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

2 Surging Stocks Worth Investigating and 1 We Turn Down

GOOGL Cover Image

The stocks featured in this article have all approached their 52-week highs. When these price levels hit, it typically signals strong business execution, positive market sentiment, or significant industry tailwinds.

But not every company with momentum is a long-term winner, and plenty of investors have lost money betting on short-term fads. Keeping that in mind, here are two stocks with the fundamentals to back up their performance and one best left ignored.

One Stock to Sell:

SolarEdge (SEDG)

One-Month Return: +10.1%

Established in 2006, SolarEdge (NASDAQ: SEDG) creates advanced systems to improve the efficiency of solar panels.

Why Do We Avoid SEDG?

  1. Number of megawatts shipped has disappointed over the past two years, indicating weak demand for its offerings
  2. Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions
  3. Depletion of cash reserves could lead to a fundraising event that triggers shareholder dilution

SolarEdge is trading at $34.30 per share, or 1.5x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than SEDG.

Two Stocks to Watch:

Alphabet (GOOGL)

One-Month Return: +23.6%

Started by Stanford students Larry Page and Sergey Brin in a Menlo Park garage, Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is the parent company of the eponymous Google Search engine, Google Cloud Platform, and YouTube.

Why Is GOOGL a Good Business?

  1. Alphabet’s dominant Google Search sits on the pantheon of the best businesses ever. This is reflected in its robust long-term revenue growth and elite operating margin.
  2. The company’s profit margins have become even higher over time, speaking to its scale advantages and operating efficiency not only in its core Search business but also in Google Cloud Platform and YouTube.
  3. Revenue growth and increasing operating margins are the key ingredients for strong EPS growth. Google has these, and when also factoring in its share repurchases, you can see why EPS has exploded over the long term.

Alphabet’s stock price of $251.55 implies a valuation ratio of 26x forward price-to-earnings. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.

Warby Parker (WRBY)

One-Month Return: -3%

Founded in 2010, Warby Parker (NYSE: WRBY) designs, manufactures, and sells eyewear, including prescription glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses, through its e-commerce platform and physical retail locations.

Why Are We Positive On WRBY?

  1. Bold push to open new stores demonstrates an ambitious strategy to establish itself in underpenetrated territories
  2. Collection of products is difficult to replicate at scale and results in a best-in-class gross margin of 54.9%
  3. Earnings growth has massively outpaced its peers over the last three years as its EPS has compounded at 68.5% annually

At $26.51 per share, Warby Parker trades at 75.6x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.

The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check 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-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.

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