David Iben is the Lead Portfolio Manager of the Kopernik Global All-Cap and Global Unconstrained strategies, and the Co-Portfolio Manager of the Kopernik International and Global Long-Term Opportunities strategies. He is the Chief Investment Officer, Managing Member, Founder, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of Kopernik Global Investors.
In his latest commentary, CIO Dave Iben builds upon the previously released commentary Money, using Argentina's economic history and drawing from our recent experience in Latin America as an analogue to spark a discussion on unlocking investment opportunities amidst the rising inflationary environment. We encourage investors to engage in comparison shopping, own stores of value, and consider option-laden investments. Opportunities abound, and discerning investors can capitalize on marketplace dislocations. Discover why active management is crucial amidst rising inflation concerns and gain insights into identifying resilient investments.
In his latest commentary, CIO Dave Iben delves into the essence of money: what it is, and why it matters. Exploring the seismic shift of monetary debasement, he highlights the yet-unfelt repercussions across the economy. Analyzing historical patterns of substantial government debt and deficit spending reveals sustained inflationary pressures on the horizon. While inflation may hinder some investments, astute investors seeking potential asymmetric returns are primed to excel in this landscape. As we step into 2024, Kopernik sees abundant market opportunities.
In his latest commentary, Jacoby Transfers, Kopernik CIO Dave Iben draws on the wisdom of the stoic philosophers to discuss the importance of looking at things from different vantage points and how Kopernik’s research process is an example of Charlie Munger’s reminder to “Invert—always invert.”
For his latest commentary, our CIO Dave Iben looks at the Fed's implicit loosening of monetary policy as a result of the liquidity provided in the wake of the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. He once again takes readers on a journey down the migratory flow of the Cantillon River in search of scarce, necessary assets that hold their value in inflationary times. Describing how the market’s approach to valuing hard assets is misguided, Dave lays out how the value of those assets increases with time and describes Kopernik’s approach to valuing these scarce, necessary resources.
The Greater The Suffering, The Greater The Peace (Jan 2022)
In his latest commentary, Kopernik analyst and co-portfolio manager for the International Strategy, Mark McKinney, compares the actions of the U.S. Federal Reserve and the resultant inflation and choppy investment environment to the dangerous aspirations of villains in Hollywood spy films and how Kopernik is actively managing our investments through “the greater suffering.”
In his latest commentary, “Lord make me green…but not yet”, Kopernik Analyst Steve Rosenthal discusses a range of factors that handicap “net-zero” emission pledges around the world. While this ambitious goal will hopefully materialize, there resides a paradox in achieving it at the rate and extent we want/need.
In his latest commentary, Kopernik analyst and co-portfolio manager for the International Strategy Mark McKinney uses Thomas Sowell’s classic question “At what cost?” to articulate potential unintended consequences of finding solutions to current economic challenges.
The Nine Most Terrifying Words in the English Language - Part 2 (Apr 2021)
As a follow up to his last commentary, Kopernik Analyst and Co-portfolio manager for the International Strategy Mark McKinney furthers the discussion that “help” from the government will create more economic harm than benefit, specifically as it relates to inflation.
The Nine Most Terrifying Words in the English Language (Jan 2021)
In his latest commentary, Kopernik Analyst and Co-portfolio manager for the International Strategy Mark McKinney describes how the “help” from economic policymakers and government officials has historically and will continue in the future to create more harm than benefit economically and societally.
In his latest commentary, Analyst and Portfolio Manager Mark McKinney discusses the rise of a new group of believers in the omnipotent power of the government and central banks, affectionately nicknamed “Fed Bugs,” who believe that printing more money will solve society’s problems. He argues that these Fed Bugs are missing the point: economic logic always wins in the long run.
Financial Times Story featuring Dave Iben - Contrarian fund manager cautions against writing off Russia assets - April 10, 2022
Kopernik's CIO Dave Iben spoke to the Financial Times about why Russian assets still hold value, even in the wake of the war with Ukraine. Read the full feature on the Financial Times website here (Requires login)
BNN TV - Featuring Alissa Corcoran - April 27, 2022
Kopernik Deputy CIO Alissa Corcoran appeared on BNN Bloomberg to provide a rundown of investment opportunities in emerging markets and explain how Kopernik evaluates geopolitical risk. You can watch the interview here.
The Antidote to Correlation Webinar - Managing Geopolitical Risk in a Global Portfolio - April 7, 2022
On April 7, 2022, Kopernik Global Investors had a discussion on managing geopolitical risk in a global portfolio, apropos current events. It is Kopernik’s belief that today’s world almost requires that a considerable part of portfolios be allocated to emerging markets to provide refuge from the perils of significant overvaluations and protection from the inflation-driven erosion of purchasing power. Yet, there are many challenges when it comes to investing in developing countries. In this webinar, we discussed how Kopernik appraises and manages a portfolio of businesses in the various parts of the world.
Speakers: Alissa Corcoran, Deputy CIO, Director of Research, Analyst and Todd Tosti, Industrials Analyst
Hosted by: David Iben, Chief Investment Officer and Lead Portfolio Manager
Bloomberg TV - Featuring Alissa Corcoran - December 7, 2021
Kopernik's Deputy CIO Alissa Corcoran appeared on Bloomberg TV to discuss why Kopernik believes precious metal mining companies present an attractive investment opportunity. Watch the full segment here.
BNN Bloomberg - Featuring Alissa Corcoran - November 9, 2021
Kopernik's Director of Research Alissa Corcoran went on BNN Bloomberg to discuss why investing in gold miners is a great way to hedge against inflation. Watch the full segment here.