STOCKHOLM, June 15 Reuters HM posted slightly weakerthanexpected fiscal secondquarter sales on Thursday, but prospects for a better third quarter after a strong start in June sent shares in the Swedish retailer up by 6.

HM said sales measured in local currencies for its MarchMay quarter were flattish, compared with the average analyst forecast for a 1 gain, according to a Reuters poll. Net sales rose 6 to 57.6 billion crowns 5.36 billion.

However, the world39;s secondbiggest fashion retailer said June was off to a good start, and attributed chilly weather in key markets for the flat fiscal secondquarter result.

Cold weather in Europe over the past few months has hurt demand for summer clothes at HM, which is more exposed to Northern Europe than some of its rivals, such as Zaraowner Inditex, whose largest market is in warmer Spain.

Analysts at Royal Bank of Canada said the Swedish company39;s third quarter, which runs June to August, would be helped by warmer weather.

Handelsbanken analyst Nicklas Skogman said the market consensus for the third quarter was for a rise of 5 for sales in local currencies.

A predicted surge in tourism spending in Europe in the third quarter, with record tourism numbers forecast for some markets, would also help HM, Jie Zhang, an analyst at AlphaValue said.

The shares were up 5 at 153 crowns at 0856 GMT. Some traders also said the gains were driven by hedge funds, who had been expecting a weaker result than sellside analysts.

HM…