Siegfried gains after H1 beat, margin improvement
BUZZ-Siegfried gains after H1 beat, margin improvement ** Shares in Siegfried SFZN.S rise 3.4% in Julius Baer pre-market indications after the Swiss contract drug manufacturer's H1 revenue growth beat expectations, coupled with improved profitability
** H1 revenue rises 4.8% in local currencies to CHF 633 million ($792 million), above LSEG analyst poll of CHF 621 mln, while core EBITDA margin improved to 22.4%, slightly beating the 22.1% consensus cited by Vontobel
** Vontobel says H1 sales and profitability exceed consensus expectations, with drug substances growth supported by the acquisition of three sites in the U.S. and Australia
** Operating improvements and a favourable business mix help core EBITDA margin, the broker notes
** It adds that Siegfried is on track to meet its targets and that integration of the acquired sites is progressing as planned
($1 = 0.7995 Swiss francs)
(Reporting by Kira Britten)