Natural Gas Services Group (NYSE:NGS) Upgraded to “Hold” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Natural Gas Services Group (NYSE:NGS) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Wednesday.

Separately, Raymond James began coverage on shares of Natural Gas Services Group in a report on Wednesday, August 7th. They issued a “strong-buy” rating and a $27.00 price target on the stock.

Natural Gas Services Group Stock Performance

Shares of NGS opened at $25.97 on Wednesday. Natural Gas Services Group has a 52-week low of $12.75 and a 52-week high of $26.00. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $20.85 and its 200 day simple moving average is $20.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $323.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.29 and a beta of 1.03.

Insider Transactions at Natural Gas Services Group

In other news, Director Stephen Charles Taylor sold 3,442 shares of Natural Gas Services Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.51, for a total transaction of $87,805.42. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 524,903 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,390,275.53. This trade represents a 0.65 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 21,952 shares of company stock valued at $538,469. 7.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natural Gas Services Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Natural Gas Services Group by 32.4% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 172,221 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,346,000 after buying an additional 42,099 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Natural Gas Services Group by 163.7% during the 1st quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 83,830 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,629,000 after acquiring an additional 52,040 shares during the last quarter. ClariVest Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in Natural Gas Services Group in the second quarter worth $693,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Natural Gas Services Group in the second quarter valued at $788,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Natural Gas Services Group by 1.3% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 491,167 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $9,543,000 after acquiring an additional 6,129 shares during the last quarter. 65.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.