Despite 'a difficult and challenging period' for the entire financial industry over the first six months of 2008, Switzerland-based alternative investment manager Harcourt Investment Consulting has reported that its assets under management remained stable at USD5.5bn as of June 30.

Harcourt says that in the first half of the year it continued to win prestigious mandates and conclude strategic partnerships with blue-chip institutional investors, as well as launching three new products, Belmont (Lux) Asset Based Lending, Belmont (Lux) Global Emerging Markets and Belmont Balanced.

The firm's new product ranges, introduced last year with the launch of Belair, its first socially responsible investment fund of hedge funds and the Belvista commodity funds, have recorded a successful first year in terms of performance as well as asset gathering, Harcourt says, adding that the outlook for the second half of 2008 remains positive in terms of investment opportunities and asset inflows.

Founded in 1997 and majority-owned by Swiss private bank Vontobel Group, Harcourt is a provider of alternative investment solutions for institutional investors with headquarters in Zurich and offices in New York, Hong Kong, Stockholm, Madrid, Geneva and the Cayman Islands. The company manages USD5.5bn, exclusively in alternative investments, and employs a staff of 90 professionals.