(Reuters) -Macquarie Group ( MCQEF ) posted a rise in first-half profit on Friday, helped by strong performance in its asset management and banking and financial services arms, and said it would further buy back up to A$2 billion ($1.30 billion) worth of shares.

Profit for the asset management arm rose 43%, benefiting from higher performance fees, while the banking and financial services segment gained from growth in the home loan portfolio and in deposits.

The country's top investment bank said net profit attributable was A$1.66 billion ($1.08 billion) for the six months ended September 30, up from A$1.61 billion a year earlier, below a Visible Alpha consensus of A$1.86 billion.

The company declared an interim dividend of A$2.80 per share, higher than the A$2.60 declared last year.

($1 = 1.5389 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by John Biju in Bengaluru; editing by Tasim Zahid and Sriraj Kalluvila)