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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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

1 S&P 500 Stock to Consider Right Now and 2 Facing Headwinds

PTC Cover Image

The S&P 500 (^GSPC) is often seen as a benchmark for strong businesses, but that doesn’t mean every stock is worth owning. Some companies face significant challenges, whether it’s stagnating growth, heavy debt, or disruptive new competitors.

Even among blue-chip stocks, not all investments are created equal - which is why we built StockStory to help you navigate the market. That said, here is one S&P 500 stock that is leading the market forward and two that could be in trouble.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Hershey (HSY)

Market Cap: $38.3 billion

Best known for its milk chocolate bar and Hershey's Kisses, Hershey (NYSE: HSY) is an iconic company known for its chocolate products.

Why Does HSY Give Us Pause?

  1. Falling unit sales over the past two years imply it may need to invest in product improvements to get back on track
  2. Efficiency has decreased over the last year as its operating margin fell by 4.4 percentage points
  3. Earnings per share were flat over the last three years and fell short of the peer group average

At $188.94 per share, Hershey trades at 33.4x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than HSY.

Moderna (MRNA)

Market Cap: $10.69 billion

Rising to global prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic with one of the first effective vaccines, Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) develops messenger RNA (mRNA) medicines that direct the body's cells to produce proteins with therapeutic or preventive benefits for various diseases.

Why Should You Sell MRNA?

  1. Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 46.3% annually over the last two years
  2. Free cash flow margin shrank by 242.8 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive
  3. Limited cash reserves may force the company to seek unfavorable financing terms that could dilute shareholders

Moderna is trading at $27.42 per share, or 5.7x forward price-to-sales. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why MRNA doesn’t pass our bar.

One Stock to Watch:

PTC (PTC)

Market Cap: $25.73 billion

Used to design the Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner commercial airplanes, PTC’s (NASDAQ: PTC) software-as-service platform helps engineers and designers create and test products before manufacturing.

Why Does PTC Stand Out?

  1. Software platform has product-market fit given the rapid recovery of its customer acquisition costs
  2. Excellent operating margin of 30% highlights the efficiency of its business model, and its profits increased over the last year as it scaled
  3. PTC is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders

PTC’s stock price of $214.79 implies a valuation ratio of 9.3x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

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 5 Growth Stocks for this month. 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.

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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