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

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.

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 Surging Stock to Target This Week and 2 We Ignore

EGHT Cover Image

Great things are happening to the stocks in this article. They’re all outperforming the market over the last month because of positive catalysts such as a new product line, constructive news flow, or even a loyal Reddit fanbase.

However, not all companies with momentum are long-term winners, and many investors have lost money by following short-term trends. On that note, here is one stock with the fundamentals to back up its performance and two best left ignored.

Two Momentum Stocks to Sell:

8x8 (EGHT)

One-Month Return: +17.8%

Named after its founding year (1987) with "8x8" representing binary code for communications, 8x8 (NASDAQ: EGHT) provides cloud-based contact center and unified communications solutions that enable businesses to manage customer interactions and internal communications through a single platform.

Why Do We Think EGHT Will Underperform?

  1. Products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy may need some adjustments as its 1.3% average billings growth over the last year was weak
  2. Sales are projected to remain flat over the next 12 months as demand decelerates from its three-year trend
  3. Extended payback periods on sales investments suggest the company’s platform isn’t resonating enough to drive efficient sales conversions

8x8’s stock price of $2.18 implies a valuation ratio of 0.4x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than EGHT.

NN (NNBR)

One-Month Return: -5%

Formerly known as Nuturn, NN (NASDAQ: NNBR) provides metal components, bearings, and plastic and rubber components to the automotive, aerospace, medical, and industrial sectors.

Why Are We Out on NNBR?

  1. Products and services are facing significant end-market challenges during this cycle as sales have declined by 6.6% annually over the last two years
  2. Negative free cash flow raises questions about the return timeline for its investments
  3. Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions

At $2.28 per share, NN trades at 66.9x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with NNBR, check out our full research report (it’s free).

One Momentum Stock to Buy:

Nextracker (NXT)

One-Month Return: +22%

With its technology playing a key role in the massive 1.2 gigawatt Noor Abu Dhabi solar farm project, Nextracker (NASDAQ: NXT) is a provider of solar tracker systems that help solar panels follow the sun.

Why Is NXT a Good Business?

  1. Average backlog growth of 41.7% over the past two years shows it has a steady sales pipeline that will drive future orders
  2. Free cash flow margin expanded by 13.7 percentage points over the last five years, providing additional flexibility for investments and share buybacks/dividends
  3. Improving returns on capital reflect management’s ability to monetize investments

Nextracker is trading at $66.50 per share, or 17.4x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? 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 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-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% 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.

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.