Also

* Berkshire Hathaway Inc., billionaire Warren E. Buffett’s investment company, said its second-quarter earnings fell 4.2% as its growing stable of insurance companies suffered weak profits. Profit from operations, which excludes gains on sales of securities, fell to $299 million, or $197 for each Class A share. Net income, which included $273 million of gains realized on investments, fell 51% to $572 million, or $376 a share. The results were announced after the close of trading.

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* Goldman, Sachs & Co. has amassed $124 million of gold bullion, saying it expects demand to improve in the months ahead. Goldman has taken control of half the gold in New York Mercantile Exchange warehouses, according to the exchange records. Goldman described the transactions as normal business activity, though some traders speculate that a shortage may be developing. Goldman turned more positive on the gold market in late July amid expectations that reduced mine output will lead to higher prices.

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* Bill Burnham is leaving Credit Suisse First Boston Corp. to become general partner in a new $1.2-billion venture capital fund of Japan’s Softbank Corp., 2 1/2 years after helping define the Internet brokerage industry by compiling its first rankings and statistics. Burnham, 28, will be based in San Francisco.

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