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

3 Overrated Stocks We Keep Off Our Radar

DLTR Cover Image

Each stock in this article is trading near its 52-week high. These elevated prices usually indicate some degree of investor confidence, business improvements, or favorable market conditions.

However, not all companies with momentum are long-term winners, and many investors have lost money by following short-term trends. On that note, here are three stocks getting more buzz than they deserve and some you should buy instead.

Dollar Tree (DLTR)

One-Month Return: +14.4%

A treasure hunt because there’s no guarantee of consistent product selection, Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) is a discount retailer that sells general merchandise and select packaged food at extremely low prices.

Why Do We Think Twice About DLTR?

  1. Large revenue base makes it harder to increase sales quickly, and its annual revenue growth of 1.1% over the last six years was below our standards for the consumer retail sector
  2. Sales are projected to tank by 21.7% over the next 12 months as demand evaporates
  3. Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities, and its shrinking returns suggest its past profit sources are losing steam

Dollar Tree is trading at $114.95 per share, or 21.3x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than DLTR.

Amdocs (DOX)

One-Month Return: -2.7%

Powering the digital experiences of approximately 400 communications companies worldwide, Amdocs (NASDAQ: DOX) provides software and services that help telecommunications and media companies manage customer relationships, monetize services, and automate network operations.

Why Do We Pass on DOX?

  1. Sales pipeline suggests its future revenue growth may not meet our standards as its average backlog growth of 1.6% for the past two years was weak
  2. Estimated sales decline of 3.5% for the next 12 months implies an even more challenging demand environment
  3. Free cash flow margin dropped by 4.6 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up

Amdocs’s stock price of $89.48 implies a valuation ratio of 12.3x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why DOX doesn’t pass our bar.

First Bancorp (FBNC)

One-Month Return: +12.1%

Founded during the Great Depression in 1934 and originally known as Montgomery Bancorp, First Bancorp (NASDAQ: FBNC) is a community-oriented commercial bank providing a wide range of financial services to businesses and individuals in North and South Carolina.

Why Are We Wary of FBNC?

  1. Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 5% annually over the last two years
  2. 28.3 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. Sales were less profitable over the last two years as its earnings per share fell by 14.3% annually, worse than its revenue declines

At $46.87 per share, First Bancorp trades at 1.2x forward P/B. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including FBNC in your portfolio.

Stocks We Like More

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 9 Market-Beating Stocks. 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 Exlservice (+354% 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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