UPDATE 1-Peru Credicorp says 2nd-qtr profit rose 56 pct

(Recasts, adds loan details, comment from company, net interest income)

LIMA Aug 12 (Reuters) - Credicorp (BAP.N) (BAP.LM), Peru's largest financial holding company, posted a 56 percent rise in second-quarter net profit on Wednesday, helped by currency impacts and growth in its loan portfolio.

Net income was $115.2 million, up from a $73.7 million reported in the same period a year ago, the company said in a statement.

Credicorp, which also has operations in Bolivia, has a 97.3 percent stake in Banco de Credito, Peru's largest bank.

Credicorp's overall loan portfolio grew 14.2 percent in the second quarter to some $10.6 billion from a year ago, and climbed 4.8 percent from the first quarter of this year.

"After the strong contraction in lending activity in 1Q09, demand for financing remained sluggish in the 2Q09, particularly in the USD denominated portfolio, while the local currency denominated loan book maintained its dynamism," the company said.

"Overall, the strong growth in domestic currency loans, coupled with the effect of the revaluation of the local currency, resulted in growth in our total loan portfolio expressed in US Dollars," the bank said.

Most analysts expect Peru's economy, which expanded by a blistering 10 percent last year, to ease to around 2 percent growth in 2009 as the global economic downturn has slammed prices for Peru's metals exports and cooled domestic demand.

Credicorp said contributions from its Bolivian assets fell in the quarter to $6.8 million.

Net interest income rose 7.6 percent to $233.5 million on the year. (Reporting by Dana Ford; Editing by David Gregorio)