‘We are in a recession’: Long-time bull Cathie Wood warns investors about the ‘big problem’ in the economy. Here’s what she likes today

Market Trading EssentialsJune 30, 2022

3 minutes read

The official GDP estimate for Q2 won’t be available until later next month, but many experts – including Ark Invest’s Cathie Wood – are calling for a recession.

“We think we are in a recession,” Wood says in a recent CNBC interview.

“We think a big problem out there is inventories — the increase of which I’ve never seen this large in my career. I’ve been around for 45 years.”

Based on how markets are doing, sentiment is certainly bearish. The S&P 500 is down 20% year to date. Wood’s flagship fund Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) tumbled by more than 50% during the same period.

But investors are not giving up. CNBC noted Fact Set data showing that ARKK saw over $180 million in inflows in June.

“I think the inflows are happening because our clients have been diversifying away from broad-based benchmarks like the Nasdaq 100,” says Wood. “We are dedicated completely to disruptive innovation. Innovation solves problems.”

For those who share Wood’s vision, here’s a look at the top three holdings at ARKK.

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Zoom Video Communications (ZM)

When meetings and classes moved online due to the pandemic, Zoom’s business flourished.

But as the economy reopened and employees started going back to the office, there have been concerns about the growth potential of this video communications company.

Year to date, Zoom shares have fallen 42%.

But Wood continues to see opportunity in the stock. In fact, Zoom is currently the largest holding at ARKK, accounting for 10.1% of the fund’s weight.

Earlier this month, Ark Invest released a research report showing how Zoom shares could see a glorious revival in the not-too-distant future.

“According to ARK’s open-source research and model, Zoom’s share price could approach $1,500, compounding at a 76% annual growth rate, in 2026,” Wood’s team wrote.

Since Zoom shares trade at around $106 a piece right now, that price target implies a potential upside of over 1,300%.

Tesla (TSLA)

Tesla has long been a staple for growth investors. But now, it’s also a name worth considering for contrarian investors – given how much the stock has pulled back.

Since reaching a closing high of $1,229.91 on Nov. 4, the stock has fallen by a staggering 46%.

But business remains on the right track. In Q1, deliveries of the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y totaled 310,048 vehicles, up 68% year over year.

Ark Invest also sees a gaming-changing product coming for the company — robotaxi.

“Tesla’s prospective robotaxi business line is a key driver, contributing 60% of expected value and more than half of expected EBITDA in 2026,” wrote Ark analyst Tasha Keeney in a report in April.

In that report, Ark expects a share price of $4,600 for Tesla by 2026. That represents a potential upside of over 590% from where the stock sits today.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Tesla is the second-largest holding at ARKK with an 8.6% weight.

Roku (ROKU)

The secular trend of on-demand video streaming has created several winners in the tech space.

Roku is one of them. Since going public in September 2017, the stock has returned more than 200%.

The company’s platform gives users access to streaming services such as Youtube, Netflix, and Disney+. Roku also offers its own ad-supported channels featuring licensed third-party content.

The company added 1.1 million active accounts in Q1, bringing its total active accounts to 61.3 million. Revenue rose 28% year over year to $734 million.

Although Roku’s business is growing, investors have been bailing in rapid fashion. The stock is down a staggering 82% over the past 12 months.

But Ark Invest is not giving up on Roku. In fact, Roku remains the third-largest holding at ARKK, accounting for 8.4% of the fund’s weight.