BUZZ-Raymond James rises after UBS upgrades to 'buy'

** Shares of wealth manager Raymond James RJF.N rise as much as 2.6%; last up 1.9% at $160.64

** UBS upgrades RJF to "buy" from "neutral"; raises PT to $185 from $150, a 17.3% upside to the stock's last close

** Brokerage cites RJF's differentiated advisor platform behind the upgrade, which it says has "enabled superior recruitment and retention"

** Adds that this will support continued net new assets growth and long-term revenue stability for RJF

** RJF should additionally also benefit from accelerating loan growth in the current environment - UBS

** Seven of 15 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or higher and eight "hold"; with a median PT of $163.50, according to data compiled by LSEG

** RJF shares soared 39.3% in 2024 vs a 23.3% jump in the benchmark S&P 500 index .SPX

(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru)

((ArasuKannagi.Basil@thomsonreuters.com;))