Financial advisors are steering portfolios toward more alternative investments, according to an industry analysis.

Nothing else is performing as well and these vehicles represent the best means for generating revenue in a bear market, according to The Cerulli-Edge Advisor Edition.

According to the report, advisors see more investors moving away from traditional investment products that are tied to stocks, bonds or cash, and moving toward vehicles such as real estate, private equity, venture capital, commodities, and hedged or absolute return strategies.

Other factors encouraging their use include the tracking success in the institutional marketplace and the need for differentiation. Advisors also say their adoption has also been influenced by the tough market environment, as many of these products can offer lower correlation to traditional asset classes.

Cerulli explains that a search for performance has to lead some advisors to allocate these investments less-intelligently to clients’ portfolios.