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Upturn AI SWOT - About
AQMS 
Aqua Metals Inc (AQMS)
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Upturn Advisory Summary
09/16/2025: AQMS (1-star) is currently NOT-A-BUY. Pass it for now.
Upturn Star Rating
Not Recommended Performance
These Stocks/ETFs, based on Upturn Advisory, consistently fall short of market performance, signaling caution before investing.
Number of Analysts
1 Analysts rated it
Very few follow this stock; limited insights, higher-risk early investing.
1 Year Target Price $7
1 Year Target Price $7
| 1 | Strong Buy |
| 0 | Buy |
| 0 | Hold |
| 0 | Sell |
| 0 | Strong Sell |
Analysis of Past Performance
Type Stock | Historic Profit -13.32% | Avg. Invested days 19 | Today’s Advisory PASS |
Upturn Star Rating | Upturn Advisory Performance  3.0 | Stock Returns Performance  1.0 |
| Profits based on simulation | Last Close 09/16/2025 |
Key Highlights
Company Size Small-Cap Stock | Market Capitalization 5.04M USD | Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 7 |
Price to earnings Ratio - | 1Y Target Price 7 | ||
Volume (30-day avg) 1 | Beta 0.28 | 52 Weeks Range 3.37 - 44.00 | Updated Date 09/16/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 3.37 - 44.00 | Updated Date 09/16/2025 | ||
Dividends yield (FY) - | Basic EPS (TTM) -35.48 |
Earnings Date
Report Date - | When - | Estimate - | Actual - |
Profitability
Profit Margin - | Operating Margin (TTM) - |
Management Effectiveness
Return on Assets (TTM) -45.21% | Return on Equity (TTM) -182.91% |
Valuation
Trailing PE - | Forward PE - | Enterprise Value 3805978 | Price to Sales(TTM) 865.53 |
Enterprise Value 3805978 | Price to Sales(TTM) 865.53 | ||
Enterprise Value to Revenue 899.77 | Enterprise Value to EBITDA -2.21 | Shares Outstanding 1406000 | Shares Floating 1242163 |
Shares Outstanding 1406000 | Shares Floating 1242163 | ||
Percent Insiders 12.62 | Percent Institutions 6.3 |
Upturn AI SWOT
Aqua Metals Inc
Company Overview
History and Background
Aqua Metals Inc. was founded in 2014. Its initial focus was on developing a sustainable lead recycling technology, AquaRefining. They faced challenges scaling the technology and have shifted towards providing equipment, licensing, and technical services.
Core Business Areas
- AquaRefining Equipment Sales: Aqua Metals designs and sells AquaRefining equipment to battery recyclers. The technology is intended to be a cleaner alternative to traditional smelting.
- Technology Licensing: The company licenses its AquaRefining technology to other companies. This includes access to its patents and know-how.
- Engineering Services: Aqua Metals offers engineering services to help customers design, build, and operate AquaRefining facilities. This includes process optimization and troubleshooting.
Leadership and Structure
The leadership team includes Steve Cotton (President and CEO). The organizational structure involves departments for engineering, sales, operations, and finance. Key executives are responsible for driving strategic initiatives and overseeing day-to-day operations.
Top Products and Market Share
Key Offerings
- AquaRefining Electrolyzers: These systems use electrochemistry to recover lead from used lead-acid batteries. The target market are battery recyclers looking for eco-friendly solutions. Competitors are traditional smelting companies like Glencore and Johnson Controls (through their battery recycling operations), and other hydrometallurgical recycling tech providers like ACE Green Recycling. Accurate market share data is difficult to ascertain as no individual product revenue is disclosed.
- AquaRefining Electrolyte: Aqua Metals provides electrolyte to assist in the refining process. Sales numbers are difficult to ascertain.
Market Dynamics
Industry Overview
The battery recycling industry is driven by environmental regulations, the increasing use of batteries in electric vehicles and energy storage, and the need to recover valuable materials like lead. The industry faces challenges related to safety, environmental impact, and the cost of recycling. Increased demand for battery materials has driven up the prices of these raw materials and is a tail wind for recyclers.
Positioning
Aqua Metals aims to differentiate itself with its AquaRefining technology, which is designed to be cleaner and more efficient than traditional smelting. They are positioned as a technology provider and equipment supplier in the battery recycling value chain. Their competitive advantage lies in the potential for a lower environmental footprint and higher lead purity.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
The global battery recycling market is estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, with projections varying widely. Aqua Metals is targeting a niche within this market, focused on lead-acid battery recycling using its AquaRefining technology. They are positioned to capture a portion of this TAM by providing equipment and licensing their technology.
Upturn SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Proprietary AquaRefining technology
- Potential for lower environmental impact compared to smelting
- Modular and scalable system design
- Partnerships with strategic players in the battery industry
Weaknesses
- History of operational challenges and financial losses
- Dependence on successful technology adoption by customers
- Limited track record of large-scale commercial deployments
- Reliance on external funding for operations and growth
Opportunities
- Growing demand for sustainable battery recycling solutions
- Increasing regulatory pressure on traditional smelting
- Expansion into new battery chemistries and materials
- Potential for government incentives and subsidies for green technologies
Threats
- Competition from established smelting companies
- Technological advancements in alternative recycling methods
- Fluctuations in lead prices and recycling economics
- Regulatory changes and environmental compliance costs
Competitors and Market Share
Key Competitors
- GLNCY
- JCI
Competitive Landscape
Aqua Metals faces intense competition from established smelting companies with significant market share and resources. Their advantage lies in their potentially cleaner AquaRefining technology, but they need to demonstrate its scalability and cost-effectiveness to gain a larger market share. The company is trying to make strategic partnerships to compete with the bigger players.
Growth Trajectory and Initiatives
Historical Growth: Aqua Metals has experienced volatile growth patterns, marked by initial optimism around AquaRefining and subsequent challenges in scaling the technology. Historic growth information is not provided because the prompt does not have permission to fetch financial data from the internet.
Future Projections: Future Projections information is not provided because the prompt does not have permission to fetch financial data from the internet.
Recent Initiatives: Recent initiatives include focusing on commercializing its AquaRefining technology by providing equipment, licensing, and technical services. Aqua Metals has focused on securing partnerships with battery manufacturers and recycling companies. They have also worked on improving the efficiency and reliability of their AquaRefining systems.
Summary
Aqua Metals aims to disrupt the battery recycling market with its cleaner AquaRefining technology. While the company has promising technology and strategic partnerships, it has faced challenges in scaling and commercializing its technology and generating positive revenue. The company needs to successfully execute on its business model, drive adoption of AquaRefining, and secure consistent funding to be successful. Successfully commercializing and scaling their AquaRefining process will be key for their future viability.
Peer Comparison
Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- Company SEC Filings
- Industry Reports
- Press Releases
Disclaimers:
The information provided is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Market share estimates are approximate and based on available data. Financial data and growth projections are subject to change.
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
About Aqua Metals Inc
Exchange NASDAQ | Headquaters Reno, NV, United States | ||
IPO Launch date 2015-07-31 | CEO, President & Director Mr. Stephen Cotton | ||
Sector Industrials | Industry Waste Management | Full time employees 11 | Website https://www.aquametals.com |
Full time employees 11 | Website https://www.aquametals.com | ||
Aqua Metals, Inc. engages in reinventing metals recycling activities with its patented AquaRefining technology. The company's technology produces metals and alloys that can be returned into the battery manufacturing supply chain markets, as well as sells metals for use in various advanced manufacturing industries. Its AquaRefining, a low-emissions and recycling technology that replaces polluting furnaces and hazardous chemicals with electricity-powered electroplating to recover valuable metals and materials from spent batteries. Aqua Metals, Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in Reno, Nevada.
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