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 Stocks Under $50 We Approach with Caution

CWH 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. That said, here are three stocks under $50 to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.

Camping World (CWH)

Share Price: $17.43

Founded in 1966 as a single recreational vehicle (RV) dealership, Camping World (NYSE: CWH) still sells RVs along with boats and general merchandise for outdoor activities.

Why Are We Cautious About CWH?

  1. Poor same-store sales performance over the past two years indicates it’s having trouble bringing new shoppers into its brick-and-mortar locations
  2. Earnings per share have dipped by 43.4% annually over the past five years, which is concerning because stock prices follow EPS over the long term
  3. High net-debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 8× increases the risk of forced asset sales or dilutive financing if operational performance weakens

Camping World’s stock price of $17.43 implies a valuation ratio of 17.6x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why CWH doesn’t pass our bar.

Malibu Boats (MBUU)

Share Price: $36.48

Founded in California in 1982, Malibu Boats (NASDAQ: MBUU) is a manufacturer of high-performance sports boats and luxury watercrafts.

Why Do We Steer Clear of MBUU?

  1. Sluggish trends in its boats sold suggest customers aren’t adopting its solutions as quickly as the company hoped
  2. Earnings per share fell by 17.4% annually over the last five years while its revenue was flat, showing each sale was less profitable
  3. Eroding returns on capital from an already low base indicate that management’s recent investments are destroying value

At $36.48 per share, Malibu Boats trades at 12.2x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including MBUU in your portfolio.

Insteel (IIIN)

Share Price: $37.24

Growing from a small wire manufacturer to one of the largest in the U.S., Insteel (NYSE: IIIN) provides steel wire reinforcing products for concrete.

Why Does IIIN Fall Short?

  1. Annual sales declines of 7% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
  2. Sales were less profitable over the last two years as its earnings per share fell by 19.5% annually, worse than its revenue declines
  3. Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam

Insteel is trading at $37.24 per share, or 14.4x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with IIIN, check out our full research report (it’s free).

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 5 Growth Stocks for this month. 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

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