BUZZ-Northgate: Robust FY earnings fail to overshadow slower UK growth

** Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in van rental company Northgate Plc (LSE: NTG.L - news) fall as much as 8 pct after co reports full-year earnings that garners mixed market reaction

** Stock top loser on the FTSE-250 Midcap Index

** Brokerage Numis cuts rating on the stock to "hold" from "add" citing slightly slower growth in the UK, three year unwinding of the depreciation change, and the forex headwind

** Numis says upside risk exists from faster fleet on hire growth, but downside risk also exist from a potential more rapid fall in UK residual prices

** Jefferies says co's headline FY15 numbers look to be at the upper end of its expectations forecasts. However, notes the subdued number of vehicles on hire compared with a year earlier

** Co reports vehicles on hire at 48,600 in the UK up 1,000 year-on-year including 1,900 from the new sites and up 900 year-on-year in Spain at 35,600

** Jefferies had estimated 51,958 vehicles on hire in the UK and 37,500 in Spain

** Co, however, reports pretax profit jump to 83 mln stg vs 51.2 mln stg a year earlier, and declares dividend of 10.2 p/sh compared with 6.8 p last year (aashika.jain@thomsonreuters.com)