Cathie Wood, founder of Ark Investment Management, frequently capitalizes on market volatility to realize gains. She recently executed this strategy by selling shares in a semiconductor company immediately after its stock price surged 25% in a single week. According to Ark's daily trading data, the firm's funds sold a total of 215,643 shares of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) stock on April 24. Based on AMD's latest closing price of $347.81, the transaction was valued at approximately $75 million. This represents one of Wood's largest recent trades. On April 24, AMD's stock price rose by 13.9%, bringing its cumulative gain over the past month to nearly 70%. The recent stock price increase was largely driven by positive news from competitor Intel. Intel reported strong earnings and raised its forecast for data center CPU demand, citing increased corporate investment in artificial intelligence. Intel's CEO, Pat Gelsinger, stated during the earnings call, "The CPU is re-establishing its role as an indispensable foundation for the AI era. This isn't just our perspective; it's feedback we are hearing directly from customers." Following Intel's earnings release, its stock price jumped 23% on April 24, which subsequently lifted the share price of fellow major CPU manufacturer AMD. D.A. Davidson upgraded AMD's rating from "Neutral" to "Buy" and increased its price target from $220 to $375. D.A. Davidson commented, "We view Intel's results as a positive indicator for significant growth in AMD's CPU product line. We believe the structural shift towards AI-enabled workloads is generating unprecedented demand for server CPUs." AMD is scheduled to report its first-quarter results on May 5, and investors are anticipating more details on AI-driven sales and profits. Wood's adjustment of her AMD position likely reflects profit-taking. Despite the significant sale, AMD remains one of her largest holdings, ranking as the third-largest position in the ARKK fund with a market value of $416 million. Last year, Wood's flagship fund, the Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK), gained 35.49%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's return of 17.88% over the same period. However, performance has shifted this year. Year-to-date in 2026, the Ark Innovation ETF has declined by 1.76%, while the S&P 500 index has advanced by 4.67%. Wood gained prominence in 2020 when ARKK delivered a remarkable 153% return. However, her investment style has also led to substantial losses during bear markets, such as in 2022 when ARKK plummeted over 60%. These fluctuations have impacted Wood's long-term performance. According to Morningstar data, as of April 24, ARKK's five-year annualized return is -9.01%, compared to a 13.01% annualized return for the S&P 500 over the same period.
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