Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest, has established herself as a bold investor focusing on disruptive technologies. The performance of her ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) is of significant interest to many investors.
2020 Boom: Stellar Investments
In 2020, ARKK saw a 153% increase, investing in several companies that are redefining their industries. Successful assets included Teladoc Health (TDOC), Tesla (TSLA), Roku (ROKU), Block (SQ), and Shopify (SHOP). These investments demonstrated Wood's intuition in choosing companies that reshape their sectors.
New Bets for 2025: Crypto, Metaverse, and AI
Looking to the future, Wood plans to explore emerging trends such as Gitlab (GTLB) for data analysis, Roblox (RBLX) for the metaverse, and Coinbase Global (COIN) for cryptocurrency. These changes reflect her belief in the dynamic developments of blockchain, virtual realities, and AI.
Performance Swings of the Fund
ARKK's performance has been uneven; following its peak in 2020, the fund fell by 67% in 2022. However, a recovery in 2023 resulted in an 82% increase, outperforming the S&P 500. As of May 2025, ARKK has risen just 1% year-to-date, underperforming the market despite improvement in stocks like Palantir.
Despite performance fluctuations and criticism for high volatility, Cathie Wood remains a proponent of high risks and high rewards, underlining her long-term strategy and vision for the future of innovation.
