Strategy Just Sold $216 Million of Bitcoin to Pay Its Dividends. Is Its Business Breaking?
The flywheel that made Strategy a sensation has now turned the other direction.
Overview
Strategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) became a stock market sensation after pivoting its business from software to Bitcoin. CEO Michael Saylor's high profile on social media and vocal support of cryptocurrency helped make Strategy a household name among crypto investors. Strategy accumulated Bitcoin for several years, becoming one of its largest holders and issuing preferred shares that pay investors generous dividends with fixed yields.
Shockingly, Michael Saylor recently confirmed that Strategy sold 3,588 BTC for approximately $216 million to fund dividends on its preferred stock and to top off the company's cash reserve. It's a watershed moment for investors to evaluate just how durable Strategy's business model actually is.
Details
Strategy enjoys a strong tailwind when Bitcoin's price rises. The value of its BTC holdings would increase, and the stock has even traded at huge premiums to its BTC reserves at times. These circumstances allowed Strategy to practically print cash by issuing stock or borrowing money, funding its dividends and BTC purchases to grow its reserves, a flywheel that spun for quite a while.
Source
Originally published at www.fool.com.