diminishing returns on capital from an already low starting point show that neither management’s prior nor current bets are going as planned

At $32.66 per share, Malibu Boats trades at 11.3x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with MBUU, 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 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-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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