CRCL vs. MSTR: Circle Internet vs. Strategy Stock Comparison
How do Circle Internet (CRCL) and Strategy (MSTR) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Circle Internet (CRCL) and Strategy (MSTR) are both classified in the Application Software sub-industry within the broader Software industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
Strategy (MSTR) carries decades of public-market history since June 11, 1998, while Circle Internet (CRCL) listed on June 5, 2025 — long-window comparisons have far more historical data on the MSTR side.
| Profile Item | CRCL | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Circle Internet Group, Inc. Class A | Strategy Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Information Technology | Information Technology |
| GICS Industry Group | Software & Services | Software & Services |
| GICS Industry | Software | Software |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Application Software | Application Software |
| Market Capitalization | 17.41 billion USD | 54.57 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | June 5, 2025 | June 11, 1998 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -33.88% | -48.13% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | -- | 36.44% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -- | 7.87% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Strategy (MSTR) carries a highly aggressive beta of 3.60, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, whereas Circle Internet (CRCL) is closer to market-like at 0.84 — a noticeable difference in market-sensitivity profile.
| Metric | CRCL | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 96.01% | 82.34% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.84 | 3.60 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -80.93% | -84.09% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 12.74M | 22.35M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.40 | -0.64 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.61 | -0.97 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Strategy (MSTR) reports a negative ROE of -21.59%; negative ROE can reflect losses or negative shareholders’ equity, so it is harder to read as capital efficiency. Meanwhile Circle Internet (CRCL) reports 13.44%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
13.44%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- CRCL
- 13.44%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
-21.59%
- Max
- 53.85%
- Q3
- 17.90%
- Median
- 6.59%
- Q1
- -9.59%
- MSTR
- -21.59%
- Min
- -50.52%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Circle Internet (CRCL) at 15.28% and Strategy (MSTR) at 0.00% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
15.28%
- Max
- 41.17%
- CRCL
- 15.28%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 41.17%
- Q3
- 15.28%
- Median
- 4.63%
- MSTR
- 0.00%
- Q1
- -5.42%
- Min
- -33.17%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Strategy (MSTR) reports a negative operating margin of -2.07%, usually indicating that operating costs exceeded revenue at the operating-income line. Meanwhile Circle Internet (CRCL) reports 24.09%, ranking against industry peers normally.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
24.09%
- Max
- 46.89%
- CRCL
- 24.09%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
-2.07%
- Max
- 46.89%
- Q3
- 17.64%
- Median
- 8.73%
- MSTR
- -2.07%
- Q1
- -2.13%
- Min
- -30.45%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 13.44% | -21.59% |
| ROA (TTM) | 0.28% | -4.52% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.28% | 0.00% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 24.09% | -2.07% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | 26.58% | 67.84% |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Circle Internet (CRCL) at 63.86% delivers above-range revenue growth, while Strategy (MSTR) at 2.97% falls into the bottom quartile — a wide split in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
Only one side can be read here: Circle Internet (CRCL) reports EPS growth of -640.54%, ranked against its industry; Strategy (MSTR) has no EPS growth figure this period.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 63.86% | 2.97% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 52.66% | -1.49% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -640.54% | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Circle Internet (CRCL) at 1.04 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Strategy (MSTR) at 4.04 sits above its industry’s typical mid-range — comfortable liquidity, though possibly with more idle current assets relative to peers.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
1.04
- Max
- 5.11
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- CRCL
- 1.04
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
4.04
- Max
- 5.11
- MSTR
- 4.04
- Q3
- 2.77
- Median
- 1.67
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.03
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Circle Internet (CRCL) at 0.00 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Strategy (MSTR) at 0.10 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
0.00
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- Q1
- 0.07
- CRCL
- 0.00
- Min
- 0.00
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
0.10
- Max
- 2.52
- Q3
- 1.13
- Median
- 0.40
- MSTR
- 0.10
- Q1
- 0.07
- Min
- 0.00
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.04 | 4.04 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 0.00 | 0.10 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -4.68 | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Neither Circle Internet (CRCL) nor Strategy (MSTR) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- CRCL
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- MSTR
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Neither Circle Internet (CRCL) nor Strategy (MSTR) pays a dividend this period — they may reinvest, use buybacks, or simply not return cash through dividends.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- CRCL
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
0.00%
- MSTR
- 0.00%
- Max
- 0.00%
- Q3
- 0.00%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
An earnings multiple is available for just one side: Circle Internet (CRCL) trades at 40.89 times trailing earnings, ranked against its peers, while Strategy (MSTR) has no P/E ratio this period.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
40.89
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- CRCL
- 40.89
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
--
- Max
- 112.94
- Q3
- 60.32
- Median
- 32.91
- Q1
- 18.77
- Min
- 6.69
- MSTR
- --
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Circle Internet (CRCL) at 5.75 prices around its industry’s typical P/S ratio, while Strategy (MSTR) at 110.23 clears its benchmark range — MSTR looks notably rich on sales.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
5.75
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- CRCL
- 5.75
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
110.23
- MSTR
- 110.23
- Max
- 17.91
- Q3
- 8.78
- Median
- 4.25
- Q1
- 2.23
- Min
- 0.02
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Strategy (MSTR) at 0.98 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while Circle Internet (CRCL) at 4.50 is valued near its industry’s middle — MSTR is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.
CRCL
Software & Services industry group
4.50
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- CRCL
- 4.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- Min
- -3.90
MSTR
Software & Services industry group
0.98
- Max
- 16.63
- Q3
- 8.50
- Median
- 4.30
- Q1
- 1.92
- MSTR
- 0.98
- Min
- -3.90
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CRCL | MSTR |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 40.89 | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 5.75 | 110.23 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.50 | 0.98 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | 1.43% | -5.94% |