** Shares of Australia's Netwealth Group NWL.AX rise 11.8% to A$24.955, headed for their best day since April 10 last year

** Financial services co posts half-year net profit after tax of A$69 million ($48.78 million), up from A$57.6 million a year earlier

** Declares fully franked interim dividend of 21.0 AU cents apiece, up 20% over pcp

** Says custodial inflows for funds under management at end of HY increased 10.7% over pcp to A$16.4 billion

** Analysts at Citi say they do not see a slowdown in flows momentum and co's indication of no price pressure in HY is a positive after peer AMP posted a margin miss, which had evoked similar concerns before NWL's results

** Management did not comment on margin outlook for FY27; Citi expects co's margins to be flat in FY27

($1 = 1.4144 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Shruti Agarwal in Bengaluru)

((Shruti.Agarwal@thomsonreuters.com))