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 Profitable Stocks We Keep Off Our Radar

ENTG Cover Image

Even if a company is profitable, it doesn’t always mean it’s a great investment. Some struggle to maintain growth, face looming threats, or fail to reinvest wisely, limiting their future potential.

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 steer clear of and a few better alternatives.

Entegris (ENTG)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 16%

With fabs representing the company’s largest customer type, Entegris (NASDAQ: ENTG) supplies products that purify, protect, and generally ensure the integrity of raw materials needed for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

Why Do We Steer Clear of ENTG?

  1. Annual sales declines of 7.5% for the past two years show its products and services struggled to connect with the market during this cycle
  2. Anticipated sales growth of 2.2% for the next year implies demand will be shaky
  3. Day-to-day expenses have swelled relative to revenue over the last five years as its operating margin fell by 6.7 percentage points

Entegris’s stock price of $82.10 implies a valuation ratio of 25.5x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with ENTG, check out our full research report (it’s free).

BJ's (BJRI)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 2.1%

Founded in 1978 in California, BJ’s Restaurants (NASDAQ: BJRI) is a chain of restaurants whose menu features classic American dishes, often with a twist.

Why Should You Sell BJRI?

  1. Weak same-store sales trends over the past two years suggest there may be few opportunities in its core markets to open new restaurants
  2. Lacking pricing power results in an inferior gross margin of 14.7% that must be offset by turning more tables
  3. Underwhelming 2.6% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities

At $33.50 per share, BJ's trades at 15.9x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including BJRI in your portfolio.

Novanta (NOVT)

Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 13.4%

Originally a pioneer in the laser scanning industry during the late 1960s, Novanta (NASDAQ: NOVT) offers medicine and manufacturing technology to the medical, life sciences, and manufacturing industries.

Why Do We Think Twice About NOVT?

  1. 3.7% annual revenue growth over the last two years was slower than its industrials peers
  2. Flat earnings per share over the last two years lagged its peers
  3. Free cash flow margin shrank by 8 percentage points over the last five years, suggesting the company is consuming more capital to stay competitive

Novanta is trading at $115.57 per share, or 32.8x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why NOVT doesn’t pass our bar.

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 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-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% 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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