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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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 Overrated Stocks with Questionable Fundamentals

LIND Cover Image

Each stock in this article is trading near its 52-week high. These elevated prices usually indicate some degree of investor confidence, business improvements, or favorable market conditions.

However, not all companies with momentum are long-term winners, and many investors have lost money by following short-term trends. On that note, here are three stocks that are likely overheated and some you should look into instead.

Lindblad Expeditions (LIND)

One-Month Return: +18.6%

Founded by explorer Sven-Olof Lindblad in 1979, Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ: LIND) offers cruising experiences to remote destinations in partnership with National Geographic.

Why Should You Dump LIND?

  1. Operating margin of 3.8% falls short of the industry average, and the smaller profit dollars make it harder to react to unexpected market developments
  2. Projected 2.2 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin next year reflects the company’s plans to increase its investments to defend its market position
  3. Negative returns on capital show that some of its growth strategies have backfired

Lindblad Expeditions is trading at $14.66 per share, or 7.2x forward EV-to-EBITDA. To fully understand why you should be careful with LIND, check out our full research report (it’s free).

Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN)

One-Month Return: +12.2%

With a diverse portfolio of eight FDA-approved medications targeting neurological conditions, Supernus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SUPN) develops and markets treatments for central nervous system disorders including epilepsy, ADHD, Parkinson's disease, and migraine.

Why Are We Wary of SUPN?

  1. Sales trends were unexciting over the last two years as its 2.4% annual growth was below the typical healthcare company
  2. Subscale operations are evident in its revenue base of $665.1 million, meaning it has fewer distribution channels than its larger rivals
  3. Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions

Supernus Pharmaceuticals’s stock price of $46.28 implies a valuation ratio of 23.1x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including SUPN in your portfolio.

United Community Banks (UCB)

One-Month Return: +11.9%

Starting as a small community bank in 1950 and expanding through strategic acquisitions across the Southeast, United Community Banks (NYSE: UCB) is a regional bank holding company that provides financial services including loans, deposits, wealth management, and merchant services across the southeastern United States.

Why Are We Hesitant About UCB?

  1. Muted 1.2% annual revenue growth over the last two years shows its demand lagged behind its banking peers
  2. Weak unit economics are reflected in its net interest margin of 3.3%, one of the worst among bank companies
  3. Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last four years, causing its efficiency ratio to worsen by 3.2 percentage points

At $33.23 per share, United Community Banks trades at 1.1x forward P/B. If you’re considering UCB for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

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 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. 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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