NEW YORK, Jan 3, 2026, 10:04 ET — Market closed
- Strategy shares ended Friday up 3.4% at $157.16 as bitcoin ticked higher.
- An SEC filing showed Strategy lifted the dividend rate on its STRC preferred and declared a January payout.
- Benchmark analyst Mark Palmer reiterated a buy rating and a $705 price target, according to TipRanks.
Strategy Inc shares rose 3.4% in the last U.S. session on Friday, closing at $157.16 after swinging between $149.75 and $160.79. Volume was about 19.9 million shares.
The move matters because Strategy trades as a high-volatility proxy for bitcoin — the stock often moves more than the cryptocurrency as traders price in the firm’s crypto-heavy balance sheet and financing model.
An SEC filing on Friday showed Strategy increased the regular annual dividend rate on its Variable Rate Series A Perpetual Stretch preferred stock (ticker STRC) to 11.00%, effective for monthly periods beginning Jan. 1. The company also declared a $0.916666667-per-share cash dividend for the month ending Jan. 31, payable on Jan. 31 to holders of record as of 5 p.m. New York time on Jan. 15, the filing showed.
Bitcoin was last up about 0.8% at $90,024, and other crypto-linked U.S. stocks also climbed in the same session, including Coinbase, Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms.
Benchmark analyst Mark Palmer reiterated a buy rating and a $705 price target, TipRanks reported. Palmer wrote the stock’s structure gives it “upside torque” tied to bitcoin’s moves. TipRanks
Strategy has funded bitcoin accumulation through equity issuance and debt, alongside perpetual preferred stock — securities that pay dividends but have no maturity date. The cash cost of that capital has become a closer watchpoint as crypto prices have cooled from recent highs.
Investors have also focused on Strategy’s “mNAV,” or market-to-net asset value, a ratio that compares the company’s market value (plus debt, minus cash) with the value of its bitcoin holdings. Fortune reported the metric hovered around 1.02 in early trading on Friday, near the line where the stock can slip from a premium into a discount versus its bitcoin exposure. Fortune
Friday’s wide trading range left short-term traders watching whether the stock can hold above its recent lows near $150, a level where buyers stepped in during the session. A push back through the week’s highs would likely depend on bitcoin’s follow-through.
Before the next session on Monday, traders will track bitcoin’s weekend price action for signs it can stay anchored around $90,000. Sharp moves in crypto over the weekend often show up quickly in Strategy’s premarket indications when U.S. trading resumes.
Investors are also likely to scan for fresh company updates on bitcoin buying activity, which Strategy has regularly disclosed through SEC reports and its online dashboard. Any signal about the pace of purchases can shift sentiment because the strategy relies on ongoing access to capital markets.
The next scheduled catalyst on the calendar is earnings. Strategy is expected to report around Feb. 4, according to Nasdaq data.
Until then, the setup for MSTR remains straightforward: bitcoin direction, volatility, and the market’s willingness to finance Strategy’s next round of crypto exposure without punishing common shareholders through dilution.
