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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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

2 Consumer Stocks with Promising Prospects and 1 We Question

LNW Cover Image

Most consumer discretionary businesses succeed or fail based on the broader economy. Lately, it seems like demand trends have worked in their favor as the industry has returned 7.4% over the past six months, similar to the S&P 500.

Regardless of these results, investors should tread carefully as many companies in this space are unpredictable because they lack recurring revenue business models. Keeping that in mind, here are two resilient consumer stocks at the top of our wish list and one best left ignored.

One Consumer Discretionary Stock to Sell:

Sabre (SABR)

Market Cap: $682.5 million

Originally a division of American Airlines, Sabre (NASDAQ: SABR) is a technology provider for the global travel and tourism industry.

Why Does SABR Worry Us?

  1. Performance surrounding its central reservation system transactions has lagged its peers
  2. Negative free cash flow raises questions about the return timeline for its investments
  3. Short cash runway increases the probability of a capital raise that dilutes existing shareholders

Sabre is trading at $1.74 per share, or 5.4x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with SABR, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Two Consumer Discretionary Stocks to Watch:

Light & Wonder (LNW)

Market Cap: $7.87 billion

With names as crazy as Ultimate Fire Link Power 4 for its products, Light & Wonder (NASDAQ: LNW) is a gaming company supplying the casino industry with slot machines, table games, and digital games.

Why Are We Fans of LNW?

  1. Disciplined cost controls and effective management resulted in a strong two-year operating margin of 21.4%
  2. Performance over the past five years was turbocharged by share buybacks, which enabled its earnings per share to grow faster than its revenue
  3. Rising returns on capital show the company is starting to reap the benefits of its past investments

Light & Wonder’s stock price of $94.39 implies a valuation ratio of 14x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Grand Canyon Education (LOPE)

Market Cap: $5.63 billion

Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ: LOPE) is an educational services provider known for its operation at Grand Canyon University.

Why Do We Like LOPE?

  1. Healthy operating margin of 26.8% shows it’s a well-run company with efficient processes
  2. Stellar returns on capital showcase management’s ability to surface highly profitable business ventures, and its returns are climbing as it finds even more attractive growth opportunities
  3. Rising returns on capital show management is finding more attractive investment opportunities

At $202.51 per share, Grand Canyon Education trades at 22.1x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.

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 Kadant (+351% 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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