Portfolio Construction and Risk Management

Stijn Schmitz welcomes John Feneck to the show. John Feneck is CEO Feneck Consulting Group. The discussion centers on gold markets, investment strategies, and critical mineral opportunities. Feneck provides insights into the current gold market, noting that while there have been recent price fluctuations, major banks like Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and HSBC are bullish, with price targets ranging from $4,900 to $5,000 for the next year.

Discussing gold miners, Feneck highlights that the GDX ETF has broken out to new all-time highs, with producers like Newmont seeing significant growth. He believes junior miners still represent substantial value, with the GDXJ ETF trading well below its 2011-2012 peak. His investment approach combines value investing with technical analysis, focusing on a diversified portfolio of 60-70 stocks to manage risk. Feneck is particularly enthusiastic about critical minerals, especially tungsten and antimony, driven by geopolitical tensions and supply chain concerns. He sees significant opportunity in companies like Guardian Metals and Triumph Gold, which have strategic positions in these critical minerals.

His investment philosophy emphasizes understanding company management, project fundamentals, and potential near-term catalysts. The conversation also touches on the challenges of mineral exploration and development, particularly in the United States, where permitting processes can take years. Feneck believes there’s growing political momentum to accelerate critical mineral development, with initiatives like Trump’s executive orders aimed at reducing dependence on Chinese mineral supplies.

Guest Links:
X: https://x.com/feneckconsult
YouTube: https://youtube.com/feneckcommoditiesreport
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/feneckcommoditiesreport
E-Mail: mailto:john.feneck@yahoo.com
Website/Newsletter: https://www.feneckconsulting.com/

John’s upcoming conferences: May 17-19, 2026 at Grand Hyatt, Washington, DC and May 20-22, 2026 at Four Seasons, Fort Lauderdale, FL on the oceanfront. Details to come: https://topshelf-partners.com/

John Feneck is CEO of Feneck Consulting Group. He began his career in 1992 as an equity analyst for Merrill Lynch’s global allocation fund. From 1993 to 2019 he held senior executive roles at Merrill Lynch Funds (now BlackRock) and J.P. Morgan Chase Funds, where he ranked #1 in gross and net sales once at Merrill Lynch and three times at J.P. Morgan (among 40 peers).

Since 2017 he has contributed articles to Kitco—becoming a regular contributor in 2021—and has appeared as a featured guest. He’s delivered over 250 client seminars and webinars, spoken at 12 global commodities events, and in 2017 joined Sprott’s precious metals portfolio-management team. There he developed a proprietary methodology combining technical analysis with direct insights from company management, advocating a “go anywhere” strategy and a diversified portfolio of 25–50 resource stocks to navigate the sector’s volatility.

In September 2019 he founded Feneck Consulting Group, helping small- and mid-cap metals and mining companies raise brand awareness and advising high-net-worth advisors on market opportunities and risks. He holds Series 7, Series 63, CMFC and CIMA Level 1 certifications (though he is not a licensed advisor) and focuses on consulting. Based in Scottsdale, AZ, he’s a single dad to an 11-year-old daughter and spends weekends as a professional musician, athlete and traveler.