** Shares of natural gas companies fall as natgas futures drop about 5% from a two-year high in the prior session

** U.S. natgas prices down 5.6% at $4.01 per million British thermal units (mmBtu), after the contract closed at its highest since Dec. 30, 2022, on Thursday

** Natgas prices fell on forecasts for milder weather in late January and early February, which should cut demand for gas for heating

** LNG firms EQT Corp dips 1.5% and CNX Resources

falls 1.9%

** ETFs United States Natural Gas Fund down 5.6% and ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Natural Gas down 10%

(Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru)

((Pooja.Menon@thomsonreuters.com;))