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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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 of Wall Street’s Favorite Stocks We Find Risky

MEC Cover Image

Wall Street has set ambitious price targets for the stocks in this article. While this suggests attractive upside potential, it’s important to remain skeptical because analysts face institutional pressures that can sometimes lead to overly optimistic forecasts.

Unlike the investment banks, we created StockStory to provide independent analysis that helps you determine which companies are truly worth following. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks where Wall Street may be overlooking some important risks and some alternatives with better fundamentals.

Mayville Engineering (MEC)

Consensus Price Target: $21 (53.5% implied return)

Originally founded solely on tool and die manufacturing, Mayville Engineering Company (NYSE: MEC) specializes in metal fabrication, tube bending, and welding to be used in various industries.

Why Are We Wary of MEC?

  1. Annual sales declines of 2% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
  2. Gross margin of 12.8% is below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D
  3. Falling earnings per share over the last two years has some investors worried as stock prices ultimately follow EPS over the long term

At $13.68 per share, Mayville Engineering trades at 14.4x forward P/E. If you’re considering MEC for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Delta (DAL)

Consensus Price Target: $65.87 (22.7% implied return)

One of the ‘Big Four’ airlines in the US, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is a major global air carrier that serves both business and leisure travelers through its domestic and international flights.

Why Do We Think DAL Will Underperform?

  1. Sluggish trends in its revenue passenger miles suggest customers aren’t adopting its solutions as quickly as the company hoped
  2. Estimated sales growth of 1.9% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend
  3. Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities

Delta’s stock price of $53.66 implies a valuation ratio of 9x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than DAL.

Organon (OGN)

Consensus Price Target: $13.17 (42.7% implied return)

Spun off from Merck in 2021 to create a company dedicated to addressing unmet needs in women's health, Organon (NYSE: OGN) is a global healthcare company focused on improving women's health through prescription therapies, medical devices, biosimilars, and established medicines.

Why Are We Cautious About OGN?

  1. Sales tumbled by 2.6% annually over the last five years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
  2. Performance over the past five years shows each sale was less profitable as its earnings per share dropped by 18.5% annually, worse than its revenue
  3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 25.6 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

Organon is trading at $9.23 per share, or 2.4x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why OGN doesn’t pass our bar.

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 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-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% 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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