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

1 S&P 500 Stock with Promising Prospects and 2 We Find Risky

BF.B Cover Image

While the S&P 500 (^GSPC) includes industry leaders, not every stock in the index is a winner. Some companies are past their prime, weighed down by poor execution, weak financials, or structural headwinds.

Even among blue-chip stocks, not all investments are created equal - which is why we built StockStory to help you navigate the market. That said, here is one S&P 500 stock that is positioned to outperform and two that may struggle.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Brown-Forman (BF.B)

Market Cap: $13.07 billion

Best known for its Jack Daniel’s whiskey, Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF.B) is an alcoholic beverage company with a broad portfolio of brands in wines and spirits.

Why Does BF.B Fall Short?

  1. Absence of organic revenue growth over the past two years suggests it may have to lean into acquisitions to drive its expansion
  2. Forecasted revenue decline of 3.7% for the upcoming 12 months implies demand will fall off a cliff
  3. Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last year, causing its operating margin to decline by 6 percentage points

At $27.50 per share, Brown-Forman trades at 14.6x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than BF.B.

Bank of America (BAC)

Market Cap: $386.1 billion

Tracing its roots back to 1784 and now serving approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients, Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) is a global financial institution that provides banking, investing, asset management, and risk management products and services to individuals, businesses, and governments.

Why Are We Hesitant About BAC?

  1. Annual sales growth of 2.1% over the last two years lagged behind its banking peers as its large revenue base made it difficult to generate incremental demand
  2. Scale is a double-edged sword because it limits the firm’s growth potential compared to its smaller competitors, as reflected in its below-average annual net interest income increases of 4.8% for the last five years
  3. Inferior net interest margin of 2% means it must compensate for lower profitability through increased loan originations

Bank of America is trading at $52.22 per share, or 1.4x forward P/B. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why BAC doesn’t pass our bar.

One Stock to Watch:

Republic Services (RSG)

Market Cap: $70.78 billion

Processing several million tons of recyclables annually, Republic (NYSE: RSG) provides waste management services for residences, companies, and municipalities.

Why Could RSG Be a Winner?

  1. Offerings and unique value proposition resonate with customers, as seen in its above-market 9.8% annual sales growth over the last five years
  2. Disciplined cost controls and effective management resulted in a strong long-term operating margin of 18.8%, and its rise over the last five years was fueled by some leverage on its fixed costs
  3. Robust free cash flow margin of 13.5% gives it many options for capital deployment

Republic Services’s stock price of $226.71 implies a valuation ratio of 31.5x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

High-Quality Stocks for All Market Conditions

When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2025, markets tanked as investors feared a full-blown trade war. But those who panicked and sold missed the subsequent rebound that’s already erased most losses.

Don’t let fear keep you from great opportunities and take a look at 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 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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