Published on March 1, 2010
MFA
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FINANCIAL, INC. | ||
350
Park Avenue
New
York, New York 10022
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PRESS
RELEASE
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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March 1,
2010
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NEW
YORK METRO
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CONTACT:
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Shira
Finkel 800-892-7547www.mfa-reit.com
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NYSE:
MFA
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MFA
Financial, Inc. Announces
2009
Dividend Tax Information
MFA
Financial, Inc. (“MFA”), a real estate investment trust (“REIT”), today
announced tax information regarding its dividend distributions for the tax year
ended December 31, 2009.
Stockholders
should review the 2009 tax statements that they receive from their brokerage
firms in order to ensure that the MFA dividend distribution information reported
on such statements conforms to the information set forth
below. Stockholders should also consult with their tax advisors to
determine their individual tax treatment of the dividend distributions paid by
MFA.
As a
REIT, MFA’s dividend distributions are generally not eligible for the tax rate
reductions enacted for qualified dividend income under the Jobs and Growth Tax
Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. Thus, the portion of MFA’s
dividend distributions that are characterized as ordinary income generally will
be subject to full ordinary income tax rates. For stockholders that
are corporations, MFA’s dividend distributions are not eligible for the
corporate dividend distributions received deduction on Form 1120. No portion of
MFA’s 2009 dividend distributions consisted of “excess inclusion” income subject
to the specialized tax reporting rules applicable to such income.
The
following table provides detailed tax information relating to the quarterly
dividend distributions paid to MFA’s stockholders with respect to the 2009 tax
year:
MFA’s
Common Stock: (CUSIP 55272X102):
Quarter
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Dividend
Type
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Declaration
Date
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Record
Date
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Payable
Date
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Total
Distribution per Share
|
Ordinary
Dividend Income
|
Return
of Capital
|
Capital
Gain Distribution
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Carry
Forward to 2010
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P/Y
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Common
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12/11/2008
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12/31/2008
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1/30/2009
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$0.0152
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$0.0152
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$0.0000
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$0.0000
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$0.0000
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1
Q
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Common
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4/1/2009
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4/13/2009
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4/30/2009
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$0.2200
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$0.2200
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$0.0000
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$0.0000
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$0.0000
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2
Q
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Common
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7/1/2009
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7/13/2009
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7/31/2009
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$0.2500
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$0.2500
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$0.0000
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$0.0000
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$0.0000
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3
Q
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Common
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10/1/2009
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10/13/2009
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10/30/2009
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$0.2500
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$0.2500
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$0.0000
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$0.0000
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$0.0000
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4
Q
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Common
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12/16/2009
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12/31/2009
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1/29/2010
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$0.2700
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$0.2700
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$0.0000
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$0.0000
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$0.0000
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Pursuant
to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and the
regulations promulgated thereunder applicable to REITs, $0.0152 per share of the
dividend declared on December 11, 2008 will be treated as dividend distributions
to stockholders in 2009 for federal, state and local income tax purposes.
This amount represents the per share portion of the dividend distributions
which exceeded MFA’s distributable earnings and profits for the year ended
December 31, 2008. During the 2009 tax year, MFA declared total dividend
distributions of $0.99 per share of common stock
MFA’s
Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (CUSIP: 55272X201):
Quarter
|
Dividend
Type
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Declaration
Date
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Record
Date
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Payable
Date
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Total
Distribution per Share
|
Ordinary
Dividend Income
|
Return
of Capital
|
Capital
Gain Distribution
|
Carry
Forward To 2010
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1
Q
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Preferred
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2/20/2009
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3/2/2009
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3/31/2009
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$0.53125
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$0.53125
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$0.00000
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$0.00000
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$0.00000
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2
Q
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Preferred
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5/22/2009
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6/1/2009
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6/30/2009
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$0.53125
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$0.53125
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$0.00000
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$0.00000
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$0.00000
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3
Q
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Preferred
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8/21/2009
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9/1/2009
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9/30/2009
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$0.53125
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$0.53125
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$0.00000
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$0.00000
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$0.00000
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4
Q
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Preferred
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11/30/2009
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12/1/2009
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12/31/2009
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$0.53125
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$0.53125
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$0.00000
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$0.00000
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$0.00000
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During
the 2009 tax year, MFA declared total dividend distributions of $2.125 per share
of Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock.
MFA
elected, commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 1998, to be taxed
as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code and the regulations
promulgated thereunder applicable to REITs. In accordance with the Code,
to the extent of distributable earnings and profits, dividends declared by a
REIT in the last month of a calendar year with a record date in such calendar
year, but which are payable in January of the following year, are considered
paid for Form 1099-DIV reporting purposes on the record date, not on the payable
date.
At
December 31, 2009, we had total assets of approximately $9.627 billion, of which
$8.758 billion, or 91.0%, represented our portfolio of mortgage-backed
securities (“MBS”). At such date, our MBS portfolio was comprised of
$7.665 billion of Agency MBS and $1.093 billion of non-Agency
MBS. Our remaining investment-related assets were comprised of cash
and cash equivalents, restricted cash, MBS Forwards, MBS-related receivables,
and an investment in multi-family apartment property.
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 The Bank of New York 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.
When used
in this press release or other written or oral communications, statements which
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 subjects, among others, may be
forward-looking: changes in interest rates and the market value of MFA's MBS;
changes in the prepayment rates on the mortgage loans securing MFA's MBS; MFA's
ability to borrow to finance its assets; implementation of or changes in
government regulations or programs affecting MFA's business; MFA's ability to
maintain its qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes; MFA's
ability to maintain its exemption from registration under the Investment Company
Act of 1940; and risks associated with investing in real estate assets,
including changes in business conditions and the general economy. These and
other risks, uncertainties and factors, including those described in the annual,
quarterly and current reports that MFA files with the SEC, 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