About Us

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.

Laser Focus World Membership

Never miss any articles, videos, podcasts, or webinars by signing up for membership access to Laser Focus World online. You can manage your preferences all in one place—and provide our editorial team with your valued feedback.

Magazine Subscription

Can you subscribe to receive our print issue for free? Yes, you sure can!

Newsletter Subscription

A Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

Get Published!

If you’d like to write an article for us, reach out with a short pitch to Sally Cole Johnson: [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

Photonics Hot List

Laser Focus World produces a video newscast that gives a peek into what’s happening in the world of photonics.

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

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.

Social Media

Bluesky • Facebook • Instagram • LinkedIn • YouTube

Meet the Laser Focus World Team

Editorial

Sales

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
My Watchlist
Indicators
Industrial Laser Index
Markets
Stocks
ETFs
Tools
Markets:
Overview
News
Currencies
International
Treasuries

1 Industrials Stock to Consider Right Now and 2 We Question

By: StockStory

ALSN Cover Image

Whether you see them or not, industrials businesses play a crucial part in our daily activities. Their momentum is also rising as lower interest rates have incentivized higher capital spending. As a result, the industry has posted a 25.5% gain over the past six months, beating the S&P 500 by 7.8 percentage points.

Nevertheless, investors must be mindful as the cycle can unexpectedly turn. When this inevitably happens, only the elite companies will survive and ultimately thrive. On that note, here is one resilient industrials stock at the top of our wish list and two we’re steering clear of.

Two Industrials Stocks to Sell:

Acuity Brands (AYI)

Market Cap: $10.3 billion

One of the pioneers of smart lights, Acuity (NYSE: AYI) designs and manufactures light fixtures and building management systems used in various industries.

Why Does AYI Fall Short?

  1. Muted 1.4% annual revenue growth over the last two years shows its demand lagged behind its industrials peers
  2. 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

At $339.40 per share, Acuity Brands trades at 18.2x forward P/E. If you’re considering AYI for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Crane (CR)

Market Cap: $10.73 billion

Based in Connecticut, Crane (NYSE: CR) is a diversified manufacturer of engineered industrial products, including fluid handling, and aerospace technologies.

Why Do We Steer Clear of CR?

  1. Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 6.1% annually over the last five years
  2. Core business is underperforming as its organic revenue has disappointed over the past two years, suggesting it might need acquisitions to stimulate growth
  3. Issuance of new shares over the last two years caused its earnings per share to fall by 6.7% annually while its revenue grew

Crane’s stock price of $187 implies a valuation ratio of 31.7x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why CR doesn’t pass our bar.

One Industrials Stock to Watch:

Allison Transmission (ALSN)

Market Cap: $7.57 billion

Helping build race cars at one point, Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) offers transmissions to original equipment manufacturers and fleet operators.

Why Are We Fans of ALSN?

  1. Offerings are difficult to replicate at scale and lead to a best-in-class gross margin of 47.9%
  2. Disciplined cost controls and effective management resulted in a strong long-term operating margin of 29.3%, and its profits increased over the last five years as it scaled
  3. Strong free cash flow margin of 20.2% enables it to reinvest or return capital consistently

Allison Transmission is trading at $90 per share, or 13.2x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

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 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 Tecnoglass (+1,754% 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.

More News

View More
Lower Rates Put RV Stocks Back in the Fast Lane
Via MarketBeat
Tickers CWH THO WGO
Alphabet: Time to Take Profits, Buy, or Wait for a Pullback?
Via MarketBeat
Topics Artificial Intelligence
Tickers GOOGL
Hershey vs. Mondelez: Which Stock Wins Chocolate Season?
Via MarketBeat
Topics Economy
Tickers HSY MDLZ PEP
Thor Industries Tracking for New Highs in 2026
Via MarketBeat
Topics Economy
Tickers THO
Cintas Stock Sends a Clear Buy Signal as Momentum Builds
Via MarketBeat
Topics Government
Tickers CTAS
Stock Quote API & Stock News API supplied by www.cloudquote.io
Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes.
By accessing this page, you agree to the following
Privacy Policy and Terms Of Service.