Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest ETFs (exchange-traded funds) were active again on Friday, April 24, 2026, after a quiet start to the week. Wood stepped in as a key backer of X-Energy (XE), a nuclear startup that made its market debut on Friday, while also adding heavily to Amazon (AMZN) ahead of its earnings. At the same time, the firm pulled money out of names like Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Rocket Lab USA (RKLB), signaling a move away from areas that have already seen strong gains.
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Trade AMZN with leverageCathie Wood Backs X-Energy’s Strong Market Debut
The biggest move was ARK’s entry into X-Energy, a small modular reactor (SMR) company backed by Amazon. The company priced its IPO at $23 per share, above its earlier range, showing strong demand from investors.
Wood acted as a key early investor, buying more than 4 million shares worth about $92.5 million. This signals Wood’s strong belief in nuclear power as a clean and steady energy source.
The bet is tied to rising power demand from AI data centers. X-Energy already has a major deal in place, with Amazon set to buy up to 5 gigawatts of power. Wood appears to see the company as an important part of the future energy system.
Wood Doubles Down on Amazon Ahead of Earnings
For the second time this week, Wood increased her stake in Amazon. After a modest purchase on Monday, Wood ramped up activity on Friday by adding 280,450 shares, a trade worth roughly $71.5 million.
The move comes just days before Amazon reports its Q1 FY26 results on April 29 after market close. Wall Street expects Amazon to report earnings per share (EPS) of $1.63, reflecting 2.5% year-over-year growth. Also, revenue is projected to rise about 14% to $177.27 billion.
Ahead of the report, top analysts increased their price targets for AMZN stock and reaffirmed their bullish stance on the tech giant’s prospects. They are watching growth in Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is expected to rise about 28% year over year. There is also growing interest in the company’s AI work and its satellite internet project, Amazon Leo.
Why Wood is Trimming AMD and Space Tech
To fund these massive bets on nuclear energy and Amazon, ARK continued to trim its positions in some of last year’s winners:
- Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): Wood sold 215,643 shares worth about $65.8 million. Wood appears to be capitalizing on gains here, as AMD shares closed 14% higher on Friday. This allows the firm to lock in profits following the stock’s recent rally.
- Teradyne (TER): The firm offloaded $13.1 million in shares.
- Rocket Lab (RKLB): ARK sold $9.6 million worth of stock, while the shares fell 5% during Friday’s session.
How Wall Street Views These Stocks
Let’s see how these stocks perform using the TipRanks Stock Comparison Tool. Amazon stands out with a Strong Buy rating and the highest Smart Score of 10, showing strong analyst confidence. Advanced Micro Devices also carries a Strong Buy, but its price target suggests downside from current levels.
Meanwhile, Rocket Lab USA offers the highest upside potential at about 12%, pointing to more room for gains.
