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.

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Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

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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

3 Profitable Stocks with Open Questions

TER Cover Image

While profitability is essential, it doesn’t guarantee long-term success. Some companies that rest on their margins will lose ground as competition intensifies - as Jeff Bezos said, "Your margin is my opportunity".

Profits are valuable, but they’re not everything. At StockStory, we help you identify the companies that have real staying power. Keeping that in mind, here are three profitable companies to avoid and some better opportunities instead.

Teradyne (TER)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 21.9%

Sporting most major chip manufacturers as its customers, Teradyne (NASDAQ: TER) is a US-based supplier of automated test equipment for semiconductors as well as other technologies and devices.

Why Do We Think Twice About TER?

  1. Sales trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 3% annual growth was below the typical semiconductor company
  2. Estimated sales growth of 2.4% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
  3. Efficiency has decreased over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 7.9 percentage points

Teradyne is trading at $92.67 per share, or 25.8x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with TER, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Allient (ALNT)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 5.4%

Founded in 1962, Allient (NASDAQ: ALNT) develops and manufactures precision and specialty-controlled motion components and systems.

Why Do We Think ALNT Will Underperform?

  1. Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 1.7% annually over the last two years
  2. Demand will likely be soft over the next 12 months as Wall Street’s estimates imply tepid growth of 3.7%
  3. Performance over the past two years was negatively impacted by new share issuances as its earnings per share dropped by 16% annually, worse than its revenue

Allient’s stock price of $40 implies a valuation ratio of 20.3x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ALNT in your portfolio.

Interpublic Group (IPG)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 10.9%

With a history dating back to 1902 and roots in the McCann-Erickson agency, Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG) is a marketing and communications holding company that owns agencies specializing in advertising, media buying, public relations, and digital marketing services.

Why Should You Dump IPG?

  1. Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
  2. Sales are expected to decline once again over the next 12 months as it continues working through a challenging demand environment
  3. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 9.6 percentage points

At $25.38 per share, Interpublic Group trades at 9.4x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why IPG doesn’t pass our bar.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025.

While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we’re homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver’s seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 6 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. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today

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