ARK Sold Almost 400,000 Shares of CRISPR Therapeutics. Is Cathie Wood Worried?

On Nov. 12, 2025, ARK Investment Management disclosed in an SEC filing that it reduced its stake in CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) by approximately 400,000 shares.

What happened

According to the 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated Nov. 12, 2025, ARK Investment Management sold 395,617 shares of CRISPR Therapeutics AG during the third quarter. Its post-trade stake totaling 9,786,973 shares was worth $634.29 million as of Sept. 30, 2025.

What else to know

• ARK Investment Management LLC’s stake in CRISPR Therapeutics AG now accounts for 3.78% of its 13F reportable assets, which places it just outside the fund's top five holdings.
• Top holdings after the filing:
  • Tesla: $1.60 billion (approximately 9.53% of AUM)
  • Coinbase: $808.47 million (approximately 4.83% of AUM)
  • Roku: $736.14 million (approximately 4.39% of AUM)
  • Palantir: $736.08 million (approximately 4.39% of AUM)
  • Roblox: $735.93 million (approximately 4.39% of AUM)
• As of Nov. 11, shares of CRISPR Therapeutics AG were priced at $55.21, up 0.64% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 7.2 percentage points.

Company Overview

Company Snapshot

• CRISPR develops gene-based medicines utilizing CRISPR/Cas9 technology, with a portfolio including CTX001 for hemoglobinopathies, allogeneic CAR-T therapies for oncology, and regenerative medicine candidates.
• The company operates a research-driven business model focused on proprietary gene-editing platforms and strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
• It targets patients with severe genetic and oncologic diseases, partnering with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to advance clinical programs globally.

CRISPR Therapeutics AG is a leading biotechnology company specializing in the development of gene-editing therapies for serious diseases, leveraging its proprietary CRISPR/Cas9 platform. The company’s strategy centers on advancing a diversified pipeline across hemoglobinopathies, oncology, and regenerative medicine, supported by strategic partnerships with major industry players. Its competitive edge lies in its scientific leadership in gene editing and its ability to address high unmet medical needs with innovative, potentially curative therapies.

Foolish take

Cathie Wood and her managers at ARK Investment Management are frequent traders refining their portfolios. A portfolio adjustment based on prior share price performance is one reason the firm would sell stock. Another may be a higher conviction in another name.

The former appears to be the case here. CRISPR stock jumped 33% in Q3, closing at a price of almost $65 per share. The stock sale looks prescient now. CRISPR shares have plunged 15% since Sept. 30.

Even after the sale of nearly 400,000 shares, ARK Investment's stake in CRISPR actually increased by $139 million by the end of Q3. Investors shouldn't read more into it than ARK's managers shrewdly trading stocks.

That type of investing approach isn't for everyone. A team of researchers at ARK would likely get a better result than retail investors like us, who couldn't put that amount of time and effort into it.

Glossary

13F AUM: The total market value of assets reported by institutional investment managers in their quarterly SEC Form 13F filings.
Net position change: The difference in the value of a fund's holdings in a security after buying or selling shares.
Post-trade holding: The number or value of shares a fund owns in a company after completing a trade.
Stake: The ownership interest or proportion of shares held in a company by an investor or fund.
Top holdings: The largest investments by value within a fund's portfolio.
Gene-editing: Techniques that alter DNA within living organisms to modify genetic traits or treat diseases.
CRISPR/Cas9: A gene-editing technology that enables precise changes to DNA, used for research and therapeutic purposes.
Hemoglobinopathies: Genetic disorders affecting the structure or production of hemoglobin in red blood cells.
Allogeneic CAR-T therapies: Cancer treatments using engineered immune cells from a donor to target and destroy cancer cells.
Regenerative medicine: Medical approaches aiming to repair, replace, or regenerate damaged tissues or organs.
Proprietary platform: A unique technology or system owned and developed by a company for its exclusive use.
TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.

Howard Smith has positions in Roku and Tesla. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends CRISPR Therapeutics, Palantir Technologies, Roblox, Roku, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends Coinbase Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.