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 Mid-Cap Stocks We Find Risky

WMG Cover Image

Mid-cap stocks often strike the right balance between having proven business models and market opportunities that can support $100 billion corporations. However, they face intense competition from scaled industry giants and can be disrupted by new innovative players vying for a slice of the pie.

This is precisely where StockStory comes in - we do the heavy lifting to identify companies with solid fundamentals so you can invest with confidence. Keeping that in mind, here are three mid-cap stocks to swipe left on and some alternatives you should look into instead.

Warner Music Group (WMG)

Market Cap: $17.04 billion

Launching the careers of legendary artists like Frank Sinatra, Warner Music Group (NASDAQ: WMG) is a music company managing a diverse portfolio of artists, recordings, and music publishing services worldwide.

Why Is WMG Not Exciting?

  1. Annual revenue growth of 4.3% over the last two years was below our standards for the consumer discretionary sector
  2. Anticipated sales growth of 4.9% for the next year implies demand will be shaky
  3. Underwhelming 14.1% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities

Warner Music Group’s stock price of $32.69 implies a valuation ratio of 25.7x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than WMG.

Hologic (HOLX)

Market Cap: $14.85 billion

As a pioneer in 3D mammography technology that has revolutionized breast cancer detection, Hologic (NASDAQ: HOLX) develops and manufactures diagnostic products, medical imaging systems, and surgical devices focused primarily on women's health and wellness.

Why Are We Cautious About HOLX?

  1. Weak constant currency growth over the past two years indicates challenges in maintaining its market share
  2. Expenses have increased as a percentage of revenue over the last five years as its adjusted operating margin fell by 23.6 percentage points
  3. Shrinking returns on capital suggest that increasing competition is eating into the company’s profitability

At $66.51 per share, Hologic trades at 15.3x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why HOLX doesn’t pass our bar.

FactSet (FDS)

Market Cap: $14.03 billion

Founded in 1978 when financial data was still primarily delivered through paper reports, FactSet (NYSE: FDS) provides financial data, analytics, and technology solutions that investment professionals use to research, analyze, and manage their portfolios.

Why Are We Wary of FDS?

  1. 5.6% annual revenue growth over the last two years was slower than its financials peers
  2. Earnings growth over the last two years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 6.4% annually

FactSet is trading at $371.01 per share, or 20.8x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with FDS, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Stocks We Like More

Donald Trump’s April 2025 "Liberation Day" tariffs sent markets into a tailspin, but stocks have since rebounded strongly, proving that knee-jerk reactions often create the best buying opportunities.

The smart money is already positioning for the next leg up. Don’t miss out on the recovery - check 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 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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