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

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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

3 Profitable Stocks That Fall Short

VMC Cover Image

While profitability is essential, it doesn’t guarantee long-term success. Some companies that rest on their margins will lose ground as competition intensifies - as Jeff Bezos said, "Your margin is my opportunity".

A business making money today isn’t necessarily a winner, which is why we analyze companies across multiple dimensions at StockStory. That said, here are three profitable companies to steer clear of and a few better alternatives.

Vulcan Materials (VMC)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 18.9%

Founded in 1909, Vulcan Materials (NYSE: VMC) is a producer of construction aggregates, primarily crushed stone, sand, and gravel.

Why Are We Wary of VMC?

  1. Sales stagnated over the last two years and signal the need for new growth strategies
  2. Sluggish trends in its tons shipped suggest customers aren’t adopting its solutions as quickly as the company hoped
  3. Gross margin of 25% is below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D

Vulcan Materials’s stock price of $300.81 implies a valuation ratio of 33.9x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including VMC in your portfolio.

Universal Health Services (UHS)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 11%

With a network spanning 39 states and three countries, Universal Health Services (NYSE: UHS) operates acute care hospitals and behavioral health facilities across the United States, United Kingdom, and Puerto Rico.

Why Do We Think Twice About UHS?

  1. Lagging comparable store sales over the past two years suggest it might have to change its pricing and marketing strategy to stimulate demand
  2. Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 1.3 percentage points
  3. Low free cash flow margin of 4.1% for the last five years gives it little breathing room, constraining its ability to self-fund growth or return capital to shareholders

Universal Health Services is trading at $190.79 per share, or 9.4x forward P/E. If you’re considering UHS for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Cisco (CSCO)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 21.4%

Founded in 1984 by a husband and wife team who wanted computers at Stanford to talk to computers at UC Berkeley, Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) designs and sells networking equipment, security solutions, and collaboration tools that help businesses connect their systems and secure their digital operations.

Why Does CSCO Fall Short?

  1. Sales were flat over the last two years, indicating it’s failed to expand this cycle
  2. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 6.2 percentage points
  3. Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam

At $67.25 per share, Cisco trades at 16.9x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with CSCO, check out 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 Strong Momentum 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 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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