Alternative Investing Report - April 29, 2026

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*as of 4/28; Sources: S&P, BTC, FTSE, DJRE, GOLD

Home price growth stayed slow in February, with the S&P Case-Shiller index showing just a 0.7% annual gain, the ninth straight month where it has lagged behind inflation. More than half of major metro areas are showing an annual average price decline, led by Denver, Tampa, and in a surprise, Los Angeles. On the other side, Chicago, New York and Cleveland were the top price gainers. Meanwhile, the FHFA House Price Index was flat in February and showed a more optimistic 1.7% annual gain, which is still below inflation rates.

➨ TAKEAWAY: These results are consistent with most recent data coming in from less robust sources, and it all points to a national environment with very little price appreciation. This stagnation is likely to remain as the status quo until mortgage rates come down and demand starts to outpace supply. Investors can either try to focus on markets they think will buck the national trend, or shift their expectations to target yield and income.

📉 OpenAI misses revenue targets: The massive AI startup has reportedly missed internal targets for revenue and user growth, a concerning development ahead of a rumored IPO later this year. The company denied the reports, but it had a negative effect on the public markets as a number of AI-related companies saw their shares drop.

🪙 Western Union stablecoin: The venerable money transfer company is entering the digital age by introducing its own stablecoin, USDPT, which will be built on the Solana blockchain. It is also planning to launch a “stable card” later this year which will allow customers to use stablecoins globally.

🏢 Apartment construction cooling: The amount of multifamily completions hit its lowest number since 2022 in Q1, and is dropping in all regions of the U.S. The slowdown is likely to lead to long-term rent growth as supply eases and rental demand picks up.

📊 Consumer confidence ticks up: The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index rose slightly in April from 92.2 to 92.8, but it remains close to the lowest reading since the pandemic. Consumers’ view of the labor market has improved, but concerns remain about inflation, the Iran War, and the jump in gas prices.

🤖 Cognition fundraise: The AI coding startup is reportedly targeting a new round of fundraising at a $25 billion valuation, more than double its $10.2 billion valuation from last September. Its rival Cursor recently raised a round at a $50 billion valuation and cut a deal with SpaceX to potentially be acquired for $60 billion.

💻 17th Century “Computer” for sale: A rare brass astrolabe that was essentially a computer of its time will be auctioned at Sotheby’s today. One of the largest and most prominent examples, it was once held by Indian royal collections and is estimated to sell for $2 million - $3 million.

This week brought the second annual meeting of the top holders of President Trump’s memecoin, with 297 of them gathering at Mar-A-Lago for a event that Trump billed as the “most exclusive” crypto meeting in the world. This gathering did nothing to boost the price of the coin, which hit an all-time low this week and is down 95% from its peak value in January 2025. The meeting came amid ongoing criticism of Trump for his family’s crypto ties, and a lawsuit by billionaire supporter Justin Sun against his crypto venture World Liberty Financial. If the much-hyped meeting of supporters couldn’t move the price, it does not seem likely that anything will, and the token will continue its slow fade to obscurity.