New York, March 2, 2026, 17:38 EST — After-hours.
- Strategy shares finished the day 6.3% higher, with a slight uptick continuing after hours.
- An SEC filing showed a fresh Bitcoin buy, paid for with proceeds from stock sales and by upping the STRC preferred dividend rate.
- Investors have their eyes on how quickly purchases are happening, what kind of dilution’s coming from new shares, and the cost of funding it all.
Shares of Strategy Inc (MSTR) jumped 6.3% Monday, then edged up again after hours, following a regulatory filing that outlined an additional Bitcoin buy and a new funding development. The stock finished the session at $137.65, up 0.3% more to $138.00 in late trades.
The filing draws attention since Strategy acts as a high-volatility stand-in for Bitcoin. Investors eye both the speed of the company’s buying and—just as importantly—the way it finances those moves.
The timing isn’t great for Bitcoin-linked stocks. Sharp moves in the token’s price have a way of shaking up debt costs, dividend math, and the value proposition for new share sales—sometimes in a matter of hours.
Strategy disclosed it sold 1,730,563 class A common shares for net proceeds of $229.9 million, along with 71,590 shares of its variable-rate “Stretch” preferred stock (STRC), bringing in another $7.1 million during the stretch from Feb. 23 to March 1. The company put that cash toward acquiring 3,015 bitcoins at an average price of $67,700 each, spending $204.1 million and taking its total bitcoin holdings up to 720,737 at an average cost basis of $75,985, according to the filing. On top of that, starting March 1, STRC’s regular dividend rate ticks up to 11.50% from 11.25%. Strategy also declared cash dividends for its preferred series, with payouts set for March 31 to holders as of March 15. SEC
With an at-the-market (ATM) offering, a company has the flexibility to sell shares periodically at current market prices, skipping the need for a one-off transaction.
Michael Saylor, the company’s Executive Chairman, announced on X that the Stretch Dividend Rate will climb by 25 basis points, hitting 11.50% for March 2026. He referenced the change with, “Stretch Dividend Rate increased by 25 bps to 11.50% for March 2026. $STRC.” Saylor had also posted “The Turn of the Century.” a day before that. X (formerly Twitter)
Bitcoin climbed roughly 6.1% to $69,351. Coinbase Global gained 5.3%. Shares of miners Marathon Digital and Riot Platforms advanced as well.
Still, there’s a trade-off here. Ongoing stock sales risk diluting current holders, while those double-digit preferred payouts could make future fundraising tougher if market appetite fades.
If Bitcoin tumbles, Strategy’s shares would probably take a hit, and raising money could get pricier—especially if the preferred stock needs to bump up its yield just to draw buyers.
Next up: traders are eyeing Bitcoin heading into Tuesday’s session, gauging if Strategy will maintain its routine stream of purchase and funding updates. The immediate marker is the March 15 record date, setting up for the preferred dividend payout on March 31.
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