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 Unpopular Stocks We Keep Off Our Radar

MED Cover Image

Wall Street has issued downbeat forecasts for the stocks in this article. These predictions are rare - financial institutions typically hesitate to say bad things about a company because it can jeopardize their other revenue-generating business lines like M&A advisory.

Whatever the consensus opinion may be, our team at StockStory cuts through the noise by conducting independent analysis to determine a company’s long-term prospects. That said, here are three stocks where the skepticism is well-placed and some better opportunities to consider.

Medifast (MED)

Consensus Price Target: $15 (4.7% implied return)

Known for its Optavia program that combines portion-controlled meal replacements with coaching, Medifast (NYSE: MED) has a broad product portfolio of bars, snacks, drinks, and desserts for those looking to lose weight or consume healthier foods.

Why Is MED Risky?

  1. Annual sales declines of 30.3% for the past three years show its products struggled to connect with the market
  2. Inability to adjust its cost structure while its revenue declined over the last year led to a 10.2 percentage point drop in the company’s operating margin
  3. Earnings per share have contracted by 27% annually over the last three years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance

Medifast’s stock price of $14.32 implies a valuation ratio of 0.4x forward price-to-sales. To fully understand why you should be careful with MED, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Insteel (IIIN)

Consensus Price Target: $39 (9.2% implied return)

Growing from a small wire manufacturer to one of the largest in the U.S., Insteel (NYSE: IIIN) provides steel wire reinforcing products for concrete.

Why Are We Wary of IIIN?

  1. Sales tumbled by 7% annually over the last two years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
  2. Sales were less profitable over the last two years as its earnings per share fell by 19.5% annually, worse than its revenue declines
  3. Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up

Insteel is trading at $35.72 per share, or 14x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including IIIN in your portfolio.

TopBuild (BLD)

Consensus Price Target: $383.10 (0.3% implied return)

Established in 2015 following a spinoff from Masco Corporation, TopBuild (NYSE: BLD) is a distributor and installer of insulation and other building products.

Why Is BLD Not Exciting?

  1. Organic sales performance over the past two years indicates the company may need to make strategic adjustments or rely on M&A to catalyze faster growth
  2. Demand will likely fall over the next 12 months as Wall Street expects flat revenue
  3. Earnings growth underperformed the sector average over the last two years as its EPS grew by just 7.7% annually

At $382 per share, TopBuild trades at 18.6x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than BLD.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2024, 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 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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