** Shares of oil and gas company Mach Natural Resources
MNR.N rise 1.25% to $18.48 after multiple brokerages initiate
coverage with ratings of "buy" or above
** Brokerages Stifel, Raymond James and Stephens rate MNR
stock as "Buy", "Strong Buy" and "Overweight", ratings
respectively
** Stifel expects MNR to gain scale in the Andarko basin,
sees co as a capital-light, tax-efficient investment
** "With only a handful of competitors, MNR is
well-positioned to continue to consolidate assets in the
out-of-favor Mid-Continent region," says brokerage Stephens
(Reporting by Kabir Dweit)
((Kabir.Dweit@thomsonreuters.com))