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

1 of Wall Street’s Favorite Stock with Promising Prospects and 2 That Underwhelm

MYPS Cover Image

Wall Street is overwhelmingly bullish on the stocks in this article, with price targets suggesting significant upside potential. However, it’s worth remembering that analysts rarely issue sell ratings, partly because their firms often seek other business from the same companies they cover.

Unlike the investment banks, we created StockStory to provide independent analysis that helps you determine which companies are truly worth following. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock where Wall Street’s excitement appears well-founded and two where analysts may be overlooking some important risks.

Two Stocks to Sell:

PlayStudios (MYPS)

Consensus Price Target: $2.88 (201% implied return)

Founded by a team of former gaming industry executives, PlayStudios (NASDAQ: MYPS) offers free-to-play digital casino games.

Why Do We Pass on MYPS?

  1. Demand for its offerings was relatively low as its number of daily active users has underwhelmed
  2. Historical operating margin losses point to an inefficient cost structure
  3. Earnings per share have contracted by 12.6% annually over the last three years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance

PlayStudios’s stock price of $0.96 implies a valuation ratio of 2.4x forward EV-to-EBITDA. To fully understand why you should be careful with MYPS, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Kemper (KMPR)

Consensus Price Target: $67.60 (26.1% implied return)

Originally known as Unitrin until rebranding in 2011, Kemper (NYSE: KMPR) is an insurance holding company that provides automobile, homeowners, life, and other insurance products to individuals and businesses across the United States.

Why Should You Dump KMPR?

  1. Net premiums earned remained stagnant over the last five years, indicating expansion challenges this cycle
  2. Sales over the last five years were less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 2% annually while its revenue was flat
  3. Book value per share tumbled by 6.3% annually over the last five years, showing insurance sector trends are working against its favor during this cycle

At $53.59 per share, Kemper trades at 1.1x forward P/B. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why KMPR doesn’t pass our bar.

One Stock to Watch:

Griffon (GFF)

Consensus Price Target: $100.29 (25.6% implied return)

Initially in the defense industry, Griffon (NYSE: GFF) is a now diversified company specializing in home improvement, professional equipment, and building products.

Why Are We Fans of GFF?

  1. Operating margin expanded by 8.8 percentage points over the last five years as it scaled and became more efficient
  2. Additional sales over the last five years increased its profitability as the 28.8% annual growth in its earnings per share outpaced its revenue
  3. Free cash flow margin expanded by 13 percentage points over the last five years, providing additional flexibility for investments and share buybacks/dividends

Griffon is trading at $79.83 per share, or 13x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself 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 6 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-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.

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