BUZZ-Babcock: in-line H1 sends stock near top of Stoxx
** Babcock's shares up 3.8 pct, third-largest gainer on the Stoxx 600, after reporting 7 pct rise in H1 pretax profit
** Co also says on track to meet FY expectations, hikes interim dividend by 10 pct
** Analysts highlight order book of 20 bln stg
** More than half 90-day daily avg volume through in 1.5 hours
** Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) at 4-mth high, poised for their best day since early May
** Co also top of London's FTSE 100 and Stoxx 600 Industrial Goods and Services Index (venkateshasoumithri.mamidipudi.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)