AQMS (Aqua Metals) Moat Score: 4/10 (As of Jun. 28, 2026)


AQMS Aqua Metals Inc AQMS
25 GF Score
Price $2.87
! 3 Warning Signs
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What is Aqua Metals Moat Score?

Aqua Metals AQMS -0.51% 25 Moat Score is 4 as of Jun. 28, 2026. GuruFocus rates AQMS with a GF Score™ of 25/100. The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 255 Waste Management companies, Aqua Metals ranks better than 94.12% on this metric.

Aqua Metals has the Moat Score of 4, which implies that the company might have Narrow Moat - Discernible but modest moat.

Aqua Metals has Narrow Moat: AQMS has a discernible moat due to its proprietary recycling technology, but it lacks strong market leadership, brand strength, and significant customer switching costs.

Moat Score is a ranking system developed by GuruFocus to assess a company's ability to sustain a competitive advantage, rated on a scale from 0 to 10. It takes into account key factors such as market leadership, cost advantages, network effects, customer switching costs, and more.

The company's Moat Score is based on these criteria:

1. Market leadership and sustainable market share
2. Network effects and significant customer switching costs
3. Valuable intellectual property and patents
4. Strong brand strength and deep customer loyalty
5. Durable cost advantages (e.g., economies of scale, proprietary technology)
6. Significant regulatory barriers and exclusive licenses
7. Superior distribution network
8. Strong and sustainable pricing power
9. Consistent and impactful innovation and R&D capabilities

Based on the research, GuruFocus believes Aqua Metals might have Narrow Moat - Discernible but modest moat.

Aqua Metals  (NAS:AQMS) Moat Score Explanation

The Moat Score ranges from 0 to 10, with 10 as the highest. GuruFocus divided Moat Score into following 8 categories:

Moat Score Moat Level
10Wide Moat - Exceptionally dominant and durable wide moat
8 - 9Wide Moat - Clear and robust wide moat
7Wide Moat - Entry-level wide moat, clearly possessing durable advantages
6Narrow Moat - Strong narrow moat, clearly distinguishable but not wide
5Narrow Moat - Solid narrow moat
4Narrow Moat - Discernible but modest moat
1 - 3No Moat - Very weak/transient advantages
0No Moat - No discernible moat

Aqua Metals Moat Score Related Terms

AQMS vs AWX, OCLN, CDTG: Moat Score Comparison

For the Waste Management subindustry, Aqua Metals's Moat Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Moat Score 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 Moat Score vs Waste Management Industry

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

* The bar in red indicates where Aqua Metals's Moat Score falls into.


AQMS
25GF Score
Aqua Metals Inc AQMS
Moat Score is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Moat Score →
What does a Moat Score of 4 mean?
Aqua Metals (AQMS) has a Moat Score of 4 as of Jun. 28, 2026. Moat Score is a ranking system developed by GuruFocus to assess a company's ability to sustain a competitive advantage, rated on a scale from 0 to 10. It takes into account key factors such as market leadership, cost advantages, network effects, customer switching costs, and more. According to the industry distribution chart, Aqua Metals ranks #15 out of 255 companies in the Waste Management industry, placing it in the top 5.9%.
Is Aqua Metals' Moat Score too high?
Aqua Metals' current Moat Score is 4. Based on the distribution chart, Aqua Metals ranks #15 out of 255 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 25/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Aqua Metals' Moat Score compare to AWX and OCLN?
According to the Waste Management industry distribution chart, Aqua Metals ranks #15 out of 255 companies for Moat Score. This places Aqua Metals in the top 6% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Moat Score for a Waste Management company?
A good Moat Score depends on the Waste Management industry context. However, Moat Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Moat Score mean?
A high Moat Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Moat Score is a ranking system developed by GuruFocus to assess a company's ability to sustain a competitive advantage, rated on a scale from 0 to 10. It takes into account key factors such as market leadership, cost advantages, network effects, customer switching costs, and more. Aqua Metals's current Moat Score is 4. 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 Moat Score of 4. The current Moat Score is 4. Aqua Metals' overall GF Score™ is 25/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Moat Score calculated?
Moat Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Aqua Metals (AQMS), the current Moat Score is 4 as of Jun. 28, 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.
25GF Score

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Moat Score is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

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