Hermes buoyed by stronger sales

Hermes, the luxury handbag maker, has said profits for the first half of 2018 are likely to come in close to the record level achieved last year, in an update poised to lift sentiment in the luxury goods sector. Hermes said sales were up 7.2pc in the three months to the end of June, after it saw a “good performance” at stores across Europe, as well as strong demand in Japan and China.