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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.

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  • 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
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3 Profitable Stocks We Steer Clear Of

By: StockStory

CVLT Cover Image

While profitability is essential, it doesn’t guarantee long-term success. Some companies that rest on their margins will lose ground as competition intensifies - as Jeff Bezos said, "Your margin is my opportunity".

A business making money today isn’t necessarily a winner, which is why we analyze companies across multiple dimensions at StockStory. That said, here are three profitable companies to avoid and some better opportunities instead.

Commvault (CVLT)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 7.6%

Born from the need to create ironclad protection in an increasingly dangerous digital world, Commvault (NASDAQ: CVLT) provides data protection and cyber resilience software that helps organizations secure, back up, and recover their data across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments.

Why Are We Hesitant About CVLT?

  1. Muted 9.1% annual revenue growth over the last five years shows its demand lagged behind its software peers
  2. Estimated sales growth of 13.2% for the next 12 months implies demand will slow from its two-year trend
  3. Expenses have increased as a percentage of revenue over the last year as its operating margin fell by 1.1 percentage points

Commvault’s stock price of $191 implies a valuation ratio of 7.2x forward price-to-sales. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why CVLT doesn’t pass our bar.

TreeHouse Foods (THS)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 4%

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 Pass on THS?

  1. Shrinking unit sales over the past two years imply it may need to invest in product improvements to get back on track
  2. Commoditized products, bad unit economics, and high competition are reflected in its low gross margin of 16.5%
  3. Low returns on capital reflect management’s struggle to allocate funds effectively

At $16.30 per share, TreeHouse Foods trades at 8.2x forward P/E. If you’re considering THS for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

Thermon (THR)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 15.8%

Creating the first packaged tracing systems, Thermon (NYSE: THR) is a leading provider of engineered industrial process heating solutions for process industries.

Why Do We Think Twice About THR?

  1. 4.3% annual revenue growth over the last two years was slower than its industrials peers
  2. Estimated sales growth of 3.2% for the next 12 months is soft and implies weaker demand
  3. Earnings growth underperformed the sector average over the last two years as its EPS grew by just 4.3% annually

Thermon is trading at $26.58 per share, or 10.3x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including THR in your portfolio.

Stocks We Like More

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 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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