STRF or STRK? Comparing Strategy’s Preferred Stock Offerings

Disclaimer: The analyst who wrote this piece owns shares of Strategy (MSTR).

Strategy (MSTR), the U.S. company that's made buying bitcoin (BTC) a key corporate policy, recently expanded its financial toolkit with the introduction of a second Series A perpetual preferred stock, adding to its growing line of capital market instruments.

The company is selling 8.5 million shares of the new offering, called Strife (STRF), at $85 each, giving it a net $711.2 million for bitcoin purchases. That's up from an initial target of $500 million. The sale ends later Tuesday. Strategy's earlier preferred issuance, Strike (STRK), initially raised $563 million.

A perpetual preferred stock sits between debt and common equity in the capital structure, typically offering dividends and greater price stability. That makes it appealing to investors seeking lower volatility and more predictable returns. Unlike owners of common stock, holders do not get voting rights.

STRF pays a 10% annual dividend on a $100 stated amount, with payments made quarterly in cash. If Strategy misses a dividend, the amount compounds at an additional 1% a year each up to a maximum 18% dividend rate, creating an incentive for timely payments.

Strategy may redeem all STRF shares if fewer than 25% of the original issuance remains or under certain tax events, in which case shareholders would receive the liquidation preference plus any unpaid dividends. Additionally, in the event of a “fundamental change,” holders can force the company to repurchase their shares at the stated amount plus any accrued dividends.

Lower dividends from STRK

In contrast, STRK offers an 8% annual dividend based on its $100 liquidation preference, though the effective yield declines as STRK’s price rises. Unlike STRF, STRK includes a conversion feature, allowing holders to swap their preferred shares into common stock at a 10:1 ratio if the common share price reaches $1,000, offering equity upside. That means the new issue functions even more as a fixed-income security, making it the less volatile of the two.

While STRK may appeal to investors looking for a blend of yield and potential capital appreciation, STRF is clearly aimed at those prioritizing income and capital stability. To support these dividend payments, Strategy will rely on a combination of operational cash flow, proceeds from convertible debt offerings and at-the-market (ATM) share sales on the common stock.

Strategy also has an open ATM program in place for STRK, recently purchasing 130 BTC, and has about $3.57 billion remaining on its ATM capacity through the common stock, giving it significant flexibility to fund dividend commitments while continuing to pursue its bitcoin accumulation strategy.

The company's shares rose more than 10% on Monday, by which point it held 506,137 BTC.