If you need proof that the 3D printing market is still alive and well, perhaps even more so than ever before, just take a look at the upkeep in value that has been recently shown across that world, particularly in countries like China. Even though major 3D printing companies like Stratasys and 3D Systems have seen their market value falter as of late, the overall industry is still expected to boom, and has been predicted to reach at least $30 billion in global market value by the year 2020. Now, the New York-based federally registered investment adviser ARK Investment Management has launched The 3D Printing Exchange-Traded Fund (Bats: PRNT), which is the first-ever ETF in the United States to focus primarily on the 3D printing ecosystem.
For those unfamiliar with the term, an ETF is a marketable security that tracks an index, a commodity, bonds, and assets. In contrast to mutual funds, which are essentially investment vehicles created to help produce capital gains and income for investors, an ETF trades just like a common stock would on the stock exchange, and also experience changes in value throughout the day. Known for focusing their registered and unregistered investments on disruptive innovations, ARK clearly sees a viable future in the 3D printing industry, and thus have listed PRNT on the BATS ETF Marketplace, and will rebalance itself on a quarterly basis.
“ARK’s research shows that the 3D printing industry has one of the highest growth projections in the economy,” Catherine D. Wood, ARK Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, said. “As the technology evolves and costs continue to decline, the 3D printing industry has the potential to steal market share from traditional manufacturing and transform every sector of the economy. We are excited to bring this truly innovative fund to the market!”
Bats Global Markets will be utilized by ARK as the global operator of the 3D Printing ETF, as the investment management firm will become a new issuer and partner of the BATS ETF Marketplace. According to ARK, they estimate that 3D printing market could surpass $40 billion in value by 2020, and potentially expand to a whopping $490 billion by 2025. Ultimately, the investment advisor group believes that 3D printing technology will help reduce costs and time constraints between design and the production process, as well as promote greater design complexity, accuracy, and product customization than traditional manufacturing techniques are capable of.
The 3D Printing ETF, called PRNT, will track the Total 3D-Printing Index, which will include worldwide leading companies in 3D printing technology, CAD software, 3D scanning, materials, and service centers. The fund holdings will be determined by original research conducted by ARK, which cover different sectors, industries, and market caps related to the additive manufacturing industry.
Two of ARK’s other ETFs, the ARK Industrial Innovation ETF (NYSE: ARKQ) and ARK Innovation ETF (NYSE: ARKK), have both provided support to 3D printing companies in the past, but neither has zeroed in on the 3D printing market quite like their latest ETF will.