Natural Gas Services Group (NYSE:NGS) Raised to Hold at StockNews.com

Natural Gas Services Group (NYSE:NGS) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Wednesday.

Separately, Raymond James reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $32.00 target price (down from $33.00) on shares of Natural Gas Services Group in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th.

Natural Gas Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of NGS stock opened at $22.14 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 1.76 and a quick ratio of 1.16. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $25.18 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $23.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $276.84 million, a P/E ratio of 17.29 and a beta of 1.13. Natural Gas Services Group has a 12 month low of $16.70 and a 12 month high of $29.74.

Natural Gas Services Group (NYSE:NGS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 17th. The oil and gas company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $40.66 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $40.84 million. Natural Gas Services Group had a return on equity of 6.60% and a net margin of 10.55%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.14 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Natural Gas Services Group will post 1.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Stephen Charles Taylor sold 19,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.80, for a total value of $558,720.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 438,387 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,625,545.60. The trade was a 4.24 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 7.25% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natural Gas Services Group

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Natural Gas Services Group by 5.0% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 31,148 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $595,000 after purchasing an additional 1,485 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Natural Gas Services Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $261,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Natural Gas Services Group by 54.7% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 8,647 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $165,000 after buying an additional 3,056 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Natural Gas Services Group by 129.1% during the third quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 6,325 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $121,000 after acquiring an additional 3,564 shares during the period. Finally, PDT Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Natural Gas Services Group by 64.3% in the third quarter. PDT Partners LLC now owns 16,784 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $321,000 after acquiring an additional 6,567 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 65.62% of the company’s stock.

Natural Gas Services Group Company Profile

Natural Gas Services Group, Inc provides natural gas compression equipment and services to the energy industry in the United States. It engineers and fabricates, operates, rents, and maintains natural gas compressors for oil and natural gas production and plant facilities. It also designs, fabricates, and assembles compressor units for rental or sale; and designs, manufactures, and sells a line of reciprocating natural gas compressor frames, cylinders, and parts.