NatWest rises after Barclays lifts rating to overweight from equalweight

** Shares of British lender NatWest NWG.L up 3% at 673 p -- stock is top gainer on FTSE 100 .FTSE

** Barclays upgrades stock to "overweight" from "equal-weight" and raises target price to 850p from 740p

** NatWest's leading rates gearing leaves it best placed among UK peers to monetise a steeper curve, while manageable funding costs and bank tax concerns present a potential buying opportunity, analysts at Barclays say

** 16 of 20 analysts covering the stock have a "buy" or higher rating and 4 "hold" ; median PT is 805 p -- LSEG data

** YTD, stock has risen ~3%