Aqua Metals Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Aqua Metals Inc (AQMS) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Aqua Metals Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 4M vs 34,718M combined for tracked competitors (0.0% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-89.8% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+9.6%) for its tracked peer group.
- Profitability: Its -3,929.8% net margin compares with 18.4% for the peer group.
- Scale: Aqua Metals Inc ranks #51 of 58 companies by market capitalization in the Miscellaneous Fabricated Products industry, holding 0.0% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Aqua Metals Inc accounted for 0.0% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.41M compares with $0.83M for the peer group (0.5x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
AQMS Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
With a net margin of -3,929.82 %, Aqua Metals Inc reported lower profitability than its competitors (18.43 %).
Aqua Metals Inc generated 0.00 % of the combined sales of its peer group.
Aqua Metals Inc vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Aqua Metals Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Aqua Metals Inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Aqua Metals Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
Aqua Metals Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Metals Inc | - | - | - | No |
| Competitors combined (2) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (7) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
AQMS Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
AQMS Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freeport mcmoran Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Commercial Metals Company | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Aqua Metals Inc's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Aqua Metals Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Aqua Metals Inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Aqua Metals Inc | 8.59 | 4.46 |
| Freeport mcmoran Inc | 103,780.56 | 25,868.00 |
| Commercial Metals Company | 7,204.49 | 8,850.09 |
| SUBTOTAL | 110,993.64 | 34,722.54 |
Sources: Aqua Metals Inc's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Aqua Metals Inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Aqua Metals Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Freeport mcmoran Inc | Rod and Refining 33.08 % |
| Commercial Metals Company | North America Steel Group 72.06 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Aqua Metals Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Metals Inc | 9 | 405,000 | -1,454,091 |
| Freeport mcmoran Inc | 103,781 | 892,000 | 158,276 |
| Commercial Metals Company | 7,204 | 697,406 | 61,777 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 110,985 | 832,768 | 128,903 |
Aqua Metals Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 55 companies in Aqua Metals Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Aqua Metals Inc ranks #51 of 55 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.00 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 1,205, indicating a unconcentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parker hannifin Corporation | 124,199 | 23.30 % |
| 2 | Howmet Aerospace Inc | 91,785 | 17.22 % |
| 3 | Barrick Mining Corp | 70,141 | 13.16 % |
| 4 | Baker Hughes Company | 57,120 | 10.72 % |
| 5 | Technipfmc Plc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Rbc Bearings Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Mueller Industries Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Generac Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Crane Company | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Watts Water Technologies Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 51 | Aqua Metals Inc | 9 | 0.00 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Aqua Metals Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-28.
Aqua Metals Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | Cps Technologies Corp | 70 | -3.59 % |
| 47 | Qs Energy Inc | 56 | - |
| 48 | Techprecision Corp | 53 | 1.16 % |
| 49 | 374water Inc | 52 | -1.45 % |
| 50 | Zk International Group Co ltd | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 51 | Aqua Metals Inc | 9 | -47.17 % |
| 52 | Jbdi Holdings Limited | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 53 | Mingteng International Corporation Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 54 | Highway Holdings Limited | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 55 | Erayak Power Solution Group Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Aqua Metals Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-28. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Aqua Metals Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Miscellaneous Fabricated Products industry average (65 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | - | 26.8x | - |
| EV / EBITDA | - | 14.2x | - |
| P/B | 1.1x | 3.7x | -2.6x |
| Return on Equity | -145.58 % | industry aggregate | -161.93 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | -73.02 % | 5.40 % (avg) | -78.42 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Aqua Metals Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | - | - | -1.18 % | - | - | - | - | - |
| Operating Margin | - | -750.77 % | -836.97 % | - | - | - | - | - |
| Return on Invested Capital | -20.69 % | -28.57 % | -33.69 % | -15.61 % | -15.52 % | -47.82 % | -54.95 % | -124.80 % |
| P/E | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Aqua Metals Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Aqua Metals Inc's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Aqua Metals Inc falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.00x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 3.8% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Aqua Metals Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | High | Industry HHI of 1,205 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Aqua Metals Inc's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Aqua Metals Inc's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Aqua Metals Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Aqua Metals Inc falls in the Low attractiveness / Low strength cell: Harvest / Divest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Aqua Metals Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
No rule matched.
Weaknesses
- Return on equity 161.9 points below the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-89.8% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.00x).
Opportunities
- A meaningful share of tracked competitors (50.00 %) show financial-distress signals, a possible opening to gain share.
Threats
No rule matched.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Aqua Metals Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Metals Inc | 1.81 | 2.47 | - |
| Freeport mcmoran Inc | 0.70 | 2.29 | 0.31 |
| Commercial Metals Company | 0.58 | 2.55 | 0.74 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Aqua Metals Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Metals Inc | Q2 2026 | - | - |
| Freeport mcmoran Inc | Q2 2026 | -7.3 % | +80.2 % |
| Commercial Metals Company | Q2 2026 | +22.9 % | +335.3 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | -0.9 % | +106.1 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Aqua Metals Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Metals Inc | Q2 2026 | +238.0 % | - |
| Freeport mcmoran Inc | Q2 2026 | -2.2 % | - |
| Commercial Metals Company | Q2 2026 | +17.9 % | +74.6 % |
Aqua Metals Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Metals Inc | - | - | - |
| Freeport mcmoran Inc | 7.86% | 7.15% | 14.70% |
| Commercial Metals Company | 9.30% | 9.96% | 18.10% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Aqua Metals Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Aqua Metals Inc | - | 1.93 |
| Freeport mcmoran Inc | 35.25 | 4.01 |
| Commercial Metals Company | 12.19 | 0.81 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 20.72 | 3.20 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.