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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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 of Wall Street’s Favorite Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals

AGYS Cover Image

Wall Street has set ambitious price targets for the stocks in this article. While this suggests attractive upside potential, it’s important to remain skeptical because analysts face institutional pressures that can sometimes lead to overly optimistic forecasts.

At StockStory, we look beyond the headlines with our independent analysis to determine whether these bullish calls are justified. Keeping that in mind, here are three stocks where Wall Street may be overlooking some important risks and some alternatives with better fundamentals.

Agilysys (AGYS)

Consensus Price Target: $130.40 (25.1% implied return)

With a tech stack that powers everything from check-in to checkout at some of the world's top hospitality venues, Agilysys (NASDAQ: AGYS) develops and provides cloud-based and on-premise software solutions for hotels, resorts, casinos, and restaurants to manage operations and enhance guest experiences.

Why Does AGYS Fall Short?

  1. Sales trends were unexciting over the last five years as its 13.7% annual growth was below the typical software company
  2. Steep infrastructure costs and weaker unit economics for a software company are reflected in its low gross margin of 62.1%
  3. Static operating margin over the last year shows it couldn’t become more efficient

Agilysys is trading at $104.25 per share, or 9.2x forward price-to-sales. To fully understand why you should be careful with AGYS, check out our full research report (it’s free).

TreeHouse Foods (THS)

Consensus Price Target: $21.31 (28.5% implied return)

Whether it be packaged crackers, broths, or beverages, Treehouse Foods (NYSE: THS) produces a wide range of private-label foods for grocery and food service customers.

Why Do We Steer Clear of THS?

  1. Declining unit sales over the past two years suggest it might have to lower prices to stimulate growth
  2. Gross margin of 16.5% is an output of its commoditized products
  3. Underwhelming 1.5% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities

At $16.59 per share, TreeHouse Foods trades at 8.3x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including THS in your portfolio.

Honeywell (HON)

Consensus Price Target: $252.97 (21.2% implied return)

Originally founded in 1906 as a thermostat company, Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) is a multinational conglomerate known for its aerospace systems, building technologies, performance materials, and safety and productivity solutions.

Why Does HON Give Us Pause?

  1. Absence of organic revenue growth over the past two years suggests it may have to lean into acquisitions to drive its expansion
  2. Projected sales growth of 4.8% for the next 12 months suggests sluggish demand
  3. 2.6 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company’s increased investments to defend its market position

Honeywell’s stock price of $208.66 implies a valuation ratio of 19.4x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than HON.

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 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-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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