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.

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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 Unpopular Stocks We Think Twice About

MCFT Cover Image

Wall Street has issued downbeat forecasts for the stocks in this article. These predictions are rare - financial institutions typically hesitate to say bad things about a company because it can jeopardize their other revenue-generating business lines like M&A advisory.

Whatever the consensus opinion may be, our team at StockStory cuts through the noise by conducting independent analysis to determine a company’s long-term prospects. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks where the skepticism is well-placed and some better opportunities to consider.

MasterCraft (MCFT)

Consensus Price Target: $18.75 (-7.8% implied return)

Started by a waterskiing instructor, MasterCraft (NASDAQ: MCFT) specializes in designing, manufacturing, and selling sport boats.

Why Is MCFT Not Exciting?

  1. Sluggish trends in its boats sold suggest customers aren’t adopting its solutions as quickly as the company hoped
  2. Capital intensity will likely increase as its free cash flow margin is anticipated to drop by 13.8 percentage points over the next year
  3. Eroding returns on capital suggest its historical profit centers are aging

MasterCraft is trading at $20.35 per share, or 16x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why MCFT doesn’t pass our bar.

Norfolk Southern (NSC)

Consensus Price Target: $295.58 (4.6% implied return)

Starting with a single route from Virginia to North Carolina, Norfolk Southern (NYSE: NSC) is a freight transportation company operating a major railroad network across the eastern United States.

Why Do We Pass on NSC?

  1. Underwhelming unit sales over the past two years indicate demand is soft and that the company may need to revise its strategy
  2. Earnings per share have contracted by 4.5% annually over the last two years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance
  3. 7.8 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

Norfolk Southern’s stock price of $282.50 implies a valuation ratio of 21.1x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with NSC, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Mettler-Toledo (MTD)

Consensus Price Target: $1,276 (-2.8% implied return)

With roots dating back to the precision balance innovations of Swiss engineer Erhard Mettler, Mettler-Toledo (NYSE: MTD) manufactures precision weighing instruments, analytical equipment, and product inspection systems used in laboratories, industrial settings, and food retail.

Why Are We Hesitant About MTD?

  1. Absence of organic revenue growth over the past two years suggests it may have to lean into acquisitions to drive its expansion
  2. Anticipated sales growth of 4.5% for the next year implies demand will be shaky
  3. Adjusted operating profits fell over the last two years as its sales dropped and it struggled to adjust its fixed costs

At $1,314 per share, Mettler-Toledo trades at 29.9x forward P/E. If you’re considering MTD for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

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 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-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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