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 Unpopular Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals

EBAY Cover Image

Wall Street’s bearish price targets for the stocks in this article signal serious concerns. Such forecasts are uncommon in an industry where maintaining cordial corporate relationships often trumps delivering the hard truth.

Accurately determining a company’s long-term prospects isn’t easy, especially when sentiment is weak. That’s where StockStory comes in - to help you find attractive investment candidates backed by unbiased research. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks facing legitimate challenges and some alternatives worth exploring instead.

eBay (EBAY)

Consensus Price Target: $82.89 (-11.7% implied return)

Originally known as the first online auction site, eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) is one of the world’s largest online marketplaces.

Why Are We Cautious About EBAY?

  1. Likely needs to improve its platform or increase its marketing budget for penetration to accelerate as its active buyers were flat over the last two years
  2. Monetization and engagement metrics haven’t budged over the last two years, suggesting it may need to increase the efficacy of its platform
  3. Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last few years as its EBITDA margin fell by 4.3 percentage points

eBay’s stock price of $93.89 implies a valuation ratio of 13x forward EV/EBITDA. If you’re considering EBAY for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Under Armour (UAA)

Consensus Price Target: $7.42 (9.6% implied return)

Founded in 1996 by a former University of Maryland football player, Under Armour (NYSE: UAA) is an apparel brand specializing in sportswear designed to improve athletic performance.

Why Do We Think UAA Will Underperform?

  1. Underwhelming constant currency revenue performance over the past two years suggests its product offering at current prices doesn’t resonate with customers
  2. Lacking free cash flow generation means it has few chances to reinvest for growth, repurchase shares, or distribute capital
  3. Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions

At $6.77 per share, Under Armour trades at 19.2x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including UAA in your portfolio.

WaFd Bank (WAFD)

Consensus Price Target: $32.25 (9.7% implied return)

Founded in 1917 and rebranded from Washington Federal in 2023, WaFd (NASDAQ: WAFD) is a bank holding company that provides lending, deposit services, and insurance through its Washington Federal Bank subsidiary across eight western states.

Why Do We Avoid WAFD?

  1. Net interest income trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 7% annual growth was below the typical bank company
  2. Net interest margin shrank by 102.2 basis points (100 basis points = 1 percentage point) over the last two years, suggesting the yields on its loan book are decreasing or the market is becoming more competitive
  3. Performance over the past two years shows each sale was less profitable as its earnings per share dropped by 18.8% annually, worse than its revenue

WaFd Bank is trading at $29.41 per share, or 0.8x forward P/B. To fully understand why you should be careful with WAFD, check out our full research report (it’s free).

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Donald Trump’s April 2024 "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 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.

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.