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AQMS logo AQMS
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Aqua Metals Inc (AQMS)

Upturn stock ratingUpturn stock rating
$3.58
Last Close (24-hour delay)
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PASS
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Upturn Stock infoUpturn Stock info Stock price based on last close
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Upturn Advisory Summary

09/15/2025: AQMS (1-star) is currently NOT-A-BUY. Pass it for now.

Upturn Star Rating

rating

Not Recommended Performance

These Stocks/ETFs, based on Upturn Advisory, consistently fall short of market performance, signaling caution before investing.

Number of Analysts

rating

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

Analysts Price Target For last 52 week
$7 Target price
52w Low $3.37
Current$3.58
52w High $46

Analysis of Past Performance

Type Stock
Historic Profit -13.32%
Avg. Invested days 19
Today’s Advisory PASS
Upturn Star Rating Upturn stock ratingUpturn stock rating
Upturn Advisory Performance Upturn Advisory Performance 3.0
Stock Returns Performance Upturn Returns Performance 1.0
Upturn Profits based on simulationUpturn Profits based on simulation Profits based on simulation
Upturn Profits based on simulationUpturn Profits based on simulation Last Close 09/15/2025

Key Highlights

Company Size Small-Cap Stock
Market Capitalization 5.15M 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 - 46.00
Updated Date 09/15/2025
52 Weeks Range 3.37 - 46.00
Updated Date 09/15/2025
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

ai summary icon Upturn AI SWOT

Aqua Metals Inc

stock logo

Company Overview

overview logo 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.

business area logo 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 logo 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

overview logo 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 logo 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

competitor logo 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.

Upturn AI SummarizationUpturn AI Summarization AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.

Upturn AI SummarizationUpturn AI Summarization Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.

Upturn AI SummarizationUpturn AI Summarization Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.

Upturn AI SummarizationUpturn AI Summarization 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
Full time employees 11

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.