BUZZ-Restaurant Group: Deutsche Bank raises to "buy"

** Restaurant operator's shares up 2.1 pct, among top FTSE midcap gainers after Deutsche Bank (Other OTC: DBAGF - news) raises to "buy" from "hold", keeps 785p PT

** Analysts say co is resistant to the two main concerns affecting pub & restaurant sector: oversupply eating away like-for-like growth and potential impact of new living wage

** DB cites Restaurant Group (Other OTC: RSTGY - news) 's analysis that decline in "independent" restaurants over the next three years will only be half offset by growth in "branded" outlets

** Analysts also expect higher wages to increase productivity, led by better staff retention and fewer untrained servers

** Pub cos among those expected to be hurt the most by the new wage laws (venkateshasoumithri.mamidipudi.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)