Good evening and welcome to Markets Desk, your end-of-day read on the stories moving markets and the world.
Greg Abel made a statement this week, committing six point eight billion dollars to homebuilders including Lennar, lifting Berkshire Hathaway's stake by roughly thirty percent. That's a bold long-duration bet against the grain, with mortgage rates hovering near seven and a half percent and builder sentiment at multi-year lows. Abel is signaling that Berkshire sees value where Wall Street sees headwinds.
Turning to the dividend ETF debate, investors weighing VIG against SCHD may find the better long-term play is the one offering the lower current yield. The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF tilts defensively toward high-quality names, but Vanguard's dividend appreciation approach has historically delivered stronger total returns over full market cycles.
And on aviation security, a FlyDubai co-pilot identified as Hamam al-Hammami attempted to seize control of an Israel-bound flight using a cockpit crash axe. Omani officials confirm he had previously been barred from flying by his home country's national carrier over concerns about extremist views. The incident is now under full international investigation.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
