Cathie Wood’s Bold $46M Biotech Bet Signals Major Sector Shift - August 19, 2025

ARK Invest's chief just dropped a massive $46 million vote of confidence in biotech—while traditional finance still can't tell CRISPR from a coffee filter.

The Genomics Gambit

Wood's latest move pours serious capital into gene-editing pioneers and precision medicine disruptors. That $46 million injection targets companies rewriting human biology at the molecular level.

Market Momentum

Biotech stocks surged following the announcement, proving once again that where Wood goes, money follows—even if Wall Street analysts need a dictionary to understand the science.

Long-game Strategy

This isn't speculative betting—it's strategic positioning in technologies that could redefine healthcare within this decade. The play? Disrupt massive traditional pharma before they even see it coming.

Because nothing says 'financial foresight' like betting millions on science that makes bankers' heads spin while they're still trying to short Bitcoin.

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Wood’s Biggest Bet Was GeneDx Worth $21.5M

The single biggest trade of the day was ARK’s purchase of 170,471 shares of GeneDx Holdings (WGS), valued at $21.5 million.

GeneDx is a health-tech company focused on DNA-based testing for rare and pediatric genetic conditions. In its latest Q2 report, the company posted $102.7 million in revenue and $0.50 EPS, both beating Wall Street estimates, and lifted its full-year revenue outlook. The strong results prompted several analysts to raise their price targets, reflecting growing confidence in the stock.

WGS stock has surged 63.4% year-to-date and is up 254% over the past year. Wood is betting that GeneDx’s strength in genetic testing will benefit from rising demand for personalized medicine.

Is WGS a Buy, Sell, or Hold?

Overall, Wall Street has a Moderate Buy consensus rating on GeneDx stock, based on five Buys and two Holds assigned in the last three months. The average WGS stock price target of $114.14 implies 9.34% downside potential from current levels.

Other Purchases in the Biotech Space

Beyond GeneDx, ARK added 176,811 shares of CRISPR Therapeutics AG (CRSP) worth $10.6 million, along with 395,097 shares of BEAM Therapeutics (BEAM) valued at $7 million. The ETFs also picked up 165,024 shares of Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) at $6.2 million and 28,213 shares of Pacific Biosciences of California (PACB) for $0.9 million.

Together, these trades brought ARK’s biotech investments for the day to roughly $46.2 million, reinforcing its long-term focus on gene-editing and synthetic biology.

In addition to biotech stocks, ARKK also added 123,336 shares of Robinhood Markets Inc. (HOOD), totaling $14.1 million, highlighting confidence in the fintech platform.

ARK Cuts Stake in Defense Stock

On the sell side, ARKQ offloaded 116,364 shares of Kratos Defense and Security Solutions Inc. (KTOS) for nearly $8 million, pointing to a deliberate reduction in defense exposure.

Let’s take a brief look at how all these stocks perform on TipRanks’ Stock Comparison Tool.