(Updates with comments, milestones, rival's move)
** Shares in world's third-biggest ad agency Publicis
soar 15% on forecat-beating Q2 growth
** Publicis's quarterly underlying sales fell by 13% to 2.29
billion euros ($2.65 billion), but beat analysts' expectations
of a 20% fall
** "These numbers are good no doubt," JP Morgan says, adding
that the H1 operating margin was strong with good execution on
the cost side
** Metrics benefited from the addition of large new
customers in 2019 such as Walt Disney Co, Bank of
America and Novartis, which helped limit
revenue losses in North America, its biggest market
** "A big beat", Credit Suisse adds, saying it expects the
beat to be taken positively for all agencies
** Shares in bigger UK rival WPP rise 3.3%
** Publicis shares are heading for best day in almost 18
years, top France's blue-chip index CAC 40 and
pan-European STOXX 600
($1 = 0.8628 euros)
(piotr.lipinski@tr.com)