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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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 Safe-and-Steady Stock on Our Buy List and 2 We Turn Down

MELI Cover Image

A stock with low volatility can be reassuring, but it doesn’t always mean strong long-term performance. Investors who prioritize stability may miss out on higher-reward opportunities elsewhere.

Choosing the wrong investments can cause you to fall behind, which is why we started StockStory - to separate the winners from the losers. Keeping that in mind, here is one low-volatility stock that could succeed under all market conditions and two that may not deliver the returns you need.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Calavo (CVGW)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.89

A trailblazer in the avocado industry, Calavo Growers (NASDAQ: CVGW) is a pioneering California-based provider of high-quality avocados and other fresh food products.

Why Do We Steer Clear of CVGW?

  1. Annual revenue declines of 15.8% over the last three years indicate problems with its market positioning
  2. Projected sales decline of 1.8% over the next 12 months indicates demand will continue deteriorating
  3. Gross margin of 10.5% is an output of its commoditized products

Calavo’s stock price of $26.66 implies a valuation ratio of 14x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with CVGW, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Repligen (RGEN)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.95

With over 13 strategic acquisitions since 2012 to build its comprehensive bioprocessing portfolio, Repligen (NASDAQ: RGEN) develops and manufactures specialized technologies that improve the efficiency and flexibility of biological drug manufacturing processes.

Why Is RGEN Risky?

  1. Organic sales performance over the past two years indicates the company may need to make strategic adjustments or rely on M&A to catalyze faster growth
  2. Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 16.9 percentage points
  3. Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results

At $114.32 per share, Repligen trades at 59x forward P/E. If you’re considering RGEN for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

One Stock to Buy:

MercadoLibre (MELI)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.87

Originally started as an online auction platform, MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI) is a one-stop e-commerce marketplace and fintech platform in Latin America.

Why Is MELI a Good Business?

  1. Unique Active Buyers have grown by 20.8% annually, allowing for more profitable cross-selling opportunities if it can build complementary products and features
  2. Grip over its ecosystem is highlighted by its ability to grow engagement while increasing the average revenue per user by 15.4% annually
  3. Robust free cash flow margin of 31.1% gives it many options for capital deployment, and its improved cash conversion implies it’s becoming a less capital-intensive business

MercadoLibre is trading at $2,319 per share, or 23.3x forward EV/EBITDA. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free.

Stocks We Like Even More

Trump’s April 2024 tariff bombshell triggered a massive market selloff, but stocks have since staged an impressive recovery, leaving those who panic sold on the sidelines.

Take advantage of the rebound by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. 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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