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 Mid-Cap Stocks We Find Risky

ON Cover Image

Many investors pay attention to mid-cap stocks because they have established business models and expansive market opportunities. However, their paths to becoming $100 billion corporations are ripe with competition, ranging from giants with vast resources to agile upstarts eager to disrupt the status quo.

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 mid-cap stocks to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.

onsemi (ON)

Market Cap: $21.22 billion

Spun out of Motorola in 1999 and built through a series of acquisitions, onsemi (NASDAQ: ON) is a global provider of analog chips specializing in autos, industrial applications, and power management in cloud data centers.

Why Do We Think Twice About ON?

  1. Sales tumbled by 12.5% annually over the last two years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle
  2. Forecasted revenue decline of 4.5% for the upcoming 12 months implies demand will fall even further
  3. Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last five years, causing its operating margin to decline by 4.3 percentage points

onsemi’s stock price of $51.95 implies a valuation ratio of 19.9x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ON in your portfolio.

Brown-Forman (BF.B)

Market Cap: $14.55 billion

Best known for its Jack Daniel’s whiskey, Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF.B) is an alcoholic beverage company with a broad portfolio of brands in wines and spirits.

Why Are We Wary of BF.B?

  1. Absence of organic revenue growth over the past two years suggests it may have to lean into acquisitions to drive its expansion
  2. Forecasted revenue decline of 3% for the upcoming 12 months implies demand will fall off a cliff
  3. Efficiency has decreased over the last year as its operating margin fell by 6 percentage points

Brown-Forman is trading at $30.85 per share, or 15.9x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with BF.B, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Jacobs Solutions (J)

Market Cap: $18.19 billion

With a workforce of approximately 45,000 professionals tackling complex challenges from water scarcity to cybersecurity, Jacobs Solutions (NYSE: J) provides engineering, consulting, and technical services focused on infrastructure, sustainability, and advanced technology solutions.

Why Should You Dump J?

  1. Annual sales declines of 2.5% for the past five years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
  2. Performance over the past five years shows each sale was less profitable as its earnings per share dropped by 4% annually, worse than its revenue
  3. Below-average returns on capital indicate management struggled to find compelling investment opportunities

At $152.18 per share, Jacobs Solutions trades at 22.7x forward P/E. If you’re considering J for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.

The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check out our 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 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

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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