** Construction co Galliford Try, helped by robusthouse building demand, sees a 35 pct rise in H1 revenues & hikesits divi
** Shares jump 5.5 pct to all-time high & 2nd-most activelytraded stock on FTSE 250, with its 90-day daily avgvolume having gone through in less than an hour
** Gains seen sector-wide, though Galliford outperforms;Taylor Wimpey, Barratt Developments, Persimmon & Bovis Homes all up about 1 pct
** Strength comes even in face of bearish sell-side commentsamid stretched valuations & uncertainty as general election yrgets underway
** Thomson Reuters UK Homebuilding index up23 pct over last 12 mths, & trading around all-time highs (RM: tricia.wright1.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)