David R. Kotok

About David R. Kotok

David R. Kotok cofounded Cumberland Advisors in 1973 and has been its chief investment officer since inception. He holds a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an M.S. in organizational dynamics from the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Kotok’s articles and financial market commentary have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and other publications. He is a frequent guest on financial television including Bloomberg Television, CNBC and Fox. He also contributes to radio networks such as NPR and media organizations like Bloomberg Radio among others. He has authored two books including the best seller “From Bear to Bull with ETFs.”

Mr. Kotok currently serves as a director of the Global Interdependence Center (GIC) (www.interdependence.org), which has a mission to encourage the expansion of global dialogue and free trade in order to improve cooperation and understanding among nation states, with the goal of reducing international conflicts and improving worldwide living standards. Mr. Kotok organized a five-continent dialogue held in Philadelphia, Paris, Zambia (Livingstone), Hanoi, Singapore, Prague, Cape Town, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Rome, Milan, Tallinn and Santiago, Chile. He has received the Global Citizen Award from GIC for his efforts.
Mr. Kotok is a member of the National Business Economics Issues Council (NBEIC) and the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), serves on the Research Advisory Board of BCA Research and is also a member of the Philadelphia Council for Business Economics (PCBE).
Mr. Kotok has served as a commissioner of the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) and on the Treasury Transition Teams for New Jersey Governors Kean and Whitman. He has also served as a board member of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and as chairman of the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.
Mr. Kotok hosts an annual Maine fishing trip, where, it is rumored, most of the nation’s important financial and economic decisions are actually made.

Latest Articles

Debt, GDP, Interest Rate Shock

Business Insider has compiled a colorful depiction of the largest debtor countries in the world. Here is the link: http://www.businessinsider.com/wef-countries-with-highest-level-of-government-debt-vs-gdp-2015-10. Does debt to GDP mean anything? The answer is maybe. And perhaps the second part…

Zika, Cuba, American Politics

Why is Zika so important that you write about it often?” I have gotten that question many times.

An update on the Zika situation follows. But first let me offer an explanation as to why I write about it.

I believe that health issues and disease threats offer us the chance to assess the functioning of a political system. SARS, Ebola, bird flu, and now Zika show whether or not the political system can be proactive. The quality of governance of a country is revealed, and its functionality […]

US, Germany, Japan: Post Brexit

Before the Brexit vote and market turmoil I was privileged to share interview time on the “The Larry Kudlow Show,” hosted by Larry Kudlow, with a longtime friend, Jeff Kleintop of Schwab. Larry, Jeff, and…

In South America: Mendacity versus Perspicacity

I write as a follow-up to our South America trip. For a terrific summary of the Argentina-Uruguay experience, we offer the “Weekly Economic Update” from Michael Drury, GIC chairman and chief economist at MacVean. The report…

Report from Montevideo

When Moody’s recalibrated Uruguay’s national rating scale and repositioned the national scale ratings of seven Uruguayan banks and other financial institutions, it was careful in how it worded the text of the release. Moody’s subscribers…

Report from Buenos Aires

Last month the inflation rate in Argentina was 7%. That’s right, 7% in a single month. Why?

Return to Argentina

Over the past 20 years, my 16 trips to Argentina have allowed me to personally experience that country’s roller coaster of governance, finance, policy application and rejection. We are back again with a GIC special…

Divergences

The issue is easily defined: Convergences reduce volatility. Divergences increase volatility. That defines the yin and yang of markets. Or others might call it the Sturm und Drang of markets. We call it a merger…

Low Short-Term Rates for a Long Time?

We are likely to have worldwide near-zero short-term interest rates for at least another two years, maybe three or four. The implications for stocks, bonds, and currency exchange rates are huge.

The Economic Outlook at Home

Our best outlook through this murky fish tank is that we are growing slowly in the US and gradually improving. We see 2.5 to 3 million new, nonfarm payroll jobs a year at an annual…

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