Cathie Wood shells out $13.9 million for one high-stakes biotech stock
Amid all the noise over tariffs and rate-cut chatter, the smartest move is often to follow investors who've done it before.
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Love her or hate her, Cathie Wood is a true maverick who's made a name finding tomorrow's big disruptors long before anyone else.
Now, with a fresh swing at a major biotech stock, it says a lot about where she thinks the next big win will come from.
Cathie Wood's love affair with biotech stocks has been part of ARK's DNA since day one.
Long before CRISPR became a Wall Street buzzword, Wood's team has been busy, scooping up shares in early-stage gene-editing names.
Her Genomic Revolution ETF, ARKG, was one of ARK's first thematic funds, which made a splash by loading up on companies like Editas Medicine and Intellia Therapeutics.
The idea was clear: Programmable gene-editing tools could effectively flip medicine from symptom treatment to real cures.
That early leap paid off massively.Between 2019 and 2020, ARKG posted massive gains, led by positive trial results and big-name pharma partnerships, while broader markets were stuck in neutral.
Wood has been consistent in backing her biotech picks, regardless of bad trial news or cash crunches.
For her, the appeal of gene editing has more to do with rewriting what health care looks like. She sees CRISPR and next-gen editing tools as critical tools in curing diseases outright, cutting treatment costs, while giving patients their lives back.
Such a strategy comes with its fair share of risk, but Wood spreads that risk across multiple platforms.
For those who back game-changing science, her biotech playbook is clear and effective at spotting revolutionary picks that typically stun Mr. Market.
Cathie Wood kicked off what's been a choppy week with a classic ARK move, in loading big on a key biotech stock while locking in gains elsewhere.
On Monday, ARK Invest scooped up 659,000 shares of Beam Therapeutics () , splitting the buy between Wood's flagship ARK Innovation ETF and the ARK Genomic Revolution ETF.
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That comes to more than $13 million in fresh Beam stock, following a relatively smaller buy earlier this week worth roughly $571,000.
Beam Therapeutics stands out in the ARK portfolio for good reason.
Its robust base-editing technology promises remarkably more precise and safer gene edits than standard CRISPR.Instead of slicing through both strands of DNA, Beam's method efficiently swaps out tiny pieces one at a time, making it a lot safer and more precise.
That competitive edge has major stakes.
Beam's pipeline includes programs for monogenic disorders including sickle cell and beta-thalassemia, along with multiple readouts lined up for this year.
Beam's cash position is another plus for Wood, with the business funded into 2027, easing dilution fears that typically rattle biotech names.
Also, a major Pfizer partnership in cardiovascular disease adds new layers to Beam's commercial push, while landing it even more credibility on the stock market.
Hence, for Wood, Beam essentially ticks every box. Its powerful disruptive science, tangible milestones, and huge upside potential suggest a long-term winner.
It's exactly the kind of swing-for-the-fences bet ARK is famous for and has made many millionaires in the process.
On the flip side, Wood's team lightened up on Roblox () , selling 31,416 shares worth roughly $3.25 million of the popular gaming stock as it rebounded.
That follows ARK's moves last week, where it sold 26,877 shares of the gaming giant.
As always, biotech isn't for the faint-hearted, but for Cathie Wood, Beam is the moonshot that's in position to rewrite history.Cathie Wood shells out $13.9 million for one high-stakes biotech stock first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 8, 2025
This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
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