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.

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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

2 Software Stocks Worth Your Attention and 1 We Brush Off

WK Cover Image

From commerce to culture, software is digitizing every aspect of our lives. Companies bringing it to life have been rewarded with high valuation multiples that make fundraising easier, but they have capped returns lately as the industry’s six-month gain of 13.1% has trailed the S&P 500’s 17.4%.

Investors should tread carefully as only some businesses are worthy of their valuations, and luckily for you, we started StockStory to help you find them. On that note, here are two software stocks we think can generate sustainable market-beating returns and one we’re swiping left on.

One Software Stock to Sell:

PubMatic (PUBM)

Market Cap: $369.9 million

Powering billions of daily ad impressions across the open internet, PubMatic (NASDAQ: PUBM) operates a technology platform that helps publishers maximize revenue from their digital advertising inventory while giving advertisers more control and transparency.

Why Are We Out on PUBM?

  1. 5.2% annual revenue growth over the last three years was slower than its software peers
  2. Forecasted revenue decline of 8.5% for the upcoming 12 months implies demand will fall off a cliff
  3. Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last year as its operating margin fell by 5 percentage points

At $8.25 per share, PubMatic trades at 1.4x forward price-to-sales. If you’re considering PUBM for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Two Software Stocks to Watch:

Workiva (WK)

Market Cap: $4.24 billion

Nicknamed "the Excel killer" by some finance professionals for its ability to eliminate spreadsheet chaos, Workiva (NYSE: WK) provides a cloud-based platform that enables organizations to streamline financial reporting, ESG, and compliance processes with connected data and automation.

Why Are We Positive On WK?

  1. Billings growth has averaged 23.2% over the last year, indicating a healthy pipeline of new contracts that should drive future revenue increases
  2. High switching costs and customer loyalty are evident in its net revenue retention rate of 112%
  3. Software is difficult to replicate at scale and results in a stellar gross margin of 76.8%

Workiva’s stock price of $75.99 implies a valuation ratio of 4.5x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Braze (BRZE)

Market Cap: $3.35 billion

With its technology powering interactions with 6.2 billion monthly active users across the digital landscape, Braze (NASDAQ: BRZE) provides a platform that helps brands build and maintain direct relationships with their customers through personalized, cross-channel messaging and engagement.

Why Does BRZE Stand Out?

  1. Billings have averaged 24.4% growth over the last year, showing it’s securing new contracts that could potentially increase in value over time
  2. Customers tend to stick around and use its software more over time as its net revenue retention rate clocks in at 110%
  3. Sales outlook for the upcoming 12 months implies the business will stay on its desirable three-year growth trajectory

Braze is trading at $30.18 per share, or 4.1x forward price-to-sales. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our in-depth 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 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-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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