BUZZ-Cobham: rallies on signs of recovery
** Aerospace and defence company Cobham (Other OTC: CBHMF - news) 's shares up 5.2 pct, near top of Stoxx 600
** H1 sales rose from 917 mln stg to 1.003 bln stg, a beat according to brokers in pre-market; co backs its FY guidance
** H1 free cash flow 65 mln stg versus 54 mln stg
** Co raised 500 mln pounds ($661 mln) in a rights issue to shore up its balance sheet in May after a "deeply disappointing" performance in 2016
** Stock hit highest since Dec (Shanghai: 600875.SS - news) . 2016; biggest boost to FTSE midcap index
** Stock poised to recover all losses from 2017 (rahul.b.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)