UPDATE 1-France's BioMerieux H1 sales up, confirms target

(adds analyst reaction, CEO, share price)

PARIS, July 23 (Reuters) - French healthcare diagnostics group BioMerieux (BIOX.PA) reported a 1.9 percent rise in first-half sales to 528.2 million euros, a rise of 7.6 percent on a like-for-like basis, the company said on Wednesday.

Despite a sharp fall in sales of instruments in the United States, the group saw an acceleration of growth in the second quarter thanks to its recent entries into new markets.

"The figures are above consensus. The performances are very satisfactory in Europe, which is the basis of the group's growth," said an analyst declining to be named.

"As for the United States, the fall is a one-off and the reorganisation that the group is putting in place will bring benefits in the second quarter," the analyst added.

Shares in BioMerieux were up more than 2 percent at 71.50 euros, outperforming the DJ Stoxx European Healthcare index .SXDP which was down 0.45 percent.

It is number seven in the world in diagnostics and competes with Merck (MRK.N), Oxoid, Invitrogen IVGN.O, Becton Dickinson (BDX.N) or Sigma & Cambrex.

BioMerieux's Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said in a conference call the recent acquisition of the Swedish group AB Biodisk and recent new partnerships had begun to bear fruit.

The company confirmed its 2008 targets of like-for-like sales growth ranging from 7.4 percent to 9 percent and an operating margin before non-recurring items close to the 15.7 percent reported in 2007, at 2007 exchange rates.

Bancel said he was confident "in the continuation of good dynamic growth in the second half of the year."

The poor first-half performance in the U.S was due to a complete reorganisation of the sales force there as well as more difficult economic environment, the group said in a statement.

It added the recent rise in oil prices had had no impact on the cost of plastics but had fed through to higher transportation and energy costs, forcing the group to implement cost-cutting measures.

Asked about possible future acquisitions, Bancel said; "There are always opportunities and we will actively continue to assess them."

Bancel did not rule out future announcements this year saying BioMerieux had made four purchases since the summer of 2006 and the group would like to continue at this rate.

BioMerieux last month bought AB Biodisk of Sweden