** Shares of bitcoin buyer Strategy MSTR.O up 2.6% at $186.16 premarket after bitcoin hits over two-week high
** MSTR chairman Michael Saylor told Reuters on Wednesday that co is engaging with index provider MSCI on potential index exclusion
** JPM estimates up to $8.8 bln in outflows if other index providers follow suit; Saylor questions those numbers
** Saylor says equity volatility is tied to bitcoin swings; crypto fell sharply after record above $120,000 in Oct
** Average rating of 16 analysts on the stocks is a "buy"; median PT at $485 - data compiled by LSEG
** MSTR shares down 37.39% YTD, as of last close
(Reporting by Tharuniyaa Lakshmi in Bengaluru)
((tharuniyaa@thomsonreuters.com))