Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare MicroStrategy Incorporated 10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock (STRF) vs Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | CRM | 9.6% revenue growth vs STRF's -6.6% |
| Quality / Margins | STRF | 16.7% net margin vs CRM's 18.0% |
| Stability / Safety | STRF | Beta 0.48 vs CRM's 1.04 |
| Dividends | CRM | 0.9% yield; 2-year raise streak; STRF pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | STRF | +14.3% vs CRM's -34.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | STRF | 10.8% ROA vs CRM's 6.6%, ROIC -9.3% vs 10.9% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
MicroStrategy is a business intelligence software company that provides analytics and mobility platforms for enterprises. It generates revenue primarily through software licenses (~60%) and subscription/maintenance services (~40%), with its core product being the MicroStrategy platform for data discovery and visualization. The company's key advantage is its deep expertise in enterprise analytics and its strategic pivot to become a major corporate holder of Bitcoin—which has transformed its balance sheet and investor perception.
Salesforce is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) software company that helps businesses manage sales, service, marketing, and commerce operations. It generates revenue primarily through subscription fees for its SaaS platform—with sales cloud (~30%), service cloud (~25%), and platform/other (~45%) being its main segments. Its competitive moat lies in its massive ecosystem of integrated applications, enterprise data architecture, and high switching costs for customers deeply embedded in its platform.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
STRF leads in 2 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Risk & Volatility). CRM leads in 2 (Profitability & Efficiency, Analyst Outlook). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CRM is the larger business by revenue, generating $41.5B annually — 87.4x STRF's $475M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 16.7% (STRF) to 18.0% (CRM).
| Metric | STRFMicroStrategy Inc… | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $475M | $41.5B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $11.0B | $11.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $7.9B | $7.5B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$18.1B | $14.4B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +70.1% | +77.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +23.1% | +21.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +16.7% | +18.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -38.2% | +34.7% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +10.9% | +12.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +5.9% | +18.3% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | STRFMicroStrategy Inc… | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | — | $187.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | — | $186.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -16.26x | 24.97x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 16.54x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 2.04x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 20.95x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | — | 4.51x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.04x | 3.15x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 13.01x |
Profitability & Efficiency
STRF delivers a 13.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $14 in annual profit, vs $13 for CRM. CRM carries lower financial leverage with a 0.11x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to STRF's 0.40x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CRM scores 8/9 vs STRF's 2/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | STRFMicroStrategy Inc… | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +13.6% | +12.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +10.8% | +6.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -9.3% | +10.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -12.4% | +11.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.40x | 0.11x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $7.2B | -$590M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $38M | $7.3B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $7.3B | $6.7B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 156.03x | 44.14x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in STRF five years ago would be worth $11,429 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $9,104 for CRM. Over the past 12 months, STRF leads with a +14.3% total return vs CRM's -34.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CRM at 6.6% vs STRF's 4.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | STRFMicroStrategy Inc… | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -4.8% | -23.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +14.3% | -34.0% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +14.3% | +21.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +14.3% | -9.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +14.3% | +192.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +4.6% | +6.6% |
Risk & Volatility
STRF is the less volatile stock with a 0.48 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CRM's 1.04 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. STRF currently trades 77.1% from its 52-week high vs CRM's 64.3% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | STRFMicroStrategy Inc… | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.48x | 1.04x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $127.80 | $303.07 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $85.05 | $174.57 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +77.1% | +64.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 52.9 | 47.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 219K | 8.6M |
Analyst Outlook
CRM is the only dividend payer here at 0.85% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | STRFMicroStrategy Inc… | CRMSalesforce, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $299.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 97 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +0.9% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 2 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $1.66 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | — | +6.7% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 25 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MicroStrategy Incor… (STRF) | 100 | 105.47 | +5.5% |
| Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | 100 | 78.02 | -22.0% |
MicroStrategy Incor… (STRF) returned +14% over 5 years vs Salesforce, Inc. (CRM)'s -9%. A $10,000 investment in STRF 5 years ago would be worth $11,429 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MicroStrategy Incor… (STRF) | $504M | $463M | -8.0% |
| Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | $8.4B | $41.5B | +394.8% |
Salesforce, Inc.'s revenue grew from $8.4B (2017) to $41.5B (2026) — a 19.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MicroStrategy Incor… (STRF) | 3.6% | -2.5% | -169.7% |
| Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | 3.8% | 18.0% | +366.6% |
Salesforce, Inc.'s net margin went from 4% (2017) to 18% (2026).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | 393.2 | 25 | -93.6% |
Salesforce, Inc. has traded in a 25x–393x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~25x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MicroStrategy Incor… (STRF) | 0.16 | -6.06 | -3887.5% |
| Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | 0.26 | 7.8 | +2900.0% |
Salesforce, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.26 (2017) to $7.80 (2026) — a 46% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
MicroStrategy Incorporated 10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock generated $-22B FCF in 2024 (-773% vs 2021). Salesforce, Inc. generated $14B FCF in 2026 (+252% vs 2021).
STRF vs CRM: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is STRF or CRM a better buy right now?
Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) offers the better valuation at 25.0x trailing P/E (16.5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) a "Buy" — based on 97 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — STRF or CRM?
Over the past 5 years, MicroStrategy Incorporated 10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock (STRF) delivered a total return of +14.3%, compared to -9.0% for Salesforce, Inc. (CRM). A $10,000 investment in STRF five years ago would be worth approximately $11K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CRM returned +192.3% versus STRF's +14.3%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — STRF or CRM?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), MicroStrategy Incorporated 10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock (STRF) is the lower-risk stock at 0.48β versus Salesforce, Inc.'s 1.04β — meaning CRM is approximately 115% more volatile than STRF relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 11% versus 40% for MicroStrategy Incorporated 10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — STRF or CRM?
Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) is the more profitable company, earning 18.0% net margin versus -251.7% for MicroStrategy Incorporated 10.00% Series A Perpetual Strife Preferred Stock — meaning it keeps 18.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CRM leads at 21.5% versus -399.8% for STRF. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CRM leads at 77.7%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Which pays a better dividend — STRF or CRM?
In this comparison, CRM (0.9% yield) pays a dividend. STRF does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is STRF or CRM better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.04), 0.9% yield, +192.3% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CRM: +192.3%, STRF: +14.3%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
07What are the main differences between STRF and CRM?
Both stocks operate in the Technology sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. CRM pays a dividend while STRF does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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