Star stock-picker Cathie Wood’s ARK fund lags S&P 500

The broad market relief rally on Monday left many so-called stay-at-home stocks behind, dealing another blow to Cathie Wood’s ARK Innovation fund.

The $18.6 billion ARK Innovation fund, which outperformed all other US-based equity funds last year due to its outsized holdings of stocks that rallied during the economic lockdowns, dropped 0.5 percent in morning trading Monday, well behind the ꧂1 percent gain in the S&꧋amp;P 500.

The benchmark index dropped nearly 2.3 percent Friday on news a new coronavirus variant, now known as Omicron, had been identified in southern Africa, spurring new travel restrictions worldwide. Yet global equity markets made 🔴up some of that lost ground Monday on reports the new variant may produce mild symptoms.

Signs Omicr𝕴on will not deal a severe blow to the eco🉐nomy are prompting investors to remain in cyclical stocks, said Phil Orlando, chief equity market strategist at Federated Hermes.

“This is not February of 2020 when the world is about to shut down. If anything we think the economy will continue to improve from here,” he said.

ARK Innovation’s declines were widespread Monday, with 8 out of the fund’s 10 largest holdings down for the day. Telemedicine company Teladoc Health, the fund’s second-largest holding, fell 5.1 percent, while streaming company Roku shed 2.6 percent and Zoom Video Communications lost 3.2 percent.

For the year, ARK Innovation is down 14 percent, while the benchmark S&P 500 is up 23.4 percent. Tꦺhat underperformance places ARK Innovation among the worst-performing m✱id-cap growth funds for the year to date, according to Morningstar. It remains among the top-performing funds over the last 5 years.

Ark did not respond to a requ🌜est to comment for this story.