Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by and welcome to the MFA Financial Incorporated Fourth Quarter Earnings Conference Call. At this time, your telephone lines are in a listen-only mode. Later, there will be an opportunity for questions and answers, and instructions will be given at that time. [Operator Instruction] As a reminder, today’s conference is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference call over to your first speaker, Danielle Sardone. Please go ahead.

Good morning. The information discussed on this conference call today may contain or refer to forward-looking statements regarding MFA Financial Inc., which reflects management’s beliefs, expectations and assumptions as to MFA’s future performance and operations. When used, statements that are not historical in nature, including those containing words such as will, believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, should, could, would, or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are making. These types of statements are subject to various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including those described in MFA’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and other reports that it may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors could cause MFA’s actual results to differ materially from those projected, expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements that it makes. For additional information regarding MFA’s use of forward-looking statements, please see the relevant disclosure in the press release announcing MFA’s fourth quarter 2016 financial results. Thank you for your time. I would now like to turn this call over to Bill Gorin, MFA’s Chief Executive Officer.

Thanks, Danielle. I’d like to welcome everyone to MFA’s fourth quarter 2016 financial results webcast. With me today are Craig Knutson, MFA’s President and Chief Operating Officer; Gudmundur Kristjansson, Senior Vice President; Bryan Wulfsohn, Senior Vice President; Steve Yarad, CFO; and other members of Senior Management. In the fourth quarter of 2016, we continued to execute our strategy of selective investment within the residential mortgage universe. We have many years of experience in analyzing and investing in such assets, and thanks to our permanent capital REIT structure, we have the staying power to hold these assets throughout fluctuations in market value. Turning the page 3. Despite this period of historically low interest rates, we remain well positioned to generate attractive returns. In the fourth quarter, we generated EPS of $0.18 per share. Despite interest rate increases in the quarter, book value per share was little changed at $7.62 versus $7.64 at the end of the third quarter. As we have said repeatedly, a lower duration portfolio and lower leverage leads to a more stable book value. We continue to identify and acquire attractive credit sensitive residential mortgage assets such as three-year step-up securities and credit sensitive residential home loans. Turning to page 4. MFA began operations nearly 19 years ago and the Company has generated strong long-term returns to investors through volatile markets, and through various interest rates and various credit cycles. Since 2000, we’ve generated annualized shareholder returns of approximately 15% per annum, and over the last 10 years, have generated annualized shareholder returns of approximately 13%. 2016 was a particularly good year with total shareholder return of approximately 29%. Turning to page 5. We layout MFA’s investment strategies. In 2017, we’ll continue to focus on credit sensitive residential mortgage assets. The credit assets we’ve required continue to perform…

Thank you, Bill. Turning to page 9. We review the interest rate sensitivity of MFA’s assets and liabilities. MFA’s overall interest rate risk remains exceptionally low and changed only modestly in the quarter, despite large changes to interest rate. Our asset duration increased modestly by 30 basis points in the fourth quarter as some of our 15-year Agency MBS and longer to reset Agency Hybrid ARMs extended as rates rose. However, it is worth empathizing that at 135 basis points on total asset duration remains exceptionally low. We didn’t add any new swap hedges in the quarter and as a result our swap duration declined 10 basis points to minus 2.7. Overall MFA’s net duration increased by 60 basis points in the quarter, but it remains very low at 71 basis points at the end of the fourth quarter. MFA continues to pursue a strategy of minimizing interest rate risk in our portfolio. In addition to low net duration, it is important to keep in mind that MFA’s portfolio has very little sensitivity to changes in long-term interest rates due to the fact that our assets are either very seasons or adjustable coupons or short repayment profile or a combination of all three. MFA’s strategy of minimizing sensitivity to interest rates served us well in the fourth quarter as we will discuss in more detail on the next slide. Let’s turn to page 10. Interest rates rose dramatically in the fourth quarter as most of the increase occurring after the surprise result of the Presidential election on November 8. The market appears to have priced in increased economic growth and higher inflation expectations in the short to medium run as a result of a new administration’s expected economic policies. As a result, we saw large increases in interest rates in…

Thank you, Gudmundur. Let’s turn to page 12. The residential mortgage credit market continues to enjoy both fundamental and technical support. Interest rates and mortgage rates although up modestly in the last two months remain low by historical standards. According to the most recent report from the National Association of Realtors on existing home sales, total existing home sales for the calendar year 2016 were 5.45 million units. This is the highest level since 2006. Median existing single-family home prices were up 4% versus December of 2015. This marked the 58th consecutive month of year-over-year gains. Finally housing inventory continues to decline. Total housing inventory at the end of December was 1.65 million units down 10.8% versus November. This is the lowest level of housing inventory since the National Association of Realtors began tracking this number in 1999. According to a recent CoreLogic National Foreclosure Report as of November 2016, foreclosure inventory is down 30% in the last year in November marked the 61st consecutive month of year-over-year declines. Foreclosure inventory was down 2.4% in November versus October and has declined every month in 2016 through November. Clearing out foreclosure inventory is an important step in producing home price appreciation as distressed inventory tends to hold prices down. In addition, borrowers with equity in their homes are less likely to default in the future and can also refinance their mortgages at low current rates, which generates prepayments on our existing loans. Turning to page 13. We again grew our RPL and NPL home loan portfolio in the fourth quarter, adding approximately $100 million in new purchases. Net of run off of this portfolio grew by about $60 million in the fourth quarter. We expect continued additional supply in 2017 with selling expected from GSEs, large banks, and other market participants.…

Thanks, Craig. Well to summarize, we continue to identify and acquire attractive credit sensitive residential mortgage assets. Our credit sensitive assets continue to perform very well. And as I think we hopefully illustrated in the fourth quarter and hopefully illustrated during the last taper tantrum, MFA’s strategy is well positioned for changes in prepayment rates, monetary policy and our interest rates. So that completes today’s presentation. Operator, could you please open up the lines for questions?

Absolutely. [Operator Instruction] We will first go to line of Jessica Levi-Ribner with FBR. Go ahead please.

Good morning. Thanks so much for taking my questions.

Sure, Jessica.

Just maybe bigger picture, how you’re thinking about the market for distressed loans, and CRT, and all of that given the new administration, the kind of promise to deregulate the banking sector. Does that change your view at all and how do you think about navigating that?

Well, I think the change is to the positive in that. One of the concerns of the last couple of years has been the regulatory environment and the impact on financing for assets and clearly we’ve seen that trend improve substantially over the last couple of months. So we see that as a positive. In addition, to the extent that there is a pro-growth tax reform or infrastructure spending, again, that should help credit sensitive assets or not necessarily helping in interest rate sensitive assets.

But I would just add to that. Well, again, we don’t really know and cannot predict with certainty what will happen in the future. We’ve certainly heard plenty of talk about GSE reform and so I think in terms of supply of that product and supply of risk transfer, I don’t think I’ve heard anybody say that the GSE roles and housing finance should be larger in the future not smaller. So I think – and that is a significant source of expected supply. We certainly don’t think anything is indicated to change that.

Okay. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Now for our next question we go to the line of Bose George, KBW. Go ahead please.

Thanks, good morning guys. It’s Eric on for Bose.

Hi.

Hi guys. I’m curious if you know the redefault rate in your RPL portfolio and how you see that trending over the next year or so. And maybe you can give us some context around the primary drivers that you see behind redefault in the market today?

Yes, go ahead.

On our RPL portfolio, we’re looking at – I guess our portfolio is a whole. We own – half of the portfolio is reperforming and half of the portfolio is non-performing. So on RPL there hasn’t been that much history on the redefault rates, but what you have seen is as the loans get more consistent pay history, they’re less likely to redefault. So initially you could say we were expecting up third of our RPL’s purchase to redefault, I think we’re seeing performance is going to be better than that and we think with the improving fundamental, improving home prices and the like, we expect that could even trend better over time.

Right. On the same kind of note – I mean, as a buyer in the market are you – would you say you’re more comfortable now with the ability of mortgage servicers to successfully reach retention solutions with homeowners now versus when you guys started entering this market a few years ago?

Yes. I mean, we have third-party servicers that contact the bar in our behalf, but ultimately it’s the investor’s decision on a modification. But we do believe that, again, it’s the fundamental getting better. So as you’ve seen home prices going up, the borrower is more likely to want to stay in their home. You don’t really have the strategic defaulters that you may have had two to three years ago.

Right.

So there’s definitely a different conversation that’s had.

Right. And one more if you don’t mind for me. On the funding side, the profile – the funding profile continues to emphasize short-dated repo. You guys did talk about the funding facility that you have, but I’m curious how you think about maybe swapping out some of that exposure if your buyers is consistent with the markets that the fed could move a couple of times this year or next. Thanks.

So there are alternative ways to finance loans. And so far we’ve been in the accumulation mode and financing with lines. But as we reach critical mass of loan ownership there might be more permanent options available to us including some fixed rate options. So we hear what you’re saying it’s hard to make a prediction on interest rates, but we probably over time would look to fix some of the barring rates.

Great. Thanks guys. I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Our next question will come from the line of Doug Harter with Credit Suisse. Go ahead please.

Thanks. Just talk – yes, if you could talk about – looking at incremental RPL purchases or the step ups, how you think about kind of tighter spreads and balancing that with the potential there, maybe the economy is growing faster and how you think those two things way out and return potentials?

Well, something that we’ve said before is, look we don’t have to replace run off every day, every month or every quarter, we take – as you know Doug, you’ve been around for a while, we take a longer-term perspective. We do continue to see niches. We were very, very early on the three-year step-up securities and we continue to see all the niches develop. But you’re right, as we mentioned interest rate assets got cheaper in the quarter, fourth quarter, the credit assets did not necessarily get cheaper. So while we are in contact with opportunities, we are making investments, we are a little cautious in committing capital this time.

Got it. And I guess looking at the Non-Agency side you said, you were probably incrementally – probably a better seller of those assets. And I guess sort of along the lines of the economy and the housing market continuing to prove and improved, is there still I guess the potential for kind of performance to be better and to continue to release reserves into the accretable discount or has – I guess where are we in that?

So I think I jotted down some numbers. I think if you go back two years that credit reserve – at the end of 2014 that credit reserve was about $900 million, and it’s now under $700 million. So obviously that has reduced over time, now that’s reduced because we’ve had actual losses, it’s reduced because we changed assumption, and it gets reduced through some sales. So it’s something that we evaluate everything single quarter and to the extent that that the fundamentals argue for a reduction in credit reserve, we’ve done that. I think we’ve reduced the credit reserve almost every quarter for at least the last three or four years. But it’s a quarter-to-quarter thing, we still have left whatever – we still have 20 years or so or 19 years to go, because these are 30-year mortgages. But it’s something that we keep a very close eye on.

But that being said with premium, with the principal amortization, with higher prepayment rates in some of our original estimates, we continue to be very optimistic about our holdings. And part of the reason that we sell, it that the universe is shrinking so much, that we don’t want to have a disproportionate share at the end of the day. So it’s sort of we will reduce it as a whole, our universe reduces.

Got it, makes sense. Thank you.

Thank you.

[Operator Instructions] We’ll go next to line of Steven Delaney with JMP Securities. Go ahead please.

Good morning everyone and congratulations. It was really an outstanding book value performance in the fourth quarter.

Yes.

Bill, I heard you mentioned something about taxable income, I think you said $0.16, but I thought that was a figure you were giving for the fourth quarter. Could you give us an update for undistributed taxable income as of the end of the year?

Sure.

This quarter we didn’t have a page in the deck as you’ve done in the past.

All right. Good. Thanks for pointing it out. I’ll start with ambiguity. Yes, at the end of the year the balance was $0.16 per share undistributed, so that’s not a fourth quarter number, that is the balance at the end of the year.

Okay, great. I misunderstood that. That’s what I wanted to know. And I think it was in the third quarter you mentioned there might be some incremental taxable income coming here in the first quarter from a re-REMIC unwind. Is that still in the cards?

You have a very good memory Steve. Yes, that we ran a class, it’s in the card.

So, it’s in the card for this quarter?

So all those things being equal, I would expect the undistributed taxable income per share to grow during the first quarter.

Okay, great. Well, thanks again guys and great job on the book value. You beat us about $0.3, so we need to try to get it a little closer next time. But we will see if we can get it better.

Thanks, Steve.

Thanks.

And we have no further questions in queue at this time, you may proceed.

Great. Well, I want to thank everyone for their participation in the call today. And we look forward to speaking to you all next quarter. Thanks operator.

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