Cathie Wood, founder of Ark Invest, has doubled down on some of her favorite tech stocks — Robinhood and Tesla — even as both have taken heavy hits this year. While many investors are steering clear, Wood’s aggressive buying signals her confidence in a rebound.

Buying the Dip

Robinhood Markets, GeneDx Holdings, and Tesla Motors have all struggled in 2026, losing 38%, 49%, and 23% respectively. That kind of performance would scare off most investors. But not Cathie Wood. On a recent Tuesday, she scooped up shares in all three companies, increasing positions in her Ark Invest ETFs.

Wood clearly buys when others are panicking. She’s known for riding bull markets but isn’t afraid to load up during downturns. It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy that helped her Ark Innovation ETF soar 153% in 2020. But the last few years have been rough, with the fund down nearly 10% this year against a flat S&P 500.

Still, Wood stays optimistic. She sees the current market as a coiled spring ready to bounce back, especially with advances in AI, robotics, and blockchain tech driving a new capital spending cycle.

Her latest moves are big bets on Robinhood and Tesla.

Robinhood: Growth Amid Challenges

Robinhood’s been on a rollercoaster lately. The company posted 27% revenue growth last quarter — not bad, but the slowest in two years. Analysts expect the first quarter of 2026 to see growth slow even more, down to 26%. That’s a far cry from the nearly 60% jump Wall Street expected just months ago.

Trading volumes have dropped as the market’s volatility and crypto slumps weigh on Robinhood’s mostly young user base. Bitcoin alone has lost more than 40% since October. Plus, many users traded on margin, which means losses hit harder when markets turned.

Still, Robinhood is trying to diversify. It’s pushing into futures and predictive markets to keep users engaged. And Wood seems to think the company’s growth potential justifies the risk. Her Ark funds bought about 158,587 Robinhood shares recently, totaling around $12 million.

That shows strong confidence in a stock down 38% this year.

Tesla: A Long-Term Play

Tesla shares have also been battered, dropping 23% in 2026. Yet, Wood’s shopping for more.

The electric car maker remains a key part of Ark’s portfolio. Wood is betting on Tesla’s leading role in electric vehicles and energy storage tech to power future gains.

Her belief in Tesla fits her bigger idea that tech disruption will change industries and leaders will reward patient investors.

GeneDx: A Riskier Bet

GeneDx, a provider of genome sequencing services, has struggled even more, down nearly half this year. The company completed a reverse stock split a few years back and seemed to be stabilizing. But recent volatility has clouded its outlook.

Wood bought shares anyway, showing she’s willing to take risks for high growth. It’s a reminder that her funds mix proven market leaders with speculative bets on emerging tech sectors.

Crypto Bets Add Fuel to the Fire

Wood’s Ark Invest also increased stakes in Coinbase amid a market selloff tied to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. They purchased over 22,000 Coinbase shares for about $4.1 million across several Ark ETFs.

Coinbase has been in the spotlight after reporting a $667 million net loss for Q4 2025, ending a profitable streak. Revenue dropped 21.5% year-over-year, mainly due to a decline in transaction fees. Still, subscription and services revenue showed modest gains.

Wood’s buying of crypto stocks shows she’s betting on a rebound when markets calm down.

Wood’s Contrarian Vision

Her strategy isn’t without critics. Ark Innovation’s five-year annualized return is negative 14.67%, well behind the S&P 500’s 13.33%. And the Ark Innovation ETF has seen about $1.4 billion in outflows over the past year as investors flee volatility.

But Wood dismisses concerns about an AI bubble or overheated tech valuations. She argues we’re entering the biggest capital spending wave in history, driven by AI, robotics, blockchain, and biotech.

“What once was the cap in spending seems to have become a floor,” she wrote recently.

Her bullish stance on Robinhood, Tesla, and Coinbase shows she’s playing the long game, buying when others sell and expecting a rebound driven by innovation.

Related Articles

Ark Invest recently invested $46 million in Robinhood, signaling a bet these tech stocks will recover. Whether the market agrees we'll have to wait and see.