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

Why MicroStrategy (MSTR) Stock Is Up Today

MSTR Cover Image

What Happened?

Shares of business analytics software company MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) jumped 3% in the pre-market session after investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated its 'Overweight' rating and increased its price target on the stock. The firm lifted its price target to $680 from $614, reflecting continued confidence in the company's market performance. An 'Overweight' rating typically functioned as a recommendation to buy the stock. This move came amid broader positive sentiment for the company, whose strategy centered on the aggressive acquisition of Bitcoin. The upward momentum was also supported by a rise in the price of Bitcoin itself, which traded higher during the period. Investor confidence in the company's crypto-focused strategy underpinned the stock's advance ahead of its upcoming quarterly earnings report.

After the initial pop the shares cooled down to $406.66, up 0.3% from previous close.

Is now the time to buy MicroStrategy? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free.

What Is The Market Telling Us

MicroStrategy’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 79 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 14 days ago when the stock gained 3.5% on the news that the price of its key asset, Bitcoin, surged to a new all-time high, after the company announced it had purchased more of the cryptocurrency. The enterprise software company, which has famously made holding Bitcoin a core part of its corporate strategy, saw its shares climb in tandem with the world's largest cryptocurrency. Bitcoin's price soared past the $122,000 mark, continuing a powerful rally. This upward momentum in the crypto market directly benefits MicroStrategy, as the value of its substantial Bitcoin treasury increases. 

Adding to the bullish sentiment, MicroStrategy disclosed in an SEC filing that it had purchased an additional 4,225 bitcoins for approximately $472.5 million between July 7 and July 13. The move reaffirmed the company's aggressive strategy of using its balance sheet to accumulate the digital asset, a practice that has closely tied its stock performance to Bitcoin's price fluctuations.

MicroStrategy is up 35.5% since the beginning of the year, but at $406.66 per share, it is still trading 14.2% below its 52-week high of $473.83 from November 2024. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of MicroStrategy’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $34,518.

Today’s young investors won’t have read the timeless lessons in Gorilla Game: Picking Winners In High Technology because it was written more than 20 years ago when Microsoft and Apple were first establishing their supremacy. But if we apply the same principles, then enterprise software stocks leveraging their own generative AI capabilities may well be the Gorillas of the future. So, in that spirit, we are excited to present our Special Free Report on a profitable, fast-growing enterprise software stock that is already riding the automation wave and looking to catch the generative AI next.

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.