TLDR
- During the trading week of Aug. 17-21, ARK Invest acquired approximately $28 million in SpaceX shares
- The space technology company debuted publicly in June at $135 per share and has experienced significant volatility
- ARK’s portfolio additions also included about $25 million in Cerebras Systems and $22.8 million in Nvidia
- Portfolio reductions included approximately $49 million in Roblox, $34.5 million in Palantir, and $31 million in AMD
- Second-quarter financials showed SpaceX revenue reaching $7.8 billion, representing a 92% annual increase fueled by Starlink and AI ventures
During the trading week spanning Aug. 17-21, Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest prioritized SpaceX as its primary acquisition, snapping up approximately 205,031 shares valued at roughly $28 million.
Space Exploration Technologies Corp., SPCX
The aerospace manufacturer made its public market debut in June with shares priced at $135. Beyond operating the Starlink satellite broadband service, the company manages rocket and spacecraft launches while simultaneously building out AI infrastructure capabilities.
This substantial investment follows a turbulent post-listing phase. Share prices have experienced dramatic fluctuations tied to quarterly earnings announcements and lockup period conclusions. Approximately 319 million shares became tradeable on Aug. 20 as lockup restrictions expired.
Market turbulence notwithstanding, SpaceX delivered impressive second-quarter performance metrics. The company achieved $7.8 billion in revenue, marking a 92% year-over-year increase powered by Starlink subscriptions and AI-focused offerings.
Capital requirements remain substantial, however. The company allocated approximately $18.4 billion to capital expenditures during the quarter, prompting analyst scrutiny regarding whether AI-generated revenue can offset escalating investments.
Cerebras and Nvidia Among Additional ARK Acquisitions
Beyond SpaceX, ARK’s shopping list included other technology investments. The firm allocated roughly $25 million toward Cerebras Systems shares and approximately $22.8 million into Nvidia stock throughout the identical timeframe.
This buying pattern reveals ARK’s strategic emphasis on artificial intelligence-focused enterprises spanning multiple sectors, encompassing semiconductor manufacturers, satellite connectivity providers, and computing infrastructure developers.
Major Divestments From Roblox, Palantir, and AMD
Simultaneously, ARK executed significant position reductions, liquidating approximately $49 million in Roblox shares, $34.5 million in Palantir holdings, and $31 million worth of Advanced Micro Devices stock across the same five-day period.
These represent meaningful portfolio adjustments. All three companiesāRoblox, Palantir, and Advanced Micro Devicesāhave maintained prominent positions within ARK’s holdings historically.
These divestments shouldn’t necessarily signal negative sentiment from Wood regarding these companies. Regular portfolio rebalancing constitutes standard practice within ARK’s fund management methodology.
Nevertheless, the juxtaposition between accumulating SpaceX shares while reducing exposure to these three stocks reveals ARK’s current conviction regarding relative opportunities.
Market participants monitoring SpaceX should focus on Starlink customer acquisition trends, AI-generated revenue streams, and progress toward management’s ambitious $100 billion annualized revenue objective.
Additional lockup expiration dates approach in forthcoming months. This introduces potential supply increases as restricted shares enter circulation, potentially generating downward price pressure independent of operational performance.
From Wood’s perspective, recent trading activity indicates she interprets current price volatility as an accumulation opportunity rather than a cautionary signal warranting retreat.
The company’s second-quarter revenue performanceā$7.8 billion representing 92% annual growthāstands as the most compelling evidence validating this investment thesis.


