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 Safe-and-Steady Stock for Long-Term Investors and 2 We Avoid

FCN Cover Image

Stability is great, but low-volatility stocks may struggle to deliver market-beating returns over time as they sometimes underperform during bull markets.

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 stuck in limbo.

Two Stocks to Sell:

FTI Consulting (FCN)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.52

With a team of experts deployed across 30+ countries to tackle complex business challenges, FTI Consulting (NYSE: FCN) is a global business advisory firm that helps organizations manage change, mitigate risk, and resolve disputes across financial, legal, operational, and regulatory matters.

Why Do We Think Twice About FCN?

  1. Expenses have increased as a percentage of revenue over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 3.1 percentage points
  2. Earnings growth over the last two years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 7.6% annually
  3. 6 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company’s increased investments to defend its market position

FTI Consulting is trading at $161.62 per share, or 19.8x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than FCN.

Enterprise Financial Services (EFSC)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.91

Starting as a single bank in Missouri in 1988 and expanding through strategic growth, Enterprise Financial Services (NASDAQ: EFSC) is a financial holding company that offers banking, lending, and wealth management services to businesses and individuals across seven states.

Why Are We Wary of EFSC?

  1. Estimated net interest income growth of 4.2% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its five-year trend
  2. Concessions to defend its market share have ramped up over the last two years as its net interest margin decreased by 25.7 basis points (100 basis points = 1 percentage point)
  3. Anticipated 1.1 percentage point rise in its efficiency ratio suggests its expenses will increase as a percentage of revenue

Enterprise Financial Services’s stock price of $61.34 implies a valuation ratio of 1.2x forward P/B. If you’re considering EFSC for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

One Stock to Buy:

Visa (V)

Rolling One-Year Beta: 0.82

Processing over 829 million transactions daily and connecting billions of cards to 150 million merchant locations worldwide, Visa (NYSE: V) operates one of the world's largest electronic payments networks, facilitating secure money movement across more than 200 countries through its VisaNet processing platform.

Why Will V Beat the Market?

  1. Solid 11.2% annual revenue growth over the last five years indicates its offering’s solve complex business issues
  2. Share repurchases have increased shareholder returns as its annual earnings per share growth of 14.3% exceeded its revenue gains over the last five years
  3. Stellar return on equity showcases management’s ability to surface highly profitable business ventures

At $338.14 per share, Visa trades at 27.4x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself 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-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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