BUZZ-Smiths: hits 8-mth high on Morpho Detection acquisition

** Smiths Group (Other OTC: SMGKF - news) +3.9 pct after the UK engineering conglomerate says it will buy Morpho Detection from French aerospace and defence group Safran (LSE: 0IU8.L - news) for an enterprise value of $710 mln

** Morpho Detection will become part of Smiths' division which designs and manufactures sensors that detect and identify explosives, weapons, chemical agents and other contraband

** The deal, expected to close in early 2017, will be mid-single digit accretive to EPS in the first full yr of ownership, Smiths says

** Co sees annual cost synergies of c.$30 mln to be delivered by the third full yr following closing

** Sees one-off integration costs of c.$30 mln

** Safran's shares +0.73 pct (Reuters Messaging: noor.hussain.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)