Alternative Investing Report - April 27, 2026

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*as of 4/26, Sources: S&P, BTC, FTSE, DJRE, GOLD

In March, the average U.S. asking rent rose by just 1.8% year-over-year, the slowest pace of growth since the pandemic, and below the pace of income growth, according to Zillow. The markets with the highest annual rent increases were San Francisco, Virginia Beach and Chicago, while the biggest declines came in Austin, Tampa and San Antonio. Meanwhile, Realtor.com’s rental report showed a year-over-year average decline of 1.5% for the U.S. median asking rent, which is now down 5.4% from its peak. It also shows Austin as the market with the biggest annual rent decrease, with Kansas City as the top gainer.

➨ TAKEAWAY: The data shows clearly that renting is now more favorable than buying in most of the country, which removes buyers from a housing market that has already become a buyer’s market. It also depresses prices by lowering rental projections in both the short-term and long-term with added vacancy risk. Investors should underwrite for lower appreciation potential and target properties that will still cash flow well in a lower rent growth environment.

In the newest episode of Smart Humans, Slava Rubin, Milk Road's John Gillen and Sacra's Jan-Erik Asplund discuss the current state of crypto, gold, and prediction markets, and the shift towards financial entertainment in investing.

📊 Consumer sentiment at record-low: The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index fell 6.6% to 49.8, above expectations but still the lowest reading on record. Rising inflation, largely due to the Iran war’s effect on gas prices, is the main driver for the decline in sentiment.

🚀 X-energy IPO: The nuclear energy startup raised more than $1 billion in its public offering, pricing its shares at $23, above the initial range of $16-$19. The stock closed its first day of trading at $29.20, a 27% gain that values the company at $11.9 billion.

🏒 Record Gretzky jersey sale: The last Edmonton Oilers jersey that hockey legend Wayne Gretzky ever wore sold for $2.8 million at auction, the most ever for a hockey jersey and nearly double the previous record.

🎨 Private sales surging: Major auction houses are increasingly turning to exclusive, invitation-only private sales for high-end artwork. The three most expensive paintings Christie’s sold in 2025 were done privately, a quarter of Sotheby’s annual sales are private, and Phillips saw a 66% increase in private sales last year.

🏢 Retail rent growth slowing: Q1 saw U.S. retail rent growth hit its slowest pace since 2014, with Midwestern markets at the top of the charts and the Sun Belt lagging, reflecting rising supply and cooling demand.

🤖 Chinese robotics fundraises: Pudu robotics is the latest Chinese startup in the field to raise a big round, with a $150 million raise at a $1.5 billion valuation, following D-Robotics’ $270 million round earlier this month.

This week: A number of major tech companies will report their quarterly earnings, including Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft.

Monday: Elon Musk’s lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI begins its jury trial.

Tuesday: S&P Case-Shiller home price index and FHFA house price index released; Consumer confidence index released; Steph Curry’s game-worn sneaker collection from this season will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s.

Wednesday: The Federal Reserve will announce its interest rate decision, which is a near certainty to hold rates steady; housing starts and building permits reports for both February and March are due to be released.

Thursday: Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) and Core PCE indices, the Fed’s preferred inflation metrics, will be released.