Founder and chief investment officer of New York's Matrix Asset Advisors — a Graham-and-Dodd large-cap value investor.
Life story
David Katz graduated summa cum laude in economics from Union College and earned an MBA from New York University's business school; he is a CFA charterholder. Little is publicly known about his birth year, family or childhood.
How they got started
Katz began his career at Management Asset Corporation in Westport, Connecticut. In 1986 he co-founded Value Matrix Management with the late John M. Gates, serving as chief investment officer. In 1990 he merged it into Matrix Asset Advisors.
Today he is the firm's president and chief investment officer and chairs its investment policy committee. He appears frequently on CNBC and Bloomberg Radio, has given many interviews to The Wall Street Transcript since 1997, and taught as an adjunct professor at Union College in 2024.
Investment style
Matrix follows Graham and Dodd principles: it tries to buy "better companies in better industries" with strong management at low prices. Portfolios typically hold 20–40 research-driven positions and can look for value in any sector.
Its core offerings are a large-cap value strategy and a dividend income strategy. The firm is fully employee-owned, and its principals invest their own money alongside clients.
Best decisions
Nearly 40 years of consistency
A firm that has kept the same value philosophy since 1986 and remained independent and employee-owned — a rare longevity in the industry.
"Don't chase last year's winners" (2024)
In an early-2024 interview Katz urged investors not to chase the previous year's biggest gainers and to look at what had stayed cheap — a concise statement of his value approach.
Biggest mistakes
Limited information
No reliable public sources were found on major failures by Katz or Matrix. In general, value strategies tend to lag in years when growth stocks lead the market.
Today
Katz continues to lead Matrix Asset Advisors as president and CIO, and still shared his views in Wall Street Transcript interviews in 2025.
What to learn from following the portfolio
- Matrix is a traditional large-cap value manager; its portfolio is most useful as a list of "well-known companies that have become cheap".
- In a 20–40 stock portfolio, a new position or a meaningful increase deserves attention; small changes are often just rebalancing.
- 13Fs are up to 45 days late and show only long US equity positions.
- From a halal perspective: dividend and value strategies often include banks, insurers and other financials, which are usually not halal. Check each position's halal status in the Portfolio tab.
An introduction based on public sources — not investment advice. Spotted an error? Let us know.