MFA Financial, Inc. Announces Regular Quarterly Dividend of $0.25 Per Share and an Additional Special Dividend of $0.02 Per Share

NEW YORK, Dec. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MFA Financial, Inc. (NYSE: MFA) announced today that its Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share of common stock for the fourth quarter of 2011, and an additional special cash dividend of $0.02 per share of common stock. The dividends will be paid on January 31, 2012, to stockholders of record as of December 30, 2011. The ex-dividend date is December 28, 2011.

The payment of the special dividend is due to the fact that MFA anticipates that its REIT Taxable Income for 2011 will exceed the sum of the dividends paid to date and the fourth quarter regular cash dividend of $0.25 per share of common stock.  As a REIT, MFA is required to distribute annually to stockholders at least 90% of its REIT Taxable Income, and it has typically distributed approximately 100% of its estimated annual REIT Taxable Income.

Stockholders interested in learning how to participate in MFA's Discount Waiver, Direct Stock Purchase and Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the "Plan") or receiving a Plan prospectus may do so by contacting BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, the Plan administrator, at 1-866-249-2610 (toll free).  For more information about the Plan, interested stockholders may also go to the website established for the Plan at http://www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/isd or visit MFA's website at www.mfa-reit.com.

MFA is a real estate investment trust primarily engaged in the business of investment, on a leveraged basis, in Agency and Non-Agency residential mortgage-backed securities.

When used in this press release, statements that are not historical in nature, including those containing words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "may" or similar expressions, are intended to identify "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and, as such, may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions.  Statements regarding the following subject, among others, may be forward-looking:  MFA's anticipated REIT Taxable Income for 2011. This and other risks, uncertainties and factors, including those described in the annual, quarterly and current reports that MFA files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause MFA's actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements it makes. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time and it is not possible to predict those events or how they may affect MFA. Except as required by law, MFA is not obligated to, and does not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CONTACT: MFA Investor Relations, 800-892-7547, www.mfa-reit.com

SOURCE MFA Financial, Inc.