NGS vs USAC

For growth investors, Natural Gas Services Group, Inc.

(NGS) is the stronger pick with 9. 9% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 5. 0% for USA Compression Partners, LP (USAC). Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. (NGS) offers the better valuation at 25. 2x trailing P/E (19. 8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. (NGS) a "Buy" — based on 16 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Natural Gas Services Group, Inc.

(NGS) is the cheapest at 25. 2x versus USA Compression Partners, LP at 32. 5x. On forward P/E, Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. is actually cheaper at 19. 8x.

Over the past 5 years, Natural Gas Services Group, Inc.

(NGS) delivered a total return of +324. 0%, compared to +147. 8% for USA Compression Partners, LP (USAC). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: USAC returned +250. 5% versus NGS's +81. 5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), USA Compression Partners, LP (USAC) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

38β versus Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. 's 0. 91β — meaning NGS is approximately 142% more volatile than USAC relative to the S&P 500.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Natural Gas Services Group, Inc.

(NGS) is pulling ahead at 9. 9% versus 5. 0% for USA Compression Partners, LP (USAC). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: USA Compression Partners, LP grew EPS 18. 1% year-over-year, compared to 14. 6% for Natural Gas Services Group, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, NGS leads at 26. 6% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Natural Gas Services Group, Inc.

(NGS) is the more profitable company, earning 11. 6% net margin versus 11. 2% for USA Compression Partners, LP — meaning it keeps 11. 6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: USAC leads at 31. 9% versus 21. 6% for NGS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — NGS leads at 58. 3%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Natural Gas Services Group, Inc.

(NGS) trades at 19. 8x forward P/E versus 19. 8x for USA Compression Partners, LP — 0. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for NGS: 6. 1% to $42. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

USA Compression Partners, LP (USAC) offers the highest yield at 7. 6%, versus 0. 5% for Natural Gas Services Group, Inc. (NGS).

For long-horizon retirement investors, USA Compression Partners, LP (USAC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

38), 7. 6% yield, +250. 5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (USAC: +250. 5%, NGS: +81. 5%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Energy sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: NGS is a small-cap quality compounder stock; USAC is a small-cap income-oriented stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.