Aqua Metals (NASDAQ:AQMS – Get Free Report) and ARQ (NASDAQ:ARQ – Get Free Report) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, institutional ownership, earnings and profitability.
Profitability
This table compares Aqua Metals and ARQ’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Aqua Metals | N/A | -274.21% | -159.86% |
| ARQ | -3.33% | -1.11% | -0.86% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Aqua Metals and ARQ, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Aqua Metals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| ARQ | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2.60 |
Insider and Institutional Ownership
22.0% of Aqua Metals shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 18.5% of ARQ shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.3% of Aqua Metals shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 23.9% of ARQ shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Aqua Metals and ARQ”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Aqua Metals | $30,000.00 | 573.15 | -$24.55 million | ($30.53) | -0.19 |
| ARQ | $108.96 million | 1.44 | -$5.11 million | ($0.10) | -36.70 |
ARQ has higher revenue and earnings than Aqua Metals. ARQ is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Aqua Metals, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Volatility and Risk
Aqua Metals has a beta of -0.22, indicating that its stock price is 122% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ARQ has a beta of 1.98, indicating that its stock price is 98% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
ARQ beats Aqua Metals on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Aqua Metals
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.
About ARQ
Arq, Inc. is a holding company. It engages in the provision of environmental and emission control equipment to the power generation industry. The company operates through the following Segments: Refined Coal and Advanced Purification Technologies. The Refined Coal segment includes the Tinuum Group, Tinuum Services, and GWN Manager. The Advanced Purification Technologies segment refers to the sale of Activated Carbon Injection and Dry Sorbent Injection equipment systems, chemical sales, consulting services, and other sales related to the reduction of emissions in the coal-fired electric generation process and the electric utility industry. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, CO.
Receive News & Ratings for Aqua Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aqua Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
