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ARKK
ARK Innovation ETF · Thematic ETF
$80.19
+8.60% this month
VERSUS
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CATH
Global X S&P 500 Catholic Values ETF · ESG ETF
$89.32
+1.60% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across expense ratio, momentum, yield, fund size, risk
ARKK
1
CATH
4
Comparison scoreboard
CATH LEADS 4/5Exp. Ratio
ARKK 0.75%
CATH ✓0.29%
1Y Return
ARKK +20.10%
CATH ✓+23.91%
Div. Yield
ARKK 0.00%
CATH ✓0.76%
AUM
ARKK ✓$7.26B
CATH $1.27B
Beta
ARKK 1.98
CATH ✓1.03
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
ARKK vs CATH ETF Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
ARKK and CATH represent two different investing philosophies that happen to be in ETF form. ARKK is a concentrated active disruptive technology bet with extraordinary upside potential and devastating downside — high risk, high reward for technology optimists. CATH is a values-screened S&P 500 fund for Catholic investors who want market exposure aligned with their faith — a values-first investment with near-market performance expectations. These ETFs serve entirely different investor motivations.
ARKK vs CATH — ARK Innovation ETF (Cathie Wood's concentrated active bet on disruptive technology leaders in genomics, AI, fintech, and energy storage with extraordinary volatility) versus Global X S&P 500 Catholic Values ETF (S&P 500 screened to exclude USCCB-conflicting companies for faith-aligned investors seeking market-rate returns with values alignment).
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
CATH holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. CATH has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+23.91% vs +20.10% for ARKK).
Normalized 1Y performance
ARKK
CATH
Recent returns
ARKK
CATH
Who should consider this stock?
ARKK may suit investors who:
- →believe ARK's disruptive technology research framework correctly identifies tomorrow's technology leaders before they achieve mainstream recognition — and have multi-year patience for the thesis to play out
- →want concentrated exposure to disruptive technology themes (genomics, AI, crypto, autonomous vehicles) with active management flexibility to concentrate in highest-conviction ideas
- →have high risk tolerance for 50-75% drawdown potential and can hold through severe multi-year underperformance vs S&P 500 without selling
- →are comfortable with 0.75% expense ratio, ARK's post-2021 track record of significant underperformance, and the possibility that near-zero interest rates were a one-time tailwind not repeatable
CATH may suit investors who:
- →are Catholic investors seeking to align investment portfolios with USCCB Catholic social teaching guidelines without sacrificing broad market diversification
- →prefer values-first investing where faith alignment is the primary portfolio objective and financial returns should track the S&P 500 as closely as possible after the values screen
- →want a simple, low-cost faith-based ETF alternative to building individual stock portfolios that manually exclude USCCB-conflicting companies
- →are comfortable with possible tracking error vs the S&P 500 depending on performance of excluded sectors and the 0.29% cost premium over pure S&P 500 ETFs
Performance & AI score
| Metric | ARKK | CATH |
|---|---|---|
| ETF score | 29.0 | 61.0 |
| Latest close | $80.19 | $89.32 |
| 1M return | +8.60% | +1.60% |
| 6M return | +3.20% | +10.55% |
| 1Y return | +20.10% | +23.91% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | ARKK | CATH |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $12.01K (+20.1%) started 2025-06-18 | $12.5K (+25.0%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $6.97K (-30.3%) started 2021-06-18 | $19.12K (+91.2%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $48.04K (+380.4%) started 2016-06-20 | $45.61K (+356.1%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Fund characteristics
| Metric | ARKK | CATH |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.75% | 0.29% |
| Total assets (AUM) | $7.26B | $1.27B |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.76% |
| Trailing P/E | 47.49 | 26.90 |
| Beta | 1.98 | 1.03 |
| 52-week change | 20.10% | 23.91% |
Risk & fund metrics
| Metric | ARKK | CATH |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y return | +20.10% | +23.91% |
| 6M return | +3.20% | +10.55% |
| 1M return | +8.60% | +1.60% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 0.57 | 1.41 |
| Beta | 1.98 | 1.03 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.76% |
| 5Y CAGR | -7.27% | +12.59% |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
ARKK max drawdown31.35%
CATH max drawdown9.42%
ARKK max wkly drop14.57%
CATH max wkly drop3.80%
5Y risk snapshot
ARKK max drawdown77.17%
CATH max drawdown28.13%
ARKK max wkly drop29.56%
CATH max wkly drop11.73%
10Y risk snapshot
ARKK max drawdown80.91%
CATH max drawdown33.95%
ARKK max wkly drop29.56%
CATH max wkly drop16.63%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | ARKK | CATH |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +20.10% | +23.91% |
| CAGR | +20.11% | +23.93% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.57 | 1.41 | |
| Max drawdown | 31.35% | 9.42% | |
| Max daily drop | 6.97% | 2.79% | |
| Max wkly drop | 14.57% | 3.80% | |
| 5Y | Growth | -31.43% | +80.87% |
| CAGR | -7.27% | +12.59% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.03 | 0.50 | |
| Max drawdown | 77.17% | 28.13% | |
| Max daily drop | 10.10% | 6.45% | |
| Max wkly drop | 29.56% | 11.73% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +341.88% | +301.62% |
| CAGR | +16.03% | +14.93% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.46 | 0.60 | |
| Max drawdown | 80.91% | 33.95% | |
| Max daily drop | 15.57% | 11.91% | |
| Max wkly drop | 29.56% | 16.63% |
Fund overview
| Category | ARKK | CATH |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | ARK Innovation ETF | Global X S&P 500 Catholic Values ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratio | 0.75% | 0.29% |
| Total assets (AUM) | $7.26B | $1.27B |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.76% |
ARKK strengths
- →2020 performance demonstrated upside potential: ARKK's 150%+ gain in 2020 proved that concentrated disruptive technology bets can generate extraordinary returns in favorable rate environments
- →Cathie Wood's disruptive technology framework: ARK's proprietary research framework combining multi-year price targets across technology platforms has influenced institutional technology investing conversation
- →Active management flexibility: ARKK can rapidly shift into emerging opportunities (AI, crypto, genomics) faster than passive indices — the portfolio rotates toward highest-conviction disruptive technology bets
CATH strengths
- →S&P 500 market exposure with values screen: CATH provides near-S&P 500 performance with ~450 companies after removing USCCB-conflicting holdings — minimal return impact vs vanilla S&P 500 in most periods
- →Faith-based investing legitimacy: CATH's USCCB-guidelines-based screen provides an institutional framework for Catholic values investing beyond individual stock exclusion decisions
- →0.29% expense ratio: competitive expense for a values-screened ETF — much cheaper than ARKK and reasonable vs standard S&P 500 ETFs (0.03%) given the additional screening methodology
Risks to watch — ARKK
- →Post-2021 underperformance has been severe: ARKK fell 75%+ from peak to trough in 2021-2023 — investors who bought at peak valuations have experienced significant and long-lasting drawdowns
- →0.75% expense ratio on an ETF with poor recent performance: the active management fee is difficult to justify when recent performance has significantly underperformed the S&P 500
- →Concentrated high-multiple growth company risk: ARKK's holdings trade at extreme valuations — in rising rate environments, high-multiple growth stocks experience significant multiple compression
Risks to watch — CATH
- →Catholic values screening may reduce diversification marginally: excluding healthcare companies (contraceptives, stem cell research) removes some S&P 500 names — but the 450+ remaining stocks provide broad diversification
- →Performance vs S&P 500 depends on screened sectors' relative performance: if excluded sectors (certain healthcare, defense) outperform, CATH will underperform the standard S&P 500
- →Faith-based investing is values-first, returns-second: CATH investors prioritize alignment with Catholic teaching — investors purely maximizing financial returns should compare CATH vs VOO performance track record
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