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.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

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

The Top 5 Analyst Questions From Essent Group’s Q2 Earnings Call

ESNT Cover Image

Essent Group’s second quarter results were marked by a positive market reaction, largely due to favorable credit performance and higher investment income amid a stable macroeconomic environment. CEO Mark Casale highlighted the company’s “buy, manage and distribute operating model” as a key factor in generating high-quality earnings this quarter. Management attributed much of the quarter’s success to strong persistency rates and embedded equity within the insured portfolio, which provided additional protection against defaults. Casale also noted that, despite affordability challenges in the housing market, the company’s insured borrowers remained highly creditworthy, supporting the overall credit quality of Essent’s book.

Is now the time to buy ESNT? Find out in our full research report (it’s free).

Essent Group (ESNT) Q2 CY2025 Highlights:

  • Revenue: $319.1 million vs analyst estimates of $316.8 million (2% year-on-year growth, 0.7% beat)
  • Adjusted EPS: $1.93 vs analyst estimates of $1.71 (12.9% beat)
  • Adjusted Operating Income: $231.2 million vs analyst estimates of $251.6 million (72.4% margin, 8.1% miss)
  • Operating Margin: 72.4%, down from 76.4% in the same quarter last year
  • Market Capitalization: $6.19 billion

While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention.

Our Top 5 Analyst Questions From Essent Group’s Q2 Earnings Call

  • Terry Ma (Barclays) asked about the outlook for home prices and Essent’s pricing strategy if regional price declines occur. CEO Mark Casale explained that the company models trends at the local market level and adjusts pricing to reflect specific risk factors, emphasizing, “If you think about historically... that's the normal business. So we're not particularly concerned.”
  • Bose George (KBW) inquired about the pace and rationale for share repurchases amid excess capital. Casale replied that buybacks are guided by valuation sensitivity and capital needs, stating, “It's a little bit of both... we have a grid that we execute across.”
  • Douglas Harter (UBS) asked how Essent sizes its buybacks relative to holding company cash flows and potential growth opportunities. Casale discussed the company’s enterprise approach to capital planning, ensuring sufficient liquidity to withstand stress while retaining flexibility for opportunistic actions.
  • Richard Shane (JPMorgan) questioned the persistency trends by loan vintage and implications for the portfolio. Casale noted that higher LTV loans tend to have greater persistency, and that natural seasoning and borrower behavior drive some of the observed differences.
  • Mihir Bhatia (Bank of America) sought details on the performance and future investment in EssentEDGE, the company’s credit risk engine. Casale highlighted that while direct benefits are difficult to isolate externally, higher premium yields and stable default rates signal its effectiveness.

Catalysts in Upcoming Quarters

For future quarters, our analyst team will focus on (1) monitoring shifts in home price trends and regional market performance; (2) evaluating the impact of persistency and embedded equity on portfolio stability; and (3) tracking the effectiveness of technology investments in underwriting and risk management. Expansion of Essent Re’s risk-sharing business and further capital returns will also be key areas to watch.

Essent Group currently trades at $62.82, up from $56.98 just before the earnings. Is there an opportunity in the stock?See for yourself in our full research report (it’s free).

Our Favorite Stocks Right Now

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-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). 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.

Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.