Advertising agency Havas stays on pace in Q3

(Adds analyst quote)

PARIS, Nov 6 (Reuters) - French advertising agency Havas (Other OTC: HAVSF - news) kept up strong momentum in the third quarter, posting organic sales growth of 6 percent with gains across all regions.

Finance chief Francois Laroze said he was confident the group would achieve full-year growth, on a like-for-like basis and excluding currency fluctations, of more than 4 percent and 4.5 to 5.5 percent in the last quarter.

"Another strong set of results by Havas, even if momentum in the fourth quarter is perceived as weaker, the stock should still react relatively well," predicted Charles Bedouelle, analyst at Exane BNP Paribas.

Third-quarter revenue stood at 447 million euro ($554.7 million) with Europe up 9.4 percent, North America 5 percent and Asia 9.5 percent.

Larger rival Publicis (Paris: FR0000130577 - news) managed only 1 percent organic growth in the same period, but leader WPP (LSE: WPP.L - news) posted 7.6 percent organic growth.

Havas, which ranks as the world's sixth-biggest advertising group worldwide by revenue, is controlled by Bollore Group via a 36.2 percent stake.

In mid-October, Bollore Group made an offer to acquire control over at least 50 percent of Havas by giving shareholders the chance to swap five Havas shares for nine Bollore (Other OTC: BOIVF - news) shares.

The operation will be voted on at a Bollore shareholder meeting on November 27.

(1 US dollar = 0.8058 euro) (Reporting by Leila Abboud and Gwenaelle Barzic; editing by Mark John)