Digest of recent French company results

Food group Danone (DANO.PA) posted an 8.1 percent first-half operating profit rise, boosted by baby food and medical nutrition, and said price cuts and ad campaigns lifted its main dairy business in the second quarter. [ID:nLO465871]

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Fimalac (LBCP.PA) says third quarter sales fell six percent on a like-for-like basis to 141.9 mln euros. It will sell another 20 percent in rating agency Fitch to Hearst Communication for 300 mln euros.

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Inter Parfums (IPAR.PA) said its sales dropped 5 percent in the first half to 121.3 million euros and said it expected a small decline in full-year sales while expecting a pick-up in 2010. It added that net income for the first half would be close to that of the first half in 2008.

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Groupe Eurotunnel GET.PA posts first half loss of 8 million euros, versus a profit of 22 million last year, due to the aftermatch of a tunnel fire in Septeber 2008.

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PagesJaunes (PAJ.PA) said first half sales rose 1.6 percent but maintains outlook of an annual decline of 2-5 percent, with a gross operating income of between 500-540 million euros.

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Sequana VORP.PA says iits first half recurrent operating income was down slightly to 73 million euros from 78 million, on 18 percent lower sales and added its operating margin was up 0.5 points to 3.5 percent. It will continue its asset sales

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Fonciere des Regions (FDR.PA) said its recurrent net income was up 8.1 percent in the first half at 151.8 million euros.

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Champagne house Vranken-Pommery (VRKP.PA) said its first half sales fell 8.1 percent to 83 million euros in a market that dropped by 30 percent.

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BioMerieux (BIOX.PA) said first half sales rose 6 percent like-for-like to 590 million euros, up 10.3 percent at constant exchange rates. The bio-technology firm confirms its 2009 objectives.

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JULY 23

Lagardere (LAGA.PA) kept its 2009 outlook after first-half revenue fell 2.2 percent, as a global advertising and economic downturn hit its press and broadcast operations [ID:nLL488226].

Strong book and sports sales however limited the decline.

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Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) posted a 20.5 percent drop in fiscal first-quarter sales on Thursday as the continuing deterioration in the economic climate hurt demand for air travel and air freight transport [ID:nLN422112].

Revenue totalled 5.19 billion euros in the three months to June 30, Europe's biggest airline said in a statement.

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Plastic Omnium (PLOF.PA), which supplies parts to automobile groups, had consolidated net profit of 8 million euros in the six months to end-June, compared to 2.5 million a year earlier.

This was due to cost cuts, lower capital expenditure and working capital [ID:nLN690478]

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French advertising company Publicis (PUBP.PA) expects to return to sales growth next year and kept its 2009 outlook intact after the global economic downturn hit first-half earnings. [ID:LL425958]

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Oil services group Technip (TECF.PA) posts a near-13 percent rise in second-quarter net income, and says it saw 2009 revenue coming in at the high end of its expectations. [ID:nLN211116]

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Planemaker Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA) reports first-half operating profits down 44 percent and a drop of more than 1 billion euros in its order book due to business jet cancellations. [ID:nLN734012]

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Car equipment supplier Plastic Omnium (PLOF.PA) says financial troubles at General Motors Corp GMGMQ.PK, Chrysler [CCMLPD.UL] and Saab Automobile have not affected interim earnings. [ID:nLN690478]

JULY 22

Unibail-Rodamco (UNBP.PA), Europe's largest property investor, posted a forecast-beating rise in first-half recurring earnings per share of 4.68 euros and reiterated its aim for earnings per share growth of at least 7 percent this year. [ID:nLG264740]

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Ingenico (INGC.PA), the world's biggest electronic payment terminal provider, cut its full-year pro-forma sales target to a fall of 4-8 percent, compared with a previous forecast for revenue to be flat or rise slightly. First-half sales fell 18 percent to 142 million euros. [ID:nWEA1903]

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Mercialys (MERY.PA) raised its 2009 target for year-on-year growth in rental revenue and recurring operating cash flow to 15 percent after first-half rental revenue rose 13 percent to 64.5 million euros.

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Mr Bricolage (MBRI.PA) posted a 3.7 percent rise in first-half sales to 269.5 million euros.

JULY 21

Car parts maker Faurecia (EPED.PA) raised its cost-cutting target and predicted a very slow recovery after an unprecedented drop in auto production pushed it to a first-half operating loss.[ID:nLL714676]

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Luxury goods group Hermes (HRMS.PA) saw a better-than-expected improvement in trading in the second quarter, helped by consumers' crisis-proof appetite for its elegant handbags and stronger perfumes sales [ID:nLK183165]

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Champagne maker Laurent-Perrier (LPER.PA) said first quarter sales fell 24.9 percent to 31.4 million and it said it aimed to maintain its full-year operating margins, which was 23.9 percent in the previous year. (Paris newsroom +33 1 4949 5452, paris.equities@.reuters.com)