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.

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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

1 of Wall Street’s Favorite Stock Worth Your Attention and 2 We Avoid

FLWS Cover Image

The stocks in this article have caught Wall Street’s attention in a big way, with price targets implying returns above 20%. But investors should take these forecasts with a grain of salt because analysts typically say nice things about companies so their firms can win business in other product lines like M&A advisory.

Unlike the investment banks, we created StockStory to provide independent analysis that helps you determine which companies are truly worth following. That said, here is one stock likely to meet or exceed Wall Street’s lofty expectations and two where consensus estimates seem disconnected from reality.

Two Stocks to Sell:

1-800-FLOWERS (FLWS)

Consensus Price Target: $9 (61% implied return)

Founded in 1976, 1-800-FLOWERS (NASDAQ: FLWS) is an online retailer of flowers, gifts, and gourmet foods, serving customers globally.

Why Are We Out on FLWS?

  1. Sales tumbled by 9.9% annually over the last two years, showing consumer trends are working against its favor
  2. Incremental sales over the last five years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 18.4% annually while its revenue grew
  3. Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results

1-800-FLOWERS’s stock price of $5.59 implies a valuation ratio of 19x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than FLWS.

TPI Composites (TPIC)

Consensus Price Target: $2.08 (1,595% implied return)

Founded in 1968, TPI Composites (NASDAQ: TPIC) manufactures composite wind turbine blades and provides related precision molding and assembly systems.

Why Do We Pass on TPIC?

  1. Products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy need some adjustments as its billings have averaged 11.5% declines over the past two years
  2. Diminishing returns on capital from an already low starting point show that neither management’s prior nor current bets are going as planned
  3. Negative EBITDA restricts its access to capital and increases the probability of shareholder dilution if things turn unexpectedly

TPI Composites is trading at $0.12 per share, or 0.1x forward EV-to-EBITDA. If you’re considering TPIC for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

One Stock to Buy:

Tradeweb Markets (TW)

Consensus Price Target: $153.47 (21.7% implied return)

Founded in 1996 as one of the pioneers in electronic bond trading, Tradeweb Markets (NASDAQ: TW) builds and operates electronic marketplaces that connect financial institutions for trading across rates, credit, equities, and money markets.

Why Should You Buy TW?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 25.9% 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 of 27.5% outpaced its revenue gains

At $126.10 per share, Tradeweb Markets trades at 34.9x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? 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 6 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 Tecnoglass (+1,754% 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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