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

2 Cash-Producing Stocks for Long-Term Investors and 1 We Brush Off

INTU Cover Image

Generating cash is essential for any business, but not all cash-rich companies are great investments. Some produce plenty of cash but fail to allocate it effectively, leading to missed opportunities.

Cash flow is valuable, but it’s not everything - StockStory helps you identify the companies that truly put it to work. Keeping that in mind, here are two cash-producing companies that reinvest wisely to drive long-term success and one that may face some trouble.

One Stock to Sell:

Packaging Corporation of America (PKG)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 7.2%

Founded in 1959, Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE: PKG) produces containerboard and corrugated packaging products as well as displays and package protection.

Why Are We Hesitant About PKG?

  1. 3.7% annual revenue growth over the last two years was slower than its industrials peers
  2. Gross margin of 22.7% reflects its high production costs
  3. Earnings growth underperformed the sector average over the last two years as its EPS grew by just 1.1% annually

Packaging Corporation of America is trading at $196.35 per share, or 18.2x forward P/E. If you’re considering PKG for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Two Stocks to Watch:

Intuit (INTU)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 33.6%

Created in 1983 when founder Scott Cook watched his wife struggle to reconcile the family's checkbook, Intuit provides tax and accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses.

Why Does INTU Stand Out?

  1. Winning new contracts that can potentially increase in value as its billings growth has averaged 15.8% over the last year
  2. User-friendly software enables clients to ramp up spending quickly, leading to the speedy recovery of customer acquisition costs
  3. INTU is a free cash flow machine with the flexibility to invest in growth initiatives or return capital to shareholders

Intuit’s stock price of $749.99 implies a valuation ratio of 10.4x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.

Merck (MRK)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 23.1%

With roots dating back to 1891 and a portfolio that includes the blockbuster cancer immunotherapy Keytruda, Merck (NYSE: MRK) develops and sells prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal health products across oncology, infectious diseases, cardiovascular, and other therapeutic areas.

Why Do We Love MRK?

  1. Unparalleled scale of $63.62 billion in revenue gives it negotiating leverage and staying power in an industry with high barriers to entry
  2. Adjusted operating profits and efficiency rose over the last two years as it benefited from some fixed cost leverage
  3. Free cash flow margin grew by 10.7 percentage points over the last five years, giving the company more chips to play with

At $80.77 per share, Merck trades at 8.7x 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

Trump’s April 2025 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 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-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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