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 S&P 500 Stocks with Competitive Advantages

INTU Cover Image

The biggest companies in the world call the S&P 500 (^GSPC) home, but only a handful are still growing rapidly. Some of these industry leaders are executing exceptionally well and rewarding shareholders.

Not every big company is a great investment, and we’re here to help you find the best opportunities. Keeping that in mind, here are three S&P 500 stocks positioned to outperform.

Intuit (INTU)

Market Cap: $194.7 billion

Originally named after its founding product "Intuitive for the first-time user," Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) provides financial management software and services including TurboTax, QuickBooks, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp to help consumers and small businesses manage their finances.

Why Are We Fans of INTU?

  1. Billings growth has averaged 17.5% over the last year, indicating a healthy pipeline of new contracts that should drive future revenue increases
  2. Well-designed software integrates seamlessly with other workflows, enabling swift payback periods on marketing expenses and customer growth at scale
  3. Healthy operating margin of 26.1% shows it’s a well-run company with efficient processes, and it turbocharged its profits by achieving some fixed cost leverage

Intuit’s stock price of $698.02 implies a valuation ratio of 9.3x forward price-to-sales. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.

Ross Stores (ROST)

Market Cap: $49.28 billion

Selling excess inventory or overstocked items from other retailers, Ross Stores (NASDAQ: ROST) is an off-price concept that sells apparel and other goods at prices much lower than department stores.

Why Could ROST Be a Winner?

  1. Fast expansion of new stores to reach markets with few or no locations is justified by its same-store sales growth
  2. Same-store sales growth averaged 3.1% over the past two years, showing it’s bringing new and repeat shoppers into its stores
  3. Industry-leading 29.6% return on capital demonstrates management’s skill in finding high-return investments

Ross Stores is trading at $153.27 per share, or 23.2x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free.

Waste Management (WM)

Market Cap: $88.09 billion

Headquartered in Houston, Waste Management (NYSE: WM) is a provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America.

Why Does WM Stand Out?

  1. Solid 9.7% annual revenue growth over the last five years indicates its offering’s solve complex business issues
  2. Offerings are difficult to replicate at scale and lead to a premier gross margin of 38.6%
  3. Disciplined cost controls and effective management resulted in a strong long-term operating margin of 17.4%

At $219 per share, Waste Management trades at 26.9x 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

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-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% 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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