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.

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

3 Profitable Stocks That Concern Us

LW 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".

Profits are valuable, but they’re not everything. At StockStory, we help you identify the companies that have real staying power. That said, here are three profitable companies to steer clear of and a few better alternatives.

Lamb Weston (LW)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 10.3%

Best known for its Grown in Idaho brand, Lamb Weston (NYSE: LW) produces and distributes potato products such as frozen french fries and mashed potatoes.

Why Does LW Worry Us?

  1. Demand is forecasted to shrink as its estimated sales for the next 12 months are flat
  2. Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last year as its operating margin fell by 6.2 percentage points
  3. Low free cash flow margin of 0.8% for the last two years gives it little breathing room, constraining its ability to self-fund growth or return capital to shareholders

Lamb Weston is trading at $57.74 per share, or 16.8x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why LW doesn’t pass our bar.

Park-Ohio (PKOH)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 5.4%

Based in Cleveland, Park-Ohio (NASDAQ: PKOH) provides supply chain management services, capital equipment, and manufactured components.

Why Does PKOH Fall Short?

  1. Sales stagnated over the last two years and signal the need for new growth strategies
  2. Gross margin of 15.4% is below its competitors, leaving less money to invest in areas like marketing and R&D
  3. Cash-burning tendencies make us wonder if it can sustainably generate shareholder value

At $21.64 per share, Park-Ohio trades at 6.5x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including PKOH in your portfolio.

CVS Health (CVS)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 2.3%

With over 9,000 retail pharmacy locations serving as neighborhood health destinations across America, CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) operates retail pharmacies, provides pharmacy benefit management services, and offers health insurance through its Aetna subsidiary.

Why Do We Think Twice About CVS?

  1. Scale is a double-edged sword because it limits the company’s growth potential compared to its smaller competitors, as reflected in its below-average annual revenue increases of 6.8% for the last two years
  2. Incremental sales over the last five years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 4.8% annually while its revenue grew
  3. 2.9 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company’s increased investments to defend its market position

CVS Health’s stock price of $73.70 implies a valuation ratio of 11.4x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with CVS, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Stocks We Like 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 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-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% 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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