Is It Worth Investing in Strategy (MSTR) Based on Wall Street's Bullish Views?

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the reliability of brokerage recommendations and their influence on stock prices, particularly focusing on Strategy (MSTR) and the average brokerage recommendation (ABR) for the stock [1][5]. Brokerage Recommendation Summary - Strategy has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.33, indicating a consensus between Strong Buy and Buy, based on recommendations from 15 brokerage firms [2]. - Out of the 15 recommendations, 12 are classified as Strong Buy and 1 as Buy, which accounts for 80% and 6.7% of all recommendations respectively [2]. Analysis of Brokerage Recommendations - The article suggests that relying solely on brokerage recommendations may not be wise, as studies indicate they often fail to guide investors effectively towards stocks with high price appreciation potential [5]. - Brokerage firms tend to exhibit a positive bias in their ratings due to vested interests, with a ratio of five "Strong Buy" recommendations for every "Strong Sell" [6][11]. Zacks Rank Comparison - The Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock rating tool, is presented as a more reliable indicator of near-term price performance, classifying stocks from Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell) [8]. - Unlike the ABR, which is based solely on brokerage recommendations, the Zacks Rank is driven by earnings estimate revisions, which are strongly correlated with stock price movements [12]. Current Earnings Estimates for Strategy - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Strategy remains unchanged at $78.04 for the current year, indicating steady analyst views on the company's earnings prospects [14]. - The Zacks Rank for Strategy is currently 3 (Hold), suggesting a cautious approach despite the Buy-equivalent ABR [15].