STOCKS NEWS EUROPE-Experian standout gainer after results

Shares in Experian (EXPN.L) gain 6.3 percent, easily the top gainer on a 0.3-percent weaker FTSE 100 .FTSE index, after the credit data firm posts results which Prime Markets call "a win win on every metric".

Experian, best known for running consumer credit checks for banks and retailers, beats forecasts with a 20 percent jump in its first-half profit, and says it expects to maintain sales growth over the rest of the year. [ID:nL6E7MA0ZL]

"We remain impressed with the remarkable progress made by the firm in the past few years, with shares having rising by over 40 percent in value over the past year alone," Richard Curr, head of dealing at Prime Markets, says.

"Acquisitive Experian is very much at the forefront of the global credit services boom, and while the August crash took the shares down in line with the market, the exceptionally strong recovery since illustrates an attractive combination of growth potential and defensive qualities."

Trading volumes in Experian were robust, at 47 percent of the 90-day daily average, against just 29 percent for the FTSE 100 index.

Reuters messaging rm://tricia.wright1.reuters.com@reuters.net