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

3 Volatile Stocks We Approach with Caution

IHRT Cover Image

Market swings can be tough to stomach, and volatile stocks often experience exaggerated moves in both directions. While many thrive during risk-on environments, many also struggle to maintain investor confidence when the ride gets bumpy.

These stocks can be a rollercoaster, and StockStory is here to guide you through the ups and downs. Keeping that in mind, here are three volatile stocks to avoid and some better opportunities instead.

iHeartMedia (IHRT)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 2.12

Occasionally featuring celebrity hosts like Ryan Seacrest on its shows, iHeartMedia (NASDAQ: IHRT) is a leading multimedia company renowned for its extensive network of radio stations, digital platforms, and live events across the globe.

Why Do We Think IHRT Will Underperform?

  1. Products and services fail to spark excitement with consumers, as seen in its flat sales over the last two years
  2. Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions
  3. Short cash runway increases the probability of a capital raise that dilutes existing shareholders

iHeartMedia’s stock price of $2.39 implies a valuation ratio of 0.5x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why IHRT doesn’t pass our bar.

Jabil (JBL)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.52

With manufacturing facilities spanning the globe from China to Mexico to the United States, Jabil (NYSE: JBL) provides electronics design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions to companies across various industries, from healthcare to automotive to cloud computing.

Why Does JBL Give Us Pause?

  1. Annual sales declines of 10.1% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
  2. Earnings growth over the last two years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 1.6% annually
  3. Low free cash flow margin of 3.1% for the last five years gives it little breathing room, constraining its ability to self-fund growth or return capital to shareholders

At $214 per share, Jabil trades at 20.8x forward P/E. If you’re considering JBL for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

XPO (XPO)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 1.78

Owning a mobile game simulating freight operations for the Tour de France, XPO (NYSE: XPO) is a transportation company specializing in expedited shipping services.

Why Do We Avoid XPO?

  1. Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 6.5% annually over the last five years
  2. Flat earnings per share over the last two years underperformed the sector average
  3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 7.2 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

XPO is trading at $137.43 per share, or 33.8x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than XPO.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

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-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.

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.