UPDATE 2-French advertising group Havas Q1 sales up 7.4 pct

(Adds CFO, analyst, comment, shares)

By Gilbert Kreijger and Cyril Altmeyer

PARIS, April 22 (Reuters) - France's Havas posted a 7.4 percent rise in comparable first-quarter sales on Tuesday and said it was not affected by the global financial crisis.

The world's sixth largest advertising group, which also confirmed its full-year targets, generated revenues of 345 million euros ($547.3 million) in the three months to March 31, up from 337 million euros in the same period last year.

Taking into account exchange rates, which wiped 20 million euros from sales, and takeovers or disposals, the company's reported sales growth was 2.5 percent.

"Today we do not see any impact on our numbers from the international environment," Havas Finance Director Herve Philippe told Reuters in an interview.

The news lifted the stock more than 7 percent and by 0803 GMT the shares were up 5.6 percent at 2.83 euros.

"This is good news, reassuring our forecasts for 2008, which should be a dynamic year for Havas," said CM-CIC Securities analyst Emmanuel Chevalier in a note.

The stock had lost nearly 20 percent since the start of the year partly on concerns it would be affected by the worsening global economic outlook.

Philippe added the company expected growth to remain solid in 2008 but perhaps not as good as in 2007.

Havas, which competes against French rival Publicis (PUBP.PA), said comparable sales had grown in every region, including the United States.

The company's net new business dropped 6.4 percent to 510 million euros compared to the first quarter of 2007. Net new business is the sum of expected annual advertising budgets won and lost. (Additional reporting by Astrid Wendlandt; Editing by Paul Bolding)