Strategy Doubles Down On Bitcoin Model As Stretch Dividend Rises Again

February 1, 2026

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  • Strategy Inc. (NasdaqGS:MSTR) recently acquired more than 2,900 BTC, funded through an at the market equity offering.

  • The company simultaneously raised the monthly dividend rate on its Stretch (STRC) preferred stock, marking the sixth increase since July 2025.

  • These moves come during significant bitcoin price declines and increased scrutiny of Strategy’s bitcoin backed financial model.

Strategy is again leaning into its bitcoin centric approach at a time when its own shares and the crypto market have been under pressure. The stock closed at $149.71, with a 7 day return of an 8.2% decline and a 1 year return of a 55.3% decline, while still showing a very large gain over 3 years and an 85.7% gain over 5 years. That mix of sharp recent weakness and strong multi year performance helps explain why opinions are so divided on the company’s current direction.

For you as a shareholder or potential investor, the combination of larger bitcoin holdings and higher preferred dividends sharpens the focus on risk, income and balance sheet flexibility. The key question from here is how well Strategy’s bitcoin backed model and capital structure can handle further swings in both crypto and equity markets, and what that could mean for future dividend decisions and equity issuance.

Stay updated on the most important news stories for Strategy by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on Strategy.

NasdaqGS:MSTR 1-Year Stock Price Chart
NasdaqGS:MSTR 1-Year Stock Price Chart

Why Strategy could be great value

Strategy’s latest move to issue equity and preferred stock in order to buy 2,932 BTC takes its holdings to 712,647 BTC and reinforces the company’s identity as a bitcoin treasury vehicle rather than a traditional software firm. For you, that means shareholder returns are likely to stay closely tied to bitcoin price moves and to management’s willingness to keep recycling equity and preferred capital into more coins, even when both crypto and the share price are under pressure.

This update lines up with the long-running thesis that Strategy is a bitcoin amplifier, using capital markets to increase BTC per share instead of focusing on core software growth. Successive increases in the Stretch preferred dividend, framed as a high yield, shorter duration cash instrument, show how the company is trying to attract different investor profiles than pure equity holders, in contrast to crypto-exposed peers like Coinbase or Robinhood that focus more on trading and platform revenues.

  • ⚠️ Bitcoin remains the dominant driver of value, so sharp crypto downturns can quickly pressure both Strategy’s equity and its perceived ability to fund preferred dividends.

  • ⚠️ Ongoing equity issuance to fund BTC purchases can dilute existing shareholders if the stock trades at a discount to underlying holdings for a sustained period.

  • 🎁 The Stretch preferred stock offers income-focused investors a high stated yield tied to a large, unencumbered bitcoin reserve, which some view as a differentiated way to gain BTC exposure.

  • 🎁 Management highlights balance sheet flexibility from unencumbered BTC and convertible debt, which can help avoid forced selling during periods of market stress.

Looking ahead, the key things to track are how aggressively Strategy continues issuing equity and preferreds at current prices, how bitcoin volatility flows through upcoming results, and whether market sentiment starts to reward or penalize this high conviction model. If you want to see how different investors are thinking about that trade off, have a look at the community views and detailed theses on Strategy’s narrative page on Simply Wall St.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include MSTR.

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