BUZZ-Virgin Money: rebounds after robust H1

** Virgin Money bounces back after recent hefty losses after the UK challenger bank posts strong H1 profit on surge in mortgage lending

** Stock, which suffered its worst day in short history as a listed company early July when UK Chancellor George Osborne announced a bank levy change, up 9.1%, 3rd-top FTSE 250 riser (but still some 6% below pre-levy change levels)

** H1 underlying PBT rises 37 pct to 81.8 mln stg

** H1 gross mortgage lending jumps 44 pct to 3.6 bln stg as the bank wins 3.8 pct of gross lending market share at the end of May 2015

** Says does not expect material impact due to new tax regulations for buy-to-let landlords announced in UK Budget

** "Virgin Money trades on broadly the same P/tNAV rating as Lloyds, but with a superior outlook for growth and returns," Investec (LSE: INVP.L - news) securities analysts wrote in a note

** Citi analysts call the 1.4p dividend a positive surprise, reiterating "buy" rating and TP 475p (Reuters Messaging: noor.hussain.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)