(Reuters) - Britain's Arbuthnot Banking Group (ARBB.L) swung to a half-yearly pretax profit, driven by a surge in lending at both its private and retail banking arms and the acquisition of Renaissance Asset Finance - a lender of specialist assets.

Arbuthnot, which has its roots in 184-year-old private bank and wealth manager Arbuthnot Latham, said net interest income rose to 19.3 million pounds in six months ended June, from 11.9 million pounds a year earlier.

The lender reported a pretax profit of 2.5 million pounds, compared to a loss of 2.4 million pounds a year earlier.

The bank said it would pay an interim dividend of 14 pence, compared with 13 pence a year earlier.

Henry Angest, chairman and chief executive of Arbuthnot, said that with uncertain economic and political times ahead, the lender remains cautious in its decision making.

(Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; Editing by Sunil Nair)