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.

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

3 Unpopular Stocks Walking a Fine Line

H Cover Image

When Wall Street turns bearish on a stock, it’s worth paying attention. These calls stand out because analysts rarely issue grim ratings on companies for fear their firms will lose out in other business lines such as M&A advisory.

At StockStory, we look beyond the headlines with our independent analysis to determine whether these bearish calls are justified. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks where the outlook is warranted and some alternatives with better fundamentals.

Hyatt Hotels (H)

Consensus Price Target: $149.21 (2% implied return)

Founded in 1957, Hyatt Hotels (NYSE: H) is a global hospitality company with a portfolio of 20 premier brands and over 950 properties across 65 countries.

Why Does H Fall Short?

  1. Softer revenue per room over the past two years suggests it might have to invest in new amenities such as restaurants and bars to attract customers
  2. Estimated sales growth of 3.2% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
  3. Negative returns on capital show that some of its growth strategies have backfired

Hyatt Hotels’s stock price of $146.33 implies a valuation ratio of 45.7x forward P/E. If you’re considering H for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Oshkosh (OSK)

Consensus Price Target: $121.42 (-3.3% implied return)

Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK) manufactures specialty vehicles for the defense, fire, emergency, and commercial industry, operating various brand subsidiaries within each industry.

Why Are We Hesitant About OSK?

  1. New orders were hard to come by as its average backlog growth of 4% over the past two years underwhelmed
  2. Sales are projected to remain flat over the next 12 months as demand decelerates from its two-year trend
  3. 9.4 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company’s increased investments to defend its market position

At $125.62 per share, Oshkosh trades at 11.6x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with OSK, check out our full research report (it’s free).

RTX (RTX)

Consensus Price Target: $144.75 (-0.5% implied return)

Originally focused on refrigeration technology, Raytheon (NSYE:RTX) provides a a variety of products and services to the aerospace and defense industries.

Why Is RTX Not Exciting?

  1. Scale is a double-edged sword because it limits the company’s growth potential compared to its smaller competitors, as reflected in its below-average annual revenue increases of 6.3% for the last five years
  2. Performance over the past five years was negatively impacted by new share issuances as its earnings per share were flat while its revenue grew
  3. Low returns on capital reflect management’s struggle to allocate funds effectively

RTX is trading at $145.45 per share, or 23.1x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why RTX doesn’t pass our bar.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Market indices reached historic highs following Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November 2024, but the outlook for 2025 is clouded by new trade policies that could impact business confidence and growth.

While this has caused many investors to adopt a "fearful" wait-and-see approach, we’re leaning into our best ideas that can grow regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate. Take advantage of Mr. Market 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-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% 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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