AQMS (Aqua Metals) Cash Ratio: 1.88 (As of Mar. 2026) — Near Median

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AQMS Aqua Metals Inc AQMS
21 GF Score
Price $2.89
! 3 Warning Signs
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What is Aqua Metals Cash Ratio?

Aqua Metals AQMS +2.85% 21 Cash Ratio is 1.88 as of Mar. 2026, which is at its 10-year median of 1.88. GuruFocus rates AQMS with a GF Score™ of 21/100. The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 240 Waste Management companies, Aqua Metals ranks better than 86.67% on this metric.

The Cash Ratio measures a company’s ability to meet its short-term obligations with cash and near-cash resources. It is calculated as a company's Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities divides by its Total Current Liabilities. Aqua Metals's Cash Ratio for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 1.88.

Aqua Metals has a Cash Ratio of 1.88. It generally indicates that the company is able to cover all short-term debt and still have cash remaining.

The historical rank and industry rank for Aqua Metals's Cash Ratio or its related term are showing as below:

AQMS' s Cash Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.22   Med: 1.88   Max: 7.13
Current: 1.88

During the past 12 years, Aqua Metals's highest Cash Ratio was 7.13. The lowest was 0.22. And the median was 1.88.

AQMS's Cash Ratio is ranked better than
86.67% of 240 companies
in the Waste Management industry
Industry Median: 0.425 vs AQMS: 1.88

Aqua Metals  (NAS:AQMS) Cash Ratio Explanation

The cash ratio is more conservative than other liquidity ratios, such as Quick Ratio and Current Ratio, because it only considers a company's most liquid resources. The numerator of cash ratio only considers Cash, Cash Equivalents and marketable securities. Other current assets, such as accounts receivable and inventories, are not included. The rationale is that these assets may require time to be transformed into cash, and the amount of money received is also uncertain.

The cash ratio shows a company’s ability to pay all current liabilities immediately without selling or liquidating other assets. Generally speaking, a higher cash ratio suggests the company has a stronger ability to cover its short-term debt. However, a high cash ratio could also indicate inefficient management: the company is inefficient in making full utilization of cash to invest protential profitable project. It may also suggest that the company is not confident about future profitability.

In general, the higher the cash ratio, the better the company's liquidity position.


Aqua Metals Cash Ratio Related Terms


Aqua Metals Cash Ratio Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Aqua Metals's Cash Ratio can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Aqua Metals Cash Ratio Chart

Aqua Metals Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Cash Ratio
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 2.00 0.58 3.58 0.50 2.44

Aqua Metals Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Cash Ratio Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 0.22 0.53 1.04 2.44 1.88

AQMS vs AWX, OCLN, CDTG: Cash Ratio Comparison

For the Waste Management subindustry, Aqua Metals's Cash Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Cash Ratio data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


Aqua Metals Cash Ratio vs Waste Management Industry

For the Waste Management industry and Industrials sector, Aqua Metals's Cash Ratio distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Aqua Metals's Cash Ratio falls into.


AQMS
21GF Score
Aqua Metals Inc AQMS
Cash Ratio is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Aqua Metals Cash Ratio Calculation

The Cash Ratio measures a company's ability to meet its short-term obligations with its cash and near-cash resources.

Aqua Metals's Cash Ratio for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as:

Cash Ratio (A: Dec. 2025 )=Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities/Total Current Liabilities
=10.81/4.428
=2.44

Aqua Metals's Cash Ratio for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

Cash Ratio (Q: Mar. 2026 )=Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities/Total Current Liabilities
=6.816/3.617
=1.88

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Cash Ratio →
What does a Cash Ratio of 1.88 mean?
Aqua Metals (AQMS) has a Cash Ratio of 1.88 as of Mar. 2026. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on Aqua Metals and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 1.88. Over the past decade, Aqua Metals' Cash Ratio has ranged from 0.22 to 7.13. According to the industry distribution chart, Aqua Metals ranks #32 out of 240 companies in the Waste Management industry, placing it in the top 13.3%.
Is Aqua Metals' Cash Ratio too high?
Aqua Metals' current Cash Ratio of 1.88 is near median its 10-year median of 1.88. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.22 to a high of 7.13. The Waste Management industry median Cash Ratio is 0.43. Aqua Metals' value of 1.88 is 342.4% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Aqua Metals ranks #32 out of 240 companies in the Waste Management industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Aqua Metals has a GF Score™ of 21/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Aqua Metals' Cash Ratio compare to AWX and OCLN?
According to the Waste Management industry distribution chart, Aqua Metals ranks #32 out of 240 companies for Cash Ratio. This places Aqua Metals in the top 13% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Cash Ratio is 0.43. Aqua Metals' value of 1.88 is 342.4% above this benchmark. Historically, Aqua Metals' own Cash Ratio has ranged from 0.22 to 7.13 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.88 vs. the industry median of 0.43, Aqua Metals has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Cash Ratio for a Waste Management company?
The median Cash Ratio among Waste Management companies is 0.43, based on 240 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Cash Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Cash Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Aqua Metals's current Cash Ratio of 1.88 is 342.4% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Cash Ratio mean?
A high Cash Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on Aqua Metals and its competitors. For the Waste Management industry, the median Cash Ratio is 0.43 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Aqua Metals's current Cash Ratio is 1.88, which is near median its own 10-year median of 1.88. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Aqua Metals stock overvalued right now?
Aqua Metals (AQMS) has a current Cash Ratio of 1.88. The current Cash Ratio is 1.88, which is near median its 10-year median of 1.88 and 342.4% above the Waste Management industry median of 0.43. Aqua Metals' overall GF Score™ is 21/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Cash Ratio calculated?
Cash Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Aqua Metals (AQMS), the current Cash Ratio is 1.88 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

Aqua Metals Business Description

Other Exchanges 0HH6:UK
Address 5370 Kietzke Lane, Suite 201, Reno, NV, USA, 89511
Aqua Metals Inc is developing and seeking to commercialize proprietary recycling and refining technologies for the recovery of critical minerals and metals. Its patented and patent-pending AquaRefining process is an electro-hydrometallurgical method designed to recover high-purity materials from battery and other metal-bearing feedstocks using a closed-loop system powered by electricity. Its idea is to reduce CAPEX and OPEX costs, reduce emissions, hazardous waste, and reliance on conventional smelting and chemical-intensive refining processes. It has one operating segment: sustainable metals recycling. It focused on the development and commercialization of AquaRefining technology for the clean and efficient recovery of valuable metals from lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.
21GF Score

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$2.89
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