In his newest commentary, Kopernik’s CIO Dave Iben draws inspiration from Robert Plant and the deserts of Morocco to discuss the Fed’s printing press, the Cantillon effect, and the value Kopernik is finding in scarce, undervalued, useful assets.
With so much anxiety about the current euphoria in the market, we thought it was a good time to send out a little stocking stuffer with some of our thoughts. In a nutshell, we reach back into Greek mythology to explain why we believe that people are buying great companies but at the wrong prices. Of course, some are buying hopes and dreams at ridiculous prices as well, but that is a story for another time. More importantly, in our opinion, the real-money making opportunities lie elsewhere. This gives us hope as 2020 merges into 2021. Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Our most recent commentary explores why the "Big Brother" interpretation of the British post-punk band XTC's song "Making Plans for Nigel" reminds us of the inevitable increase in angst that is being felt, in no small part due to a decade of QE monetary policy. One can only imagine what will eventually be felt as a consequence of QE-infinity. We discuss how our current era of palpable angst is similar to that of the late 1970s, which was the cyclical end of a period of high inflation, of big government, and the bull market in commodities while also the beginning of a super cycle in stocks and bonds. While the current era is likely another major inflection point in the markets and the end of all those cycles, the silver lining is that the valuation divide between expensive and attractively-priced stocks has probably never been this wide, making it a great time to be a bottom-up, value-conscious investor.
In our latest commentary, we look back to the great Jack London novel The Call of The Wild as a parallel to the herd mentality dominating the current investment environment. Following a dozen years of post-Global Financial Crisis policy designed to transfer wealth from financial assets to real assets, investors who are operating in panic mode are buying and selling the wrong assets. This has created incredibly cheap buying opportunities and, with that, a favorable environment for value investors.
In our most recent commentary, we pay homage to the 1960’s by contrasting our current environment to that of a mere half-century ago; it was a period when Wall Street saw only good things while Main Street saw turmoil and change. We view 2019 as arguably a supercharged version of the late 1960’s, which can serve as a guide and an excellent source of instruction on how to successfully navigate the current investment environment.
In this June 2020 white paper, analyst Taylor McKenna explores the similarities and differences between active and passive management strategies. He argues that passive management strategies, such as ETFs and closet indexers, cannot replicate a more active approach. Using the metaphor of a thoughtful baseball manager, Taylor suggests that active management adds value to an investment strategy.
In this update of our 2015 white paper, analyst and Director of Research Alissa Corcoran, CFA discusses Kopernik’s view on gold, its unique history, and the global opportunities Kopernik is finding in the industry.
Mark McKinney, CFA, Kopernik Analyst and Portfolio Manager discusses the opportunities that volatility can offer and why Kopernik focuses on long-term performance. Mark uses the popular 2016 self-help book by Mark Manson to offer interesting insights and applicability in the investment world.
Stephen Rosenthal, CFA, Kopernik Analyst, discusses Kopernik's view on Uranium.
Mark McKinney, CFA, Kopernik Analyst and Portfolio Manager discusses the current macro investing environment in Japan, the EU and the US, by drawing parallels to the classic movie quote "These go to eleven" and how that helps Kopernik and the opportunity set we could provide over time.
Alissa Corcoran, CFA, Kopernik Analyst, discusses Kopernik's view on currency risk and why the Firm doesn't hedge foreign currency exposure.
Deputy CIO Alissa Corcoran spoke at the Bloor Street Capital Nuclear & Uranium Conference, where she discussed opportunities in global markets and how Kopernik approaches investing in uranium. Watch Alissa’s full interview here, beginning at 1:19:07.
Today's market environment is leading to extreme discounts in select assets, presenting an increasingly interesting set of opportunities. Kopernik CIO Dave Iben and Deputy CIO Alissa Corcoran recently sat down with Value Investor Insight to discuss where these opportunities are and how Kopernik’s philosophy and investment process are poised to capitalize on them. Dave and Alissa explore several themes including:
1. The importance of scarce, necessary assets in the commodities space
2. Specific opportunities in emerging markets, agriculture, and gold miners
Kopernik Deputy CIO Alissa Corcoran appeared on BNN Bloomberg TV to discuss the advantages of investing in gold, how she’s evaluating unique value investment opportunities, and the impact of Newmont’s bid for Newcrest. You can watch Alissa’s interview here.
Deputy CIO Alissa Corcoran sat down with Steve Barton, host of the In It to Win It podcast, to discuss value investing, inflation, emerging markets abroad and analyze the trends in commodities such as gold, platinum and uranium. Listen to Alissa’s full interview here.
Kopernik Deputy CIO Alissa Corcoran appeared on Bloomberg TV to discuss commodities—specifically the supply of real assets like copper, the advantages of investing in gold, and the favorable gains Kopernik has seen in the energy sector. Alissa’s full interview with Bloomberg can be found here starting at 26:33.
Kopernik CIO Dave Iben recently sat down with Paul Olschwanger of Wendell Rhoads Consulting for an episode of Charterholder Chatter, sponsored by the CFA Society of Dallas-Fort Worth. Dave spoke to Paul about the progression of his investment career, what’s to come for the future of value investing, and why to Kopernik, volatility is opportunity.
You can listen to Dave’s full discussion on the CFA Society Dallas/Fort Worth Charterholder Chatter website or by clicking play in the player below.
