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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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 Cash-Producing Stocks We’re Skeptical Of

EGHT Cover Image

Generating cash is essential for any business, but not all cash-rich companies are great investments. Some produce plenty of cash but fail to allocate it effectively, leading to missed opportunities.

Luckily for you, we built StockStory to help you separate the good from the bad. Keeping that in mind, here are three cash-producing companies that don’t make the cut and some better opportunities instead.

8x8 (EGHT)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 6%

Named after its founding year (1987) with "8x8" representing binary code for communications, 8x8 (NASDAQ: EGHT) provides cloud-based contact center and unified communications solutions that enable businesses to manage customer interactions and internal communications through a single platform.

Why Is EGHT Risky?

  1. Offerings struggled to generate meaningful interest as its average billings growth of 1.3% over the last year did not impress
  2. Estimated sales for the next 12 months are flat and imply a softer demand environment
  3. Extended payback periods on sales investments suggest the company’s platform isn’t resonating enough to drive efficient sales conversions

8x8 is trading at $2.15 per share, or 0.4x forward price-to-sales. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including EGHT in your portfolio.

ON24 (ONTF)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 3.2%

Powering over 1,700 companies' virtual marketing efforts since 1998, ON24 (NYSE: ONTF) provides a cloud-based platform that enables businesses to create interactive digital experiences and capture actionable data from customer engagement.

Why Should You Sell ONTF?

  1. Billings have dropped by 3.3% over the last year, suggesting it might have to lower prices to stimulate growth
  2. Projected sales decline of 4.6% over the next 12 months indicates demand will continue deteriorating
  3. Suboptimal cost structure is highlighted by its history of operating margin losses

ON24’s stock price of $5.76 implies a valuation ratio of 1.8x forward price-to-sales. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than ONTF.

Accenture (ACN)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 15%

With a workforce of approximately 774,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is a professional services firm that helps organizations transform their businesses through consulting, technology, operations, and digital services.

Why Are We Cautious About ACN?

  1. Annual sales growth of 3.8% over the last two years lagged behind its business services peers as its large revenue base made it difficult to generate incremental demand
  2. Free cash flow margin shrank by 4.1 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive
  3. Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up

At $239.88 per share, Accenture trades at 18x forward P/E. If you’re considering ACN for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

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 6 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 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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