Strategy’s Stretch Preferreds Deepen Bitcoin Bet While Aiming To Limit Dilution
Make better investment decisions with Simply Wall St's easy, visual tools that give you a competitive edge. Strategy Inc (NasdaqGS:MSTR) is issuing additional perpetual preferred shares, called Stretch, to fund continued Bitcoin accumulation. The company is shifting more of its Bitcoin funding toward preferred equity instead of common equity to address concerns about dilution. Management has reiterated plans to keep buying Bitcoin over the long term and has ruled out forced sales despite price volatility and large unrealized losses. Strategy, trading at $133.88, has been closely linked to Bitcoin sentiment, which is reflected in its recent stock performance. The share price shows a 25.3% decline over the past 30 days and a 14.8% decline year to date, with a 60.4% decline over the past year. Even with these pullbacks, the 3 year return is very large, while the 5 year return stands at 38.9%. For you as an investor, the key question is whether this new Stretch funding model and the commitment to ongoing Bitcoin purchases align with your risk tolerance and time horizon. The shift toward preferred equity changes how different investor groups are exposed to Bitcoin price swings, particularly institutions seeking digital asset exposure with a different risk and volatility profile than the common stock. 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 Earnings & Revenue Growth as at Feb 2026 📰 Beyond the headline: 2 risks and 2 things going right for Strategy that every investor should see. For you, the key takeaway is that Strategy is doubling down on being a Bitcoin-treasury and software hybrid, and Stretch is the latest tool to support that. By tilting new funding toward perpetual preferred equity, management is trying to reduce further dilution of common shareholders while still adding to a 714,644 Bitcoin stack that currently sits on about US$4.5b of unrealized losses. The trade off is higher fixed dividend obligations on Stretch, with the rate recently lifted to 11.25%, which increases the company’s cash commitments at a time when reported net losses are already very large, including a US$12,436.65m loss in Q4 2025. The cloud and software business is still generating revenue, and subscription lines have been growing, but for equity holders the main driver remains Bitcoin exposure, not pure software fundamentals. Compared with other crypto exposed names like Coinbase or Robinhood, Strategy is far more concentrated in a single asset and uses equity and preferred funding to keep buying it. That concentration can appeal if you want focused Bitcoin leverage, but it also means execution on funding, liquidity and risk management needs to stay tight. ⚠️ Very high dependence on Bitcoin price, with about 714,644 coins on the balance sheet and unrealized losses of roughly US$4.5b. ⚠️ Significant shareholder dilution over the past year and rising preferred dividend obligations, including an 11.25% yield on Stretch, increase financing risk if Bitcoin stays weak. 🎁 Position as the largest corporate holder of Bitcoin, with continued accumulation and alternative funding tools like perpetual preferred equity, offers direct leverage to any recovery in digital assets. 🎁 Underlying software and cloud operations are still producing revenue, providing an additional business line alongside the Bitcoin treasury model. From here, it makes sense to watch three things closely. First, Bitcoin’s price path, because Strategy’s earnings and stock performance are tightly linked to it. Second, the market reception to additional Stretch issuances, including whether shares keep trading near par and how sustainable the 11.25% dividend proves over time. Third, the health of the core software business, particularly subscription and cloud revenue trends, which can help support cash needs if crypto conditions stay difficult. Any changes in management’s tone about “never selling” Bitcoin, or in the company’s ability to access capital markets on acceptable terms, would also be important signals for your risk assessment. To ensure you're always in the loop on how the latest news impacts the investment narrative for Strategy, head to the community page for Strategy to never miss an update on the top community narratives. 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. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
