Cathie Wood’s Ark Investment Management has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. On the one hand, the firm has raked in over $300 million in fees from its flagship ETF, the Ark Disruptive Innovation ETF (NYSEARCA: ARKK), since its inception nine years ago. On the other hand, investors have lost nearly $10 billion during the same period. Ouch!
According to InvestmentFraudLawyers.com, many investors have called their law firm wanting to sue their financial advisors and broker-dealers for the losses alleging the ETF was unsuitable for their risk profile.
In this article, we’ll look closer at the reasons behind ARKK’s struggles and the risks associated with investing in it. We’ll also examine whether Cathie Wood’s high fees are justified or not. Spoiler alert: we’re not impressed.
ARKK’s Bold Bets
ARKK invests in high-growth companies that are poised to revolutionize their respective industries through innovation. Think technology, robotics, biotech, and space exploration. Ark’s bold bets on these fast-growing companies have earned it a loyal following. However, ARKK’s assets have plummeted from a peak of $27.9 billion in February 2021 to a mere $7.6 billion today.
ARKK’s Risky Strategy
Many of the companies in ARKK’s portfolio are high-risk investments that have yet to turn a profit. This risky strategy has resulted in volatility, attracting a class of investors who use derivatives to generate returns from the fund’s large valuation swings. These investors profit from volatility, contributing to ARKK’s ups and downs.
ARKK’s Fees
ARKK is an actively managed ETF, which means investors pay a management fee of 0.75% of assets. This fee bill highlights ARKK’s unusually high investor retention for an ETF with such poor performance. Despite losing $9.5 billion in investor cash, flows have remained resilient. How is that even possible?
Are Investors Trapped?
Many investors may be trapped in ARKK, nursing losses so large that they are unwilling to withdraw their funds. They’re anchored to the price at which they purchased the ETF, hoping it will one day return to that price. Some investors are using ARKK’s volatility to their advantage, profiting from its swings. It’s a wild ride!
Ark’s Response
Ark has remained silent on the criticism it has received for the fund’s poor performance and high fees. Cathie Wood remains committed to investing in disruptive innovation, despite accruing significant losses. She believes innovation will lead to exponential growth trajectories that will benefit investors in the long run. We’re not convinced.
Investor’s Worst Enemy
According to Elisabeth Kashner, director of global funds, research, and analytics at FactSet, investors committed the cardinal sin of chasing returns. News sources reported that many investors bought ARKK at its peak, resulting in significant losses. Investors have remained committed to Cathie Wood and Ark’s vision despite the losses. We’re scratching our heads on this one.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Cathie Wood’s Ark Investment Management has earned a fortune from ARKK’s high fees. However, investors have lost nearly $10 billion during the same period. ARKK’s high fees, risky investment strategy, and volatility have contributed to its poor performance. It’s hard to justify ARKK’s fees when investors are nursing such significant losses. As they say, hindsight is 20/20.
