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

2 S&P 500 Stocks to Target This Week and 1 Facing Challenges

PAYX Cover Image

While the S&P 500 (^GSPC) includes industry leaders, not every stock in the index is a winner. Some companies are past their prime, weighed down by poor execution, weak financials, or structural headwinds.

Picking the right S&P 500 stocks requires more than just buying big names, and that’s where StockStory comes in. That said, here are two S&P 500 stocks positioned to outperform and one best left off your watchlist.

One Stock to Sell:

Otis (OTIS)

Market Cap: $34.77 billion

Credited with inventing the first hydraulic passenger elevator, Otis Worldwide (NYSE: OTIS) is an elevator and escalator manufacturing, installation and service company.

Why Are We Cautious About OTIS?

  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 4.1% for the next year implies demand will be shaky
  3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 1.9 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

Otis’s stock price of $87.70 implies a valuation ratio of 20.5x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with OTIS, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Two Stocks to Watch:

Paychex (PAYX)

Market Cap: $50.08 billion

Once known as the go-to service for small business payroll needs, Paychex (NASDAQ: PAYX) provides payroll processing, HR services, employee benefits administration, and insurance solutions to small and medium-sized businesses.

Why Does PAYX Stand Out?

  1. Sales outlook for the upcoming 12 months calls for 17.5% growth, an acceleration from its three-year trend
  2. Excellent operating margin of 39.6% highlights the efficiency of its business model
  3. PAYX is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders

At $139.42 per share, Paychex trades at 7.7x forward price-to-sales. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

The Trade Desk (TTD)

Market Cap: $25.68 billion

Built as an alternative to "walled garden" advertising ecosystems, The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) provides a cloud-based platform that helps advertisers and agencies plan, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across multiple channels and devices.

Why Are We Positive On TTD?

  1. Billings growth has averaged 24.2% over the last year, indicating a healthy pipeline of new contracts that should drive future revenue increases
  2. Fast payback periods on sales and marketing expenses allow the company to invest heavily and onboard many customers concurrently
  3. Highly efficient business model is illustrated by its impressive 17.7% operating margin, and its rise over the last year was fueled by some leverage on its fixed costs

The Trade Desk is trading at $52.24 per share, or 8.5x forward price-to-sales. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

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 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 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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