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 Mooning Stocks to Own for Decades and 1 Facing Headwinds

INTC Cover Image

Great things are happening to the stocks in this article. They’re all outperforming the market over the last month because of positive catalysts such as a new product line, constructive news flow, or even a loyal Reddit fanbase.

However, not all companies with momentum are long-term winners, and many investors have lost money by following short-term trends. On that note, here are two stocks with lasting competitive advantages and one best left ignored.

One Momentum Stock to Sell:

Intel (INTC)

One-Month Return: +17%

Inventor of the x86 processor that powered decades of technological innovation in PCs, data centers, and numerous other markets, Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a leading manufacturer of computer processors and graphics chips.

Why Are We Out on INTC?

  1. Customers postponed purchases of its products and services this cycle as its revenue declined by 7.6% annually over the last five years
  2. Overall productivity fell over the last five years as its plummeting sales were accompanied by a decline in its operating margin
  3. Capital intensity has ramped up over the last five years as its free cash flow margin decreased by 39.4 percentage points

Intel is trading at $28.73 per share, or 91.9x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with INTC, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Two Momentum Stocks to Buy:

Sterling (STRL)

One-Month Return: +28.8%

Involved in the construction of a major highway, the Grand Parkway in Houston, TX, Sterling Infrastructure (NASDAQ: STRL) provides civil infrastructure construction.

Why Will STRL Beat the Market?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 9.9% over the last five years beat the sector average and underscores the unique value of its offerings
  2. Free cash flow margin grew by 12.1 percentage points over the last five years, giving the company more chips to play with
  3. Returns on capital are climbing as management makes more lucrative bets

Sterling’s stock price of $368.99 implies a valuation ratio of 41.6x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.

ESCO (ESE)

One-Month Return: +10.4%

A developer of the communication systems used in the Batmobile of “The Dark Knight,” ESCO (NYSE: ESE) is a provider of engineered components for the aerospace, defense, and utility sectors.

Why Do We Love ESE?

  1. Market share is on track to rise over the next 12 months as its 23.1% projected revenue growth implies demand will accelerate from its two-year trend
  2. Superior product capabilities and pricing power lead to a premier gross margin of 39.1%
  3. Performance over the past two years shows its incremental sales were extremely profitable, as its annual earnings per share growth of 22.4% outpaced its revenue gains

At $213.97 per share, ESCO trades at 32.4x 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

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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