Quarterlytics / Real Estate / REIT - Mortgage / Annaly Capital Management

Annaly Capital Management

nly · NYSE Real Estate
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Ticker nly
Exchange NYSE
Sector Real Estate
Industry REIT - Mortgage
Employees 51-200
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FY2008 Annual Report · Annaly Capital Management
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ANNALY  CAPITAL  MANAGEMENT,  INC.

2 0 0 8   A n n u a l   R e p o r t

CORPORATE PROFILE

Annaly manages assets on behalf of institutional and 
individual investors worldwide. Annaly’s principal 
business objective is to generate net income for distri-
bution to investors from our investment securities and
from dividends we receive from our subsidiaries. We
have elected to be taxed as a real estate investment
trust (“REIT”) and are therefore required to pay out
at least 90% of our earnings to our shareholders in
order to avoid taxation at the corporate level.

All of the investment securities owned by Annaly are issued and guaranteed by 
US Government Agencies and carry an actual or implied AAA rating. We structure
our portfolio using the Annaly MBS Barbell Strategysm, according to which a 
combination of adjustable-, floating-, and fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities is
designed to perform through a wide range of interest rate environments. We 
employ leverage to enhance our returns. To date, our debt has consisted entirely of
borrowings collateralized by a pledge of our investment securities. On our balance
sheet, these borrowings appear as Repurchase Agreements. Our leverage, measured
as a ratio of debt-to-equity, typically is no more than 12:1.

Annaly has three taxable REIT subsidiaries. Fixed Income Discount Advisory
Company, or FIDAC, is an SEC-registered investment advisor formed in 1994 
and acquired by Annaly in 2004. FIDAC specializes in managing interest rate and
credit sensitive strategies and is a leading auction agent for liquidating CDOs.
Merganser Capital Management, Inc., a Boston-based SEC-registered investment 
advisor, was formed in 1985 and acquired by Annaly in 2008. Merganser extends
Annaly’s asset management platform into traditional fixed income strategies for
institutional clients. RCap Securities, Inc. was formed by Annaly in 2008 and 
operates as a broker-dealer.

Annaly is an asset management company experienced in trading, management 
and operations. Our success and future growth prospects are based on the proven
ability of our strong and seasoned management team to successfully take advantage
of investment opportunities and deliver compelling returns in a wide range of 
market environments.

176822_NARR_R2  4/2/09  12:39 AM  Page 1

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

During 2008, Annaly executed two secondary common stock 
offerings, increasing shareholders’ equity to $7.2 billion by year
end. The effective deployment of this capital, combined with
improving market conditions, allowed us to increase our cash 
dividends declared per common share during 2008 to $2.08 
versus $1.04 in 2007. This increase marks a milestone event for
our Company as we exceeded over $1 billion in total dividends
declared in any calendar year. Additionally, we grew our Company
through the acquisition of Merganser Capital Management, Inc.,
a Boston-based fixed income manager, and the formation of our
registered broker-dealer, RCap Securities, Inc.

SHAREHOLDERS’ 
EQUITY
(dollars in millions)

COMMON AND PREFERRED
DIVIDENDS DECLARED
(dollars in millions)

(cid:7)(cid:4)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:3)(cid:10)

(cid:7)(cid:6)(cid:8)(cid:11)(cid:2)(cid:6)

$8,000

$7,000

$6,000

$5,000

$4,000

$3,000

$2,000

(cid:7)(cid:9)(cid:8)(cid:6)(cid:2)(cid:12)

$1,000

$0

(cid:7)(cid:11)(cid:8)(cid:6)(cid:12)(cid:10)

(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:9)(cid:8)(cid:2)(cid:10)

(cid:7)(cid:13)(cid:5)(cid:8)

$1,200

$1,000

$800

$600

$400

$200

(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:12)(cid:11)

(cid:7)(cid:8)(cid:11)(cid:11)

$0

(cid:0)(cid:2)(cid:6)

(cid:0)(cid:2)(cid:5)

(cid:0)(cid:2)(cid:4)

(cid:0)(cid:2)(cid:3)

(cid:0)(cid:2)(cid:6)

(cid:0)(cid:2)(cid:5)

(cid:0)(cid:2)(cid:4)

(cid:0)(cid:2)(cid:3)

PAGE 1

176822_NARR_R2  4/2/09  12:39 AM  Page 2

LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Dear Fellow Shareholders,

She is one of eleven children, and worked any job she could get to put herself

search for excellence consistently and relentlessly. I’d like to introduce you to them—
not by name, for they are modest folks, but rather by profile:

Iam a lucky guy. I am surrounded by smart, industrious people. Energetic people who

through college. She moved far away from her roots to New York, pawning her 
college stereo system to buy the ticket. She came into my office one day for an inter-
view and was offered a job as a trading assistant and, true to form, she worked her way up to
trading in short order. She became a portfolio manager at the relatively young age of 28 years
old and has firmly established herself as a leading voice in the traditionally male-dominated
profession of bond trading and investment. She is a co-founder and the author of the track
record of one of the most successful companies on the NYSE since its listing in 1997. She 
has never forgotten her roots and is generous to a fault for people and causes she believes in. 

One of her comrades joined the firm in 1997. She grew up in Louisiana and was a 
senior officer for a small local bank. Life’s twists and turns led her to New York. We had spent
months looking for someone with public company accounting and regulatory knowledge and
were so stunned when she arrived on our doorstep that we interviewed her four times. In a
world of grey areas and interpretations, she sets a standard for studied, ethical and definitive
replies across all of the regulated structures we manage. Under her leadership, the Company
has never had to file a restatement of any of the myriad reports that we originate in order to
satisfy the reporting standards of our various accountants, regulators and exchanges. She asks,
and answers, the tough questions.

He was raised in Rockland County, New York, the kind of hockey player who made
everyone on his team better. He is well known for supporting all sorts of causes, especially
those that work with military families. In 1996 he took a chance on a growing young 
company, started working here on an hourly basis and now runs perhaps the largest mort-
gage-backed securities financing position in the markets. He is often the first to arrive in the
office and the last to leave. He is one of those ‘tipping point’ connectors with a vast social
network—he knows someone who knows someone who knows someone—which serves 
him and our company well. He comes from a small, tightly knit family, but his extended
family stretches so far that his wedding was the largest and most joyous I have ever attended. 

Down the desk sits another member of the team whose employment date will always
stick in my mind, because it coincided with our Initial Public Offering date, October 8th,
1997. He grew up in upstate New York and became a lacrosse player. He literally married the
‘girl next door’ after reconnecting with her in New York. He started off on our financing desk
and as we grew worked his way onto the asset side and into a leading portfolio management
position. Time after time in the past 12 years he has helped to formulate and design winning
investment strategies for navigating the economy’s turbulence. He is quiet, thoughtful and
totally grounded in what is important in life—family, home, commitment.

Across from him, a woman sits who came to us through a referral. She grew up in

modest roots in New Jersey, a high school soccer star who wasn’t deemed good enough to 
get a scholarship at her Division I college team. So she walked on, finally won a starting spot

Continued on page 4

PAGE 2

176822_NARR_R2  4/2/09  12:39 AM  Page 3

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

Left to Right, 
Seated: Ronald Kazel, Michael A.J. Farrell, Wellington Denahan-Norris, Jeremy Diamond, Kristopher Konrad
Standing: R. Nicholas Singh, Rose-Marie Lyght, Matthew Lambiase, Eric Szabo, Kathryn Fagan, James Fortescue

“I believe, however, that as 
a nation we will prevail because 
of people like those who 
lead Annaly–problem-solvers, 
strategic thinkers, prudent 
risk-takers, people who do 
things the right way.”

PAGE 3

176822_NARR_R2  4/2/09  12:39 AM  Page 4

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

and ended up team captain and All-American her senior year. She was working for a bank
when we met. We didn’t really have a spot for her, or the budget, but she was too good a 
candidate for us to pass up. She accepted a 40% pay cut just to change her career path. She
so impressed us that we made it up to her in six months. Every day, she watches over the uni-
verse of investments that were not even on her radar screen twelve years ago. She took a risk, 
managed it and never looked back. 

He grew up in Montana and has a healthy respect and love for the outdoors. He was

an investment banker when we first met. We described the puzzle we were trying to piece
together and he helped sculpt that thinking. He moved his family from Washington, DC, 
to the New York area to take the opportunity. He has played an integral role in defining 
our presence in the asset management space. He negotiates the sometimes difficult waters 
of taking and creating companies under the NLY umbrella, and he does it with quiet 
efficiency and determination. 

This next teammate grew up in Maryland, the son of a track coach, who became a

track star in high school and college. We met him when we were contemplating getting into
credit risk-based assets in 2002. We were building the skill set to analyze those risks and
opportunities and he could rip a balance sheet apart with the best of them. After months 
of review, he made the case that we should stay away from the sector. We had believed that 
it was unsustainable then, and we began to chart our way around the coming storm, deter-
mined to avoid the missteps of others. To ultimately argue against doing that which you 
have been hired to do takes rare courage.

Our final profile belongs to a man who was raised in India. He left his family to attend
college in the United States and ultimately go to law school. We became interested in him as
it became clear that a strong, independent legal voice was necessary for our Company to grow.
His diligence and sound judgment as an outside advisor drew us to the natural conclusion
that he was the logical fit for the culture of our firm, and he moved his family from Virginia
to the New York area to be with us. As anyone running a business today can tell you, thought-
ful, prudent and business-oriented legal advice for a public company is almost priceless.

The leaders of the future have profiles like I have outlined above. We work and live

today in a period of tremendous volatility, where scoundrels are being uncovered by a 
staggering bear market and powerful governmental policymaking comes with no guaranteed
outcome. I believe, however, that as a nation we will prevail because of people like those who
lead Annaly—problem-solvers, strategic thinkers, prudent risk-takers, people who do things
the right way.

In a world of 24/7 availability and electronic connectivity, I spend a great deal of time

with these people. As I said in my opening comments, I am one lucky guy.

Prodesse Non Nocere

Michael A. J. Farrell
March 17, 2009

PAGE 4

ANNALY  CAPITAL  MANAGEMENT,  INC.

10-K

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K 

 (MARK ONE) 

[X] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES 
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED:  DECEMBER 31, 2008 

OR

[  ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES 
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 

FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM                                       TO                                 

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER:  1-13447

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation of organization) 

(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) 

MARYLAND 

22-3479661 

1211 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2902   

New York, New York   

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) 

 10036 
(Zip Code)

(212) 696-0100 
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 

Title of Each Class 

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered 

Common Stock, par value $.01 per share   

New York Stock Exchange 

7.875% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock                           New York Stock Exchange 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: 

None. 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.   Yes  X  No  

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes      No  X

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been 
subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days: 

Yes  X_     

No   ___ 

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be 
contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this 
Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.   

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting 
company.  See definition of “accelerated filer and large accelerated filer” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):  

Large accelerated filer  X 

Accelerated filer   __   Non-accelerated filer  __  Smaller reporting company___ 

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  __   No  _X_.  

At June 30, 2008, the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was $8,306,036,131. 

The number of shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock outstanding on February 25, 2009 was 544,290,086.

Documents Incorporated by Reference 

The registrant intends to file a definitive proxy statement pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year ended 
December 31, 2008.  Portions of such proxy statement are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
2008 FORM 10-K ANNUAL REPORT 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PART I 

ITEM 1.  

BUSINESS 

ITEM 1A. 

RISK FACTORS   

ITEM 1B. 

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 

ITEM 2.  

PROPERTIES 

ITEM 3.  

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 

ITEM 4.  

SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS 

PART II 

ITEM 5.  

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED 
STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES 

ITEM 6.  

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 

ITEM 7.  

MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND 
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 

ITEM 7A. 

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 

ITEM 8.  

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA   

ITEM 9.  

CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND 
 FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE 

ITEM 9A. 

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 

ITEM 9B. 

OTHER INFORMATION   

PART III 

ITEM 10. 

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 

ITEM 11. 

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 

ITEM 12. 

ITEM 13. 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND  
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR 
INDEPENDENCE 

ITEM 14. 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES   

PART IV 

ITEM 15. 

EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES  

EXHIBIT INDEX  

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

SIGNATURES  

PAGE 
 1 

17  

29 

29 

29 

29 

30 

32 

34 

54 

56 

56 

6
5  

57 

57 

57 

57 

57 

57 

58 

58 

F-1  

I 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS 

Certain statements contained in this annual report, and certain statements contained in our future filings with the 

Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or the “Commission”), in our press releases or in our other public or 
shareholder communications may not be based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the 
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements, which are based on 
various assumptions (some of which are beyond our control), may be identified by reference to a future period or periods 
or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “may,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “continue,” or 
similar terms or variations on those terms or the negative of those terms.  Actual results could differ materially from 
those set forth in forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: 

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

changes in interest rates,  

changes in the yield curve,  

changes in prepayment rates,  

the availability of mortgage-backed securities and other securities for purchase,  

the availability of financing,  

changes in the market value of our assets,  

changes in business conditions and the general economy,  

changes in government regulations affecting our business,  

our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, 

risks associated with the investment advisory business of our wholly owned subsidiaries, including:  

o the removal by clients of assets managed,  

o their regulatory requirements, and 

o competition in the investment advisory business and 

risks associated with the broker-dealer business of our subsidiary. 

For a discussion of the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the 
forward-looking statements, please see the information under the caption “Risk Factors” described in this Form 10-K.  
We do not undertake, and specifically disclaim any obligation, to publicly release the result of any revisions which may 
be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or 
circumstances after the date of such statements.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Background 

PART I 

THE COMPANY 

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. owns, manages, and finances a portfolio of investment securities, including 

mortgage pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations (or CMOs), agency callable debentures, and 
other securities representing interests in or obligations backed by pools of mortgage loans.  Our principal business 
objective is to generate net income for distribution to our stockholders from the spread between the interest income on 
our investment securities and the cost of borrowings to finance our acquisition of investment securities.  We are a 
Maryland corporation that commenced operations on February 18, 1997.  We are self-advised and self-managed. 

We acquired Fixed Income Discount Advisory Company (or FIDAC) on June 4, 2004 and Merganser Capital 
Management, Inc. (or Merganser) on October 31, 2008.  Both are registered investment advisors and are taxable REIT 
subsidiaries.  FIDAC and Merganser manage a number of investment vehicles and separate accounts for which they earn 
fee income.  Our subsidiary, RCap Securities Inc. (or RCap), which will operate as a broker-dealer, was granted 
membership in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (or FINRA) in January 2009.  RCap is a taxable REIT 
subsidiary. 

We have elected and believe that we are organized and have operated in a manner that qualifies us to be taxed 
as a real estate investment trust (or REIT) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (or the Code).  If we 
qualify for taxation as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal income tax on our taxable income that is 
distributed to our stockholders.  Therefore, substantially all of our assets, other than FIDAC, Merganser and RCap, our 
taxable REIT subsidiaries, consist of qualified REIT real estate assets (of the type described in Section 856(c)(5)(B) of 
the Code).  We have financed our purchases of investment securities with the net proceeds of equity offerings and 
borrowings under repurchase agreements whose interest rates adjust based on changes in short-term market interest rates. 

As used herein, “Annaly,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” and similar terms refer to Annaly Capital Management, 

Inc., unless the context indicates otherwise.   

Assets 

Under our capital investment policy, at least 75% of our total assets must be comprised of high-quality 
mortgage-backed securities and short-term investments.  High quality securities means securities that (1) are rated within 
one of the two highest rating categories by at least one of the nationally recognized rating agencies, (2) are unrated but 
are guaranteed by the United States government or an agency of the United States government, or (3) are unrated but we 
determine them to be of comparable quality to rated high-quality mortgage-backed securities.  

The remainder of our assets, comprising not more than 25% of our total assets, may consist of other qualified 

REIT real estate assets which are unrated or rated less than high quality, but which are at least “investment grade” (rated 
“BBB” or better by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) or the equivalent by another nationally recognized rating 
agency) or, if not rated, we determine them to be of comparable credit quality to an investment which is rated “BBB” or 
better.  In addition, we may directly or indirectly invest part of this remaining 25% of our assets in other types of 
securities, including but without limitation, unrated debt, equity or derivative securities, to the extent consistent with our 
REIT qualification requirements.  The derivative securities in which we invest may include securities representing the 
right to receive interest only or a disproportionately large amount of interest, as well as inverse floaters, which may have 
imbedded leverage as part of their structural characteristics. 

We may acquire mortgage-backed securities backed by single-family residential mortgage loans as well as 

securities backed by loans on multi-family, commercial or other real estate related properties.  To date, all of the 
mortgage-backed securities that we have acquired have been backed by single-family residential mortgage loans. 

1

 
To date, all of the mortgage-backed securities that we have acquired have been agency mortgage-backed 

securities which, although not rated, carry an implied “AAA” rating.  Agency mortgage-backed securities are mortgage-
backed securities for which a government agency or federally chartered corporation, such as the Federal Home Loan 
Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC” or “Freddie Mac”), the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA” or “Fannie 
Mae”), or the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA” or “Ginnie Mae”), guarantees payments of 
principal or interest on the securities.  Agency mortgage-backed securities consist of agency pass-through certificates and 
CMOs issued or guaranteed by an agency.  Pass-through certificates provide for a pass-through of the monthly interest 
and principal payments made by the borrowers on the underlying mortgage loans.  CMOs divide a pool of mortgage 
loans into multiple tranches with different principal and interest payment characteristics.  

At December 31, 2008, approximately 28% of our investment securities were adjustable-rate pass-through 
certificates, approximately 64% of our investment securities were fixed-rate pass-through certificates or CMOs, and 
approximately 8% of our investment securities were CMO floaters.  Our adjustable-rate pass-through certificates are 
backed by adjustable-rate mortgage loans and have coupon rates which adjust over time, subject to interest rate caps and 
lag periods, in conjunction with changes in short-term interest rates.  Our fixed-rate pass-through certificates are backed 
by fixed-rate mortgage loans and have coupon rates which do not adjust over time.  CMO floaters are tranches of 
mortgage-backed securities where the interest rate adjusts in conjunction with changes in short-term interest rates.  CMO 
floaters may be backed by fixed-rate mortgage loans or, less often, by adjustable-rate mortgage loans.  In this Form 10-
K, except where the context indicates otherwise, we use the term “adjustable-rate securities” or “adjustable-rate 
investment securities” to refer to adjustable-rate pass-through certificates, CMO floaters, and Agency debentures.  At 
December 31, 2008, the weighted average yield on our portfolio of earning assets was 5.03% and the weighted average 
term to next rate adjustment on adjustable rate securities was 36 months. 

We may also invest in Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”), FHLMC, and FNMA debentures. We refer to the 

mortgage-backed securities and agency debentures collectively as “Investment Securities.”  We intend to continue to 
invest in adjustable-rate pass-through certificates, fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities, CMO floaters, and Agency 
debentures.  We may also invest on a limited basis in mortgage derivative securities such as interest rate swaps, and other 
derivative securities which include securities representing the right to receive interest only or a disproportionately large 
amount of interest as well as inverse floaters, which may have imbedded leverage as part of their structural 
characteristics.  We have not and will not invest in real estate mortgage investment conduit (“REMIC”) residuals and 
other CMO residuals. 

Borrowings 

We attempt to structure our borrowings to have interest rate adjustment indices and interest rate adjustment 

periods that, on an aggregate basis, correspond generally to the interest rate adjustment indices and periods of our 
adjustable-rate investment securities.  However, periodic rate adjustments on our borrowings are generally more frequent 
than rate adjustments on our investment securities.  At December 31, 2008, the weighted average cost of funds for all of 
our borrowings was 4.08%, with the effect of swaps, the weighted average original term to maturity was 287 days, and 
the weighted average term to next rate adjustment of these borrowings was 238 days.  

We generally expect to maintain a ratio of debt-to-equity of between 8:1 and 12:1, although the ratio may vary 

from time to time depending upon market conditions and other factors that our management deems relevant.  For 
purposes of calculating this ratio, our equity is equal to the value of our investment portfolio on a mark-to-market basis, 
less the book value of our obligations under repurchase agreements and other collateralized borrowings.  At December 
31, 2008, our ratio of debt-to-equity was 6.4:1.  

Hedging 

To the extent consistent with our election to qualify as a REIT, we enter into hedging transactions to attempt to 
protect our investment securities and related borrowings against the effects of major interest rate changes.  This hedging 
would be used to mitigate declines in the market value of our investment securities during periods of increasing or 
decreasing interest rates and to limit or cap the interest rates on our borrowings.  These transactions would be entered 
into solely for the purpose of hedging interest rate or prepayment risk and not for speculative purposes.   In connection 
with our interest rate risk management strategy, we hedge a portion of our interest rate risk by entering into derivative 

2

financial instrument contracts. As of December 31, 2008, we had $17.6 billion in interest rate swaps, which in effect
 modify the cash flows on repurchase agreements.   

Compliance with REIT and Investment Company Requirements 

We constantly monitor our investment securities and the income from these securities and, to the extent we 
enter into hedging transactions, we monitor income from our hedging transactions as well, so as to ensure at all times 
that we maintain our qualification as a REIT and our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 
1940, as amended. 

Executive Officers of the Company 

The following table sets forth certain information as of February 25, 2009 concerning our executive officers: 

Name

Age 

Position held with the Company

Michael A.J. Farrell 

Wellington J. Denahan-Norris 

Kathryn F. Fagan 

R. Nicholas Singh 

James P. Fortescue 

Kristopher Konrad 

Rose-Marie Lyght  

Jeremy Diamond 

Ronald Kazel 

57 

45 

42 

49 

35 

34 

35 

45 

41 

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President 

Vice Chairman of the Board, Chief Investment Officer and Chief 
Operating Officer 

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer 

Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief 
Compliance Officer 

Managing Director and Head of Liabilities 

Managing Director and  Co-Head Portfolio Management 

Managing Director and  Co-Head Portfolio Management 

Managing Director 

Managing Director 

Mr. Farrell and Ms. Denahan-Norris have an average of 25 years experience in the investment banking and 

investment management industries where, in various capacities, they have each managed portfolios of mortgage-backed 
securities, arranged collateralized borrowings and utilized hedging techniques to mitigate interest rate and other risk 
within fixed-income portfolios.   Ms. Fagan is a certified public accountant and, prior to becoming our Chief Financial 
Officer and Treasurer, served as Chief Financial Officer and Controller of a publicly owned savings and loan association.    
Mr. Singh joined Annaly in February 2005.  Prior to that, he was a partner in the law firm of McKee Nelson LLP.  Mr. 
Fortescue joined Annaly in 1997.   Mr. Konrad joined Annaly in 1997. Ms. Lyght joined Annaly in April 1999. Mr. 
Diamond joined Annaly in March 2002. Mr. Kazel joined Annaly in December 2001.  We and our subsidiaries had 65 
full-time employees at December 31, 2008. 

Distributions 

  To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must distribute substantially all of our taxable income to our 
stockholders for each year.  We have done this in the past and intend to continue to do so in the future.  We also have 
declared and paid regular quarterly dividends in the past and intend to do so in the future.  We have adopted a dividend 
reinvestment plan to enable holders of common stock to reinvest dividends automatically in additional shares of common 
stock.

3

 
 
General

BUSINESS STRATEGY 

Our principal business objective is to generate income for distribution to our stockholders, primarily from the 

net cash flows on our investment securities.  Our net cash flows result primarily from the difference between the interest 
income on our investment securities and borrowing costs of our repurchase agreements and from dividends we receive 
from our taxable REIT subsidiaries.  To achieve our business objective and generate dividend yields, our strategy is: 

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to purchase mortgage-backed securities, the majority of which we expect to have adjustable interest rates 
based on changes in short-term market interest rates; 

to acquire mortgage-backed securities that we believe: 

-

we have the necessary expertise to evaluate and manage; 

-  we can readily finance; 

-

- 

are consistent with our balance sheet guidelines and risk management objectives; and 

provide attractive investment returns in a range of scenarios; 

to finance purchases of mortgage-backed securities with the proceeds of equity offerings and, to the extent 
permitted by our capital investment policy, to utilize leverage to increase potential returns to stockholders 
through borrowings; 

to attempt to structure our borrowings to have interest rate adjustment indices and interest rate adjustment 
periods that, on an aggregate basis, generally correspond to the interest rate adjustment indices and interest 
rate adjustment periods of our adjustable-rate mortgage-backed securities;   

to seek to minimize prepayment risk by structuring a diversified portfolio with a variety of prepayment 
characteristics and through other means; and 

to issue new equity or debt and increase the size of our balance sheet when opportunities in the market for 
mortgage-backed securities are likely to allow growth in earnings per share. 

We believe we are able to obtain cost efficiencies through our facilities-sharing arrangement with FIDAC and 

RCap and by virtue of our management’s experience in managing portfolios of mortgage-backed securities and arranging 
collateralized borrowings.  We will strive to become even more cost-efficient over time by:  

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seeking to raise additional capital from time to time in order to increase our ability to invest in mortgage-
backed securities;   

striving to lower our effective borrowing costs by seeking direct funding with collateralized lenders, rather 
than using financial intermediaries, and investigating the possibility of using commercial paper and 
medium term note programs;  

improving the efficiency of our balance sheet structure by investigating the issuance of uncollateralized 
subordinated debt, preferred stock and other forms of capital; and  

utilizing information technology in our business, including improving our ability to monitor the 
performance of our investment securities and to lower our operating costs.

4

  
 
Mortgage-Backed Securities 

General  

To date, all of the mortgage-backed securities that we have acquired have been agency mortgage-backed 

securities which, although not rated, carry an implied “AAA” rating.  Agency mortgage-backed securities are mortgage-
backed securities where a government agency or federally chartered corporation, such as FHLMC, FNMA or GNMA, 
guarantees payments of principal or interest on the securities.  Agency mortgage-backed securities consist of agency 
pass-through certificates and CMOs issued or guaranteed by an agency. 

Even though to date we have only acquired mortgage backed securities with an implied “AAA” rating, under 
our capital investment policy, we have the ability to acquire securities of lower quality.  Under our policy, at least 75% 
of our total assets must be high quality mortgage-backed securities and short-term investments.  High quality securities 
are securities (1) that are rated within one of the two highest rating categories by at least one of the nationally recognized 
rating agencies, (2) that are unrated but are guaranteed by the United States government or an agency of the United 
States government, or (3) that are unrated or whose ratings have not been updated but that our management determines 
are of comparable quality to rated high quality mortgage-backed securities. 

Under our capital investment policy, the remainder of our assets, comprising not more than 25% of total assets, 

may consist of mortgage-backed securities and other qualified REIT real estate assets which are unrated or rated less 
than high quality, but which are at least “investment grade” (rated “BBB” or better by S&P or the equivalent by another 
nationally recognized rating organization) or, if not rated, we determine them to be of comparable credit quality to an 
investment which is rated “BBB” or better.  In addition, we may directly or indirectly invest part of this remaining 25% 
of our assets in other types of securities, including without limitation, unrated debt, equity or derivative securities, to the
extent consistent with our REIT qualification requirements.  The derivative securities in which we invest may include 
securities representing the right to receive interest only or a disproportionately large amount of interest, as well as 
inverse floaters, which may have imbedded leverage as part of their structural characteristics. We intend to structure our 
portfolio to maintain a minimum weighted average rating (including our deemed comparable ratings for unrated 
mortgage-backed securities) of our mortgage-backed securities of at least single “A” under the S&P rating system and at 
the comparable level under the other rating systems. 

Our allocation of investments among the permitted investment types may vary from time-to-time based on the 
evaluation by our board of directors of economic and market trends and our perception of the relative values available 
from these types of investments, except that in no event will our investments that are not high quality exceed 25% of our 
total assets. 

We intend to acquire only those mortgage-backed securities that we believe we have the necessary expertise to 
evaluate and manage, that are consistent with our balance sheet guidelines and risk management objectives and that we 
believe we can readily finance.  Since we generally hold the mortgage-backed securities we acquire until maturity, we 
generally do not seek to acquire assets whose investment returns are attractive in only a limited range of scenarios.  We 
believe that future interest rates and mortgage prepayment rates are very difficult to predict. Therefore, we seek to 
acquire mortgage-backed securities which we believe will provide acceptable returns over a broad range of interest rate 
and prepayment scenarios. 

At December 31, 2008, our mortgage-backed securities consisted of pass-through certificates and collateralized 
mortgage obligations issued or guaranteed by FHLMC, FNMA or GNMA.  We have not, and will not, invest in REMIC 
residuals and other CMO residuals.  

Recent Developments 

Recently, the government passed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  Fannie Mae and Freddie 
Mac have recently been placed into the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, their federal 
regulator, pursuant to its powers under The Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008, a part of the 

5

 
 
 
 
 
 
Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  As the conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the FHFA 

controls and directs the operations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and may (1) take over the assets of and operate 
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with all the powers of the shareholders, the directors, and the officers of Fannie Mae and 
Freddie Mac and conduct all business of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; (2) collect all obligations and money due to 
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; (3) perform all functions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which are consistent with the 
conservator’s appointment; (4) preserve and conserve the assets and property of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; and (5) 
contract for assistance in fulfilling any function, activity, action or duty of the conservator. 

In addition to FHFA becoming the conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, (i) the U.S. Department of 

Treasury and FHFA have entered into preferred stock purchase agreements between the U.S. Department of Treasury 
and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pursuant to which the U.S. Department of Treasury will ensure that each of Fannie 
Mae and Freddie Mac maintains a positive net worth; (ii) the U.S. Department of Treasury has established a new secured 
lending credit facility which will be available to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, which is 
intended to serve as a liquidity backstop, which will be available until December 2009; and (iii) the U.S. Department of 
Treasury has initiated a temporary program to purchase RMBS issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

Description of Mortgage-Backed Securities

The mortgage-backed securities that we acquire provide funds for mortgage loans made primarily to residential 

homeowners.  Our securities generally represent interests in pools of mortgage loans made by savings and loan 
institutions, mortgage bankers, commercial banks and other mortgage lenders.  These pools of mortgage loans are 
assembled for sale to investors (like us) by various government, government-related and private organizations. 

Mortgage-backed securities differ from other forms of traditional debt securities, which normally provide for 
periodic payments of interest in fixed amounts with principal payments at maturity or on specified call dates.  Instead, 
mortgage-backed securities provide for a monthly payment, which consists of both interest and principal.  In effect, these 
payments are a “pass-through” of the monthly interest and principal payments made by the individual borrower on the 
mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of the securities.  Additional payments result from 
prepayments of principal upon the sale, refinancing or foreclosure of the underlying residential property, net of fees or 
costs which may be incurred.  Some mortgage-backed securities, such as securities issued by GNMA, are described as 
“modified pass-through.”  These securities entitle the holder to receive all interest and principal payments owed on the 
mortgage pool, net of certain fees, regardless of whether the mortgagors actually make mortgage payments when due. 

The investment characteristics of pass-through mortgage-backed securities differ from those of traditional fixed-

income securities.  The major differences include the payment of interest and principal on the mortgage-backed 
securities on a more frequent schedule, as described above, and the possibility that principal may be prepaid at any time 
due to prepayments on the underlying mortgage loans or other assets.  These differences can result in significantly 
greater price and yield volatility than is the case with traditional fixed-income securities. 

Various factors affect the rate at which mortgage prepayments occur, including changes in interest rates, general 

economic conditions, the age of the mortgage loan, the location of the property and other social and demographic 
conditions.  Generally prepayments on mortgage-backed securities increase during periods of falling mortgage interest 
rates and decrease during periods of rising mortgage interest rates.  We may reinvest prepayments at a yield that is higher 
or lower than the yield on the prepaid investment, thus affecting the weighted average yield of our investments. 

To the extent mortgage-backed securities are purchased at a premium, faster than expected prepayments result 
in a faster than expected amortization of the premium paid.  Conversely, if these securities were purchased at a discount, 
faster than expected prepayments accelerate our recognition of income.  

CMOs may allow for shifting of prepayment risk from slower-paying tranches to faster-paying tranches.  This is 

in contrast to mortgage pass-through certificates where all investors share equally in all payments, including all 
prepayments, on the underlying mortgages. 

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FHLMC Certificates

FHLMC is a privately-owned government-sponsored enterprise created pursuant to an Act of Congress on July 

24, 1970.  The principal activity of FHLMC currently consists of the purchase of mortgage loans or participation 
interests in mortgage loans and the resale of the loans and participations in the form of guaranteed mortgage-backed 
securities.  FHLMC guarantees to each holder of FHLMC certificates the timely payment of interest at the applicable 
pass-through rate and ultimate collection of all principal on the holder’s pro rata share of the unpaid principal balance of 
the related mortgage loans, but does not guarantee the timely payment of scheduled principal of the underlying mortgage 
loans.  The obligations of FHLMC under its guarantees are solely those of FHLMC and are not backed by the full faith 
and credit of the United States.  If FHLMC were unable to satisfy these obligations, distributions to holders of FHLMC 
certificates would consist solely of payments and other recoveries on the underlying mortgage loans and, accordingly, 
defaults and delinquencies on the underlying mortgage loans would adversely affect monthly distributions to holders of 
FHLMC certificates. 

FHLMC certificates may be backed by pools of single-family mortgage loans or multi-family mortgage loans.  

These underlying mortgage loans may have original terms to maturity of up to 40 years.  FHLMC certificates may be 
issued under cash programs (composed of mortgage loans purchased from a number of sellers) or guarantor programs 
(composed of mortgage loans acquired from one seller in exchange for certificates representing interests in the mortgage 
loans purchased).   

FHLMC certificates may pay interest at a fixed rate or an adjustable rate.  The interest rate paid on adjustable-

rate FHLMC certificates (“FHLMC ARMs”) adjusts periodically within 60 days prior to the month in which the interest 
rates on the underlying mortgage loans adjust.  The interest rates paid on certificates issued under FHLMC’s standard 
ARM programs adjust in relation to the Treasury index.  Other specified indices used in FHLMC ARM programs include 
the 11th District Cost of Funds Index published by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, LIBOR and other 
indices.  Interest rates paid on fully-indexed FHLMC ARM certificates equal the applicable index rate plus a specified 
number of basis points.  The majority of series of FHLMC ARM certificates issued to date have evidenced pools of 
mortgage loans with monthly, semi-annual or annual interest adjustments.  Adjustments in the interest rates paid are 
generally limited to an annual increase or decrease of either 100 or 200 basis points and to a lifetime cap of 500 or 600 
basis points over the initial interest rate.  Certain FHLMC programs include mortgage loans which allow the borrower to 
convert the adjustable mortgage interest rate to a fixed rate.  Adjustable-rate mortgages which are converted into fixed-
rate mortgage loans are repurchased by FHLMC or by the seller of the loan to FHLMC at the unpaid principal balance of 
the loan plus accrued interest to the due date of the last adjustable rate interest payment. 

FNMA Certificates

FNMA is a privately-owned, federally-chartered corporation organized and existing under the Federal National 

Mortgage Association Charter Act.  FNMA provides funds to the mortgage market primarily by purchasing home 
mortgage loans from local lenders, thereby replenishing their funds for additional lending.  FNMA guarantees to the 
registered holder of a FNMA certificate that it will distribute amounts representing scheduled principal and interest on 
the mortgage loans in the pool underlying the FNMA certificate, whether or not received, and the full principal amount 
of any such mortgage loan foreclosed or otherwise finally liquidated, whether or not the principal amount is actually 
received.  The obligations of FNMA under its guarantees are solely those of FNMA and are not backed by the full faith 
and credit of the United States.  If FNMA were unable to satisfy its obligations, distributions to holders of FNMA 
certificates would consist solely of payments and other recoveries on the underlying mortgage loans and, accordingly, 
defaults and delinquencies on the underlying mortgage loans would adversely affect monthly distributions to holders of 
FNMA. 

FNMA certificates may be backed by pools of single-family or multi-family mortgage loans.  The original term 
to maturity of any such mortgage loan generally does not exceed 40 years.  FNMA certificates may pay interest at a fixed 
rate or an adjustable rate.  Each series of FNMA ARM certificates bears an initial interest rate and margin tied to an 
index based on all loans in the related pool, less a fixed percentage representing servicing compensation and FNMA’s 
guarantee fee.  The specified index used in different series has included the Treasury Index, the 11th District Cost of 
Funds Index published by the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, LIBOR and other indices.  Interest rates paid 

7

 
 
 
 
 
on fully-indexed FNMA ARM certificates equal the applicable index rate plus a specified number of basis points.  The 
majority of series of FNMA ARM certificates issued to date have evidenced pools of mortgage loans with monthly, 
semi-annual or annual interest rate adjustments.  Adjustments in the interest rates paid are generally limited to an annual 
increase or decrease of either 100 or 200 basis points and to a lifetime cap of 500 or 600 basis points over the initial 
interest rate.  Certain FNMA programs include mortgage loans which allow the borrower to convert the adjustable 
mortgage interest rate of the ARM to a fixed rate.  Adjustable-rate mortgages which are converted into fixed-rate 
mortgage loans are repurchased by FNMA or by the seller of the loans to FNMA at the unpaid principal of the loan plus 
accrued interest to the due date of the last adjustable rate interest payment.  Adjustments to the interest rates on FNMA 
ARM certificates are typically subject to lifetime caps and periodic rate or payment caps.  

GNMA Certificates

GNMA is a wholly owned corporate instrumentality of the United States within the Department of Housing and 

Urban Development (“HUD”).  The National Housing Act of 1934 authorizes GNMA to guarantee the timely payment 
of the principal of and interest on certificates which represent an interest in a pool of mortgages insured by the Federal 
Housing Administration (“FHA”) or partially guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and other loans eligible 
for inclusion in mortgage pools underlying GNMA certificates.  Section 306(g) of the Housing Act provides that the full 
faith and credit of the United States is pledged to the payment of all amounts which may be required to be paid under any 
guaranty by GNMA.  

At present, most GNMA certificates are backed by single-family mortgage loans.  The interest rate paid on 

GNMA certificates may be a fixed rate or an adjustable rate.  The interest rate on GNMA certificates issued under 
GNMA’s standard ARM program adjusts annually in relation to the Treasury index.  Adjustments in the interest rate are 
generally limited to an annual increase or decrease of 100 basis points and to a lifetime cap of 500 basis points over the 
initial coupon rate.   

Single-Family and Multi-Family Privately-Issued Certificates  

Single-family and multi-family privately-issued certificates are pass-through certificates that are not issued by 
one of the agencies and that are backed by a pool of conventional single-family or multi-family mortgage loans.  These 
certificates are issued by originators of, investors in, and other owners of mortgage loans, including savings and loan 
associations, savings banks, commercial banks, mortgage banks, investment banks and special purpose “conduit” 
subsidiaries of these institutions. 

While agency pass-through certificates are backed by the express obligation or guarantee of one of the agencies, 

as described above, privately-issued certificates are generally covered by one or more forms of private (i.e., non-
governmental) credit enhancements.  These credit enhancements provide an extra layer of loss coverage in the event that 
losses are incurred upon foreclosure sales or other liquidations of underlying mortgaged properties in amounts that 
exceed the equity holder’s equity interest in the property.  Forms of credit enhancements include limited issuer 
guarantees, reserve funds, private mortgage guaranty pool insurance, over-collateralization and subordination. 

Subordination is a form of credit enhancement frequently used and involves the issuance of classes of senior 

and subordinated mortgage-backed securities.  These classes are structured into a hierarchy to allocate losses on the 
underlying mortgage loans and also for defining priority of rights to payment of principal and interest.  Typically, one or 
more classes of senior securities are created which are rated in one of the two highest rating levels by one or more 
nationally recognized rating agencies and which are supported by one or more classes of mezzanine securities and 
subordinated securities that bear losses on the underlying loans prior to the classes of senior securities. Mezzanine 
securities, as used in this Form 10-K, refers to classes that are rated below the two highest levels, but no lower than a 
single “B” rating under the S&P rating system (or comparable level under other rating systems) and are supported by one 
or more classes of subordinated securities which bear realized losses prior to the classes of mezzanine securities. 
Subordinated securities, as used in this Form 10-K, refers to any class that bears the “first loss” from losses from 
underlying mortgage loans or that is rated below a single “B” level (or, if unrated, we deem it to be below that level).  In 
some cases, only classes of senior securities and subordinated securities are issued.  By adjusting the priority of interest 
and principal payments on each class of a given series of senior-subordinated mortgage-backed securities, issuers are 
able to create classes of mortgage-backed securities with varying degrees of credit exposure, prepayment exposure and 
potential total return, tailored to meet the needs of sophisticated institutional investors.

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Collateralized Mortgage Obligations and Multi-Class Pass-Through Securities

We may also invest in CMOs and multi-class pass-through securities.  CMOs are debt obligations issued by 
special purpose entities that are secured by mortgage loans or mortgage-backed certificates, including, in many cases, 
certificates issued by government and government-related guarantors, including, GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC, together 
with certain funds and other collateral.  Multi-class pass-through securities are equity interests in a trust composed of 
mortgage loans or other mortgage-backed securities.  Payments of principal and interest on underlying collateral provide 
the funds to pay debt service on the CMO or make scheduled distributions on the multi-class pass-through securities.  
CMOs and multi-class pass-through securities may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government or 
by private organizations.  The discussion of CMOs in the following paragraphs is similarly applicable to multi-class 
pass-through securities. 

In a CMO, a series of bonds or certificates is issued in multiple classes.  Each class of CMOs, often referred to 
as a “tranche,” is issued at a specific coupon rate (which, as discussed below, may be an adjustable rate subject to a cap) 
and has a stated maturity or final distribution date.  Principal prepayments on collateral underlying a CMO may cause it 
to be retired substantially earlier than the stated maturity or final distribution date.  Interest is paid or accrues on all 
classes of a CMO on a monthly, quarterly or semi-annual basis.  The principal and interest on underlying mortgages may 
be allocated among the several classes of a series of a CMO in many ways.  In a common structure, payments of 
principal, including any principal prepayments, on the underlying mortgages are applied to the classes of the series of a 
CMO in the order of their respective stated maturities or final distribution dates, so that no payment of principal will be 
made on any class of a CMO until all other classes having an earlier stated maturity or final distribution date have been 
paid in full. 

Other types of CMO issues include classes such as parallel pay CMOs, some of which, such as planned 

amortization class CMOs (“PAC bonds”), provide protection against prepayment uncertainty.  Parallel pay CMOs are 
structured to provide payments of principal on certain payment dates to more than one class. These simultaneous 
payments are taken into account in calculating the stated maturity date or final distribution date of each class which, as 
with other CMO structures, must be retired by its stated maturity date or final distribution date but may be retired earlier.  
PAC bonds generally require payment of a specified amount of principal on each payment date so long as prepayment 
speeds on the underlying collateral fall within a specified range. 

Other types of CMO issues include targeted amortization class CMOs (or TAC bonds), which are similar to 
PAC bonds.  While PAC bonds maintain their amortization schedule within a specified range of prepayment speeds, 
TAC bonds are generally targeted to a narrow range of prepayment speeds or a specified prepayment speed.  TAC bonds 
can provide protection against prepayment uncertainty since cash flows generated from higher prepayments of the 
underlying mortgage-related assets are applied to the various other pass-through tranches so as to allow the TAC bonds 
to maintain their amortization schedule. 

A CMO may be subject to the issuer’s right to redeem the CMO prior to its stated maturity date, which may 

diminish the anticipated return on our investment.  Privately-issued CMOs are supported by private credit enhancements 
similar to those used for privately-issued certificates and are often issued as senior-subordinated mortgage-backed 
securities.  We will only acquire CMOs or multi-class pass-through certificates that constitute debt obligations or 
beneficial ownership in grantor trusts holding mortgage loans, or regular interests in REMICs, or that otherwise 
constitute qualified REIT real estate assets under the Internal Revenue Code (provided that we have obtained a favorable 
opinion of our tax advisor or a ruling from the IRS to that effect). 

Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates and Floating Rate Mortgage-Backed Securities  

Some of the mortgage pass-through certificates we acquire are adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through 
certificates.  This means that their interest rates may vary over time based upon changes in an objective index, such as: 

• LIBOR or the London Interbank Offered Rate.  The interest rate that banks in London offer for deposits 

in London of U.S. dollars.

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• Treasury Index.  A monthly or weekly average yield of benchmark U.S. Treasury securities, as published 

by the Federal Reserve Board. 

• CD Rate.  The weekly average of secondary market interest rates on six-month negotiable certificates of 

deposit, as published by the Federal Reserve Board.   

These indices generally reflect short-term interest rates.  The underlying mortgages for adjustable-rate mortgage pass-
through certificates are adjustable-rate mortgage loans (“ARMs”).   

We also acquire CMO floaters.  One or more tranches of a CMO may have coupon rates that reset periodically at 

a specified increment over an index such as LIBOR.  These adjustable-rate tranches are sometime known as CMO 
floaters and may be backed by fixed or adjustable-rate mortgages.  

There are two main categories of indices for adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through certificates and floaters:  
(1) those based on U.S. Treasury securities, and (2) those derived from calculated measures such as a cost of funds index 
or a moving average of mortgage rates.  Commonly utilized indices include the one-year Treasury note rate, the three-
month Treasury bill rate, the six-month Treasury bill rate, rates on long-term Treasury securities, the 11th District 
Federal Home Loan Bank Costs of Funds Index, the National Median Cost of Funds Index, one-month or three-month 
LIBOR, the prime rate of a specific bank, or commercial paper rates.  Some indices, such as the one-year Treasury rate, 
closely mirror changes in market interest rate levels.  Others, such as the 11th District Home Loan Bank Cost of Funds 
Index, tend to lag changes in market interest rate levels.  We seek to diversify our investments in adjustable-rate 
mortgage pass-through certificates and floaters among a variety of indices and reset periods so that we are not at any one 
time unduly exposed to the risk of interest rate fluctuations.  In selecting adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through 
certificates and floaters for investment, we will also consider the liquidity of the market for the different mortgage-
backed securities. 

We believe that adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through certificates and floaters are particularly well-suited to our 

investment objective of high current income, consistent with modest volatility of net asset value, because the value of 
adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through certificates and floaters generally remains relatively stable as compared to 
traditional fixed-rate debt securities paying comparable rates of interest.  While the value of adjustable-rate mortgage 
pass-through certificates and floaters, like other debt securities, generally varies inversely with changes in market interest 
rates (increasing in value during periods of declining interest rates and decreasing in value during periods of increasing 
interest rates), the value of adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through certificates and floaters should generally be more 
resistant to price swings than other debt securities because the interest rates on these securities move with market interest 
rates. 

Accordingly, as interest rates change, the value of our shares should be more stable than the value of funds which 
invest primarily in securities backed by fixed-rate mortgages or in other non-mortgage-backed debt securities, which do 
not provide for adjustment in the interest rates in response to changes in market interest rates. 

Adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through certificates and floaters typically have caps, which limit the maximum 

amount by which the interest rate may be increased or decreased at periodic intervals or over the life of the security.  To 
the extent that interest rates rise faster than the allowable caps on the adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through certificates 
and floaters, these securities will behave more like fixed-rate securities.  Consequently, interest rate increases in excess 
of caps can be expected to cause these securities to behave more like traditional debt securities than adjustable-rate 
securities and, accordingly, to decline in value to a greater extent than would be the case in the absence of these caps. 

Adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through certificates and floaters, like other mortgage-backed securities, differ from 
conventional bonds in that principal is to be paid back over the life of the security rather than at maturity.  As a result, we
receive monthly scheduled payments of principal and interest on these securities and may receive unscheduled principal 
payments representing prepayments on the underlying mortgages.  When we reinvest the payments and any unscheduled 
prepayments we receive, we may receive a rate of interest on the reinvestment which is lower than the rate on the 
existing security.  For this reason, adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through certificates and floaters are less effective than 
longer-term debt securities as a means of “locking in” longer-term interest rates.  Accordingly, adjustable-rate mortgage 
pass-through certificates and floaters, while generally having less risk of price decline during periods of rapidly rising 

10

 
interest rates than fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities of comparable maturities, have less potential for capital 
appreciation than fixed-rate securities during periods of declining interest rates.   

As in the case of fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities, to the extent these securities are purchased at a premium, 

faster than expected prepayments would accelerate our amortization of the premium.  Conversely, if these securities were 
purchased at a discount, faster than expected prepayments would accelerate our recognition of income.  

As in the case of fixed-rate CMOs, floating-rate CMOs may allow for shifting of prepayment risk from slower-
paying tranches to faster-paying tranches.  This is in contrast to mortgage pass-through certificates where all investors 
share equally in all payments, including all prepayments, on the underlying mortgages.  

Other Floating Rate Instruments

We may also invest in structured floating-rate notes issued or guaranteed by government agencies, such as FNMA 

and FHLMC.  These instruments are typically structured to reflect an interest rate arbitrage (i.e., the difference between 
the agency’s cost of funds and the income stream from specified assets of the agency) and their reset formulas may 
provide more attractive returns than other floating rate instruments. The indices used to determine resets are the same as 
those described above. 

Mortgage Loans

As of December 31, 2008, we have not invested directly in mortgage loans, but we may from time-to-time 

invest a small percentage of our assets directly in single-family, multi-family or commercial mortgage loans.  We expect 
that the majority of these mortgage loans would be ARM pass-through certificates.  The interest rate on an ARM pass-
through certificate is typically tied to an index (such as LIBOR or the interest rate on Treasury bills), and is adjustable 
periodically at specified intervals.  These mortgage loans are typically subject to lifetime interest rate caps and periodic 
interest rate or payment caps.  The acquisition of mortgage loans generally involves credit risk.  We may obtain credit 
enhancement to mitigate this risk; however, there can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain credit enhancement 
or that credit enhancement would mitigate the credit risk of the underlying mortgage loans. 

Capital Investment Policy

Asset Acquisitions  

Our capital investment policy provides that at least 75% of our total assets will be comprised of high quality 

mortgage-backed securities and short-term investments.  The remainder of our assets (comprising not more than 25% of 
total assets), may consist of mortgage-backed securities and other qualified REIT real estate assets which are unrated or 
rated less than high quality but which are at least “investment grade” (rated “BBB” or better) or, if not rated, are 
determined by us to be of comparable credit quality to an investment which is rated “BBB” or better. In addition, we 
may directly or indirectly invest part of this remaining 25% of our assets in other types of securities, including without 
limitation, unrated debt, equity or derivative securities, to the extent consistent with our REIT qualification requirements.  
The derivative securities in which we invest may include securities representing the right to receive interest only or a 
disproportionately large amount of interest, as well as inverse floaters, which may have imbedded leverage as part of 
their structural characteristics. 

Our capital investment policy requires that we structure our portfolio to maintain a minimum weighted average 

rating (including our deemed comparable ratings for unrated mortgage-backed securities) of our mortgage-backed 
securities of at least single “A” under the S&P rating system and at the comparable level under the other rating systems.  
To date, all of the mortgage-backed securities we have acquired have been pass-through certificates or CMOs issued or 
guaranteed by FHLMC, FNMA or GNMA which, although not rated, have an implied “AAA” rating. 

We intend to acquire only those mortgage-backed securities that we believe we have the necessary expertise to 

evaluate and manage, that we can readily finance and that are consistent with our balance sheet guidelines and risk 
management objectives.  Since we expect to hold our mortgage-backed securities until maturity, we generally do not 
seek to acquire assets whose investment returns are only attractive in a limited range of scenarios.  We believe that future 
interest rates and mortgage prepayment rates are very difficult to predict and, as a result, we seek to acquire mortgage-

11

 
 
 
 
 
backed securities which we believe provide acceptable returns over a broad range of interest rate and prepayment 
scenarios. 

Among the asset choices available to us, our policy is to acquire those mortgage-backed securities which we 

believe generate the highest returns on capital invested, after consideration of the following: 

(cid:2)

(cid:2)

(cid:2)

(cid:2)

the amount and nature of anticipated cash flows from the asset; 

our ability to pledge the asset to secure collateralized borrowings; 

the increase in our capital requirement determined by our capital investment policy resulting from the 
purchase and financing of the asset; and  

the costs of financing, hedging and managing the asset.   

Prior to acquisition, we assess potential returns on capital employed over the life of the asset and in a variety of interest 
rate, yield spread, financing cost, credit loss and prepayment scenarios. 

We also give consideration to balance sheet management and risk diversification issues.  We deem a specific 

asset which we are evaluating for potential acquisition as more or less valuable to the extent it serves to increase or 
decrease certain interest rate or prepayment risks which may exist in the balance sheet, to diversify or concentrate credit 
risk, and to meet the cash flow and liquidity objectives our management may establish for our balance sheet from time-
to-time.  Accordingly, an important part of the asset evaluation process is a simulation, using risk management models, 
of the addition of a potential asset and our associated borrowings and hedges to the balance sheet and an assessment of 
the impact this potential asset acquisition would have on the risks in and returns generated by our balance sheet as a 
whole over a variety of scenarios. 

We focus primarily on the acquisition of adjustable-rate mortgage-backed securities, including floaters.  We 

have, however, purchased a significant amount of fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities and may continue to do so in the 
future if, in our view, the potential returns on capital invested, after hedging and all other costs, would exceed the returns 
available from other assets or if the purchase of these assets would serve to reduce or diversify the risks of our balance 
sheet.

We may purchase the stock of mortgage REITs or similar companies when we believe that these purchases 
would yield attractive returns on capital employed.  When the stock market valuations of these companies are low in 
relation to the market value of their assets, these stock purchases can be a way for us to acquire an interest in a pool of 
mortgage-backed securities at an attractive price.  We do not, however, presently intend to invest in the securities of 
other issuers for the purpose of exercising control or to underwrite securities of other issuers. 

We may acquire newly issued mortgage-backed securities, and also may seek to expand our capital base in 
order to further increase our ability to acquire new assets, when the potential returns from new investments appears 
attractive relative to the return expectations of stockholders.  We may in the future acquire mortgage-backed securities 
by offering our debt or equity securities in exchange for the mortgage-backed securities. 

We generally intend to hold mortgage-backed securities for extended periods.  In addition, the REIT provisions 

of the Internal Revenue Code limit in certain respects our ability to sell mortgage-backed securities.  We may decide 
however to sell assets from time to time, for a number of reasons, including our desire to dispose of an asset as to which 
credit risk concerns have arisen, to reduce interest rate risk, to substitute one type of mortgage-backed security for 
another, to improve yield or to maintain compliance with the 55% requirement under the Investment Company Act, or 
generally to re-structure the balance sheet when we deem advisable.  Our board of directors has not adopted any policy 
that would restrict management’s authority to determine the timing of sales or the selection of mortgage-backed 
securities to be sold. 

We do not invest in REMIC residuals or other CMO residuals. 

12

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
As a requirement for maintaining REIT status, we will distribute to stockholders aggregate dividends equaling 

at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and by 
excluding any net capital gain) for each taxable year.  We will make additional distributions of capital when the return 
expectations of the stockholders appear to exceed returns potentially available to us through making new investments in 
mortgage-backed securities.  Subject to the limitations of applicable securities and state corporation laws, we can 
distribute capital by making purchases of our own capital stock or through paying down or repurchasing any outstanding 
uncollateralized debt obligations.  

Our asset acquisition strategy may change over time as market conditions change and as we evolve.     

Credit Risk Management  

We have not taken on credit risk to date, but may do so in the future.  In that event, we will review credit risk 

and other risk of loss associated with each investment and determine the appropriate allocation of capital to apply to the 
investment under our capital investment policy.  Our management will monitor the overall portfolio risk and determine 
appropriate levels of provision for loss. 

Capital and Leverage  

We expect generally to maintain a debt-to-equity ratio of between 8:1 and 12:1, although the ratio may vary 
from time-to-time depending upon market conditions and other factors our management deems relevant, including the 
composition of our balance sheet, haircut levels required by lenders, the market value of the mortgage-backed securities 
in our portfolio and “excess capital cushion” percentages (as described below) set by our board of directors from time to 
time.  For purposes of calculating this ratio, our equity (or capital base) is equal to the value of our investment portfolio 
on a mark-to-market basis less the book value of our obligations under repurchase agreements and other collateralized 
borrowings.  For the calculation of this ratio, equity includes the Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock, 
which is not included  in equity under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.   

Our goal is to strike a balance between the under-utilization of leverage, which reduces potential returns to 

stockholders, and the over-utilization of leverage, which could reduce our ability to meet our obligations during adverse 
market conditions.  Our capital investment policy limits our ability to acquire additional assets during times when our 
debt-to-equity ratio exceeds 12:1.  At December 31, 2008, our ratio of debt-to-equity was 6.4:1. Our capital base 
represents the approximate liquidation value of our investments and approximates the market value of assets that we can 
pledge or sell to meet over-collateralization requirements for our borrowings.  The unpledged portion of our capital base 
is available for us to pledge or sell as necessary to maintain over-collateralization levels for our borrowings. 

We are prohibited from acquiring additional assets during periods when our capital base is less than the 

minimum amount required under our capital investment policy, except as may be necessary to maintain REIT status or 
our exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).  In addition, 
when our capital base falls below our risk-managed capital requirement, our management is required to submit to our 
board of directors a plan for bringing our capital base into compliance with our capital investment policy guidelines.  We 
anticipate that in most circumstances we can achieve this goal without overt management action through the natural 
process of mortgage principal repayments.  We anticipate that our capital base is likely to exceed our risk-managed 
capital requirement during periods following new equity offerings and during periods of falling interest rates and that our 
capital base could fall below the risk-managed capital requirement during periods of rising interest rates. 

The first component of our capital requirements is the current aggregate over-collateralization amount or 

“haircut” the lenders require us to hold as capital.  The haircut for each mortgage-backed security is determined by our 
lenders based on the risk characteristics and liquidity of the asset.    Should the market value of our pledged assets 
decline, we will be required to deliver additional collateral to our lenders to maintain a constant over-collateralization 
level on our borrowings. 

The second component of our capital requirement is the “excess capital cushion.”  This is an amount of capital 

in excess of the haircuts required by our lenders.  We maintain the excess capital cushion to meet the demands of our 
lenders for additional collateral should the market value of our mortgage-backed securities decline.  The aggregate 

13

 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
excess capital cushion equals the sum of liquidity cushion amounts assigned under our capital investment policy to each 
of our mortgage-backed securities.  We assign excess capital cushions to each mortgage-backed security based on our 
assessment of the mortgage-backed security’s market price volatility, credit risk, liquidity and attractiveness for use as 
collateral by lenders.  The process of assigning excess capital cushions relies on our management’s ability to identify and 
weigh the relative importance of these and other factors.  In assigning excess capital cushions, we also give consideration 
to hedges associated with the mortgage-backed security and any effect such hedges may have on reducing net market 
price volatility, concentration or diversification of credit and other risks in the balance sheet as a whole and the net cash 
flows that we can expect from the interaction of the various components of our balance sheet.   

Our capital investment policy stipulates that at least 25% of the capital base maintained to satisfy the excess 

capital cushion must be invested in AAA-rated adjustable-rate mortgage-backed securities or assets with similar or better 
liquidity characteristics.     

A substantial portion of our borrowings are short-term or variable-rate borrowings.  Our borrowings are 
implemented primarily through repurchase agreements, but in the future may also be obtained through loan agreements, 
lines of credit, dollar-roll agreements (an agreement to sell a security for delivery on a specified future date and a 
simultaneous agreement to repurchase the same or a substantially similar security on a specified future date) and other 
credit facilities with institutional lenders and issuance of debt securities such as commercial paper, medium-term notes, 
CMOs and senior or subordinated notes.  We enter into financing transactions only with institutions that we believe are 
sound credit risks and follow other internal policies designed to limit our credit and other exposure to financing 
institutions. 

We expect to continue to use repurchase agreements as our principal financing device to leverage our mortgage-

backed securities portfolio.  We anticipate that, upon repayment of each borrowing under a repurchase agreement, we 
will use the collateral immediately for borrowing under a new repurchase agreement.  At present, we have entered into 
uncommitted facilities with 30 lenders for borrowings in the form of repurchase agreements.  We have not at the present 
time entered into any commitment agreements under which the lender would be required to enter into new repurchase 
agreements during a specified period of time, nor do we presently plan to have liquidity facilities with commercial banks. 
We may, however, enter into such commitment agreements in the future.  We enter into repurchase agreements primarily 
with national broker-dealers, commercial banks and other lenders which typically offer this type of financing.  We enter 
into collateralized borrowings only with financial institutions meeting credit standards approved by our board of 
directors, and we monitor the financial condition of these institutions on a regular basis. 

A repurchase agreement, although structured as a sale and repurchase obligation, acts as a financing under 
which we effectively pledge our mortgage-backed securities as collateral to secure a short-term loan.  Generally, the 
other party to the agreement makes the loan in an amount equal to a percentage of the market value of the pledged 
collateral.  At the maturity of the repurchase agreement, we are required to repay the loan and correspondingly receive 
back our collateral. While used as collateral, the mortgage-backed securities continue to pay principal and interest which 
are for our benefit.  In the event of our insolvency or bankruptcy, certain repurchase agreements may qualify for special 
treatment under the Bankruptcy Code, the effect of which, among other things, would be to allow the creditor under the 
agreement to avoid the automatic stay provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and to foreclose on the collateral without 
delay.  In the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of a lender during the term of a repurchase agreement, the lender 
may be permitted, under applicable insolvency laws, to repudiate the contract, and our claim against the lender for 
damages may be treated simply as an unsecured creditor.  In addition, if the lender is a broker or dealer subject to the 
Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970, or an insured depository institution subject to the Federal Deposit Insurance 
Act, our ability to exercise our rights to recover our securities under a repurchase agreement or to be compensated for 
any damages resulting from the lender’s insolvency may be further limited by those statutes.  These claims would be 
subject to significant delay and, if and when received, may be substantially less than the damages we actually incur. 

Substantially all of our borrowing agreements require us to deposit additional collateral in the event the market 

value of existing collateral declines, which may require us to sell assets to reduce our borrowings.  We have designed our 
liquidity management policy to maintain a cushion of equity sufficient to provide required liquidity to respond to the 
effects under our borrowing arrangements of interest rate movements and changes in market value of our mortgage-
backed securities, as described above.  However, a major disruption of the repurchase or other market that we rely on for 
short-term borrowings would have a material adverse effect on us unless we were able to arrange alternative sources of 
financing on comparable terms.  

14

 
 
 
 
 
 Our articles of incorporation and bylaws do not limit our ability to incur borrowings, whether secured or unsecured.    

Interest Rate Risk Management  

To the extent consistent with our election to qualify as a REIT, we follow an interest rate risk management 
program intended to protect our portfolio of mortgage-backed securities and related debt against the effects of major 
interest rate changes.  Specifically, our interest rate risk management program is formulated with the intent to offset the 
potential adverse effects resulting from rate adjustment limitations on our mortgage-backed securities and the differences 
between interest rate adjustment indices and interest rate adjustment periods of our adjustable-rate mortgage-backed 
securities and related borrowings.   

Our interest rate risk management program encompasses a number of procedures, including the following:    

(cid:2)

(cid:2)

we attempt to structure our borrowings to have interest rate adjustment indices and interest rate 
adjustment periods that, on an aggregate basis, generally correspond to the interest rate adjustment 
indices and interest rate adjustment periods of our adjustable-rate mortgage-backed securities; and  

we attempt to structure our borrowing agreements relating to adjustable-rate mortgage-backed 
securities to have a range of different maturities and interest rate adjustment periods (although 
substantially all will be less than one year).  

We adjust the average maturity adjustment periods of our borrowings on an ongoing basis by changing the mix 

of maturities and interest rate adjustment periods as borrowings come due and are renewed.  Through use of these 
procedures, we attempt to minimize the differences between the interest rate adjustment periods of our mortgage-backed 
securities and related borrowings that may occur. 

 We purchase from time-to-time interest rate swaps. We may enter into interest rate collars, interest rate caps or 

floors, and purchase interest-only mortgage-backed securities and similar instruments to attempt to mitigate the risk of 
the cost of our variable rate liabilities increasing at a faster rate than the earnings on our assets during a period of rising
interest rates or to mitigate prepayment risk.  We may hedge as much of the interest rate risk as our management 
determines is in our best interests, given the cost of the hedging transactions and the need to maintain our status as a 
REIT.  This determination may result in our electing to bear a level of interest rate or prepayment risk that could 
otherwise be hedged when management believes, based on all relevant facts, that bearing the risk is advisable.  

We seek to build a balance sheet and undertake an interest rate risk management program which is likely to 

generate positive earnings and maintain an equity liquidation value sufficient to maintain operations given a variety of 
potentially adverse circumstances.  Accordingly, our interest rate risk management program addresses both income 
preservation, as discussed above, and capital preservation concerns.  For capital preservation, we monitor our “duration.”  
This is the expected percentage change in market value of our assets that would be caused by a 1% change in short and 
long-term interest rates.  To monitor weighted average duration and the related risks of fluctuations in the liquidation 
value of our equity, we model the impact of various economic scenarios on the market value of our mortgage-backed 
securities and liabilities.  At December 31, 2008, we estimate that the duration of our assets was 2.00 years and giving 
effect to the swap transactions, our weighted average duration was 1.21 years.  We believe that our interest rate risk 
management program will allow us to maintain operations throughout a wide variety of potentially adverse 
circumstances.  Nevertheless, in order to further preserve our capital base (and lower our duration) during periods when 
we believe a trend of rapidly rising interest rates has been established, we may decide to increase hedging activities or to 
sell assets.  Each of these actions may lower our earnings and dividends in the short term to further our objective of 
maintaining attractive levels of earnings and dividends over the long term. 

We may elect to conduct a portion of our hedging operations through one or more subsidiary corporations, each 

of which we would elect to treat as a “taxable REIT subsidiary.”  To comply with the asset tests applicable to us as a 
REIT, we could own 100% of the voting stock of such subsidiary, provided that the value of the stock that we own in all 
such taxable REIT subsidiaries does not exceed 25% of the value of our total assets at the close of any calendar quarter. 

15

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A taxable subsidiary, such as FIDAC, Merganser, and RCap, would not elect REIT status and would distribute any net 
profit after taxes to us.  Any dividend income we receive from the taxable subsidiaries (combined with all other income 
generated from our assets, other than qualified REIT real estate assets) must not exceed 25% of our gross income.   

We believe that we have developed a cost-effective asset/liability management program to provide a level of 

protection against interest rate and prepayment risks.  However, no strategy can completely insulate us from interest rate 
changes and prepayment risks.  Further, as noted above, the federal income tax requirements that we must satisfy to 
qualify as a REIT limit our ability to hedge our interest rate and prepayment risks.  We monitor carefully, and may have 
to limit, our asset/liability management program to assure that we do not realize excessive hedging income, or hold 
hedging assets having excess value in relation to total assets, which could result in our disqualification as a REIT, the 
payment of a penalty tax for failure to satisfy certain REIT tests under the Internal Revenue Code, provided the failure 
was for reasonable cause.  In addition, asset/liability management involves transaction costs which increase dramatically 
as the period covered by the hedging protection increases. Therefore, we may be unable to hedge effectively our interest 
rate and prepayment risks. 

Prepayment Risk Management  

We seek to minimize the effects of faster or slower than anticipated prepayment rates through structuring a 

diversified portfolio with a variety of prepayment characteristics, investing in mortgage-backed securities with 
prepayment prohibitions and penalties, investing in certain mortgage-backed security structures which have prepayment 
protections, and balancing assets purchased at a premium with assets purchased at a discount.  We monitor prepayment 
risk through periodic review of the impact of a variety of prepayment scenarios on our revenues, net earnings, dividends, 
cash flow and net balance sheet market value. 

Future Revisions in Policies and Strategies

Our board of directors has established the investment policies and operating policies and strategies set forth in 

this Form 10-K.  The board of directors has the power to modify or waive these policies and strategies without the 
consent of the stockholders to the extent that the board of directors determines that the modification or waiver is in the 
best interests of our stockholders.  Among other factors, developments in the market which affect our policies and 
strategies or which change our assessment of the market may cause our board of directors to revise our policies and 
strategies.

Potential Acquisitions, Strategic Alliances and Other Investments

From time-to-time we have explored possible transactions to enhance our operations and growth, including 

entering into new businesses, acquisitions of other businesses or assets, investments in other entities, joint venture 
arrangements, or strategic alliances. We are entering into the broker-dealer business during the first quarter of January 
2009, through our subsidiary RCap, which was granted membership in FINRA in January 2009.  On October 31, 2008 
we consummated our acquisition of Merganser which is a registered investment advisor.  In October 2008 we acquired 
approximately 11.7 million shares of common stock of Chimera Investment Corporation, or Chimera, for approximately 
$26.3 million.  During 2007 we acquired approximately 3.6 million shares of Chimera common stock for approximately 
$54.3 million in connection with Chimera’s initial public offering on November 21, 2007.    Chimera is a publicly 
traded, specialty finance company that invests in residential mortgage loans, residential mortgage-backed securities, real 
estate related securities and various other asset classes.  Chimera is externally managed by FIDAC and intends to elect 
and qualify to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.  We also own an investment fund. 

We may, from time-to-time, continue to explore possible new businesses, acquisitions, investments, joint 
venture arrangements and strategic alliances which may enhance our operations and assist our and our subsidiaries’ 
growth.   

Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan  

We have adopted a dividend reinvestment and share purchase plan.  Under the dividend reinvestment feature of 

the plan, existing shareholders can reinvest their dividends in additional shares of our common stock.  Under the share 
purchase feature of the plan, new and existing shareholders can purchase shares of our common stock.  We have an 

16

 
 
 
 
effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 which registered 100,000,000 shares that could be issued under the 
plan.  We still sell shares covered by this registration statement under the plan.  

At the Market Sales Programs 

We have entered into an ATM Equity Offeringsm Sales Agreement with Merrill Lynch & Co. and Merrill 
Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (or Merrill Lynch), relating to the sale of shares of our common stock from 
time to time through Merrill Lynch.  We have also entered into a ATM Equity Sales Agreement with UBS Securities 
LLC (or UBS Securities), relating to the sale of shares of our common stock from time to time through UBS Securities.  
Under these agreements, sales of the shares, if any, will be made by means of ordinary brokers’ transaction of the New 
York Stock Exchange at market prices.   

Legal Proceedings

From time-to-time, we are involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of 
business.  In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect 
on our consolidated financial statements. 

Employees 

As of December 31, 2008, we and our subsidiaries had 65 full time employees.  None of our employees are 

subject to any collective bargaining agreements.   We believe we have good relations with our employees. 

Available Information

Our investor relations website is www.annaly.com.

 We make available on this website under “Financial 

Reports and SEC filings,” free of charge, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current 
reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file or 
furnish such materials to the SEC. 

COMPETITION

We believe that our principal competition in the acquisition and holding of the types of mortgage-backed 
securities we purchase are financial institutions such as banks, savings and loans, life insurance companies, institutional 
investors such as mutual funds and pension funds, and certain other mortgage REITs.  Some of our competitors have 
greater financial resources and access to capital than we do.  Our competitors, as well as additional competitors which 
may emerge in the future, may increase the competition for the acquisition of mortgage-backed securities, which in turn 
may result in higher prices and lower yields on assets.   

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

An investment in our stock involves a number of risks.  Before making an investment decision, you should 

carefully consider all of the risks described in this Form 10-K.  If any of the risks discussed in this Form 10-K actually 
occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.  If this were to 
occur, the trading price of our stock could decline significantly and you may lose all or part of your investment.   

Risks Related to Our Business 

An  increase  in  the  interest  payments  on  our  borrowings  relative  to  the  interest  we  earn  on  our  investment 
securities may adversely affect our profitability 

We earn money based upon the spread between the interest payments we earn on our investment securities and 
the interest payments we must make on our borrowings.  If the interest payments on our borrowings increase relative to 
the interest we earn on our investment securities, our profitability may be adversely affected.

17

 
 
The interest payments on our borrowings may increase relative to the interest we earn on our adjustable-rate 

investment securities for various reasons discussed in this section. 

Differences in timing of interest rate adjustments on our investment securities and our borrowings may adversely  

affect our profitability

We rely primarily on short-term borrowings to acquire investment securities with long-term maturities.  

Accordingly, if short-term interest rates increase, this may adversely affect our profitability. 

Most of the investment securities we acquire are adjustable-rate securities.  This means that their interest rates 

may vary over time based upon changes in an objective index, such as: 

•

•

•

LIBOR.  The interest rate that banks in London offer for deposits in London of U.S. dollars. 

Treasury Rate.  A monthly or weekly average yield of benchmark U.S. Treasury securities, as published by 
the Federal Reserve Board. 

CD Rate.  The weekly average of secondary market interest rates on six-month negotiable certificates of 
deposit, as published by the Federal Reserve Board. 

These indices generally reflect short-term interest rates.  On December 31, 2008, approximately 28% of our 

investment securities were adjustable-rate securities. 

The interest rates on our borrowings similarly vary with changes in an objective index.  Nevertheless, the 
interest rates on our borrowings generally adjust more frequently than the interest rates on our adjustable-rate investment 
securities.  For example, on December 31, 2008, our adjustable-rate investment securities had a weighted average term to 
next rate adjustment of 36 months, while our borrowings had a weighted average term to next rate adjustment of 238 
days.  Accordingly, in a period of rising interest rates, we could experience a decrease in net income or a net loss because 
the interest rates on our borrowings adjust faster than the interest rates on our adjustable-rate investment securities. 

Interest rate caps on our investment securities may adversely affect our profitability

Our adjustable-rate investment securities are typically subject to periodic and lifetime interest rate caps. 

Periodic interest rate caps limit the amount an interest rate can increase during any given period.  Lifetime interest rate 
caps limit the amount an interest rate can increase through maturity of an investment security.  Our borrowings are not 
subject to similar restrictions.  Accordingly, in a period of rapidly increasing interest rates, we could experience a 
decrease in net income or experience a net loss because the interest rates on our borrowings could increase without 
limitation while the interest rates on our adjustable-rate investment securities would be limited by caps. 

Because we acquire fixed-rate securities, an increase in interest rates may adversely affect our profitability

In a period of rising interest rates, our interest payments could increase while the interest we earn on our fixed-

rate mortgage-backed securities would not change.  This would adversely affect our profitability.  On December 31, 
2008, approximately 64% of our investment securities were fixed-rate securities. 

An increase in prepayment rates may adversely affect our profitability 

The mortgage-backed securities we acquire are backed by pools of mortgage loans.  We receive payments, 

generally, from the payments that are made on these underlying mortgage loans.  When borrowers prepay their mortgage 
loans at rates that are faster than expected, this results in prepayments that are faster than expected on the mortgage-
backed securities.  These faster than expected prepayments may adversely affect our profitability.

18

We often purchase mortgage-backed securities that have a higher interest rate than the market interest rate at the 

time.  In exchange for this higher interest rate, we must pay a premium over the market value to acquire the security.  In 
accordance with accounting rules, we amortize this premium over the term of the mortgage-backed security.  If the 
mortgage-backed security is prepaid in whole or in part prior to its maturity date, however, we must expense all or a part 
of the remaining unamortized portion of the premium that was prepaid at the time of the prepayment.  This adversely 
affects our profitability. 

Prepayment rates generally increase when interest rates fall and decrease when interest rates rise, but changes in 

prepayment rates are difficult to predict.  Prepayment rates also may be affected by conditions in the housing and 
financial markets, general economic conditions and the relative interest rates on fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage 
loans. 

We may seek to reduce prepayment risk by acquiring mortgage-backed securities at a discount.  If a discounted 
security is prepaid in whole or in part prior to its maturity date, we will earn income equal to the amount of the remaining 
discount.  This will improve our profitability if the discounted securities are prepaid faster than expected.   

We also can acquire mortgage-backed securities that are less affected by prepayments.  For example, we can 

acquire CMOs, a type of mortgage-backed security.  CMOs divide a pool of mortgage loans into multiple tranches that 
allow for shifting of prepayment risks from slower-paying tranches to faster-paying tranches.  This is in contrast to pass-
through or pay-through mortgage-backed securities, where all investors share equally in all payments, including all 
prepayments.  As discussed below, the Investment Company Act of 1940 imposes restrictions on our purchase of CMOs.  
As of December 31, 2008, approximately 24% of our mortgage-backed securities were CMOs and approximately 76% of 
our mortgage-backed securities were pass-through or pay-through securities. 

While we seek to minimize prepayment risk to the extent practical, in selecting investments we must balance 

prepayment risk against other risks and the potential returns of each investment.  No strategy can completely insulate us 
from prepayment risk. 

An increase in interest rates may adversely affect our book value 

Increases in interest rates may negatively affect the market value of our investment securities.  Our fixed-rate 

securities, generally, are more negatively affected by these increases. In accordance with accounting rules, we reduce our 
book value by the amount of any decrease in the market value of our investment securities. 

Failure to procure funding on favorable terms, or at all, would adversely affect our results and may, in turn, 
negatively affect the market price of shares of our common stock. 

The current dislocation and weakness in the broader mortgage markets could adversely affect one or more of 
our potential lenders and could cause one or more of our potential lenders to be unwilling or unable to provide us with 
financing.  This could potentially increase our financing costs and reduce our liquidity.  If one or more major market 
participants fails or otherwise experiences a major liquidity crisis, as was the case for Bear Stearns & Co. in March 2008 
and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. in September 2008, it could negatively impact the marketability of all fixed income 
securities, including Agency RMBS, and this could negatively impact the value of the securities we acquire, thus 
reducing our net book value.  Furthermore, if any of our potential lenders or any of our lenders are unwilling or unable to 
provide us with financing, we could be forced to sell our assets at an inopportune time when prices are depressed. 

Since June 30, 2008, there have been increased market concerns about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae’s ability to 

withstand future credit losses associated with securities held in their investment portfolios, and on which they provide 
guarantees, without the direct support of the federal government.  Recently, the government passed the Housing and 
Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have recently been placed into the conservatorship of 
the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, their federal regulator, pursuant to its powers under The Federal 
Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008, a part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  As the 
conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the FHFA controls and directs the operations of Fannie Mae and Freddie 
Mac and may (1) take over the assets of and operate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with all the powers of the 

19

shareholders, the directors, and the officers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and conduct all business of Fannie Mae and 
Freddie Mac; (2) collect all obligations and money due to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; (3) perform all functions of 
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which are consistent with the conservator’s appointment; (4) preserve and conserve the 
assets and property of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; and (5) contract for assistance in fulfilling any function, activity, 
action or duty of the conservator. 

In addition to FHFA becoming the conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, (i) the U.S. Department of 

Treasury and FHFA have entered into preferred stock purchase agreements between the U.S. Department of Treasury 
and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pursuant to which the U.S. Department of Treasury will ensure that each of Fannie 
Mae and Freddie Mac maintains a positive net worth; (ii) the U.S. Department of Treasury has established a new secured 
lending credit facility which will be available to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, which is 
intended to serve as a liquidity backstop, which will be available until December 2009; and (iii) the U.S. Department of 
Treasury has initiated a temporary program to purchase RMBS issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Given the 
highly fluid and evolving nature of these events, it is unclear how our business will be impacted.  Based upon the further 
activity of the U.S. government or market response to developments at Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, our business could 
be adversely impacted. 

Our strategy involves significant leverage 

We seek to maintain a ratio of debt-to-equity of between 8:1 and 12:1, although our ratio may at times be above 

or below this amount.  We incur this leverage by borrowing against a substantial portion of the market value of our 
investment securities.  By incurring this leverage, we can enhance our returns.  Nevertheless, this leverage, which is 
fundamental to our investment strategy, also creates significant risks. 

• Our leverage may cause substantial losses 

Because of our significant leverage, we may incur substantial losses if our borrowing costs increase. Our 

borrowing costs may increase for any of the following reasons: 

•

•

•

•

short-term interest rates increase; 

the market value of our investment securities decreases; 

interest rate volatility increases; or 

the availability of financing in the market decreases. 

• Our leverage may cause margin calls and defaults and force us to sell assets under adverse market 

conditions 

Because of our leverage, a decline in the value of our investment securities may result in our lenders initiating 
margin calls.  A margin call means that the lender requires us to pledge additional collateral to re-establish the ratio 
of the value of the collateral to the amount of the borrowing.  Our fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities generally 
are more susceptible to margin calls as increases in interest rates tend to more negatively affect the market value of 
fixed-rate securities. 

If we are unable to satisfy margin calls, our lenders may foreclose on our collateral.  This could force us to sell 

our investment securities under adverse market conditions.  Additionally, in the event of our bankruptcy, our 
borrowings, which are generally made under repurchase agreements, may qualify for special treatment under the 
Bankruptcy Code.  This special treatment would allow the lenders under these agreements to avoid the automatic 
stay provisions of the Bankruptcy Code and to liquidate the collateral under these agreements without delay.

20

•

Liquidation of collateral may jeopardize our REIT status 

To continue to qualify as a REIT, we must comply with requirements regarding our assets and our sources of 

income. If we are compelled to liquidate our investment securities, we may be unable to comply with these 
requirements, ultimately jeopardizing our status as a REIT and our failure to qualify as a REIT will have adverse tax 
consequences.   

• We may exceed our target leverage ratios 

We seek to maintain a ratio of debt-to-equity of between 8:1 and 12:1.  However, we are not required to stay 

within this leverage ratio.  If we exceed this ratio, the adverse impact on our financial condition and results of 
operations from the types of risks described in this section would likely be more severe. 

• We may not be able to achieve our optimal leverage 

We use leverage as a strategy to increase the return to our investors.  However, we may not be able to achieve 

our desired leverage for any of the following reasons: 

• we determine that the leverage would expose us to excessive risk; 

•

•

our lenders do not make funding available to us at acceptable rates; or 

our lenders require that we provide additional collateral to cover our borrowings. 

• We may incur increased borrowing costs which would adversely affect our profitability 

Currently, all of our borrowings are collateralized borrowings in the form of repurchase agreements.  If the 

interest rates on these repurchase agreements increase, it would adversely affect our profitability. 

Our borrowing costs under repurchase agreements generally correspond to short-term interest rates such as 
LIBOR or a short-term Treasury index, plus or minus a margin.  The margins on these borrowings over or under 
short-term interest rates may vary depending upon: 

•

•

•

the movement of interest rates; 

the availability of financing in the market; or 

the value and liquidity of our investment securities. 

If we are unable to renew our borrowings at favorable rates, our profitability may be adversely affected 

Since we rely primarily on short-term borrowings, our ability to achieve our investment objectives depends not 

only on our ability to borrow money in sufficient amounts and on favorable terms, but also on our ability to renew or 
replace on a continuous basis our maturing short-term borrowings.  If we are not able to renew or replace maturing 
borrowings, we would have to sell our assets under possibly adverse market conditions. 

Our hedging strategies expose us to risks  

Our policies permit us to enter into interest rate swaps, caps and floors and other derivative transactions to help 

us mitigate our interest rate and prepayment risks described above.  We have used interest rate swaps and interest rate 
caps to provide a level of protection against interest rate risks, but no hedging strategy can protect us completely.  

21

• Our hedging strategies may not be successful in mitigating the risks associated with interest rates

We cannot assure you that our use of derivatives will offset the risks related to changes in interest rates. It is 
likely that there will be periods in the future during which we will incur losses on our derivative financial instruments 
that will not be fully offset by gains on our portfolio.  The derivative financial instruments we select may not have the 
effect of reducing our interest rate risk. In addition, the nature and timing of hedging transactions may influence the 
effectiveness of these strategies. Poorly designed strategies or improperly executed transactions could significantly 
increase our risk and lead to material losses. In addition, hedging strategies involve transaction and other costs. Our 
hedging strategy and the derivatives that we use may not adequately offset the risk of interest rate volatility or that our 
hedging transactions may not result in losses. 

• Our use of derivatives may expose us to counterparty risks

We enter into interest rate swap and cap agreements to hedge risks associated with movements in interest rates.  

If a swap counterparty cannot perform under the terms of an interest rate swap, we would not receive payments due 
under that agreement, we may lose any unrealized gain associated with the interest rate swap, and the hedged liability 
would cease to be hedged by the interest rate swap.  We may also be at risk for any collateral we have pledged to secure 
our obligations under the interest rate swap if the counterparty become insolvent or file for bankruptcy.  Similarly, if a 
cap counterparty fails to perform under the terms of the cap agreement, in addition to not receiving payments due under 
that agreement that would off-sets our interest expense, we would also incur a loss for all remaining unamortized 
premium paid for that agreement. 

.

We may face risks of investing in inverse floating rate securities 

We may invest in inverse floaters.  The returns on inverse floaters are inversely related to changes in an interest 
rate.  Generally, income on inverse floaters will decrease when interest rates increase and increase when interest rates 
decrease.    Investments  in  inverse  floaters  may  subject  us  to  the  risks  of  reduced  or  eliminated  interest  payments  and 
losses  of  principal.    In  addition,  certain  indexed  securities  and  inverse  floaters  may  increase  or  decrease  in  value  at  a 
greater rate than the underlying interest rate, which effectively leverages our investment in such securities.  As a result, 
the market value of such securities will generally be more volatile than that of fixed rate securities. 

Our investment strategy may involve credit risk 

We may incur losses if there are payment defaults under our investment securities. 

To date, all of our mortgage-backed securities have been agency certificates and agency debentures which, 

although not rated, carry an implied “AAA” rating.  Agency certificates are mortgage pass-through certificates where 
Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or Ginnie Mae guarantees payments of principal or interest on the certificates.  Agency 
debentures are debt instruments issued by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, or the FHLB. 

Even though we have only acquired “AAA” securities so far, pursuant to our capital investment policy, we have 

the ability to acquire securities of lower credit quality.  Under our policy: 

•

•

75% of our investments must have a “AA” or higher rating by S&P, an equivalent rating by a similar 
nationally recognized rating organization or our management must determine that the investments are of 
comparable credit quality to investments with these ratings; 

the remaining 25% of our total assets, may consist of other qualified REIT real estate assets which are 
unrated or rated less than high quality, but which are at least “investment grade” (rated “BBB” or better by 
Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) or the equivalent by another nationally recognized rating agency) 
or, if not rated, we determine them to be of comparable credit quality to an investment which is rated 
“BBB” or better.  In addition, we may directly or indirectly invest part of this remaining 25% of our assets 
in other types of securities, including without limitation, unrated debt, equity or derivate securities, to the 

22

•

extent consistent with our REIT qualification requirements.   The derivative securities in which we invest 
may include securities representing the right to receive interest only or a disproportionately large amount of 
interest, as well as inverse floaters, which may have imbedded leverage as part of their structural 
characteristics; and 

• we seek to have a minimum weighted average rating for our portfolio of at least “A” by S&P. 

If we acquire securities of lower credit quality, we may incur losses if there are defaults under those securities 

or if the rating agencies downgrade the credit quality of those securities. 

There can be no assurance that the actions of the U.S. government, Federal Reserve and other governmental and 
regulatory bodies for the purpose of stabilizing the financial markets, or market response to those actions, will 
achieve the intended effect, our business may not benefit from these actions and further government or market 
developments could adversely impact us. 

In response to the financial issues affecting the banking system and financial markets and going concern threats 

to investment banks and other financial institutions, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, or EESA, was 
recently enacted. The EESA provides the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury with the authority to establish a Troubled Asset 
Relief Program, or TARP, to purchase from financial institutions up to $700 billion of equity or preferred securities, 
residential or commercial mortgages and any securities, obligations, or other instruments that are based on or related to 
such mortgages, that in each case was originated or issued on or before March 14, 2008, as well as any other financial 
instrument that the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, after consultation with the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the 
Federal Reserve System, determines the purchase of which is necessary to promote financial market stability, upon 
transmittal of such determination, in writing, to the appropriate committees of the U.S. Congress. The EESA also 
provides for a program that would allow companies to insure their troubled assets. 

In addition, the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve and other governmental and regulatory bodies have taken or 

are considering taking other actions to address the financial crisis.  There can be no assurance that the EESA or other 
policy initiatives will have a beneficial impact on the financial markets, including current extreme levels of volatility. 
We cannot predict whether or when such actions may occur or what impact, if any, such actions could have on our 
business, results of operations and financial condition. 

We have not established a minimum dividend payment level 

We intend to pay quarterly dividends and to make distributions to our stockholders in amounts such that all or 

substantially all of our taxable income in each year (subject to certain adjustments) is distributed.  This enables us to 
qualify for the tax benefits accorded to a REIT under the Code.  We have not established a minimum dividend payment 
level and our ability to pay dividends may be adversely affected for the reasons described in this section.  All 
distributions will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our earnings, our financial 
condition, maintenance of our REIT status and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time 
to time. 

Because of competition, we may not be able to acquire mortgage-backed securities at favorable yields 

Our net income depends, in large part, on our ability to acquire mortgage-backed securities at favorable spreads 

over our borrowing costs.  In acquiring mortgage-backed securities, we compete with other REITs, investment banking 
firms, savings and loan associations, banks, insurance companies, mutual funds, other lenders and other entities that 
purchase mortgage-backed securities, many of which have greater financial resources than us.  As a result, in the future, 
we may not be able to acquire sufficient mortgage-backed securities at favorable spreads over our borrowing costs. 

We are dependent on our key personnel 

We are dependent on the efforts of our key officers and employees, including Michael A. J. Farrell, our 

Chairman of the board of directors, Chief Executive Officer and President, Wellington J. Denahan-Norris, our Vice 

23

Chairman, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Investment Officer, and Kathryn F. Fagan, our Chief Financial Officer
 and Treasurer. The loss of any of their services could have an adverse effect on our operations. Although we have
 employment agreements with each of them, we cannot assure you they will remain employed with us. 

We and our shareholders are subject to certain tax risks 

• Our failure to qualify as a REIT would have adverse tax consequences

We believe that since 1997 we have qualified for taxation as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.  We 

plan to continue to meet the requirements for taxation as a REIT.  The determination that we are a REIT 
requires an analysis of various factual matters and circumstances that may not be totally within our control.  For 
example, to qualify as a REIT, at least 75% of our gross income must come from real estate sources and 95% of 
our gross income must come from real estate sources and certain other sources that are itemized in the REIT tax 
laws.  We are also required to distribute to stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined 
without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and by excluding any net capital gain).  Even a technical or 
inadvertent mistake could jeopardize our REIT status.  Furthermore, Congress and the Internal Revenue Service 
(or IRS) might make changes to the tax laws and regulations, and the courts might issue new rulings that make 
it more difficult or impossible for us to remain qualified as a REIT. 

If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates.  

Also, unless the IRS granted us relief under certain statutory provisions, we would remain disqualified as a 
REIT for four years following the year we first fail to qualify.  If we fail to qualify as a REIT, we would have to 
pay significant income taxes and would therefore have less money available for investments or for distributions 
to our stockholders.  This would likely have a significant adverse effect on the value of our securities.  In 
addition, the tax law would no longer require us to make distributions to our stockholders. 

A REIT that fails the quarterly asset tests for one or more quarters will not lose its REIT status as a 
result of such failure if either (i) the failure is regarded as a de minimis failure under standards set out in the 
Internal Revenue Code, or (ii) the failure is greater than a de minimis failure but is attributable to reasonable 
cause and not willful neglect.  In the case of a greater than de minimis failure, however, the REIT must pay a 
tax and must remedy the failure within 6 months of the close of the quarter in which the failure was identified.  
In addition, the Internal Revenue Code provides relief for failures of other tests imposed as a condition of REIT 
qualification, as long as the failures are attributable to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.  A REIT would 
be required to pay a penalty of $50,000, however, in the case of each failure.   

• We have certain distribution requirements 

As a REIT, we must distribute at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the 

deduction for dividends paid and by excluding any net capital gain).  The required distribution limits the amount 
we have available for other business purposes, including amounts to fund our growth.  Also, it is possible that 
because of the differences between the time we actually receive revenue or pay expenses and the period we 
report those items for distribution purposes, we may have to borrow funds on a short-term basis to meet the 
90% distribution requirement. 

• We are also subject to other tax liabilities 

Even if we qualify as a REIT, we may be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes on our income and 

property.  Any of these taxes would reduce our operating cash flow. 

•

Limits on ownership of our common stock could have adverse consequences to you and could limit your 
opportunity to receive a premium on our stock 

To maintain our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, not more than 50% in value of the 

outstanding shares of our capital stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as 
defined in the federal tax laws to include certain entities). Primarily to facilitate maintenance of our 

24

qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, our charter will prohibit ownership, directly or by the 
attribution provisions of the federal tax laws, by any person of more than 9.8% of the lesser of the number or 
value of the issued and outstanding shares of our common stock and will prohibit ownership, directly or by the 
attribution provisions of the federal tax laws, by any person of more than 9.8% of the lesser of the number or 
value of the issued and outstanding shares of any class or series of our preferred stock. Our board of directors, 
in its sole and absolute discretion, may waive or modify the ownership limit with respect to one or more persons 
who would not be treated as “individuals” for purposes of the federal tax laws if it is satisfied, based upon 
information required to be provided by the party seeking the waiver and upon an opinion of counsel satisfactory 
to the board of directors, that ownership in excess of this limit will not otherwise jeopardize our status as a 
REIT for federal income tax purposes.  

The ownership limit may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control and, 
therefore, could adversely affect our shareholders’ ability to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market 
price for our common stock in connection with a change in control.  

•

A REIT cannot invest more than 25% of its total assets in the stock or securities of one or more taxable 
REIT subsidiaries; therefore, our taxable subsidiaries cannot constitute more than 25% of our total 
assets 

A taxable REIT subsidiary is a corporation, other than a REIT or a qualified REIT subsidiary, in which a 

REIT owns stock and which elects taxable REIT subsidiary status.  The term also includes a corporate 
subsidiary in which the taxable REIT subsidiary owns more than a 35% interest.  A REIT may own up to 100% 
of the stock of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries.  A taxable REIT subsidiary may earn income that would 
not be qualifying income if earned directly by the parent REIT.  Overall, at the close of any calendar quarter, no 
more than 25% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more taxable REIT 
subsidiaries.   

The stock and securities of our taxable REIT subsidiaries are expected to represent less than 25% of the 

value of our total assets.  Furthermore, we intend to monitor the value of our investments in the stock and 
securities of our taxable REIT subsidiaries to ensure compliance with the above-described 25% limitation.  We 
cannot assure you, however, that we will always be able to comply with the 25% limitation so as to maintain 
REIT status.   

•

Taxable REIT subsidiaries are subject to tax at the regular corporate rates, are not required to distribute 
dividends, and the amount of dividends a taxable REIT subsidiary can pay to its parent REIT may be 
limited by REIT gross income tests 

A taxable REIT subsidiary must pay income tax at regular corporate rates on any income that it earns.  Our 
taxable REIT subsidiaries will pay corporate income tax on their taxable income, and their after-tax net income 
will be available for distribution to us.  Such income, however, is not required to be distributed. 

Moreover, the annual gross income tests that must be satisfied to ensure REIT qualification may limit the 
amount of dividends that we can receive from our taxable REIT subsidiaries and still maintain our REIT status.  
Generally, not more than 25% of our gross income can be derived from non-real estate related sources, such as 
dividends from a taxable REIT subsidiary.  If, for any taxable year, the dividends we received from our taxable 
REIT subsidiaries, when added to our other items of non-real estate related income, represented more than 25% 
of our total gross income for the year, we could be denied REIT status, unless we were able to demonstrate, 
among other things, that our failure of the gross income test was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect. 

The limitations imposed by the REIT gross income tests may impede our ability to distribute assets from 

our taxable REIT subsidiaries to us in the form of dividends.  Certain asset transfers may, therefore, have to be 
structured as purchase and sale transactions upon which our taxable REIT subsidiaries recognize taxable gain. 

25

•

If interest accrues on indebtedness owed by a taxable REIT subsidiary to its parent REIT at a rate in 
excess of a commercially reasonable rate, or if transactions between a REIT and a taxable REIT 
subsidiary are entered into on other than arm’s-length terms, the REIT may be subject to a penalty tax 

If interest accrues on an indebtedness owed by a taxable REIT subsidiary to its parent REIT at a rate in 

excess of a commercially reasonable rate, the REIT is subject to tax at a rate of 100% on the excess of (i) 
interest payments made by a taxable REIT subsidiary to its parent REIT over (ii) the amount of interest that 
would have been payable had interest accrued on the indebtedness at a commercially reasonable rate.  A tax at a 
rate of 100% is also imposed on any transaction between a taxable REIT subsidiary and its parent REIT to the 
extent the transaction gives rise to deductions to the taxable REIT subsidiary that are in excess of the deductions 
that would have been allowable had the transaction been entered into on arm’s-length terms.  We will scrutinize 
all of our transactions with our taxable REIT subsidiaries in an effort to ensure that we do not become subject to 
these taxes.  We may not be able to avoid application of these taxes. 

Risks of Ownership of Our Common Stock 

•

Issuances of large amounts of our stock could cause the market price of our common stock to decline  

As of February 25 2009, 544, 290,086 shares of our common stock were outstanding.  If we issue a significant 

number of shares of common stock or securities convertible into common stock in a short period of time, there could be a 
dilution of the existing common stock and a decrease in the market price of the common stock. 

• We may change our policies without stockholder approval 

Our board of directors and management determine all of our policies, including our investment, financing and 

distribution policies. They may amend or revise these policies at any time without a vote of our stockholders. Policy 
changes could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, the market price of our common stock or 
our ability to pay dividends or distributions. 

• Our governing documents and Maryland law impose limitations on the acquisition of our common stock and 

changes in control that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us 

Maryland Business Combination Act

The Maryland General Corporation Law establishes special requirements for “business combinations” between 
a Maryland corporation and “interested stockholders” unless exemptions are applicable. An interested stockholder is any 
person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of our then-outstanding voting stock.  Among other 
things, the law prohibits for a period of five years a merger and other similar transactions between us and an interested 
stockholder unless the board of directors approved the transaction prior to the party’s becoming an interested 
stockholder.  The five-year period runs from the most recent date on which the interested stockholder became an 
interested stockholder.  The law also requires a super majority stockholder vote for such transactions after the end of the 
five-year period.  This means that the transaction must be approved by at least: 

•

•

80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding voting shares; and 

two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding voting shares other than shares held 
by the interested stockholder or an affiliate of the interested stockholder with whom the business 
combination is to be effected. 

As permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, we have elected not to be governed by the Maryland 

business combination statute. We made this election by opting out of this statute in our articles of incorporation.  If, 
however, we amend our articles of incorporation to opt back in to the statute, the business combination statute could 

26

have the effect of discouraging offers to acquire us and of increasing the difficulty of consummating any such offers, 
even if our acquisition would be in our stockholders’ best interests. 

Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act

Maryland law provides that “control shares” of a Maryland corporation acquired in a “control share acquisition” 

have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of the stockholders.  Two-thirds of the shares eligible to 
vote must vote in favor of granting the “control shares” voting rights.  “Control shares” are shares of stock that, taken 
together with all other shares of stock the acquirer previously acquired, would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting 
power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power: 

• One-tenth or more but less than one third of all voting power; 

• One-third or more but less than a majority of all voting power; or 

• A majority or more of all voting power. 

Control shares do not include shares of stock the acquiring person is entitled to vote as a result of having 
previously obtained stockholder approval.  A “control share acquisition” means the acquisition of control shares, subject 
to certain exceptions. 

If a person who has made (or proposes to make) a control share acquisition satisfies certain conditions 
(including agreeing to pay expenses), he may compel our board of directors to call a special meeting of stockholders to 
consider the voting rights of the shares.  If such a person makes no request for a meeting, we have the option to present 
the question at any stockholders’ meeting. 

If voting rights are not approved at a meeting of stockholders then, subject to certain conditions and limitations, 
we may redeem any or all of the control shares (except those for which voting rights have previously been approved) for 
fair value.  We will determine the fair value of the shares, without regard to voting rights, as of the date of either: 

•

•

the last control share acquisition; or 

the meeting where stockholders considered and did not approve voting rights of the control shares. 

If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholders’ meeting and the acquirer becomes entitled to 
vote a majority of the shares of stock entitled to vote, all other stockholders may obtain rights as objecting stockholders 
and, thereunder, exercise appraisal rights.  This means that you would be able to force us to redeem your stock for fair 
value.  Under Maryland law, the fair value may not be less than the highest price per share paid in the control share 
acquisition.  Furthermore, certain limitations otherwise applicable to the exercise of dissenters’ rights would not apply in 
the context of a control share acquisition.  The control share acquisition statute would not apply to shares acquired in a 
merger, consolidation or share exchange if we were a party to the transaction.  The control share acquisition statute could 
have the effect of discouraging offers to acquire us and of increasing the difficulty of consummating any such offers, 
even if our acquisition would be in our stockholders’ best interests. 

Regulatory Risks 

•

Loss of Investment Company Act exemption would adversely affect us 

We intend to conduct our business so as not to become regulated as an investment company under the 

Investment Company Act. If we fail to qualify for this exemption, our ability to use leverage would be substantially 
reduced, and we would be unable to conduct our business as described in this Form 10-K. 

We rely on the exclusion provided by Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act.  Section 3(c)(5)(C) as 

interpreted by the staff of the SEC, requires us to invest at least 55% of our assets in “mortgages and other liens on and 
interest in real estate” (or Qualifying Real Estate Assets) and at least 80% of our assets in Qualifying Real Estate Assets 

27

plus real estate related assets.  The assets that we acquire, therefore, are limited by the provisions of the Investment 
Company Act and the rules and regulations promulgated under the Investment Company Act.  If the SEC determines that 
any of these securities are not qualifying interests in real estate or real estate related assets, adopts a contrary 
interpretation with respect to these securities or otherwise believes we do not satisfy the above exceptions, we could be 
required to restructure our activities or sell certain of our assets.  We may be required at times to adopt less efficient 
methods of financing certain of our mortgage assets and we may be precluded from acquiring certain types of higher 
yielding mortgage assets.  The net effect of these factors will be to lower our net interest income.  If we fail to qualify for
exemption from registration as an investment company, our ability to use leverage would be substantially reduced, and 
we would not be able to conduct our business as described.  Our business will be materially and adversely affected if we 
fail to qualify for this exemption. 

•

Compliance with proposed and recently enacted changes in securities laws and regulations increase our 
costs

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC and the New York Stock 

Exchange have increased the scope, complexity and cost of corporate governance, reporting and disclosure practices. We 
believe that these rules and regulations will make it more costly for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, 
and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These rules 
and regulations could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of management and our 
board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee.

28

ITEM 1B.   UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None. 

ITEM 2. 

PROPERTIES

Our executive and administrative office is located at 1211 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 2902 New York, New 

York 10036, telephone 212-696-0100.  This office is leased under a non-cancelable lease expiring December 31, 2009.

ITEM 3. 

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From  time  to  time,  we  are  involved  in  various  claims  and  legal  actions  arising  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
business.  In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material effect on our 
consolidated financial statements. 

ITEM 4. 

SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

We did not submit any matters to a vote of our stockholders during the fourth quarter of 2008.

29

PART II

ITEM 5. 

MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER 
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our common stock began trading publicly on October 8, 1997 and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under 

the trading symbol “NLY”.  As of February 25, 2009, we had 544,290,086 shares of common stock issued and 
outstanding which were held by approximately 290,409 beneficial holders. 

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high, low, and closing sales prices per share of our 
common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange composite tape and the cash dividends declared per share 
of our common stock.  

First Quarter ended March 31, 2008 
Second Quarter ended June 30, 2008 
Third Quarter ended September 30, 2008 
Fourth Quarter ended December 31, 2008 

First Quarter ended March 31, 2007 
Second Quarter ended June 30, 2007 
Third Quarter ended September 30, 2007 
Fourth Quarter ended December 31, 2007 

First Quarter ended March 31, 2008 
Second Quarter ended June 30, 2008 
Third Quarter ended September 30, 2008 
Fourth Quarter ended December 31, 2008 

First Quarter ended March 31, 2007 
Second Quarter ended June 30, 2007 
Third Quarter ended September 30, 2007 
Fourth Quarter ended December 31, 2007 

Stock Prices 

High 

Low 

$21.00 
$17.95 
$17.00 
$16.12 

$14.16    
$15.51 
$12.92 
$11.21 

High 

Low 

$15.48 
$16.20 
$16.42 
$18.18 

$13.54 
$13.83 
$13.03 
$15.25 

Common Dividends 
Declared Per Share 

Close 

$15.32 
$15.51 
$13.45 
$15.87 

Close 

$15.48 
$14.42 
$15.93 
$18.18 

$0.48 
$0.55 
$0.55 
$0.50 

$0.20 
$0.24 
$0.26 
$0.34 

We intend to pay quarterly dividends and to distribute to our stockholders all or substantially all of our taxable 

income in each year (subject to certain adjustments).  This will enable us to qualify for the tax benefits accorded to a 
REIT under the Code. We have not established a minimum dividend payment level and our ability to pay dividends may 
be adversely affected for the reasons described under the caption “Risk Factors.” All distributions will be made at the 
discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, maintenance of our REIT 
status and such other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time.  No dividends can be paid 
on our common stock unless we have paid full cumulative dividends on our preferred stock.  From the date of issuance 
of our preferred stock through December 31, 2008, we have paid full cumulative dividends on our preferred stock.

30

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION 

We have adopted a long term stock incentive plan for executive officers, key employees and nonemployee 

directors (the “Incentive Plan”).  The Incentive Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee of the board of directors to 
grant awards, including incentive stock options as defined under Section 422 of the Code (“ISOs”) and options not so 
qualified (“NQSOs”).  The Incentive Plan authorizes the granting of options or other awards for an aggregate of the 
greater of 500,000 shares or 9.5% of the outstanding shares of our common stock up to a ceiling of 8,932,921 shares.  
For a description of our Incentive Plan, see Note 11 to the Financial Statements. 

The following table provides information as of December 31, 2008 concerning shares of our common stock 

authorized for issuance under our existing Incentive Plan. 

Number of securities to be 
issued upon exercise of 
outstanding options, 
warrants and rights 

Weighted-average exercise 
price of outstanding 
options, warrants and 
rights 

Number of securities 
remaining available for 
future issuance under 
Incentive Plan (excluding 
previously issued) 

5,180,164 

-

5,180,164 

$15.87 

-

$15.87 

2,688,350(1) 

-

2,688,350 

Plan Category 

Equity compensation plans 
approved by security 
holders 
Equity compensation plans 
not approved by security 
holders 
Total 

(1) The Incentive Plan authorizes the granting of options or other awards for an aggregate of the greater of 500,000 or 9.5% of
the outstanding shares on a fully diluted basis of our common stock up to a ceiling of 8,932,921 shares. 

31

ITEM 6.  

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following selected financial data are derived from our audited financial statements for the years ended 
December 31, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004. The selected financial data should be read in conjunction with the 
more detailed information contained in the Financial Statements and Notes thereto and “Management’s Discussion and 
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” included elsewhere in this Form 10-K. 

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 
(dollars in thousands, except for per share data) 

Statement of Operations Data 
     Interest income 
     Interest expense 
       Net interest income 

Other (loss) income: 
     Investment advisory and service fees 
     Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities 
     Gain on termination of interest rate swaps 
     Income from trading securities 
     Dividend income from available-for-sale equity 
     securities 
     Loss on other-than-temporarily impaired securities
     Unrealized loss on interest rate swaps 
       Total other (loss) income  

Expenses: 
     Distribution fees 
     General and administrative expenses 
      Total Expenses

For the Year 
Ended 
December 31, 
2008

For the Year 
Ended 
December 31, 
2007

For the Year 
Ended 
December 31, 
2006

For the Year 
Ended 
December 31,
2005

For the Year
Ended 
December 31,
2004

$3,115,428
1,888,912
1,226,516

$2,355,447
1,926,465
428,982

$1,221,882
1,055,013
166,869

$705,046
568,560
136,486

$532,328
270,116
262,212

27,891
10,713
-
9,695

2,713
(31,834)
(768,268)
(749,090)

1,589
103,622
105,211

22,028
19,062
2,096
19,147

91
(1,189)
-
61,235

3,647
62,666
66,313

22,351
(3,862)
10,674
3,994

35,625
(53,238)
-
-

-
(52,348)
-
(19,191)

-
      (83,098)
-
(100,711)

3,444
40,063
43,507

8,000
26,278
34,278

12,512
5,215
-
-

-
-
-
17,727

2,860
24,029
26,889

     Impairment of intangible for customer relationships

-

-

2,493

-

-

Income before income taxes 

372,215

423,904

101,678

1,497

253,050

Income taxes 

25,977

 8,870

7,538

10,744

4,458

Income (loss) before minority interest 

346,238

415,034

94,140

(9,247)

248,592

Minority interest 

Net income (loss) 

58

650

324

-

-

346,180

414,384

93,816

(9,247)

248,592

Dividends on preferred stock 

21,177

21,493

19,557

14,593

7,745

Net income available (loss related)  to common 
shareholders 

Basic net income (loss) per average common share 
Diluted net income (loss) per average common share 
Dividends declared per common share 
Dividends declared per preferred Series A share 
Dividends declared per preferred Series B share 

$325,003

$392,891

$74,259

($23,840)

$240,847

$1.32
$1.31
$1.04
$1.97
$1.50

$0.44
$0.44
$0.57
$1.97
$1.08

($0.19)
($0.19)
$1.04
$1.97
-

$2.04
$2.03
$1.98
$1.45
-

$0.64
$0.64
$2.08
$1.97
$1.50

32

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Balance Sheet Data 
     Mortgage-Backed Securities, at fair value 
     Agency Debentures, at fair value 
     Total assets 
     Repurchase agreements 
     Total liabilities 
     Stockholders’ equity 
     Number of common shares outstanding 

Other Data
     Average total assets 
     Average investment securities 
     Average borrowings 
     Average equity 
     Yield on average interest earning assets  
     Cost of funds on average interest bearing  
          liabilities  
     Interest rate spread 

Financial Ratios
     Net interest margin (net interest 
           income/average total assets) 
     G&A expense as a percentage of average 
           total assets 
     G&A expense as a percentage of average 
          equity 
     Return on average total assets 
     Return on average equity 

December 31, 
2008

December 31, 
2007

December 31, 
2006

December 31,
2005

December 31,
2004

$55,046,995
598,945
57,597,615
46,674,885
50,318,301
7,183,272
541,475,366

$52,879,528 $30,167,509
49,500
30,715,980
27,514,020
28,056,149
2,543,041
401,822,703 205,345,591

253,915
53,903,514
46,046,560
48,585,536
5,204,938

$15,929,864 $19,038,386
390,509
19,560,299
16,707,879
17,859,829
1,700,470
123,684,931 121,263,000

-
16,063,422
13,576,301
14,559,399
1,504,023

For the Year
Ended 
December 31, 
2008

For the Year 
Ended 
December 31, 
2007

For the Year 
Ended 
December 31, 
2006

For the Year 
Ended 
December 31, 
2005

For the Year
Ended 
December 31,
2004

$58,540,508
55,962,519
50,270,226
6,679,431
5.57%

$41,834,831
40,800,148
37,967,215
3,710,821
5.77%

$23,130,057
23,029,195
21,399,130
2,006,206
5.31%

$18,724,075 $17,293,174
16,399,184
18,543,749
15,483,118
17,408,828
1,550,076
1,614,743
3.25%
3.80%

3.76%
1.81%

5.07%
0.70%

4.93%
0.38%

3.27%
0.53%

1.74%
1.51%

2.10%

0.18%

1.55%
0.59%
5.18%

1.03%

0.15%

1.69%
0.99%
11.17%

0.72%

0.17%

2.00%
0.41%
4.68%

0.73%

1.52%

0.14%

0.14%

1.63%
(0.05%)
(0.57%)

1.55%
1.44%
16.04%

33

 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 7.    MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS 

OF OPERATIONS

Overview 

We are a REIT that owns and manages a portfolio of principally mortgage-backed securities. Our principal 
business objective is to generate net income for distribution to our stockholders from the spread between the interest 
income on our investment securities and the costs of borrowing to finance our acquisition of investment securities and 
from dividends we receive from our taxable REIT subsidiaries.  FIDAC and Merganser are our wholly-owned taxable 
REIT subsidiaries that are registered investment advisors that generate advisory and service fee income.  RCap is our 
wholly- owned broker dealer taxable REIT subsidiary which we expect to generate fee income.  

We are primarily engaged in the business of investing, on a leveraged basis, in mortgage pass-through 

certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations and other mortgage-backed securities representing interests in or 
obligations backed by pools of mortgage loans (collectively, “Mortgage-Backed Securities”).  We also invest in Federal 
Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), and Federal National Mortgage 
Association (“FNMA”) debentures. The Mortgage-Backed Securities and agency debentures are collectively referred to 
herein as “Investment Securities.” 

Under our capital investment policy, at least 75% of our total assets must be comprised of high-quality 
mortgage-backed securities and short-term investments.  High quality securities means securities that (1) are rated within 
one of the two highest rating categories by at least one of the nationally recognized rating agencies, (2) are unrated but 
are guaranteed by the United States government or an agency of the United States government, or (3) are unrated but we 
determine them to be of comparable quality to rated high-quality mortgage-backed securities.  

The remainder of our assets, comprising not more than 25% of our total assets, may consist of other qualified 

REIT real estate assets which are unrated or rated less than high quality, but which are at least “investment grade” (rated 
“BBB” or better by Standard & Poor’s Corporation (“S&P”) or the equivalent by another nationally recognized rating 
agency) or, if not rated, we determine them to be of comparable credit quality to an investment which is rated “BBB” or 
better.  In addition, we may directly or indirectly invest part of this remaining 25% of our assets in other types of 
securities, including without limitation, unrated debt, equity or derivative securities, to the extent consistent with our 
REIT qualification requirements.  The derivative securities in which we invest may include securities representing the 
right to receive interest only or a disproportionately large amount of interest, as well as inverse floaters, which may have 
imbedded leverage as part of their structural characteristics. 

We may acquire Mortgage-Backed Securities backed by single-family residential mortgage loans as well as 

securities backed by loans on multi-family, commercial or other real estate-related properties.  To date, all of the 
Mortgage-Backed Securities that we have acquired have been backed by single-family residential mortgage loans. 

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. Pursuant to the current federal tax 

regulations, one of the requirements of maintaining our status as a REIT is that we must distribute at least 90% of our 
REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and by excluding any net capital 
gain) to our stockholders, subject to certain adjustments. 

The results of our operations are affected by various factors, many of which are beyond our control.  Our results 

of operations primarily depend on, among other things, our net interest income, the market value of our assets and the 
supply of and demand for such assets. Our net interest income, which reflects the amortization of purchase premiums and 
accretion of discounts, varies primarily as a result of changes in interest rates, borrowing costs and prepayment speeds, 
the behavior of which involves various risks and uncertainties. Prepayment speeds, as reflected by the Constant 
Prepayment Rate, or CPR, and interest rates vary according to the type of investment, conditions in financial markets, 
competition and other factors, none of which can be predicted with any certainty. In general, as prepayment speeds on 
our Mortgage-Backed Securities portfolio increase, related purchase premium amortization increases, thereby reducing 
the net yield on such assets.  The CPR on our Mortgage-Backed Securities portfolio averaged 13% ,15% and 17% for the 
years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006,respectively.  Since changes in interest rates may significantly affect our 

34

activities, our operating results depend, in large part, upon our ability to effectively manage interest rate risks and 
prepayment risks while maintaining our status as a REIT.  

  The table below provides quarterly information regarding our average balances, interest income, yield on 

assets, average repurchase agreement balances, interest expense, cost of funds, net interest income and net interest rate 
spreads for the quarterly periods presented. 

Average 
 Investment 
Securities 
Held (1) 

Total
Interest 
Income 

Yield on 
Average
Investment 
Securities 

Average 
Balance of  
Repurchase
Agreements 

Interest 
Expense 

Average
Cost of 
Funds 

Net Interest 
Income  

Net
Interest 
Rate
Spread

(ratios for the quarters have been annualized, dollars in thousands) 

$53,838,665 

$740,282 

5.50% 

$47,581,332 

$450,805 

3.79% 

$289,477 

1.71% 

$57,694,277 

$810,659 

5.62% 

$51,740,645 

$458,250 

3.54% 

$352,409 

2.08% 

$56,197,550 

$773,359 

5.50% 

$50,359,825 

$442,251 

3.51% 

$331,108 

1.99% 

$56,119,584 

$791,128 

5.64% 

$51,399,101 

$537,606 

4.18% 

$253,522 

1.46% 

Quarter Ended         
  December 31, 2008 
Quarter Ended      
  September 30, 2008 
Quarter Ended  
  June 30, 2008 
Quarter Ended 
 March 31, 2008 

(1) Does not reflect unrealized gains/(losses). 

The following table presents the CPR experienced on our Mortgage-Backed Securities portfolio, on an 

annualized basis, for the quarterly periods presented. 

Quarter Ended 
December 31, 2008 
September 30, 2008 
June 30, 2008 
March 31, 2008 

CPR
10% 
11% 
16% 
15% 

We believe that the CPR in future periods will depend, in part, on changes in and the level of market interest 

rates across the yield curve, with higher CPRs expected during periods of declining interest rates and lower CPRs 
expected during periods of rising interest rates. 

We continue to explore alternative business strategies, alternative investments and other strategic initiatives to 

complement our core business strategy of investing, on a leveraged basis, in high quality Investment Securities. No 
assurance, however, can be provided that any such strategic initiative will or will not be implemented in the future. 

For the purposes of computing ratios relating to equity measures, throughout this report, equity includes Series B 
preferred stock, which has been treated under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States, or GAAP,, 
as temporary equity. 

Recent Developments 

The liquidity crisis which commenced in August 2007 escalated throughout 2008.  During this period of market 

dislocation, fiscal and monetary policymakers have established new liquidity facilities for primary dealers and 
commercial banks, reduced short-term interest rates, and passed legislation that is intended to address the challenges of 
mortgage borrowers and lenders. This legislation, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, seeks to forestall 
home foreclosures for distressed borrowers and assist communities with foreclosure problems. Although these aggressive 
steps are intended to protect and support the US housing and mortgage market, we continue to operate under very 
difficult market conditions. 

Subsequent to June 30, 2008, there were increased market concerns about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae’s 

ability to withstand future credit losses associated with securities held in their investment portfolios, and on which they 
provide guarantees, without the direct support of the federal government.  In September 2008 Fannie Mae and Freddie 
Mac were placed into the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, or FHFA, their federal regulator, 

35

pursuant to its powers under The Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008, a part of the Housing and 
Economic Recovery Act of 2008.  As the conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the FHFA controls and directs the 
operations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and may (1) take over the assets of and operate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac 
with all the powers of the shareholders, the directors, and the officers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and conduct all 
business of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; (2) collect all obligations and money due to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; (3) 
perform all functions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which are consistent with the conservator’s appointment; (4) 
preserve and conserve the assets and property of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; and (5) contract for assistance in 
fulfilling any function, activity, action or duty of the conservator. 

In addition to FHFA becoming the conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, (i) the U.S. Department of 

Treasury and FHFA have entered into preferred stock purchase agreements between the U.S. Department of Treasury 
and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pursuant to which the U.S. Department of Treasury will ensure that each of Fannie 
Mae and Freddie Mac maintains a positive net worth; (ii) the U.S. Department of Treasury has established a new secured 
lending credit facility which will be available to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks, which is 
intended to serve as a liquidity backstop, which will be available until December 2009; and (iii) the U.S. Department of 
Treasury has initiated a temporary program to purchase RMBS issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Given the 
highly fluid and evolving nature of these events, it is unclear how our business will be impacted.  Based upon the further 
activity of the U.S. government or market response to developments at Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, our business could 
be adversely impacted. 

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, or EESA, was recently enacted.  The EESA provides the 

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury with the authority to establish a Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, to purchase 
from financial institutions up to $700 billion of equity or preferred securities, residential or commercial mortgages and 
any securities, obligations, or other instruments that are based on or related to such mortgages, that in each case was 
originated or issued on or before March 14, 2008, as well as any other financial instrument that the U.S. Secretary of the 
Treasury, after consultation with the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, determines the 
purchase of which is necessary to promote financial market stability, upon transmittal of such determination, in writing, 
to the appropriate committees of the U.S. Congress.  The EESA also provides for a program that would allow companies 
to insure their troubled assets. 

In addition, the U.S. Government, Federal Reserve and other governmental and regulatory bodies have taken or 

are considering taking other actions to address the financial crisis.  There can be no assurance that the EESA or other 
policy initiatives will have a beneficial impact on the financial markets, including current extreme levels of volatility.  
We cannot predict whether or when such actions may occur or what impact, if any, such actions could have on our 
business, results of operations and financial condition. 

The liquidity crisis could adversely affect one or more of our lenders and could cause one or more of our 

lenders to be unwilling or unable to provide us with additional financing.  This could potentially increase our financing 
costs and reduce liquidity.  If one or more major market participants fails, it could negatively impact the marketability of 
all fixed income securities, including government mortgage securities, and this could negatively impact the value of the 
securities in our portfolio, thus reducing its net book value.  Furthermore, if many of our lenders are unwilling or unable 
to provide us with additional financing, we could be forced to sell our Investment Securities at an inopportune time when 
prices are depressed.  Even with the current situation in the sub-prime mortgage sector we do not anticipate having 
difficulty converting our assets to cash or extending financing terms, due to the fact that our investment securities have 
an actual or implied “AAA” rating and principal payment is guaranteed. 

Critical Accounting Policies 

Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based on the amounts 

reported in our financial statements.  These financial statements are prepared in conformity with GAAP.  In preparing the 
financial statements, management is required to make various judgments, estimates and assumptions that affect the 
reported amounts.  Changes in these estimates and assumptions could have a material effect on our financial statements.  
The following is a summary of our policies most affected by management’s judgments, estimates and assumptions.  

36

Fair Value of Investment Securities:  All assets classified as available-for-sale are reported at fair value, based 

on market prices.   Although we generally intend to hold most of our Investment Securities until maturity, we may, from 
time to time, sell any of our Investment Securities as part our overall management of our portfolio.  Accordingly, we are 
required to classify all of our Investment Securities as available-for-sale.  Our policy is to obtain fair values from 
independent sources.  Management evaluates securities for other-than-temporary impairment at least on a quarterly basis, 
and more frequently when economic or market concerns warrant such evaluation.  The determination of whether a 
security is other-than-temporarily impaired involves judgments and assumptions based on subjective and objective 
factors.  Consideration is given to (1) the length of time and the extent to which the fair value has been less than cost, (2) 
the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, and (3) the intent and ability of the Company to retain its 
investment in the issuer for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value.  Investments 
with unrealized losses are not considered other-than-temporarily impaired if the Company has the ability and intent to 
hold the investments for a period of time, to maturity if necessary, sufficient for a forecasted market price recovery up to 
or beyond the cost of the investments.  Unrealized losses on Investment Securities that are considered other than 
temporary, as measured by the amount of decline in fair value attributable to factors other than temporary, are recognized 
in income and the cost basis of the Investment Securities is adjusted.   

Interest Income:  Interest income is accrued based on the outstanding principal amount of the Investment 
Securities and their contractual terms.  Premiums and discounts associated with the purchase of the Investment Securities 
are amortized or accreted into interest income over the projected lives of the securities using the interest method.  Our 
policy for estimating prepayment speeds for calculating the effective yield is to evaluate historical performance, Wall 
Street consensus prepayment speeds, and current market conditions.  If our estimate of prepayments is incorrect, we may 
be required to make an adjustment to the amortization or accretion of premiums and discounts that would have an impact 
on future income. 

Derivative Financial Instruments/Hedging Activity : Prior to the fourth quarter of 2008, we designated interest rate 

swaps as cash flow hedges, whereby the swaps were recorded at fair value on the balance sheet as assets and liabilities 
with any changes in fair value recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income.  In a cash flow hedge, a swap 
would exactly match the pricing date of the relevant repurchase agreement.  Through the end of the third quarter 2008, 
we continued to be able to match the swaps with the repurchase agreements therefore entering into effective hedge 
transactions.  However, due to the volatility of the credit markets, it is no longer practical to match the pricing dates of 
both the swaps and the repurchase agreements.   

As a result, we voluntarily discontinued hedge accounting in the fourth quarter of 2008 through a combination of 
de-designating previously defined hedge relationships and not designating new contracts as cash flow hedges.  The de-
designation of cash flow hedges was done in accordance with Derivatives Implementation Group (DIG) Issue Nos. G3, 
G17, G18  & G20, which generally require that the net derivative gain or loss related to the discontinued cash flow hedge 
should continue to be reported in accumulated other comprehensive income, unless it is probable that the forecasted 
transaction will not occur by the end of the originally specified time period or within an additional two-month period of 
time thereafter.  As such we continue to hold repurchase agreements in excess of swap contracts and have no indication 
that interest payments on the hedged repurchase agreements are in jeopardy of discontinuing.  Therefore, the deferred 
losses related to these derivatives that have been de-designated were not recognized immediately and are expected to be 
reclassified into earnings during the contractual terms of the swap agreements starting as of October 1, 2008.  Changes in 
the unrealized gains or losses on the interest rate swaps subsequent to September 30, 2008 will be reflected in our 
income statement.   

Repurchase Agreements:  We finance the acquisition of our Investment Securities through the use of repurchase 

agreements. Repurchase agreements are treated as collateralized financing transactions and are carried at their 
contractual amounts, including accrued interest, as specified in the respective agreements.  

37

Income Taxes:  We have elected to be taxed as a REIT and intend to comply with the provisions of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (or the Code), with respect thereto.  Accordingly, we will not be subjected to federal 
income tax to the extent of our distributions to shareholders and as long as certain asset, income and stock ownership 
tests are met.  We, FIDAC, Merganser, and RCap have made a joint election to treat FIDAC, Merganser, and RCap as 
taxable REIT subsidiaries.  As such, FIDAC, Merganser, and RCap are taxable as a domestic C corporations and subject 
to federal and state and local income taxes based upon their taxable income. 

Impairment of Goodwill and Intangibles:  The Company’s acquisitions of FIDAC and Merganser were 

accounted for using the purchase method. The cost of FIDAC and Merganser were allocated to the assets acquired, 
including identifiable intangible assets and the liabilities assumed, based on their estimated fair values at the date of 
acquisition. The excess of cost over the fair value of the net assets acquired was recognized as goodwill.  Goodwill and 
finite-lived intangible assets are periodically reviewed for potential impairment.  This evaluation requires significant 
judgment.  

Recent Accounting Pronouncements: 

In February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial 

Liabilities – including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115 (“SFAS 159”).  SFAS 159 permits entities to choose to 
measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value.  Unrealized gains and losses on items for which 
the fair value option has been elected will be recognized in earnings at each subsequent reporting date.  SFAS 159 was 
effective for us commencing January 1, 2008.  

In April 2007, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position FIN 39-1 (“FSP FIN 39-1”) which modifies FASB 

Interpretation No. 39, Offsetting of Amounts relating to Certain Contracts (“FIN 39”). FSP FIN 39-1 addresses whether 
a reporting entity that is party to a master netting arrangement can offset fair value amounts recognized for the right to 
reclaim cash collateral (a receivable) or the obligation to return cash collateral (a payable) against fair value amounts 
recognized for derivative instruments that have been offset under the same master netting arrangement in accordance 
with FIN 39. Upon adoption of this guidance, a reporting entity is permitted to change its accounting policy to offset or 
not offset fair value amounts recognized for derivative instruments under master netting arrangements. This guidance 
was effective for us on January 1, 2008.   The implementation did not have an effect on our financial statements. 

In February 2008, FASB issued FASB Staff Position No. FAS 140-3 Accounting for Transfers of Financial Assets 

and Repurchase Financing Transactions, (“FSP FAS 140-3”).  FSP FAS 140-3 addresses whether transactions where 
assets purchased from a particular counterparty and financed through a repurchase agreement with the same counterparty 
can be considered and accounted for as separate transactions, or are required to be considered “linked” transactions and 
may be considered derivatives under SFAS 133 Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities.  FSP 
FAS 140-3 requires purchases and subsequent financing through repurchase agreements be considered linked 
transactions unless all of the following conditions apply:  (1) the initial purchase and the use of repurchase agreements to 
finance the purchase are not contractually contingent upon each other; (2) the repurchase financing entered into between 
the parties provides full  recourse to the transferee and the repurchase price is fixed; (3) the financial assets are readily 
obtainable in the market; and (4) the financial instrument and the repurchase agreement are not coterminous.  This FSP is 
effective for us on January 1, 2009.  We are currently evaluating FSP FAS 140-3 but do not expect its application to have 
a significant impact on our financial reporting. 

In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161 (“SFAS 161”), Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and 
Hedging Activities, and an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133.  SFAS 161 attempts to improve the transparency of 
financial reporting by providing additional information about how derivative and hedging activities affect an entity’s 
financial position, financial performance and cash flows.  This statement changes the disclosure requirements for 
derivative instruments and hedging activities by requiring enhanced disclosure about (1) how and why an entity uses 
derivative instruments, (2) how derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for under SFAS Statement 
133 and its related interpretations, and (3) how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity’s 
financial position, financial performance, and cash flows.  To meet these objectives, SFAS 161 requires qualitative 
disclosures about objectives and strategies for using derivatives, quantitative disclosures about fair value amounts and of 
gains and losses on derivative instruments, and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative 

38

 
agreements.  This disclosure framework is intended to better convey the purpose of derivative use in terms of the risks 
that an entity is intending to manage.  SFAS 161 is effective for us on January 1, 2009.   We expect that adoption of 
SFAS 161 will increase footnote disclosure to comply with the disclosure requirements for financial statements issued 
after January 1, 2009.  

In September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (“SFAS 157”).  SFAS 157 defines 

fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and requires enhanced disclosures about fair value 
measurements.  SFAS 157 requires companies to disclose the fair value of their financial instruments according to a fair 
value hierarchy (i.e., levels 1, 2, and 3, as defined).  Additionally, companies are required to provide enhanced disclosure 
regarding instruments in the level 3 category (the valuation of which require significant management judgment), 
including a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances separately for each major category of assets and 
liabilities.  SFAS 157 was adopted by us on January 1, 2008.  SFAS 157 did not have an impact on the manner in which 
we estimate fair value, but it required additional disclosure, which is included in Note 6. 

On October 10, 2008, FASB issued FASB Staff Position (FSP) 157-3, Determining the Fair Value of a Financial 

Asset When the Market for That Asset Is Not Active (“FSP 157-3”), in response to the deterioration of the credit markets.  
This FSP provides guidance clarifying how SFAS 157 should be applied when valuing securities in markets that are not 
active. The guidance provides an illustrative example that applies the objectives and framework of SFAS 157, utilizing 
management’s internal cash flow and discount rate assumptions when relevant observable data does not exist.  It further 
clarifies how observable market information and market quotes should be considered when measuring fair value in an 
inactive market.   It reaffirms the notion of fair value as an exit price as of the measurement date and that fair value 
analysis is a transactional process and should not be broadly applied to a group of assets.  FSP 157-3 is effective upon 
issuance including prior periods for which financial statements have not been issued.  FSP 157-3 does not have a 
material effect on the fair value of our assets as we intend to continue to hold assets that can be valued via level 1 and 
level 2 criteria, as defined under SFAS No. 157. 

Results of Operations:  

Net Income Summary   

For the year ended December 31, 2008, our net income was $346.2 million or $0.64 basic income per average 
share related to common shareholders, as compared to $414.4 million net income or $1.32 basic net income per average 
share for the year ended December 31, 2007.  For the year ended December 31, 2006, our net income was $93.8 million 
or $0.44 basic net income per average share related to common shareholders.  Net income per average share decreased 
by $0.68 per average share available to common shareholders and total net income decreased  $68.2 million for the year 
ended December 31, 2008, when compared to the year ended December 31, 2007.   We attribute the decrease in total net 
income for the year ended December 31, 2008 from the year ended December 31, 2007 primarily to recording of 
unrealized losses related to interest rate swaps in the fourth quarter of 2008.  An unrealized loss of $768.3 million was 
recorded in the income statement for the year ended December 31, 2008, as the result of de-designation of cash flow 
hedges.  Prior to the fourth quarter of 2008, we recorded changes in the fair values in our interest rate swaps in the 
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in our Statement of Financial Condition.  Net interest income increased by 
$797.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2008, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2007, due to the 
increase in interest earning assets from the deployment of additional capital we raised in 2008 and the improved interest 
rate spread.  For the year ended December 31, 2008, net gain on sale of Mortgage-Backed Securities was $10.7 million, 
as compared to a net gain of $19.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2007.  The loss on other-than-temporarily 
impaired securities totaled $31.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2008, as compared to $1.2 million for the year 
ended December 31, 2007.   During the year ended December 31, 2008, our general and administrative expenses 
increased to $103.6 million, as compared to $62.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2007.   

We attribute the increase in total net income for the year ended December 31, 2007 compared to the year ended 

December 31, 2006 primarily to the increase in net interest income, gains on the sale of securities, a reduction in losses 
on other-than temporarily impaired securities, the increased asset base, and the increase in interest rate spread. The 
interest rate spread increased from 0.38% for the year ended December 31, 2006 to 0.70% for the year ended December 
31, 2007.  For the year ended December 31, 2007, net gain on sale of Mortgage-Backed Securities was $19.1 million, as 
compared to a net loss of $3.9 million in 2006.  The table below presents the net income (loss) summary for the years 
ended December 31, 2008, 2007, and 2006.

39

Net Income (Loss) Summary 
(dollars in thousands, except for per share data)

Year Ended 
December 31,  
2008
$3,115,428 
1,888,912 
1,226,516 

Year Ended 
December 31,  
2007
$2,355,447 
1,926,465 
428,982 

Year Ended 
December 31, 
2006
$1,221,882 
1,055,013 
166,869 

Interest income 
Interest expense 
     Net interest income 

Other (loss) income:  
  Investment advisory and service fees 
  Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities 
  Gain on termination of interest rate swaps 
  Income from trading securities 
  Dividend income from available-for-sale equity securities 
  Loss on other-than-temporarily impaired securities 
  Unrealized loss on interest rate swaps 
     Total other (loss) income  

Expenses: 
  Distribution fees 
  General and administrative expenses 
     Total expenses 

Impairment of intangible for customer relationships 

Income before income  taxes and minority interest 

Income taxes 

Income before minority interest 

Minority interest 

Net Income  

27,891 
10,713 
- 
9,695 
2,713 
(31,834) 
(768,268) 
(749,090) 

1,589 
103,622 
105,211 

- 

372,215 

25,977 

346,238 

58 

22,028 
19,062 
2,096 
19,147 
91 
(1,189) 
- 
61,235 

3,647 
62,666 
66,313 

- 

22,351 
(3,862) 
10,674 
3,994 
- 
(52,348) 
- 
(19,191) 

3,444 
40,063 
43,507 

2,493 

423,904 

101,678 

8,870 

415,034 

650 

7,538 

94,140 

324 

93,816 

19,557 

346,180 

414,384 

Dividends on preferred stock 

21,177 

21,493 

Net income available to common shareholders 

$325,003 

$392,891 

$74,259 

Weighted average number of basic common shares 
outstanding 
Weighted average number of diluted common shares 
outstanding 

507,024,596 

297,488,394 

167,666,631 

507,024,596 

306,263,766 

167,746,387 

Basic net income per average common share 
Diluted net income per average common share 

$0.64 
$0.64 

$1.32 
$1.31 

$0.44 
$0.44 

Average total assets 
Average equity 

Return on average total assets 
Return on average equity 

58,540,508 
6,679,431 

41,834,831 
3,710,821 

$23,130,057 
2,006,206 

0.59% 
5.18% 

0.99% 
11.17% 

0.41% 
4.68% 

40

 
 
 
 
Interest Income and Average Earning Asset Yield 

We had average earning assets of $56.0 billion for the year ended December 31, 2008.  We had average earning 
assets of $40.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2007. We had average earning assets of $23.0 billion for the year 
ended December 31, 2006.  Our primary source of income is interest income.   Our interest income was $3.1 billion for 
the year ended December 31, 2008, $2.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2007, and $1.2 billion for the year 
ended December 31, 2006.  The yield on average investment securities was 5.57%, 5.77%, and 5.31% for the respective 
years. The prepayment speeds decreased to an average of 10% CPR for the year ended December 31, 2008 from an 
average of 15% CPR for the year ended December 31, 2007.   

Interest Expense and the Cost of Funds 

Our largest expense is the cost of borrowed funds.  We had average borrowed funds of $50.3 billion and total 

interest expense of $1.9 billion for the year ended December 31, 2008.  We had average borrowed funds of $38.0 billion 
and total interest expense of $1.9 billion for the year ended December 31, 2007.   We had average borrowed funds of 
$21.4 billion and total interest expense of $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2006.   Our average cost of 
funds was 3.76% for the year ended December 31, 2008 and 5.07% for the year ended December 31, 2007 and 4.93 % 
for the year ended December 31, 2006.   The cost of funds rate decreased by 131 basis points and the average borrowed 
funds increased by $12.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2008 when compared to the year ended December 31, 
2007.  Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2008 decreased by $37.6 million over the prior year due to the 
substantial decrease in the average cost of funds rate.  The cost of funds rate increased by 14 basis points and the average 
borrowed funds increased by $16.6 billion for the year ended December 31, 2007 when compared to the year ended 
December 31, 2006.   Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2007 increased by $871.5 million over the 
previous year due to the substantial increase in the average borrowed funds and the increase in the average cost of funds 
rate.  Since a substantial portion of our repurchase agreements are short term, changes in market rates are directly 
reflected in our interest expense.  Our average cost of funds was 1.08% above average one-month LIBOR and 0.70% 
above average six-month LIBOR for the year ended December 31, 2008.   Our average cost of funds was 0.12% below 
average one-month LIBOR and 0.12% below average six-month LIBOR for the year ended December 31, 2007.     Our 
average cost of funds was 0.10% below average one-month LIBOR and 0.28% below average six-month LIBOR for the 
year ended December 31, 2006.   

The table below shows our average borrowed funds and average cost of funds as compared to average one-

month and average six-month LIBOR for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004 and the four 
quarters in 2008.

41

 
 
Average Cost of Funds
(Ratios for the four quarters in 2008 have been annualized, dollars in thousands) 

Average
Borrowed 
Funds 

Interest 
Expense  

Average
Cost of 
Funds  

Average
One-
Month 
LIBOR

Average
Six-Month 
LIBOR 

Average 
 One-Month 
LIBOR
Relative to 
Average Six-
Month LIBOR 

Average Cost 
of Funds 
Relative to 
Average
One-Month 
LIBOR 

Average 
 Cost of 
Funds 
 Relative to 
Average 
 Six-Month 
LIBOR 

For the Year Ended 
  December 31, 2008 
For the Year Ended               
  December 31, 2007 
For the Year Ended               
  December 31, 2006 
For the Year Ended  
  December 31, 2005 
For the Year Ended 
   December  31, 2004 
For the Quarter Ended 
   December 31, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended  
  September 30, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended  
  June 30, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended 
  March 31, 2008 

$50,270,226 

$1,888,912 

3.76% 

2.68% 

3.06% 

(0.38%) 

1.08% 

0.70% 

$37,967,215 

$1,926,465 

5.07% 

5.19% 

5.19% 

(0.00%) 

(0.12%) 

(0.12%) 

$21,399,130 

$1,055,013 

4.93% 

5.03% 

5.21% 

(0.18%) 

(0.10%) 

(0.28%) 

$17,408,828 

$568,560 

3.27% 

3.33% 

3.72% 

(0.39%) 

(0.06%) 

(0.45%) 

$15,483,118 

$270,116 

1.74% 

1.50% 

1.80% 

(0.30%) 

0.24% 

(0.06%) 

$47,581,332 

$450,805 

3.79% 

2.23% 

2.94% 

(0.71%) 

1.56% 

$51,740,645 

$458,250 

3.54% 

2.62% 

3.19% 

(0.57%) 

0.92% 

$50,359,825 

$442,251 

3.51% 

2.59% 

2.93% 

(0.34%) 

0.92% 

$51,399,101 

$537,606 

4.18% 

3.31% 

3.18% 

0.13% 

0.87% 

0.85% 

0.35% 

0.58% 

1.00% 

Net Interest Income  

Our net interest income, which equals interest income less interest expense, totaled $1.2 billion for the year 
ended December 31, 2008 and $429.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2007 and $166.9 million for the year 
ended December 31, 2006.  Our net interest income increased for the year ended December 31, 2008, as compared to the 
year ended December 31, 2007, because of the increased average asset base in 2008 and the increased interest rate 
spread.  Our net interest income increased for the year ended December 31, 2007 as compared to the year ended 
December 31, 2006 by $262.1 million because of the increased average asset base for 2007.  In 2008 average assets 
increased because of the deployment of additional capital.  Our net interest spread, which equals the yield on our average 
assets for the period less the average cost of funds for the period, was 1.81% for the year ended December 31, 2008 as 
compared to 0.70% for the year ended December 31, 2007 and 0.38% for the year ended December 31, 2006. This 111 
basis point increase in interest rate spread for 2008 over the spread for 2007 was the result in the decrease in the average 
cost of funds of 131 basis points, which was only partially offset by a decrease in average yield on average interest 
earning assets of 20 basis points.   

The table below shows our interest income by average Investment Securities held, total interest 

income, yield on average interest earning assets, average balance of repurchase agreements, interest expense, average 
cost of funds, net interest income, and net interest rate spread for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 
and 2004 and the four quarters in 2008.

42

 
 
 
 
Net Interest Income 
(Ratios for the four quarters in 2008 have been annualized, dollars in thousands) 

Average 
 Investment 
Securities 
Held

Total
Interest 
Income 

Yield on 
Average
Interest 
Earning 
Assets

Average
Balance of  
Repurchase
Agreements 

Interest 
Expense 

Average
Cost of 
Funds 

Net Interest 
Income 

Net 
Interest 
Rate
Spread

$55,962,519 

$3,115,428 

5.57% 

$50,270,226 

$1,888,912 

3.76% 

$1,226,516 

1.81% 

$40,800,148 

$2,355,447 

5.77% 

$37,967,215 

$1,926,465 

5.07% 

$428,982 

0.70% 

 $23,029,195 

$1,221,882 

5.31% 

$21,399,130 

$1,055,013 

4.93% 

$166,869 

0.38% 

$18,543,749 

$705,046 

3.80% 

$17,408,827 

$568,560 

3.27% 

$136,486 

0.53% 

$16,399,184 

$532,328 

3.25% 

$15,483,118 

$270,116 

1.74% 

$262,212 

1.51% 

$53,838,665 

$740,282 

5.50% 

$47,581,332 

$450,805 

3.79% 

$289,477 

1.71% 

$57,694,277 

$810,659 

5.62% 

$51,740,645 

$458,250 

3.54% 

$352,409 

2.08% 

$56,197,550 

$773,359 

5.50% 

$50,359,825 

$442,251 

3.51% 

$331,108 

1.99% 

$56,119,584 

$791,128 

5.64% 

$51,399,101 

$537,606 

4.18% 

$253,522 

1.46% 

For the Year Ended     
   December 31, 2008 
For  the Year Ended      
   December 31, 2007 
For the Year Ended  
   December 31, 2006 
For the Year Ended 
   December 31, 2005 
For the Year Ended  
   December 31, 2004 

For the Quarter Ended    
  December 31, 2008 
 For the Quarter Ended  
   September 30, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended 
   June 30, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended  
   March 31, 2008 

Investment Advisory and Service Fees 

FIDAC and Merganser are registered investment advisors specializing in managing fixed income securities.  At 

December 31, 2008, FIDAC and Merganser had under management approximately $7.0 billion in net assets and $15.3 
billion in gross assets, compared to $3.1 billion in net assets and $15.4 billion in gross assets at December 31, 2007. Net 
investment advisory and service fees for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007, and 2006 totaled $26.3 million, 
$18.4 million, and $18.9 million, respectively, net of fees paid to third parties pursuant to distribution service agreements 
for facilitating and promoting distribution of shares or units to FIDAC’s clients.  Gross assets under management will 
vary from time to time because of changes in the amount of net assets FIDAC and Merganser manage as well as changes 
in the amount of leverage used by the various funds and accounts FIDAC manages.  

Gains and Losses on Sales of Investment Securities and Interest Rate Swaps 

For the year ended December 31, 2008, we sold Investment Securities with a carrying value of $15.2 billion for 

aggregate net gain of $10.7 million.   For the year ended December 31, 2007, we sold investment securities with a 
aggregate historical amortized value of $4.9 billion for a net gain of $19.1 million.  In addition, for the year ended 
December 31, 2007, we had a $2.1 million gain on the termination of interest rate swaps with a notional amount of $900 
million.  For the year ended December 31, 2006, we sold investment securities with an aggregate historical amortized 
value of $3.2 billion for an aggregate loss of $3.9 million.  In addition, for the year ended December 31, 2006, we had a 
$10.7 million gain on the termination of interest rate swaps with a notional amount of $1.2 billion.    We do not expect to 
sell assets on a frequent basis, but may from time to time sell existing assets to move into new assets, which our 
management believes might have higher risk-adjusted returns, or to manage our balance sheet as part of our 
asset/liability management strategy. 

Income from Trading Securities 

Gross income from trading securities totaled $9.7 million, $19.1 million, and $4.0 million for the year ended 

December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006.  

43

 
 
Dividend Income from Available-For-Sale Equity Securities 

Dividend income from our investment in Chimera totaled $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2008 
and $91,000 for the year ended December 31, 2007.  For the year 2006 we did not have an investment in available-for-
sale equity securities.  

Loss on Other-Than-Temporarily Impaired Securities 

At each quarter end, we review each of our securities to determine if an other-than-temporary impairment 
charge would be necessary.  We will take these charges if we determine that we do not intend to hold securities that were 
in an unrealized loss position for a period of time, to maturity if necessary, sufficient for a forecasted market price 
recovery up to or beyond the cost of the investments.  For the year ended December 31, 2008 the loss on other-than-
temporarily impaired securities totaled $31.8 million related to our equity investment in Chimera. For the years ended 
December 31, 2007 and 2006 the loss on other-than-temporarily impaired securities totaled $1.2 million and $52.3 
million, respectively. 

Impairment of Goodwill and Intangibles 

During the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, it was determined that there was no impairment of 

intangibles.  The total impairment of intangible assets relating to customer relationships was $2.5 million for the year 
ended December 31, 2006. There were no impairment charges related to goodwill during the years ended 2008, 2007, 
and 2006. 

General and Administrative Expenses 

General and administrative (or G&A) expenses were $103.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2008, 
$62.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2007, and $40.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2006.  G&A 
expenses as a percentage of average total assets was 0.18%, 0.15%, and 0.17% for the years ended December 31, 2008, 
2007, and 2006, respectively.  The increase in G&A expenses of $40.9 million for the year December 31, 2008 was 
primarily the result of increased compensation, directors and officers insurance and additional costs related to our 
subsidiaries. Staff increased from 34 at the end of 2006 to 39 at the end of 2007 and 65 at the end of 2008.   

The table below shows our total G&A expenses as compared to average total assets and average equity  for the 

years ended December 31, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004 and the four quarters in  2008. 

G&A Expenses and Operating Expense Ratios
(ratios for the quarters have been annualized, dollars in thousands) 

For the Year Ended December 31, 2008 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2007 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2006 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2005 
For the Year Ended December 31, 2004 
For the Quarter Ended December 31, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended September 30, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended June 30, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended March 31, 2008 

Total G&A Expenses 
$103,622 
$62,666 
$40,063 
$26,278 
$24,029 
$26,957 
$25,455 
$27,215 
$23,995 

Total G&A 
Expenses/Average 
Assets
0.18% 
0.15% 
0.17% 
0.14% 
0.14% 
0.18% 
0.17% 
0.18% 
0.17% 

Total G&A 
Expenses/Average 
Equity
1.55% 
1.69% 
2.00% 
1.63% 
1.55% 
1.50% 
1.40% 
1.59% 
1.64% 

Net Income and Return on Average Equity   

Our net income was $346.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2008, net income was $414.4 million for 

the year ended December 31, 2007, and net income was $93.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2006.  Our return 
on average equity was 5.18% for the year ended December 31, 2008, was 11.17% for the year ended December 31, 2007, 
and 4.68% for the year ended December 31, 2006.  Net interest income increased by $797.5 million for the year ended 

44

 
 
 
December 31, 2008, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2007, due to the increase in interest earning assets 
from the deployment of additional capital we raised in 2008 and the improved interest rate spread.  Even with the 
increase in net interest income of $797.5 million, net income for the year decreased by $68.2 million.  We attribute the 
decrease in total net income for the year ended December 31, 2008 from the year ended December 31, 2007 primarily to 
the de-designation of interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges in the fourth quarter of 2008, which resulted in an 
unrealized loss of $768.3 million being recorded in the income statement for the year ended December 31, 2008.  Prior to 
the fourth quarter of 2008 and the de-designation of cash flow hedges, we recorded these changes in the market values of 
interest rate swaps in the Statement of Financial Condition.   

We attribute the increase in total net income for the year ended December 31, 2007 compared to the year ended 

December 31, 2006 primarily to the increase in net interest income, gains on the sale of securities, a reduction in losses 
on other-than temporarily impaired securities, the increased asset base, and the increase in interest rate spread. 

The table below shows our net interest income, net investment advisory and service fees, gain (loss) on sale of 
Mortgage-Backed Securities and termination of interest rate swaps, loss on other-than-temporarily impaired securities, 
income from trading securities, G&A expenses, income taxes, impairment of intangibles for customer relationships, 
minority interest, each as a percentage of average equity, and the return on average equity for the years ended December 
31, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, and 2004, and the four quarters in 2008. 

Components of Return on Average Equity

(Ratios for the quarters have been annualized) 

Gain/(Loss) on 
Sale of 
Mortgage-
Backed 
Securities and 
Realized and 
Unrealized 
Gain/(Loss) 
Interest Rate 
Swaps/ 
Average Equity

Net
Investment 
Advisory and 
Service 
Fees/Average 
Equity 

Net Interest 
Income/   
Average 
Equity 

Loss on 
other-than-
temporarily 
impaired 
securities/ 
Average 
Equity 

Income 
from 
trading 
securities
/Average 
Equity 

Dividend 
income 
from 
available-
for-sale 
equity 
securities 

G&A
Expenses/ 
Average 
Equity 

Income  
Taxes/ 
Average 
Equity 

Impairment 
of intangible 
for customer 
relationships
/Average 
Equity 

Minority 
interest/ 
Average 
Equity 

Return on 
Average 
Equity 

18.36% 

0.39% 

(11.34%) 

(0.48%) 

0.15% 

0.04% 

(1.55%) 

(0.39%) 

11.56% 

0.50% 

0.57% 

(0.03%) 

0.52% 

0.00% 

(1.69%) 

(0.24%) 

-

-

- 

5.18% 

(0.02%) 

11.17% 

8.32% 

0.94% 

0.34% 

(2.61%) 

0.20% 

(2.00%) 

(0.38%) 

(0.12%) 

(0.01%) 

4.68% 

8.45% 

1.71% 

(3.30%) 

(5.15%) 

16.92% 

0.62% 

0.34% 

16.06% 

0.38% 

(42.63%) 

-

-

-

-

- 

- 

- 

1.63% 

0.67% 

1.55% 

0.29% 

(0.11%) 

0.03% 

(1.50%) 

(0.35%) 

19.52% 

0.41% 

(0.07%) 

(1.76%) 

0.42% 

0.03% 

(1.40%) 

(0.42%) 

19.40% 

0.35% 

17.38% 

0.41% 

0.16% 

0.64% 

-

-

0.13% 

0.03% 

(1.59%) 

(0.44%) 

0.13% 

0.06% 

(1.64%) 

(0.32%) 

0.00% 

-

-

-

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

(0.57%) 

16.04% 

(28.12%) 

16.73% 

18.04% 

16.66% 

For the Year Ended 
  December 31, 2008 
For the Year Ended  
  December 31, 2007 
For the Year Ended   
  December 31, 2006 
For the Year Ended  
  December 31, 2005 
For the Year Ended  
  December 31, 2004 
For the Quarter Ended 
  December 31, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended  
  September 30, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended   
  June 30, 2008 
For the Quarter Ended   
   March 31, 2008 

Financial Condition 

Investment Securities, Available for Sale 

All of our Mortgage-Backed Securities at December 31, 2008, 2007, and 2006 were adjustable-rate or fixed-rate 

mortgage-backed securities backed by single-family mortgage loans.  All of the mortgage assets underlying these 
mortgage-backed securities were secured with a first lien position on the underlying single-family properties.  All of our 
mortgage-backed securities were FHLMC, FNMA or GNMA mortgage pass-through certificates or CMOs, which carry 
an implied “AAA” rating.   All of our agency debentures are callable and carry an implied “AAA” rating.  We carry all 
of our earning assets at fair value.

45

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 We accrete discount balances as an increase in interest income over the life of discount investment securities and 

we amortize premium balances as a decrease in interest income over the life of premium investment securities.  At 
December 31, 2008, 2007, and 2006 we had on our balance sheet a total of $64.4 million, $77.4 million and $78.4 
million, respectively, of unamortized discount (which is the difference between the remaining principal value and current 
historical amortized cost of our investment securities acquired at a price below principal value) and a total of $619.5 
million, $405.8  million and $219.1 million, respectively, of unamortized premium (which is the difference between the 
remaining principal value and the current historical amortized cost of our investment securities acquired at a price above 
principal value).  

We received mortgage principal repayments of $8.6 billion for the year ended December 31, 2008, $6.8 billion 
for the year ended December 31, 2007, and $5.1 billion for the year ended December 31, 2006.  The average prepayment 
speed for the year ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 was 13%, 15%, and 17%, respectively.  During the year 
ended December 31, 2008, the average CPR declined to 13% from 15% during the year ended December 31, 2007, due 
to a decline in refinancing activity.  Given our current portfolio composition, if mortgage principal prepayment rates 
were to increase over the life of our mortgage-backed securities, all other factors being equal, our net interest income 
would decrease during the life of these mortgage-backed securities as we would be required to amortize our net premium 
balance into income over a shorter time period.  Similarly, if mortgage principal prepayment rates were to decrease over 
the life of our mortgage-backed securities, all other factors being equal, our net interest income would increase during 
the life of these mortgage-backed securities as we would amortize our net premium balance over a longer time period.  

The table below summarizes certain characteristics of our Investment Securities at December 31, 2008, 2007, 

2006, 2005, and 2004 and September 30, 2008, June 30, 2008, and March 31, 2008. 

Investment Securities
(dollars in thousands) 

Principal Amount  
$54,508,672 
$52,569,598 
$30,134,791 
$15,915,801 
$19,123,902 
$55,211,123 
$58,304,678 
$56,006,707 

Net
Premium 
$555,043
$328,376
$140,709
$220,637
$425,792
$525,394
$500,721
$383,334

Amortized 
Cost
$55,063,715
$52,897,974
$30,275,500
$16,136,438
$19,549,694
$55,736,517
$58,805,399
$56,390,041

Amortized 
Cost/Principal
Amount  
101.02% 
100.62% 
100.47% 
101.39% 
102.23% 
100.95% 
100.86% 
100.68% 

Fair Value 
$55,645,940 
$53,133,443 
$30,217,009 
$15,929,864 
$19,428,895 
$55,459,280 
$58,749,300 
$56,853,862 

Fair
Value/Principal
Amount  
102.09% 
101.07% 
100.27% 
100.09% 
101.59% 
100.45% 
100.76% 
101.51% 

Weighted 
Average
Yield

5.15%
5.75%
5.63%
4.68%
3.43%
5.41%
5.33%
5.36%

 At December 31, 2008 
 At December 31, 2007 
At December 31, 2006 
At December 31, 2005 
At December 31, 2004 
At September 30, 2008 
At June 30, 2008 
At March 31, 2008 

The table below summarizes certain characteristics of our Investment Securities at December 31, 2008, 2007, 
2006, 2005, and 2004 and September 30, 2008, June 30, 2008, and March 31, 2008.  The index level for adjustable-rate 
Investment Securities is the weighted average rate of the various short-term interest rate indices, which determine the 
coupon rate. 

Adjustable-Rate Investment Security Characteristics
(dollars in thousands) 

Weighted 
Average
Coupon 
Rate
4.75% 
5.90% 
5.72% 
4.76% 
4.23% 
5.27% 
5.16% 
5.19% 

Weighted 
Average Term to 
Next Adjustment 
36 months
39 months
19 months
22 months
24 months
37 months
36 months
35 months

Principal Amount 
$19,540,152 
$15,331,447 
$8,493,242 
$9,699,133 
$13,544,872 
$19,310,012 
$18,418,637 
$17,487,518 

Weighted 
Average Lifetime 
Cap

Weighted 
Average

Asset       
Yield

Principal Amount at 
Period End as % of 
Total Investment 
Securities 

10.00%
9.89%
9.76%
10.26%
10.12%
9.98%
9.89%
9.73%

3.93% 
5.63% 
5.57% 
4.74% 
3.24% 
4.65% 
4.54% 
4.40% 

35.85%
29.16%
28.18%
60.94%
70.83%
34.97%
31.59%
31.22%

At December 31, 2008 
At December 31, 2007 
At December 31, 2006 
At December 31, 2005 
At December 31, 2004 
 At September 30, 2008 
 At June 30, 2008 
 At March 31, 2008 

46

Fixed-Rate Investment Security Characteristics
(dollars in thousands) 

Principal 
Amount 
$34,968,520 
$37,238,151 
$21,641,549 
$6,216,668 
$5,579,030 
$3,387,196 
$35,901,111 
$39,886,041 
$38,519,189 

Weighted Average 
Coupon Rate 
6.13% 
6.00% 
5.83% 
5.37% 
5.24% 
5.77% 
6.06% 
6.00% 
5.98% 

Weighted Average 
Asset Yield 
5.84% 
5.80% 
5.65% 
4.60% 
3.89% 
4.29% 
5.82% 
5.70% 
5.80% 

Principal Amount  at Period 

End as % of Total Investment 

Securities 
64.15% 
70.84% 
71.82% 
39.06% 
29.17% 
26.71% 
65.03% 
68.41% 
68.78% 

At December 31, 2008 
At December 31, 2007 
At December 31, 2006 
At December 31, 2005 
At December 31, 2004 
At December 31, 2003 
At September 30, 2008 
At June 30, 2008 
At March 31, 2008 

At December 31, 2008 and 2007, we held Investment Securities with coupons linked to various indices.  The 

following tables detail the portfolio characteristics by index.  

Adjustable-Rate Investment Securities by Index
December 31, 2008

One-
Month 
Libor 

Six-
Month 
Libor 

Twelve 
Month 
Libor 

12-
Month 
Moving 
Average 

11th
District
Cost of 
Funds 

1-Year
Treasury 
Index  

Monthly  
Federal
Cost of
Funds 

Other
Indexes(1)

 1 mo.

25 mo.

55 mo.

1 mo.

1 mo.

37  mo.

1 mo. 

14 mo.

6.28%

1.95%

1.98%

0.00%

1.26%

1.93%

0.00% 

1.94%

7.07% 10.87%

10.92%

8.86% 11.35% 10.86% 13.44% 

11.98 %

Weighted Average Term 
  to Next Adjustment 

Weighted Average  
  Annual  Period Cap 

Weighted Average  
  Lifetime Cap at  
  December 31, 2008 

Investment  Principal 
 Value  as Percentage of 
 Investment Securities at 
 December 31, 2008 

0.60%
 Combination of indexes that account for less than 0.05% of total investment securities. 

19.32%

0.99%

8.11%

2.53%

(1)

4.12%

0.11% 

0.07%

47

  
Adjustable-Rate Investment Securities by Index
December 31, 2007

One-
Month 
Libor 

Six-
Month 
Libor 

Twelve 
Month 
Libor 

12-
Month 
Moving 
Average

11th
District
Cost of 
Funds 

1-Year
Treasury 
Index 

3-Year
Treasury 
Index 

Monthly  
Federal
Cost of
Funds 

One
Month 
Libor- 
USD 

Twelve 
Month 
Libor- 
USD 

Other
Indexes(1)

 1 mo.  38 mo. 

72 mo.

1 mo.

1 mo.

36  mo.

18 mo.

1 mo. 

1 mo. 

60 mo.

10 mo.

6.48% 

1.72% 

2.00%

0.42%

0.00%

1.88%

2.07%

0.00% 

2.00% 

2.00%

1.84%

7.13%  11.25%  11.08%

9.15% 12.08%

10.73%

13.18%

13.43% 

12.8% 

10.94%

10.73 %

Weighted Average Term to  
 Next Adjustment 

Weighted Average Annual  
 Period Cap 

Weighted Average Lifetime 
 Cap at December 31,  2007 

Investment  Principal Value as 
 Percentage of  Investment  
 Securities at  December 31,  
2007 

7.23%
(1) Combination of indexes that account for less than 0.05% of total investment securities. 

8.24% 

1.89% 

0.67%

0.19%

3.39%

0.05%

0.13% 

0.19% 

7.14%

0.04%

Reverse Repurchase Agreements 

At December 31, 2008, we lent $562.1 million to Chimera in an overnight reverse repurchase agreement.  This 
amount is included at fair value in our Statement of Financial Condition.  The interest rate at December 31, 2008 was an 
at the market rate of 1.43%.  The average rate on all reverse repurchase agreements for the year was 2.99%.  The 
collateral for this loan is mortgage-backed securities.   

Trading Securities and Trading Securities Sold, Not Yet Purchased 

Trading securities and trading securities sold, not yet purchased, are included in the balance sheet as a result of 
consolidating the financial statements of an affiliated investment fund.  The resulting realized and unrealized gains and 
losses are reflected in the statements of operations.  There were no trading securities and trading securities sold, not yet 
purchased at December 31, 2008.  The fair value of the trading securities was $11.7 million and the trading securities 
sold, not yet purchased, was $32.8 million at December 31, 2007.  

Receivable from Prime Broker on Equity Investment 

The net assets of the investment fund are subject to English bankruptcy law, which governs the 

administration of Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (LBIE), as well as the law of New York, which governs the 
contractual documents.  Until our contractual documents with LBIE are terminated, the value of the assets and liabilities 
in our account with LBIE will continue to fluctuate based on market movements.  We do not intend to terminate these 
contractual documents until LBIE's administrators have clarified the consequences of us doing so. We have not received 
notice from LBIE's administrators that LBIE has terminated the documents.  LBIE’s administrators have advised us 
that they can provide us with no additional information about our account at this time.  As a result, we have presented the 
market value of our account with LBIE as of September 15, 2008, which is the date of the last statement we received 
from LBIE on the account’s assets and liabilities.  We can provide no assurance, however, that we will recover all or any 
portion of these assets following completion of LBIE's administration (and any subsequent liquidation). 

Borrowings 

To date, our debt has consisted entirely of borrowings collateralized by a pledge of our Investment Securities.  

These borrowings appear on our balance sheet as repurchase agreements.  At December 31, 2008, we had established 
uncommitted borrowing facilities in this market with 30 lenders in amounts which we believe are in excess of our needs.  
All of our Investment Securities are currently accepted as collateral for these borrowings. However, we limit our 
borrowings, and thus our potential asset growth, in order to maintain unused borrowing capacity and thus increase the 
liquidity and strength of our balance sheet.  

48

For the year ended December 31, 2008, the term to maturity of our borrowings ranged from one day to three 
years.  Additionally, we have entered into structured borrowings giving the counterparty the right to call the balance 
prior to maturity.   The weighted average original term to maturity of our borrowings was 287 days at December 31, 
2008.  For the year ended December 31, 2007, the term to maturity of our borrowings ranged from one day to three 
years, with a weighted average original term to maturity of 286 days at December 31, 2007.  For the year ended 
December 31, 2006, the term to maturity of our borrowings ranged from one day to three years, with a weighted average 
original term to maturity of 194 days at December 31, 2006. 

At December 31, 2008, the weighted average cost of funds for all of our borrowings was 4.08%, with the effect 
of the interest rate swaps, and the weighted average term to next rate adjustment was 238 days.  At December 31, 2007, 
the weighted average cost of funds for all of our borrowings 4.76% and the weighted average term to next rate 
adjustment was 234 days.     

Liquidity 

Liquidity, which is our ability to turn non-cash assets into cash, allows us to purchase additional investment 

securities and to pledge additional assets to secure existing borrowings should the value of our pledged assets decline.  
Potential immediate sources of liquidity for us include cash balances and unused borrowing capacity.  Unused borrowing 
capacity will vary over time as the market value of our investment securities varies.  Our non-cash assets are largely 
actual or implied AAA assets, and accordingly, we have not had, nor do we anticipate having, difficulty in converting 
our assets to cash.  Our balance sheet also generates liquidity on an on-going basis through mortgage principal 
repayments and net earnings held prior to payment as dividends.  Should our needs ever exceed these on-going sources 
of liquidity plus the immediate sources of liquidity discussed above, we believe that in most circumstances our 
investment securities could be sold to raise cash.  The maintenance of liquidity is one of the goals of our capital 
investment policy.  Under this policy, we limit asset growth in order to preserve unused borrowing capacity for liquidity 
management purposes. 

Borrowings under our repurchase agreements increased by $700 million to $46.7 billion at December 31, 2008, 
from $46.0 billion at December 31, 2007.  Even though borrowing increased over the year, leverage declined from 8.7:1 
to 6.4:1.  

We anticipate that, upon repayment of each borrowing under a repurchase agreement, we will use the collateral 

immediately for borrowing under a new repurchase agreement. We have not at the present time entered into any 
commitment agreements under which the lender would be required to enter into new repurchase agreements during a 
specified period of time, nor do we presently plan to have liquidity facilities with commercial banks. 

Under our repurchase agreements, we may be required to pledge additional assets to our repurchase agreement 

counterparties (i.e., lenders) in the event the estimated fair value of the existing pledged collateral under such agreements 
declines and such lenders demand additional collateral (a “margin call”), which may take the form of additional 
securities or cash.  Similarly, if the estimated fair value of investment securities increases due to changes in market 
interest rates of market factors, lenders may release collateral back to us.  Specifically, margin calls result from a decline 
in the value of the our Mortgage-Backed Securities securing our repurchase agreements, prepayments on the mortgages 
securing such Mortgage-Backed Securities and to changes in the estimated fair value of such Mortgage-Backed 
Securities generally due to principal reduction of such Mortgage-Backed Securities from scheduled amortization and 
resulting from changes in market interest rates and other market factors.  Through December 31, 2008, we did not have 

49

 
any margin calls on our repurchase agreements that we were not able to satisfy with either cash or additional pledged 
collateral.  However, should prepayment speeds on the mortgages underlying our Mortgage-Backed Securities and/or 
market interest rates suddenly increase, margin calls on our repurchase agreements could result, causing an adverse 
change in our liquidity position. 

The following table summarizes the effect on our liquidity and cash flows from contractual obligations for 
repurchase agreements, interest expense on repurchase agreements, the non-cancelable office lease and employment 
agreements at December 31, 2008.  The table does not include the effect of net interest rate payments under our interest 
rate swap agreements.  The net swap payments will fluctuate based on monthly changes in the receive rate,   At 
December 31, 2008, the interest rate swaps had a negative fair value of $1.1 billion.   

Contractual Obligations 
Repurchase agreements 
Interest expense on repurchase 
agreements, based on rates at 12-31-08 
Long-term operating lease obligations 

Employment contracts 
Total 

Stockholders’ Equity 

Within One 
Year
$40,195,726 

One to 
Three Years 
$2,930,000 

(dollars in thousands)
Three to 
Five Years 
$2,049,159 

More than 
Five Years 
$1,500,000 

Total 
$46,674,885 

367,979 

395,150 

183,269 

196,838 

1,143,236 

532 
36,645 
$40,600,882 

- 
$3,325,150 

-
- 
$2,232,428 

-
- 
$1,696,838 

532 
36,645 
$47,855,298 

On May 13, 2008 we entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which we sold 69,000,000 shares of 

our common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $1.1 billion. This transaction 
settled on May 19, 2008.  

On January 23, 2008 we entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which we sold 58,650,000 shares 
of our common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $1.1 billion. This transaction 
settled on January 29, 2008.  

During the year ended December 31, 2008, we raised $93.7 million by issuing 5.8 million shares through our 

Direct Purchase and Dividend Reinvestment Program.   

On August 3, 2006, we entered into an ATM Equity Offering(sm) Sales Agreement with Merrill Lynch & Co. 

and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, relating to the sale of shares of our common stock from time to 
time through Merrill Lynch. Sales of the shares, if any, are made by means of ordinary brokers' transaction on the New 
York Stock Exchange. During the year ended December 31, 2008, 588,000 shares of our common stock were issued 
pursuant to this program, totaling $11.5 million in net proceeds. 

On August 3, 2006, we entered into an ATM Equity Sales Agreement with UBS Securities LLC, relating to the 

sale of shares of our common stock from time to time through UBS Securities. Sales of the shares, if any, are made by 
means of ordinary brokers' transaction on the New York Stock Exchange. During the year ended December 31, 2008, 3.8 
million shares of our common stock were issued pursuant to this program, totaling $60.3 million in net proceeds. 

During the year ended December 31, 2008, 300,000 options were exercised under the Long-Term Stock 

Incentive Plan, or Incentive Plan, for an aggregate exercise price of $2.8 million.  

On October 11, 2007, we entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which we sold 71,300,000 shares 
of our common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $1.0 billion. This transaction 
settled on October 17, 2007.  

On July 12, 2007, we entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which we sold 54,050,000 shares of 

our common stock for proceeds of $720.8 million net of underwriting fees.  This transaction settled on July 18, 2007.

50

 
 
 
   
On March 7, 2007, we entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which we sold 57,500,000 shares of 
our common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $737.4 million. This transaction 
settled on March 13, 2007.  

During the year ended December 31, 2007 we sold 4.5 million shares of our common stock, for net proceeds of 
$66.2 million, under the ATM Equity Sales Agreement with Merrill.  During the year ended December 31, 2007, we sold 
1.1 million shares of our common stock for net proceeds of $14.7 million under our Equity Shelf Program with UBS 
Securities, pursuant to which sales are made by means of ordinary brokers' transaction on the New York Stock 
Exchange. 

During the year ended December 31, 2007, we raised $116.5 million by issuing 8.0 million shares through the 

Direct Purchase and Dividend Reinvestment Program.   

During the year ended December 31, 2007, 55,738 options were exercised under the Incentive Plan for an 

aggregate exercise price of $576,000. 

On August 16, 2006, we entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which we sold 40,825,000 shares 

of our common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $476.7 million. This 
transaction settled on August 22, 2006. 

On April 6, 2006, we entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which we sold 39,215,000 shares of 

our common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $437.7 million.  On April 6, 
2006, we entered into a second underwriting agreement pursuant to which we sold 4,600,000 shares of our 6% Series B 
Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $111.5 
million. Each of these transactions settled on April 12, 2006. The 6% Series B Cumulative Preferred Stock has been 
treated under GAAP as temporary equity. For the purpose of computing ratios relating to equity measures, the Series B 
Preferred Stock has been included in equity. 

During the year ended December 31, 2006, 1,598,500 shares of the Company’s common stock were issued 
through the ATM Programs and Equity Shelf Program with UBS Securities, totaling net proceeds of $20.9 million.   
During the year ended December 31, 2006, 22,160 options were exercised under the long-term compensation plan for an 
aggregate exercise price of $183,000.    

Unrealized Gains and Losses 

With our “available-for-sale” accounting treatment, unrealized fluctuations in market values of assets do not 

impact our GAAP or taxable income but rather are reflected on our balance sheet by changing the carrying value of the 
asset and stockholders’ equity under “Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss).”  As a result of the de-
designation  of interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges during the quarter ended December 31, 2008, unrealized gains 
and losses in our interest rate swaps impact our GAAP income.   

As a result of this mark-to-market accounting treatment, our book value and book value per share are likely to 

fluctuate far more than if we used historical amortized cost accounting.  As a result, comparisons with companies that 
use historical cost accounting for some or all of their balance sheet may not be meaningful.   

The table below shows unrealized gains and losses on the Investment Securities, available-for-sale equity 

securities and interest rate swaps in our portfolio prior to de-designation. 

Unrealized Gains and Losses
 (dollars in thousands) 

At December 31, 

Unrealized gain                           
Unrealized loss 
Net Unrealized (loss) gain 

2008 

$785,087 
(532,857) 
$252,230 

2007 
$379,348 
(531,545) 
($152,197) 

2006 
$112,596 
(188,708) 
($76,112) 

2005 
$     5,027 
(211,601) 
($206,574) 

2004 
$   23,021 
(143,821) 
($120,800) 

51

   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unrealized changes in the estimated net fair value of investment securities have one direct effect on our potential 
earnings and dividends: positive changes increase our equity base and allow us to increase our borrowing capacity while 
negative changes tend to limit borrowing capacity under our capital investment policy.  A very large negative change in 
the net fair value of our investment securities might impair our liquidity position, requiring us to sell assets with the 
likely result of realized losses upon sale.   

Leverage 

Our debt-to-equity ratio at December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 was 6.4:1, 8.7:1 and 10.4:1, respectively.  We 
generally  expect  to  maintain  a  ratio  of  debt-to-equity  of  between  8:1  and  12:1,  although  the  ratio  may  vary  from  this 
range from time to time based upon various factors, including our management’s opinion of the level of risk of our assets 
and liabilities, our liquidity position, our level of unused borrowing capacity and over-collateralization levels required by 
lenders when we pledge assets to secure borrowings.    

Our target debt-to-equity ratio is determined under our capital investment policy.  Should our actual debt-to-

equity ratio increase above the target level due to asset acquisition or market value fluctuations in assets, we would cease 
to acquire new assets.  Our management will, at that time, present a plan to our board of directors to bring us back to our 
target debt-to-equity ratio; in many circumstances, this would be accomplished over time by the monthly reduction of the 
balance of our Mortgage-Backed Securities through principal repayments.   

Asset/Liability Management and Effect of Changes in Interest Rates 

We continually review our asset/liability management strategy with respect to interest rate risk, mortgage 

prepayment risk, credit risk and the related issues of capital adequacy and liquidity.  Our goal is to provide attractive 
risk-adjusted stockholder returns while maintaining what we believe is a strong balance sheet. 

We seek to manage the extent to which our net income changes as a function of changes in interest rates by 

matching adjustable-rate assets with variable-rate borrowings.  In addition, we have attempted to mitigate the potential 
impact on net income of periodic and lifetime coupon adjustment restrictions in our portfolio of investment securities by 
entering into interest rate swaps.   At December 31, 2008, we had entered into swap agreements with a total notional 
amount of $17.6 billion.  We agreed to pay a weighted average pay rate of 4.66% and receive a floating rate based on 
one month LIBOR. At December 31, 2007, we entered into swap agreements with a total notional amount of $16.2 
billion.  We agreed to pay a weighted average pay rate of 5.03% and receive a floating rate based on one month LIBOR.  
We may enter into similar derivative transactions in the future by entering into interest rate collars, caps or floors or 
purchasing interest only securities. 

Changes in interest rates may also affect the rate of mortgage principal prepayments and, as a result, 

prepayments on mortgage-backed securities.  We seek to mitigate the effect of changes in the mortgage principal 
repayment rate by balancing assets we purchase at a premium with assets we purchase at a discount.  To date, the 
aggregate premium exceeds the aggregate discount on our mortgage-backed securities.  As a result, prepayments, which 
result in the expensing of unamortized premium, will reduce our net income compared to what net income would be 
absent such prepayments. 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 

We do not have any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often 

referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, which would have been established for the purpose of 
facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.  Further, we have not 
guaranteed any obligations of unconsolidated entities nor do we have any commitment or intent to provide funding to 
any such entities.  As such, we are not materially exposed to any market, credit, liquidity or financing risk that could 
arise if we had engaged in such relationships.

Capital Resources 

At December 31, 2008, we had no material commitments for capital expenditures.

52

 
 
 
 
 
Inflation

Virtually all of our assets and liabilities are financial in nature.  As a result, interest rates and other factors drive 

our performance far more than does inflation.  Changes in interest rates do not necessarily correlate with inflation rates 
or changes in inflation rates.  Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP and our dividends are 
based upon our net income as calculated for tax purposes; in each case, our activities and balance sheet are measured 
with reference to historical cost or fair market value without considering inflation. 

Other Matters 

We calculate that at least 75% of our assets were qualified REIT assets, as defined in the Code for the years 

ended December 31, 2008 and 2007.   We also calculate that our revenue qualifies for the 75% source of income test and 
for the 95% source of income test rules for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007.  Consequently, we met the 
REIT income and asset test.  We also met all REIT requirements regarding the ownership of our common stock and the 
distribution of our net income.  Therefore, for the years ended of December 31, 2008, 2007, and 2006, we believe that 
we qualified as a REIT under the Code. 

We at all times intend to conduct our business so as not to become regulated as an investment company under 

the Investment Company Act of 1940, or the Investment Company Act.  If we were to become regulated as an 
investment company, then our use of leverage would be substantially reduced.  The Investment Company Act exempts 
entities that are “primarily engaged in the business of purchasing or otherwise acquiring mortgages and other liens on 
and interests in real estate” (qualifying interests).  Under current interpretation of the staff of the SEC, in order to qualify
for this exemption, we must maintain at least 55% of our assets directly in qualifying interests and at least 80% of our 
assets in qualifying interests plus other real estate related assets.  In addition, unless certain mortgage securities represent
all the certificates issued with respect to an underlying pool of mortgages, the Mortgage-Backed Securities may be 
treated as securities separate from the underlying mortgage loans and, thus, may not be considered qualifying interests 
for purposes of the 55% requirement.  We calculate that as of December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, we were in 
compliance with this requirement.

53

 
 
ITEM 7A 

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

MARKET RISK 

Market risk is the exposure to loss resulting from changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, 
commodity prices and equity prices.  The primary market risk to which we are exposed is interest rate risk, which is 
highly sensitive to many factors, including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic 
and political considerations and other factors beyond our control.  Changes in the general level of interest rates can affect 
our net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income earned on interest-earning assets and the 
interest expense incurred in connection with our interest-bearing liabilities, by affecting the spread between our interest-
earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities.  Changes in the level of interest rates also can affect the value of our 
Mortgage-Backed Securities and our ability to realize gains from the sale of these assets.  We may utilize a variety of 
financial instruments, including interest rate swaps, caps, floors, inverse floaters and other interest rate exchange 
contracts, in order to limit the effects of interest rates on our operations.  When we use these types of derivatives to 
hedge the risk of interest-earning assets or interest-bearing liabilities, we may be subject to certain risks, including the 
risk that losses on a hedge position will reduce the funds available for payments to holders of securities and that the 
losses may exceed the amount we invested in the instruments.   

Our profitability and the value of our portfolio (including interest rate swaps) may be adversely affected during 

any period as a result of changing interest rates.  The following table quantifies the potential changes in net interest 
income, portfolio value should interest rates go up or down 25, 50 and 75 basis points, assuming the yield curves of the 
rate shocks will be parallel to each other and the current yield curve.  All changes in income and value are measured as 
percentage changes from the projected net interest income and portfolio value at the base interest rate scenario.  The base 
interest rate scenario assumes interest rates at December 31, 2008 and various estimates regarding prepayment and all 
activities are made at each level of rate shock.  Actual results could differ significantly from these estimates. 

Change in Interest Rate 

Projected Percentage Change in 
Net Interest Income 

Projected Percentage Change in 
Portfolio Value, with Effect of 
Interest Rate Swaps 

-75 Basis Points 

-50 Basis Points 
-25 Basis Points 
Base Interest Rate 
+25 Basis Points 
+50 Basis Points 
+75 Basis Points 

8.82% 

5.19% 
1.85% 
- 
(3.68%) 
(7.62%) 
(11.57%) 

1.64% 

1.58% 
1.41% 
- 
0.74% 
0.25% 
(0.34%) 

ASSET AND LIABILITY MANAGEMENT

Asset and liability management is concerned with the timing and magnitude of the repricing of assets and 

liabilities.  We attempt to control risks associated with interest rate movements.  Methods for evaluating interest rate risk 
include an analysis of our interest rate sensitivity "gap", which is the difference  between interest-earning assets and 
interest-bearing liabilities maturing or repricing within a given time period.  A gap is considered positive when the 
amount of interest-rate sensitive assets exceeds the amount of interest-rate sensitive liabilities.  A gap is considered 
negative when the amount of interest-rate sensitive liabilities exceeds interest-rate sensitive assets.  During a period of 
rising interest rates, a negative gap would tend to adversely affect net interest income, while a positive gap would tend to 
result in an increase in net interest income.  During a period of falling interest rates, a negative gap would tend to result 
in an increase in net interest income, while a positive gap would tend to affect net interest income adversely.  Because 
different types of assets and liabilities with the same or similar maturities may react differently to changes in overall 
market rates or conditions, changes in interest rates may affect net interest income positively or negatively even if an 
institution were perfectly matched in each maturity category. 

54

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following table sets forth the estimated maturity or repricing of our interest-earning assets and interest-
bearing liabilities at December 31, 2008.  The amounts of assets and liabilities shown within a particular period were 
determined in accordance with the contractual terms of the assets and liabilities, except adjustable-rate loans, and 
securities are included in the period in which their interest rates are first scheduled to adjust and not in the period in 
which they mature and does include the effect of the interest rate swaps.  The interest rate sensitivity of our assets and 
liabilities in the table could vary substantially based on actual prepayment experience. 

Rate Sensitive Assets: 
  Investment Securities 
(Principal) 
 Cash Equivalents
 Reverse Repurchase Agreements
  Total Rate Sensitive Assets

Rate Sensitive Liabilities: 
  Repurchase Agreements, 
    with the effect of swaps 

Within 3 
Months 

$ 5,722,108 
909,353 
562,119 
7,193,580 

4-12 Months 

More than 1 
Year to 3 
Years 
(dollars in thousands) 

3 Years and 
Over 

$ 2,294,550 
- 

$ 3,196,475 
- 

$43,295,539 
- 

2,294,550 

3,196,475 

43,295,539 

Total 

$54,508,672 
909,353 
562,119 
55,980,144 

21,369,035 

5,880,891 

12,243,050 

7,181,909 

46,674,885 

Interest rate sensitivity gap 

($14,175,455) 

($3,586,341) 

($9,046,575) 

$36,113,630 

$9,305,259 

Cumulative rate sensitivity gap 

($14,175,455) 

($17,761,796) 

($26,808,371) 

$ 9,305,259 

Cumulative interest rate 
sensitivity gap as a percentage 
of total rate-sensitive assets 

(26%) 

(33%) 

(49%) 

17% 

Our analysis of risks is based on management’s experience, estimates, models and assumptions.  These analyses 

rely on models which utilize estimates of fair value and interest rate sensitivity.  Actual economic conditions or 
implementation of investment decisions by our management may produce results that differ significantly from the 
estimates and assumptions used in our models and the projected results shown in the above tables and in this report.  
These analyses contain certain forward-looking statements and are subject to the safe harbor statement set forth under the 
heading, “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

55

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 8 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Our financial statements and the related notes, together with the Report of Independent Registered Public 

Accounting Firm thereon, are set forth on pages F-1 through F-22 of this Form 10-K. 

ITEM 9 

CHANGES  IN  AND  DISAGREEMENTS  WITH  ACCOUNTANTS  ON  ACCOUNTING  AND 
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

None. 

ITEM 9A  CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer (the “CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (the “CFO”), 

reviewed and evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as 
defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this 
annual report.  Based on that review and evaluation, the CEO and CFO have concluded that our current disclosure 
controls and procedures, as designed and implemented, (1) were effective in ensuring that information regarding the 
Company and its subsidiaries is made known to our management, including our CEO and CFO, by our employees, as 
appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and (2) were effective in providing reasonable 
assurance that information the Company must disclose in its periodic reports under the Securities Exchange Act is 
recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods prescribed by the SEC’s rules and forms. 

Management Report On Internal Control Over Financial Reporting  

Dated:  February 25, 2009

Management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over 

financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange 
Act as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the Company’s principal executive and principal financial 
officers and effected by the Company’s Board of Directors, management and other personnel to provide reasonable 
assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes 
in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that:  

  (cid:129) 

  (cid:129) 

 pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and 
dispositions of the assets of the Company;  

 provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial 
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the 
Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; 
and

  (cid:129) 

 provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or 
disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.  

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect 
misstatements. As a result, even systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance regarding the 
preparation and presentation of financial statements.  Moreover, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future 
periods are subject to the risks that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the degree 
of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.  

The Company’s management assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial 

reporting as of December 31, 2008. In making this assessment, the Company’s management used criteria set forth by the

56

      
   
    
   
    
   
    
     
      
 Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control-Integrated 
Framework

Based on management’s assessment, the Company’s management believes that, as of December 31, 2008, the 

Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective based on those criteria.  There have been no changes in 
the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2008 that 
have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to affect its internal control over financial reporting. 

The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, has issued an 

attestation report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. This report appears on page F-1 of this 
annual report on Form 10-K.  

ITEM 9B.     OTHER INFORMATION

None. 

PART III

ITEM 10 

DIRECTORS , EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information required by Item 10 as to our directors is incorporated herein by reference to the proxy 

statement to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2008.  The information regarding our executive 
officers required by Item 10 appears in Part I of this Form 10-K.  The information required by Item 10 as to our 
compliance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 is incorporated by reference to the proxy 
statement to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2008.   

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics within the meaning of Item 406(b) of Regulation S-K.  

This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applies to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer and 
principal accounting officer. This Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is publicly available on our website at 
www.annaly.com. If we make substantive amendments to this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics or grant any waiver, 
including any implicit waiver, we intend to disclose these events on our website. 

ITEM 11 

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information required by Item 11 is incorporated herein by reference to the proxy statement to be filed with 

the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2008. 

ITEM 12 

SECURITY  OWNERSHIP  OF  CERTAIN  BENEFICIAL  OWNERS  AND  MANAGEMENT  AND 
RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The information required by Item 12 is incorporated herein by reference to the proxy statement to be filed with 

the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2008. 

ITEM 13 

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The information required by Item 13 is incorporated herein by reference to the proxy statement to be filed with 

the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2008. 

ITEM 14 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The information required by Item 14 is incorporated herein by reference to the proxy statement to be filed with 

the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2008.

57

      
      
 
ITEM 15 

EXHIBITS  AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.

PART IV

(a)  Documents filed as part of this report: 

1. 

2. 

Financial Statements. 

Schedules to Financial Statements: 

All financial statement schedules not included have been omitted because they are either inapplicable or the 

information required is provided in our Financial Statements and Notes thereto, included in Part II, Item 8, of this 
Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

3. 

Exhibits: 

Exhibit 
Number 

Exhibit Description 

EXHIBIT INDEX 

3.1 

3.2 

3.3    

3.4 

3.5 

3.6 

3.7 

4.1 

4.2 

4.3 

4.4 

Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant 
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-
11 (Registration No. 333-32913) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 
August 5, 1997). 
Articles of Amendment of the Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration 
Statement 333-74618) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 2002). 
Articles of Amendment of the Articles of Incorporation of the Registrant (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the Registrant's Form 8-K (filed with the Securities and Exchange 
Commission on August 3, 2006). 
Form of Articles Supplementary designating the Registrant’s 7.875% Series A Cumulative 
Redeemable Preferred Stock, liquidation preference $25.00 per share (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant’s 8-A filed April 1, 2004). 
Articles Supplementary of the Registrant’s designating an additional 2,750,000 shares of the 
Company’s 7.875% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, as filed with the State 
Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland on October 15, 2004 (incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s 8-K filed October 4, 2004). 
Articles Supplementary designating the Registrant’s 6% Series B Cumulative Convertible 
Preferred Stock, liquidation preference $25.00 per share (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
3.1 to the Registrant’s 8-K filed April 10, 2006). 
Bylaws of the Registrant, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the 
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-11 (Registration No. 333-32913) filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on August 5, 1997). 
Specimen Common Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Amendment 
No. 1 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-11 (Registration No. 333-32913) 
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 17, 1997). 
Specimen Preferred Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the 
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-74618) filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on December 5, 2001). 
Specimen Series A Preferred Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the 
Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the SEC on April 1, 2004). 
Specimen Series B Preferred Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the 
Registrant’s Form 8K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 10, 2006). 

58

10.1 

10.2 

10.3 

10.4 

10.5 

10.6 

10.7 

10.8 

10.9 

10.10 

10.11 

12.1 
23.1 
31.1 

31.2 

32.1 

32.2 

Long-Term Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s 
Registration Statement on Form S-11 (Registration No. 333-32913) filed with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission on August 5, 1997).* 
Form of Master Repurchase Agreement  (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the 
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-11 (Registration No. 333-32913) filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission on August 5, 1997). 
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, effective as of June 4, 2004, between the 
Registrant and Michael A.J. Farrell (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 of the 
Registrant’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 
2005).* 
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated as of February 25, 2008, between the 
Registrant and Wellington J. Denahan.* 
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, effective as of June 4, 2004,between the 
Registrant and Kathryn F. Fagan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 of the Registrant’s 
Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2005).* 
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, effective as of June 4, 2004, between the 
Registrant and James P. Fortescue (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 of the Registrant’s 
Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2005).* 
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated as of January 23, 2006, between the 
Registrant and Jeremy Diamond (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 for Diamond of the 
Registrant’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 13, 
2006).* 
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated as of January 23, 2006, between the 
Registrant and Ronald D. Kazel. Diamond (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 for Kazel 
of the Registrant’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 
13, 2006).* 
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated as of April 21, 2006, between the 
Registrant and Rose-Marie Lyght (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 of the Registrant’s 
Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 9, 2006).* 
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, effective as of June 4, 2004, between the 
Registrant and Kristopher R. Konrad (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 of the 
Registrant’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 
2005).* 
Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated January 23, 2006, between the 
Registrant and R. Nicholas Singh. Diamond (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 for 
Singh of the Registrant’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 
March 13, 2006).* 
Computation of ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends. 
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. 
Certification of Michael A.J. Farrell, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of the 
Registrant, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the 
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 
Certification of Kathryn F. Fagan, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Registrant, 
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley 
Act of 2002. 
Certification of Michael A.J. Farrell, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of the 
Registrant, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the 
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 
Certification of Kathryn F. Fagan, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Registrant, 
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley 
Act of 2002. 

* 
Exhibits to this Form 10-K. 

Exhibit Numbers 10.1 and 10.3-10.11 are management contracts or compensatory plans required to be filed as 

59

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEARS ENDED  
  DECEMBER 31, 2008 and 2007: 

  Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition 

  Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) 

  Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity 

  Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 

  Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

Page

F-1 

F-2 

F-3 

F-4 

F-5 

F-7

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of 
Annaly Capital Management, Inc. 
New York, New York 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial condition of Annaly Capital Management, Inc. and subsidiaries
(the "Company") as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income
(loss), stockholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2008.  We also have audited the 
Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008, based on criteria established in Internal Control — 
Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.  The Company's 
management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its 
assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management Report On
Internal Control Over Financial Reporting at Item 9A.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and an 
opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).  Those 
standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of 
material misstatement and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.  Our audits 
of the financial statements included examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial 
statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial 
statement presentation.  Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over 
financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of 
internal control based on the assessed risk.  Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the 
circumstances.  We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions. 

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company's principal 
executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, and effected by the company's board of directors, 
management, and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of 
financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.  A company's internal control 
over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, 
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that 
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and 
directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, 
or disposition of the company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. 

Because of the inherent limitations of internal control over financial reporting, including the possibility of collusion or improper 
management override of controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.  Also, 
projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk 
that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or
procedures may deteriorate.  

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of 
Annaly Capital Management, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and the results of their operations and their cash 
flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2008, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in 
the United States of America.  Also, in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over 
financial reporting as of December 31, 2008, based on the criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework issued by the 
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. 

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP 
New York, New York 
February 25, 2009 

F-1

Part I 
Item1.  Financial Statements 

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION 
DECEMBER 31, 2008 AND 2007 
 (dollars in thousands, except for share data) 

ASSETS

Cash and cash equivalents 
Reverse repurchase agreements with affiliate 
Mortgage-Backed Securities, at fair value 
Agency debentures, at fair value 
Available for sale equity securities, at fair value 
Trading securities, at fair value 
Receivable for Mortgage-Backed Securities sold  
Accrued interest and dividends receivable 
Receivable from Prime Broker  
Receivable for advisory and service fees 
Intangible for customer relationships, net 
Goodwill
Other assets 

December 31, 2008 

December 31, 2007 

$     909,353 
562,119 
55,046,995 
598,945 
52,795 
- 
75,546 
282,532 
16,886 
6,103 
12,380 
27,917 
6,044 

$      103,960 
- 
52,879,528 
253,915 
64,754 
11,675 
276,737 
271,996 
- 
3,598 
9,842 
22,966 
4,543 

     Total assets 

$57,597,615 

$53,903,514 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Liabilities: 

  Repurchase agreements 
  Payable for Investment Securities purchased 
  Trading securities sold, not yet purchased, at fair value 
  Accrued interest payable 
  Dividends payable 
  Accounts payable and other liabilities 
  Interest rate swaps, at fair value 

$46,674,885 
2,062,030 
-
199,985 
270,736 
8,380 
1,102,285 

$46,046,560 
1,677,131 
32,835 
257,608 
136,618 
36,688 
398,096 

     Total liabilities 

50,318,301 

48,585,536 

Minority interest in equity of consolidated affiliate 

- 

1,574 

6.00% Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock: 
  4,600,000 shares authorized 3,963,525 and 4,600,000 shares issued 
    and outstanding respectively. 

Commitments and contingencies (Note 13) 

Stockholders’ Equity: 
7.875% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock:  
  7,412,500 shares authorized, issued and outstanding 
 Common stock: par value $.01 per share; 987,987,500 shares  
   authorized, 541,475,366 and 401,822,703 issued and outstanding,  
   respectively 
Additional paid-in capital 
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 
Accumulated deficit 

96,042 

- 

111,466 

- 

177,088 

177,088 

5,415 
7,633,438 
252,230 
(884,899) 

4,018 
5,297,922 
(152,197) 
(121,893) 

     Total stockholders’ equity 

7,183,272 

5,204,938 

Total liabilities, minority interest, Series B Cumulative Convertible 
  Preferred Stock and stockholders’ equity 

$57,597,615 

$53,903,514 

See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

F-2

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME 
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008, 2007, AND 2006 
(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) 

Interest income 
Interest expense 
     Net interest income 

Other (loss) income: 
   Investment advisory and service fees 
   Gain (loss) on sale of Investment Securities 
   Gain on termination of interest rate swaps 
   Income from trading securities 
   Dividend income from available-for-sale equity securities 
   Loss on other-than–temporarily impaired securities 
   Unrealized loss on interest rate swaps 
     Total other (loss) income 

Expenses: 
  Distribution fees 
  General and administrative expenses 
     Total expenses 

For the Year  
Ended
December 31, 
2008 
$3,115,428 
1,888,912 
1,226,516 

For the Year  
Ended
December 31, 
2007 
$2,355,447 
1,926,465 
428,982 

For the Year  
Ended
December  31,  
2006 
$1,221,882 
1,055,013 
166,869 

27,891 
10,713 
- 
9,695 
2,713 
(31,834) 
(768,268) 
(749,090) 

1,589 
103,622 
105,211 

22,028 
19,062 
2,096 
19,147 
91 
(1,189) 
- 
61,235 

3,647 
62,666 
66,313 

22,351 
(3,862) 
10,674 
3,994 
- 
(52,348) 
- 
(19,191) 

3,444 
40,063 
43,507 

Impairment of intangible for customer relationships 

- 

- 

2,493 

 Income before income taxes and minority interest 

372,215 

423,904 

101,678 

 Income taxes 

 Income before minority interest 

 Minority interest 

 Net income  

Dividends on preferred stock 

25,977 

346,238 

8,870 

7,538 

415,034 

94,140 

58 

650 

324 

346,180 

21,177 

414,384 

93,816 

21,493 

19,557 

Net income available to common shareholders 

$325,003 

$392,891 

$74,259 

Net income available per share to common shareholders: 
  Basic 

  Diluted 

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
  Basic 

  Diluted 

Net income 
Other comprehensive gain (loss): 
  Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities 
  Unrealized gain (loss) on interest rate swaps 
  Reclassification adjustment for net loss (gains)  
    included in net income  

  Other comprehensive income (loss) 
Comprehensive income 

See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

$0.64 
$0.64 

$1.32 
$1.31 

$0.44 
$0.44 

507,024,596 

297,488,394 

167,666,631 

507,024,596 

306,263,766 

167,746,387 

$346,180 

$414,384 

$93,816 

319,226 
64,080 

322,264 
(378,380) 

91,873 
(6,404) 

21,121 
404,427 
$750,607 

(19,969) 
(76,085) 
$338,299 

45,536 
131,005 
$224,821 

F-3

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS  
YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008, 2007, AND 2006 
(dollars in thousands) 

Cash flows from operating activities: 
Net income  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided 
  by operating activities: 
    Amortization of Mortgage Backed Securities premiums 
      and discounts, net 
    Amortization of intangibles 
    Amortization of trading securities premiums and discounts 
    (Gain) loss on sale of Investment Securities 
    Gain on termination of interest rate swaps 
    Stock option and long-term compensation expense 
    Unrealized loss on interest rate swaps 
    Net realized gain on trading investments 
    Unrealized depreciation (appreciation) on trading investments 
    Market value adjustment on long-term repurchase agreements 
    Loss on other-than-temporarily impaired securities 
    Impairment of intangibles 
    Increase in accrued interest receivable 
    Decrease (increase) in other assets 
    Purchase of trading securities 
    Proceeds from sale of trading securities 
    Purchase of trading securities sold, not yet purchased 
    Proceeds from securities sold, not yet purchased 
    Decrease (increase) in advisory and service fees receivable 
    (Decrease) Increase in interest payable 
    (Decrease) Increase in accrued expenses and other liabilities 
    Receivable from Prime Broker 
    Reduction of net assets in the fund 
         Net cash provided by operating activities 
Cash flows from investing activities: 
  Purchase of Mortgage-Backed Securities 
  Proceeds from sale of Investment Securities 
  Principal payments of Mortgage-Backed Securities 
  Purchase of agency debentures 
  Purchase of equity securities 
  Purchase of reverse repurchase agreements 
  Investment to purchase subsidiary 
       Net cash used in investing activities 
Cash flows from financing activities: 
  Proceeds from repurchase agreements 
  Principal payments on repurchase agreements 
  Proceeds from exercise of stock options 
  Proceeds from termination of interest rate swaps 
  Proceeds from direct purchase and dividend reinvestment 
  Net proceeds from follow-on offerings 
  Net proceeds from preferred stock offering 
  Net proceeds from ATM programs 
  Minority interest 
  Dividends paid 
       Net cash provided by financing activities 

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 

For the Year 
Ended 
December 31, 
2008 

For the Year
Ended 
December 31,  
2007 

For the Year
Ended 
 December 31,  
2006 

$346,180 

$414,384 

$93,816 

99,603 
4,133 
(3) 
(10,713) 
- 
2,534 
768,268 
(12,578) 
2,994 
- 
31,834 
- 
(8,405) 
340 
(13,048) 
30,986 
(22,290) 
21,483 
345 
(57,623) 
(28,867) 
(16,886) 
(28,704) 
1,109,583 

(25,281,183) 
15,491,408 
8,619,102 
(500,000) 
(26,283) 
(562,119) 
(12,628) 
(2,271,703) 

434,042,799 
(433,414,474) 
2,780 
- 
93,675 
2,147,543 
- 
71,832 
(1,574) 
(975,068) 
1,967,513 

805,393 

103,960 

65,185 
1,377 
(11) 
(19,062) 
(2,096) 
1,355 
- 
(4,430) 
(11,013) 
- 
1,189 
- 
(123,322) 
(2,264) 
(18,479) 
23,640 
(13,620) 
21,489 
(420) 
173,610 
17,872 
- 
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525,384 

63,625 
1,589 
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3,862 
(10,674) 
1,285 
- 
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1,180 
(149) 
52,348 
2,493 
(76,224) 
(238) 
(44,200) 
28,838 
(16,096) 
55,073 
319 
56,004 
9,978 
- 
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221,629 

(32,832,687) 
4,847,909 
6,831,406 
(256,241) 
(54,324) 
- 
- 
(21,463,937) 

393,750,907 
(375,218,367) 
576 
2,096 
116,493 
2,485,529 
- 
80,918 
(3,750) 
(263,671) 
20,950,731 

(23,196,076) 
3,040,984 
5,115,693 
- 
- 
- 
- 
(15,039,399) 

292,418,807 
(278,481,088) 
183 
10,674 
- 
914,000 
111,466 
20,912 
5,324 
(95,534) 
14,904,744 

12,178 

91,782 

86,974 

4,808 

Cash and cash equivalents, end of period 

909,353 

$103,960 

$91,782 

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: 
  Interest paid 
  Taxes paid 

$1,946,535 
$18,866 

$1,752,855 
$10,272 

$999,009 
$7,242 

F-5

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Noncash financing activities: 
  Net change in unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities 
      and interest rate swaps, net of reclassification adjustment 
  Dividends declared, not yet paid 
Noncash investing activities: 
  Receivable for Investment Securities Sold 
  Payable for Investment Securities Purchased 
See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

$404,427 
$270,736 

$75,546 
$2,062,030 

($76,085) 
$136,618 

$276,737 
$1,677,131 

$131,005 
$39,016 

$200,535 
$338,172 

F-6

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES 
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 
FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008, 2007 AND 2006 

1.  ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES 

          Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (“Annaly” or the “Company”) was incorporated in Maryland on November 25, 
1996.  The Company commenced its operations of purchasing and managing an investment portfolio of mortgage-backed 
securities on February 18, 1997, upon receipt of the net proceeds from the private placement of equity capital, and 
completed its initial public offering on October 14, 1997.  The Company is a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.  Fixed Income Discount Advisory Company (“FIDAC”) is a registered 
investment advisor and is a wholly owned taxable REIT subsidiary of the Company.  On June 27, 2006, the Company 
made a majority equity investment in an affiliated investment fund (the “Fund”), which is now wholly owned by the 
Company.   During the third quarter of 2008, the Company formed RCap Securities Inc. (“RCap”).  RCap was granted 
membership in the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) on January 26, 2009, and will operate as broker-
dealer.  RCap is a wholly owned taxable REIT subsidiary of the Company.  On October 31, 2008, the Company acquired 
Merganser Capital Management, Inc. (“Merganser”).  Merganser is a registered investment advisor and is a wholly 
owned taxable REIT subsidiary of the Company. 

A summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies follows:

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, FIDAC, Merganser, RCap and the 

Fund.  All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.  The minority shareholder’s interest in the 
earnings of the Fund is reflected as minority interest in the consolidated financial statements. 

 Cash and Cash Equivalents - Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand and cash held in money market 

funds on an overnight basis.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements - The Company may invest its daily available cash balances via reverse 
repurchase agreements to provide additional yield on its assets.  These investments will typically be recorded as short 
term investments and will generally mature daily.  Reverse repurchase agreements are recorded at cost and are 
collateralized by mortgage-backed securities pledged by the counterparty to the agreement. 

Mortgage-Backed Securities and Agency Debentures - The Company invests primarily in mortgage pass-through 

certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations and other mortgage-backed securities representing interests in or 
obligations backed by pools of mortgage loans, and certificates guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage 
Association (“GNMA”) (collectively, “Mortgage-Backed Securities”).   The Company also invests in agency debentures 
issued by Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), and Federal 
National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”). The Mortgage-Backed Securities and agency debentures are collectively 
referred to herein as “Investment Securities.” 

Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 115, Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and 

Equity Securities (“SFAS 115”), requires the Company to classify its Investment Securities as either trading investments, 
available-for-sale investments or held-to-maturity investments.  Although the Company generally intends to hold most of 
its Investment Securities until maturity, it may, from time to time, sell any of its Investment Securities as part of its 
overall management of its portfolio.  Accordingly, the Company classifies all of its Investment Securities as available-
for-sale.  All assets classified as available-for-sale are reported at estimated fair value, based on market prices from 
independent sources, with unrealized gains and losses excluded from earnings and reported as a separate component of 
stockholders’ equity.  The Company’s investment in Chimera Investment Corporation (“Chimera”) is accounted for as 
available-for-sale equity securities under the provisions of SFAS 115. 

Management evaluates securities for other-than-temporary impairment at least on a quarterly basis, and more 
frequently when economic or market concerns warrant such evaluation.  Based on the guidance provided by Financial 
Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Staff Position Nos. FAS 115-1 and FAS 124-1, The Meaning of Other-Than-
Temporary-Impairment and its Application to Certain Investments, consideration is given to (1) the length of time and 
the extent to which the fair value has been lower than carrying value, (2) the financial condition and near-term prospects 

F-7

 
 
of the issuer, and (3) the intent and ability of the Company to retain its investment in the issuer for a period of time 
sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value.  Unrealized losses on Investment Securities that are 
considered other than temporary, as measured by the amount of decline in fair value attributable to other-than-temporary 
factors, are recognized in income and the cost basis of the Investment Securities is adjusted.  The loss on other-than-
temporarily impaired securities was $31.8 million, $1.2 million and $52.3 million during the years ended December 31, 
2008, 2007 and 2006, respectively.   

SFAS No. 107, Disclosure About Fair Value of Financial Instruments, requires disclosure of the fair value of 
financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate that value.  The estimated fair value of Investment Securities, 
available-for-sale equity securities, trading securities, trading securities sold, not yet purchased, receivable from prime 
broker and interest rate swaps is equal to their carrying value presented in the consolidated statements of financial 
condition.  The estimated fair value of cash and cash equivalents, reverse repurchase agreements, accrued interest and 
dividends receivable, receivable for securities sold, receivable for advisory and service fees, repurchase agreements with 
maturities shorter than one year, payable for Investment Securities purchased, dividends payable, accounts payable and 
other liabilities, and accrued interest payable, generally approximates cost as of December 31, 2008 due to the short term 
nature of these financial instruments.  The estimated fair value of long term structured repurchase agreements is reflected 
in the Footnote 7 to the financial statements. 

Interest income is accrued based on the outstanding principal amount of the Investment Securities and their 
contractual terms.  Premiums and discounts associated with the purchase of the Investment Securities are amortized into 
interest income over the projected lives of the securities using the interest method.  The Company’s policy for estimating 
prepayment speeds for calculating the effective yield is to evaluate historical performance, consensus prepayment 
speeds, and current market conditions.  Dividend income on available-for-sale equity securities is recorded on the ex-
date on an accrual basis. 

Investment Securities transactions are recorded on the trade date.  Purchases of newly-issued securities are recorded 

when all significant uncertainties regarding the characteristics of the securities are removed, generally shortly before 
settlement date.  Realized gains and losses on sales of Investment Securities are determined on the specific identification 
method. 

Derivative Financial Instruments/Hedging Activity - Prior to the fourth quarter of 2008, the Company designated 

interest rate swaps as cash flow hedges, whereby the swaps were recorded at fair value on the balance sheet as assets and 
liabilities with any changes in fair value recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (“OCI”).  In a cash flow 
hedge, a swap would exactly match the pricing date of the relevant repurchase agreement.    Through the end of the third 
quarter the Company continued to be able to effectively match the swaps with the repurchase agreements therefore 
entering into effective hedge transactions.  However, due to the volatility of the credit markets, it is no longer practical to
match the pricing dates of both the swaps and the repurchase agreements. 

As a result, the Company voluntarily discontinued hedge accounting in the fourth quarter of 2008 through a 
combination of de-designating previously defined hedge relationships and not designating new contracts as cash flow 
hedges.  The de-designation of cash flow hedges was done in accordance with SFAS 133, Accounting for Derivative 
Instruments and Hedging Activities, and Derivatives Implementation Group “DIG” Issue Nos. G3, G17, G18  & G20, 
which generally requires that the net derivative gain or loss related to the discontinued cash flow hedge should continue 
to be reported in accumulated OCI, unless it is probable that the forecasted transaction will not occur by the end of the 
originally specified time period or within an additional two-month period of time thereafter.  The Company continues to 
hold repurchase agreements in excess of swap contracts and has no indication that interest payments on the hedged 
repurchase agreements are in jeopardy of discontinuing.  Therefore, the deferred losses related to these derivatives that 
have been de-designated will not be recognized immediately and will remain in OCI. These losses are expected to be 
reclassified into earnings during the contractual terms of the swap agreements starting as of October 1, 2008.  Changes in 
the unrealized gains or losses on the interest rate swaps subsequent to September 30, 2008 were reflected in the 
Company’s statement of operations and comprehensive income.   

       Credit Risk – The Company has limited its exposure to credit losses on its portfolio of Investment Securities by only 
purchasing securities issued by FHLMC, FNMA, or GNMA and agency debentures issued by the FHLB, FHLMC and 
FNMA.  The payment of principal and interest on the FHLMC, and FNMA Mortgage-Backed Securities are guaranteed 
by those respective agencies, and the payment of principal and interest on the GNMA Mortgage-Backed Securities are 

F-8

backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.  Principal and interest on agency debentures are guaranteed 
by the agency issuing the debenture.  All of the Company’s Investment Securities have an actual or implied “AAA” 
rating.  The Company faces credit risk on the portions of its portfolio which are not Investment Securities.   

     Market Risk - The current situation in the mortgage sector and the current weakness in the broader mortgage market 
could adversely affect one or more of the Company’s lenders and could cause one or more of the Company’s lenders to 
be unwilling or unable to provide additional financing.  This could potentially increase the Company’s financing costs 
and reduce liquidity.  If one or more major market participants fails, it could negatively impact the marketability of all 
fixed income securities, including government mortgage securities.  This could negatively impact the value of the 
securities in the Company’s portfolio, thus reducing its net book value.  Furthermore, if many of the Company’s lenders 
are unwilling or unable to provide additional financing, the Company could be forced to sell its Investment Securities at 
an inopportune time when prices are depressed.  Even with the current situation in the mortgage sector, the Company 
does not anticipate having difficulty converting its assets to cash or extending financing terms due to the fact that its 
Investment Securities have an actual or implied “AAA” rating and principal payment is guaranteed by FHLMC, FNMA, 
or GNMA. 

     Trading Securities and Trading Securities sold, not yet purchased - Trading securities and trading securities sold, not 
yet  purchased,  are  presented  in  the  consolidated  statements  of  financial  conditions  as  a  result  of  consolidating  the 
financial statements of the Fund, and are carried at fair value.  The realized and unrealized gains and losses, as well as 
other  income  or  loss  from  trading  securities,  are  recorded  in  the  income  from  trading  securities  balance  in  the 
accompanying consolidated statements of operations.  

     Trading  securities  sold,  not  yet  purchased, represent obligations of  the  Fund  to deliver  the specified  security  at  the 
contracted price, and thereby create a liability to purchase the security in the market at prevailing prices.  

    Repurchase Agreements - The Company finances the acquisition of its Investment Securities through the use of 
repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements are treated as collateralized financing transactions and are carried at their 
contractual amounts, including accrued interest, as specified in the respective agreements.    

    Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock- The Company classifies its Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock 
(“Series B Preferred Stock”) on the consolidated statements of financial condition using the guidance in SEC Accounting 
Series Release No. 268, Presentation in Financial Statements of “Redeemable Preferred Stocks,” and Emerging Issues 
Task Force (“EITF”) Topic D-98, Classification and Measurement of Redeemable Securities.  The Series B Preferred 
Stock contains fundamental change provisions that allow the holder to redeem the Series B Preferred Stock for cash if 
certain events occur.  As redemption under these provisions is not solely within the Company’s control, the Company 
has classified the Series B Preferred Stock as temporary equity in the accompanying consolidated statements of financial 
condition. 

    The Company has analyzed whether the embedded conversion option should be bifurcated under the guidance in 
SFAS 133 and EITF Issue No. 00-19, Accounting for Derivative Financial Instruments Indexed to, and Potentially
Settled in, a Company’s Own Stock, and has determined that bifurcation is not necessary. 

       Income Taxes - The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT and intends to comply with the provisions of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), with respect thereto.  Accordingly, the Company will not be 
subjected to federal income tax to the extent of its distributions to shareholders and as long as certain asset, income and 
stock ownership tests are met.  The Company and each of its subsidiaries, FIDAC, Merganser, and RCap have made 
separate joint election to treat the subsidiaries as a taxable REIT subsidiary.  As such, each of  the taxable REIT 
subsidiaries are taxable as a domestic C corporation and subject to federal, state, and local income taxes based upon its 
taxable income.  The affiliated investment fund is a partnership and the income and expense flow through to the 
Company.   

       Use of Estimates - The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires 
management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure 
of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and 
expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates. 

F-9

      Goodwill and Intangible assets - The Company’s acquisitions of FIDAC and Merganser were accounted for using 
the purchase method. Under the purchase method, net assets and results of operations of acquired companies are 
included in the consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition. In addition, the costs of FIDAC and 
Merganser were allocated to the assets acquired, including identifiable intangible assets, and the liabilities assumed 
based on their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The excess of purchase price over the fair value of the net 
assets acquired was recognized as goodwill.  Intangible assets are periodically (but not less frequently than annually) 
reviewed for potential impairment.  Intangible assets with an estimated useful life are expected to amortize over a 10.5 
year weighted average time period.  During the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, there were no impairment 
losses.  During the year ended December 31, 2006 the Company recognized $2.5 million in impairment losses on 
intangible assets relating to customer relationships.  

    Stock Based Compensation - The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation in accordance with SFAS No. 
123 (Revised 2004) – Share-Based Payment (“SFAS 123R”).  SFAS 123R requires the Company to measure and 
recognize in the consolidated financial statements the compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions.  
The compensation cost should be reassessed based on the fair value of the equity instruments issued.   

           The Company recognizes compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the 
entire award (that is, over the requisite service period of the last separately vesting portion of the award).  The Company 
estimated fair value using the Black-Scholes valuation model.   

Recent Accounting Pronouncements - In February 2007, the FASB issued SFAS No. 159, The Fair Value Option 

for Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities – including an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115 (“SFAS 159”).  
SFAS 159 permits entities to choose to measure many financial instruments and certain other items at fair value.  
Unrealized gains and losses on items for which the fair value option has been elected will be recognized in earnings at 
each subsequent reporting date.  SFAS 159 was effective for the Company commencing January 1, 2008.  The Company 
did not elect the fair value option for any of its financial instruments. 

In April 2007, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position FIN 39-1 (“FSP FIN 39-1”) which modifies FASB 

Interpretation No. 39, Offsetting of Amounts relating to Certain Contracts (“FIN 39”). FSP FIN 39-1 addresses whether 
a reporting entity that is party to a master netting arrangement can offset fair value amounts recognized for the right to 
reclaim cash collateral (a receivable) or the obligation to return cash collateral (a payable) against fair value amounts 
recognized for derivative instruments that have been offset under the same master netting arrangement in accordance 
with FIN 39. Upon adoption of this guidance, a reporting entity is permitted to change its accounting policy to offset or 
not offset fair value amounts recognized for derivative instruments under master netting arrangements. This guidance 
was effective for the Company on January 1, 2008.   The implementation did not have an effect on the financial 
statements of the Company. 

In February 2008, FASB issued FASB Staff Position No. FAS 140-3 Accounting for Transfers of Financial Assets 

and Repurchase Financing Transactions, (“FSP FAS 140-3”).  FSP FAS 140-3 addresses whether transactions where 
assets purchased from a particular counterparty and financed through a repurchase agreement with the same counterparty 
can be considered and accounted for as separate transactions, or are required to be considered “linked” transactions and 
may be considered derivatives under SFAS 133.  FSP FAS 140-3 requires purchases and subsequent financing through 
repurchase agreements be considered linked transactions unless all of the following conditions apply:  (1) the initial 
purchase and the use of repurchase agreements to finance the purchase are not contractually contingent upon each other; 
(2) the repurchase financing entered into between the parties provides full  recourse to the transferee and the repurchase 
price is fixed; (3) the financial assets are readily obtainable in the market; and (4) the financial instrument and the 
repurchase agreement are not coterminous.  This FSP is effective for the Company on January 1, 2009.  The Company is 
currently evaluating FSP FAS 140-3 but does not expect its application to have a significant impact on its financial 
reporting. 

In March 2008, the FASB issued SFAS No. 161 (“SFAS 161”), Disclosures about Derivative Instruments and 
Hedging Activities, and an amendment of FASB Statement No. 133.  SFAS 161 attempts to improve the transparency of 
financial reporting by providing additional information about how derivative and hedging activities affect an entity’s 
financial position, financial performance and cash flows.  This statement changes the disclosure requirements for 
derivative instruments and hedging activities by requiring enhanced disclosure about (1) how and why an entity uses 
derivative instruments, (2) how derivative instruments and related hedged items are accounted for under SFAS Statement 

F-10 

133 and its related interpretations, and (3) how derivative instruments and related hedged items affect an entity’s 
financial position, financial performance, and cash flows.  To meet these objectives, SFAS 161 requires qualitative 
disclosures about objectives and strategies for using derivatives, quantitative disclosures about fair value amounts and of 
gains and losses on derivative instruments, and disclosures about credit-risk-related contingent features in derivative 
agreements.  This disclosure framework is intended to better convey the purpose of derivative use in terms of the risks 
that an entity is intending to manage.  SFAS 161 is effective for the Company on January 1, 2009.   The Company 
expects that adoption of SFAS 161 will increase footnote disclosure to comply with the disclosure requirements for 
financial statements issued after January 1, 2009.  

In September 2006, the FASB issued SFAS No. 157, Fair Value Measurements (“SFAS 157”).  SFAS 157 defines 

fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value and requires enhanced disclosures about fair value 
measurements.  SFAS 157 requires companies to disclose the fair value of their financial instruments according to a fair 
value hierarchy (i.e., levels 1, 2, and 3, as defined).  Additionally, companies are required to provide enhanced disclosure 
regarding instruments in the level 3 category (the valuation of which require significant management judgment), 
including a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances separately for each major category of assets and 
liabilities.  SFAS 157 was adopted by the Company on January 1, 2008.  SFAS 157 did not have an impact on the 
manner in which the Company estimates fair value, but it requires additional disclosure, which is included in Note 5. 

On October 10, 2008, FASB issued FASB Staff Position (FSP) 157-3, Determining the Fair Value of a Financial 

Asset When the Market for That Asset Is Not Active (“FSP 157-3”), in response to the deterioration of the credit markets.  
This FSP provides guidance clarifying how SFAS 157 should be applied when valuing securities in markets that are not 
active. The guidance provides an illustrative example that applies the objectives and framework of SFAS 157, utilizing 
management’s internal cash flow and discount rate assumptions when relevant observable data does not exist.  It further 
clarifies how observable market information and market quotes should be considered when measuring fair value in an 
inactive market.   It reaffirms the notion of fair value as an exit price as of the measurement date and that fair value 
analysis is a transactional process and should not be broadly applied to a group of assets.  FSP 157-3 is effective upon 
issuance including prior periods for which financial statements have not been issued.  FSP 157-3 does not  have a 
material effect on the fair value of its assets as the Company intends to continue to hold assets that can be valued via 
level 1 and level 2 criteria, as defined under SFAS 157. 

F-11 

2. 

MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES

The following tables present the Company’s available-for-sale Mortgage-Backed Securities portfolio as of 

December 31, 2008 and 2007 which were carried at their fair value: 

December 31, 2008 

Mortgage-Backed 
 Securities, gross 
Unamortized discount 
Unamortized premium 
Amortized cost 

Gross unrealized gains 
Gross unrealized losses 

Federal Home Loan 
Mortgage 
Corporation 

Federal National 
Mortgage 
Association 

Government 
National Mortgage
Association 

Total Mortgage-
Backed Securities

(dollars in thousands) 

$19,898,430 
(26,733) 
212,354 
20,084,051 

297,366 
(71,195) 

$32,749,123 
(36,647) 
381,433 
33,093,909 

468,824 
(123,443) 

$1,259,118 
(787) 
25,694 
1,284,025 

14,606 
(1,148) 

$53,906,671 
(64,167) 
619,481 
54,461,985 

780,796 
(195,786) 

Estimated fair value 

$20,310,222 

Amortized Cost 

Adjustable rate 

$19,509,017 

$33,439,290 
Gross Unrealized 
Gain 

$1,297,483 
Gross Unrealized 
Loss 

$55,046,995 
Estimated Fair 
Value 

(dollars in thousands) 
$287,249 

($178,599) 

$19,617,667 

Fixed rate 

Total 

34,952,968 

493,547 

(17,187) 

35,429,328 

$54,461,985 

$780,796 

($195,786) 

$55,046,995 

December 31, 2007 

Mortgage-Backed 
 Securities, gross 
Unamortized discount 
Unamortized premium 
Amortized cost 

Gross unrealized gains 
Gross unrealized losses 

Federal Home Loan 
Mortgage 
Corporation 

Federal National 
Mortgage 
Association 

Government 
National Mortgage
Association 

Total Mortgage-
Backed Securities

(dollars in thousands)

$19,789,792 
(30,679) 
136,780 
19,895,893 

141,248 
(52,623)

$32,155,740 
(45,496) 
266,357 
32,376,601 

224,795 
(75,949) 

$367,066  
(506) 
2,678  
369,238  

2,229  
(1,904) 

$52,312,598 
(76,681) 
405,815 
52,641,732 

368,272 
(130,476) 

Estimated fair value 

$19,984,518 

Amortized Cost 

$15,361,031 

37,280,701 

$32,525,447 
Gross Unrealized 
Gain 

$369,563  
Gross Unrealized 
Loss 

$52,879,528 
Estimated Fair 
Value 

(dollars in thousands) 

$96,310 

271,962 

($76,853) 

$15,380,488 

(53,623) 

37,499,040 

$52,641,732 

$368,272 

($130,476) 

$52,879,528 

F-12 

Adjustable rate 

Fixed rate 

Total 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Actual maturities of Mortgage-Backed Securities are generally shorter than stated contractual maturities 

because actual maturities of Mortgage-Backed Securities are affected by the contractual lives of the underlying 
mortgages, periodic payments of principal, and prepayments of principal.  The following table summarizes the 
Company’s Mortgage-Backed Securities on December 31, 2008 and 2007, according to their estimated weighted-average 
life classifications: 

Weighted-Average Life 

Fair Value 

Amortized 
Cost 
(dollars in thousands) 

Fair Value 

Amortized 
Cost 

December 31, 2008 

December 31, 2007 

Less than one year 
Greater than one year and less than five years 
Greater than or equal to five years 

$ 4,147,646 
37,494,312 
13,405,037 

$ 4,181,282 
37,102,706 
13,177,997 

$     324,495 
35,772,813 
16,782,220 

$     326,754 
35,586,721 
16,728,257 

Total 

$55,046,995 

$54,461,985 

$52,879,528 

$52,641,732 

The weighted-average lives of the Mortgage-Backed Securities at December 31, 2008 and 2007 in the table 

above are based upon data provided through subscription-based financial information services, assuming constant 
principal prepayment rates to the reset date of each security.  The prepayment model considers current yield, forward 
yield, steepness of the yield curve, current mortgage rates, mortgage rate of the outstanding loans, loan age, margin and 
volatility.  The actual weighted average lives of the Mortgage-Backed Securities could be longer or shorter than 
estimated. 

The following table presents the gross unrealized losses, and estimated fair value of the Company’s Mortgage-

Backed Securities by length of time that such securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at December 
31, 2008 and December 31, 2007. 

Unrealized Loss Position For: 
(dollars in thousands) 

Less than 12 Months 

12 Months or More 

Total 

Estimated  
Fair Value 

Unrealized 
Losses 

Estimated
Fair Value 

Unrealized 
Losses 

Estimated
Fair Value 

Unrealized 
Losses 

$4,631,897 

($65,790) 

$4,267,448 

($129,996) 

$8,899,345 

($195,786) 

$7,593,443 

($62,594) 

$5,340,667 

($67,882) 

$12,934,110 

($130,476) 

December 31, 
2008

December 31, 
2007

The decline in value of these securities is solely due to market conditions and not the quality of the assets.  All of 
the Mortgage-Backed Securities are “AAA” rated or carry an implied “AAA” rating.  The investments are not considered 
other-than-temporarily impaired because the Company currently has the ability and intent to hold the investments to 
maturity or for a period of time sufficient for a forecasted market price recovery up to or beyond the cost of the 
investments.  Also, the Company is guaranteed payment of the principal amount of the securities by the government 
agency which created them.    

The adjustable rate Mortgage-Backed Securities are limited by periodic caps (generally interest rate adjustments 

are limited to no more than 1% every nine months) and lifetime caps.  The weighted average lifetime cap was 10.0% at 
December 31, 2008 and 9.9% at December 31, 2007. 

During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company sold $15.1 billion of Mortgage-Backed Securities, 

resulting in a realized gain of $10.7 million.  During the year ended December 31, 2007, the Company sold $4.9 billion 
of Mortgage-Backed Securities, resulting in a realized gain of $19.1 million.   

F-13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. 

AVAILABLE FOR SALE EQUITY SECURITIES 

All of the available-for-sale equity securities are shares of Chimera and are reported at fair value.  The 

Company owns approximately 15.3 million shares of Chimera at a carrying value of $52.8 million.  Although the 
Company has the intent and ability to retain the investment in Chimera indefinitely, the Company determined based on 
the FSP FAS–115 that an other-than-temporarily impaired charge of $31.8 million was appropriate in the third quarter of 
2008 and is reflected in the income statement for the year ended of December 31, 2008. This determination is based on 
the extent of the decline in value of the Chimera shares combined with the current state of the mortgage and credit 
markets.  At December 31, 2008, the investment in Chimera had an unrealized gain of $4.0 million. 

4. 

  REVERSE REPURCHASE AGREEMENT 

During the first quarter of 2008, the Company began using excess cash to do reverse repurchase agreements.  At 

December 31, 2008, the Company had lent $562.1 million to Chimera in an overnight reverse repurchase agreement.  
This amount is included at the principal amount which approximates fair value in the Company’s Statement of Financial 
Condition.  The interest rate at December 31, 2008 was an at the market rate of 1.43%.  The average rate on all reverse 
repurchase agreements for the year was 2.99%.  The collateral for this loan is mortgage-backed securities with a fair 
value of $680.8 million.   

5. 

RECEIVABLE FROM PRIME BROKER  

These net assets of the investment fund owned by the Company are subject to English bankruptcy law, 
which governs the administration of Lehman Brothers International (Europe) (“LBIE”), as well as the law of New York, 
which governs the contractual documents.  Until the Company’s contractual documents with LBIE are terminated, the 
value of the assets and liabilities in its account with LBIE will continue to fluctuate based on market movements.  The 
Company does not intend to terminate these contractual documents until LBIE's administrators have clarified the 
consequences of doing so. The Company has not received notice from LBIE's administrators that LBIE has terminated 
the documents.  LBIE’s administrators have advised the Company that they can provide no additional information about 
the account at this time.  As a result, the Company has recorded a receivable from LBIE based on the fair value of its 
account with LBIE as of September 15, 2008 of $16.9 million, which is the date of the last statement it received from 
LBIE on the account’s assets and liabilities.  The Company can provide no assurance, however, that it will recover all or 
any portion of these assets following completion of LBIE's administration (and any subsequent liquidation).    

6. 

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS 

SFAS 157 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, establishes a three-level 
valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurement and enhances disclosure requirements for fair value 
measurements.  The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability 
as of the measurement date.  The three levels are defined as follow: 

Level 1– inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets and liabilities in 
active markets.  

Level 2 – inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active 
markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the 
full term of the financial instrument. 

Level 3 – inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to overall fair value. 

Available for sale equity securities, trading securities, and trading securities sold, not yet purchased are valued 
based on quoted prices (unadjusted) in an active market.  Investment Securities and interest rate swaps are valued using 
quoted prices for similar assets and dealer quotes.  The dealer will incorporate common market pricing methods, 
including a spread measurement to the Treasury curve or interest rate swap curve as well as underlying characteristics of 
the particular security including coupon, periodic and life caps, rate reset period and expected life of the security.  
Management reviews all prices used to ensure that current market conditions are represented.  This review includes 

F-14 

 
comparisons of similar market transactions and comparisons to a pricing model.  The Company’s financial assets and 
liabilities carried at fair value on a recurring basis are valued as follows:   

Assets: 
  Mortgage-Backed Securities 
  Agency debentures 
  Available for sale equity securities 

Liabilities: 
  Interest rate swaps 

Level 1 

Level 2 
(dollars in thousands) 

Level 3 

- 
- 
$52,795 

$55,046,995 
598,945 
- 

- 

1,102,285 

- 
- 
- 

- 

The classification of assets and liabilities by level remains unchanged at December 31, 2008, when compared to 

the previous quarter. 

7. 

  REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS 

The Company had outstanding $46.7 billion and $46.0 billion of repurchase agreements with weighted average 

borrowing rates of 4.08% and 4.76%, after giving effect to the Company’s interest rate swaps, and weighted average 
remaining maturities of 238 days and 234 days as of December 31, 2008 and December 31, 2007, respectively.  
Investment Securities pledged as collateral under these repurchase agreements and interest rate swaps had an estimated 
fair value of $51.8 billion at December 31, 2008 and $48.3 billion at December 31, 2007.  

At December 31, 2008 and 2007, the repurchase agreements had the following remaining maturities: 

Within 30 days 
30 to 59 days 
60 to 89 days 
90 to 119 days 
Over 120 days 
Total 

December 31, 2008 

December 31, 2007 

(dollars in thousands) 

$32,025,186 
5,205,352 
209,673 
254,674 
8,980,000 
$46,674,885 

$34,940,600 
4,005,960 
300,000 
- 
6,800,000 
$46,046,560 

The Company did not have an amount at risk greater than 10% of the equity of the Company with any  

counterparty as of December 31, 2008 or December 31, 2007.  

           The Company has entered into repurchase agreements which provide the counterparty with the right to call the 
balance prior to maturity date.  These repurchase agreements totaled $8.1 billion and the fair value of the option to call 
was ($574.3 million) at December 31, 2008.  The repurchase agreements totaled $6.4 billion and the fair value of the 
option to call was ($176.7 million) at December 31, 2007.  Management has determined that the call option is not 
required to be bifurcated under the provisions of SFAS 133 as it is deemed clearly and closely related to the debt 
instrument, therefore the fair value of the option is not recorded in the consolidated financial statements. 

8. 

       INTEREST RATE SWAPS 

      In connection with the Company’s interest rate risk management strategy, the Company hedges a portion of its 
interest rate risk by entering into derivative financial instrument contracts. As of December 31, 2008, such instruments 
are comprised of interest rate swaps, which in effect modify the cash flows on repurchase agreements. The use of interest 
rate swaps creates exposure to credit risk relating to potential losses that could be recognized if the counterparties to 
these instruments fail to perform their obligations under the contracts. In the event of a default by the counterparty, the 
Company could have difficulty obtaining its Mortgage-Backed Securities pledged as collateral for swaps.  The Company 
does not anticipate any defaults by its counterparties. 

F-15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Company’s swaps are used to lock in the fixed rate related to a portion of its current and anticipated future 

30-day term repurchase agreements.  

The table below presents information about the Company’s swaps outstanding at December 31, 2008 December 

31, 2007.

Notional Amount 
(dollars in thousands) 

Weighted
Average Pay Rate 

Weighted Average 
Receive Rate 

Net Estimated Fair 
Value/Carrying Value 
(dollars in thousands) 

December 31, 2008 

$17,615,750 

December 31, 2007 

$16,243,500 

4.66% 

5.03% 

1.18% 

5.06% 

($1,102,285) 

($398,096) 

9. 

    PREFERRED STOCK AND COMMON STOCK 

(A) Common Stock Issuances 

On May 13, 2008 the Company entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which it sold 69,000,000 

shares of its common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $1.1 billion. This 
transaction settled on May 19, 2008.  

On January 23, 2008 the Company entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which it sold 58,650,000 

shares of its common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $1.1 billion. This 
transaction settled on January 29, 2008.  

During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company raised $93.7 million by issuing 5.8 million shares, 

through the Direct Purchase and Dividend Reinvestment Program.   

During the year ended December 31, 2008, 300,000 options were exercised under the Long-Term Stock 

Incentive Plan, or Incentive Plan, for an aggregate exercise price of $2.8 million. 

On August 3, 2006, the Company entered into an ATM Equity Offering(sm) Sales Agreement with Merrill Lynch 
& Co. and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, relating to the sale of shares of the Company’s common 
stock from time to time through Merrill Lynch. Sales of the shares, if any, are made by means of ordinary brokers' 
transaction on the New York Stock Exchange. During the year ended December 31, 2008, 588,000 shares of the 
Company’s common stock were issued pursuant to this program, totaling $11.5 million in net proceeds.   

On August 3, 2006, the Company entered into an ATM Equity Sales Agreement with UBS Securities LLC, 
relating to the sale of shares of the Company’s common stock from time to time through UBS Securities. Sales of the 
shares, if any, will be made by means of ordinary brokers' transaction on the New York Stock Exchange. During the year 
ended December 31, 2008, 3.8 million shares of the Company’s common stock were issued pursuant to this program, 
totaling $60.3 million in net proceeds.   

On October 11, 2007, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which it sold 
71,300,000 shares of its common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $1.0 billion. 
This transaction settled on October 17, 2007.  

On July 12, 2007, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which it sold 54,050,000 

shares of its common stock for proceeds of $720.8 million net of underwriting fees.  This transaction settled on July 18, 
2007. 

On March 7, 2007, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which it sold 57,500,000 

shares of its common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $737.4 million. This 
transaction settled on March 13, 2007.  

During the year ended December 31, 2007, the Company raised $116.5 million by issuing 8.0 million shares 

through the Direct Purchase and Dividend Reinvestment Program.   

F-16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 During the year ended December 31, 2007, 56,000 options were exercised under the Long-Term Stock 

Incentive Plan, or Incentive Plan, for an aggregate exercise price of $576,000. 

During the year ended December 31, 2007, 4.5 million shares of the Company’s common stock were issued 

pursuant to the Company’s ATM Equity Offering(sm) Sales Agreement with Merrill Lynch, totaling $66.2 million in net 
proceeds.  During the year ended December 31, 2007, 1.1 million shares of its common stock were issued pursuant to the 
Company’s ATM Equity Sales Agreement with UBS Securities, totaling $14.7 million in net proceeds. 

On August 16, 2006, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which it sold 40,825,000 

shares of its common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $476.7 million.  This 
transaction settled on August 22, 2006. 

On April 6, 2006, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement pursuant to which it sold 39,215,000 

shares of its common stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses of approximately $437.7 million.  On April 
6, 2006, the Company entered into a second underwriting agreement pursuant to which if sold 4,600,000 shares of its 6% 
Series B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock for net proceeds following underwriting expenses  of approximately 
$111.5 million.  Both of these transactions settled on April 12, 2006. 

During the year ended December 31, 2006, 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock were issued 

pursuant to the Company’s ATM Equity Offering(sm) Sales Agreement with Merrill Lynch, totaling $6.7 million in net 
proceeds.  During the year ended December 31, 2006, no shares of the Company’s common stock were issued pursuant 
to the Company’s ATM Equity Sales Agreement with UBS Securities. 

  During the year ended December 31, 2006, 1.1 million shares of the Company’s common stock were issued 
through the Equity Shelf Program, totaling net proceeds of $14.2 million.  During the year ended December 31, 2006, 
22,160 options were exercised under the Incentive  Plan for an aggregate exercise price of $183,000.  

(B) Preferred Stock 

At December 31, 2008 and 2007, the Company had issued and outstanding 7,412,500 shares of Series A 
Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”), with a par value $0.01 per share and a liquidation 
preference of $25.00 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared). The Series A Preferred 
Stock must be paid a dividend at a rate of 7.875% per year on the $25.00 liquidation preference before the common stock 
is entitled to receive any dividends. The Series A Preferred Stock is redeemable at $25.00 per share plus accrued and 
unpaid dividends (whether or not declared) exclusively at the Company's option commencing on April 5, 2009 (subject 
to the Company's right under limited circumstances to redeem the Series A Preferred Stock earlier in order to preserve its 
qualification as a REIT). The Series A Preferred Stock is senior to the Company's common stock and is on parity with 
the Series B Preferred Stock with respect to dividends and distributions, including distributions upon liquidation, 
dissolution or winding up. The Series A Preferred Stock generally does not have any voting rights, except if the 
Company fails to pay dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock for six or more quarterly periods (whether or not 
consecutive). Under such circumstances, the Series A Preferred Stock, together with the Series B Preferred Stock, will be 
entitled to vote to elect two additional directors to the Board, until all unpaid dividends have been paid or declared and 
set apart for payment. In addition, certain material and adverse changes to the terms of the Series A Preferred Stock 
cannot be made without the affirmative vote of holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series A 
Preferred Stock and Series B Preferred Stock. Through December 31, 2008, the Company had declared and paid all 
required quarterly dividends on the Series A Preferred Stock. 

At December 31, 2008, the Company had issued and outstanding 3,963,525 shares of Series B Cumulative 

Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series B Preferred Stock”), with a par value $0.01 per share and a liquidation preference 
of $25.00 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared). The Series B Preferred Stock must be 
paid a dividend at a rate of 6% per year on the $25.00 liquidation preference before the common stock is entitled to 
receive any dividends. 

At December 31, 2007, the Company had issued and outstanding 4,600,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock.   

F-17 

The Series B Preferred Stock is not redeemable. The Series B Preferred Stock is convertible into shares of 

common stock at a conversion rate that adjusts from time to time upon the occurrence of certain events, including if the 
Company distributes to its common shareholders in any calendar quarter cash dividends in excess of $0.11 per share. 
Initially, the conversion rate was 1.7730 shares of common shares per $25 liquidation preference.   At December 31, 
2008, the conversion ratio was 2.0650 shares of common stock per $25 liquidation preference.  Commencing April 5, 
2011, the Company has the right in certain circumstances to convert each Series B Preferred Stock into a number of 
common shares based upon the then prevailing conversion rate. The Series B Preferred Stock is also convertible into 
common shares at the option of the Series B preferred shareholder at anytime at the then prevailing conversion rate. The 
Series B Preferred Stock is senior to the Company's common stock and is on parity with the Series A Preferred Stock 
with respect to dividends and distributions, including distributions upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up. The 
Series B Preferred Stock generally does not have any voting rights, except if the Company fails to pay dividends on the 
Series B Preferred Stock for six or more quarterly periods (whether or not consecutive). Under such circumstances, the 
Series B Preferred Stock, together with the Series A Preferred Stock, will be entitled to vote to elect two additional 
directors to the Board, until all unpaid dividends have been paid or declared and set apart for payment. In addition, 
certain material and adverse changes to the terms of the Series B Preferred Stock cannot be made without the affirmative 
vote of holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock and Series A Preferred Stock. 
Through December 31, 2008, the Company had declared and paid all required quarterly dividends on the Series B 
Preferred Stock.  During the year ended December 31, 2008, 636,475 shares of Series B Preferred Stock were converted 
into 1,268,081 shares of common stock.  During the year ended December 31, 2007, no shares of Series B Preferred 
Stock were converted. 

 (C) Distributions to Shareholders 

During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company declared dividends to common shareholders totaling 
$1.1 billion or $2.08 per share, of which $270.7 million were paid to shareholders on January 29, 2009.  During the year 
ended December 31, 2008, the Company declared dividends to Series A Preferred shareholders totaling approximately 
$14.6 million or $1.97 per share, and Series B shareholders totaling approximately $6.6 million or $1.50 per share, 
which were paid to shareholders on December 31, 2008. 

During the year ended December 31, 2007, the Company declared dividends to common shareholders totaling 

$339.8 million or $1.04 per share, of which $136.6 million were paid on January 28, 2008.  During the year ended 
December 31, 2007, the Company declared and paid dividends to Series A preferred shareholders totaling $14.6 million 
or $1.97 per share and Series B  Preferred shareholders totaling $6.9 million or $1.50 per share.   

During the year ended December 31, 2006, the Company declared dividends to common shareholders totaling 

$102.6 million or $.57 per share, of which $39.0 million were paid on January 26, 2007.  During the year ended 
December 31, 2006, the Company declared and paid dividends to Series A preferred shareholders totaling $14.6 million 
or $1.97 per share and Series B Preferred shareholders totaling $5.0 million or $1.08 per share.   

10. 

NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE  

The following table presents a reconciliation of the net income and shares used in calculating basic and diluted 

earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007, and 2006. 

Net income  
Less: Preferred stock dividends 
Net income available to common shareholders, 
  prior to adjustment for Series B dividends, if  
  necessary 
Add: Preferred Series B dividends, if Series B  
  shares are dilutive 

For the years ended 
(amounts in thousands) 
December 31, 
2007 

December 31, 
2006 

$414,384 
21,493 
392,891 

$93,816 
19,557 
74,259 

December 31, 
2008 
$346,180 
21,177 
325,003 

-

6,900 

-

F-18 

 
 
Net income, as adjusted 

$325,003 

$399,791 

$74,259 

Weighted average shares of common stock  
  outstanding-basic 

Add:  Effect of dilutive stock options and Series 
  B Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock 
Weighted average shares of common  
  stock outstanding-diluted 

507,025 

297,488 

167,667 

- 

8,775 

79 

507,025 

306,263 

167,746 

Options to purchase 5.2 million shares of common stock, were outstanding and considered anti-dilutive as their 
exercise price and option expense exceeded the average stock price for the year ended December 31, 2008. The Series B 
Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock was anti-dilutive for the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2006. 

11.  

 LONG-TERM STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN 

The Company has adopted a long term stock incentive plan for executive officers, key employees and non-

employee directors (the “Incentive Plan”).  The Incentive Plan authorizes the Compensation Committee of the board of 
directors to grant awards, including non-qualified options as well as incentive stock options as defined under Section 422 
of the Code.  The Incentive Plan authorizes the granting of options or other awards for an aggregate of the greater of 
500,000 shares or 9.5% of the diluted outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, up to ceiling of 8,932,921 
shares.  Stock options are issued at the current market price on the date of grant, subject to an immediate or four year 
vesting in four equal installments with a contractual term of 5 or 10 years.  The grant date fair value is calculated using 
the Black-Scholes option valuation model.  

Options outstanding at the beginning of 
 year 
Granted 
Exercised  
Forfeited 
Expired 
Options outstanding at the end of period 
Options exercisable at the end of the period 

December 31, 2008 

December 31, 2007 

For the year ended 

Number of 
Shares 

3,437,267 
2,043,700 
(293,243) 
(2,550) 
(5,010) 
5,180,164 

Weighted
Average 
Exercise 
Price 

$15.23 
16.02 
9.59 
15.84 
20.67 
$15.87 

Number of 
Shares 

2,984,995 
687,250 
(55,738) 
(174,240) 
(5,000) 
3,437,267 

Weighted
Average 
Exercise Price 

$15.10 
15.69 
10.34 
16.06 
20.35 
$15.23 

2,119,964 

$16.36 

1,286,004 

$14.98 

The weighted average remaining contractual term was approximately 7.6 years for stock options outstanding 
and approximately 5.6 years for stock options exercisable as of December 31, 2008.  As of December 31, 2008, there 
was approximately $9.3 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share-based compensation 
awards.  That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.3 years. 

The weighted average remaining contractual term was approximately 7.0 years for stock options outstanding 
and approximately 5.3 years for stock options exercisable as of December 31, 2007.  As of December 31, 2007, there 
was approximately $2.9 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share-based compensation 
awards.  That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.7 years. 

During the year ended December 31, 2007, the Company granted 7,000 shares of restricted common stock to 

certain of its employees.  As of December 31, 2008, 3,360 of these restricted shares were unvested and subject to 
forfeiture. 

F-19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
12.

INCOME TAXES 

As a REIT, the Company is not subject to federal income tax on earnings distributed to its shareholders. Most 

states recognize REIT status as well. The Company has decided to distribute the majority of its income and retain a 
portion of the permanent difference between book and taxable income arising from Section 162(m) of the Code 
pertaining to employee remuneration.  

During the year ended December 31, 2008, FIDAC recorded $4.0 million of income tax expense for income 

attributable to FIDAC, and the portion of earnings retained based on Code Section 162(m) limitations.  During the year 
ended December 31, 2008, Merganser recorded $94,000 of income tax expense for income attributable to Merganser.  
During the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company recorded $21.9 million of income tax expense for a portion of 
earnings retained based on Section 162(m) limitations.  The effective tax rate was 53% for the year ended December 31, 
2008.   

During the year ended December 31, 2007, the Company did not record income tax expense for income 

attributable to FIDAC, its taxable REIT subsidiary, and the portion of earnings retained based on Code Section 162(m) 
limitations.  During the year ended December 31, 2007, the Company recorded $9.0 million of income tax expense for a 
portion of earnings retained based on Section 162(m) limitations.  The effective tax rate was 51% for the year ended 
December 31, 2007.   

During the year ended December 31, 2006, the Company recorded $3.1 million of income tax expense for 

income attributable to FIDAC, its taxable REIT subsidiary, and the portion of earnings retained based on Code Section 
162(m) limitations.  During the year ended December 31, 2006, the Company recorded $4.5 million of income tax 
expense for a portion of earnings retained based on Section 162(m) limitations.  The effective tax rate was 45% for the 
year ended December 31, 2006.  

The Company’s effective tax rate was 53%, 51%, and 45% for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007, and 
2006, respectively.  These rates differed from the federal statutory rate as a result of state and local taxes and permanent 
difference pertaining to employee remuneration as discussed above.  

The statutory combined federal, state, and city corporate tax rate is 45%.  This amount is applied to the amount 
of estimated REIT taxable income retained (if any, and only up to 10% of ordinary income as all capital gain income is 
distributed) and to taxable income earned at the taxable subsidiaries.  Thus, as a REIT, the Company’s effective tax rate 
is significantly less as it is allowed to deduct dividend distributions. 

 13. 

LEASE COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES 

The Company has a non-cancelable lease for office space, which commenced in May 2002 and expires in 

December 2009. The Company’s aggregate future minimum lease payments total $532,000.

From time to time, the Company is involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of 

business.  In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material effect on the 
Company’s consolidated financial statements and therefore no accrual is required as of December 31, 2008. 

Merganser’s prior owner may receive additional consideration as an earn-out during 2010, 2011 and 2012  if 

Merganser meets specific performance goals under the merger agreement.  The Company cannot currently calculate how 
much consideration will be paid under the earn-out provisions because the payment amount will vary depending upon 
whether and the extent to which Merganser achieves specific performance goals.  Any amounts paid under this provision 
will be recorded as additional goodwill. 

F-20 

 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
14.  

   INTEREST RATE RISK 

The primary market risk to the Company is interest rate risk.  Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors, 
including governmental monetary and tax policies, domestic and international economic and political considerations and 
other factors beyond the Company’s control.  Changes in the general level of interest rates can affect net interest income, 
which is the difference between the interest income earned on interest-earning assets and the interest expense incurred in 
connection with the interest-bearing liabilities, by affecting the spread between the interest-earning assets and interest-
bearing liabilities.  Changes in the level of interest rates also can affect the value of the Investment Securities and the 
Company’s ability to realize gains from the sale of these assets.  A decline in the value of the Investment Securities 
pledged as collateral for borrowings under repurchase agreements could result in the counterparties demanding 
additional collateral pledges or liquidation of some of the existing collateral to reduce borrowing levels.  Liquidation of 
collateral at losses could have an adverse accounting impact, as discussed in Note 1. 

The Company seeks to manage the extent to which net income changes as a function of changes in interest rates 

by matching adjustable-rate assets with variable-rate borrowings.  The Company may seek to mitigate the potential 
impact on net income of periodic and lifetime coupon adjustment restrictions in the portfolio of Investment Securities by 
entering into interest rate agreements such as interest rate caps and interest rate swaps. As of December 31, 2008, the 
Company entered into interest rate swaps to pay a fixed rate and receive a floating rate of interest, with a total notional 
amount of $17.6 billion. 

Changes in interest rates may also have an effect on the rate of mortgage principal prepayments and, as a result, 
prepayments on Mortgage-Backed Securities.  The Company will seek to mitigate the effect of changes in the mortgage 
principal repayment rate by balancing assets purchased at a premium with assets purchased at a discount.  To date, the 
aggregate premium exceeds the aggregate discount on the Mortgage-Backed Securities.  As a result, prepayments, which 
result in the expensing of unamortized premium, will reduce net income compared to what net income would be absent 
such prepayments. 

15. 

RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS 

At December 31, 2008, the Company had lent $562.1 million to Chimera in an overnight reverse repurchase 

agreement.  This amount is included at the principal amount which approximates fair value in the Company’s Statement 
of Financial Condition.  The interest rate at December 31, 2008 was an at the market rate of 1.43%.  The average rate for 
the year was 2.96%.  The collateral for this loan is mortgage-backed securities with a fair value of $680.8 million.   

On October 29, 2008, the Company purchased approximately 11.7 million shares of Chimera common stock at 
a price of $2.25 per share for aggregate proceeds of approximately $26.3 million.  Chimera is managed by FIDAC, and 
the Company owns approximately 8.6% of Chimera’s common stock. 

16. 

MERGANSER CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. 

The Company acquired Merganser pursuant to a merger which was consummated before the opening of 

business on October 31, 2008. The merger was accounted for using the purchase method of accounting in accordance 
with SFAS No. 141, and the purchase price was allocated to the acquired assets and liabilities based on their fair values, 
with the excess allocated to goodwill.  The purchase price was paid in cash and Company’s stock.  Accordingly, the 
consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2008 includes the effects of the merger and the Company’s application of 
the purchase method of accounting. Additionally, the consolidated statements of operations and of cash flows for the 
year ended December 31, 2008 include the results of the Merganser for the period from October 31, 2008 to December 
31, 2008.   

F-21 

 
A summary of the fair values of the net assets acquired is as follows:  

Receivable for advisory fees and services 
Other assets 
Customer relationships 
Trade name 
Goodwill 
Favorable leasehold interest 
Payables 
  Total purchase price 

17. 

SUBSEQUENT EVENTS 

(dollars in thousands) 

$2,849 
654 
6,600 
330 
4,488 
1,310 
(1,169) 
$15,062 

Pursuant to NASD Rule 1014, the application of RCap was granted membership in FINRA on January 26, 

2009.  RCap is expected to commence operations as a broker dealer during the first quarter of 2009. 

F-22 

 
18. 

SUMMARIZED  QUARTERLY (UNAUDITED)

The following is a presentation of the quarterly results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2008. 

Interest income  

Interest expense  

Net interest income 

March 31, 
2008 

June 30, 
2008 

September 30, 
2008 

December 31, 
2008 

(dollars in thousands, except per share data) 

$791,128 

$773,359 

$810,659 

$740,282 

537,606 

442,251 

458,250 

450,805 

253,522 

331,108 

352,409 

289,477 

Other income:  
  Investment advisory and service fees 
  Gain (loss) on sale of Investment Securities 
  Income (loss) from trading securities 
  Dividend income from available-for-sale equity  
     securities 
  Loss on other-than-temporarily impaired securities 
  Unrealized loss on interest rate swaps 

6,598 
9,417 
1,854 

941 

- 
- 

6,406 
2,830 
2,180 

580 

- 
- 

7,663 
(1,066) 
7,671 

580 

(31,834)  

-

7,224 
(468) 
(2,010) 

612 

- 
(768,268) 

      Total other income  

18,810 

11,996 

(16,986) 

(762,910) 

Expenses: 
  Distribution fees  
  General and administrative expenses 
      Total expenses 

633 
23,995 
24,628 

370 
27,215 
27,585 

299 
25,455 
25,754 

287 
26,957 
27,244 

Income (loss) before income taxes and minority  
  interest 

247,704 

315,519 

309,669 

(500,677) 

Income taxes 

4,610 

7,527 

7,538 

6,302 

Income (loss) before minority interest 

243,094 

307,992 

302,131 

(506,979) 

Minority interest 

Net Income  

58 
243,036 

- 
307,992 

- 
302,131 

- 
(506,979) 

Dividends on preferred stock 

5,373 

5,334 

5,335 

5,135 

Net income (loss) available (related) to common  
  shareholders 

Weighted average number of basic common shares 
outstanding  
Weighted average number of diluted common shares 
outstanding  

Net income available to common 
  shareholders per average common  share:
Basic
Diluted  

$237,663 

$302,658 

$296,796 

($512,114) 

443,812,432 

503,758,079 

538,706,131 

541,099,147 

452,967,457 

512,678,975 

547,882,488 

541,099,147 

$0.54 

$0.53 

$0.60 

$0.59 

$0.55 

$0.54 

($0.95) 

($0.95) 

F-23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The following is a presentation of the quarterly results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2007. 

Interest income  

Interest expense  

Net interest income 

March 31, 
2007 

June 30, 
2007 

September 30,  December 31, 

2007 

2007 

(dollars in thousands, except per share data) 

$449,564   

$556,262 

$628,696 

$720,925 

380,164 

468,748 

519,118 

558,435 

69,400 

87,514 

109,578 

162,490 

Other income:  
  Investment advisory and service fees 
  Gain on sale of Investment Securities 
  Gain on termination of interest rate swaps 
  Income from trading securities 
  Dividend income from available-for-sale equity    
    securities 
  Loss on other-than-temporarily impaired securities 

5,562 
6,145 
67 
3,429 

-
(491) 

5,366 
7,293 
- 
243 

-
(698) 

5,464 
3,795 
2,029 
8,288 

-
-

5,636 
1,829 
- 
7,187 

91 
-

      Total other income  

14,712 

12,204 

19,576 

14,743 

Expenses: 
  Distribution fees  
  General and administrative expenses 
      Total expenses 

Income before income taxes and minority  
  interest 

Income taxes 

Income before minority interest 

Minority interest 

Net income 

904 
12,886 
13,790 

861 
12,272 
13,133 

1,100 
17,334 
18,434 

782 
20,174 
20,956 

70,322 

86,585 

110,720 

156,277 

2,604 

67,718 

839 

85,746 

2,327 

108,393 

3,100 

153,177 

286 

13 

106 

245 

67,432 

85,733 

108,287 

152,932 

Dividends on preferred stock 

5,373 

5,373 

5,373 

5,374 

Net income available to common  
  shareholders 

$62,059 

$80,360 

$102,914 

$147,558 

Weighted average number of basic common shares 
outstanding  
Weighted average number of diluted common shares 
outstanding  

217,490,205 

264,990,422 

315,969,814 

389,410,812 

225,928,127 

273,578,836 

324,614,534 

398,247,632 

Net income available to common 
  shareholders per average common  share:
Basic  
Diluted  

$0.29 
$0.28 

$0.30 
$0.30 

$0.33 
$0.32 

$0.38 
$0.37 

F-24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SIGNATURES 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly 
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the city of New York, State 
of New York. 

Date: February 25, 2009 

By: 

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. 

/s/ Michael A. J. Farrell
Michael A. J. Farrell 
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following 
persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the date indicated. 

                    Signature                     

/s/ KEVIN P. BRADY

                   Kevin P. Brady 

/s/ KATHRYN F. FAGAN 

                     Kathryn F. Fagan 

/s/ MICHAEL A.J. FARRELL

                    Michael A. J. Farrell 

/s/ JONATHAN D. GREEN 

                    Jonathan D. Green  

Title  
Director 

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer  
(principal financial and accounting 
officer)

Date 
February 25 , 2009 

February 25, 2009 

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive 
Officer, President and Director (principal 
executive officer) 
Director 

February 25, 2009 

February 25, 2009 

/s/ MICHAEL E. HAYLON

Director 

February 25, 2009 

                     Michael E. Haylon 

/s/ JOHN A. LAMBIASE

                     John A. Lambiase 

Director 

February 25, 2009 

/s/ E. WAYNE NORDBERG

Director 

February 25, 2009 

                    E. Wayne Nordberg 

/s/ DONNELL A. SEGALAS

Director 

February 25, 2009 

                    Donnell A. Segalas 

/s/ WELLINGTON DENAHAN-NORRIS

  Wellington Denahan-Norris 

Vice Chairman of the Board, Chief 
Investment Officer, Chief Operating 
Officer and Director 

February 25, 2009 

I

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 23.1 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in Registration Statements No. 333-151069 and No. 333-134404 
on Form S-3 of our report dated February 25, 2009, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Annaly Capital 
Management, Inc., and the effectiveness of Annaly Capital Management, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting, 
appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Annaly Capital Management, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 
2008. 

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP 
New York, New York 
February 25, 2009 

II 

CERTIFICATIONS 

Exhibit 31.1 

I, Michael A.J. Farrell, certify that: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Annaly Capital Management, Inc.; 

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to 
state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which 
such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 

Based  on  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial  information  included  in  this 
report,  fairly  present  in  all  material  respects  the  financial  condition,  results  of  operations  and  cash 
flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; 

The  registrant’s  other  certifying  officer  and  I  are  responsible  for  establishing  and  maintaining 
disclosure  controls  and  procedures  (as  defined  in  Exchange  Act  Rules 13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e))  and 
internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) for 
the registrant and have: 

a. Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  or  caused  such  disclosure  controls  and 
procedures  to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information 
relating  to  the  registrant,  including  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is  made  known  to  us  by 
others  within  those  entities,  particularly  during  the  period  in  which  this  report  is  being 
prepared; 

b. Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over 
financial  reporting  to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  provide  reasonable  assurance 
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for 
external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; 

c. Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  registrant’s  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  and 
presented  in  this  report  our  conclusions  about  the  effectiveness  of  the  disclosure  controls 
and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; 
and

d. Disclosed  in  this  report  any  change  in  the  registrant’s  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting  that  occurred  during  the  registrant’s  most  recent  fiscal  quarter  (the  registrant’s 
fourth  fiscal  quarter  in  the  case  of  an  annual  report)  that  has  materially  affected,  or  is 
reasonably  likely  to  materially  affect,  the  registrant’s  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting; and 

5. 

The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  to  the  registrant’s  auditors  and  the  audit  committee  of  the 
registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): 

a. All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal 
controls  over  financial  reporting  which  are  reasonably  likely  to  adversely  affect  the 
registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and  

b.  Any  fraud,  whether  or  not  material,  that  involves  management  or  other  employees  who 

have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date:  February 25, 2009 

/s/ Michael A.J. Farrell
Michael A.J. Farrell 
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President (Principal Executive Officer) 

III 

CERTIFICATIONS 

Exhibit 31.2

I, Kathryn F. Fagan, certify that: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Annaly Capital Management, Inc.; 

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to 
state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which 
such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; 

Based  on  my  knowledge,  the  financial  statements,  and  other  financial  information  included  in  this 
report,  fairly  present  in  all  material  respects  the  financial  condition,  results  of  operations  and  cash 
flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; 

The  registrant’s  other  certifying  officer  and  I  are  responsible  for  establishing  and  maintaining 
disclosure  controls  and  procedures  (as  defined  in  Exchange  Act  Rules 13a-15(e)  and  15d-15(e))  and 
internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) for 
the registrant and have: 

e. Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  or  caused  such  disclosure  controls  and 
procedures  to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  ensure  that  material  information 
relating  to  the  registrant,  including  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is  made  known  to  us  by 
others  within  those  entities,  particularly  during  the  period  in  which  this  report  is  being 
prepared; 

f. Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over 
financial  reporting  to  be  designed  under  our  supervision,  to  provide  reasonable  assurance 
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for 
external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; 

g. Evaluated  the  effectiveness  of  the  registrant’s  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  and 
presented  in  this  report  our  conclusions  about  the  effectiveness  of  the  disclosure  controls 
and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; 
and

h. Disclosed  in  this  report  any  change  in  the  registrant’s  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting  that  occurred  during  the  registrant’s  most  recent  fiscal  quarter  (the  registrant’s 
fourth  fiscal  quarter  in  the  case  of  an  annual  report)  that  has  materially  affected,  or  is 
reasonably  likely  to  materially  affect,  the  registrant’s  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting; and 

5. 

The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of 
internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  to  the  registrant’s  auditors  and  the  audit  committee  of  the 
registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): 

a. All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in  the  design  or  operation  of  internal

controls over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s  
ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and  

b.  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a 

significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. 

Date:  February 25, 2009 

/s/ Kathryn F. Fagan
Kathryn F. Fagan 
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer) 

IV 

 
 
Exhibit 32.1 

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. 
1211 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS 
SUITE 2902 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10036 

CERTIFICATION  

PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE 

SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002, 10 U.S.C. SECTION 1350 

In connection with the annual report on Form 10-K of Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (the “Company”) for the period 
ended December 31, 2008 to be filed with Securities and Exchange Commission on or about the date hereof (the 
“Report”), I, Michael A.J. Farrell, Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, 
certify, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that:  

 1.

 2.

  The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934; and  

  The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and 
results of operations of the Company at the dates of, and for the periods covered by, the Report.  

It is not intended that this statement be deemed to be filed for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  

/s/ Michael A.J. Farrell 
Michael A.J. Farrell 
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief 
Executive Officer and President 
February 25, 2009 

V

   
     
   
     
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. 
1211 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS 
SUITE 2902 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10036 

CERTIFICATION  

PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE 

SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002, 10 U.S.C. SECTION 1350 

In connection with the annual report on Form 10-K of Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (the “Company”) for the period 
ended December 31, 2008 to be filed Kathryn F. Fagan, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that:  

 1.

 2.

  The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 
1934; and  

  The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and 
results of operations of the Company at the dates of, and for the periods covered by, the Report.  

It is not intended that this statement be deemed to be filed for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  

/s/ Kathryn F. Fagan 
Kathryn F. Fagan 
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer 
February 25, 2009 

VI 

   
     
   
     
Ratio of Earnings To Combined Fixed Charges And Preferred Stock Dividends 

The following table sets forth the calculation of our ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock 
dividends for the periods shown (dollars in thousands): 

Exhibit 12.1 

For the Year 
Ended
December 31, 
2008 

For the Year 
Ended
December 
31, 2007 

For the Year 
Ended
December 31, 
2006 

For the Year 
Ended
December 31, 
2005 

For the Year 
Ended
December 31, 
2004 

Net (loss) income before taxes 
Add:  fixed charges (interest expense)  

$  372,157
1,888,912

$  423,254
1,926,465

$  101,354
1,055,013

$  1,497
568,560

$253,050
270,116

Earnings as adjusted 

$2,261,069 $2,349,719

$1,156,367

$570,057

$523,166

Fixed charges (interest expense) + 
preferred stock dividend 

$1,910,089 $1,947,958

$1,074,570

$583,153

$277,861

Ratio of earnings to combined fixed 
charges and preferred stock dividends  

1.18X

1.21X

1.08X

0.98X

1.88X

VII 

 
 
 
SHARE PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The following graph and table set forth certain information comparing the yearly percentage change in cumulative total
return on our Common Stock to the cumulative total return of the Standard & Poor’s Composite-500 stock Index or
S&P  500  Index,  and  the  Bloomberg  REIT  Mortgage  Index,  or  BBG  REIT  index,  an  industry  index  of  mortgage
REITs. The comparison is for the period from December 31, 2003 to December 31, 2008 and assumes the reinvest-
ment of dividends. The graph and table assume that $100 was invested in our Common Stock and the two other
indices on December 31, 2003. Upon written request we will provide stockholders with a list of the REITs included
in the BBG REIT Index.

Comparison of Cumulative Total Return

175

150

125

100

75

50

25

0

12/31/03

12/31/04

12/30/05

12/29/06

12/31/07

12/31/08

Annaly

S&P 500 Index

BBG REIT Index

Annaly
S&P 500 Index
BBG REIT Index

12/31/03
100
100
100

12/31/04
117
111
127

12/30/05
76
116
108

12/29/06
95
134
125

12/31/07
124
141
83

12/31/08
123
92
65

The  information  in  the  share  performance  graph  and  table  has  been  obtained  from  sources  believed  to  be  reliable, 
but  neither  its  accuracy  nor  its  completeness  can  be  guaranteed. The  historical  information  set  forth  above  is  not 
necessarily  indicative  of  future  performance.  Accordingly,  we  do  not  make  or  endorse  any  predictions  as  to  future 
share performance.

The  share  performance  graph  and  table  shall  not  be  deemed,  under  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  as  amended, 
or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, to be (i) “soliciting material” or “filed” or (ii) incorporated by 
reference by any general statement into any filing made by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, except 
to the extent that we specifically incorporate such share performance graph and table reference.

CORPORATE OFFICERS

Michael A. J. Farrell
Chairman of the Board,
President &
Chief Executive Officer

Wellington J. Denahan-Norris
Vice Chairman,
Chief Investment Officer &
Chief Operating Officer

Kathryn F. Fagan
Chief Financial Officer 
& Treasurer

R. Nicholas Singh
Executive Vice President,
General Counsel, Secretary &
Chief Compliance Officer

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael A. J. Farrell
Chairman of the Board,
President &
Chief Executive Officer

Wellington J. Denahan-Norris
Vice Chairman,
Chief Investment Officer &
Chief Operating Officer

Kevin P. Brady
Vice President, Tax & Accounting
Thomson Reuters Corporation

Jonathan D. Green
Vice Chairman
Rockefeller Group International, Inc.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

James P. Fortescue
Managing Director,
Head of Liabilities

Kristopher R. Konrad
Managing Director,
Co-Head of Portfolio Management

Rose-Marie Lyght
Managing Director,
Co-Head of Portfolio Management

Jeremy Diamond
Managing Director

Ronald D. Kazel
Managing Director

Michael Haylon
Former Executive Vice President &
Chief Financial Officer
Phoenix Companies

John A. Lambiase
Former Managing Director
Salomon Brothers, Inc.

E. Wayne Nordberg
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Hollow Brook Associates, LLC

Donnell A. Segalas
Managing Partner &
Chief Executive Officer
Pinnacle Asset Management, L.P.

The Company has included as exhibits to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
fiscal year ended 2008 certificates of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and
Chief Financial Officer certifying the quality of the Company’s public disclosure
controls, and the Company has submitted to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
in 2008, a certificate of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer certifying that he 
is not aware of any violations by the Company of the NYSE corporate governance
listing standards.

CORPORATE INFORMATION

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
Annaly Capital Management, Inc.
1211 Avenue of the Americas 
Suite 2902
New York, NY 10036

LEGAL COUNSEL
K&L Gates LLP
1601 K Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED 
PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Deloitte & Touche LLP
TwoWorld Financial Center
New York, NY 10281

STOCK TRANSFER AGENT
Shareholder inquiries concerning 
dividend payments, lost certificates,
change of address:

BNY Mellon Shareowner Services
480 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, NJ 07310
800-301-5234
www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/isd

STOCK EXCHANGE LISTING
The common stock is listed on the
New York Stock Exchange (symbol:
NLY). The Series A preferred stock is 
listed on the New York Stock Exchange
(symbol: NLY-A).

ANNUAL 
SHAREHOLDERS MEETING
The Annual Meeting will be held
Friday, May 29, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. at:

New York Marriott Marquis
1535 Broadway
New York, NY 10036

SHAREHOLDER
COMMUNICATIONS
Copies of the Company’s Annual 
Report and 2008 Form 10-K may be
obtained by writing the Secretary, by
calling the investor relations hotline 
at 1–888–8ANNALY, or by visiting 
our website at www.annaly.com.

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ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

1211 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
SUITE 2902
NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10036

1-888-8ANNALY
WWW.ANNALY.COM