** Shares of U.S. natural gas companies rise, tracking rise in natgas futures NGA

** U.S. natgas futures NGc1 up 1% at $4.29 per million British thermal unit

** Natgas prices rise in thin-volume trading, ending a two-week losing streak, as forecasts pointed to colder weather and increased demand in the weeks ahead

** Shares of natgas companies Cheniere Energy LNG.N gain 1%, Expand Energy EXE.O up marginally

** ETFs United States Natural Gas Fund UNG.P adds 4.3% and ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Natural Gas BOIL.P advances ~6%

(Reporting by Dharna Bafna)

((Dharna.bafna@thomsonreuters.com))