Newsletter Subscription

A Laser Focus World newsletter subscription is free to qualified professionals:

The Daily Beam

Showcases the newest content from Laser Focus World, including photonics- and optics-based applications, components, research, and trends. (Daily)

Product Watch

The latest in products within the photonics industry. (9x per year)

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

The latest in products within the biophotonics industry. (4x per year)

Laser Processing Product Watch

The latest in products within the laser processing industry. (3x per year)

1 Cash-Producing Stock with Solid Fundamentals and 2 We Turn Down

By: StockStory

September 09, 2025 at 00:37 AM EDT

KTB Cover Image

Generating cash is essential for any business, but not all cash-rich companies are great investments. Some produce plenty of cash but fail to allocate it effectively, leading to missed opportunities.

Luckily for you, we built StockStory to help you separate the good from the bad. That said, here is one cash-producing company that reinvests wisely to drive long-term success and two that may struggle to keep up.

Two Stocks to Sell:

Kontoor Brands (KTB)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 11.4%

Founded in 2019 after separating from VF Corporation, Kontoor Brands (NYSE: KTB) is a clothing company known for its high-quality denim products.

Why Are We Cautious About KTB?

Sales were flat over the last two years, indicating it’s failed to expand its business
Underwhelming constant currency revenue performance over the past two years suggests its product offering at current prices doesn’t resonate with customers
Diminishing returns on capital suggest its earlier profit pools are drying up

Kontoor Brands’s stock price of $79.82 implies a valuation ratio of 14.6x forward P/E. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than KTB.

ESAB (ESAB)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 9.4%

Having played a significant role in the construction of the iconic Sydney Opera House, ESAB (NYSE: ESAB) manufactures and sells welding and cutting equipment for numerous industries.

Why Should You Dump ESAB?

Absence of organic revenue growth over the past two years suggests it may have to lean into acquisitions to drive its expansion
Earnings growth over the last four years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 3.6% annually
Free cash flow margin shrank by 4.6 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

At $116.39 per share, ESAB trades at 20.1x forward P/E. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why ESAB doesn’t pass our bar.

One Stock to Watch:

United Rentals (URI)

Trailing 12-Month Free Cash Flow Margin: 13.8%

Owning the largest rental fleet in the world, United Rentals (NYSE: URI) provides equipment rental and related services to construction, industrial, and infrastructure industries.

Why Are We Positive On URI?

Impressive 11.8% annual revenue growth over the last five years indicates it’s winning market share this cycle
Highly efficient business model is illustrated by its impressive 25.8% operating margin, and it turbocharged its profits by achieving some fixed cost leverage
Share repurchases over the last five years enabled its annual earnings per share growth of 18.1% to outpace its revenue gains

United Rentals is trading at $971.42 per share, or 21.9x 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

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 6 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 Comfort Systems (+782% 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.

Symbol	Price	Change (%)
AMZN	226.66	-3.64 (-1.58%)
AAPL	269.33	-0.37 (-0.14%)
AMD	258.16	-6.17 (-2.33%)
BAC	53.04	+0.46 (0.87%)
GOOG	288.83	+13.66 (4.96%)
META	660.87	-90.80 (-12.08%)
MSFT	528.34	-13.21 (-2.44%)
NVDA	201.98	-5.06 (-2.44%)
ORCL	265.31	-9.99 (-3.63%)
TSLA	444.83	-16.68 (-3.61%)

Symbol

Price

Change (%)

AMZN

226.66

-3.64 (-1.58%)

AAPL

269.33

-0.37 (-0.14%)

AMD

258.16

-6.17 (-2.33%)

BAC

53.04

+0.46 (0.87%)

GOOG

288.83

+13.66 (4.96%)

About Us

Laser Focus World Membership

Magazine Subscription

Newsletter Subscription

The Daily Beam

Product Watch

Bio & Life Sciences Product Watch

Laser Processing Product Watch

Get Published!

Photonics Hot List

Following the Photons: A Photonics Podcast

Social Media

Meet the Laser Focus World Team

Editorial

Sales

Editorial Advisory Board