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 Small-Cap Stocks We Keep Off Our Radar

PLOW Cover Image

Many small-cap stocks have limited Wall Street coverage, giving savvy investors the chance to act before everyone else catches on. But the flip side is that these businesses have increased downside risk because they lack the scale and staying power of their larger competitors.

Luckily for you, our mission at StockStory is to help you make money and avoid losses by sorting the winners from the losers. That said, here are three small-cap stocks to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.

Douglas Dynamics (PLOW)

Market Cap: $762.9 million

Once manufacturing snowplows designed for the iconic jeep vehicle precursor, Douglas Dynamics (NYSE: PLOW) offers snow and ice equipment for the roads and sidewalks.

Why Do We Pass on PLOW?

  1. Annual sales declines of 2.7% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
  2. Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last five years, causing its operating margin to decline by 3.8 percentage points
  3. Free cash flow margin dropped by 4.2 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up

Douglas Dynamics is trading at $33.11 per share, or 15.2x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than PLOW.

OneMain (OMF)

Market Cap: $7.32 billion

Dating back to 1912 and formerly known as Springleaf, OneMain Holdings (NYSE: OMF) provides personal loans, auto financing, and credit cards to nonprime consumers who have limited access to traditional banking services.

Why Do We Steer Clear of OMF?

  1. Muted 3.8% annual revenue growth over the last five years shows its demand lagged behind its financials peers
  2. Incremental sales over the last two years were less profitable as its earnings per share were flat while its revenue grew
  3. Debt-to-equity ratio of 6.6× is concerningly high, indicating excessive leverage that could limit financial flexibility

OneMain’s stock price of $62.19 implies a valuation ratio of 8.8x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with OMF, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Synovus Financial (SNV)

Market Cap: $7.23 billion

Tracing its roots back to 1888 when a worker accidentally dropped a textile mill payroll into the dust, prompting the need for better banking, Synovus Financial (NYSE: SNV) is a regional financial services company that provides commercial and consumer banking, wealth management, and specialized lending services across five southeastern states.

Why Are We Hesitant About SNV?

  1. Annual net interest income growth of 4% over the last five years was below our standards for the banking sector
  2. Estimated net interest income growth of 5.6% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
  3. Net interest margin of 3.2% reflects its high servicing and capital costs

At $52.11 per share, Synovus Financial trades at 1.4x forward P/B. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why SNV doesn’t pass our bar.

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-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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