(ShareCast News) - Shawbrook Group, one of the UK newly-listed banks, reported a surge in first half profit on the back of an increase in its loan book.The lender said its pre-tax profit for the six months to 30 June nearly doubled to £34.8m, as the bank's loan book jumped 38% year-on-year to £2.72bn.Shawbrook, which was founded in 2011 and went public earlier this year, said net interest margin remained steady at 6.1% in the period, adding it was aiming to keep them at around 6% in the medium-term future."The business remains well placed to respond to the changing regulatory environment and deliver growth by maximising opportunities in our existing markets," said group chief financial officer and interim chief executive Tom Wood.Wood added the group would focus on capitalising on the embedded growth in its current loan origination capability and working closely with customers and business partners to develop new products and expand into new specialist markets.Shawbrook shares were down 0.39% to 335.50p at 1000 BST on Tuesday.