** Citi analysts are upbeat on Australia's Suncorp Group's SUN.AX half-yearly results

** Brokerage expects benign weather to help co's first-half insurance margin

** "We still expect the majority of the A$4.1 billion ($2.5 billion) bank sale proceeds to be returned to shareholders by capital reduction" - Citi

** Citi lifts its FY25 EPS estimates by 5%

** Hikes TP to A$19.90 per share; retains "neutral" rating

** Eight of 12 analysts rate the stock "buy" or higher, four "hold"; their median PT is A$19.50 – LSEG data

** Stock up nearly 3% YTD as of last close

($1 = 1.6152 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Rajasik Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by David Holmes)

((Rajasik.Mukherjee@thomsonreuters.com))