StockNews.com Upgrades Natural Gas Services Group (NYSE:NGS) to "Hold"

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Natural Gas Services Group (NYSE:NGS - Free Report) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Wednesday.

Separately, Raymond James began coverage on shares of Natural Gas Services Group in a research note on Wednesday, August 7th. They issued a "strong-buy" rating and a $27.00 price objective for the company.

Natural Gas Services Group Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE NGS traded up $0.29 on Wednesday, reaching $25.97. 66,714 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 65,856. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $20.85 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $20.66. Natural Gas Services Group has a 12 month low of $12.75 and a 12 month high of $26.00. The company has a market cap of $323.85 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.29 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.16, a current ratio of 1.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at Natural Gas Services Group

In related news, Director Stephen Charles Taylor sold 3,096 shares of Natural Gas Services Group stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.50, for a total transaction of $75,852.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 545,291 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,359,629.50. The trade was a 0.56 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 21,952 shares of company stock worth $538,469. Insiders own 7.25% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natural Gas Services Group

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of NGS. Ancora Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $1,629,000 after buying an additional 52,040 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in Natural Gas Services Group by 32.4% in the first 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. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in Natural Gas Services Group by 80.1% during the second quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 91,427 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,840,000 after buying an additional 40,672 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in Natural Gas Services Group during the 2nd quarter valued at $788,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP raised its position in shares of Natural Gas Services Group by 100.7% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 77,220 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,554,000 after acquiring an additional 38,751 shares in the last quarter. 65.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Natural Gas Services Group

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.