BUZZ-Havas: nears record high after broker highlights M&A possibility

** Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) of French advertiser close in on all-time high -- shares up 3.1 pct - within a whisker of peak hit 2 yrs ago

** Brokerage Oddo draws attention to a May 2016 interview in which French billionaire and Vivendi CEO Vincent Bollore (Paris: FR0013201365 - news) evoked the possibility of a tie-up between Havas (LSE: 0MGT.L - news) and Vivendi (LSE: 0IIF.L - news)

** Bollore owns nearly 60 pct of Havas and around 20 pct of Vivendi, making him the biggest shareholder in both cos

** If tie-up with Vivendi does not materialize, Oddo sees 2 paths forward -- going it alone or being taken over by a 3rd party in the sector such as WPP (Frankfurt: A1J2BZ - news) or Dentsu (Frankfurt: 763961 - news)

** Stock 2nd top gainer on the SBF (Xetra: CY1K.DE - news) 120 behind Essilor whose deal with Luxottica (Milan: LUX.MI - news) puts it firmly on top of France's Eclaireur index