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 Stocks Under $50 Walking a Fine Line

OLO Cover Image

The $10-50 price range often includes mid-sized businesses with proven track records and plenty of growth runway ahead. They also usually carry less risk than penny stocks, though they’re not immune to volatility as many lack the scale advantages of their larger peers.

Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks under $50 to avoid and some other investments you should consider instead.

Olo (OLO)

Share Price: $10.21

Founded by Noah Glass, who wanted to get a cup of coffee faster on his way to work, Olo (NYSE: OLO) provides restaurants and food retailers with software to manage food orders and delivery.

Why Does OLO Worry Us?

  1. Gross margin of 53.3% is way below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D
  2. Suboptimal cost structure is highlighted by its history of operating margin losses

Olo is trading at $10.21 per share, or 5x forward price-to-sales. If you’re considering OLO for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

BlackLine (BL)

Share Price: $48.20

Started in 2001 by software engineer Therese Tucker, one of the very few women founders who took their companies public, BlackLine (NASDAQ: BL) provides software for organizations to automate accounting and finance tasks.

Why Are We Hesitant About BL?

  1. 12.5% annual revenue growth over the last three years was slower than its software peers
  2. Offerings struggled to generate meaningful interest as its average billings growth of 7.2% over the last year did not impress
  3. Estimated sales growth of 8.2% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its three-year trend

BlackLine’s stock price of $48.20 implies a valuation ratio of 4.2x forward price-to-sales. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including BL in your portfolio.

Amplitude (AMPL)

Share Price: $11.20

Born out of a failed voice recognition startup by founder Spenser Skates, Amplitude (NASDAQ: AMPL) is data analytics software helping companies improve and optimize their digital products.

Why Is AMPL Not Exciting?

  1. Products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy may need some adjustments as its 9.9% average billings growth over the last year was weak
  2. Struggled to drive increased usage of its software, demonstrated by its subpar 100% net revenue retention rate
  3. Historical operating margin losses point to an inefficient cost structure

At $11.20 per share, Amplitude trades at 4.1x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than AMPL.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Trump’s April 2025 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.

Take advantage of the rebound 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-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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