MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Banco Sabadell (>> Banco de Sabadell SA) on Friday said net profit in the first half of 2015 had jumped 55 percent from a year ago, beating expectations as earnings from lending improved.

The bank, which recently bought Britain's TSB (>> TSB Banking Group PLC) from Lloyds (>> Lloyds Banking Group PLC) in a push to expand overseas and improve profitability, said net income in the year to June was 352 million euros (249 million pounds), slightly more than the 349 million euros forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll.

The earnings do not yet include TSB.

Return on equity at Sabadell, a measure of profitability, dropped to 5.5 percent in the second quarter, down from 7 percent in the first quarter.

(Reporting by Sarah White, Editing by Paul Day)