UPDATE 2-European shares end higher as earnings barrage impresses For a Reuters live blog on U.S., UK and European stock markets, click LIVE/ or type LIVE/ in a news window Capgemini falls after forecasting annual revenue drop Hermes gains after beating Q2 sales expectations STOXX 600 closes up 0.8%, marks mild weekly gains Updated at 1600 GMT By Shashwat Chauhan and Pranav Kashyap July 26 (Reuters) - European shares closed higher on Friday, boosted by an earnings-driven advance across several s

LIVE MARKETS-Earnings help European indexes Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you by Reuters reporters. You can share your thoughts with us at markets.research@thomsonreuters.com . EARNINGS HELP EUROPEAN INDEXES Better-than-expected company results are helping European indices find their footing on Friday having taken a bruising in this week's global stocks sell-off, with even the embattled luxury sector catching a break.

BUZZ-Hermes goes against the tide with slight Q2 sales beat, shares rise ** Shares in Hermes HRMS.PA inch up 2.9%, breaking with the recent luxury sell-off trend, after the Birkin bag maker slightly beat Q2 sales expectations ** Hermes reports Q2 sales rising 13% to 3.70 bln euros ($4.01 bln) vs 12% growth seen in consensus cited by Barclays ** "For us, the main positives were the strength of Europe excl.

LIVE MARKETS-Busy busy Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you by Reuters reporters. You can share your thoughts with us at markets.research@thomsonreuters.com . BUSY BUSY U.S. PCE inflation data has snuck up on investors a bit this week - they've had plenty else to think about - and that should drive the daily picture for markets from early afternoon in Europe.

French and Benelux stocks-Factors to watch July 26 (Reuters) - Below are company-related news and stories from France and Benelux which could have an impact on the region's markets or individual stocks. CAPGEMINI CAPP.PA : French IT consulting group Capgemini said on Friday it now expects its annual revenue to fall compared with the earlier expectation of at least maintaining stable growth, citing weakness in the North American market.