European shares rise on strong results from SAP and Lonza

LONDON, July 20 (Reuters) - European shares edged up in early trade on Wednesday, with Swiss speciality chemicals and life sciences group Lonza and software firm SAP (Amsterdam: AP6.AS - news) leading the market higher after reporting solid results.

Lonza shares rose 5.4 percent, the top gainer in the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index, as the company raised its guidance for 2016 after reporting the strongest earnings growth in its history during the first six months.

Shares (Berlin: DI6.BE - news) in SAP, Europe's largest software company, rose 3 percent as unexpectedly strong growth in high-margin packaged software licenses fuelled its quarterly earnings. Its second-quarter operating profit rose 9 percent.

The pan-European STOXX Europe 600 and the FTSEurofirst 300 were both up 0.2 percent in early deals.

Gains were capped by weaker miners, with the European Basic Resources index falling 2 percent, the worst sectoral performer, as prices of metals dropped.

Anglo American (LSE: AAL.L - news) fell 5.5 percent after lowering its full-year guidance, while BHP Billiton (NYSE: BBL - news) was down 2.2 percent after it fell 3 million tonnes short of its iron ore production guidance for fiscal 2016. (Reporting by Atul Prakash; editing by John Stonestreet)