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

2 Stocks Under $50 with Exciting Potential and 1 We Find Risky

CART Cover Image

Stocks in the $10-50 range offer a sweet spot between affordability and stability as they’re typically more established than penny stocks. But their headline prices don’t guarantee quality, and investors should exercise caution as some have shaky business models.

This is precisely where StockStory comes in - we do the heavy lifting to identify companies with solid fundamentals so you can invest with confidence. Keeping that in mind, here are two stocks under $50 with massive upside potential and one that could be down big.

One Stock Under $50 to Sell:

Eastern Bank (EBC)

Share Price: $16

Founded in 1818 as one of America's oldest mutual banks before converting to a public company in 2020, Eastern Bankshares (NASDAQ: EBC) operates as a bank holding company providing commercial and retail banking services primarily in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Why Is EBC Not Exciting?

  1. Sales trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 1.5% annual growth was below the typical banking company
  2. Products and services are facing significant credit quality challenges during this cycle as tangible book value per share has declined by 6.8% annually over the last four years
  3. Forecasted tangible book value per share decline of 5.5% for the upcoming 12 months implies profitability will deteriorate significantly

Eastern Bank is trading at $16 per share, or 0.9x forward P/B. If you’re considering EBC for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Two Stocks Under $50 to Buy:

Instacart (CART)

Share Price: $45.50

Powering more than one billion grocery orders since its founding, Instacart (NASDAQ: CART) is an online grocery shopping and delivery platform that partners with retailers to help customers shop from local stores through its app or website.

Why Do We Love CART?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 19.5% over the past three years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains
  2. Additional sales over the last three years increased its profitability as the 40.3% annual growth in its earnings per share outpaced its revenue
  3. Free cash flow margin grew by 23.9 percentage points over the last few years, giving the company more chips to play with

Instacart’s stock price of $45.50 implies a valuation ratio of 11.8x forward EV/EBITDA. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free.

Nubank (NU)

Share Price: $13.70

With nearly 94 million customers across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia through its viral member-get-member referral program, Nubank (NYSE: NU) is a digital banking platform that offers financial services including spending, saving, investing, borrowing, and protection products to millions of customers across Latin America.

Why Is NU a Top Pick?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 44.9% over the past two years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains this cycle
  2. Performance over the past two years shows its incremental sales were extremely profitable, as its annual earnings per share growth outpaced its revenue gains

At $13.70 per share, Nubank trades at 19.4x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out 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 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 Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.

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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