A Tesla logo is pictured during the Brussels Motor Show on January 9, 2020 in Brussels . (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP) (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP via Getty Images)
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One fund is soaring this year and its portfolio manger — a longtime Tesla bull and investor — attributes its success to the market turmoil, as she believes innovation thrives during tough times.
The ARK Innovation ETF is an actively managed fund that centers around ”disruptive innovation,” or technology that will change the way the world works. With about $2 billion in net assets, the 34-stock fund has returned more than 25% this year, while the broader market has spiraled due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus.
“What we have found in every other recession or crisis is that innovation tends to gain more traction, faster than otherwise would be the case,” Cathie Wood, founder and CEO of Ark Invest and manager of the fund, told CNBC in a phone interview.
“We’re invested solely in disruptive innovation,” said Wood. From DNA sequencing, robotics, energy storage, artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, Wood said the fund’s holdings are “companies that do things more inexpensively, more quickly — they’re the answer to lots of problems that consumers and businesses are having now.” For example, companies focusing on robotics will be helpful for social distancing in manufacturing plants.
