Alternative Investing Report - April 13, 2026

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*as of 4/12, Sources: S&P, BTC, FTSE, DJRE, GOLD

The consumer price index (CPI) measure of inflation rose by a whopping 0.9% in March and was up 3.3% annually, the highest reading in two years. The increase was driven almost entirely by the Iran war and its effects on gas prices, which rose a record 21.2% last month. The core CPI, which strips out food and energy costs, was up only 0.2% in March and 2.6% annually. Public markets reacted negatively to the report, ending a positive week on a negative note.

➨ TAKEAWAY: It is clear that the war in Iran has had a significantly negative effect on the world economy, and the longer it lasts, the longer the recovery is likely to take. Last night, President Trump’s announcement that peace talks have stalled sent oil futures rising and stock market futures downward. As long as the war keeps going, inflation is likely to keep rising, reducing any chances of a Fed rate cut this year, and putting rate hikes back in play.

🏢 Retail construction slowdown: There was only 64.2 million square feet of retail construction in progress in Q1, a 8% decline from 2025, and 30% below the 10-year average pace.

🚀 HawkEye 360 IPO: The satellite surveillance startup filed for a public offering, which will be a good bellwether for the public market’s appetite for space companies prior to the anticipated SpaceX IPO. Hawkeye had its revenue jump 75% in 2025 and posted positive net income and adjusted EBITDA numbers last year.

🏀 Steph Curry sneaker auction: Starting today, Sotheby’s is selling more than 70 pairs of game-worn Steph Curry sneakers from this season, when Curry became a sneaker “free agent” with a new pair from a different partner being worn every game.

🏡 New listings fall: While new listings fell 10% year-over-year, active inventory remained up 3.9% in the same time period as sales and buying demand continue to fall. This listing growth also led the median listing price to drop by 2.1% annually.

🤖 Firmus fundraise: The Australian AI infrastructure startup raised $505 million at a $5.5 billion valuation, more than triple its $1.8 billion number from last September. The Nvidia-backed data center builder is prepping for an IPO later this year.

🎬 Jerry Weintraub auction: Next month, Julien’s is partnering with the producer of the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise for an auction of more than 800 items of movie and sports memorabilia from his personal collection.

This week: A number of big Wall Street banks will report their quarterly earnings, including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Case, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley; the IMF and World Bank hold their spring meetings in Washington, D.C.

Today: Existing home sales report released.

Tuesday: March’s Producer Price Index (PPI) and core PPI inflation reports released.

Wednesday: Tax Day - the deadline for U.S. taxpayers to file their income taxes or file for an extension; homebuilder confidence index released; Christie’s 20th/21st Century Art evening sale in Paris.

Thursday: Sotheby’s Modern and Contemporary Art evening sale in Paris, led by two Monet paintings.

Friday: Housing starts and building permits reports released.