TYSONS CORNER, Virginia, May 1, 2026, 18:05 EDT
- STRC’s May dividend stays at 11.5%, with shareholders set to receive a $0.958333333 cash payout per share.
- STRC shareholders are now voting on whether to switch dividend payouts from monthly to every two weeks.
- The vote lands ahead of May 5 results, following yet another bitcoin buy funded by stock.
Strategy Inc left its STRC preferred dividend unchanged at 11.5% for May, according to a fresh filing, and set a $0.958333333 per-share cash payment. That puts a spotlight on an upcoming shareholder vote that may divide future dividends into two monthly installments. The payout hits on May 31, with holders on record by 5 p.m. New York time May 15 eligible.
Timing’s key here: Strategy has made its capital markets program core to its bitcoin approach. STRC, a perpetual preferred stock, pays dividends but doesn’t expire. The plan? Issue STRC twice a month, which Strategy argues should tighten reinvestment lag, boost liquidity, and nudge the price nearer to that $100 mark.
Strategy shares jumped to $177.17, a gain of $11.77 from the prior close. Bitcoin hovered around $78,226, up $1,971. That’s got investors sizing up Strategy’s high-yield preferred stock—even as bitcoin’s price swings remain a big part of the company’s narrative.
The company notified investors that brokerages have begun distributing voting notices about the STRC amendment. Strategy made it clear: if investors hold shares of both MSTR common stock and STRC, they’re required to vote both classes, and passage hinges on approval from each.
The vote wraps up at the annual meeting on June 8. If shareholders sign off, Strategy plans to roll out its first semi-monthly dividend on June 15, setting June 30 as the record date. Payment would follow on July 15, reflecting the updated schedule.
Executive Chairman Michael Saylor is pitching the move as a tweak to how the market works, rather than an increase in payouts. In materials filed to the SEC, Saylor wrote that Strategy’s goal was to make STRC “higher frequency, more liquid, less volatile.” He argued that a faster dividend cycle could, at least in theory, help curb price swings. SEC
Strategy’s most recent dividend filing comes after its April 27 announcement: the company unloaded 1,451,601 MSTR common shares through its at-the-market, or ATM, program—a vehicle for selling stock directly into the open market. With $255 million in net proceeds, it picked up 3,273 bitcoin at an average cost of $77,906 each. That purchase pushed total bitcoin holdings to 818,334, acquired for $61.81 billion.
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan said this week that Strategy and STRC have been the “single biggest factor” fueling bitcoin’s latest rally. He thinks Strategy could still lift another $10 billion to $15 billion via STRC at these bitcoin prices, but warned that tougher investor scrutiny might kick in if obligations approach half of the firm’s bitcoin stash. Crypto Briefing
Strategy maintains a commanding lead over other bitcoin-treasury companies. BitcoinTreasuries puts it right at the top among publicly traded holders, with Twenty One Capital, Metaplanet, and MARA Holdings trailing far behind in terms of coin holdings. The gap is wide—Strategy remains the standard for listed firms tapping their balance sheets for bitcoin.
Even with the dividend shift, key risks remain. Strategy’s STRC documents make it clear: cash dividends aren’t a sure thing, and those preferred securities? They’re not backed by the company’s bitcoin. If bitcoin drops hard, demand for new shares sags, or the yield investors want rises, running this financing model could get tricky.
The company anticipates that the STRC dividend set for May 31 will be classified as a non-taxable return of capital for U.S. federal tax purposes, up to each holder’s tax basis. Typically, that means the payout lowers an investor’s cost basis rather than getting hit with dividend taxes. Still, Strategy cautioned, the treatment could vary depending on individual situations.
Earnings are on deck. Strategy will release its first-quarter numbers after U.S. markets shut on May 5. Then, at 5 p.m. Eastern, the company holds a video webinar—investors’ attention could shift away from software margins, zeroing in instead on bitcoin buys, the ability to issue more shares, and the STRC vote.
