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 S&P 500 Stocks for Long-Term Investors

NFLX Cover Image

The S&P 500 (^GSPC) is packed with companies that have built dominant market positions, making it a core index for investors. A select few continue to innovate and expand, setting themselves up for long-term success.

Identifying the best companies in the S&P 500 isn’t always easy, and that’s why we started StockStory. Keeping that in mind, here are three S&P 500 stocks leading the market forward.

Netflix (NFLX)

Market Cap: $513.4 billion

Launched by Reed Hastings as a DVD mail rental company until its famous pivot to streaming in 2007, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is a pioneering streaming content platform.

Why Will NFLX Outperform?

  1. Global Streaming Paid Memberships are rising, meaning the company can increase revenue without incurring additional customer acquisition costs if it can cross-sell additional products and features
  2. Share repurchases over the last three years enabled its annual earnings per share growth of 27.8% to outpace its revenue gains
  3. Free cash flow margin increased by 19.9 percentage points over the last few years, giving the company more capital to invest or return to shareholders

At $1,206 per share, Netflix trades at 34.8x forward EV/EBITDA. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

W.W. Grainger (GWW)

Market Cap: $45.52 billion

Founded as a supplier of motors, W.W. Grainger (NYSE: GWW) provides maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) supplies and services to businesses and institutions.

Why Could GWW Be a Winner?

  1. Operating profits increased over the last five years as the company gained some leverage on its fixed costs and became more efficient
  2. Performance over the past five years was turbocharged by share buybacks, which enabled its earnings per share to grow faster than its revenue
  3. Industry-leading 36.7% return on capital demonstrates management’s skill in finding high-return investments, and its returns are climbing as it finds even more attractive growth opportunities

W.W. Grainger is trading at $951.71 per share, or 22.2x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.

Visa (V)

Market Cap: $645.3 billion

Processing over 829 million transactions daily and connecting billions of cards to 150 million merchant locations worldwide, Visa (NYSE: V) operates one of the world's largest electronic payments networks, facilitating secure money movement across more than 200 countries through its VisaNet processing platform.

Why Is V a Top Pick?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 11.2% over the last five years beat the sector average and underscores the unique value of its offerings
  2. Share repurchases over the last five years enabled its annual earnings per share growth of 15.8% to outpace its revenue gains
  3. Market-beating return on equity illustrates that management has a knack for investing in profitable ventures

Visa’s stock price of $335.31 implies a valuation ratio of 27.1x forward P/E. Is now a good 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 Kadant (+351% 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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