Cathie Wood’s ARK ETF bolsters biotech, trims defense stock

Cathie Wood’s ARK ETF published their daily trades for Monday, August 18th, 2025, showcasing a continued focus on the biotech sector while reducing exposure in defense. The largest trade of the day was the purchase of 170,471 shares of GeneDx Holdings Corp (NASDAQ:WGS), with a total dollar value of $21,540,715, emphasizing ARK’s bullish stance on genomic research and personalized medicine.

Following the trend, ARK’s ARKK ETF bought 123,336 shares of Robinhood Markets Inc (NASDAQ:HOOD), investing another $14,081,271 in the fintech company. The move suggests a growing confidence in Robinhood’s business model and future prospects.

ARK also increased its position in CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP), acquiring 176,811 shares worth $10,560,921. This trade aligns with ARK’s high conviction in gene-editing technologies, which have been a recurring theme in their investment strategy.

Another significant trade was the purchase of 395,097 shares of Beam Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:BEAM) valued at $7,040,628. Beam Therapeutics has been a consistent addition to ARK’s portfolio, indicating a strong belief in the company’s precision medicine approach.

In the field of agriculture and construction machinery, ARK diversified its holdings by buying 10,273 shares of Deere & Co (NYSE:DE), spreading the purchase across its ARKK and ARKQ ETFs for a total of $5,021,442. This investment reflects ARK’s interest in Deere’s advanced technologies in agriculture.

Moreover, the ARKQ ETF sold 116,364 shares of Kratos Defense and Security Solutions Inc (NASDAQ:KTOS) for $7,970,934, suggesting a strategic shift away from defense stocks.

In other trades, ARK’s ETFs continued to add to positions in other biotech and tech companies, including Intellia Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:NTLA), Pacific Biosciences of California Inc (NASDAQ:PACB), and Figma Inc (PRIVATE:FIG), with total dollar values of $6,160,554, $886,703, and $3,680,719 respectively.

Smaller yet notable buys included 292,458 shares of Intuitive Machines Inc (NASDAQ:LUNR), 136,376 shares of PagerDuty Inc (NYSE:PD), 137,439 shares of Twist Bioscience Corp (NASDAQ:TWST), and 125,228 shares of 10X Genomics Inc (NASDAQ:TXG), all part of ARK’s strategy to capitalize on disruptive innovation across various sectors.

These trades come on the heels of last week’s pattern, where ARK consistently bolstered its biotech holdings, particularly in Beam Therapeutics, CRISPR Therapeutics, and Intellia Therapeutics, while also showing a sustained interest in Robinhood Markets.

Investors following Cathie Wood’s ARK ETFs should take note of these trades, as they may signal the fund’s conviction in the growth potential of these companies and sectors.

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