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Wyeth shares rose $1.28 or nearly 3 percent, to $46.28 on the NYSE, above their 52-week high of $45.76 reached earlier this month.

Roche said its first-half net profit rose 4 percent to 3.24 billion Swiss francs ($2.5 billion) on strong sales, particularly of its cancer drugs.

Sales for the first six months of 2005 rose 14 percent to 16.6 billion Swiss francs.

Excluding so-called minority interests, or profits from stakes in other companies, profits fell 3.8 percent to 2.8 billion francs ($2.2 billion).

That drop was largely due to lower income from interest on investments, as well as a profitable bond deal which had boosted earnings in the same period last year, Roche said.

The company does not break out quarterly figures.

Global sales of Roche's best-selling medicine - cancer drug MabThera - rose by almost a quarter, while sales of its anti-influenza treatment Tamiflu more than tripled, the company said.

Shares of Roche closed up 4.1 percent at 172.10 francs ($132.54) on the Zurich exchange.

-_ AP Business Writer Linda Johnson contributed to this report.

-_ On the Net: http://www.pfizer.com http://www.wyeth.com http://www.roche.com ...

Analysts are forecasting $2.86."If current strong business trends continue, full-year earnings are more likely to approach or exceed the upper end," Martin said.That's despite plans to increase research spending substantially in the second half of the year.Wyeth shares rose $1.05, or 2.3 percent, to $46.05 in early afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, above their 52-week high of $45.76 reached earlier this month.———http://www.wyeth.com Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press.

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The company repeated its recent full-year guidance for earnings of $2.80 to $2.90 per share, excluding any one-time costs.

Analysts are forecasting $2.86.

"If current strong business trends continue, full-year earnings are more likely to approach or exceed the upper end," Martin said.

That's despite plans to increase research spending substantially in the second half of the year.

Wyeth shares rose $1.05, or 2.3 percent, to $46.05 in early afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, above their 52-week high of $45.76 reached earlier this month.

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