Overall, Havas saw organic growth move into the black up 0.7% in the first quarter of 2004, up from a fall of 3.8% in the fourth quarter of last year. Excluding companies for sale, Havas said that organic growth is 1.6%.
Havas has seen its strongest performance in its home market of France, where in terms of growth it was up nearly 8%, and said it had experienced positive growth in the rest of Europe except the UK. In Asia Pacific it was up 6.8% and Latin America was up 7.6%.
Havas said that there was improvement in the trend in North America and the UK, although organic growth remained negative.
Estimated billings for the first quarter are €2.4bn (£1.6bn) with revenues of €357m. Havas said the global recovery in adspend still remained uncertain, although it said there were undeniable improvements in the US and Asia-Pacific.
The French holding company, which earlier this month sold off 75% of WCRS in London to its management, said it had now completed 80% of the disposal and closure programme.
The restructure programme, which cost almost 1,000 jobs, was undertaken in part to placate investors after a tough 2003 that saw the group report a 31% fall in first-half earnings.
The shake-up also positioned Euro RSCG as the UK's third-largest marketing communications group.
Alain de Pouzilhac, chairman and CEO of Havas, said: "To relaunch the group in 2004 we have worked hard, redefined a strategy, completed the necessary restructuring within the time frame we set for ourselves and hired new talent. This positive result is the natural consequence of all this."
He added: "In this context we continue to focus on our ambition as a 'challenger': achieving the double objective of positive organic growth and a strong improvement in our profitability."
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