A man rides a bicycle past a Barclays bank in London August 5, 2010. Barclays Plc's half-year profit rose 44 percent as bad loans dropped sharply and it made a big accounting gain on its own debt, offsetting a second-quarter slowdown at its investment bank. Barclays shares dipped 2 percent as analysts said the investment bank performance was resilient but uninspiring, costs rose faster than expected and Spanish bad debts remain a worry. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett (BRITAIN - Tags: BUSINESS)