Aqua Metals Inc. (AQMS)

[namah sivaya]

One can understand why sometimes when a founder gets pushed out of his own company, like seems to be happening to Steve Clarke, they'd get upset and try to get their company back. It seems possible in this case also;

The CEO and the CFO, Tom Murphy, both founders of Aqua Metals, together own about 15% of the stock. After going public, the founders got strategic investments from Johnson Controls(JCI) and Interstate Batteries, who each own about 10%.

It doesn't seem unreasonable that in order to fend off an activist, who is trying to oust them from the company they founded, they could try to take Aqua Metals private. Together with strategic investors they already own about 35% of the stock. And for the record, JCI and Interstate Batteries both bought their stakes in the $10 range, before the factory was built.

Who know how it plays out, but most any time there are struggles for control of a company, it is enhancing to shareholder value.