** Citi is more constructive on the opportunities in European Healthcare Services and MedTech, seeing fewer near-term risks to consensus in an uncertain market

** The broker says Q1 earnings largely showed resilient end-markets as well as a stable cost/operating environment, with guidance ranges considering worst-case tariff scenarios

** The sector is also trading at/or below historical averages - brokerage

** Brokerage says it considers Alcon ALCC.S its top pick, and also prefers Diagnostyka DIAP.WA, EssilorLuxottica ESLX.PA, Oxford Nanopore Technologies ONT.L, Schott Pharma 1SXP.DE, and Siemens Healthineers SHLG.DE (all "buy"-rated)

** Separately, it prefers some companies such as Demant DEMANT.CO, Fresenius FREG.DE and Smith & Nephew SN.L, which have a disconnect between existing valuation and fundamental earnings

** Broker upgrades Demant to "buy" from "neutral"

** The brokerage keeps "sell" rating on Elekta EKTAb.ST citing structural share losses, and on Sonova SOON.S, Straumann STMN.S, where it still sees low-to-mid single-digit percentage downside to consensus

(Reporting by Marta Frąckowiak)

((marta.frackowiak@thomsonreuters.com))