Published since 1965, Laser Focus World provides comprehensive global coverage of optics, photonics, and optoelectronic technologies, applications, and markets. With 80,000+ qualified print subscribers and over a half-million annual visitors to our online content, we are the go-to source to access decision makers and stay in-the-know.

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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 Unpopular Stock That Deserves a Second Chance and 2 We Avoid

PAYC Cover Image

Wall Street’s bearish price targets for the stocks in this article signal serious concerns. Such forecasts are uncommon in an industry where maintaining cordial corporate relationships often trumps delivering the hard truth.

At StockStory, we look beyond the headlines with our independent analysis to determine whether these bearish calls are justified. That said, here is one stock where you should be greedy instead of fearful and two where the skepticism is well-placed.

Two Stocks to Sell:

TTM Technologies (TTMI)

Consensus Price Target: $43.50 (-9.8% implied return)

As one of the world's largest printed circuit board manufacturers with facilities spanning North America and Asia, TTM Technologies (NASDAQ: TTMI) manufactures printed circuit boards (PCBs) and radio frequency (RF) components for aerospace, defense, automotive, and telecommunications industries.

Why Should You Sell TTMI?

  1. Muted 1.3% annual revenue growth over the last two years shows its demand lagged behind its business services peers
  2. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 9.2 percentage points
  3. Underwhelming 4.7% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities

TTM Technologies is trading at $48.20 per share, or 22.9x forward P/E. If you’re considering TTMI for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Lake City Bank (LKFN)

Consensus Price Target: $66.40 (1.8% implied return)

Dating back to 1872 and deeply rooted in Indiana's communities, Lakeland Financial Corporation (NASDAQ: LKFN) operates Lake City Bank, providing commercial and consumer banking services throughout Northern and Central Indiana.

Why Are We Cautious About LKFN?

  1. 4.8% annual net interest income growth over the last four years was slower than its bank peers
  2. 21.3 basis point (100 basis points = 1 percentage point) decline in its net interest margin over the last two years reflects the company’s willingness to accept lower yields to defend its market position
  3. Capital trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 2.5% annual tangible book value per share growth was below the typical bank company

Lake City Bank’s stock price of $65.25 implies a valuation ratio of 2.2x forward P/B. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than LKFN.

One Stock to Watch:

Paycom (PAYC)

Consensus Price Target: $240.82 (5.6% implied return)

Founded in 1998 as one of the first online payroll companies, Paycom (NYSE: PAYC) provides software for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to manage their payroll and HR needs in one place.

Why Do We Like PAYC?

  1. Software is difficult to replicate at scale and results in a best-in-class gross margin of 85.9%
  2. Well-designed software integrates seamlessly with other workflows, enabling swift payback periods on marketing expenses and customer growth at scale
  3. Disciplined cost controls and effective management resulted in a strong trailing 12-month operating margin of 27.9%

At $227.94 per share, Paycom trades at 6.2x forward price-to-sales. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Trump’s April 2024 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.

Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. 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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