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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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 Small-Cap Stocks with Open Questions

EVER Cover Image

Small-cap stocks can be incredibly lucrative investments because their lack of analyst coverage leads to frequent mispricings. However, these businesses (and their stock prices) often stay small because their subscale operations make it harder to expand their competitive moats.

These trade-offs can cause headaches for even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the good companies from the bad. Keeping that in mind, here are three small-cap stocks to avoid and some other investments you should consider instead.

EverQuote (EVER)

Market Cap: $865 million

Aiming to simplify a once complicated process, EverQuote (NASDAQ: EVER) is an online insurance marketplace where consumers can compare and purchase various types of insurance from different providers

Why Are We Hesitant About EVER?

  1. Excessive marketing spend signals little organic demand and traction for its platform

At $24.20 per share, EverQuote trades at 10.2x forward EV/EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why EVER doesn’t pass our bar.

Dole (DOLE)

Market Cap: $1.40 billion

Known for its delicious pineapples and Hawaiian roots, Dole (NYSE: DOLE) is a global agricultural company specializing in fresh fruits and vegetables.

Why Does DOLE Worry Us?

  1. Sales stagnated over the last three years and signal the need for new growth strategies
  2. Gross margin of 8.4% is an output of its commoditized products
  3. Poor expense management has led to an operating margin of 2.8% that is below the industry average

Dole’s stock price of $14.66 implies a valuation ratio of 10.5x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than DOLE.

Cogent (CCOI)

Market Cap: $1.80 billion

Operating a massive network spanning 20,000 miles of fiber optic cable and connecting to over 3,200 buildings worldwide, Cogent Communications (NASDAQ: CCOI) provides high-speed Internet access, private network services, and data center colocation to businesses and bandwidth-intensive organizations across 54 countries.

Why Are We Wary of CCOI?

  1. Free cash flow margin dropped by 39.7 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up
  2. Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up
  3. Depletion of cash reserves could lead to a fundraising event that triggers shareholder dilution

Cogent is trading at $37.79 per share, or 4.9x forward EV-to-EBITDA. If you’re considering CCOI for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

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-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% 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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