ARK Invest Sheds Robinhood Shares Amidst Market Volatility

Investment firm ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, has recently divested a significant amount of Robinhood (HOOD) stock, marking the largest sale of HOOD shares by ARK since accumulating a stake last year. The sale, valued at $31.5 million, brings ARK's overall HOOD holdings to 4.3% of its total portfolio, making it the eighth-largest asset in ARK's Innovation ETF (ARKK). Despite the sale, ARK has continued to increase its investment in Roblox (RBLX) and Coinbase (COIN), solidifying its position as a major player in the emerging fintech and cryptocurrency space.

ARK Invest Dumps Robinhood Shares Amidst Market Movement

ARK Invest, the pioneering investment management firm led by renowned investor Cathie Wood, has made a significant change in its portfolio by divesting a substantial amount of Robinhood stock. This move, which involves selling 1.6 million shares across three of ARK's funds, represents a shift in the firm's stance towards the cryptocurrency-friendly broker-dealer.

On March 25, ARK initiated this divestment, unloading shares amounting to approximately $31.5 million based on Robinhood's closing price on Monday. The largest portion of this sale, valued at around $24 million, came from the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK). The company also parted with shares from the ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW) and ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF), disposing of 275,933 and 128,137 shares, respectively.

This divestment marks a departure from ARK's previous stance on Robinhood. Notably, the firm had been actively acquiring HOOD shares over the past year. In contrast, the recent sales represent the largest single divestment since ARK began accumulating HOOD stock.

The sales emerge amidst a period of notable success for Robinhood, with its stock price experiencing a surge of 36% over the past 30 days. However, ARK's decision to reduce its exposure to Robinhood appears to be motivated by compliance with Rule 12d3-1, which restricts funds from holding securities exceeding 5% of their total assets' value.

Despite the divestment of Robinhood shares, ARK remains optimistic about the broader cryptocurrency market, as evidenced by continued acquisitions of Roblox shares. On March 25, ARK purchased 740,115 Roblox shares worth $27 million.

In addition to selling Robinhood shares, ARK has also continued to offload Coinbase shares, divesting 4,291 COIN on Monday. This sale represents a value of roughly $21 million as of Tuesday morning.

Robinhood, established in 2013, has positioned itself as a user-friendly trading platform, catering to both traditional stock investments and cryptocurrency enthusiasts. The company enables users to trade a range of assets, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), and recently launched a self-custodial wallet, the Robinhood Wallet app, for Android devices.

While ARK's recent moves may indicate a shift in its perspective on specific holdings, the firm's continued involvement in the digital asset space remains evident. The investment management company's actions underscore the evolving market dynamics and the strategic decisions being made by key players within the financial landscape.