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

1 Large-Cap Stock to Research Further and 2 We Ignore

ZS Cover Image

Large-cap stocks usually command their industries because they have the scale to drive market trends. The flip side though is that their sheer size can limit growth as expanding further becomes an increasingly challenging task.

These trade-offs can cause headaches for even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you find high-quality companies that can grow their earnings no matter what. Keeping that in mind, here is one large-cap stock that still has big upside potential and two whose existing offerings may be tapped out.

Two Large-Cap Stocks to Sell:

Take-Two (TTWO)

Market Cap: $41.1 billion

Best known for its Grand Theft Auto and NBA 2K franchises, Take Two (NASDAQ: TTWO) is one of the world’s largest video game publishers.

Why Is TTWO Not Exciting?

  1. EBITDA margin fell by 8.3 percentage points over the last few years as it prioritized growth over profits
  2. Incremental sales over the last three years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 108% annually while its revenue grew
  3. Increased cash burn over the last few years raises questions about the return timeline for its investments

Take-Two’s stock price of $224.74 implies a valuation ratio of 19x forward EV/EBITDA. If you’re considering TTWO for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

IQVIA (IQV)

Market Cap: $33.86 billion

Created from the 2016 merger of Quintiles (a clinical research organization) and IMS Health (a healthcare data specialist), IQVIA (NYSE: IQV) provides clinical research services, data analytics, and technology solutions to help pharmaceutical companies develop and market medications more effectively.

Why Does IQV Fall Short?

  1. Annual sales growth of 3.4% over the last two years lagged behind its healthcare peers as its large revenue base made it difficult to generate incremental demand
  2. Weak constant currency growth over the past two years indicates challenges in maintaining its market share
  3. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 3.5 percentage points

At $198.90 per share, IQVIA trades at 16.1x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with IQV, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Large-Cap Stock to Watch:

Zscaler (ZS)

Market Cap: $44.56 billion

After successfully selling all four of his previous cybersecurity companies, Jay Chaudhry's fifth venture, Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) offers software-as-a-service that helps companies securely connect to applications and networks in the cloud.

Why Are We Fans of ZS?

  1. Customers view its software as mission-critical to their operations as its ARR has averaged 24.3% growth over the last year
  2. Sales outlook for the upcoming 12 months implies the business will stay on its desirable three-year growth trajectory
  3. ZS is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders

Zscaler is trading at $286.80 per share, or 14.5x forward price-to-sales. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2025, 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.

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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