Bitcoin holding company Strategy has spent a total of $635.2 million to repurchase its STRC perpetual preferred shares, with the latest transaction amounting to $151.8 million at an average price of $97.48. Despite the ongoing expansion of the repurchase scale, STRC is currently priced at $97.34, below its par value of $100. The company’s previously launched $1 billion repurchase authorization has pushed STRC from a low of about $71 to around $97.

Part of the pressure on STRC comes from competition with Strive’s ASST perpetual preferred shares. ASST offers a 13% annual dividend paid daily, while STRC has a dividend yield of 12%, paid bi-monthly. ASST has maintained a price close to its par value of $100 for over a week, allowing Strive to issue additional shares through at-the-market (ATM) offerings, with the proceeds used to purchase 1,800 bitcoins over the past week.

The performance of the common stocks of both companies has also diverged, with ASST rising 60% this year, while MSTR has fallen 15%. Additionally, Strategy purchased bitcoin for the first time in two months, buying 4,603 bitcoins last week at an average price of about $80,000, increasing its total holdings to 845,050 bitcoins (approximately $65.9 billion).