BRK.B profits up 16% as Abel deploys cash; five equities move Friday

The 10-year Treasury closed Thursday at 4.69%, the 30-year mortgage rate sat at 6.69%, and VIX printed 15.2 — elevated borrowing costs, minimal options anxiety. Against that macro frame, Friday's equity session delivered moves ranging from 15.8% to 3.2%.

The rate context

At 4.69%, the 10-year is not generating fresh volatility — VIX at 15.2 confirms the rate level is priced, not feared. The 6.69% 30-year mortgage continues to suppress resale activity: homeowners locked into sub-4% paper have limited incentive to list. This constraint is structural, not acute.

BRK.B: Abel deploys the hoard

$BRK.B reported earnings up 16% last quarter. Energy, railroad, and manufacturing drove the gains; insurance results were softer but did not derail the print. The strategic development came from CEO Greg Abel: capital is now moving — into Alphabet, buybacks, and acquisitions. Buffett's years-long cash accumulation posture is over. Abel's willingness to commit at current valuations is the real datum here, not the operating line.

SPCX and PLTR: the week's largest moves

$SPCX added 15.8% on Friday, extending a retail-driven run amplified by Jim Cramer commentary and sustained discussion on r/WallStreetBets. SPCX is a proxy vehicle for SpaceX exposure; the move reflects speculative positioning rather than a dateable corporate catalyst. The size of the move is real; whether the retail bid holds into next week is the open question.

$PLTR gained 10.3%, continuing to consolidate its August 3 Q2 earnings result. Revenue growth came in at 93% — the strongest in the company's history — with U.S. commercial revenue up 150% and government revenue up 90%. Wall Street remains divided on valuation; the continued bid suggests the bull case holds the near-term floor.

COIN, QCOM, and CRM

$COIN added 5.6% despite a Q2 net loss and a fresh court setback: U.S. District Judge Shalina Kumar of the Eastern District of Michigan rejected Coinbase's bid to block sports-event contract enforcement in the state. The gain against those headwinds suggests holders are not treating either development as structurally threatening. $QCOM rose 4.7% following its Q3 2026 earnings call, which outlined a deliberate pivot toward data center and automotive revenue as handset volumes contract. $CRM gained 3.2% alongside announced layoffs in technology, product, and sales functions, framed explicitly as a move toward AI-native operations.

What we set aside

One ticker cleared the sweep but produced no dateable news: $NFLX. No insider transactions over $1 million cleared the gate today.

The desk is watching Monday's open for institutional response to BRK.B's capital deployment disclosure and whether SPCX's retail-driven gap holds into a less crowded tape.