UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
 
  
FORM 10-Q10-Q/A

(Amendment No. 1 to Form 10-Q)

[X] QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES

EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED: MARCH 31,SEPTEMBER 30, 2018

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
 
nlyfinallogo10417a08.jpg
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter) 
 

MARYLAND
(State or other jurisdiction of
 incorporation or organization)
 
22-3479661
(IRS Employer Identification No.)
   
   
1211 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK, NY 10036
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
10036
(Zip Code)
 

(212) 696-0100
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all documents and 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 þ No ☐
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes þ No ☐






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

Large accelerated filer þ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐
Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No þ

APPLICABLE ONLY TO CORPORATE ISSUERS:

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the last practicable date:
Class  
Outstanding at April 30,October 31, 2018
Common Stock, $.01 par value 1,159,697,5871,313,722,699






































EXPLANATORY NOTE

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. is filing this Amendment No. 1 (the "Form 10-Q/A") to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on November 2, 2018 (the "Original Form 10-Q"), for the sole purpose of correcting a typographical error on the cover page. We removed a header that was unintentionally included in the initial filing.

No other changes have been made to the Original Form 10-Q, but for the convenience of the reader, this Form 10-Q/A includes, in its entirety, the Original Form 10-Q, as amended.

This Form 10-Q/A does not reflect events that may have occurred subsequent to the original filing date, and except as noted above, does not modify or update in any way disclosures made in the Form 10-Q.




ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
FORM 10-Q
TABLE OF CONTENTS
  
Page
Page
 
`


PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION- FINANCIALINFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
  March 31, December 31,
  2018 
2017 (1)
  (Unaudited)  
ASSETS    
Cash and cash equivalents (including cash pledged as collateral of $884,667 and $579,213, respectively) (2)
 $984,275
 $706,589
Investments, at fair value:  
  
Agency mortgage-backed securities (including pledged assets of $83,893,493 and $83,628,132, respectively) 88,579,097
 90,551,763
Credit risk transfer securities (including pledged assets of $411,780 and $363,944, respectively) 628,942
 651,764
Non-Agency mortgage-backed securities (including pledged assets of $499,271 and $516,078, respectively) (3)
 1,066,343
 1,097,294
Residential mortgage loans (including pledged assets of $1,376,883 and $1,169,496, respectively) (4)
 1,535,685
 1,438,322
Mortgage servicing rights (including pledged assets of $5,153 and $5,224, respectively) 596,378
 580,860
Commercial real estate debt investments (including pledged assets of $2,900,098 and $3,070,993, respectively) (5)
 2,960,323
 3,089,108
Commercial real estate debt and preferred equity, held for investment (including pledged assets of $529,324 and $520,329, respectively) 1,081,295
 1,029,327
Investments in commercial real estate 480,063
 485,953
Corporate debt (including pledged assets of $666,682 and $600,049, respectively) 1,152,745
 1,011,275
Interest rate swaps, at fair value 69,109
 30,272
Other derivatives, at fair value 161,193
 283,613
Reverse repurchase agreements

 200,459
 
Receivable for investments sold 45,126
 1,232
Accrued interest and dividends receivable 326,989
 323,526
Other assets 421,448
 384,117
Goodwill 71,815
 71,815
Intangible assets, net 20,948
 23,220
Total assets $100,382,233
 $101,760,050
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY  
  
Liabilities:  
  
Repurchase agreements $78,015,431
 $77,696,343
Other secured financing 3,830,075
 3,837,528
   Securitized debt of consolidated VIEs (6)
 2,904,873
 2,971,771
Mortgages payable 309,794
 309,686
Interest rate swaps, at fair value 427,838
 569,129
Other derivatives, at fair value 153,103
 38,725
Dividends payable 347,897
 347,876
Payable for investments purchased 91,327
 656,581
Accrued interest payable 284,696
 253,068
Accounts payable and other liabilities 74,264
 207,770
Total liabilities 86,439,298
 86,888,477
Stockholders’ Equity:  
  
7.625% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock: 12,000,000 authorized, 7,000,000 and 12,000,0000 issued and outstanding, respectively 169,466
 290,514
7.50% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock: 18,400,000 authorized, issued and outstanding 445,457
 445,457
7.625% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock: 11,500,000 authorized, 0 and 11,500,000 issued and outstanding, respectively 
 287,500
6.95% Series F Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock: 28,800,000 authorized, issued and outstanding 696,910
 696,910
6.50% Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock: 19,550,000 and 0 authorized, 17,000,000 and 0 issued, and outstanding, respectively 411,335
 
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 1,909,750,000 and 1,929,300,000 authorized, 1,159,657,350 and 1,159,585,078 issued and outstanding, respectively 11,597
 11,596
Additional paid-in capital 17,218,191
 17,221,265
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (3,000,080) (1,126,020)
Accumulated deficit (2,015,612) (2,961,749)
Total stockholders’ equity 13,937,264
 14,865,473
Noncontrolling interest 5,671
 6,100
Total equity 13,942,935
 14,871,573
Total liabilities and equity $100,382,233
 $101,760,050
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
  September 30, December 31,
  2018 
2017 (1)
  (Unaudited)  
ASSETS    
Cash and cash equivalents (includes pledged assets $924,891 and $579,213, respectively) (2)
 $1,082,747
 $706,589
Securities (includes pledged assets of $84,613,575 and $84,752,790, respectively) (3)

 91,338,611
 92,563,572
Loans (includes pledged assets of $2,519,340 and $1,811,062, respectively) 4,224,203
 2,999,148
Mortgage servicing rights (includes pledged assets of $2,958 and $5,224, respectively) 588,833
 580,860
Assets transferred or pledged to securitization vehicles 4,287,821
 3,306,133
Real estate, net 753,014
 485,953
Derivative assets

 404,841
 313,885
Reverse repurchase agreements

 1,234,704
 
Receivable for unsettled trades 1,266,840
 1,232
Interest receivable 347,278
 323,526
Goodwill and intangible assets, net

 103,043
 95,035
Other assets 329,868
 384,117
Total assets $105,961,803
 $101,760,050
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY  
  
Liabilities:  
  
Repurchase agreements $79,073,026
 $77,696,343
Other secured financing 4,108,547
 3,837,528
Debt issued by securitization vehicles 3,799,542
 2,971,771
Mortgages payable 511,588
 309,686
Derivative liabilities

 379,794
 607,854
Payable for unsettled trades 2,505,428
 656,581
Interest payable 399,605
 253,068
Dividends payable 102,811
 347,876
Other liabilities

 125,606
 207,770
Total liabilities 91,005,947
 86,888,477
Stockholders’ Equity:  
  
Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, 75,950,000 and 70,700,000 authorized, 73,400,000 and 70,700,000 issued and outstanding, respectively 1,778,168
 1,720,381
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 1,924,050,000 and 1,929,300,000 authorized, 1,303,079,555 and 1,159,585,078 issued and outstanding, respectively 13,031
 11,596
Additional paid-in capital 18,793,706
 17,221,265
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (3,822,956) (1,126,020)
Accumulated deficit (1,811,955) (2,961,749)
Total stockholders’ equity 14,949,994
 14,865,473
Noncontrolling interests 5,862
 6,100
Total equity 14,955,856
 14,871,573
Total liabilities and equity $105,961,803
 $101,760,050
(1) 
Derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2017. 
(2) 
Includes cash of consolidated Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”) of $43.2$28.4 million and $42.3 million at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. 
(3) 
Includes $61.3Excludes $129.8 million and $66.3 million at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, of non-Agency mortgage-backed securities and $275.8 million and $0 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, of commercial mortgage-backed securities in a consolidated VIEVIEs pledged as collateral and eliminated from the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. 
(4)
Includes securitized residential mortgage loans transferred or pledged to a consolidated VIE carried at fair value of $560.2 million and $478.8 million at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. 


(5)
Includes senior securitized commercial mortgage loans of consolidated VIEs carried at fair value of $2.7 billion and $2.8 billion at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.  
(6)
Includes securitized debt of consolidated VIEs carried at fair value of $2.9 billion and $3.0 billion at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.  

See notes to consolidated financial statements.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
  Three Months Ended March 31,
  2018 2017
Net interest income:    
Interest income $879,487
 $587,727
Interest expense 367,421
 198,425
Net interest income 512,066
 389,302
Realized and unrealized gains (losses):  
  
   Realized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps (1)
 (48,160) (104,156)
Realized gains (losses) on termination or maturity of interest rate swaps 834
 
Unrealized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps 977,285
 149,184
Subtotal 929,959
 45,028
Net gains (losses) on disposal of investments 13,468
 5,235
Net gains (losses) on trading assets (47,145) 319
Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings (51,593) 23,683
Subtotal (85,270) 29,237
Total realized and unrealized gains (losses) 844,689
 74,265
Other income (loss):  
  
Other income (loss) 34,023
 31,646
Total other income (loss) 34,023
 31,646
General and administrative expenses:  
  
Compensation and management fee 44,529
 39,262
Other general and administrative expenses 17,981
 14,566
Total general and administrative expenses 62,510
 53,828
Income (loss) before income taxes 1,328,268
 441,385
Income taxes 564
 977
Net income (loss) 1,327,704
 440,408
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest (96) (103)
Net income (loss) attributable to Annaly 1,327,800
 440,511
Dividends on preferred stock 33,766
 23,473
Net income (loss) available (related) to common stockholders $1,294,034
 $417,038
Net income (loss) per share available (related) to common stockholders:  
  
Basic $1.12
 $0.41
Diluted $1.12
 $0.41
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:  
  
Basic 1,159,617,848
 1,018,942,746
Diluted 1,160,103,185
 1,019,307,379
Dividends declared per share of common stock $0.30
 $0.30
Net income (loss) $1,327,704
 $440,408
Other comprehensive income (loss):  
  
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities (1,879,479) (59,615)
Reclassification adjustment for net (gains) losses included in net income (loss) 5,419
 19,417
Other comprehensive income (loss) (1,874,060) (40,198)
Comprehensive income (loss) (546,356) 400,210
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest (96) (103)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Annaly (546,260) 400,313
Dividends on preferred stock 33,766
 23,473
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to common stockholders $(580,026) $376,840
(1)
Consists of interest expense on interest rate swaps. 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 and 2017
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
 
7.875%
Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
7.625%
Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
7.50%
Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
7.625%
Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
6.95%
Series F Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
6.50% Series G Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Common
stock par
value
Additional paid-in
capital
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)Accumulated deficitTotal stockholders' equityNoncontrolling interestTotal
BALANCE, December 31, 2016$177,088
$290,514
$445,457
$287,500
$
$
$10,189
$15,579,342
$(1,085,893)$(3,136,017)$12,568,180
$7,792
$12,575,972
Net income (loss) attributable to Annaly








440,511
440,511

440,511
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest










(103)(103)
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities







(59,615)
(59,615)
(59,615)
Reclassification adjustment for net (gains) losses included in net income (loss)







19,417

19,417

19,417
Stock compensation expense






101


101

101
Net proceeds from direct purchase and dividend reinvestment





1
595


596

596
Equity contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interest










(366)(366)
Preferred Series A dividends, declared $0.492 per share








(3,648)(3,648)
(3,648)
Preferred Series C dividends, declared $0.477 per share








(5,719)(5,719)
(5,719)
Preferred Series D dividends, declared $0.469 per share








(8,625)(8,625)
(8,625)
Preferred Series E dividends, declared $0.477 per share








(5,481)(5,481) (5,481)
Common dividends declared, $0.30 per share








(305,691)(305,691)
(305,691)
BALANCE, March 31, 2017$177,088
$290,514
$445,457
$287,500
$
$
$10,190
$15,580,038
$(1,126,091)$(3,024,670)$12,640,026
$7,323
$12,647,349
BALANCE, December 31, 2017$
$290,514
$445,457
$287,500
$696,910
$
$11,596
$17,221,265
$(1,126,020)$(2,961,749)$14,865,473
$6,100
$14,871,573
Net income (loss) attributable to Annaly








1,327,800
1,327,800

1,327,800
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest










(96)(96)
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities







(1,879,479)
(1,879,479)
(1,879,479)
Reclassification adjustment for net (gains) losses included in net income (loss)







5,419

5,419

5,419
Stock compensation expense






133


133

133
Redemption of Preferred Stock
(121,048)
(287,500)


(3,952)

(412,500)
(412,500)
Net proceeds from direct purchase and dividend reinvestment





1
745


746

746
Net proceeds from issuance of preferred stock




411,335




411,335

411,335
Equity contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interest










(333)(333)
Preferred Series C dividends, declared $0.477 per share (1)









(4,316)(4,316)
(4,316)
Preferred Series D dividends, declared $0.469 per share








(8,625)(8,625)
(8,625)
Preferred Series E dividends, declared $0.196 per share








(2,253)(2,253)
(2,253)
Preferred Series F dividends, declared $0.434 per share








(12,510)(12,510)
(12,510)
Preferred Series G dividends, declared $0.357 per share








(6,062)(6,062)
(6,062)
Common dividends declared, $0.30 per share








(347,897)(347,897)
(347,897)
BALANCE, March 31, 2018$
$169,466
$445,457
$
$696,910
$411,335
$11,597
$17,218,191
$(3,000,080)$(2,015,612)$13,937,264
$5,671
$13,942,935
(1) Represents dividends declared per share for shares outstanding at March 31, 2018.

See notes to consolidated financial statements.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)
  Three Months Ended March 31,
  2018 2017
Cash flows from operating activities:    
Net income (loss) $1,327,704
 $440,408
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:  
  
Amortization of premiums and discounts of investments, net 92,976
 201,590
Amortization of securitized debt premiums and discounts and deferred financing costs 408
 340
Depreciation, amortization and other noncash expenses 5,822
 7,006
Net (gains) losses on disposals of investments (13,468) (5,235)
Net (gains) losses on investments and derivatives (878,547) (173,186)
Income from unconsolidated joint ventures 618
 1,031
Payments on purchases of loans held for sale (37,190) (54,234)
Proceeds of sales and repayments of loans held for sale 30,178
 144,890
Net payments on derivatives 951,021
 (738,872)
Net change in:  
  
Other assets (42,361) (52,903)
Accrued interest and dividends receivable (2,963) 3,294
Accrued interest payable 31,628
 19,465
Accounts payable and other liabilities (132,910) (15,995)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities $1,332,916
 $(222,401)
     
Cash flows from investing activities:  
  
Payments on purchases of Residential Investment Securities $(3,718,947) $(2,043,364)
Proceeds from sales of Residential Investment Securities 463,214
 1,787,574
Principal payments on Residential Investment Securities 2,696,245
 2,952,739
Purchase of MSRs (249) (7,210)
Payments on purchases of corporate debt (230,103) (91,749)
Principal payments on corporate debt 92,820
 44,418
Originations and purchases of commercial real estate related assets (91,647) (142,738)
Proceeds from sales on commercial real estate related assets 9,556
 11,960
Principal repayments on commercial real estate related assets 130,555
 370,689
Proceeds from reverse repurchase agreements 20,050,112
 21,015,000
Payments on reverse repurchase agreements (20,250,571) (21,015,000)
Distributions in excess of cumulative earnings from unconsolidated joint ventures 2,813
 2,042
Payments on purchases of residential mortgage loans held for investment (167,124) (375,367)
Proceeds from repayments from residential mortgage loans held for investment 67,384
 28,308
Payments on purchases of equity securities 
 (2,104)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities $(945,942) $2,535,198
Cash flows from financing activities:    
Proceeds from repurchase agreements and other secured financing $1,299,589,620
 $783,704,227
Principal payments on repurchase agreements and other secured financing (1,299,277,944) (786,209,502)
Proceeds from issuance of securitized debt 279,203
 
Principal repayments on securitized debt (317,773) (197,749)
Payment of deferred financing cost 
 (1,079)
Net proceeds from stock offerings, direct purchases and dividend reinvestments 412,081
 596
Redemption of preferred stock (412,500) 
Principal payments on participation sold 
 (84)
Principal payments on mortgages payable 
 (18)
Net contributions/(distributions) from/(to) noncontrolling interests (333) (366)
Dividends paid (381,642) (329,147)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities $(109,288) $(3,033,122)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents $277,686
 $(720,325)
Cash and cash equivalents including cash pledged as collateral, beginning of period 706,589
 1,539,746
Cash and cash equivalents including cash pledged as collateral, end of period $984,275
 $819,421
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:  
  
Interest received $1,017,534
 $787,971
Interest paid (excluding interest paid on interest rate swaps) $320,988
 $223,109
Net interest paid on interest rate swaps $39,206
 $77,192
Taxes paid $2
 $
Noncash investing activities:  
  
Receivable for investments sold $45,126
 $354,126
Payable for investments purchased $91,327
 $340,383
Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities, net of reclassification adjustment $(1,874,060) $(40,198)
Noncash financing activities:  
  
Dividends declared, not yet paid $347,897
 $305,691
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
(Unaudited)
  Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2018 2017 2018 2017
Net interest income:        
Interest income $816,596
 $622,550
 $2,472,889
 $1,747,703
Interest expense 500,973
 268,937
 1,311,086
 689,643
Net interest income 315,623
 353,613
 1,161,803
 1,058,060
Realized and unrealized gains (losses):  
  
    
Net interest component of interest rate swaps 51,349
 (88,211) 34,664
 (288,837)
Realized gains (losses) on termination or maturity of interest rate swaps 575
 
 1,409
 (58)
Unrealized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps 417,203
 56,854
 1,737,963
 28,471
Subtotal 469,127
 (31,357) 1,774,036
 (260,424)
Net gains (losses) on disposal of investments (324,294) (11,552) (376,943) (11,833)
Net gains (losses) on other derivatives 94,827
 154,208
 81,871
 140,104
Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair value through earnings (39,944) (67,492) (139,913) (27,569)
Subtotal (269,411) 75,164
 (434,985) 100,702
Total realized and unrealized gains (losses) 199,716
 43,807
 1,339,051
 (159,722)
Other income (loss) (10,643) 28,282
 57,550
 90,793
General and administrative expenses:  
  
    
Compensation and management fee 45,983
 41,993
 136,091
 120,193
Other general and administrative expenses 80,526
 15,023
 116,709
 44,674
Total general and administrative expenses 126,509
 57,016
 252,800
 164,867
Income (loss) before income taxes 378,187
 368,686
 2,305,604
 824,264
Income taxes (7,242) 1,371
 (3,416) 2,019
Net income (loss) 385,429
 367,315
 2,309,020
 822,245
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests (149) (232) (277) (437)
Net income (loss) attributable to Annaly 385,578
 367,547
 2,309,297
 822,682
Dividends on preferred stock (1)
 31,675
 30,355
 96,818
 77,301
Net income (loss) available (related) to common stockholders $353,903
 $337,192
 $2,212,479
 $745,381
Net income (loss) per share available (related) to common stockholders:  
  
    
Basic $0.29
 $0.31
 $1.88
 $0.72
Diluted $0.29
 $0.31
 $1.88
 $0.72
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:  
  
    
Basic 1,202,353,851
 1,072,566,395
 1,174,292,701
 1,037,033,076
Diluted 1,202,353,851
 1,073,040,637
 1,174,292,701
 1,037,445,177
Dividends declared per share of common stock $0.30
 $0.30
 $0.90
 $0.90
Net income (loss) $385,429
 $367,315
 $2,309,020
 $822,245
Other comprehensive income (loss):  
  
    
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities (719,609) 195,251
 (3,104,218) 397,600
Reclassification adjustment for net (gains) losses included in net income (loss) 331,100
 15,367
 407,282
 48,144
Other comprehensive income (loss) (388,509) 210,618
 (2,696,936) 445,744
Comprehensive income (loss) (3,080) 577,933
 (387,916) 1,267,989
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests (149) (232) (277) (437)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Annaly (2,931) 578,165
 (387,639) 1,268,426
Dividends on preferred stock (1)
 31,675
 30,355
 96,818
 77,301
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to common stockholders $(34,606) $547,810
 $(484,457) $1,191,125
(1)
Includes cumulative and undeclared dividends on the Company’s Series F Preferred Stock of $8.3 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)
  Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2018 2017
Preferred Stock    
Beginning of period $1,720,381
 $1,200,559
Issuance 411,335
 696,910
Acquisition of subsidiary 55,000
 
Redemption (408,548) (177,088)
End of period $1,778,168
 $1,720,381
Common Stock    
Beginning of period $11,596
 $10,189
Issuance 1,103
 690
Acquisition of subsidiary 330
 
Direct purchase and dividend reinvestment 2
 2
End of period $13,031
 $10,881
Additional paid-in capital    
Beginning of period $17,221,265
 $15,579,342
Stock compensation expense 1,789
 1,276
Issuance 1,116,409
 803,464
Acquisition of subsidiary 455,613
 
Redemption of preferred stock (3,952) (8,224)
Direct purchase and dividend reinvestment 2,582
 1,947
End of period $18,793,706
 $16,377,805
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)    
Beginning of period $(1,126,020) $(1,085,893)
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities (3,104,218) 397,600
Reclassification adjustment for net gains (losses) included in net income (loss) 407,282
 48,144
End of period $(3,822,956) $(640,149)
Accumulated deficit    
Beginning of period $(2,961,749) $(3,136,017)
Net income (loss) attributable to Annaly 2,309,297
 822,682
Dividends declared on preferred stock

 (96,818) (69,000)
Dividends and dividend equivalents declared on common stock and share-based awards (1,062,685) (937,825)
End of period $(1,811,955) $(3,320,160)
     
Total stockholder’s equity $14,949,994
 $14,148,758
Noncontrolling interests    
Beginning of period $6,100
 $7,792
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests (277) (437)
Equity contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interests 39
 (895)
End of period $5,862
 $6,460
     
Total $14,955,856
 $14,155,218


See notes to consolidated financial statements.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(dollars in thousands)
(Unaudited)
  Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2018 2017
Cash flows from operating activities:    
Net income (loss) $2,309,020
 $822,245
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:    
Amortization of premiums and discounts of investments, net 474,449
 668,195
Amortization of securitized debt premiums and discounts and deferred financing costs 991
 618
Depreciation, amortization and other noncash expenses 63,839
 21,686
Net (gains) losses on disposals of investments 376,943
 11,833
Net (gains) losses on investments and derivatives (1,679,921) (141,006)
Income from unconsolidated joint ventures 6,441
 2,223
Payments on purchases of loans held for sale (191,641) (230,503)
Proceeds from sales and repayments of loans held for sale 64,460
 330,285
Net receipts (payments) on derivatives 1,519,228
 (732,998)
Net change in:    
Other assets 100,010
 (30,387)
Interest receivable (8,468) (17,322)
Interest payable 124,316
 68,598
Other liabilities (136,510) (43,936)
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 3,023,157
 729,531
Cash flows from investing activities:    
Payments on purchases of Residential Securities (17,053,068) (25,852,497)
Proceeds from sales of Residential Securities 9,558,735
 11,598,472
Principal payments on Residential Securities 8,696,239
 8,971,444
Payments on purchases of MSRs (381) (11,081)
Payments on purchases of corporate debt (744,071) (374,358)
Principal payments on corporate debt 235,423
 295,380
Originations and purchases of commercial real estate related assets (697,753) (388,951)
Proceeds from sales of commercial real estate related assets 134,538
 11,960
Principal repayments on commercial real estate related assets 478,726
 852,381
Proceeds from reverse repurchase agreements 70,016,988
 50,280,000
Payments on reverse repurchase agreements (70,313,441) (50,280,000)
Distributions in excess of cumulative earnings from unconsolidated joint ventures 5,434
 6,160
Payments on purchases of residential mortgage loans held for investment (729,917) (668,977)
Proceeds from repayments of residential mortgage loans held for investment 251,407
 131,052
Payments on purchases of equity securities 
 (2,104)
Cash paid related to asset acquisition, net of cash acquired (258,334) 
Net payment from disposal of subsidiary 
 5,337
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (419,475) (5,425,782)
Cash flows from financing activities:    
Proceeds from repurchase agreements and other secured financing 3,866,183,872
 2,505,995,751
Principal payments on repurchase agreements and other secured financing (3,868,097,943) (2,501,952,817)
Proceeds from issuance of securitized debt 588,111
 
Principal repayments on securitized debt (614,536) (334,386)
Payment of deferred financing cost 
 (2,054)
Net proceeds from stock offerings, direct purchases and dividend reinvestments 1,531,690
 1,503,013
Redemption of preferred stock (412,500) (185,312)
Principal payments on participation sold 
 (12,827)
Principal payments on mortgages payable (49) (54)
Net contributions (distributions) from (to) noncontrolling interests (780) (895)
Dividends paid (1,405,389) (986,074)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities (2,227,524) 4,024,345
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents 376,158
 (671,906)
Cash and cash equivalents including cash pledged as collateral, beginning of period 706,589
 1,539,746
Cash and cash equivalents including cash pledged as collateral, end of period $1,082,747
 $867,840
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:    
Interest received $2,846,535
 $2,460,097
Dividends received $5,448
 $3,774
Interest paid (excluding interest paid on interest rate swaps) $1,159,384
 $693,983
Net interest paid (received) on interest rate swaps $(243,946) $264,965
Taxes paid $86
 $2,612
Noncash investing activities:    
Receivable for unsettled trades $1,266,840
 $340,033
Payable for unsettled trades $2,505,428
 $5,243,868
Net change in unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities, net of reclassification adjustment $(2,696,936) $445,744
Noncash financing activities:    
Dividends declared, not yet paid $102,811
 $326,425
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)


1. DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
1.DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS
Annaly Capital Management, Inc. (the “Company” or “Annaly”) is a Maryland corporation that commenced operations on February 18, 1997. The Company is a leading diversified capital manager that invests in and finances residential and commercial assets. The Company owns a portfolio of real estate related investments, including mortgage pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations,  credit risk transfer (“CRT”) securities, other securities representing interests in or obligations backed by pools of mortgage loans, residential mortgage loans, mortgage servicing rights (“MSRs”), commercial real estate assets and corporate debt. The Company’s principal business objective is to generate net income for distribution to its stockholders and to preserve capital through prudent selection of investments and continuous management of its portfolio. The Company is externally managed by Annaly Management Company LLC (the “Manager”).
The Company’s four investment groups are primarily comprised of the following:
The Annaly Agency Group invests in Agency mortgage-backed securities collateralized by residential mortgages which are guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae.
The Annaly Residential Credit Group invests in non-Agency residential mortgage assets within securitized product and residential mortgage loan markets.
The Annaly Commercial Real Estate Group (“ACREG”) originates and invests in commercial mortgage loans, securities, and other commercial real estate debt and equity investments.
The Annaly Middle Market Lending Group (“AMML”) provides financing to private equity-backed middle market businesses across the capital structure.

Investment GroupsDescription
Annaly Agency GroupInvests in Agency mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) collateralized by residential mortgages which are guaranteed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae.
Annaly Residential Credit GroupInvests primarily in non-Agency residential mortgage assets within securitized products and residential mortgage loan markets.
Annaly Commercial Real Estate GroupOriginates and invests in commercial mortgage loans, securities, and other commercial real estate debt and equity investments.
Annaly Middle Market Lending GroupProvides financing to private equity-backed middle market businesses across the capital structure.
The Company has elected to be taxed as a Real Estate Investment Trust (“REIT”) as defined under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Code”).

2.BASIS OF PRESENTATION

2. BASIS OF PRESENTATION
The accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes of the Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).
The accompanying consolidated financial statements and related notes are unaudited and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s most recent annual reportAnnual Report on Form 10-K.10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 (the “2017 Form 10-K”). The consolidated financial information as of December 31,
2017 has been derived from audited consolidated financial statements included in the Company’s annual report on2017 Form 10-K for10-K. The Company reclassified previously presented financial information to conform to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017.current presentation.

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported balance sheet amounts and/or disclosures at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
In the opinion of management, all normal, recurring adjustments have been included for a fair presentation of this interim financial information. Interim period operating results may not be indicative of the operating results for a full year.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



3. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The Company’s significant accounting policies are described below or are included in the following notes:

3.Notes
Note 1. Description of BusinessSIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIESNote 9. Real EstateNote 17. Income Taxes
Note 2. Basis of PresentationNote 10. Derivative InstrumentsNote 18. Risk Management
Note 3. Significant Accounting PoliciesNote 11. Fair Value MeasurementsNote 19. Related Party Transactions
Note 4. Financial InstrumentsNote 12. Goodwill and Intangible Assets, NetNote 20. Lease Commitments and Contingencies
Note 5. SecuritiesNote 13. Secured FinancingNote 21. Arcola Regulatory Requirements
Note 6. LoansNote 14. Capital StockNote 22. Acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp.
Note 7. Mortgage Servicing RightsNote 15. Interest Income and Interest ExpenseNote 23. Subsequent Events
Note 8. Variable Interest EntitiesNote 16. Net Income (Loss) Per Common Share

Principles of Consolidation – The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the entities where the Company and its subsidiaries.has a controlling financial interest. In order to determine whether the Company has a controlling financial interest, it first evaluates whether an entity is a voting interest entity (“VOE”) or a variable interest entity (“VIE”). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Voting Interest Entities – A VOE is an entity that has sufficient equity and in which equity investors have a controlling financial interest. The Company reclassified previously presented financial information to conform toconsolidates VOEs where it has a majority of the current presentation.voting equity of such VOE.

Variable Interest Entities – A VIE is defined as an entity in which equity investors (i) do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest, and/or (ii) do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties. A variable interest is an investment or other interest that will absorb portions of a VIE’s expected losses or receive portions of the entity’s expected residual returns. The Company has evaluated all of its investments in legal entities in order to determine if they are variable interests in VIEs. A VIE is required to be consolidated by its primary beneficiary, which is defined as the party that has both (i) has the power to control the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (ii) has the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

To assess whether the Company has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, the Company considers all facts and circumstances, including the Company’s role in establishing the VIE and the Company’s ongoing rights and responsibilities. This assessment includes first, identifying the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance; and second, identifying which party, if any, has power over those activities. In general, the party that makes the most significant decisions affecting the VIE or has the right to unilaterally remove those decision makers is deemed to have the power to direct the activities of the VIE.

To assess whether the Company has the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE, the Company applies significant judgment and considers all of its economic
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


interests, including debt and equity investments and other arrangements deemed to be variable interests, both explicit and implicit, in the VIE. This assessment requires that the Company apply judgment in determining whether these interests, in the aggregate, are considered potentially significant to the VIE. Factors considered in assessing significance include: the design of the VIE, including its capitalization structure; subordination of interests; payment priority; and relative share of interests held across various classes within the VIE’s capital structure.

The Company performs ongoing reassessments of whether changes in the facts and circumstances regarding the Company’s involvement with a VIE causes the Company’s consolidation conclusion to change. Refer to the “Variable Interest Entities” Note for further information.

Use of EstimatesEquity Method InvestmentsThe preparation - For entities that are not consolidated, but where the Company has significant influence over the operating or financial decisions of the consolidated financial statements in conformityentity, the Company accounts for the investment under the equity method of accounting. In accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amountsequity method of assets and liabilities and disclosureaccounting, the Company will recognize its share of contingent assets and liabilities at the dateearnings or losses of the financial statementsinvestee in the period in which they are reported by the investee. The Company also considers whether there are any indicators of other-than-temporary impairment of joint ventures accounted for under the equity method. These investments are included in Real estate, net and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.Other assets with income or loss included in Other income (loss).

Cash and Cash Equivalents – Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, cash held in money market funds on an overnight basis and cash pledged as collateral with counterparties. Cash deposited with clearing organizations is carried at cost, which approximates fair value. The Company also maintains collateral in the form of cash on margin with counterparties to its interest rate swaps and other derivatives. In accordance with a clearing organization’s rulebook, the Company presents the fair value of centrally cleared interest rate swaps net of variation margin pledged under such transactions. At March 31, 2018, $873.4 million of variation margin was reported as a reduction to interest rate swaps, at fair value. RCap Securities, Inc., the Company’s wholly-owned broker-dealer (“RCap”) is a member of various clearing organizations with which it maintains cash required to conduct its day-to-day clearance activities. Cash and securities deposited with clearing organizations and collateral held in the form of cash on margin with counterparties to the Company’s interest rate swaps and other derivatives totaled $884.7$924.9 million and $579.2 million at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
 
Fair Value Measurements – The Company reports various financial instruments at fair value. A complete discussion of the methodology utilized by the Company to estimate the fair value of certain financial instruments is included in these Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Revenue Recognition The revenue recognition policy by asset class is discussed below.

Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities, Agency Debentures, Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities and Credit Risk
Transfer Securities – The Company invests in mortgage pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations and other mortgage-backed securities representing interests in or obligations backed by pools of residential or multifamily mortgage loans and certificates guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) or the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) (collectively, “Agency mortgage-backed securities”).  These Agency mortgage-backed securities may include forward contracts for Agency mortgage-backed securities purchases or sales of a generic pool, on a to-be-announced basis (“TBA securities”). The Company also invests in Agency debentures issued by the Federal Home Loan Banks, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, as well as CRT securities. CRT securities are risk sharing instruments issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and similarly structured transactions arranged by third party market participants. CRT securities are designed to synthetically transfer mortgage credit risk from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to private investors. The Company also invests in non-Agency mortgage-backed securities such as those issued in non-performing loan (“NPL”) and re-performing loan (“RPL”) securitizations.

Agency mortgage-backed securities, Agency debentures, non-Agency mortgage-backed securities and CRT securities are referred to herein as “Residential Investment Securities.” Although the Company generally intends to hold most of its Residential Investment Securities until maturity, it may, from time to time, sell any of its Residential Investment Securities as part of the overall management of its portfolio. Residential Investment Securities classified as available-for-sale are reported at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of Other comprehensive income (loss) unless the Company has elected the fair value option, where the unrealized gains and losses on these financial instruments are recorded through earnings. The fair value of Residential Investment Securities classified as available-for-sale are estimated by management and are compared to independent sources for reasonableness.  Residential Investment Securities transactions are recorded on trade date, including TBA securities that meet the regular-way securities scope exception from derivative accounting.  Gains and losses on sales of Residential Investment Securities are recorded on trade date based on the specific identification method.
The Company elected the fair value option for interest-only mortgage-backed securities, non-Agency mortgage-backed securities, reverse mortgages and CRT securities as this election simplifies the accounting. Interest-only securities and inverse interest-only securities are collectively referred to as “interest-only securities.” These interest-only mortgage-backed securities represent the Company’s right to receive a specified proportion of the contractual interest flows of specific mortgage-backed securities. Interest-only mortgage-backed securities, non-Agency mortgage-backed
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


securities, reverse mortgages and CRT securities are measured at fair value with changes in fair value recorded as Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).  The interest-only securities are included in Agency mortgage-backed securities at fair value on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
The Company recognizes coupon income, which is a component of interest income, based upon the outstanding principal amounts of the Residential Investment Securities and their contractual terms. In addition, the Company amortizes or accretes premiums or discounts into interest income for its Agency mortgage-backed securities (other than multifamily securities), taking into account estimates of future principal prepayments in the calculation of the effective yield.  The Company recalculates the effective yield as differences between anticipated and actual prepayments occur. Using third-party model and market information to project future cash flows and expected remaining lives of securities, the effective interest rate determined for each security is applied as if it had been in place from the date of the security’s acquisition. The amortized cost of the security is then adjusted to the amount that would have existed had the new effective yield been applied since the acquisition date, which results in a cumulative premium amortization adjustment in each period. The adjustment to amortized cost is offset with a charge or credit to interest income. Changes in interest rates and other market factors will impact prepayment speed projections and the amount of premium amortization recognized in any given period.
Premiums or discounts associated with the purchase of Agency interest-only securities, reverse mortgages and residential credit securities are amortized or accreted into interest income based upon current expected future cash flows with any adjustment to yield made on a prospective basis.
The following table summarizes the interest income recognition methodology for Residential Investment Securities:
Interest Income
Methodology
Agency
Fixed-rate pass-through (1)
Effective yield (3)
Adjustable-rate pass-through (1)
Effective yield (3)
Multifamily (1)
Contractual Cash Flows
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation (“CMO”) (1)
Effective yield (3)
Reverse mortgages (2)
Prospective
Interest-only (2)
Prospective
Residential Credit
CRT (2)
Prospective
Alt-A (2)
Prospective
Prime (2)
Prospective
Subprime (2)
Prospective
NPL/RPL (2)
Prospective
Prime Jumbo (2)
Prospective
Prime Jumbo interest-only (2)
Prospective
(1) Changes in fair value are recognized in Other comprehensive income (loss) on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).
(2) Changes in fair value are recognized in Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).
(3) Effective yield is recalculated for differences between estimated and actual prepayments and the amortized cost is adjusted as if the new effective yield had been applied since inception.
Residential Mortgage Loans – The Company’s residential mortgage loans are primarily comprised of performing adjustable-rate and fixed-rate whole loans. Additionally, the Company consolidates a collateralized financing entity that securitized prime adjustable-rate jumbo residential mortgage loans. The Company also consolidates a securitization trust in which it had purchased subordinated securities because it also has certain powers and rights to direct the activities of such trust. Please refer to the “Variable Interest Entities” Note for further information related to the Company’s consolidated Residential Mortgage Loan Trusts.The Company made elections to account for the investments in residential mortgage loans held in its portfolio and in the securitization trusts at fair value as these elections simplify the accounting. Residential mortgage loans are recognized at fair value on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Changes in the estimated fair value are presented in Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).
Premiums and discounts associated with the purchase of residential mortgage loans and with those held in the securitization trusts are primarily amortized or accreted into interest income over their estimated remaining lives using the effective interest rates inherent in the estimated cash flows from the mortgage loans.  Amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts are presented in Interest income in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).

There was no real estate acquired in settlement of residential mortgage loans at March 31, 2018 or December 31, 2017 other than real estate held by securitization trusts that the Company was required to consolidate. The Company would be considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a residential mortgage loan, so that the loan is derecognized and the real estate property would be recognized, if either (i) the Company obtains legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or (ii) the borrower conveys all interest in the residential real estate property to the Company to satisfy the loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement.

MSRs MSRs represent the rights associated with servicing pools of residential mortgage loans, which the Company intends to hold as investments. The Company and its subsidiaries do not originate or directly service mortgage
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


loans. Rather, these activities are carried out by duly licensed subservicers who perform substantially all servicing functions for the loans underlying the MSRs. The Company elected to account for all of its investments in MSRs at fair value. As such, they are recognized at fair value on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition with changes in the estimated fair value presented as a component of Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). Servicing income, net of servicing expenses, is reported in Other income (loss) in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Equity Securities – The Company may invest in equity securities that are not accounted for under the equity method or do not result in consolidation. These equity securities are required to be reported at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) as Net unrealized gains (losses) on trading assets,instruments measured at fair value through earnings, unless the securities do not have readily determinable fair values.  For such equity securities without readily determinable fair values, the Company has elected to apply the measurement alternative and carry the securities at cost less impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer. For equity securities carried at fair value through earnings, dividends are recorded in earnings on the declaration date. Dividends from equity securities without readily determinable fair values are recognized as income when received to the extent they are distributed from net accumulated earnings.

Fair Value Measurements and the Fair Value Option – The Company reports various investments at fair value, including certain eligible financial instruments elected to be accounted for under the fair value option (“FVO”). The Company chooses to elect the fair value option in order to simplify the accounting treatment for certain financial instruments. If an item is accounted for at fair
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



value, including financial instruments elected under the FVO, it is presented at fair value in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and any change in fair value is recorded in Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair value through earnings in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). The Company made elections to account for the investments at fair value as these elections simplify the accounting. For additional information regarding financial instruments for which the Company has elected the fair value option see the table in the “Financial Instruments” Note.

Refer to the “Fair Value Measurement” Note for a complete discussion on the methodology utilized by the Company to estimate the fair value of certain financial instruments.

Offsetting Assets and Liabilities - The Company elected to present all derivative instruments on a gross basis as discussed in the “Derivative Instruments” Note. Reverse repurchase and repurchase agreements are presented net in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition if they are subject to netting agreements and they meet the offsetting criteria. Please see below and refer to the “Financing”Note for further discussion on reverse repurchase and repurchase agreements.

Derivative Instruments – The Company may use a variety of derivative instruments to economically hedge some of its exposure to market risks, including interest rate and prepayment risk. These instruments include, but are not limited to, interest rate swaps, options to enter into interest rate swaps (“swaptions”), TBA securities without intent to accept delivery (“TBA derivatives”), options on TBA securities (“MBS options”), U.S. Treasury and Eurodollar futures contracts and certain forward purchase commitments.  The Company may also enter into other types of mortgage derivatives such as interest-only securities, credit derivatives referencing the commercial mortgage-backed securities index and synthetic total return swaps. Derivatives are accounted for in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 815, Derivatives and Hedging,, which requires recognition of all derivatives as either assets or liabilities at fair value in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition with changes in fair value recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). The changes in the estimated fair value are presented within Net gains (losses) on trading assetsother derivatives with the exception of interest rate swaps which are separately presented. None of the Company’s derivative transactions have been designated as hedging instruments for accounting purposes.
Some derivative agreements contain provisions that allow for netting or setting off by counterparty; however, the Company elected to present related assets and liabilities on a gross basis in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.

Interest Rate Swap Agreements – Interest rate swap agreements are the primary instruments used to mitigate interest rate risk.  In particular, the Company uses interest rate swap agreements to manage its exposure to changing interest rates on its repurchase agreements by economically hedging cash flows associated with these borrowings.  Interest rate swap agreements may or may not be cleared through a derivatives clearing organization (“DCO”).  Uncleared interest rate swaps are fair valued using internal pricing models and comparedRefer to the counterparty market values.  Centrally cleared interest rate swaps are fair valued using internal pricing models and compared to the DCO’s market values. We may use market agreed coupon (“MAC”) interest rate swaps in which we may receive or make a payment at the time of entering into the swap to compensate“Derivative Instruments” Note for the out of the market nature of such interest rate swap. MAC interest rate swaps are also centrally cleared and fair valued using internal pricing models and compared to the DCO’s market value.further discussion.

Swaptions – Swaptions are purchased or sold to mitigate the potential impact of increases or decreases in interest rates.  Interest rate swaptions provide the option to enter into an interest rate swap agreement for a predetermined notional amount, stated term and pay and receive interest rates in the future.  They are not centrally cleared.  The premium paid or received for swaptions is reported as an asset or liability in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. If a swaption expires unexercised, the realized gain (loss) on the swaption would be equal to the premium received or paid. If the Company sells or exercises a swaption, the realized gain or loss on the swaption would be equal to the difference between the cash received or the fair value of the underlying interest rate swap received and the premium paid.

The fair value of swaptions is estimated using internal pricing models and compared to the counterparty market value.

TBA Dollar Rolls – TBA dollar roll transactions are accounted for as a series of derivative transactions. The fair value of TBA derivatives is based on methods similar to those used to value Agency mortgage-backed securities.

MBS Options – MBS options are generally options on TBA contracts, which help manage mortgage market risks and volatility while providing the potential to enhance returns.  MBS options are over-the-counter traded instruments and those written on current-coupon mortgage-backed securities are typically the most liquid.  MBS options are measured at fair value using internal pricing models and compared to the counterparty market value at the valuation date.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


Futures Contracts – Futures contracts are derivatives that track the prices of specific assets or benchmark rates. Short sales of futures contracts help to mitigate the potential impact of changes in interest rates on the portfolio performance. The Company maintains margin accounts which are settled daily with Futures Commission Merchants (“FCMs”). The margin requirement varies based on the market value of the open positions and the equity retained in the account. Futures contracts are fair valued based on exchange pricing.
Forward Purchase Commitments – The Company may enter into forward purchase commitments with counterparties whereby the Company commits to purchasing residential mortgage loans at a particular price, provided the residential mortgage loans close with the counterparties. The counterparties are required to deliver the committed loans on a “best efforts” basis.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets – The Company’s acquisitions are accounted for using the acquisition method. Under the acquisition method, net assets and results of operations of acquired companies are included in the consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition. The purchase prices are 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 is recognized as goodwill. Conversely, any excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired over the purchase price is recognized as a bargain purchase gain.

The Company tests goodwill for impairment on an annual basis and at interim periods when events or circumstances may make it more likely than not that an impairment has occurred. If a qualitative analysis indicates that there may be an impairment, a quantitative analysis is performed.  The quantitative impairment test for goodwill utilizes a two-step approach, whereby the Company compares the carrying value of each identified reporting unit to its fair value.  If the carrying value of the reporting unit is greater than its fair value, the second step is performed, where the implied fair value of goodwill is compared to its carrying value. The Company recognizes an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its fair value.
Finite life intangible assets are amortized over their expected useful lives.

Reverse Repurchase and Repurchase Agreements – The Company finances the acquisition of a significant portion of its assets with repurchase agreements. At the inception of each transaction, the Company assesses each of the specified criteria in ASC 860, Transfers and Servicing, and has determined that each of the financing agreements meet the specified criteria in this guidance.

Reverse repurchase agreements and repurchase agreements with the same counterparty and the same maturity are presented net in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition when the terms of the agreements meet the criteria to permit netting. The Company reports cash flows on repurchase agreements as financing activities and cash flows on reverse repurchase agreements as investing activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
Stock Based Compensation – The Company is required to measure and recognize in the consolidated financial statements the compensation cost relating to share-based payment transactions. The Company recognizes compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award.

Interest Income - Premiums and discounts associated with the purchase of residential mortgage loans and with those transferred or pledged to securitization trusts are primarily amortized or accreted into interest income over their estimated remaining lives using the effective interest rates inherent in the estimated cash flows from the mortgage loans.  Amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts are presented in Interest income in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). Refer to the “Interest Income and Interest Expense” Note for further discussion on interest income.
 
Income Taxes – The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT and intends to comply with the provisions of the Code, with respect thereto. Accordingly,As a REIT, the Company will not be subject toincur federal income tax to the extent ofthat it distributes its distributionstaxable income to stockholders and as long as certain asset, income and stock ownership tests are met.its stockholders. The Company and certain of its direct and indirect subsidiaries including RCap and certain subsidiaries of ACREG and Hatteras Financial Corp., have made separate joint elections to treat these subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRSs”).  As such, each of these TRSs is taxable as a domestic C corporation and subject to federal, state and local income taxes based upon theirits taxable income. Refer to the “Income Taxes” Note for further discussion on income taxes.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
The provisionsCompany considers the applicability and impact of ASC 740, Income Taxesall Accounting Standards Updates (“ASC 740”ASUs”), clarify.  ASUs not listed below were not applicable, not expected to have a significant impact on the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized inCompany’s consolidated financial statements and prescribe a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for uncertain tax positions takenwhen adopted, or expected to be taken on a tax return. ASC 740 also requires that interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits be recognized in the financial statements. The Company doesdid not have any unrecognized tax benefits that would affect itsa significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position. Thus, no accruals for penalties and interest were necessary at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.statements upon adoption.

Commercial Real Estate Investments

Commercial Real Estate Debt Investments The Company’s commercial real estate debt investments are comprised of commercial mortgage-backed securities and loans held by consolidated collateralized financing entities.  Commercial mortgage-backed securities are classified as available-for-sale and reported at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of Other comprehensive income (loss), except for conduit commercial mortgage-backed securities for which the Company has elected to fair value through earnings to simplify the accounting. Management evaluates commercial mortgage-backed securities, excluding conduit commercial mortgage-backed securities, for other-than-temporary impairment at least quarterly.  See the “Commercial Real Estate
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



Investments” Note for additional information regarding the consolidated collateralized financing entities.

Commercial Real Estate Loans and Preferred Equity Interests(collectively referred to as “CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments”) – The Company’s commercial real estate loans are comprised of fixed-rate and adjustable-rate loans. The Company designates loans as held for investment if it has the intent and ability to hold the loans until maturity or payoff.  The difference between the principal amount of a loan and proceeds at acquisition is recorded as either a discount or premium. Commercial real estate loans that are designated as held for investment and are originated or purchased by the Company are carried at their outstanding principal balance, net of unamortized origination fees and costs, premiums or discounts, less an allowance for losses if necessary. Origination fees and costs, premiums or discounts are amortized into interest income over the life of the loan.
If the Company intends to sell or securitize the loans and the securitization vehicle is not expected to be consolidated, they are classified as held for sale. Commercial real estate loans that are designated as held for sale are carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value and recorded as Commercial loans held for sale, net in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Any origination fees and costs or purchase premiums or discounts are deferred and recognized upon sale. The Company determines the fair value of commercial real estate loans held for sale on an individual loan basis.
Preferred equity interests are designated as held for investment and are carried at their outstanding principal balance, net of unamortized origination fees and costs, premiums or discounts, less a reserve for estimated losses if necessary.  See the “Commercial Real Estate Investments” Note for additional information.
Investments in Commercial Real Estate – Investments in commercial real estate are carried at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Historical cost includes all costs necessary to bring the asset to the condition and location necessary for its intended use, including financing during the construction period.  Costs directly related to acquisitions deemed to be business combinations are expensed. Ordinary repairs and maintenance which are not reimbursed by tenants are expensed as incurred. Major replacements and improvements that extend the useful life of the asset are capitalized and depreciated over their useful life.
Investments in commercial real estate are depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the
assets, summarized as follows:
CategoryTerm
BuildingStandard30 - 40 yearsDescriptionEffective DateEffect on the Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters
Site improvementsStandards that are not yet adopted
ASU 2016-13 Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial InstrumentsThis ASU updates the existing incurred loss model to a current expected credit loss (“CECL”) model for financial assets and net investments in leases that are not accounted for at fair value through earnings.  The amendments affect loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off-balance sheet credit exposures and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope.  There are also limited amendments to the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities.January 1, - 28 years2020 (early adoption permitted)
The Company currently plans to adopt the new standard on its effective date. While the Company is continuing to assess the impact the ASU will have on the consolidated financial statements, the measurement of expected credit losses under the CECL model will be based on relevant information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amounts of the financial assets in scope of the model. The Company needs to complete the development of an appropriate allowance methodology, assess the impact on the consolidated financial statements and determine appropriate internal controls and financial statement disclosures. Further, based on the amended guidance for available-for-sale debt securities, the Company:
• will be required to use an allowance approach to recognize credit impairment, with the allowance to be limited to the amount by which the security’s fair value is less than its amortized cost basis;
• may not consider the length of time fair value has been below amortized cost, and
may not consider recoveries of fair value after the balance sheet date when assessing whether a credit loss exists.
StandardDescriptionEffective DateEffect on the Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters
Standards that were adopted
ASU 2017-01 Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a BusinessThis update provides a screen to determine and a framework to evaluate when a set of assets and activities is a business.January 1, 2018The amendments are expected to result in fewer transactions being accounted for as business combinations.
ASU 2016-15 Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments

This update provides specific guidance on certain cash flow classification issues, including classification of cash receipts and payments that have aspects of more than one class of cash flows. If cash flows cannot be separated by source or use, the appropriate classification should depend on the activity that is likely to be the predominant source or use of cash flows.

January 1, 2018As a result of adopting this standard, the Company reclassified its cash flows on reverse repurchase and repurchase agreements entered into by Arcola Securities, Inc. from operating activities to investing and financing activities, respectively, in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company applied the retrospective transition method, which resulted in reclassification of comparative periods.
The Company applies the equity method of accounting for its investments in joint ventures where it is not considered to have a controlling financial interest. Under the equity method of accounting, the Company will recognize its share of earnings or losses of the investee in the period in which they are reported by the investee.  The Company also considers whether there are any indicators of other-than-temporary impairment of joint ventures accounted for under the equity method.

The Company evaluates whether real estate acquired in connection with a foreclosure or deed in lieu of foreclosure, herein collectively referred to as a foreclosure, (“REO”) constitutes a business and whether business combination accounting is applicable. Upon foreclosure of a property, the excess of the carrying value of a loan, if any, over the estimated fair value of the property, less estimated costs to sell, is charged to provision for loan losses.

Investments in commercial real estate, including REO, that do not meet the criteria to be classified as held for sale are separately presented in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition as held for investment. Real estate held for sale is reported at the lower of its carrying value or its estimated fair value less estimated costs to sell. Once a property is determined to be held for sale, depreciation is no longer recorded.

The Company’s real estate portfolio (REO and real estate held for investment) is reviewed on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value of its operating real estate may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. A property’s value is considered impaired if the Company’s estimate of the aggregate future undiscounted cash flows to be generated by the property is less than the carrying value of the property. In conducting this review, the Company considers U.S. macroeconomic factors, including real estate sector conditions, together with asset specific and other factors. To the extent impairment has occurred and is considered to be other than temporary, the loss will be measured as the excess of the carrying amount of the property over the calculated fair value of the property.

Revenue Recognition – Commercial Real Estate InvestmentsInterest income is accrued based on the outstanding principal amount of CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments and their contractual terms. Origination fees and costs, premiums or discounts associated with the purchase of CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments are amortized or accreted into interest income over the lives of the CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments using the effective interest method.

Corporate Debt
Corporate Loans The Company’s investments in corporate loans are designated as held for investment when the
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



4. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS                         
Company has the intent and ability to hold the investment until maturity or payoff.  These investments are carried at their principal balance outstanding plus any premiums or discounts less allowances for loan losses.  Interest income from coupon payments is accrued based upon the outstanding principal amounts of the debt and its contractual terms. Premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted into interest income using the effective interest method. These investments typically take the form of senior secured loans primarily in first or second lien positions. The Company’s senior secured loans generally have stated maturities of three to eight years. In connection with these senior secured loans the Company receives a security interest infollowing table presents characteristics for certain of the assets of the borrowerCompany’s financial instruments at September 30, 2018 and such assets support repayment of such loans. Senior secured loans are generally exposed to less amount of credit risk than more junior loans given their seniority to scheduled principal and interest and priority of security in the assets of the borrower. To date, the significant majority of the Company’s investments in corporate debt have been funded term loans versus bonds.December 31, 2017.
Corporate Debt Securities
Financial Instruments (1)
Balance Sheet Line ItemType / FormMeasurement BasisSeptember 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
 Assets(dollars in thousands)   
Securities
Agency mortgage-backed securities (2)
Fair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through other comprehensive income$88,363,876
 $89,426,437
Securities
Agency mortgage-backed securities (3)

Fair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings926,252
 1,125,326
SecuritiesCredit risk transfer securitiesFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings688,521
 651,764
SecuritiesNon-agency mortgage-backed securitiesFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings1,173,467
 1,097,294
SecuritiesCommercial real estate debt investments - CMBSFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through other comprehensive income162,678
 244,636
SecuritiesCommercial real estate debt investments - Conduit CMBSFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings23,817
 18,115
Total securities
 91,338,611
 92,563,572
LoansResidential mortgage loansFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings1,217,139
 958,546
LoansCommercial real estate debt and preferred equity, held for investmentAmortized cost1,435,865
 1,029,327
LoansLoans held for sale, netLower of amortized cost or fair value42,325
 
LoansCorporate debtAmortized cost1,528,874
 1,011,275
Total loans  4,224,203
 2,999,148
Assets transferred or pledged to securitization vehicles

Residential mortgage loansFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings765,876
 479,776
Assets transferred or pledged to securitization vehiclesCommercial mortgage loansFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings3,521,945
 2,826,357
Total assets transferred or pledged to securitization vehicles 4,287,821
 3,306,133
Reverse repurchase agreementsReverse repurchase agreementsAmortized cost1,234,704
 
 Liabilities    
Repurchase agreementsRepurchase agreementsAmortized cost79,073,026
 77,696,343
Other secured financingLoansAmortized cost4,108,547
 3,837,528
Debt issued by securitization vehiclesSecuritiesFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings3,799,542
 2,971,771
Mortgages payableLoansAmortized cost511,588
 309,686
(1)
Receivable for unsettled trades, Interest receivable, Dividends payable, Payable for unsettled trades and Interest payable are accounted for at cost.
(2)
Includes Agency pass-through, CMO and multifamily securities.
(3)
Includes interest-only securities and reverse mortgages.


5. SECURITIES                                      
The Company’s investments in corporatesecurities include agency, credit risk transfer, non-agency and commercial mortgage-backed securities. All of the debt that are debtclassified as available-for-sale. Available-for-sale securities are designated as held-to-maturity when the Company has the intent and ability to hold the investment until maturity. These investments are carried at their principal balance outstanding plus any premiumsfair value with changes in fair value recognized in other comprehensive income unless the fair value option is elected. Transactions for securities are recorded on trade date, including TBA securities that meet the regular-way securities scope exception from derivative accounting. Gains and losses on disposals of securities are recorded on trade date based on the specific identification method.

The Company accounts for equity securities at fair value unless it is accounted for under the equity method of accounting or discounts less other-than-temporary impairment.  Interest income from coupon payments is accrued based upon the outstanding principal amounts of the debt and its contractual terms. Premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted into interest income using the interest method.measurement alternative for equity securities without readily determinable fair values.
Impairment of Securities and Loans
Other-Than-Temporary Impairment - Management evaluates available-for-sale securities and held-to-maturity debt securities for other-than-temporary impairment at least quarterly, and more frequently when economic or market conditions warrant such evaluation.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



When the fair value of an available-for-sale security is less than its amortized cost, the security is considered impaired. For securities that are impaired, the Company determines if it (1) has the intent to sell the security, (2) is more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, or (3) does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security.  Further, the security is analyzed for credit loss (the difference between the present value of cash flows expected to be collected and the amortized cost basis). The credit loss, if any, will then be recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss), while the balance of losses related to other factors will be recognized as a component of Other comprehensive income (loss). If the fair value is less than the cost of a held-to-maturity security, the Company performs an analysis to determine whether it expects to
recover the entire cost basis of the security. There was no other-than-temporary impairment recognized for the three or nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017.

Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities - The Company invests in mortgage pass-through certificates, collateralized mortgage obligations and other mortgage-backed securities representing interests in or obligations backed by pools of residential or multifamily mortgage loans and certificates. Many of the underlying loans and certificates are guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”) or the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) (collectively, “Agency mortgage-backed securities”). 

Agency mortgage-backed securities may include forward contracts for Agency mortgage-backed securities purchases or sales of a generic pool, on a to-be-announced basis (“TBA securities”). TBA securities without intent to accept delivery (“TBA derivatives”),
are accounted for as derivatives as discussed in the “Derivative Instruments” Note.

Credit Risk Transfer Securities - CRT securities are risk sharing instruments issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and similarly structured transactions arranged by third party market participants. CRT securities are designed to synthetically transfer mortgage credit risk from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to private investors.

Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities- The Company invests in non-Agency mortgage-backed securities such as those issued in non-performing loan (“NPL”) and re-performing loan (“RPL”) securitizations.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities (“Commercial Securities”) - Certain commercial mortgage-backed securities are classified as available-for-sale and reported at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of Other comprehensive income (loss). Management evaluates such Commercial Securities for other-than-temporary impairment at least quarterly. The Company elected the fair value option on certain Commercial Securities, including conduit commercial mortgage-backed securities, to simplify the accounting where the unrealized gains and losses on these financial instruments are recorded through earnings.

Agency mortgage-backed securities, non-agency mortgage-backed securities and CRT securities are referred to herein as “Residential Securities.” Although the Company generally intends to hold most of its Residential Securities until maturity, it may, from time to time, sell any of its Residential Securities as part of the overall management of its portfolio.
The following represents a rollforward of the activity for the Company’s securities:

 September 30, 2018
 Residential Securities Commercial Securities Total
 (dollars in thousands)
Beginning Balance January 1$92,300,821
 $262,751
 $92,563,572
Purchases25,395,018
 62,402
 25,457,420
Sales(14,532,225) (40,900) (14,573,125)
Principal paydowns(8,695,247) (96,397) (8,791,644)
Amortization / accretion(485,804) 501
 (485,303)
Fair value adjustment(2,830,447) (1,862) (2,832,309)
Ending Balance September 30$91,152,116
 $186,495
 $91,338,611


ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



The following tables present the Company’s securities that were carried at fair value at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
 September 30, 2018
 Principal / Notional Remaining Premium Remaining Discount Amortized Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Estimated Fair Value
Agency(dollars in thousands)
Fixed-rate pass-through$80,917,596
 $4,376,927
 $(7,643) $85,286,880
 $28,156
 $(3,664,420) $81,650,616
Adjustable-rate pass-through5,415,559
 268,852
 (1,568) 5,682,843
 9,098
 (164,520) 5,527,421
CMO11,610
 55
 
 11,665
 
 (124) 11,541
Interest-only6,248,885
 1,226,033
 
 1,226,033
 2,500
 (340,766) 887,767
Multifamily1,204,773
 8,596
 (8,242) 1,205,127
 306
 (31,135) 1,174,298
Reverse mortgages34,552
 4,272
 
 38,824
 
 (339) 38,485
Total Agency Securities$93,832,975
 $5,884,735
 $(17,453) $93,451,372
 $40,060
 $(4,201,304) $89,290,128
Residential Credit 
  
  
  
  
  
  
CRT$651,360
 $33,670
 $(14,996) $670,034
 $18,537
 $(50) $688,521
Alt-A239,990
 385
 (36,910) 203,465
 12,730
 (131) 216,064
Prime386,193
 2,111
 (25,419) 362,885
 15,341
 (596) 377,630
Subprime449,425
 1,973
 (67,841) 383,557
 45,238
 (109) 428,686
NPL/RPL3,431
 
 (37) 3,394
 45
 
 3,439
Prime Jumbo (>= 2010 Vintage)137,953
 587
 (4,644) 133,896
 49
 (3,977) 129,968
Prime Jumbo (>= 2010 Vintage) Interest-Only884,325
 13,265
 
 13,265
 4,415
 
 17,680
Total Residential Credit Securities
$2,752,677
 $51,991
 $(149,847) $1,770,496
 $96,355
 $(4,863) $1,861,988
Total Residential Securities$96,585,652
 $5,936,726
 $(167,300) $95,221,868
 $136,415
 $(4,206,167) $91,152,116
Commercial             
Commercial Securities196,407
 339
 (9,903) 186,843
 575
 (923) 186,495
Total Securities$96,782,059
 $5,937,065
 $(177,203) $95,408,711
 $136,990
 $(4,207,090) $91,338,611
              
 December 31, 2017
 Principal / Notional Remaining Premium Remaining Discount Amortized Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Estimated Fair Value
Agency(dollars in thousands)
Fixed-rate pass-through$78,509,335
 $4,514,815
 $(1,750) $83,022,400
 $140,115
 $(1,178,673) $81,983,842
Adjustable-rate pass-through6,760,991
 277,212
 (1,952) 7,036,251
 15,776
 (103,121) 6,948,906
Interest-only6,804,715
 1,326,761
 
 1,326,761
 1,863
 (242,862) 1,085,762
Multifamily490,753
 5,038
 (341) 495,450
 84
 (1,845) 493,689
Reverse mortgages35,000
 4,527
 
 39,527
 37
 
 39,564
Total Agency Securities$92,600,794
 $6,128,353
 $(4,043) $91,920,389
 $157,875
 $(1,526,501) $90,551,763
Residential Credit 
  
  
  
  
  
  
CRT$593,027
 $25,463
 $(3,456) $615,034
 $36,730
 $
 $651,764
Alt-A204,213
 499
 (34,000) 170,712
 13,976
 (802) 183,886
Prime197,756
 358
 (24,158) 173,956
 18,804
 
 192,760
Subprime554,470
 2,037
 (78,561) 477,946
 56,024
 (90) 533,880
NPL/RPL42,585
 14
 (117) 42,482
 506
 
 42,988
Prime Jumbo (>= 2010 Vintage)130,025
 627
 (3,956) 126,696
 1,038
 (1,112) 126,622
Prime Jumbo (>= 2010 Vintage) Interest-Only989,052
 15,287
 
 15,287
 1,871
 
 17,158
Total Residential Credit Securities
2,711,128
 44,285
 (144,248) 1,622,113
 128,949
 (2,004) 1,749,058
Total Residential Securities$95,311,922
 $6,172,638
 $(148,291) $93,542,502
 $286,824
 $(1,528,505) $92,300,821
Commercial 
  
  
  
  
  
  
Commercial Securities$270,288
 $680
 $(9,731) $261,237
 $1,843
 $(329) $262,751
Total Securities$95,582,210
 $6,173,318
 $(158,022) $93,803,739
 $288,667
 $(1,528,834) $92,563,572

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



The following table presents the Company’s Agency mortgage-backed securities portfolio concentration by issuing Agency at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
  September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Investment Type (dollars in thousands)
Fannie Mae $59,568,293
 $63,361,415
Freddie Mac 29,636,443
 27,091,978
Ginnie Mae 85,392
 98,370
Total $89,290,128
 $90,551,763
Actual maturities of the Company’s Residential Securities portfolio are generally shorter than stated contractual maturities because actual maturities of the portfolio are generally affected by periodic payments and prepayments of principal on underlying mortgages.

The following table summarizes the Company’s available-for-sale Residential Securities at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, according to their estimated weighted average life classifications:
  September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
  Estimated Fair Value Amortized Cost Estimated Fair Value Amortized Cost
Weighted Average Life (dollars in thousands)
Less than one year $19,335
 $19,339
 $471,977
 $476,538
Greater than one year through five years 10,442,022
 10,737,675
 13,838,890
 13,925,749
Greater than five years through ten years 79,260,878
 83,003,720
 77,273,833
 78,431,852
Greater than ten years 1,429,881
 1,461,134
 716,121
 708,363
Total $91,152,116
 $95,221,868
 $92,300,821
 $93,542,502
The weighted average lives of the Residential Securities at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 in the table above are based upon projected principal prepayment rates. The actual weighted average lives of the Residential Securities could be longer or shorter than projected.

The following table presents the gross unrealized losses and estimated fair value of the Company’s Agency mortgage-backed securities, accounted for as available-for-sale where the fair value option has not been elected, by length of time that such securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.
  September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
  
Estimated Fair
Value (1)
 
Gross Unrealized
Losses (1)
 
Number of
Securities (1)
 
Estimated Fair
Value (1)
 
Gross Unrealized
Losses (1)
 
Number of
Securities (1)
  (dollars in thousands)
Less than 12 Months $46,457,384
 $(1,401,491) 2,213
 $39,878,158
 $(272,234) 1,114
12 Months or More 40,098,674
 (2,458,708) 1,233
 39,491,238
 (1,011,405) 911
Total $86,556,058
 $(3,860,199) 3,446
 $79,369,396
 $(1,283,639) 2,025
(1)
Excludes interest-only mortgage-backed securities and reverse mortgages.

The decline in value of these securities is solely due to market conditions and not the quality of the assets.  Substantially all of the Agency mortgage-backed securities are “AAA” rated or carry an implied “AAA” rating.  The investments are not considered to be 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, and it is not more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the investments before recovery of the amortized cost bases, which may be maturity. 

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company disposed of $9.1 billion and $14.5 billion of Residential Securities, resulting in net realized (losses) of ($322.4) million and ($372.5) million, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company disposed of $6.8 billion and $11.4 billion of Residential Securities, resulting in net realized losses of ($10.2) million and ($14.3) million, respectively.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



6. LOANS                                              
The Company invests in residential, commercial and corporate loans. Loans are classified as either held for investment or held for sale. Loans are also eligible to be accounted for under the fair value option. As of September 30, 2018, the Company reported $1.2 billion of loans elected under the fair value option. If loans are held for investment and the fair value option has not been elected, they are accounted for at amortized cost less impairment. If loans are held for sale and the fair value option has not been elected, they are accounted for at the lower of cost or fair value.
Loans can be classified as held for investment if the Company has the intent and ability to hold the loan for the foreseeable future or to maturity or payoff. If the Company has the intent and ability to sell loans, they are classified as held for sale.

Nonaccrual Status – If collection of a loan’s principal or interest is in doubt or the loan is 90 days or more past due, interest income is not accrued. For nonaccrual status loans carried at fair value or held for sale, interest is not accrued, but is recognized on a cash basis. For nonaccrual status loans carried at amortized cost, if collection of principal is not in doubt, but collection of interest is in doubt, interest income is recognized on a cash basis. If collection of principal is in doubt, any interest received is applied against principal until collectability of the remaining balance is no longer in doubt; at that point, any interest income is recognized on a cash basis. Generally, a loan is returned to accrual status when the borrower has resumed paying the full amount of the scheduled contractual obligation, if all principal and interest amounts contractually due are reasonably assured of repayment within a reasonable period of time and there is a sustained period of repayment performance by the borrower. The Company did not have any impaired loans or loans in default as all of the loans were performing at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. There were no allowances for loan losses at September 30, 2018 or December 31, 2017.

Allowance for Losses – The Company evaluates the need for a loss reserve on its CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments and its corporate loans. A provision for losses related to CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments and corporate loans, including those accounted for under ASC 310-30, Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality, may be established when it is probable the Company will not collect amounts contractually due or all amounts previously estimated to be collectible. Management assesses the credit quality of the portfolio and adequacy of loan loss reserves on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary. Significant judgment is required in this analysis. Depending on the expected recovery of its investment, the Company considers the estimated net recoverable value of the CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments as well as other factors, including but not limited to the fair value of any collateral, the amount and the status of any senior debt, the prospects for the borrower and the competitive landscape where the borrower conducts business. To determine if loan loss allowances are required on investments in corporate debt, the Company reviews the monthly and/or quarterly financial statements of the borrowers, verifies loan compliance packages, if applicable, and analyzes current results relative to budgets and sensitivities performed at inception of the investment.  Because these determinations are based upon projections of future economic events, which are inherently subjective, the amounts ultimately realized may differ materially from the carrying value as of the reporting date.
The Company may be exposed to various levels of credit risk depending on the nature of its investments and credit enhancements, if any, supporting its assets. The Company’s core investment process includes procedures related to the initial approval and periodic monitoring of credit risk and other risks associated with each investment.  The Company’s investment underwriting procedures include evaluation of the underlying borrowers’ ability to manage and operate their respective properties or companies.  Management reviews loan-to-value metrics at origination or acquisition of a new investment and if events occur that trigger re-evaluation by management.

Management generally reviews the most recent financial information produced by the borrower, which may include, but is not limited to, net operating income (“NOI”), debt service coverage ratios, property debt yields (net cash flow or NOI divided by the amount of outstanding indebtedness), loan per unit and rent rolls relating to each of the Company’s CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments, and may consider other factors management deems important. Management also reviews market pricing to determine each borrower’s ability to refinance their respective assets at the maturity of each loan, economic trends (both macro and those affecting the property specifically), and the supply and
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


demand of competing projects in the sub-market in which each subject property is located.  Management monitors the financial condition and operating results of its corporate borrowers and continually assesses the future outlook of the borrower’s financial performance in light of industry developments, management changes and company-specific considerations.

The Company evaluates the need for a loss reserve on at least a quarterly basis through its surveillance review process. In connection with the surveillance review process, the Company’s CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments are assigned an internal risk rating.  The loan risk ratings conform to guidance provided by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for commercial real estate lending. The initial internal risk ratings (“Initial Ratings”) are based on net operating income, debt service coverage ratios,
property debt yields, loan per unit, rent rolls and other factors management deems important. A provision for loan losses may occur when it is probable the Company will not collect amounts contractually due or all amounts previously estimated to be collectible of the Company’s CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments and based upon leverage and cash flow coverages of the borrowers’ debt and operating obligations.  The final internal risk ratings are influenced by other quantitative and qualitative factors that can result in an adjustment to the Initial Ratings, subject to review and approval by the respective committee. The internal risk rating categories include “Performing”, “Performing - Closely Monitored”, “Performing - Special Mention”, “Substandard”, “Doubtful” or “Loss”.  Performing loans meet all present contractual obligations.  Performing - Closely Monitored loans meet all present contractual obligations, but are transitional or could be exhibiting some weakness in both leverage and liquidity. Performing - Special Mention loans exhibit potential weakness that deserves management’s close attention and if uncorrected, may result in deterioration of repayment prospects. Substandard loans are inadequately protected by sound worth and paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral pledged with a distinct possibility that loss will be sustained if some of the deficiencies are not corrected. Doubtful loans are Substandard loans whereby collection of all contractual principal and interest is highly questionable or improbable. Loss loans are considered uncollectible.
Nonaccrual Status – If collection of a loan’s principal or interest is in doubt or the loan is 90 days or more past due, interest income is not accrued. For nonaccrual status loans carried at fair value or held for sale, interest is not accrued, but is recognized on a cash basis. For nonaccrual status loans carried at amortized cost, if collection of principal is not in doubt, but collection of interest is in doubt, interest income is recognized on a cash basis. If collection of principal is in doubt, any interest received is applied against principal until collectability of the remaining balance is no longer in doubt; at that point, any interest income is recognized on a cash basis.
Generally, a loan is returned to accrual status when the borrower has resumed paying the full amount of the scheduled contractual obligation, if all principal and interest amounts contractually due are reasonably assured of repayment within a reasonable period of time and there is a sustained period of repayment performance by the borrower. The Company did not have any impaired loans, nonaccrual loans, or loans in default as all of the loans were performing at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017. There were no allowances for loan losses at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

Broker Dealer Activities

Reverse Repurchase and Repurchase Agreements – RCap enters into reverse repurchase agreements and repurchase agreements as part of its matched book trading activity. Reverse repurchase agreements are recorded on settlement date at the contractual amount and are collateralized by mortgage-backed or other securities. Margin calls are made by RCap as necessary based on the daily valuation of the underlying collateral as compared to the contract price. RCap generates income from the spread between what is earned on the reverse repurchase agreements and what is paid on the matched repurchase agreements. RCap’s policy is to obtain possession of collateral with a market value in excess of the principal amount loaned under reverse repurchase agreements. To ensure that the market value of the underlying collateral remains sufficient, collateral is valued daily, and RCap will require counterparties to deposit additional collateral, when necessary.  All reverse repurchase activities are transacted under master repurchase agreements that give RCap the right, in the event of default, to liquidate collateral held and in some instances, to offset receivables and payables with the same counterparty. Substantially all of RCap’s reverse repurchase activity is with affiliated entities.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


Recent Accounting Pronouncements

The Company considers the applicability and impact of all Accounting Standards Updates (“ASUs”).  ASUs not listed
below were not applicable, not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements when adopted, or did not have a significant impact on the
Company’s consolidated financial statements upon adoption.
StandardDescriptionEffective DateEffect on the financial statements or other significant matters
Standards that are not yet adopted
ASU 2016-13 Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments
This ASU updates the existing incurred loss model to a current expected credit loss (“CECL”) model for financial assets and net investments in leases that are not accounted for at fair value through earnings.  The amendments affect loans, held-to-maturity debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, off-balance sheet credit exposures and any other financial assets not excluded from the scope.  There are also limited amendments to the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities.January 1, 2020 (early adoption permitted)
The Company currently plans to adopt the new standard on its effective date. While the Company is continuing to assess the impact the ASU will have on the consolidated financial statements, the measurement of expected credit losses under the CECL model will be based on relevant information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amounts of the financial assets in scope of the model. The Company needs to complete the development of an appropriate allowance methodology, assess the impact on the consolidated financial statements and determine appropriate internal controls and financial statement disclosures. Further, based on the amended guidance for available-for-sale debt securities, the Company:
• will be required to use an allowance approach to recognize credit impairment, with the allowance to be limited to the amount by which the security’s fair value is less than its amortized cost basis;
• may not consider the length of time fair value has been below amortized cost, and
• may not consider recoveries of fair value after the balance sheet date when assessing whether a credit loss exists.
StandardDescriptionEffective DateEffect on the financial statements or other significant matters
Standards that were adopted
ASU 2017-01 Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a BusinessThis update provides a screen to determine and a framework to evaluate when a set of assets and activities is a business.January 1, 2018The amendments are expected to result in fewer transactions being accounted for as business combinations.
ASU 2016-15 Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments

This update provides specific guidance on certain cash flow classification issues, including classification of cash receipts and payments that have aspects of more than one class of cash flows. If cash flows cannot be separated by source or use, the appropriate classification should depend on the activity that is likely to be the predominant source or use of cash flows.

January 1, 2018As a result of adopting this standard, the Company reclassified its cash flows on reverse repurchase and repurchase agreements entered into by RCap from operating activities to investing and financing activities, respectively, in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. The Company applied the retrospective transition method, which resulted in reclassification of comparative periods.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


4.FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The following table presents characteristics for certain of the Company’s financial instruments at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

Financial Instruments (1)
Balance Sheet LocationFormMeasurement BasisMarch 31, 2018
December 31, 2017
(dollars in thousands)
Assets    
Agency mortgage-backed securitiesSecuritiesFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through other comprehensive income$87,519,400
$89,426,437
Agency mortgage-backed securitiesSecuritiesFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings1,059,697
1,125,326
Total agency mortgage-backed securities  88,579,097
90,551,763
Credit risk transfer securitiesSecuritiesFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings628,942
651,764
Non-agency mortgage-backed securitiesSecuritiesFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings1,066,343
1,097,294
Residential mortgage loansLoansFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings1,535,685
1,438,322
Commercial real estate debt investmentsLoansFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings2,695,513
2,826,357
Commercial real estate debt investmentsSecuritiesFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through other comprehensive income238,490
244,636
Commercial real estate debt investmentsSecuritiesFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings26,320
18,115
Total commercial real estate debt investments  2,960,323
3,089,108
Commercial real estate debt and preferred equity, held for investmentLoansAmortized cost1,081,295
1,029,327
Corporate debtLoansAmortized cost1,152,745
1,011,275
Reverse repurchase agreementsReverse repurchase agreementsAmortized cost200,459

Liabilities    
Repurchase agreementsRepurchase agreementsAmortized cost78,015,431
77,696,343
Other secured financingLoansAmortized cost3,830,075
3,837,528
Securitized debt of consolidated VIEsSecuritiesFair value, with unrealized gains (losses) through earnings2,904,873
2,971,771
Mortgages payableLoansAmortized cost309,794
309,686
(1) Receivable for investments sold, Accrued interest and dividends receivable, Dividends payable, Payable for investments purchased and Accrued interest payable are accounted for at cost.

5.RESIDENTIAL INVESTMENT SECURITIES

The following tables present the Company’s Residential Investment Securities portfolio that was carried at their fair value at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


 March 31, 2018
 Principal / NotionalRemaining PremiumRemaining DiscountAmortized CostUnrealized GainsUnrealized LossesEstimated Fair Value
Agency(dollars in thousands)
Fixed-rate pass-through$78,830,362
$4,563,295
$(1,624)$83,392,033
$62,602
$(2,906,925)$80,547,710
Adjustable-rate pass-through6,321,714
292,681
(1,313)6,613,082
12,301
(152,751)6,472,632
Interest-only6,656,130
1,296,294

1,296,294
2,593
(278,896)1,019,991
Multifamily510,063
4,730
(1,189)513,604
211
(14,757)499,058
Reverse mortgages35,464
4,411

39,875

(169)39,706
Total Agency investments$92,353,733
$6,161,411
$(4,126)$91,854,888
$77,707
$(3,353,498)$88,579,097
Residential Credit 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CRT$579,077
$27,299
$(1,215)$605,161
$24,195
$(414)$628,942
Alt-A200,819
498
(33,609)167,708
12,542
(211)180,039
Prime222,366
345
(24,870)197,841
17,041
(54)214,828
Subprime516,223
1,998
(75,243)442,978
50,320
(792)492,506
NPL/RPL39,286
14
(94)39,206
366

39,572
Prime Jumbo (>= 2010 Vintage)125,902
614
(3,929)122,587
195
(1,582)121,200
Prime Jumbo (>= 2010 Vintage) Interest-Only939,627
14,516

14,516
3,682

18,198
Total residential credit investments$2,623,300
$45,284
$(138,960)$1,589,997
$108,341
$(3,053)$1,695,285
Total Residential Investment Securities$94,977,033
$6,206,695
$(143,086)$93,444,885
$186,048
$(3,356,551)$90,274,382
        
 December 31, 2017
 Principal / NotionalRemaining PremiumRemaining DiscountAmortized CostUnrealized GainsUnrealized LossesEstimated Fair Value
Agency(dollars in thousands)
Fixed-rate pass-through$78,509,335
$4,514,815
$(1,750)$83,022,400
$140,115
$(1,178,673)$81,983,842
Adjustable-rate pass-through6,760,991
277,212
(1,952)7,036,251
15,776
(103,121)6,948,906
Interest-only6,804,715
1,326,761

1,326,761
1,863
(242,862)1,085,762
Multifamily490,753
5,038
(341)495,450
84
(1,845)493,689
Reverse mortgages35,000
4,527

39,527
37

39,564
Total Agency investments$92,600,794
$6,128,353
$(4,043)$91,920,389
$157,875
$(1,526,501)$90,551,763
Residential Credit 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CRT$593,027
$25,463
$(3,456)$615,034
$36,730
$
$651,764
Alt-A204,213
499
(34,000)170,712
13,976
(802)183,886
Prime197,756
358
(24,158)173,956
18,804

192,760
Subprime554,470
2,037
(78,561)477,946
56,024
(90)533,880
NPL/RPL42,585
14
(117)42,482
506

42,988
Prime Jumbo (>= 2010 Vintage)130,025
627
(3,956)126,696
1,038
(1,112)126,622
Prime Jumbo (>= 2010 Vintage) Interest-Only989,052
15,287

15,287
1,871

17,158
Total residential credit investments$2,711,128
$44,285
$(144,248)$1,622,113
$128,949
$(2,004)$1,749,058
Total Residential Investment Securities$95,311,922
$6,172,638
$(148,291)$93,542,502
$286,824
$(1,528,505)$92,300,821

The following table presents the Company’s Agency mortgage-backed securities portfolio concentration by issuing Agency at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
Investment Type March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
  (dollars in thousands)
Fannie Mae $62,734,494
 $63,361,415
Freddie Mac 25,750,396
 27,091,978
Ginnie Mae 94,207
 98,370
Total $88,579,097
 $90,551,763
Actual maturities of the Company’s Residential Investment Securities portfolio are generally shorter than stated contractual maturities because actual maturities of the
portfolio are generally affected by periodic payments and prepayments of principal on underlying mortgages.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


The following table summarizes the Company’s available-for-sale Residential Investment Securities at March 31, 2018
and December 31, 2017, according to their estimated weighted average life classifications:
  March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
Weighted Average Life Estimated Fair Value Amortized Cost Estimated Fair Value Amortized Cost
  (dollars in thousands)    
Less than one year $10,123
 $10,159
 $471,977
 $476,538
Greater than one year through five years 12,523,917
 12,774,529
 13,838,890
 13,925,749
Greater than five years through ten years 76,865,618
 79,772,617
 77,273,833
 78,431,852
Greater than ten years 874,724
 887,580
 716,121
 708,363
Total $90,274,382
 $93,444,885
 $92,300,821
 $93,542,502
The weighted average lives of the Agency mortgage-backed securities at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 in the table above are based upon projected principal prepayment rates. The actual weighted average lives of the Agency mortgage-backed securities could be longer or shorter than projected.

The following table presents the gross unrealized losses and estimated fair value of the Company’s Agency mortgage-backed securities, accounted for as available-for-sale where the fair value option has not been elected, by length of time that such securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.
  March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
  
Estimated Fair
Value (1)
 
Gross Unrealized
Losses (1)
 
Number of
Securities (1)
 
Estimated Fair
Value (1)
 
Gross Unrealized
Losses (1)
 
Number of
Securities (1)
  (dollars in thousands)
Less than 12 Months $47,494,769
 $(1,222,887) 1,497
 $39,878,158
 $(272,234) 1,114
12 Months or More 37,677,339
 (1,851,715) 935
 39,491,238
 (1,011,405) 911
Total $85,172,108
 $(3,074,602) 2,432
 $79,369,396
 $(1,283,639) 2,025
(1) Excludes interest-only mortgage-backed securities.

The decline in value of these securities is solely due to market conditions and not the quality of the assets.  Substantially all of the Agency mortgage-backed securities are “AAA” rated or carry an implied “AAA” rating.  The investments are not considered to be 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, and it is not more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the investments before recovery of the amortized cost bases, which may be maturity.  Also, the Company is guaranteed payment of the principal
amount of the securities by the respective issuing government agency.

During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company disposed of $463.4 million of Residential Investment Securities, resulting in a net realized gain of $13.0 million.
During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company disposed of $2.1 billion of Residential Investment Securities, resulting in a net realized gain of $1.2 million.

6.RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LOANS
The following table presents the fair value and the unpaid principal balances of the residential mortgage loan portfolio at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
  March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
  (dollars in thousands)
Fair value $1,535,685
 $1,438,322
Unpaid principal balance $1,527,171
 $1,419,807
The following table provides information regarding the line items and amounts recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 for these investments: 
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


  Three Months Ended
  March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017
  (dollars in thousands)
Net interest income $13,495
 $3,589
Net gains (losses) on disposal of investments (1,758) (993)
Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings (9,864) 815
Total included in net income (loss) $1,873
 $3,411
The following table provides the geographic concentrations based on the unpaid principal balances at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, for the residential mortgage loans, including loans held in securitization trusts:
Geographic Concentrations of Residential Mortgage Loans
March 31, 2018December 31, 2017
Property Location% of BalanceProperty Location% of Balance
California52.8%California49.8%
Florida8.3%Florida9.3%
New York6.9%New York7.1%
All other (none individually greater than 5%)32.0%All other (none individually greater than 5%)33.8%
Total100.0%Total100.0%
The following table provides additional data on the Company’s residential mortgage loans, including loans held in securitization trusts, at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
  March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
  
Portfolio
Range
 Portfolio Weighted Average 
Portfolio
Range
 Portfolio Weighted Average
  (dollars in thousands) (dollars in thousands)
Unpaid principal balance $1 - $3,649 $531 $1 - $3,663 $514
Interest rate 1.88% - 7.50% 4.37% 1.63% - 7.50% 4.25%
Maturity 1/1/2028 - 1/1/2058 10/2/2043 1/1/2028 - 5/1/2057 2/1/2043
FICO score at loan origination 498 - 823 749 468 - 823 748
Loan-to-value ratio at loan origination 11% - 100% 67% 11% - 100% 68%

At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, approximately 73% and 78%, respectively, of the carrying value of the Company’s residential mortgage loans, including loans held in securitization trusts, were adjustable-rate.

7.MORTGAGE SERVICING RIGHTS
The Company invests in MSRs and has elected to carry them at fair value. The following table presents activity related to MSRs for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017:
 Three Months Ended
 March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017
 (dollars in thousands)
Fair value, beginning of period$580,860
 $652,216
Purchases
 213
Change in fair value due to: 
  
Changes in valuation inputs or assumptions (1)
36,674
 (6,233)
Other changes, including realization of expected cash flows(21,156) (14,030)
Fair value, end of period$596,378
 $632,166

(1) Principally represents changes in discount rates and prepayment speed inputs used in valuation model, primarily due to changes in interest rates.

For the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company recognized $28.5 million and $34.5 million, respectively, of net servicing income from MSRs in Other income (loss) in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


8.COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments


At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, commercial real estate investments held for investment were comprised of the following:

  March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
  
Outstanding
Principal
 
Carrying
Value (1)
 
Percentage
of Loan
Portfolio (2)
 
Outstanding
Principal
 
Carrying
Value (1)
 
Percentage
of Loan
Portfolio (2)
  (dollars in thousands)
Senior mortgages $685,457
 $681,819
 63.2% $629,143
 $625,900
 60.9%
Mezzanine loans 390,976
 390,487
 36.0% 395,015
 394,442
 38.2%
Preferred equity 9,000
 8,989
 0.8% 9,000
 8,985
 0.9%
Total $1,085,433
 $1,081,295
 100.0% $1,033,158
 $1,029,327
 100.0%

(1)Carrying value includes unamortized origination fees of $4.1 million and $3.8 million at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
(2)Based on outstanding principal.

  Three months ended March 31, 2018
  
Senior
Mortgages
 
Mezzanine
Loans
 
Preferred
Equity
 Total
  (dollars in thousands)
Beginning balance $625,900
 $394,442
 $8,985
 $1,029,327
Originations & advances (principal) 56,954
 601
 
 57,555
Principal payments (640) (4,640) 
 (5,280)
Net (increase) decrease in origination fees (871) 
 
 (871)
Amortization of net origination fees 476
 84
 4
 564
Net carrying value $681,819
 $390,487
 $8,989
 $1,081,295
  December 31, 2017
  
Senior
Mortgages
 
Mezzanine
Loans
 
Preferred
Equity
 Total
  (dollars in thousands)
Beginning balance $510,071
 $451,467
 $8,967
 $970,505
Originations & advances (principal) 338,242
 69,121
 
 407,363
Principal payments (221,421) (127,799) 
 (349,220)
Amortization & accretion of (premium) discounts (44) 28
 
 (16)
Net (increase) decrease in origination fees (3,317) (605) 
 (3,922)
Amortization of net origination fees 2,369
 2,230
 18
 4,617
Net carrying value $625,900
 $394,442
 $8,985
 $1,029,327


Internal CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investment Ratings

The Company’s internal loan risk ratings are based on the guidance provided by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for commercial real estate lending. The Company’s internal risk rating categories include “Performing”, “Performing - Closely Monitored”, “Performing - Special Mention”, “Substandard”, “Doubtful” or “Loss”. Performing loans meet all present contractual obligations. Performing - Closely Monitored loans meet all present contractual
obligations, but are transitional or could be exhibiting some weakness in both leverage and liquidity. Performing - Special Mention loans meet all present contractual obligations, but exhibit potential weakness that deserves management’s close attention and, if uncorrected, may result in deterioration of repayment
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



prospects. Substandard loans are inadequately protected by sound worth and paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral pledged with a distinct possibility that loss will be sustained if some of the deficiencies are not corrected. Doubtful loans are Substandard loans whereby collection of all contractual principal and interest is highly questionable
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


or improbable. Loss loans are considered uncollectible. The Company did not have any impaired loans, nonaccrual loans, or loans in default in the commercial loansloan portfolio as all of
the loans were performing at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. As such, no provision for loan losses was deemed necessary at MarchSeptember 30, 2018 or December 31, 2017.

The following table presents the activity of the Company’s loan investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2018:

 Residential Commercial Corporate Total
 (dollars in thousands)
Beginning balance January 1, 2018$958,546
 $1,029,327
 $1,011,275
 $2,999,148
Purchases430,854
 528,835
 788,213
 1,747,902
Syndications
 
 (44,125) (44,125)
Principal Payments(156,198) (124,559) (235,423) (516,180)
Change in fair value(13,812) 
 
 (13,812)
Amortization(2,251) 2,262
 8,934
 8,945
Ending balance September 30, 2018$1,217,139
 $1,435,865
 $1,528,874
 $4,181,878

The carrying value of the Company’s loans held for sale was $42.3 million and $0 at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.2017, respectively.

Residential

The Company’s residential mortgage loans are primarily comprised of performing adjustable-rate and fixed-rate whole loans. Additionally, the Company consolidates a collateralized financing entity that securitized prime adjustable-rate jumbo residential mortgage loans. The Company also consolidates securitization trusts in which it had purchased subordinated securities because it also has certain powers and rights to direct the activities of such trusts. Please refer to the “Variable Interest Entities” Note for further information related to the Company’s consolidated Residential Mortgage Loan Trusts.

The following table presents the fair value and the unpaid principal balances of the residential mortgage loan portfolio, including loans transferred or pledged to securitization vehicles, at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:

  March 31, 2018
  
Outstanding
Principal
 Percentage of CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Portfolio Internal Ratings
Investment Type Performing Performing - Closely Monitored Performing - Special Mention 
Substandard (1)
 Doubtful Loss Total
  (dollars in thousands)
Senior mortgages $685,457
 63.2% $439,992
 $141,275
 $36,800
 $67,390
 $
 $
 $685,457
Mezzanine loans 390,976
 36.0% 216,740
 56,498
 117,738
 
 
 
 390,976
Preferred equity 9,000
 0.8% 
 
 9,000
 
 
 
 9,000
Total $1,085,433
 100.0% $656,732
 $197,773
 $163,538
 $67,390
 $
 $
 $1,085,433
  September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
  (dollars in thousands)
Fair value $1,983,015
 $1,438,322
Unpaid principal balance $1,976,077
 $1,419,807
The following table provides information regarding the line items and amounts recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 for these investments: 
  December 31, 2017
  
Outstanding
Principal
 Percentage of CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Portfolio Internal Ratings
Investment Type Performing Performing - Closely Monitored Performing - Special Mention 
Substandard (1)
 Doubtful Loss Total
  (dollars in thousands)
Senior mortgages $629,143
 60.9% $409,878
 $115,075
 $36,800
 $67,390
 $
 $
 $629,143
Mezzanine loans 395,015
 38.2% 206,169
 66,498
 122,348
 
 
 
 395,015
Preferred equity 9,000
 0.9% 
 
 9,000
 
 
 
 9,000
Total $1,033,158
 100.0% $616,047
 $181,573
 $168,148
 $67,390
 $
 $
 $1,033,158
  Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
  September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
  (dollars in thousands)
Net interest income $16,423
 $8,226
 $45,702
 $18,935
Net gains (losses) on disposal of investments (1)
 (2,975) (2,093) (7,924) (3,407)
Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair value through earnings (3,633) (725) (14,802) 5,400
Total included in net income (loss) $9,815
 $5,408
 $22,976
 $20,928
(1) Includes loan premium write offs.

The Company transferred one loan to Substandard duringfollowing table provides the year endedgeographic concentrations based on the unpaid principal balances at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017,. for the residential mortgage loans, including loans transferred or pledged to securitization trusts:

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



Geographic Concentrations of Residential Mortgage Loans
September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Property Location% of Balance Property Location% of Balance
California54.5% California49.8%
New York8.1% Florida9.3%
Florida6.6% New York7.1%
All other (none individually greater than 5%)30.8% All other (none individually greater than 5%)33.8%
Total100.0% Total100.0%
The downgrade in risk rating was basedfollowing table provides additional data on the borrower’s failureCompany’s residential mortgage loans, including loans transferred or pledged to meet originally projected performance targets. The Company evaluated whether an impairment existssecuritization trusts, at September 30, 2018 and determined that, based on quantitative and qualitative factors, including that the borrower is current, the Company expects repayment of contractual amounts due.December 31, 2017:
  September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
  
Portfolio
Range
Portfolio Weighted Average
Portfolio
Range
Portfolio Weighted Average
  (dollars in thousands)
Unpaid principal balance $1 - $3,500 $494 $1 - $3,663 $514
Interest rate 2.00% - 7.50% 4.74% 1.63% - 7.50% 4.25%
Maturity 1/1/2028 - 9/1/2058 1/5/2045 1/1/2028 - 5/1/2057 2/1/2043
FICO score at loan origination 510 - 823 754 468 - 823 748
Loan-to-value ratio at loan origination 11% - 100% 67% 11% - 100% 68%

At March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, approximately 86%54% and 78%, respectively, of the carrying value of the Company’s residential mortgage loans, including loans transferred or pledged to securitization trusts, were adjustable-rate.

Commercial

The Company’s commercial real estate loans are comprised of fixed-rate and adjustable-rate loans. The Company designates loans as held for investment if it has the intent and ability to hold the loans until maturity or payoff.  The difference between the principal amount of a loan and proceeds at acquisition is recorded as either a discount or premium. Commercial real estate loans that are designated as held for investment and are originated or purchased by the Company are carried at their outstanding principal balance, net of unamortized origination fees and costs, premiums or discounts, less an allowance for losses, if necessary. Origination fees and costs, premiums or discounts are amortized into interest income over the life of the loan.
If the Company intends to sell or securitize the loans and the securitization vehicle is not expected to be consolidated, they are classified as held for sale. Commercial real estate loans that are designated as held for sale are carried at the lower of amortized cost or fair value in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Any origination fees and costs or purchase premiums or discounts are deferred and recognized upon sale. The Company determines the fair value of commercial real estate loans held for sale on an individual loan basis.
Preferred equity interests are designated as held for investment and are carried at their outstanding principal balance, net of unamortized origination fees and costs, premiums or discounts, less a reserve for estimated losses, if necessary. 
At September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, approximately 87% and 85%, respectively, of the carrying value of the Company’s CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments, excluding commercial loans held for sale, were adjustable-rate.was comprised of floating-rate debt investments.

Investments in Commercial Real Estate

There were no acquisitions of real estate holdings during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017. The Company sold one of its wholly-owned triple net leased properties during the three months ended March 31, 2017 for $12.0 million and recognized a gain on sale of $5.1 million.

The weighted average amortization period for intangible assets and liabilities at March 31, 2018 is 4.4 years. Above market leases and leasehold intangible assets are included in Intangible assets, net and below market leases are included in Accounts payable and other liabilities in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
  March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
  (dollars in thousands)
Real estate held for investment, at amortized cost    
Land $111,012
 $111,012
Buildings and improvements 331,390
 330,959
Subtotal 442,402
 441,971
Less: accumulated depreciation (52,723) (48,920)
Total real estate held for investment, at amortized cost, net 389,679
 393,051
Equity in unconsolidated joint ventures 90,384
 92,902
Investments in commercial real estate, net $480,063
 $485,953

Depreciation expense was $3.7 million and $4.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017,
respectively and is included in Other income (loss) in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


Rental Income

The minimum rental amounts due under leases are generally either subject to scheduled fixed increases or adjustments. The leases generally also require that the tenants reimburse the Company for certain operating costs.

Approximate future minimum rents to be received over the next five years and thereafter for non-cancelable operating leases in effect at March 31, 2018 for consolidated investments in real estate are as follows: 
 March 31, 2018
 (dollars in thousands)
2018 (remaining)$22,306
201926,423
202021,708
202117,302
202212,356
Later years20,687
 $120,782
Mortgage loans payable at March 31, 2018  and December 31, 2017, were as follows:
March 31, 2018
Property 
Mortgage
Carrying Value
 
Mortgage
Principal
 Interest Rate 
Fixed/Floating
Rate
 Maturity Date Priority
(dollars in thousands)
Joint Ventures $286,471
 $289,125
 4.03% - 4.61% Fixed 2024 and 2025 First liens
Tennessee 12,303
 12,350
 4.01% Fixed 9/6/2019 First liens
Virginia 11,020
 11,025
 3.58% Fixed 6/6/2019 First liens
Total $309,794
 $312,500
           

December 31, 2017
Property 
Mortgage
Carrying Value
 
Mortgage
Principal
 Interest Rate 
Fixed/Floating
Rate
 Maturity Date Priority
(dollars in thousands)
Joint Ventures $286,373
 $289,125
 4.03% - 4.61% Fixed 2024 and 2025 First liens
Tennessee 12,294
 12,350
 4.01% Fixed 9/6/2019 First liens
Virginia 11,019
 11,025
 3.58% Fixed 6/6/2019 First liens
Total $309,686
 $312,500
           

The following table details future mortgage loan principal payments at March 31, 2018:
 Mortgage Loan Principal Payments
 (dollars in thousands)
2018 (remaining)$
201923,375
2020
2021
2022
Later years289,125
Total$312,500

On December 11, 2015, the Company originated a $335.0 million recapitalization financing with respect to eight class A/B office properties in Orange County, California.  The Company previously classified the senior mortgage loan as held for sale. During the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2017, the Company sold the remaining balance of $115.0 million
($ ($114.4 million, net of origination fees) of the senior loan to unrelated third parties at carrying value. Accordingly, no gain or loss was recorded in connection with the sale.

At September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, commercial real estate investments held for investment were comprised of the following:
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



  September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
  
Outstanding
Principal
 
Carrying
Value (1)
 
Percentage
of Loan
Portfolio (2)
 
Outstanding
Principal
 
Carrying
Value (1)
 
Percentage
of Loan
Portfolio (2)
(dollars in thousands)
Senior mortgages $1,090,849
 $1,084,167
 75.6% $629,143
 $625,900
 60.9%
Mezzanine loans 343,354
 342,700
 23.8% 395,015
 394,442
 38.2%
Preferred equity 9,000
 8,998
 0.6% 9,000
 8,985
 0.9%
Total $1,443,203
 $1,435,865
 100.0% $1,033,158
 $1,029,327
 100.0%
9.
(1)
CORPORATE DEBTCarrying value includes unamortized origination fees of $5.7 million and $3.8 million at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
(2)
Based on outstanding principal.

The following tables represent a rollforward of the activity for the Company’s commercial real estate investments held for investment at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:

  September 30, 2018
  
Senior
Mortgages
 
Mezzanine
Loans
 
Preferred
Equity
 Total
  (dollars in thousands)
Beginning balance (January 1, 2018) $625,900
 $394,442
 $8,985
 $1,029,327
Originations & advances (principal) 489,271
 45,334
 
 534,605
Principal payments (27,565) (96,993) 
 (124,558)
Net (increase) decrease in origination fees (5,400) (370) 
 (5,770)
Amortization of net origination fees 1,961
 287
 13
 2,261
Net carrying value (September 30, 2018) $1,084,167
 $342,700
 $8,998
 $1,435,865

  December 31, 2017
  
Senior
Mortgages
 
Mezzanine
Loans
 
Preferred
Equity
 Total
  (dollars in thousands)
Beginning balance (January 1, 2017) $510,071
 $451,467
 $8,967
 $970,505
Originations & advances (principal) 338,242
 69,121
 
 407,363
Principal payments (221,421) (127,799) 
 (349,220)
Amortization & accretion of (premium) discounts (44) 28
 
 (16)
Net (increase) decrease in origination fees (3,317) (605) 
 (3,922)
Amortization of net origination fees 2,369
 2,230
 18
 4,617
Net carrying value (December 31, 2017) $625,900
 $394,442
 $8,985
 $1,029,327

The following table provides the internal loan risk ratings of commercial real estate investments held for investment as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



September 30, 2018
  
Outstanding
Principal
 Percentage of CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Portfolio Internal Ratings
Investment Type Performing Performing - Closely Monitored Performing - Special Mention 
Substandard (1)
 Doubtful Loss Total
(dollars in thousands)
Senior mortgages $1,090,849
 75.6% $724,111
 $302,348
 $
 $64,390
 $
 $
 $1,090,849
Mezzanine loans 343,354
 23.8% 135,334
 64,323
 107,094
 36,603
 
 
 343,354
Preferred equity 9,000
 0.6% 
 
 9,000
 
 
 
 9,000
Total $1,443,203
 100.0% $859,445
 $366,671
 $116,094
 $100,993
 $
 $
 $1,443,203

December 31, 2017
  
Outstanding
Principal
 Percentage of CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Portfolio Internal Ratings
Investment Type Performing Performing - Closely Monitored Performing - Special Mention 
Substandard (1)
 Doubtful Loss Total
(dollars in thousands)
Senior mortgages $629,143
 60.9% $409,878
 $115,075
 $36,800
 $67,390
 $
 $
 $629,143
Mezzanine loans 395,015
 38.2% 206,169
 66,498
 122,348
 
 
 
 395,015
Preferred equity 9,000
 0.9% 
 
 9,000
 
 
 
 9,000
Total $1,033,158
 100.0% $616,047
 $181,573
 $168,148
 $67,390
 $
 $
 $1,033,158
(1)
The Company rated two loans as Substandard as of September 30, 2018. The Company evaluated whether an impairment exists and determined in each case that, based on quantitative and qualitative factors, the Company expects repayment of contractual amounts due.


Corporate Debt

The Company’s investments in corporate loans are designated as held for investment when the Company has the intent and ability to hold the investment until maturity or payoff. These investments are carried at their principal balance outstanding plus any premiums or discounts less allowances for loan losses.  Interest income from coupon payments is accrued based upon the outstanding principal amounts of the debt and its contractual terms. Premiums and discounts are amortized or accreted into interest income using the effective interest method. These investments typically take the form of senior secured loans primarily in first or second lien positions. The Company’s senior secured loans generally have stated maturities of three to eight years. In connection with these senior secured loans the Company receives a security interest in certain assets of the borrower and such assets support repayment of such loans. Senior secured loans are generally exposed to less credit risk than more junior loans given their seniority to scheduled principal and interest and priority of security in the assets of the borrower.
The Company invests in corporate loans and corporate debt securities through AMML.its Annaly Middle Market Lending Group. The industry and rate sensitivity dispersionattributes of the portfolio at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 are as follows:

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



 Industry Dispersion Industry Dispersion
 March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
 Fixed Rate Floating Rate Total Fixed Rate Floating Rate Total Fixed Rate Floating Rate Total Fixed Rate Floating Rate Total
 (dollars in thousands) (dollars in thousands)
Aircraft and Parts $
 $34,797
 $34,797
 $
 $34,814
 $34,814
 $
 $41,344
 $41,344
 $
 $34,814
 $34,814
Coating, Engraving and Allied Services 
 63,245
 63,245
 
 64,034
 64,034
 
 58,850
 58,850
 
 64,034
 64,034
Computer Programming, Data Processing & Other Computer Related Services 
 209,854
 209,854
 
 192,946
 192,946
 
 212,969
 212,969
 
 209,624
 209,624
Drugs 
 38,716
 38,716
 
 38,708
 38,708
 
 38,735
 38,735
 
 38,708
 38,708
Electrical Work 
 43,266
 43,266
 
 
 
Electronic Components & Accessories 
 23,961
 23,961
 
 23,916
 23,916
 
 24,029
 24,029
 
 23,916
 23,916
Engineering, Architectural & Surveying 
 10,647
 10,647
 
 
 
 
 80,741
 80,741
 
 
 
Groceries and Related Products 
 14,771
 14,771
 
 14,794
 14,794
 
 14,725
 14,725
 
 14,794
 14,794
Grocery Stores 
 23,512
 23,512
 
 23,531
 23,531
 
 23,461
 23,461
 
 23,531
 23,531
Home Health Care Services 
 23,660
 23,660
 
 23,779
 23,779
 
 
 
 
 23,779
 23,779
Insurance Agents, Brokers and Services 
 28,866
 28,866
 
 28,872
 28,872
 
 49,211
 49,211
 
 28,872
 28,872
Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art and Photography, and Stenographic 
 14,855
 14,855
 
 
 
Management and Public Relations Services 
 140,789
 140,789
 
 94,871
 94,871
 
 240,740
 240,740
 
 94,871
 94,871
Medical and Dental Laboratories 
 26,936
 26,936
 
 26,956
 26,956
 
 26,876
 26,876
 
 26,956
 26,956
Metal Cans & Shipping Containers 
 118,006
 118,006
 
 
 
Miscellaneous Business Services 
 19,703
 19,703
 
 19,723
 19,723
 
 19,650
 19,650
 
 19,723
 19,723
Miscellaneous Equipment Rental and Leasing 
 49,264
 49,264
 
 49,129
 49,129
 
 49,433
 49,433
 
 49,129
 49,129
Miscellaneous Health and Allied Services, not elsewhere classified 
 54,246
 54,246
 
 25,963
 25,963
 
 54,189
 54,189
 
 25,963
 25,963
Miscellaneous Nonmetallic Minerals, except Fuels 
 26,056
 26,056
 
 25,992
 25,992
 
 
 
 
 25,992
 25,992
Miscellaneous Plastic Products 
 9,920
 9,920
 
 9,879
 9,879
 
 9,963
 9,963
 
 9,879
 9,879
Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment 
 17,333
 17,333
 
 
 
 
 16,937
 16,937
 
 
 
Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies 
 23,582
 23,582
 
 12,212
 12,212
 
 27,979
 27,979
 
 12,212
 12,212
Nonferrous Foundries (Castings) 
 12,953
 12,953
 
 
 
Offices and Clinics of Doctors of Medicine 
 97,794
 97,794
 
 76,678
 76,678
 
 97,760
 97,760
 
 600
 600
Offices and Clinics of Other Health Practitioners 
 19,872
 19,872
 
 18,979
 18,979
 
 21,122
 21,122
 
 18,979
 18,979
Public Warehousing and Storage 
 50,685
 50,685
 
 48,890
 48,890
 
 61,912
 61,912
 
 48,890
 48,890
Research, Development and Testing Services 
 33,304
 33,304
 
 33,155
 33,155
 
 33,334
 33,334
 
 33,155
 33,155
Schools and Educational Services, not elsewhere classified 
 20,359
 20,359
 
 20,625
 20,625
 
 19,794
 19,794
 
 20,625
 20,625
Services Allied with the Exchange of Securities 
 14,943
 14,943
 
 13,960
 13,960
 
 14,895
 14,895
 
 13,960
 13,960
Surgical, Medical, and Dental Instruments and Supplies 
 16,677
 16,677
 
 29,687
 29,687
 
 39,806
 39,806
 
 29,687
 29,687
Telephone Communications 
 59,253
 59,253
 
 59,182
 59,182
 
 61,339
 61,339
 
 59,182
 59,182
Total $
 $1,152,745
 $1,152,745
 $
 $1,011,275
 $1,011,275
 $
 $1,528,874
 $1,528,874
 $
 $1,011,275
 $1,011,275

The table below reflects the Company’s aggregate positions by their respective place in the capital structure of the borrowers at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

 March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
 (dollars in thousands) (dollars in thousands)
First lien loans $664,276
 $582,724
 $888,860
 $582,724
Second lien loans 488,469
 428,551
 640,014
 428,551
Total $1,152,745
 $1,011,275
 $1,528,874
 $1,011,275

10.VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES
7. MORTGAGE SERVICING RIGHTS                         

In February 2015,MSRs represent the Company purchased the junior-most tranche, Class C Certificaterights associated with servicing pools of the Freddie Mac securitization, FREMF Mortgage Trust 2015-KLSF (“FREMF 2015-KLSF”) for $102.1 million. The underlying portfolio is a pool
of 11 floating rate multifamilyresidential mortgage loans with a cut-off principal balance of $1.4 billion.loans. The Company is required to consolidate the FREMF 2015-KLSF Trust’s assets and liabilities of $549.5 million and $509.4 million, respectively, at March 31, 2018.
its subsidiaries do not originate or directly service residential mortgage loans. Rather, these activities are carried out by duly licensed subservicers who
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



perform substantially all servicing functions for the loans underlying the MSRs. The Company intends to hold the MSRs as investments and elected to account for all of its investments in MSRs at fair value. As such, they are recognized at fair value on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition with changes in the estimated fair value presented as a component of Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair value through earnings in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). Servicing income, net of servicing expenses, is reported in Other income (loss) in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).
The following table presents activity related to MSRs for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017:
In April 2015,
 Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
 (dollars in thousands)
Fair value, beginning of period$599,014
 $605,653
 $580,860
 $652,216
Purchases (1)

 (30) 
 (27)
Other
 
 
 10
Change in fair value due to: 
    
  
Changes in valuation inputs or assumptions (2)
(19,913) (19,207) (61,011) (34,645)
Other changes, including realization of expected cash flows9,732
 (16,198) 68,984
 (47,336)
Fair value, end of period$588,833
 $570,218
 $588,833
 $570,218
(1)
Includes adjustments to original purchase price from early payoffs, defaults, or loans that were delivered but were deemed to be not acceptable.
(2)
Principally represents changes in discount rates and prepayment speed inputs used in valuation model, primarily due to changes in interest rates.

For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company purchased the junior-most tranche, Class C Certificate of the Freddie Mac securitization, FREMF Mortgage Trust 2015-KF07 (“FREMF 2015-KF07”) for $89.4 million. The underlying portfolio is a pool of 40 floating rate multifamily mortgage loans with a cut-off principal balance of $1.2 billion. The Company is required to consolidate the FREMF 2015-KF07 Trust’s assets and liabilities of $632.6recognized $27.7 million and $587.5$83.8 million, respectively, at March 31, 2018.

In February 2016,and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company purchasedrecognized $31.9 million and $99.7 million, respectively,
of net servicing income from MSRs in Other income (loss) in the junior- most tranche, Class C CertificateConsolidated Statements of the Freddie Mac securitization, FREMF Mortgage Trust 2016-KLH1 (“FREMF 2016-KLH1”) for $107.6 million, net of a $4.4 million discount to face value of $112.0 million. The underlying portfolio is a pool of 28 floating rate multifamily mortgage loans with a cut-off principal balance of $1.5 billion. The Company is required to consolidate the FREMF 2016-KLH1 Trust’s assets and liabilities of $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively, at March 31, 2018. FREMF 2015-KLSF, FREMF 2015-KF07 and FREMF 2016-KLH1 are collectively referred to herein as the FREMF Trusts.Comprehensive Income (Loss).

The Company also owns variable interests in an entity that invests in MSRs, refer to the “Variable Interest Entities” Note for a detailed discussion on this topic.

8. VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES                             

The Company has investments in Freddie Mac securitizations (“FREMF TrustsTrusts”) which are structured as pass-through entities that receive principal and interest on the underlying collateral and distribute those payments to the certificate holders. The FREMF Trusts are VIEs and the Company is considered to be the primary beneficiary as a result of its ability to replace the special servicer without cause through its ownership of the Class C Certificates and its current designation as the directing certificate holder. The Company’s exposure to the obligations of the VIEs is generally limited to the Company’s investment in the FREMF Trusts of $198.1 million. Assets of the FREMF Trusts may only be used to settle obligations of the FREMF Trusts. Creditors of the FREMF Trusts have no recourse to the general credit of the Company. The Company is not contractually required to provide and has not provided any form of financial support to the FREMF Trusts. No gain or loss was recognized upon initial consolidation of the FREMF Trusts, but $0.8 million of related costs were expensed. The FREMF Trusts’ assets are included in Commercial real estate debt investmentsthe “Commercial Trusts” in the tables below.

The Company purchased approximately $94 million of a subordinated tranche in a securitization trust in 2018. As the directing holder, the Company can remove the special servicer with or without cause as well as direct activities that are considered to be most significant to the economic performance of the trust. As such, the Company was determined to be the primary beneficiary and consolidates the FREMF Trusts’ liabilities aretrust. The trust is included in Securitized debt of consolidated VIEs“Commercial Trusts” in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.tables below.

Upon consolidation, the Company elected the fair value option for the financial assets and liabilities of the FREMFCommercial Trusts in order to avoid an accounting mismatch, and to represent more faithfully represent the economics of its interest in the entities. The fair value option requires that changes in fair value be reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). The Company early adopted ASU 2014-13 and applied the practical expedient fair value measurement,under ASU 2014-07, whereby the Company determines whether the fair value of the financial assets or financial liabilities is more observable as a basis for measuring the less observable financial instruments. The Company has
determined that the fair value of the financial liabilities of the FREMFCommercial Trusts are more observable, since the prices for these liabilities are primarily available from third-party pricing services utilized for multifamily mortgage-backed securities, while the individual assets of the trusts are inherently less capable of precise measurement given their illiquid nature and the limitations on available information related to these assets. Given that the Company’s methodology for valuing the financial assets of the FREMFCommercial Trusts are an aggregate fair value derived from the fair value of the financial liabilities, the Company has determined that the fair value of each of the financial assets in their entirety should be classified in Level 2 of the fair value measurement hierarchy.

The FREMFCommercial Trusts mortgage loans had an aggregate unpaid principal balance of $2.7$3.5 billion at March 31,September 30, 2018.   At March 31,September 30, 2018, there arewere no loans 90 days or more past due or on nonaccrual status.  There is no gain or loss attributable
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



to instrument-specific credit risk of the underlying loans or securitized debt securities at March 31,September 30, 2018  based upon the Company’s process of monitoring events of default on the underlying mortgage loans.

The Company consolidates a residential mortgagesecuritization trust, which is included in “Residential Trusts” in the tables below, that issued residential mortgage-backed securities that are collateralized by residential mortgage loans that had been transferred to the trust by one of the Company’s subsidiaries. The Company owns most of the mortgage-backed securities issued by this VIE, including the subordinate securities, and a subsidiary of the Company continues to be the master servicer. As such, the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the residential mortgage trust and consolidates the entity. The Company has elected the fair value option for the financial assets and liabilities of this VIE, but has not elected not to apply the practical expedient under ASU 2014-13 as prices of both the financial liabilitiesassets and financial assetsliabilities of the residential mortgage trust are available from third-party pricing services. The contractual principal amount of the residential mortgage trust’s debt held by third parties was $34.0$30.4 million at September 30, 2018.

In March 31, 2018.2018, the Company closed OBX 2018-01, with a face value of $327.5 million. In July 2018, the Company closed OBX 2018-EXP1 with a face value of $383.4 million. The OBX 2018-01 Trust and the OBX 2018-EXP1 Trust are referred to collectively as the “OBX Trusts”. These securitizations represent financing transactions which provided non-recourse financing to the Company that is collateralized by residential mortgage loans purchased by the Company. A total of $588.1 million of bonds were issued to third parties and the Company retained $122.5 million of mortgage-backed securities, which are eliminated in consolidation. The Company alsois deemed to be the primary beneficiary and consolidates the OBX Trusts because it has power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the OBX Trusts’ performance and holds a residential securitization trust in which it had purchased subordinated securities because its liquidation rights over the trusts became exercisable in December 2017.variable interest that could be potentially significant to these VIEs. The Company has elected the fair value option for the financial assets and liabilities of this VIE,these VIEs, but has elected not to applyelected the practical expedient under ASU 2014-13 as prices of both the financial liabilitiesassets and financial assets of the residential mortgage trust are available from third-party pricing services. The contractual principal amount of the residential mortgage trust’s debt held by third parties was $94.4 million at March 31, 2018.

In March 2018, the Company closed OBX 2018-01 Trust (“OBX Trust”), with a face value of $327.5 million. The securitization represented a financing transaction which provided non-recourse financing to the Company collateralized by residential mortgage loans purchased by the Company.  A total of $279.2 million of bonds were issued to
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


third parties and the Company retained $60.9 million of mortgage-backed securities.  The Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary and consolidates the OBX Trust because it has power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the OBX Trust’s performance and holds a variable interest that could be potentially significant to this VIE. The Company has elected the fair value option for the financial assets and liabilities of this VIE, but has elected not to apply the practical expedient under ASU 2014-13 as prices of both the financial liabilities and financial assets of the residential mortgage trust are available from third-party pricing services. The Company incurred approximately $1.5 million of costs in connection with the OBX 2018-01 securitization and approximately $1.8 million of costs in connection with the OBX 2018-EXP1 securitization that were expensed as incurred.incurred during the first quarter ended March 31, 2018 and the third quarter ended September 30, 2018, respectively. The contractual principal amount of the OBX Trust’sTrusts’ debt held by third parties was $279.2$530.1 million at March 31,September 30, 2018.

Although the residential mortgage loans have been sold for bankruptcy and state law purposes, the transfers of the residential mortgage loans to the OBX TrustTrusts did not qualify for sale accounting and are reflected as an intercompany secured borrowingborrowings that isare eliminated upon consolidation.

In June 2016, a consolidated subsidiary of the Company entered into a $300.0 million credit facility with a third party financial institution. As of September 30, 2018, the borrowing limit on this facility was $400.0 million. The subsidiary was deemed to be a VIE and the Company was determined to be the primary beneficiary due to its role as collateral manager and because it holds a variable interest in the entity that could potentially be potentially significant to the entity. The Company has pledged as collateral for this facility corporate loans with a carrying amount of $457.7$443.6 million at March 31, 2018 as collateral for this credit facility.September 30, 2018. The transfers did not qualify for sale accounting and are reflected as an intercompany secured borrowing that is eliminated upon consolidation. At March 31,September 30, 2018, the subsidiary had an intercompany receivable of $124.9$300.0 million, which eliminates upon consolidation and an Other secured financing of $124.9$300.0 million to the third party financial institution.

In July 2017, a consolidated subsidiary of the Company entered into a $150.0 million credit facility with a third party financial institution. The subsidiary was deemed to be a VIE
and the Company was determined to be the primary beneficiary due to its role as servicer and because it holds a variable interest in the entity that could potentially be significant to the entity. The Company has transferred corporate loans to the subsidiary with a carrying amount of $208.9$235.6 million at March 31,September 30, 2018, which continue to be reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition in Corporate debt.Loans. At March 31,September 30, 2018, the subsidiary had an Other secured financing of $100.3$150.0 million to the third party financial institution.

The Company also owns variable interests in an entity that invests in MSRs and has structured its operations, funding and capitalization into pools of assets and liabilities, each referred to as a “silo.” Owners of variable interests in a given silo are entitled to all of the returns and subjected to the risk of loss on the investments and operations of that silo and have no substantive recourse to the assets of any other silo. While the Company previously held 100% of the voting interests in this entity, in August 2017, the Company sold 100% of such interests, and entered into an agreement with the entity’s affiliated portfolio manager giving the Company the power over the silo in which it owns all of the beneficial interests. As a result, the Company is considered to be the primary beneficiary and consolidates this silo.

The Company’s exposure to the obligations of its VIEs is generally limited to the Company’s investment in the VIEs of $1.5$1.6 billion at March 31,September 30, 2018. Assets of the VIEs may only be used to settle obligations of the VIEs. Creditors of the VIEs have no
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



recourse to the general credit of the Company. The Company is not contractually required to provide and has not provided any form of financial support to the VIEs. No gains or losses were recognized upon consolidation of existing VIEs. Interest income and expense are recognized using the effective interest method.

The statements of financial condition of the Company’s VIEs, excluding the credit facility VIEs and OBX Trust,Trusts, that are reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 are as follows:
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


 March 31, 2018
 FREMF Trusts Residential Mortgage Loan Trusts MSR Silo September 30, 2018
 (dollars in thousands) Commercial Trusts Residential Trusts MSR Silo
Assets       (dollars in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents $
 $
 $43,206
 $
 $
 $28,441
Commercial real estate debt investments 2,695,513
 
 
Commercial real estate debt 3,521,945
 
 
Residential mortgage loans 
 229,278
 25,206
 
 107,764
 97,825
Mortgage servicing rights 
 
 596,378
 
 
 588,833
Accrued interest receivable 10,762
 901
 
Interest receivable 13,432
 555
 
Other assets 
 87
 35,486
 
 
 33,522
Total assets $2,706,275
 $230,266
 $700,276
 $3,535,377
 $108,319
 $748,621
Liabilities            
Securitized debt (non-recourse) at fair value $2,497,410
 $128,260
 $
Securitized debt (non-recourse) $3,240,043
 $29,698
 $
Other secured financing 
 
 16,557
 
 
 70,221
Other derivatives, at fair value 
 
 8
Accrued interest payable 4,668
 316
 
Accounts payable and other liabilities 
 123
 2,570
Interest payable 6,383
 70
 
Other liabilities 
 148
 2,160
Total liabilities $2,502,078
 $128,699
 $19,135
 $3,246,426
 $29,916
 $72,381
      
 December 31, 2017      
 FREMF Trusts Residential Mortgage Loan Trusts MSR Silo December 31, 2017
 (dollars in thousands) Commercial Trusts Residential Trusts MSR Silo
Assets  
  
  
 (dollars in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents $
 $
 $42,293
 $
 $
 $42,293
Commercial real estate debt investments 2,826,357
 
 
Commercial real estate debt 2,826,357
 
 
Residential mortgage loans 
 478,811
 19,667
 
 478,811
 19,667
Mortgage servicing rights 
 
 580,860
 
 
 580,860
Accrued interest receivable 10,339
 1,599
 
Other derivatives, at fair value 
 
 1
Interest receivable 10,339
 1,599
 
Derivative assets 
 
 1
Other assets 
 1,418
 32,354
 
 1,418
 32,354
Total assets $2,836,696
 $481,828
 $675,175
 $2,836,696
 $481,828
 $675,175
Liabilities            
Securitized debt (non-recourse) at fair value $2,620,952
 $350,819
 $
Securitized debt (non-recourse) $2,620,952
 $350,819
 $
Other secured financing 
 
 10,496
 
 
 10,496
Accrued interest payable 4,554
 931
 
Accounts payable and other liabilities 
 112
 4,856
Interest payable 4,554
 931
 
Other liabilities 
 112
 4,856
Total liabilities $2,625,506
 $351,862
 $15,352
 $2,625,506
 $351,862
 $15,352

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


The statements of comprehensive income (loss) of the Company’s VIEs, excluding the credit facility VIEs and OBX Trust,Trusts, that are reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017 are as follows:
  For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2018
  FREMF Trusts Residential Mortgage Loan Trusts MSR Silo
  (dollars in thousands)
Net interest income:      
Interest income $23,838
 $2,373
 $635
Interest expense 13,834
 1,759
 192
Net interest income 10,004
 614
 443
Realized gain (loss) on disposal of investments 
 2,042
 (571)
Net gains (losses) on trading assets

 
 
 69
Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings 292
 (816) 14,615
Other income (loss) (4,477) (77) 28,716
General and administration expenses 
 14
 472
Net income (loss) $5,819
 $1,749
 $42,800
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
  For the Three Months Ended
March 31, 2017
  FREMF Trusts Residential Mortgage Loan Trusts MSR Silo
  (dollars in thousands)
Net interest income:  
  
  
Interest income $27,719
 $1,369
 $
Interest expense 14,576
 274
 65
Net interest income 13,143
 1,095
 (65)
Realized gain (loss) on disposal of investments 
 (261) (509)
Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings 702
 982
 (20,264)
Other income (loss) (6,298) (97) 34,588
General and administration expenses 
 20
 1,102
Net income (loss) $7,547
 $1,699
 $12,648
Item 1.  Financial Statements



  Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
  Commercial Trusts Residential Trusts MSR Silo
Net interest income: (dollars in thousands)
Interest income $36,387
 $1,723
 $2,678
Interest expense 25,068
 773
 438
Net interest income 11,319
 950
 2,240
Net realized gains (losses) on disposal of investments 
 147
 (516)
Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair value through earnings 220
 242
 (13,364)
Other income (loss) (4,217) (70) 26,866
Less: General and administrative expenses 
 21
 481
Net income (loss) $7,322
 1,248
 14,745
  Three Months Ended September 30, 2017
  Commercial Trusts Residential Trusts MSR Silo
Net interest income: (dollars in thousands)
Interest income $28,841
 $1,145
 $514
Interest expense 15,791
 282
 121
Net interest income 13,050
 863
 393
Net realized gains (losses) on disposal of investments 
 (229) (1,430)
Net gains (losses) on trading assets
 
 
 (19)
Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair value through earnings (2,256) (20) (36,226)
Other income (loss) (6,073) (89) 32,001
Less: General and administrative expenses (1) 34
 560
Net income (loss) $4,722
 $491
 $(5,841)
  Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
  Commercial Trusts Residential Mortgage Loan Trusts MSR Silo
Net interest income: (dollars in thousands)
Interest income $85,325
 $6,280
 $4,126
Interest expense 54,265
 3,621
 875
Net interest income 31,060
 2,659
 3,251
Net realized gains (losses) on disposal of investments 
 2,049
 (1,826)
Net gains (losses) on other derivatives
 
 
 70
Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair value through earnings 1,332
 (925) 3,101
Other income (loss) (12,986) (221) 83,924
Less: General and administrative expenses 
 50
 1,408
Net income (loss) $19,406
 $3,512
 $87,112
  Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017
  Commercial Trusts Residential Mortgage Loan Trusts MSR Silo
Net interest income: (dollars in thousands)
Interest income $81,508
 $3,685
 $1,005
Interest expense 42,046
 854
 243
Net interest income 39,462
 2,831
 762
Net realized gains (losses) on disposal of investments 
 (611) (1,915)
Net gains (losses) on trading assets
 
 
 (17)
Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair value through earnings 2,833
 1,682
 (83,340)
Other income (loss) (18,595) (280) 99,927
Less: General and administrative expenses 
 71
 2,500
Net income (loss) $23,700
 $3,551
 $12,917


The geographic concentrations of credit risk exceeding 5% of the total loan unpaid principal balances related to the Company’s VIEs, excluding the credit facility VIEs and OBX Trust,Trusts, at March 31,September 30, 2018 are as follows:

Securitized Loans at Fair Value Geographic Concentration of Credit Risk
FREMF Trusts Residential Mortgage Loan Trusts
Property
Location
 
Principal
Balance
 
% of
Balance 
 
Property
Location
 
Principal
Balance
 
% of
Balance 
(dollars in thousands)
Maryland $494,604
 18.5% California $76,367
 33.0%
Texas 361,641
 13.6% Florida 21,340
 9.2%
Virginia 329,250
 12.4% Texas 18,357
 7.9%
New York 280,925
 10.5% Illinois 15,752
 6.8%
North Carolina 232,271
 8.7% New Jersey 13,290
 5.7%
Pennsylvania 225,810
 8.5% 
Other (1)
 86,430
 37.4%
Massachusetts 179,440
 6.7%      
Ohio 156,834
 5.9%      
Other (1)
 404,652
 15.2%      
Total $2,665,427
 100.0%   $231,536
 100.0%
(1) No individual state greater than 5%.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



FREMF Trusts Residential Mortgage Loan Trusts
Property
Location
 
Principal
Balance
 
% of
Balance 
 
Property
Location
 
Principal
Balance
 
% of
Balance 
(dollars in thousands)
Texas $478,593
 13.7% California $48,718
 44.9%
Maryland 448,646
 12.8% Texas 13,981
 12.9%
California 360,279
 10.3% Illinois 8,297
 7.6%
Virginia 347,002
 9.9% Washington 7,559
 7.0%
Pennsylvania 281,384
 8.1% Florida 5,424
 5.0%
New York 280,925
 8.0% 
Other (1)
 24,501
 22.6%
North Carolina 251,187
 7.2%      
Massachusetts 179,440
 5.1%      
Other (1)
 867,774
 24.9%      
Total $3,495,230
 100.0%   $108,480
 100.0%
(1)
No individual state greater than 5%.


9. REAL ESTATE         
Real estate investments are carried at historical cost less accumulated depreciation. Historical cost includes all costs necessary to bring the asset to the condition and location necessary for its intended use, including financing during the construction period.  Costs directly related to acquisitions deemed to be business combinations are expensed. Ordinary repairs and maintenance which are not reimbursed by tenants are expensed as incurred. Major replacements and improvements that extend the useful life of the asset are capitalized and depreciated over their useful life.
Real estate investments are depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, summarized as follows:
CategoryTerm
Building and building improvements1 - 44 years
Furniture and fixtures1 - 4 years
There was no real estate acquired in settlement of residential mortgage loans at September 30, 2018 or December 31, 2017 other than real estate held by securitization trusts that the Company was required to consolidate. The Company would be considered to have received physical possession of residential real estate property collateralizing a residential mortgage loan, so that the loan is derecognized and the real estate property would be recognized, if either (i) the Company obtains legal title to the residential real estate property upon completion of a foreclosure or (ii) the borrower conveys all interest in the residential real estate property to the Company to satisfy the loan through completion of a deed in lieu of foreclosure or through a similar legal agreement.

Real estate investments, including REO, that do not meet the criteria to be classified as held for sale are separately presented in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition as held for investment. Real estate held for sale is reported at the lower of its carrying value or its estimated fair value less estimated costs to sell. Once a property is determined to be held for sale, depreciation is no longer recorded.

The Company’s real estate portfolio (REO and real estate held for investment) is reviewed on a quarterly basis, or more frequently as necessary, to assess whether there are any indicators that the value of its operating real estate may be impaired or that its carrying value may not be recoverable. A property’s value is considered impaired if the Company’s estimate of the aggregate future undiscounted cash flows to be generated by the property is less than the carrying value of the property. In conducting this review, the Company considers U.S. macroeconomic factors, including real estate sector conditions, together with asset specific and other factors. To the extent impairment has occurred and is considered to be other than temporary, the loss will be measured as the excess of the carrying amount of the property over the calculated fair value of the property.

The Company acquired real estate holdings in connection with the MTGE Acquisition during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018; refer to the “Acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp.” Note for additional information. There were no acquisitions of real estate holdings during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017. The Company sold one of its
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



wholly-owned triple net leased properties during the nine months ended September 30, 2017 for $12.0 million and recognized a gain on sale of $5.1 million.

The weighted average amortization period for intangible assets and liabilities at September 30, 2018 is 5.0 years. Above market leases and leasehold intangible assets are included in Goodwill and intangible assets, net and below market leases are included in Other liabilities in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.

  September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Real Estate, Net (dollars in thousands)
Land $128,742
 $111,012
Buildings and improvements 580,932
 330,959
Furniture, fixtures and equipment 11,205
 
Subtotal 720,879
 441,971
Less: accumulated depreciation (60,795) (48,920)
Total real estate held for investment, at amortized cost, net 660,084
 393,051
Equity in unconsolidated joint ventures 92,930
 92,902
Total Real Estate, Net $753,014
 $485,953

Depreciation expense was $4.5 million and $11.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively. Depreciation expense was $4.0 million and $11.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively. Depreciation expense is included in Other income (loss) in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Rental Income
The minimum rental amounts due under leases are generally either subject to scheduled fixed increases or adjustments. The leases generally also require that the tenants reimburse the Company for certain operating costs. Rental income is included in Other income (loss) in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Approximate future minimum rents to be received over the next five years and thereafter for non-cancelable operating leases in effect at September 30, 2018 for consolidated investments in real estate are as follows: 

September 30, 2018
(dollars in thousands)
2018 (remaining)$12,627
201949,246
202044,973
202140,940
202236,393
Later years223,175
 Total$407,354


10. DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS                                     
Derivative instruments include, but are not limited to, interest rate swaps, options to enter into interest rate swaps (“swaptions”), TBA derivatives, options on TBA securities (“MBS options”), U.S. Treasury and Eurodollar futures contracts and certain forward purchase commitments.  The Company may also enter into other types of mortgage derivatives such as interest-only securities, credit derivatives referencing the commercial mortgage-backed securities index and synthetic total return swaps. 
In connection with the Company’s investment/market rate risk management strategy, the Company economically hedges a portion of its interest rate risk by entering into derivative financial instrument contracts, which include interest rate swaps, swaptions and futures contracts. The Company may also enter into TBA derivatives, MBS options and U.S. Treasury or Eurodollar futures contracts, certain forward purchase commitments and credit derivatives to economically hedge its exposure to market risks. The purpose of using derivatives is to manage overall portfolio risk with the potential to generate additional income for distribution to stockholders. These derivatives are subject to changes in market values resulting from changes in interest rates, volatility, Agency
11.mortgage-backed security spreads to U.S. Treasuries and market liquidity. The use of derivatives also 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 stated contract. Additionally, the Company may have to pledge cash or assets as collateral for the derivative transactions, the amount of which may vary based on the market value and terms of the derivative contract. In the case of MAC interest rate swaps, the Company may make or receive a payment at the time of entering into such interest rate swap to compensate for the out of market nature of such interest rate swap. Similar to other interest rate swaps, the Company may have to pledge cash or assets as collateral for the MAC interest rate swap transactions. In the event of a default by the counterparty, the Company could have difficulty obtaining its pledged collateral as well as receiving payments in accordance with the terms of the derivative contracts.
Derivatives are accounted for in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 815, Derivatives and Hedging, which requires recognition of all derivatives as either assets or liabilities at fair value in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition with changes in fair value recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). The changes in the estimated fair value are presented within Net gains (losses) on other derivatives with the exception of interest rate swaps which are separately presented. None of the Company’s derivative transactions have been designated as hedging instruments for accounting purposes. 

The Company also maintains collateral in the form of cash on margin with counterparties to its interest rate swaps and other derivatives. In accordance with a clearing organization’s rulebook, the Company presents the fair value of centrally cleared interest rate swaps net of variation margin pledged under such transactions. At September 30, 2018, $1.6 billion of variation margin was reported as a reduction to interest rate swaps, at fair value.

Interest Rate Swap Agreements – Interest rate swap agreements are the primary instruments used to mitigate interest rate risk.  In particular, the Company uses interest rate swap agreements to manage its exposure to changing interest rates on its repurchase agreements by economically hedging cash flows associated with these borrowings.  Interest rate swap agreements may or may not be cleared through a derivatives clearing organization (“DCO”).  Uncleared interest rate swaps are fair valued using internal pricing models and compared to the counterparty market values.  Centrally cleared interest rate swaps are generally fair valued using the DCO’s market values. We may use market agreed coupon (“MAC”) interest rate swaps in which we may receive or make a payment at the time of entering into the swap to compensate for the out of the market nature of such interest rate swap. MAC interest rate swaps are also centrally cleared and fair valued using internal pricing models and compared to the DCO’s market value.

Swaptions – Swaptions are purchased or sold to mitigate the potential impact of increases or decreases in interest rates.  Interest rate swaptions provide the option to enter into an interest rate swap agreement for a predetermined notional amount, stated term and pay and receive interest rates in the future.  They are not centrally cleared.  The premium paid or received for swaptions is reported as an asset or liability in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. If a swaption expires unexercised, the realized gain (loss) on the swaption would be equal to the premium received or paid. If the Company sells or exercises a swaption, the realized gain or loss on the swaption would be equal to the difference between the cash received or the fair value of the underlying interest rate swap received and the premium paid.

The fair value of swaptions is estimated using internal pricing models and compared to the counterparty market value.

TBA Dollar Rolls – TBA dollar roll transactions are accounted for as a series of derivative transactions. The fair value of TBA derivatives is based on methods similar to those used to value Agency mortgage-backed securities.

MBS Options – MBS options are generally options on TBA contracts, which help manage mortgage market risks and volatility while providing the potential to enhance returns.  MBS options are over-the-counter traded instruments and those written on current-coupon mortgage-backed securities are typically the most liquid.  MBS options are measured at fair value using internal pricing models and compared to the counterparty market value at the valuation date.
Futures Contracts – Futures contracts are derivatives that track the prices of specific assets or benchmark rates. Short sales of futures contracts help to mitigate the potential impact of changes in interest rates on the portfolio performance. The Company maintains margin accounts which are settled daily with Futures Commission Merchants (“FCMs”). The margin requirement varies based on the market value of the open positions and the equity retained in the account. Futures contracts are fair valued based on exchange pricing.
Forward Purchase Commitments – The Company may enter into forward purchase commitments with counterparties whereby the Company commits to purchasing residential mortgage loans at a particular price, provided the residential mortgage loans close with the counterparties. The counterparties are required to deliver the committed loans on a “best efforts” basis.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



Credit Derivatives – The Company may enter into credit derivatives referencing the commercial mortgage-backed securities index, such as the CMBX index, and synthetic total return swaps. Refer to the section titled “Glossary of Terms” located in Part I, Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for additional information related to the CMBX index.

The table below summarizes fair value information about our derivative assets and liabilities at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
Derivatives Instruments September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Derivative Assets: (dollars in thousands)
Interest rate swaps $97,002
 $30,272
Interest rate swaptions 65,356
 36,150
TBA derivatives 13,535
 29,067
Futures contracts 221,516
 218,361
Purchase commitments 189
 35
Credit derivatives (1)
 7,243
 
  $404,841
 $313,885
Derivative Liabilities:  
  
Interest rate swaps $311,729
 $569,129
TBA derivatives 64,900
 21,776
Futures contracts 482
 12,285
Purchase commitments 797
 157
Credit derivatives (1)
 1,886
 4,507
  $379,794
 $607,854
(1)
The notional amount of the credit derivatives in which the Company purchased protection was $70.0 million at
September 30, 2018. The maximum potential amount of future payments is the notional amount of $466.0 million
and $125.0 million at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, plus any coupon shortfalls on the
underlying tranche. The credit derivative tranches referencing the basket of bonds had a range of ratings between
AAA and BBB-.


The following table summarizes certain characteristics of the Company’s interest rate swaps at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
  September 30, 2018
Maturity 
Current
Notional
(1)
 Weighted Average
Pay Rate
 Weighted Average Receive Rate Weighted Average Years to Maturity
(dollars in thousands)
0 - 3 years $34,361,800
 1.76% 2.36% 1.38
3 - 6 years 16,854,750
 2.25% 2.34% 4.44
6 - 10 years 15,746,900
 2.48% 2.26% 8.62
Greater than 10 years 4,151,400
 3.60% 2.27% 17.13
Total / Weighted Average $71,114,850
 2.10% 2.33% 4.34
         
  December 31, 2017
Maturity 
Current
Notional (1)
 
Weighted Average
Pay Rate (2) (3)
 
Weighted Average Receive Rate (2)
 
Weighted Average Years to Maturity (2)
(dollars in thousands)
0 - 3 years $6,532,000
 1.56% 1.62% 2.08
3 - 6 years 14,791,800
 2.12% 1.57% 4.51
6 - 10 years 10,179,000
 2.35% 1.58% 8.04
Greater than 10 years 3,826,400
 3.65% 1.51% 18.47
Total / Weighted Average $35,329,200
 2.22% 1.58% 6.72
(1)
There were no forward starting swaps at September 30, 2018. Notional amount includes $8.1 billion of forward starting pay fixed
swaps at December 31, 2017.
(2)
Excludes forward starting swaps.
(3)
Weighted average fixed rate on forward starting pay fixed swaps was 1.86% at December 31, 2017.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



The following table presents swaptions outstanding at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.
  September 30, 2018
  Current Underlying Notional Weighted Average Underlying Pay Rate  Weighted Average Underlying Receive Rate Weighted Average Underlying Years to Maturity Weighted Average Months to Expiration
  (dollars in thousands)
Long $4,500,000
 3.18% 3M LIBOR 10.21 5.09
           
  December 31, 2017
  Current Underlying Notional Weighted Average Underlying Pay Rate  Weighted Average Underlying Receive Rate Weighted Average Underlying Years to Maturity Weighted Average Months to Expiration
  (dollars in thousands)
Long $6,000,000
 2.62% 3M LIBOR 9.97 4.49
The following table summarizes certain characteristics of the Company’s TBA derivatives at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
  September 30, 2018
Purchase and sale contracts for derivative TBAs Notional Implied Cost Basis Implied Market Value Net Carrying Value
(dollars in thousands)
Purchase contracts $16,209,160
 $16,304,558
 $16,253,193
 $(51,365)
         
  December 31, 2017
Purchase and sale contracts for derivative TBAs Notional Implied Cost Basis Implied Market Value Net Carrying Value
(dollars in thousands)
Purchase contracts $15,828,000
 $16,381,826
 $16,390,251
 $8,425
Sale contracts (250,000) (254,804) (255,938) (1,134)
Net TBA derivatives $15,578,000
 $16,127,022
 $16,134,313
 $7,291

The following table summarizes certain characteristics of the Company’s futures contracts at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
  September 30, 2018
  
Notional - Long
Positions
 
Notional - Short
Positions
 
Weighted Average
Years to Maturity
  (dollars in thousands)
U.S. Treasury futures - 2 year $
 $(1,166,000) 2.00
U.S. Treasury futures - 5 year 
 (6,359,400) 4.41
U.S. Treasury futures - 10 year and greater 
 (12,346,600) 7.18
Total $
 $(19,872,000) 5.99
       
  December 31, 2017
  
Notional - Long
Positions
 
Notional - Short
Positions
 
Weighted Average
Years to Maturity
  (dollars in thousands)
2-year swap equivalent Eurodollar contracts $
 $(17,161,000) 2.00
U.S. Treasury futures - 5 year 
 (4,217,400) 4.41
U.S. Treasury futures - 10 year and greater 
 (4,914,500) 7.01
Total $
 $(26,292,900) 3.32

The Company presents derivative contracts on a gross basis on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Derivative contracts may contain legally enforceable provisions that allow for netting or setting off receivables and payables with each counterparty.

The following tables present information about derivative assets and liabilities that are subject to such provisions and can potentially be offset on our Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements




  September 30, 2018
   
 Amounts Eligible for Offset  
  Gross Amounts Financial Instruments Cash Collateral Net Amounts
Assets: (dollars in thousands)
Interest rate swaps, at fair value $97,002
 $(45,805) $
 $51,197
Interest rate swaptions, at fair value 65,356
 
 
 65,356
TBA derivatives, at fair value 13,535
 (13,535) 
 
Futures contracts, at fair value 221,516
 (482) 
 221,034
Purchase commitments 189
 
 
 189
Credit derivatives 7,243
 (1,886) 
 5,357
Liabilities:  
  
  
  
Interest rate swaps, at fair value $311,729
 $(45,805) $
 $265,924
TBA derivatives, at fair value 64,900
 (13,535) 
 51,365
Futures contracts, at fair value 482
 (482) 
 
Purchase commitments 797
 
 
 797
Credit derivatives 1,886
 (1,886) 
 
         
  December 31, 2017
   
 Amounts Eligible for Offset  
  Gross Amounts Financial Instruments Cash Collateral Net Amounts
Assets: (dollars in thousands)
Interest rate swaps, at fair value $30,272
 $(27,379) $
 $2,893
Interest rate swaptions, at fair value 36,150
 
 
 36,150
TBA derivatives, at fair value 29,067
 (12,551) 
 16,516
Futures contracts, at fair value 218,361
 (12,285) 
 206,076
Purchase commitments 35
 
 
 35
Liabilities:  
  
  
  
Interest rate swaps, at fair value $569,129
 $(27,379) $
 $541,750
TBA derivatives, at fair value 21,776
 (12,551) 
 9,225
Futures contracts, at fair value 12,285
 (12,285) 
 
Purchase commitments 157
 
 
 157
Credit derivatives 4,507
 
 (3,520) 987

The effect of interest rate swaps on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) is as follows:

  Location on Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)
  Net Interest Component of Interest Rate Swaps Realized Gains (Losses) on Termination or Maturity of Interest Rate Swaps Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Interest Rate Swaps
Three Months Ended: (dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2018 $51,349
 $575
 $417,203
September 30, 2017 $(88,211) $
 $56,854
Nine Months Ended:      
September 30, 2018 $34,664
 $1,409
 $1,737,963
September 30, 2017 $(288,837) $(58) $28,471


The effect of other derivative contracts on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) is as follows:
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



  Three Months Ended September 30, 2018
Derivative Instruments Realized Gains (Losses) Unrealized Gains (Losses) Amount of Gains (Losses) Recognized in Net Gains (Losses) on Other Derivatives
(dollars in thousands)
Net TBA derivatives $8,569
 $(85,741) $(77,172)
Net interest rate swaptions (28,754) (17,663) (46,417)
Futures (114,317) 327,787
 213,470
Purchase commitments 
 (841) (841)
Credit derivatives 3,096
 1,676
 4,772
Total  
  
 $93,812
       
  Three Months Ended September 30, 2017
Derivative Instruments Realized Gains (Losses) Unrealized Gains (Losses) Amount of Gains (Losses) Recognized in Net Gains (Losses) on Other Derivatives
(dollars in thousands)
Net TBA derivatives $110,067
 $29,728
 $139,795
Net interest rate swaptions 
 (9,137) (9,137)
Futures (70,054) 92,784
 22,730
Purchase commitments 
 (108) (108)
Credit derivatives 495
 433
 928
Total  
  
 $154,208
  Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018
Derivative Instruments Realized Gains (Losses) Unrealized Gains (Losses) Amount of Gains (Losses) Recognized in Net Gains (Losses) on Other Derivatives
(dollars in thousands)
Net TBA derivatives $(299,560) $(56,701) $(356,261)
Net interest rate swaptions (85,854) 53,557
 (32,297)
Futures 443,314
 14,959
 458,273
Purchase commitments 
 (416) (416)
Credit derivatives 7,498
 4,060
 11,558
Total  
  
 $80,857
       
  Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017
Derivative Instruments Realized Gains (Losses) Unrealized Gains (Losses) Amount of Gain (Losses) Recognized in Net Gains (Losses) on Other Derivatives
(dollars in thousands)
Net TBA derivatives $215,529
 $39,964
 $255,493
Net interest rate swaptions 
 (19,574) (19,574)
Futures (128,478) 31,492
 (96,986)
Purchase commitments 
 165
 165
Credit derivatives 632
 356
 988
Total  
  
 $140,086

Certain of the Company’s derivative contracts are subject to International Swaps and Derivatives Association Master Agreements or other similar agreements which may contain provisions that grant counterparties certain rights with respect to the applicable agreement upon the occurrence of certain events such as (i) a decline in stockholders’ equity in excess of specified thresholds or dollar amounts over set periods of time, (ii) the Company’s failure to maintain its REIT status, (iii) the Company’s failure to comply with limits on the amount of leverage, and (iv) the Company’s stock being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.

Upon the occurrence of any one of items (i) through (iv), or another default under the agreement, the counterparty to the applicable agreement has a right to terminate the agreement in accordance with its provisions. The aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with the aforementioned features are in a net asset position at September 30, 2018.

11. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
                            
The Company follows fair value guidance in accordance with GAAP to account for its financial instruments.instruments that are accounted for at fair value. The fair value of a financial instrument is the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.

GAAP requires classification of financial instruments into a three-level hierarchy based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3).

If the inputs used to measure the financial instruments fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the categorization is based on the lowest priority input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument. Financial assets and liabilities recorded at fair value on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition or disclosed in the related notes are categorized based on the inputs to the valuation techniques as follows:

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.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



The Company designates its securities as trading, available-for-sale or held-to-maturity depending upon the type of security and the Company’s intent and ability to hold such security to maturity. Securities classified as available-for-sale and trading are reported at fair value on a recurring basis.

The following is a description of the valuation methodologies used for instruments carried at fair value. These methodologies are applied to assets and liabilities across the three-level fair value hierarchy, with the observability of inputs determining the appropriate level.

Residential Investment Securities, interest rate swaps, swaptions and other derivatives are valued using quoted prices or internally estimated prices for similar assets using internal models. The Company incorporates common market pricing methods, including a spread measurement to the Treasury curve as well as underlying characteristics of the particular security including coupon, prepayment speeds, periodic and life caps, rate reset period and expected life of
the security in its estimates of fair value. Fair value estimates for residential mortgage loans are generated by a discounted cash flow model and are primarily based on observable market-based inputs including discount rates, prepayment speeds, delinquency levels, and credit losses. Management reviews and indirectly corroborates its estimates of the fair value derived using internal models by comparing its results to independent prices provided by dealers in the securities and/or third party pricing services. Certain liquid asset classes, such as Agency fixed-rate pass-throughs, may be priced using independent sources such as quoted prices for TBA securities.

Futures contracts are valued using quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets and are classified as Level 1.

Residential Investment Securities, residential mortgage loans, interest rate swap and swaption markets and MBS options are considered to be active markets such that participants transact with sufficient frequency and volume to provide transparent pricing information on an ongoing basis. The liquidity of the Residential Investment Securities, interest rate swaps, swaptions, TBA derivatives and MBS options markets and the similarity of the Company’s securities to those actively traded enable the Company to observe quoted prices in the market and utilize those prices as a basis for formulating fair value measurements. Consequently, the Company has classified Residential Investment Securities, interest rate swaps, swaptions, TBA derivatives and MBS options as Level 2 inputs in the fair value hierarchy.

The fair value of commercial mortgage-backed securities classified as available-for-sale is determined based upon quoted prices of similar assets in recent market transactions and requires the application of judgment due to differences in the underlying collateral. Consequently, Commercial real estate debt investments carried at fair value are classified as Level 2.

For the fair value of securitized debt of consolidated VIEs, refer to the Note titled “Variable Interest Entities” for additional information.

The Company classifies its investments in MSRs as Level 3 in the fair value measurements hierarchy. Fair value estimates for these investments are obtained from models, which use significant unobservable inputs in their valuations. These valuations primarily utilize discounted cash flow models that incorporate unobservable market data inputs including prepayment rates, delinquency levels, costs to service and discount rates. Model valuations are then compared to valuations obtained from third-party pricing providers. Management reviews the valuations received from third-party pricing providers and uses them as a point of comparison to its internally modeled values. The valuation of MSRs requires significant judgment by management and the third-party pricing providers. Assumptions used for
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


which there is a lack of observable inputs may significantly impact the resulting fair value and therefore the Company’s financial statements.
 
The following tables present the estimated fair values of financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis. There were no transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy during the periods presented.


ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



 March 31, 2018
 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total September 30, 2018
 (dollars in thousands) Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Assets:         (dollars in thousands)
Securities        
Agency mortgage-backed securities $
 $88,579,097
 $
 $88,579,097
 $
 $89,290,128
 $
 $89,290,128
Credit risk transfer securities 
 628,942
 
 628,942
 
 688,521
 
 688,521
Non-Agency mortgage-backed securities 
 1,066,343
 
 1,066,343
 
 1,173,467
 
 1,173,467
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 
 186,495
 
 186,495
Loans        
Residential mortgage loans 
 1,535,685
 
 1,535,685
 
 1,217,139
 
 1,217,139
Mortgage servicing rights 
 
 596,378
 596,378
 
 
 588,833
 588,833
Commercial real estate debt investments 
 2,960,323
 
 2,960,323
Assets transferred or pledged to securitization vehicles 
 4,287,821
 
 4,287,821
Derivative assets        
Interest rate swaps 
 69,109
 
 69,109
 
 97,002
 
 97,002
Other derivatives 
 161,193
 
 161,193
 221,516
 86,323
 
 307,839
Total assets $
 $95,000,692
 $596,378
 $95,597,070
 $221,516
 $97,026,896
 $588,833
 $97,837,245
Liabilities:                
Securitized debt of consolidated VIEs $
 $2,904,873
 $
 $2,904,873
Debt issued by securitization vehicles $
 $3,799,542
 $
 $3,799,542
Derivative liabilities        
Interest rate swaps 
 427,838
 
 427,838
 
 311,729
 
 311,729
Other derivatives 122,436
 30,667
 
 153,103
 482
 67,583
 
 68,065
Total liabilities $122,436
 $3,363,378
 $
 $3,485,814
 $482
 $4,178,854
 $
 $4,179,336
                
 December 31, 2017 December 31, 2017
 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
 (dollars in thousands)
Assets:  
  
  
  
 (dollars in thousands)
Securities        
Agency mortgage-backed securities $
 $90,551,763
 $
 $90,551,763
 $
 $90,551,763
 $
 $90,551,763
Credit risk transfer securities 
 651,764
 
 651,764
 
 651,764
 
 651,764
Non-Agency mortgage-backed securities 
 1,097,294
 
 1,097,294
 
 1,097,294
 
 1,097,294
Commercial mortgage-backed securities 
 262,751
 
 262,751
Loans        
Residential mortgage loans 
 1,438,322
 
 1,438,322
 
 958,546
 
 958,546
Mortgage servicing rights 
 
 580,860
 580,860
 
 
 580,860
 580,860
Commercial real estate debt investments 
 3,089,108
 
 3,089,108
Assets transferred or pledged to securitization vehicles 
 3,306,133
 
 3,306,133
Derivative assets        
Interest rate swaps 
 30,272
 
 30,272
 
 30,272
 
 30,272
Other derivatives 218,361
 65,252
 
 283,613
 218,361
 65,252
 
 283,613
Total assets $218,361
 $96,923,775
 $580,860
 $97,722,996
 $218,361
 $96,923,775
 $580,860
 $97,722,996
Liabilities:                
Securitized debt of consolidated VIEs $
 $2,971,771
 $
 $2,971,771
Debt issued by securitization vehicles $
 $2,971,771
 $
 $2,971,771
Derivative liabilities        
Interest rate swaps 
 569,129
 
 569,129
 
 569,129
 
 569,129
Other derivatives 12,285
 26,440
 
 38,725
 12,285
 26,440
 
 38,725
Total liabilities $12,285
 $3,567,340
 $
 $3,579,625
 $12,285
 $3,567,340
 $
 $3,579,625
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements

The Company considers unobservable inputs to be those for which market data is not available and that are developed using the best information available to us about the assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset. Relevant inputs vary depending on the nature of the instrument being measured at fair value. The following paragraph provides a general description of sensitivities of significant unobservable inputs along with interrelationships between and among the significant unobservable inputs and
their impact on the fair value measurements.measurements are described below. The effect of a change in a particular assumption in the sensitivity analysis below is considered independently offrom changes in any other assumptions. In practice, simultaneous changes in assumptions may not always have a linear effect on the inputs discussed below. Interrelationships may also exist between observable and unobservable inputs. Such relationships have not been included in the discussion below. For each of the individual relationships described below, the inverse relationship would also generally apply. For MSRs, in general, increases in the discount, prepayment or delinquency rates or in annual servicing costs in isolation would result in
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


a lower fair value measurement. A decline in interest rates could lead to higher-than-expected prepayments of mortgages underlying the Company’s investments in MSRs, which in turn could result in a decline in the estimated fair value of MSRs. Refer to the Note titled “Mortgage Servicing Rights” for additional information.

The table below presents information about the significant unobservable inputs used for recurring fair value measurements for Level 3 MSRs. The table does not give effect to the Company’s risk management practices that might offset risks inherent in these Level 3 investments.
March 31, 2018December 31, 2017
RangeRange
Valuation Technique
Unobservable Input (1)
(Weighted Average)September 30, 2018
Unobservable Input (1)
(WeightedDecember 31, 2017
Range (Weighted Average)
Discounted cash flowDiscount rate10.0% -15.0% (10.4%9.0% -12.0% (9.4%)Discount rate10.0% -15.0% (10.4%)
 Prepayment rate4.5% - 13.3% (7.6%11.3% (7.1%)Prepayment rate4.6% - 22.3% (9.4%)
 Delinquency rate0.0% - 6.0%5.0% (2.3%)Delinquency rate0.0% - 13.0% (2.2%)
 Cost to service$8882 - $135$132 ($107)105)Cost to service$84 - $181 ($102)

(1)
Represents rates, estimates and assumptions that the Company believes would be used by market participants when valuing these assets.
valuing these assets.

The following table summarizes the estimated fair values for financial assets and liabilities that are not carried at March 31,fair value at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.
    March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
  
Level in
Fair Value
Hierarchy
 
Carrying
Value
 Fair Value 
Carrying
Value
 Fair Value
Financial assets:   (dollars in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents 1 $984,275
 $984,275
 $706,589
 $706,589
Agency mortgage-backed securities 2 88,579,097
 88,579,097
 90,551,763
 90,551,763
Credit risk transfer securities 2 628,942
 628,942
 651,764
 651,764
Non-Agency mortgage-backed securities 2 1,066,343
 1,066,343
 1,097,294
 1,097,294
Residential mortgage loans 2 1,535,685
 1,535,685
 1,438,322
 1,438,322
Mortgage servicing rights 3 596,378
 596,378
 580,860
 580,860
Commercial real estate debt investments 2 2,960,323
 2,960,323
 3,089,108
 3,089,108
Commercial real estate debt and preferred equity, held for investment 3 1,081,295
 1,086,872
 1,029,327
 1,035,095
Corporate debt 2 1,152,745
 1,159,443
 1,011,275
 1,014,139
Interest rate swaps 2 69,109
 69,109
 30,272
 30,272
Other derivatives 1,2 161,193
 161,193
 283,613
 283,613
Reverse repurchase agreements 1 200,459
 200,459
 
 
Financial liabilities:          
Repurchase agreements 1,2 $78,015,431
 $78,015,431
 $77,696,343
 $77,697,828
Other secured financing 1,2 3,830,075
 3,829,693
 3,837,528
 3,837,595
Securitized debt of consolidated VIEs 2 2,904,873
 2,904,873
 2,971,771
 2,971,771
Mortgage payable 3 309,794
 304,179
 309,686
 310,218
Interest rate swaps 2 427,838
 427,838
 569,129
 569,129
Other derivatives 1,2 153,103
 153,103
 38,725
 38,725
  
Level in
Fair Value
Hierarchy
 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
   
Carrying
Value
 Fair Value 
Carrying
Value
 Fair Value
Financial assets: (dollars in thousands)
Loans          
Commercial real estate debt and preferred equity, held for investment 3 1,435,865
 1,446,062
 1,029,327
 1,035,095
Commercial loans held for sale, net 3 42,325
 43,055
 
 
Corporate debt 2 1,528,874
 1,531,546
 1,011,275
 1,014,139
Financial liabilities:          
Repurchase agreements 1,2 $79,073,026
 $79,073,026
 $77,696,343
 $77,697,828
Other secured financing 1,2 4,108,547
 4,108,801
 3,837,528
 3,837,595
Mortgages payable 3 511,588
 494,690
 309,686
 310,218


12.  GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS                             

Goodwill
The Company’s acquisitions are accounted for using the acquisition method if the acquisition is deemed to be a business. Under the acquisition method, net assets and results of operations of acquired companies are included in the consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition. The purchase prices are 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 the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired is recognized as goodwill. Conversely, any excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired over the purchase price is recognized as a bargain purchase gain.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



The Company tests goodwill for impairment on an annual basis and at interim periods when events or circumstances may make it more likely than not that an impairment has occurred. If a qualitative analysis indicates that there may be an impairment, a quantitative analysis is performed.  The quantitative impairment test for goodwill utilizes a two-step approach, whereby the Company compares the carrying value of each identified reporting unit to its fair value.  If the carrying value of the reporting unit is greater than its fair value, the second step is performed, where the implied fair value of goodwill is compared to its carrying value. The Company recognizes an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its fair value.
At September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, Goodwill totaled $71.8 million. Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually.

Intangible assets, net

Finite life intangible assets are amortized over their expected useful lives. The following table presents the activity of finite lived intangible assets for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.
12.
Intangible Assets, net
(dollars in thousands)
Balance at December 31, 2017$23,220
Intangible assets acquired14,483
Less: amortization expense(6,475)
Balance at September 30, 2018$31,228

13. SECURED FINANCING

Reverse Repurchase and Repurchase Agreements – The Company finances a significant portion of its assets with repurchase agreements. At the inception of each transaction, the Company assesses each of the specified criteria in ASC 860, Transfers and Servicing, and has determined that each of the financing agreements meet the specified criteria in this guidance.

The Company had outstanding $78.0 billion and $77.7 billion ofenters into reverse repurchase agreements to earn a yield on excess cash balances. The Company obtains collateral in connection with weighted average borrowing rates of 1.70% and 1.89%, after giving effectthe reverse repurchase agreements in order to the Company’s interest rate swaps usedmitigate credit risk exposure to hedge cost of funds, and weighted average remaining maturities of 72 days and
58 days at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.its counterparties.

At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, theReverse repurchase agreements had the following remaining maturities, collateral types and weighted average rates:
  March 31, 2018
  Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities CRTs Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities 
Commercial
Loans
 Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities 
Total Repurchase
Agreements
 
 
Weighted
Average Rate 
  (dollars in thousands)
1 day $
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $
 
2 to 29 days 38,894,346
 326,985
 281,627
 
 24,220
 39,527,178
 1.76%
30 to 59 days 8,619,507
 
 
 
 
 8,619,507
 1.67%
60 to 89 days 10,215,074
 
 27,972
 
 
 10,243,046
 1.83%
90 to 119 days 5,378,231
 
 
 
 
 5,378,231
 1.63%
Over 120 days (1)
 13,856,340
 
 
 391,129
 
 14,247,469
 2.19%
Total $76,963,498
 $326,985
 $309,599
 $391,129
 $24,220
 $78,015,431
 1.83%
  December 31, 2017
  Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities CRTs Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities 
Commercial
Loans
 Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities 
Total Repurchase
Agreements
 
  
Weighted
Average Rate
  (dollars in thousands)
1 day $
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $
 
2 to 29 days 33,421,609
 263,528
 253,290
 
 18,125
 33,956,552
 1.69%
30 to 59 days 10,811,515
 7,229
 3,658
 
 6,375
 10,828,777
 1.44%
60 to 89 days 13,800,743
 7,214
 47,830
 
 
 13,855,787
 1.59%
90 to 119 days 10,128,006
 
 
 
 
 10,128,006
 1.39%
Over 120 days (1)
 8,542,108
 
 
 385,113
 
 8,927,221
 1.77%
Total $76,703,981
 $277,971
 $304,778
 $385,113
 $24,500
 $77,696,343
 1.61%

(1) Approximately 0% and 1% of the total repurchase agreements had a remaining maturity over 1 year at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
Repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements with the same counterparty and the same maturity are presented net in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition when the terms of the agreements meet the criteria to permit netting. The Company reports cash flows on repurchase agreements as financing activities and cash flows on reverse repurchase agreements as investing activities in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
The Company had outstanding $79.1 billion and $77.7 billion of repurchase agreements with weighted average borrowing rates of 2.05% and 1.89%, after giving effect to the Company’s interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds, and weighted average remaining maturities of 55 days and 58 days at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

At September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the repurchase agreements had the following remaining maturities, collateral types and weighted average rates:
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



  September 30, 2018
  Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities CRTs Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities 
Commercial
Loans
 Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities 
Total Repurchase
Agreements
 
 
Weighted
Average Rate 
  (dollars in thousands)
1 day $16,400,345
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $16,400,345
 2.38%
2 to 29 days 19,476,641
 365,101
 252,960
 
 80,474
 20,175,176
 2.18%
30 to 59 days 7,256,371
 
 65,567
 
 
 7,321,938
 2.26%
60 to 89 days 17,159,885
 71,919
 155,479
 
 36,076
 17,423,359
 2.38%
90 to 119 days 6,518,313
 
 
 
 
 6,518,313
 2.20%
Over 120 days (1)
 10,330,866
 
 
 764,543
 138,486
 11,233,895
 2.48%
Total $77,142,421
 $437,020
 $474,006
 $764,543
 $255,036
 $79,073,026
 2.32%
  December 31, 2017
  Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities CRTs Non-Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities 
Commercial
Loans
 Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities 
Total Repurchase
Agreements
 
  
Weighted
Average Rate
  (dollars in thousands)
1 day $
 $
 $
 $
 $
 $
 
2 to 29 days 33,421,609
 263,528
 253,290
 
 18,125
 33,956,552
 1.69%
30 to 59 days 10,811,515
 7,229
 3,658
 
 6,375
 10,828,777
 1.44%
60 to 89 days 13,800,743
 7,214
 47,830
 
 
 13,855,787
 1.59%
90 to 119 days 10,128,006
 
 
 
 
 10,128,006
 1.39%
Over 120 days (1)
 8,542,108
 
 
 385,113
 
 8,927,221
 1.77%
Total $76,703,981
 $277,971
 $304,778
 $385,113
 $24,500
 $77,696,343
 1.61%
(1)
Approximately 0% and 1% of the total repurchase agreements had a remaining maturity over 1 year at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
The following table summarizes the gross amounts of reverse repurchase agreements and repurchase agreements, amounts offset in accordance with netting arrangements and net
amounts of repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements as presented in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. Refer to the “Derivative Instruments” Note for information related to the effect of netting arrangements on the Company’s derivative instruments.

 March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
 
Reverse Repurchase
Agreements
 
Repurchase
Agreements
 
Reverse Repurchase
Agreements
 
Repurchase
Agreements
 
Reverse Repurchase
Agreements
 
Repurchase
Agreements
 
Reverse Repurchase
Agreements
 
Repurchase
Agreements
 (dollars in thousands) (dollars in thousands)
Gross Amounts $3,375,459
 $81,190,431
 $1,250,000
 $78,946,343
 $1,484,704
 $79,323,026
 $1,250,000
 $78,946,343
Amounts Offset (3,175,000) (3,175,000) (1,250,000) (1,250,000) (250,000) (250,000) (1,250,000) (1,250,000)
Netted Amounts $200,459
 $78,015,431
 $
 $77,696,343
 $1,234,704
 $79,073,026
 $
 $77,696,343


Other Secured Financing - The Company also finances a portion of its financial assets with advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (“FHLB Des Moines”). Borrowings from FHLB Des Moines are reported in Other secured financing in the
Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.  At March 31,September 30, 2018, $3.6 billion of the advances matures between one to three years. At December 31, 2017, $2.1 billion of advances from the FHLB Des Moines matured
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


matures beyond three years and $1.4 billion matures between one to three years. The weighted average rate of the advances from the FHLB Des Moines was 2.05%2.41% and 1.49% at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. The Company held $147.9 million of membership and activity-basedcapital stock in the FHLB Des Moines at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, which is reported at cost and included in Other assets on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.

Investments pledged as collateral under secured financing arrangements and interest rate swaps, excluding residential and senior securitized commercial mortgage loans of consolidated VIEs, had an estimated fair value and accrued interest of $87.6$87.2 billion and $275.2$280.7 million, respectively, at March 31,September 30, 2018 and $87.0 billion and $267.3 million, respectively, at December 31, 2017.

13.          DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS
In connection with the Company’s investment/market rate risk management strategy, the Company economically hedges a portion of its interest rate risk by entering into derivative financial instrument contracts, which include interest rate swaps, swaptions and futures contracts. The Company may also enter into TBA derivatives, MBS options and U.S. Treasury or Eurodollar futures contracts and certain
forward purchase commitments to economically hedge its exposure to market risks. The purpose of using derivatives is to manage overall portfolio risk with the potential to generate additional income for distribution to stockholders. These derivatives are subject to changes in market values resulting from changes in interest rates, volatility, Agency mortgage-backed security spreads to U.S. Treasuries and market liquidity. The use of derivatives also 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 stated contract. Additionally, the Company may have to pledge cash or assets as collateral for the derivative transactions, the amount of which may vary based on the market value and terms of the derivative contract. In the case of MAC interest rate swaps, the Company may make or receive a payment at the time of entering into such interest rate swap to compensate for the out of market nature of such interest rate swap. Similar to other interest rate swaps, the Company may have to pledge cash or assets as collateral for the MAC interest rate swap transactions.In the event of a default by the counterparty, the Company could have difficulty obtaining its Residential Investment Securities pledged as collateral as well as receiving payments in accordance with the terms of the derivative contracts.

The table below summarizes fair value information about our derivative assets and liabilities at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
Derivatives Instruments Balance Sheet Location March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
Assets:   (dollars in thousands)
Interest rate swaps Interest rate swaps, at fair value $69,109
 $30,272
Interest rate swaptions Other derivatives, at fair value 113,701
 36,150
TBA derivatives Other derivatives, at fair value 47,064
 29,067
Futures contracts Other derivatives, at fair value 
 218,361
Purchase commitments Other derivatives, at fair value 428
 35
     $230,302
 $313,885
Liabilities:    
  
Interest rate swaps Interest rate swaps, at fair value $427,838
 $569,129
TBA derivatives Other derivatives, at fair value 21,855
 21,776
Futures contracts Other derivatives, at fair value 122,436
 12,285
Purchase commitments Other derivatives, at fair value 262
 157
Credit derivatives (1)
 Other derivatives, at fair value 8,550
 4,507
     $580,941
 $607,854
(1) The maximum potential amount of future payments is the notional amount of $285.0 million and $125.0 million at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.

The following table summarizes certain characteristics of the Company’s interest rate swaps at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


March 31, 2018
Maturity 
Current
Notional
(1)
 Weighted Average
Pay Rate
 Weighted Average Receive Rate Weighted Average Years to Maturity
(dollars in thousands)
0 - 3 years $38,344,000
 1.64% 2.19% 1.77
3 - 6 years 13,254,550
 2.17% 2.12% 4.67
6 - 10 years 10,547,000
 2.32% 2.02% 8.11
Greater than 10 years 3,826,400
 3.65% 1.94% 18.22
Total / Weighted Average $65,971,950
 2.00% 2.13% 4.52
         
December 31, 2017
Maturity 
Current
Notional (1)
 
Weighted Average
Pay Rate (2) (3)
 
Weighted Average Receive Rate (2)
 
Weighted Average Years to Maturity (2)
(dollars in thousands)
0 - 3 years $6,532,000
 1.56% 1.62% 2.08
3 - 6 years 14,791,800
 2.12% 1.57% 4.51
6 - 10 years 10,179,000
 2.35% 1.58% 8.04
Greater than 10 years 3,826,400
 3.65% 1.51% 18.47
Total / Weighted Average $35,329,200
 2.22% 1.58% 6.72

(1) There were no forward starting swaps at March 31, 2018. Notional amount includes $8.1 billion of forward starting pay fixed swaps at December 31, 2017.
(2) Excludes forward starting swaps.
(3) Weighted average fixed rate on forward starting pay fixed swaps was 1.86% at December 31, 2017.
The following table presents swaptions outstanding at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.
March 31, 2018 Current Underlying Notional Weighted Average Underlying Pay Rate  Weighted Average Underlying Receive Rate Weighted Average Underlying Years to Maturity Weighted Average Months to Expiration
(dollars in thousands)
Long $6,000,000
 2.72% 3M LIBOR 10.33 3.88
           
December 31, 2017 Current Underlying Notional Weighted Average Underlying Pay Rate  Weighted Average Underlying Receive Rate Weighted Average Underlying Years to Maturity Weighted Average Months to Expiration
(dollars in thousands)
Long $6,000,000
 2.62% 3M LIBOR 9.97 4.49
The following table summarizes certain characteristics of the Company’s TBA derivatives at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
March 31, 2018
Purchase and sale contracts for
derivative TBAs
 Notional Implied Cost Basis Implied Market Value Net Carrying Value
(dollars in thousands)
Purchase contracts $8,954,000
 $9,107,423
 $9,132,632
 $25,209
         
December 31, 2017
Purchase and sale contracts for
derivative TBAs
 Notional Implied Cost Basis Implied Market Value Net Carrying Value
(dollars in thousands)
Purchase contracts $15,828,000
 $16,381,826
 $16,390,251
 $8,425
Sale contracts (250,000) (254,804) (255,938) (1,134)
Net TBA derivatives $15,578,000
 $16,127,022
 $16,134,313
 $7,291

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



The fair value of collateral received in connection with reverse repurchase agreements was $482.3 million and $0 as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. The Company did not sell or repledge any of the collateral received as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.


Mortgages Payable - Mortgages payable at September 30, 2018  and December 31, 2017, were as follows:

  September 30, 2018
Property 
Mortgage
Carrying Value
 
Mortgage
Principal
 Interest Rate 
Fixed/Floating
Rate
 Maturity Date Priority
(dollars in thousands)
Joint Ventures $332,317
 $334,789
 2.75% - 4.96% Fixed 2024 - 2029 First liens
Tennessee 12,319
 12,350
 4.01% Fixed 9/6/2019 First liens
Virginia 96,266
 98,127
 2.34% - 4.55% Fixed 2019-2053 First liens
Utah (fixed) 7,297
 7,218
 3.69% Fixed 6/1/2053 First liens
Utah (floating) 9,691
 9,706
 L+3.50% Floating 1/31/2019 First liens
Minnesota 13,470
 13,506
 3.69% Fixed 6/1/2053 First liens
Wisconsin 7,911
 7,932
 3.69% Fixed 6/1/2053 First liens
Texas 32,317
 33,875
 3.28% Fixed 1/1/1953 First liens
Total $511,588
 $517,503
        
  December 31, 2017
Property 
Mortgage
Carrying Value
 
Mortgage
Principal
 Interest Rate 
Fixed/Floating
Rate
 Maturity Date Priority
(dollars in thousands)
Joint Ventures $286,373
 $289,125
 4.03% - 4.61% Fixed 2024 and 2025 First liens
Tennessee 12,294
 12,350
 4.01% Fixed 9/6/2019 First liens
Virginia 11,019
 11,025
 3.58% Fixed 6/6/2019 First liens
Total $309,686
 $312,500
           


The following table summarizes certain characteristicsdetails future mortgage loan principal payments at September 30, 2018:
Mortgage Loan Principal Payments
(dollars in thousands)
2018 (remaining)$717
201936,111
202019,410
20213,493
20223,711
Later years454,061
Total$517,503


14. CAPITAL STOCK                                      

(A)Common Stock

The following table provides a summary of the Company’s futures derivativescommon shares authorized and issued and outstanding at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:2017.
  March 31, 2018
  
Notional - Long
Positions
 
Notional - Short
Positions
 
Weighted Average
Years to Maturity
  (dollars in thousands)  
U.S. Treasury futures - 5 year $
 $(4,597,400) 4.42
U.S. Treasury futures - 10 year and greater 
 (9,154,500) 6.99
Total $
 $(13,751,900) 6.13
       
  December 31, 2017
  
Notional - Long
Positions
 
Notional - Short
Positions
 
Weighted Average
Years to Maturity
  (dollars in thousands)  
2-year swap equivalent Eurodollar contracts $
 $(17,161,000) 2.00
U.S. Treasury futures - 5 year 
 (4,217,400) 4.41
U.S. Treasury futures - 10 year and greater 
 (4,914,500) 7.01
Total $
 $(26,292,900) 3.32
The Company presents derivative contracts on a gross basis on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition. Derivative contracts may contain legally enforceable provisions that allow for netting or setting off receivables and payables with each counterparty.

The following tables present information about derivative assets and liabilities that are subject to such provisions and can potentially be offset on our Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
  March 31, 2018
    Amounts Eligible for Offset  
  Gross Amounts Financial Instruments Cash Collateral Net Amounts
Assets: (dollars in thousands)
   Interest rate swaps, at fair value $69,109
 $(40,470) $
 $28,639
Interest rate swaptions, at fair value 113,701
 
 
 113,701
TBA derivatives, at fair value 47,064
 (21,855) 
 25,209
Purchase commitments 428
 
 
 428
Liabilities:  
  
  
  
   Interest rate swaps, at fair value $427,838
 $(40,470) $(6,856) $380,512
TBA derivatives, at fair value 21,855
 (21,855) 
 
Futures contracts, at fair value 122,436
 
 (122,436) 
Purchase commitments 262
 
 
 262
Credit derivatives 8,550
 
 (6,460) 2,090
         
  December 31, 2017
   
 Amounts Eligible for Offset  
  Gross Amounts Financial Instruments Cash Collateral Net Amounts
Assets: (dollars in thousands)
Interest rate swaps, at fair value $30,272
 $(27,379) $
 $2,893
Interest rate swaptions, at fair value 36,150
 
 
 36,150
TBA derivatives, at fair value 29,067
 (12,551) 
 16,516
Futures contracts, at fair value 218,361
 (12,285) 
 206,076
Purchase commitments 35
 
 
 35
Liabilities:  
  
  
  
Interest rate swaps, at fair value $569,129
 $(27,379) $
 $541,750
TBA derivatives, at fair value 21,776
 (12,551) 
 9,225
Futures contracts, at fair value 12,285
 (12,285) 
 
Purchase commitments 157
 
 
 157
Credit derivatives 4,507
 
 (3,520) 987
 Shares authorized Shares issued and outstanding 
 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017Par Value
Common stock1,924,050,000
 1,929,300,000
 1,303,079,555
 1,159,585,078
$0.01


The Company issued 43.6 million shares of common stock as part of the consideration for the MTGE Acquisition.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company closed the public offering of an original issuance of 75.0 million shares of common stock for proceeds of approximately $753.8 million before deducting offering expenses. In connection with the offering, the Company granted the underwriters a thirty-day option to purchase up to an additional 11.3 million shares of common stock, which the underwriters exercised in full resulting in an additional $113.1 million in proceeds before deducting offering expenses.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


The effect of interest rate swaps on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) is as follows:
  Location on Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)
  
Realized Gains (Losses) on
Interest Rate Swaps (1)
 Realized Gains (Losses) on Termination or Maturity of Interest Rate Swaps 
Unrealized Gains (Losses) on
Interest Rate Swaps
  (dollars in thousands)
Three Months Ended:    
March 31, 2018 $(48,160) $834
 $977,285
March 31, 2017 $(104,156) $
 $149,184

(1)Interest expense related to interest rate swaps is recorded in Realized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).
The effect of other derivative contracts on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) is as follows:
Three Months Ended March 31, 2018
Derivative Instruments Realized Gain (Loss) Unrealized Gain (Loss) Amount of Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Net Gains (Losses) on Trading Assets
(dollars in thousands)
Net TBA derivatives $(277,901) $17,917
 $(259,984)
Net interest rate swaptions (21,434) 67,221
 45,787
Futures 495,013
 (328,512) 166,501
Purchase commitments 
 366
 366
Credit derivatives 1,513
 (1,328) 185
Total  
  
 $(47,145)
       
Three Months Ended March 31, 2017
Derivative Instruments Realized Gain (Loss) Unrealized Gain (Loss) Amount of Gain/(Loss) Recognized in Net Gains (Losses) on Trading Assets
(dollars in thousands)
Net TBA derivatives $(60,314) $83,080
 $22,766
Futures 973
 (23,704) (22,731)
Purchase commitments 
 265
 265
Total  
  
 $300
       

Certain of the Company’s derivative contracts are subject to International Swaps and Derivatives Association Master Agreements or other similar agreements which may contain provisions that grant counterparties certain rights with respect to the applicable agreement upon the occurrence of certain events such as (i) a decline in stockholders’ equity in excess of specified thresholds or dollar amounts over set periods of time, (ii) the Company’s failure to maintain its REIT status, (iii) the Company’s failure to comply with limits on the amount of leverage, and (iv) the Company’s stock being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange.

Upon the occurrence of any one of items (i) through (iv), or another default under the agreement, the counterparty to the applicable agreement has a right to terminate the agreement in accordance with its provisions. The aggregate fair value of all derivative instruments with the aforementioned features that are in a net liability position at March 31, 2018 was
approximately $402.7 million, which represents the maximum amount the Company would be required to pay upon termination. This amount is fully collateralized.

14.COMMON STOCK AND PREFERRED STOCK
At March 31, 2018, the Company’s authorized shares of capital stock, par value of $0.01 per share, consisted of 1,909,750,000 shares classified as common stock, 12,000,000 shares classified as 7.625% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series C Preferred Stock”), 18,400,000 shares classified as 7.50% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series D Preferred Stock”), 11,500,000 shares of Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series E Preferred Stock”), 28,800,000 shares classified as 6.95% Series F Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series F Preferred Stock”) and 19,550,000 shares classified as 6.50%
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


Series G Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series G Preferred Stock”).

(A)Common Stock

At March 31, 2018During the three and December 31,nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company had issued and outstanding 1,159,657,350 and 1,159,585,078closed the public offering of an original issuance of 60.0 million shares of common stock respectively,for proceeds of approximately $709.8 million before deducting offering expenses. In connection with the offering, the Company granted the underwriters a par valuethirty-day option to purchase up to an additional 9.0 million shares of $0.01 per share.common stock, which the underwriters exercised in full resulting in an additional $106.5 million in proceeds before deducting offering expenses.

No options were exercised during the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017.

DuringThe following table provides a summary of activity related to the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company raised $0.7 million, by issuing 70,000 shares of common stock, through theCompany’s Direct Purchase and Dividend Reinvestment Program. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company raised $0.6 million, by issuing 56,000 shares of common stock, through the Direct Purchase and Dividend Reinvestment Program.
  Nine Months Ended
  September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
  (dollars in thousands)
Shares issued through direct purchase and dividend reinvestment program 245,000
 169,000
Amount raised from direct purchase and dividend reinvestment program $2,584
 $1,949

In January 2018, the Company entered into separate Distribution Agency Agreements (collectively, the “Sales Agreements”) with each of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Incorporated, Barclays Capital Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., RBC Capital Markets, LLC and UBS Securities LLC (the “Sales Agents”). The Company may offer and sell shares of its common stock, having an aggregate offering price of up to $1.5 billion from time to time through any of the Sales Agents. TheDuring the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company did not make any salesissued 24.0 million shares under the Sales Agreements during the three months ended March 31, 2018.at-the-market sales program for proceeds of $251.1 million, net of commissions and fees.

(B)Preferred Stock

The following is a summary of the Company’s cumulative redeemable preferred stock outstanding at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. In the event of a liquidation or dissolution of the Company, the Company’s then outstanding preferred stock takes precedence over the Company’s common stock with respect to payment of dividends and the distribution of assets.

 Shares authorized Shares issued and outstanding Carrying valueContractual rate
Earliest redemption date (1)
Date at which dividend rate becomes floatingFloating annual rate
 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Fixed-rate: (dollars in thousands)
Series C7,000,000
 12,000,000
 7,000,000
 12,000,000
 $169,466
 $290,514
7.625%5/16/2017NANA
Series D18,400,000
 18,400,000
 18,400,000
 18,400,000
 445,457
 445,457
7.50%9/13/2017NANA
Series E
 11,500,000
 
 11,500,000
 
 287,500
7.625%8/27/2017NANA
Series H2,200,000
 
 2,200,000
 
 55,000
 
8.125%5/22/2019NANA
Fixed-to-floating rate:
Series F28,800,000
 28,800,000
 28,800,000
 28,800,000
 696,910
 696,910
6.95%9/30/20229/30/20223M LIBOR + 4.993%
Series G19,550,000
 
 17,000,000
 
 411,335
 
6.50%3/31/20233/31/20233M LIBOR + 4.172%
Total75,950,000
 70,700,000
 73,400,000
 70,700,000
 $1,778,168
 $1,720,381
    
(1)
Subject to the Company’s right under limited circumstances to redeem preferred stock earlier in order to preserve its qualification as a REIT or under limited circumstances related to a change in control of the Company.

Each series of preferred stock has a par value of $0.01 per share and a liquidation and redemption price of $25.00, plus accrued and unpaid dividends through their redemption date. Through September 30, 2018, the Company had declared and paid all required quarterly dividends on the Company’s preferred stock.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company issued 17,000,000 shares of its 6.50% Series G Preferred Stock for gross proceeds of $425.0 million before deducting the underwriting discount and other estimated offering expenses and 2,200,000 shares of its Series H Preferred Stock in connection with the acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp. Refer to the “Acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp.” Note for additional information related to the Company’s Series H Preferred Stock.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company redeemed 5,000,000 shares of its Series C Preferred Stock for $125.0 million and all 11,500,000 of its issued and outstanding shares of Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series E Preferred Stock”) for $287.5 million.

On August 25, 2017, the Company redeemed all 7,412,500 of its issued and outstanding shares of 7.875% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”) for $187.5 million. The cash redemption amount for each share of Series A Preferred Stock was $25.00 plus accrued and unpaid dividends to, and including, the redemption date of August 25, 2017.

At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had issued and outstanding 7,000,000 and 12,000,000 shares, respectively, of Series C Preferred Stock, with a par value of $0.01 per share and a liquidation preference of $25.00 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared). The Series C Preferred Stock is entitled to a dividend at a rate of 7.625% per year based on the $25.00 liquidation preference before the common stock is entitled to receive any dividends. The Series C 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 May 16, 2017 (subject to the Company’s right under limited circumstances to redeem
the Series C Preferred Stock earlier in order to preserve its qualification as a REIT or under limited circumstances related to a change of control of the Company). During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company redeemed 5,000,000 shares of its Series C Preferred Stock for $125.0 million. Through March 31, 2018, the Company had declared and paid all required quarterly dividends on the Series C Preferred Stock, including $1.0 million, or $0.196 per share, for the 5,000,000 shares that were redeemed.

At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had issued and outstanding 18,400,000 shares of Series D Preferred Stock, with a par value of $0.01 per share and a liquidation preference of $25.00 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared). The Series D Preferred Stock is entitled to a dividend at a rate of 7.5% per year based on the $25.00 liquidation preference before the common stock is entitled to receive any dividends. The Series D 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 September 13, 2017 (subject to the Company’s right under limited circumstances to redeem the Series D Preferred Stock earlier in order to preserve its qualification as a REIT or under limited circumstances related to a change of control of the Company). Through March 31, 2018, the Company had declared and paid all required quarterly dividends on the Series D Preferred Stock.

At December 31, 2017, the Company had issued and outstanding 11,500,000 shares of 7.625% Series E Preferred Stock, with a par value of $0.01 per share and a liquidation preference of $25.00 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared). During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company redeemed all 11,500,000 of its issued and outstanding shares of Series E Preferred Stock for $287.5 million.

At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had issued and outstanding 28,800,000 shares of its Series F Preferred Stock, with a par value of $0.01 per share and a liquidation preference of $25.00 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends (whether or not declared). The Series F 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 from and including the original issue date to, but excluding September 30, 2022 (subject to the Company’s right under limited circumstances to redeem the Series F Preferred Stock earlier in order to preserve its qualification as a REIT or under limited circumstances related to a change of control of the Company), at a fixed rate equal to 6.95% per annum of the $25.00 liquidation preference, and from and including September 30, 2022, at a floating rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus a spread of 4.993% per annum of the $25.00 per share liquidation preference. Through March 31, 2018, the Company had declared and paid all required quarterly dividends on the Series F Preferred Stock.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company issued 17,000,000 shares of its 6.50% Series G Preferred Stock, liquidation preference of $25.00 per share, for gross proceeds of $425.0 million before deducting the underwriting discount and other estimated offering expenses. The Series G 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 from and including the original issue date to, but excluding March 31, 2023 (subject to the Company’s right under limited circumstances to redeem the Series G Preferred Stock earlier in order to preserve its qualification as a REIT or under limited circumstances related to a change of control of the Company), at a fixed rate equal to 6.50% per annum of the $25.00 liquidation preference, and from and including March 31,
2023, at a floating rate equal to three-month LIBOR plus a spread of 4.172% per annum of the $25.00 per share liquidation preference. Through March 31, 2018, the Company had declared and paid all required quarterly dividends on the Series G Preferred Stock.

The Series C Preferred Stock, Series D Preferred Stock, Series F Preferred Stock, Series G Preferred Stock and Series GH Preferred Stock rank senior to the common stock of the Company.

(C)Distributions to Stockholders

The following table provides a summary of the Company’s dividend distribution activity for the periods presented:
 For the Three Months Ended: Nine Months Ended
 March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
 (dollars in thousands, except per share data) (dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Distributions declared to common stockholders $347,897
 $305,691
 $1,062,685
 $937,825
Distributions declared per common share $0.30
 $0.30
 $0.90
 $0.90
Distributions paid to common stockholders after period end $347,897
 $305,691
 $102,811
 $326,425
Distributions paid per common share after period end $0.30
 $0.30
 $0.08
 $0.30
Date of distributions paid to common stockholders after period end April 30, 2018
 April 28, 2017
 October 31, 2018
 October 31, 2017
Dividends declared to Series A Preferred stockholders $
 $3,648
 $
 $9,527
Dividends declared per share of Series A Preferred Stock $
 $0.492
 $
 $1.477
Dividends declared to Series C Preferred stockholders $4,316
 $5,719
 $10,987
 $17,157
Dividends declared per share of Series C Preferred Stock (1)
 $0.477
 $0.477
 $1.430
 $1.430
Dividends declared to Series D Preferred stockholders $8,625
 $8,625
 $25,875
 $25,875
Dividends declared per share of Series D Preferred Stock $0.469
 $0.469
 $1.406
 $1.406
Dividends declared to Series E Preferred stockholders $2,253
 $5,481
 $2,253
 $16,441
Dividends declared per share of Series E Preferred Stock $0.196
 $0.477
 $0.196
 $1.430
Dividends declared to Series F Preferred stockholders $12,510
 $
 $37,530
 $
Dividends declared per share of Series F Preferred Stock(2) $0.434
 $
 $1.303
 $
Dividends declared to Series G Preferred stockholders $6,062
 $
 $19,875
 $
Dividends declared per share of Series G Preferred Stock $0.357
 $
 $1.169
 $
Dividends declared to Series H Preferred stockholders $298
 $
Dividends declared per share of Series H Preferred Stock $0.135
 $
(1)
Includes dividends declared per share for shares outstanding at September 30, 2018.
(2)
Includes cumulative and undeclared dividends on the Company’s Series F Preferred Stock of $8.3 million for the nine
months ended September 30, 2017.
(1) Includes dividends declared per share for shares outstanding at March 31, 2018.

15.INTEREST INCOME AND INTEREST EXPENSE

Net Interest Income
The Company recognizes coupon income, which is a component of interest income, based upon the outstanding principal amounts of the Residential Securities and their contractual terms. In addition, the Company amortizes or accretes premiums or discounts into interest income for its Agency mortgage-backed securities (other than multifamily securities), taking into account estimates of future principal prepayments in the calculation of the effective yield.  The Company recalculates the effective yield as differences between anticipated and actual prepayments occur. Using third-party model and market information to project future cash flows and expected remaining lives of securities, the effective interest rate determined for each security is applied as if it had been in place from the date of the security’s acquisition. The amortized cost of the security is then adjusted to the amount that would have existed had the new effective yield been applied since the acquisition date, which results in a cumulative premium amortization adjustment in each period. The adjustment to amortized cost is offset with a charge or credit to interest income. Changes in interest rates and other market factors will impact prepayment speed projections and the amount of premium amortization recognized in any given period.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



Premiums or discounts associated with the purchase of Agency interest-only securities, reverse mortgages and residential credit securities are amortized or accreted into interest income based upon current expected future cash flows with any adjustment to yield made on a prospective basis.

The following table summarizes the interest income recognition methodology for Residential Securities:
Interest Income Methodology
Agency
Fixed-rate pass-through (1)
Effective yield (3)
Adjustable-rate pass-through (1)
Effective yield (3)
Multifamily (1)
Contractual Cash Flows
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation (“CMO”) (1)
Effective yield (3)
Reverse mortgages (2)
Prospective
Interest-only (2)
Prospective
Residential Credit
CRT (2)
Prospective
Alt-A (2)
Prospective
Prime (2)
Prospective
Subprime (2)
Prospective
NPL/RPL (2)
Prospective
Prime Jumbo (2)
Prospective
Prime Jumbo interest-only (2)
Prospective
(1)
Changes in fair value are recognized in Other comprehensive income (loss) on the accompanying
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).
(2)
Changes in fair value are recognized in Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair
value through earnings on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).
(3)
Effective yield is recalculated for differences between estimated and actual prepayments and the
amortized cost is adjusted as if the new effective yield had been applied since inception.
The following table presents the components of the Company’s interest income and interest expense for the three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017.

  Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
  September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
Interest income: (dollars in thousands)
Residential Securities $680,037
 $540,436
 $2,122,375
 $1,515,654
Residential mortgage loans 21,184
 8,509
 55,557
 19,790
Commercial investment portfolio (1)
 97,531
 67,790
 249,331
 200,288
U.S. Treasury securities 160
 
 160
 
Reverse repurchase agreements 17,684
 5,815
 45,466
 11,971
Total interest income 816,596
 622,550
 2,472,889
 1,747,703
Interest expense:  
  
  
  
Repurchase agreements 445,535
 237,669
 1,177,384
 607,910
Debt issued by securitization vehicles 29,391
 16,072
 63,244
 42,899
Participation sold 
 
 
 195
Other 26,047
 15,196
 70,458
 38,639
Total interest expense 500,973
 268,937
 1,311,086
 689,643
Net interest income 315,623
 353,613
 $1,161,803
 $1,058,060
(1)
Includes commercial real estate debt and preferred equity, corporate debt and assets transferred or pledged to securitization vehicles.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



  For the Three Months Ended
  March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017
Interest income: (dollars in thousands)
Residential Investment Securities $779,588
 $515,910
Residential mortgage loans 15,505
 3,864
Commercial investment portfolio (1)
 72,457
 64,345
Reverse repurchase agreements 11,937
 3,608
Total interest income 879,487
 587,727
Interest expense:  
  
Repurchase agreements 331,374
 173,090
Securitized debt of consolidated VIEs 15,652
 14,850
Participation sold 
 153
Other 20,395
 10,332
Total interest expense 367,421
 198,425
Net interest income $512,066
 $389,302
(1)Includes commercial real estate debt, preferred equity and corporate debt.

16.GOODWILL
At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, Goodwill totaled $71.8 million.

17.NET INCOME (LOSS) PER COMMON SHARE

The following table presents a reconciliation of net income (loss) and shares used in calculating basic and diluted net income (loss) per share for the three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017.

 For the Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
 March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
 (dollars in thousands, except per share data) (dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Net income (loss) $1,327,704
 $440,408
 $385,429
 $367,315
 $2,309,020
 $822,245
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest (96) (103)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests (149) (232) (277) (437)
Net income (loss) attributable to Annaly 1,327,800
 440,511
 385,578
 367,547
 2,309,297
 822,682
Dividends on preferred stock(1) 33,766
 23,473
 31,675
 30,355
 96,818
 77,301
Net income (loss) available (related) to common stockholders $1,294,034
 $417,038
 $353,903
 $337,192
 $2,212,479
 $745,381
Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding-basic 1,159,617,848
 1,018,942,746
 1,202,353,851
 1,072,566,395
 1,174,292,701
 1,037,033,076
Add: Effect of stock awards, if dilutive 485,337
 364,633
 
 474,242
 
 412,101
Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding-diluted 1,160,103,185
 1,019,307,379
 1,202,353,851
 1,073,040,637
 1,174,292,701
 1,037,445,177
Net income (loss) per share available (related) to common share:  
  
  
  
  
  
Basic $1.12
 $0.41
 $0.29
 $0.31
 $1.88
 $0.72
Diluted $1.12
 $0.41
 $0.29
 $0.31
 $1.88
 $0.72
(1)
Includes cumulative and undeclared dividends on the Company’s Series F Preferred Stock of $8.3 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.
 
Options to purchase 0.80.2 million and 1.10.8 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 three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
18.        LONG-TERM STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
The Company maintains the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), which authorizes the Compensation Committee of the Board to grant options, stock appreciation rights, dividend equivalent rights, or other share-based awards, including restricted shares up to an aggregate of 25,000,000 shares, subject to adjustments as provided in the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan. The Company had previously adopted a long-term stock incentive plan for executive officers, key
employees and non-employee directors (the “Prior Plan”). The Prior Plan authorized the Compensation Committee of the Board to grant awards, including non-qualified options as well as incentive stock options as defined under Section 422 of the Code. The Prior Plan authorized 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 a ceiling of 8,932,921 shares. No further awards will be made under the Prior Plan, although existing awards remain effective.

Stock options were issued at the 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.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


The following table sets forth activity related to the Company’s stock options awarded under the Plan:
 For the Three Months Ended:
 March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017
 Number of Shares Weighted Average Exercise Price Number of Shares Weighted Average Exercise Price
Options outstanding at the beginning of year794,125
 $15.30
 1,125,625
 $15.43
Granted
 
 
 
Exercised
 
 
 
Forfeited
 
 
 
Expired
 
 
 
Options outstanding at the end of period794,125
 $15.30
 1,125,625
 $15.43
Options exercisable at the end of the period794,125
 $15.30
 1,125,625
 $15.43

The weighted average remaining contractual term was approximately 0.5 years and 1.2 years for stock options outstanding and exercisable at March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

At March 31, 2018 and 2017, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share-based compensation awards.

19.17. INCOME TAXES
For the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 the Company was qualified to be taxed as a REIT under Code Sections 856 through 860. As a REIT, the Company iswill not subject toincur federal income tax to the extent that it distributes its taxable income to its stockholders. To maintain qualification as a REIT, the Company must distribute at least 90% of its annual REIT taxable income to its stockholders and meet certain other requirements that relate to, among other things, assets it may hold, income it may generate and its stockholder composition. It is generally the Company’s policy to distribute 100% of its REIT taxable income. To the extent there is any undistributed REIT taxable income at the end of a year, the Company distributes such shortfall within the next year as permitted by the Code.

The Company and certain of its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including Arcola Securities, Inc. (“Arcola”) and certain subsidiaries of ACREG and Hatteras Financial Corp., have made separate joint elections to treat these subsidiaries as TRSs.  As such, each of these TRSs is taxable as a domestic C corporation and subject to federal, state and local income taxes based upon their taxable income.
The provisions of ASC 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”), clarify the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in financial statements and prescribe a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return. ASC 740 also requires that interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits be recognized in the financial statements. The Company does not have any unrecognized tax benefits that would affect its financial position. Thus, no accruals for penalties and interest were deemed necessary at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

The state and local tax jurisdictions for which the Company is subject to tax-filing obligations recognize the Company’s status as a REIT, and therefore, the Company generally does not pay income tax in such jurisdictions. The Company may, however, be subject to certain minimum state and local tax filing fees as well as certain excise, franchise or business taxes. The Company’s TRSs are subject to federal, state and local taxes.

During the three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018, the Company recorded $7.1 million and $3.3 million of income tax benefit, respectively, attributable to its TRSs. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded $0.6
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



$1.4 million and $1.0$2.0 million of income tax expense, respectively, attributable to its TRSs.

The Company’s federal, state and local tax returns from 20142016 and forward remain open for examination.

On December 22, 2017, tax legislation was enacted, informally known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”), that significantly changes the U.S. federal income tax laws applicable to businesses and their owners, including REITs and their stockholders. While technical corrections or other amendments to the TCJA or administrative guidance interpreting the TCJA may be forthcoming at any time, GAAP requires the Company to apply the TCJA provisions, as written, to the Company’s consolidated financial statements in terms of recording and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities that will be recognized in 2018 or further. Due to the timing of the enacted legislation as well as the technical corrections, amendments or administrative guidance that could clarify the treatment of certain provisions, the SEC issued guidance that allows for entities without the necessary information to complete the accounting analysis to determine a reasonable estimate of the effects of the TCJA. These amounts can then be revised once further clarity can be reached over the course of the coming year.

The provisions of the TCJA, as written, which includes the change to the federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, was applied and did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. To the extent technical corrections or other amendments to the TCJA or administrative guidance interpreting the TCJA are released, the Company will revisit its analysis and conclusions, if relevant.

20.LEASE COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments

In September 2014, the Company entered into a non-cancelable lease for office space which commenced in July 2014 and expires in September 2025. The lease expense for each of the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 was $0.8 million. The Company’s aggregate future minimum lease payments totaled $28.2 million.

The following table details the future lease payments:
ANNALY CAPITAL18. RISK MANAGEMENT                                              INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements


Years Ending December 31,Lease Commitments
 (dollars in thousands)
2018 (remaining)$2,673
20193,565
20203,652
20213,862
20223,862
Later years10,618
Total$28,232

Contingencies

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. There were no material contingencies at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

21.    RISK MANAGEMENT
The primary risks to the Company are liquidity, investment/market risk and credit 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 can also affect the value of the interest earning assets and the Company’s ability to realize gains from the sale of these assets. A decline in the value of the interest earning assets pledged as collateral for borrowings under repurchase agreements and derivative contracts could result in the counterparties demanding additional collateral or liquidating some of the existing collateral to reduce borrowing levels.
The Company may seek to mitigate the potential financial impact by entering into interest rate agreements such as interest rate swaps, interest rate swaptions and other hedges.

Weakness in the mortgage market, the shape of the yield curve and changes in the expectations for the volatility of future interest rates may adversely affect the performance and market value of the Company’s investments. This could negatively impact the Company’s 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 investments at an inopportune time when prices are depressed. The Company has established policies and procedures for mitigating risks, including conducting scenario and sensitivity analyses and utilizing a range of hedging strategies.

The payment of principal and interest on the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Agency mortgage-backed securities, excludingwhich exclude CRT securities issued by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, is guaranteed by those respective agencies and the payment of principal and interest on Ginnie Mae Agency mortgage-backed securities is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Principal and interest on Agency debentures is guaranteed by the Agency issuing the debenture. The majoritySubstantially all of the Company’s Agency mortgage-backed securities have an actual or implied “AAA” rating.

The Company faces credit risk on the portions of its portfolio which isare not guaranteed by the respective Agency or by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The Company is exposed to credit risk on CRE Debt and Preferred Equity Investments, investments in commercial real estate investments, commercial mortgage-backed securities, residential mortgage loans, CRT securities, other non-Agency mortgage-backed securities, and corporate debt. MSR values may also be adversely impacted if overall costs to service the underlying mortgage loans increase due to borrower performance. The Company is exposed to risk of loss if an issuer, borrower, tenant or counterparty fails to perform its obligations under contractual terms. The Company has established policies and procedures for mitigating credit risk, including reviewing and establishing limits for credit exposure, limiting transactions with specific counterparties, maintaining qualifying collateral and continually assessing the creditworthiness of issuers, borrowers, tenants and counterparties.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Item 1.  Financial Statements
22.RCAP REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
RCap is subject to regulations of the securities business that include but are not limited to trade practices, use and safekeeping of funds and securities, capital structure, recordkeeping and conduct of directors, officers and employees. 

As a self-clearing, registered broker dealer, RCap is required to maintain minimum net capital by FINRA. At March 31, 2018 RCap had a minimum net capital requirement of $0.3 million. RCap consistently operates with capital in excess of its regulatory capital requirements. RCap’s regulatory net capital as defined by SEC Rule 15c3-1, at March 31, 2018 was $390.0 million with excess net capital of $389.7 million.




23.19. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Management Agreement

The Company and the Manager have entered into a management agreement pursuant to which the Company’s management is conducted by the Manager through the authority delegated to it in the Management Agreement and pursuant to the policies established by the Board (the “Externalization”). The management agreement was effective as of July 1, 2013 and was amended on November 5, 2014, and amended and restated on April 12, 2016, and amended and restated on August 1, 2018 (the management agreement, as amended and restated, is referred to as “Management Agreement”).

Under the Management Agreement, the Manager, subject to the supervision and direction of the Company’s Board, is responsible for (i) the selection, purchase and sale of assets for the Company’s investment portfolio; (ii) recommending alternative forms of capital raising; (iii) supervising the Company’s financing and hedging activities; and (iv) day to day management functions. The Manager also performs such other supervisory and management services and activities relating to the Company’s assets and operations as may be appropriate. In exchange for the management services, the Company pays the Manager a monthly management fee in an amount equal to 1/12th of 1.05% of our stockholders’ equity (as defined in the Management Agreement), and the Manager is responsible for providing personnel to manage the Company, and paying all compensation and benefit expenses associated with such personnel. The Company does not pay the Manager any incentive fees.

For the three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018, the compensation and management fee was $46.0 million and $136.1 million, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the compensation and management fee was $44.5$42.0 million and $39.3$120.2 million, respectively. At March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had amounts payable to the Manager of $14.5$17.7 million and $13.8 million, respectively.

Following the unanimous approval of the Company’s independent directors (the “Independent Directors”), in August 2018, the Company began reimbursing the Manager for certain services in connection with the management and operations of the Company and its subsidiaries as permitted under the terms of the Management Agreement. Such reimbursable expenses include the cost for certain legal, tax, accounting and other support and advisory services provided by employees of the Manager to the Company. Pursuant to the Management Agreement, the Company may reimburse the Manager for the cost of such services, provided such costs are no greater than those that would be payable to comparable third party providers. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, reimbursement payments to the Manager were $3.7 million. There were no reimbursement payments to the Manager during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017. None of the reimbursement payments are attributable to compensation of the Company’s executive officers.

The Management Agreement’s current term ends on December 31, 20182019 and will automatically renew for successive two-year terms unless at least two-thirds of the Company’s independent directors or the holders of a majority of the Company’s outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock in their sole discretion elect to terminate the agreement in their sole discretion for any or no reason. At any time during the term or any renewal term the Company may deliver to the Manager written notice of the Company’s intention to terminate the Management Agreement. The Company must designate a date not less than one year from the date of the notice on which the Management Agreement will terminate. The Management Agreement also provides that the Manager may terminate the Management Agreement by providing to the Companyreason upon 365 days prior written notice of its intention(such notice, a “TerminationNotice”).

If the Company makes an election to terminate the Management Agreement, no less than one yearthe Company may elect to accelerate the termination date (“the “Termination Date”) to a date that is between seven and 90 days after the date of the Company’s delivery of a Termination Notice (the “Notice Delivery Date”). If the Company does not make an election to accelerate the Termination Date, then the Manager may elect to accelerate the Termination Date to the date that is 90 days after the Notice Delivery Date. If the Termination Date is accelerated (such date, the “Accelerated Termination Date”) by either the Company or the Manager, in addition to any amounts accrued for the period prior to the date designatedAccelerated Termination Date, the Company shall pay the Manager an acceleration fee (the “Acceleration Fee”) in an amount equal to the average annual management fee earned by the Manager on whichduring the 24-month period immediately preceding such Accelerated Termination Date multiplied by a fraction with a numerator of 365 minus the number of days from the Notice Delivery Date to the Accelerated Termination Date, and a denominator of 365.

The Management Agreement may also be terminated by the Manager would cease to provide servicesfor any reason or such earlier date as determinedno reason upon 365 days prior written notice, or with shorter notice periods by either the Company or the Manager for cause or by the Company in its sole discretion.
Following the Externalization, the Company continues to retain employees at certainevent of a sale of the Company’s subsidiaries for regulatory or corporate efficiency reasons. All compensation expenses associated with such retained employees reduceManager that was not pre-approved by the amount paid to the Manager.Independent Directors.

The Management Agreement may be amended or modified by agreement between the Company and the Manager. There is no termination fee


ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements



20. LEASE COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES                          
Commitments

In September 2014, the Company entered into a non-cancelable lease for a terminationoffice space which commenced in July 2014 and expires in September 2025. The lease expense for each of the Management Agreement by eitherthree months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was $0.8 million. The Company’s aggregate future minimum lease payments totaled $26.5 million. The following table details the future lease payments:
 Lease Commitments
Years Ending September 30,(dollars in thousands)
2018 (remaining)$891
20193,565
20203,652
20213,862
20223,862
Later years10,618
Total$26,450
Contingencies

From time to time, the Company oris involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the Manager.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. There were no material contingencies at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

24.SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
Pending Acquisition21. ARCOLA REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS                                 
Arcola is the Company’s wholly owned and consolidated broker-dealer. Arcola is subject to regulations of the securities business that include but are not limited to trade practices, use and safekeeping of funds and securities, capital structure, recordkeeping and conduct of directors, officers and employees. 
Arcola is a member of various clearing organizations with which it maintains cash required to conduct its day-to-day clearance activities. Arcola enters into reverse repurchase agreements and repurchase agreements as part of its matched book trading activity. Reverse repurchase agreements are recorded on settlement date at the contractual amount and are collateralized by mortgage-backed or other securities. Arcola generates income from the spread between what is earned on the reverse repurchase agreements and what is paid on the matched repurchase agreements. Arcola’s policy is to obtain possession of collateral with a market value in excess of the principal amount loaned under reverse repurchase agreements. To ensure that the market value of the underlying collateral remains sufficient, collateral is valued daily, and Arcola will require counterparties to deposit additional collateral, when necessary.  All reverse repurchase activities are transacted under master repurchase agreements that give Arcola the right, in the event of default, to liquidate collateral held and in some instances, to offset receivables and payables with the same counterparty.

As a self-clearing, registered broker-dealer, Arcola is required to maintain minimum net capital by FINRA. At September 30, 2018 Arcola had a minimum net capital requirement of $0.3 million. Arcola consistently operates with capital in excess of its regulatory capital requirements. Arcola’s regulatory net capital as defined by SEC Rule 15c3-1, at September 30, 2018 was $393.3 million with excess net capital of $393.0 million.


22. ACQUISITION OF MTGE Investment Corp.INVESTMENT CORP.                                

As previously disclosed in a Form 8-K filedthe Company’s filings with the SEC, on May 3,September 7, 2018, (the “Merger 8-K”), on May 2, 2018, the Company, Mountain Merger Sub Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, (“Purchaser”), andcompleted its acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp. (“MTGE”) entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which, subject to the terms and conditions contained therein, the Company agreed to acquire MTGE (the “MTGE Acquisition”), an externally managed hybrid mortgage REIT, for aggregate consideration to MTGE common shareholders of approximately $900.0$906.2 million, based on the closing priceconsisting of $455.9 million in equity consideration and $450.3 million in cash consideration (the “MTGE Acquisition”). The Company issued 43.6 million common stock as part of the Company’s common stock on April 30, 2018. Approximately 50% of such consideration will be payable in shares offor the Company���s common stock, and approximately 50% of which will be payable in cash. Purchaser will commence an exchange offer (the “Offer”) to purchase all of MTGE’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock and, upon the closing of the Offer, subject to customary closing conditions as set forth in the Merger Agreement, MTGE will be merged with and into Purchaser (the “Merger”), with Purchaser surviving the Merger.Acquisition. In addition, as part of the MTGE Acquisition, each share of MTGE 8.125% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (each, a “MTGE Preferred Share”), that iswas outstanding as of immediately prior to the completion of the MTGE Acquisition will bewas converted into one share of a newly-designated series of the Company’s preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, which the Company expects will be classified and designated as 8.125% Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, and which will have rights, preferences, privileges and voting powers substantially the same as a MTGE Preferred Share.

The Company believes that the MTGE’s portfolio is complementary to the Company’s pre-acquisition portfolio, that the combined capital base supports continued growth of the Company’s businesses and that the acquisition creates efficiency and growth opportunities.

The MTGE Acquisition was accounted for as an asset acquisition in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 805 Business Combinations (“ASC 805”). Under ASC 805, an acquisition does not qualify as a business combination if the acquisition does not meet the definition of a business. U.S. GAAP defines a business as an integrated set of activities and assets that is capable of being conducted and managed for the purpose of providing a return in the form of dividends, lower costs, or other economic benefits directly to investors or other owners, members, or participants. Since the Company did not acquire the external management agreement with the MTGE’s third party manager, there were no substantive processes acquired as part of the acquisition. Therefore, the MTGE Acquisition was not considered a business combination.

Under ASC 805, an asset acquisition is accounted for under the cost accumulation model which allocates the cost of the acquisition which generally includes direct transaction costs to the individual assets acquired and liabilities assumed on the basis of relative fair value with certain exceptions including financial assets and current assets. These exceptions are excluded from the cost accumulation method since recognizing these assets at amounts other than their fair value would result in a subsequent gain or loss upon re-measurement. Since there are no significant non-financial assets to allocate the transaction costs to, the transaction costs of $58.3 million were expensed as they were incurred and included in Other general and administrative expenses in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). Similarly, the excess consideration of $44.5 million over the fair value of the assets acquired was recognized within Other income (loss) in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the closing date of the acquisition. The allocation of the consideration paid as part of the transaction and its assignment to the initial carrying value of the MTGE Acquisitionportfolio is subject to a number of conditions, includingnoted in the receipt of specified regulatory approvals.

Prior to closing the MTGE Acquisition, MTGE will declare a prorated common dividend to its stockholders with a record date on the fourth business day prior to the completion of the Offer, and payable upon the date of the completion of the Offer. In addition, the Company expects to declare and pay a prorated common dividend to its stockholders, with a record
below table.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 1.  Financial Statements




date on the last business day prior to the completion of the Offer. Each of the dividends will be prorated based on the number of days that elapsed since the record date for the most recent quarterly dividend paid to MTGE’s and the Company’s stockholders, respectively, and the amount of such prior quarterly dividend, as applicable. 

The MTGE Acquisition is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2018.
 September 2018
Consideration Transferred:(dollars in thousands)
Cash$450,287
Common equity455,943
Preferred shares: 
Exchange of MTGE preferred stock for Annaly preferred stock55,000
Total consideration$961,230
Net Assets: 
Cash and cash equivalents$191,953
Securities4,111,930
Real estate, net277,648
Derivative assets18,629
Reverse repurchase agreements938,251
Receivable for unsettled trades6,809
Principal receivable44,462
Interest receivable14,282
Intangible assets, net14,483
Other assets50,105
Total assets acquired5,668,552
 

Repurchase agreements3,561,816
Mortgages payable201,629
U.S. Treasury securities sold, not yet purchased934,149
Derivative liabilities2,498
Interest Payable22,220
Dividends payable819
Other liabilities28,715
Total liabilities assumed4,751,846
Net assets acquired$916,706

For additional details regarding the terms and conditions of the Merger AgreementMTGE Acquisition and related matters, please refer to the Merger Agreement and the Merger 8-K and theCompany’s other documentation filed as exhibits thereto. Additional information regarding the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including associated risks, will be contained in a registration statement on Form S-4 that the Company expects to filefilings with the SEC that were made in connection with the MTGE Acquisition.


23. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS                                             

On October 31, 2018, the Company completed and closed its third securitization of residential mortgage loans for the 2018 calendar year, OBX 2018-EXP2 Trust, with a face value of $384 million. The securitization represented a financing transaction which provided non-recourse financing to the Company collateralized by residential mortgage loans purchased by the Company.



ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


ITEM 2.     MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
     

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this quarterly 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 stockholder communications contain or incorporate by reference certain forward-looking statements which are based on various assumptions (some of which are beyond our control) and 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 and, if available, the terms of any financing; changes in the market value of our assets; changes in business conditions and the general economy; our ability to grow our commercial business; our ability to grow our residential mortgage credit business; our ability to grow our middle market lending business; credit risks related to our investments in credit risk transfer securities, residential mortgage-backed securities and related residential mortgage credit assets, commercial real estate assets and corporate debt; risks related to investments in mortgage servicing rights
(“MSRs”); our ability to consummate any contemplated investment opportunities; changes in government regulations or policy affecting our business; our ability to maintain our qualification as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes; and our ability to maintain our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act; and our ability to consummate the proposed MTGE Acquisition on a timely basis or at all, and potential business disruption following the MTGE Acquisition.Act. For a discussion of the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Item 1A “Risk Factors” in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q. 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.

This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with our most recent annual report on Form 10-K. All references to “Annaly,” “we,” “us,” or “our” mean Annaly Capital Management, Inc. and all entities owned by us, except where it is made clear that the term means only the parent company.  Refer to the section titled “Glossary of Terms” located at the end of this Item 2 for definitions of commonly used terms in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


INDEX TO ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
  Page
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Overview

We are a leading diversified capital manager that invests in and finances residential and commercial assets. Our principal business objective is to generate net income for distribution to our stockholders and to preserve capital through prudent selection of investments and continuous management of our portfolio. We are a Maryland corporation that has elected to be taxed as a REIT. We are externally managed by Annaly Management Company LLC (“Manager”). Our common
stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “NLY.”

We use our capital coupled with borrowed funds to invest primarily in real estate related investments, earning the spread between the yield on our assets and the cost of our borrowings and hedging activities.

Our investment groups are comprised of the following:
Investment GroupsDescription
Annaly Agency Group
Invests in AgencyAgency mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”MBS”) collateralized by residential mortgages which are guaranteed by Fannie Mae.Mae, Freddie Mac or Ginnie Mae.
Annaly Residential Credit GroupInvests primarily in non-Agency residential mortgage assets within the securitized productsproduct and residential mortgage loan markets.
Annaly Commercial Real Estate GroupOriginates and invests in commercial mortgage loans, securities, and other commercial real estate debt and equity investments.
Annaly Middle Market Lending GroupProvides financing to private equity-backed middle market businesses across the capital structure.

For a full discussion of our business, refer to the section titled “Business Overview” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Pending Acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp.

As previously disclosed in a Form 8-K filedour filings with the SEC, on May 3,September 7, 2018, (the “Merger 8-K”), on May 2, 2018, Annaly, Mountain Merger Sub Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Annaly (“Purchaser”), andthe Company, completed its acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp. (“MTGE”) entered into an agreement and plan of merger (the “Merger Agreement”), pursuant to which, subject to the terms and conditions contained therein, we agreed to acquire MTGE (the “MTGE Acquisition”), an externally managed hybrid mortgage REIT, for aggregate consideration to MTGE common shareholders of approximately $900.0$906.2 million, based on the closing priceconsisting of Annaly’s$455.9 million in equity consideration and $450.3 million in cash consideration (the “MTGE Acquisition”). We issued 43.6 million common stock on April 30, 2018. Approximately 50% of such consideration will be payable in shares of our common stock, and approximately 50% of which will be payable in cash. Purchaser will commence an exchange offer (the “Offer”) to purchase all of MTGE’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock and, upon the closingas part of the Offer, subject to customary closing conditions as set forth inconsideration for the Merger Agreement, MTGE will be merged with and into Purchaser (the “Merger”), with Purchaser surviving the Merger.Acquisition. In addition, as part of the MTGE Acquisition, each share of MTGE 8.125% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (each, a “MTGE Preferred Share”), that iswas outstanding as of immediately prior to the completion of the MTGE Acquisition will bewas converted into one share of a newly-designated series of our preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, which we expect will be classified and designated as 8.125% Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, and which will have rights, preferences,
privileges and voting powers substantially the same as a MTGE Preferred Share.

The closing of the MTGE AcquisitionWe believe that MTGE’s portfolio is subject to a number of conditions, including the receipt of specified regulatory approvals.

Prior to closing the MTGE Acquisition, MTGE will declare a prorated common dividend to its stockholders with a record date on the fourth business day prior to the completion of the Offer, and payable upon the date of the completion of the Offer. In addition, we expect to declare and pay a prorated common dividendcomplementary to our stockholders, with a record date onpre-acquisition portfolio, that the last business day prior tocombined capital base supports continued growth of our businesses and that the completion of the Offer. Each of the dividends will be prorated based on the number of days that elapsed since the record date for the most recent quarterly dividend paid to MTGE’sacquisition creates efficiency and Annaly’s stockholders, respectively, and the amount of such prior quarterly dividend, as applicable. growth opportunities.

The MTGE Acquisition is expected to be completedwas accounted for as an asset acquisition in accordance with U.S. GAAP. In connection with the MTGE Acquisition, transaction costs of $58.3 million were expensed as they were incurred and included in Other general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) during the third quarterthree months ended September 30, 2018. Similarly, the excess consideration of $44.5 million over the fair value of the assets acquired was recognized within Other income (loss) in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) on the closing date of the acquisition in September 2018.

For additional details regarding the terms and conditions of the Merger AgreementMTGE Acquisition and related matters, please refer to the Merger Agreement“Acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp.” Note in Part I. Item 1 and the Merger 8-K and theour other documentation filed as exhibits thereto. Additional information regarding the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, including associated risks, will be contained in a registration statement on Form S-4 that we expect to filefilings with the SEC that were made in connection with the MTGE Acquisition.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Business Environment
The three monthsquarter ended March 31,September 30, 2018 presented a challenging environment drivenwas marked by a numbercontinued rise in the level of interest rates as economic fundamentals in the United States remained robust, near-term recession risk was low, and underlying fundamentals, particularly for the consumer, remained sound. Agency mortgage-backed security spreads widened modestly during the third quarter of 2018, while credit sector spreads were roughly unchanged. Within this broader macro-economic factors: interest rate levels roseenvironment exemplified by volatility and uncertainty, we have maintained an active hedging strategy. Separately, leverage increased modestly primarily as a result of stabilized inflation readings,the onboarding of the MTGE portfolio in early September 2018. We meaningfully grew our portfolio during the third quarter of 2018 as the MTGE acquisition added Agency mortgage-backed security assets, residential credit securities and a deteriorationnumber of commercial real estate health care assets. Despite our continued interest in the United States debt outlook,adding credit assets with sound fundamentals and signaling from the Federal Reserve of continued gradual increases in the Federal Funds Target Rate. In addition, volatility returned to the equity, credit, and rate markets as investors began to pay closer attention to increased political uncertainty and began to more actively differentiate among risk factors in the market. In this environment,attractive returns, we focused on positioning the portfolio to not only withstand a challenging short-term market environment, but to continue to provide value for our shareholders forview the long-term. We proactively lowered economic leverage, increased our hedge ratio, enhanced our financing and continued to selectively diversify into credit assets. We believe this more defensive stance positions us to take advantage of the opportunities that an altered environment will present in the quarters ahead. Meanwhile, we will continue our disciplined approach to growing our credit businesses as thebroader credit sector continues to beas fully valued, in general, while we avoidturn remaining selective with our investment opportunities where we are uncomfortable with the credit fundamentals or credit protection.

opportunities.

Economic Environment

The pace of economic growth slowedremained strong in the three months ended March 31,third quarter of 2018, coming in nearabove estimated potential growth. Measured by real gross domestic product (“GDP”), activity increased by an annualized 2.3%3.5% during the three months ended March 31,third quarter of 2018, slightly lower from 2.6%somewhat below the 4.2% reading for the second quarter of growth in 2017.2018. The decline was due to a reversion of personal consumption ratefixed investment to an annualized rate of only 1.1%subtract (0.04%) during the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to 2.9% in 2017. Consumer spending patterns in 2017 were marked by a loweringthird quarter of the personal saving rate as wealth rose and a temporary boost due to replacement of hurricane-damaged items during the three months ended December 31, 2017, with both patterns reversing during the three months ended March 31, 2018. Non-residential investment remained healthy, with firms investing at a 6.1% rate compared to 6.3% last year on the back of higher oil prices, lowered tax burdens and rising labor costs. Residential investment remained very weak, only expanding by a negligible 0.1% during the three months ended March 31, 2018 after experiencing a modest 2.6% growth in 2017. The trade balance reversed to boost GDP growth, adding 0.2% to the growth rate during the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to a 1.1% boost during the second quarter of 2018. Non-residential investment expanded only 0.8%, the slowest expansion for the segment since the fourth quarter of 2016, a troubling sign only three quarters removed from the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. The housing sector continued to struggle with higher mortgage rates in spite of strong fundamentals, falling an annualized 4.0% in the third quarter of 2018 after a 1.4% drop in the second quarter of 2018. Consumer spending remained healthy, with household spending expanding by a 4.0% rate in the third quarter of 2018 after a slightly worse 3.8% annualized gain for the second quarter of 2018. The trade balance subtracted (1.8%) from GDP growth, reversing the 1.2% boost in the second quarter of 2018. The volatility appears related to timing of tariff actions, therefore likely to continue in subsequent quarters. Meanwhile, the similarly volatile inventories component added 2.1% to growth in the third quarter of 2018, recovering from a (1.2%) drag in 2017 as U.S. goods imports pulled back sharply which wasthe previous quarter. The government continued to add stimulus to the economy, adding 0.6% to real GDP in line with temporarily weaker spending.the third quarter of 2018.

The Federal Reserve System (“Fed”) currently conducts monetary policy with a dual mandate: full employment and price stability. The unemployment rate remained unchangedfell further in the firstthird quarter of 2018 at 4.1%from 4.0% to 3.7%, remaining below the Fed’s
estimate of the long-run unemployment rate of 4.5%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Federal Reserve Board. The economy added 202,000190,000 jobs per month during the three months ended March 31,third quarter of 2018, down slightly up from 182,000217,000 jobs added per month in 2017. Labor force growth has increased recently, averaging 389,000 per monththe second quarter of 2018, although impacted by Hurricane Florence in 2018 as higher wages have appeared to increase prime age (25-54 year old) participation rates.September 2018. Wage growth, as measured by the year-over-year change in private sector Average Hourly Earnings, has rebounded to 2.72% as of Marchremained just below 3%, reading 2.75% in September 2018 compared to 2.66%2.78% in December 2017 and a recent low of 2.28% in October 2017.June 2018. The Fed seesrisks underestimating labor markets continuing to improve in 2018, projecting the unemployment rate to drop to 3.8% as of their March 21,September 26, 2018 economic projections.projections, forecasting 3.7% unemployment by year-end 2018 and 3.5% by year-end 2019, where it will stay in 2020 before rising modestly to 3.7% in 2021.

Inflation remained belownear the Fed’s 2% target during the three months ended March 31,third quarter of 2018, as measured by the year-over-year changes in the Personal Consumer Expenditure Chain Price Index (“PCE”). The headline PCE measure increased by 2.0% year-over-year in MarchAugust 2018, updown slightly from 1.70%2.3% in December 2017.June 2018. The more stable core PCE measure, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rebounded to 1.88%remained unchanged at 2.0% in MarchSeptember 2018 compared to 1.52%the same in December 2017, as early 2018 weakness fell off the year-over-year comparison.June 2018. The Fed expects both the core and headline PCE measures to increase by 1.9% year-over-year byremain at or modestly above their 2% target over the fourth quarter of 2018, before core PCE rises above its target to 2.1% in the fourth quarter of 2019 where it is expected to remain in 2020.foreseeable future.

The Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) continued to support its dual mandate by keeping its target for the federal funds rate at accommodative levels, while gradually reducing the size of its portfolio of U.S. Treasury and Agency mortgage-backed securities holdings. In assessing realized and expected progress towards its objectives, the FOMC kept the target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 1.25%-1.50%1.75%-2.00% at its January 31,July 31-August 1, 2018 meeting before raising it to 1.50%-1.75%2.00%-2.25% at its March 21,September 25-26, 2018 meeting. Continued strong economic growth, labor market improvement and inflation improvementnear target led the FOMC to keep its economic outlook optimistic,optimistic. The FOMC continued to expect a fourth rate hike in 2018 and three in 2019 while upgrading its GDP forecast for both years. Additionally, the FOMC removed language from its official statement that the current level of policy remains accommodative, with fiscal stimulus via tax cuts and increased federal spending leadingsubsequent official communication signaling this was not intended to an upward growth assessmentmean a change in the forecasts of the March 2018 meeting.policy path. In JanuaryJuly 2018, the cap of portfolio runoff amount increased from $6.0$18.0 billion to $12.0$24.0 billion per month for U.S. Treasury securities and from $4.0$12.0 billion to $8.0$16.0 billion per month for Agency mortgage-backed securities. The program will be increased by the same amount every three months until maximum monthly runoff levelsreach its ultimate cap of $30.0$30 billion and $20.0 billion, respectively, are reached.

During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the 10-yearfor U.S. Treasury Rate continued the sell-off that begansecurities and $20 billion for Agency mortgage-backed securities in the fourth quarter of 2017 as fiscal stimulus drove growth sentiment and inflation expectations. Despite the sell-off, estimated measures of term premium, or the compensation required for purchasing longer-dated Treasury maturities,October 2018.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


was roughly unchanged.During the three months ended September 30, 2018, the 10-year U.S. Treasury Rate sold off in a continuation of the move from the first quarter as investors saw continued strong economic data, continued hawkish Fed guidance and a modest alleviation of some geopolitical downside risks. Estimates of term premium, or the compensation required for purchasing longer-dated Treasury maturities, remained at very low levels, suggesting consistent demand for duration. The mortgage basis, or the spread between the 30-year Agency mortgage-backed security coupon and 10-year U.S. Treasury Rate, rose modestly,
slightly over the quarter, according to Bloomberg, as investors began to recognize the Fed balance sheet run-off and increased volatility.
though fluctuated somewhat.

The following table presents interest rates at each date presented:
 March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 March 31, 2017 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017 September 30, 2017
30-Year mortgage current coupon 3.46% 3.00% 3.13% 3.81% 3.00% 2.97%
Mortgage basis 72 bps 59 bps 75 bps 75 bps 59 bps 63 bps
10-Year U.S. Treasury rate 2.74% 2.41% 2.39% 3.06% 2.41% 2.33%
LIBOR:   
1-Month 1.88% 1.56% 0.98% 2.26% 1.56% 1.23%
6-Month 2.45% 1.84% 1.42% 2.60% 1.84% 1.51%

Results of Operations

The results of our operations are affected by various factors, many of which are beyond our control. Certain of such risks and uncertainties are described herein (see “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above) and in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our most recent annual reportAnnual Report on Form 10-K.

This Management Discussion and Analysis section contains analysis and discussion of financial results computed in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and non-GAAP measurements. To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are
prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we provide non-GAAP financial measures to enhance investor understanding of our period-over-period operating performance and business trends, as well as for assessing our performance versus that of industry peers.

Please refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information.


Net Income (Loss) Summary

The following table presents financial information related to our results of operations as of and for the three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


For the Three Months EndedThree Months Ended Nine Months Ended
March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Interest income$879,487
 $587,727
$816,596
 $622,550
 $2,472,889
 $1,747,703
Interest expense367,421
 198,425
500,973
 268,937
 1,311,086
 689,643
Net interest income512,066
 389,302
315,623
 353,613
 1,161,803
 1,058,060
Realized and unrealized gains (losses)844,689
 74,265
199,716
 43,807
 1,339,051
 (159,722)
Other income (loss)34,023
 31,646
(10,643) 28,282
 57,550
 90,793
Less: General and administrative expenses62,510
 53,828
126,509
 57,016
 252,800
 164,867
Income (loss) before income taxes1,328,268
 441,385
378,187
 368,686
 2,305,604
 824,264
Income taxes564
 977
(7,242) 1,371
 (3,416) 2,019
Net income (loss)1,327,704
 440,408
385,429
 367,315
 2,309,020
 822,245
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest(96) (103)
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests(149) (232) (277) (437)
Net income (loss) attributable to Annaly1,327,800
 440,511
385,578
 367,547
 2,309,297
 822,682
Dividends on preferred stock(1)33,766
 23,473
31,675
 30,355
 96,818
 77,301
Net income (loss) available (related) to common stockholders$1,294,034
 $417,038
$353,903
 $337,192
 $2,212,479
 $745,381
Net income (loss) per share available (related) to common stockholders:   Net income (loss) per share available (related) to common stockholders:
Basic$1.12
 $0.41
$0.29
 $0.31
 $1.88
 $0.72
Diluted$1.12
 $0.41
$0.29
 $0.31
 $1.88
 $0.72
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:          
Basic1,159,617,848
 1,018,942,746
1,202,353,851
 1,072,566,395
 1,174,292,701
 1,037,033,076
Diluted1,160,103,185
 1,019,307,379
1,202,353,851
 1,073,040,637
 1,174,292,701
 1,037,445,177
Other information:          
Asset portfolio at period-end$98,080,871
 $82,510,837
$101,192,482
 $95,343,337
 $101,192,482
 $95,343,337
Average total assets$101,071,142
 $86,282,002
$102,397,400
 $91,275,380
 $101,734,271
 $88,778,691
Average equity$14,407,254
 $12,611,661
$14,364,856
 $13,382,322
 $14,386,055
 $12,996,991
Leverage at period-end (1)(2)
6.1:1
 5.6:1
5.9:1
 5.4:1
 5.9:1
 5.4:1
Economic leverage at period-end (2)(3)
6.5:1
 6.1:1
6.7:1
 6.9:1
 6.7:1
 6.9:1
Capital ratio (3)(4)
13.1% 13.8%12.6% 12.3% 12.6% 12.3%
Annualized return on average total assets5.25% 2.04%1.51% 1.61% 3.03% 1.23%
Annualized return (loss) on average equity36.86% 13.97%10.73% 10.98% 21.40% 8.44%
Annualized core return on average equity (excluding PAA) (4)(5)
10.70% 10.66%10.85% 10.57% 10.73% 10.49%
Net interest margin (5)(6)
1.94% 1.47%1.49% 1.33% 1.65% 1.34%
Net interest margin (excluding PAA) (4)(5)
1.52% 1.55%1.50% 1.47% 1.53% 1.51%
Average yield on interest earning assets3.45% 2.74%3.21% 2.79% 3.23% 2.71%
Average yield on interest earning assets (excluding PAA) (4)(5)
2.99% 2.83%3.22% 2.97% 3.09% 2.91%
Average cost of interest bearing liabilities (6)(7)
1.90% 1.59%2.08% 1.82% 1.96% 1.72%
Net interest spread1.55% 1.15%1.13% 0.97% 1.27% 0.99%
Net interest spread (excluding PAA) (4)(5)
1.09% 1.24%1.14% 1.15% 1.13% 1.19%
Constant prepayment rate8.9% 11.5%10.3% 10.3% 9.8% 10.9%
Long-term constant prepayment rate9.2% 10.0%9.1% 10.4% 9.1% 10.4%
Common stock book value per share(7)$10.53
 $11.23
$10.03
 $11.42
 $10.03
 $11.42
Interest income (excluding PAA) (4)(5)
$761,092
 $605,597
$819,982
 $662,449
 $2,365,396
 $1,878,172
Economic interest expense (4) (6)
$415,581
 $287,391
Economic interest expense (5) (8)
$449,624
 $347,501
 $1,276,422
 $941,425
Economic net interest income (excluding PAA) (4)(5)
$345,511
 $318,206
$370,358
 $314,948
 $1,088,974
 $936,747
Core earnings (4)(5)
$503,667
 $318,028
$386,280
 $313,647
 $1,265,244
 $891,576
Premium amortization adjustment cost (benefit)$(118,395) $17,870
$3,386
 $39,899
 $(107,493) $130,469
Core earnings (excluding PAA) (4)(5)
$385,272
 $335,898
$389,666
 $353,546
 $1,157,751
 $1,022,045
Core earnings per common share (4)(5)
$0.41
 $0.29
$0.29
 $0.26
 $1.00
 $0.79
PAA cost (benefit) per common share (4)(5)
$(0.11) $0.02
$0.01
 $0.04
 $(0.10) $0.12
Core earnings (excluding PAA) per common share (4)(5)
$0.30
 $0.31
$0.30
 $0.30
 $0.90
 $0.91
(1)
Includes cumulative and undeclared dividends on our Series F Preferred Stock of $8.3 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.
(2)
Debt consists of repurchase agreements, other secured financing, securitized debt participation sold and mortgages payable. SecuritizedCertain credit facilities (included within other secured financing), securitized debt participation sold and mortgages payable are non-recourse to us.
(2)
(3)
Computed as the sum of Recourse Debt, TBA derivative notional outstanding and net forward purchases (sales) of investments divided by total equity.
(3)
(4)
Represents the ratio of stockholders’ equity to total assets (inclusive of total market value of TBA derivatives and exclusive of securitized debt of consolidated VIEs)issued by securitization vehicles).
(4)
(5)
Represents a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information.
(5)
(6)
Represents the sum of our interest income plus TBA dollar roll income and CMBX coupon income less interest expense and realized gains (losses) onthe net interest component of interest rate swaps divided by the sum of average Interest Earning Assets plus average outstanding TBA contract and CMBX balances.
(6)
(7)
Book value per common share includes 10.6 million shares of our common stock that were pending issuance to shareholders of MTGE at September 30, 2018 in connection with the MTGE Acquisition.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


(8)
Includes GAAP interest expense and the net interest expense oncomponent of interest rate swaps.Prior to the three months ended March 31, 2018, this metric included the net interest expense oncomponent of interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds. Beginning with the three months ended March 31, 2018, as a result of changes to our hedging portfolio, this metric reflects the net interest component of all interest expense on interest rate swaps, which is reported as Realized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).swaps.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


GAAP
Net income (loss) was $1.3 billion,$385.4 million, which includes ($0.1) million attributable to a noncontrolling interest,interests, or $1.12$0.29 per average basic common share, for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 compared to $440.4$367.3 million, which includes ($0.1)0.2) million attributable to a noncontrolling interest,interests, or $0.41$0.31 per average basic common share, for the same period in 2017. We attribute the majority of the change in net income (loss) to increasesthe increase in unrealized gains on interest rate swaps, and net interest income, partially offset by the change in net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings. Unrealized gains on interest rate swaps increased $828.1 million to $977.3which was $417.2 million for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 compared to $149.2$56.9 million for the same period in 2017, reflecting a sharper rise in forward interest rates during the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. Net interest income increased $122.8 million to $512.12017, partially offset by higher net losses on disposal of investments which was ($324.3) million for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 compared to $389.3($11.6) million for the same period in 2017.

Net income (loss) was $2.3 billion, which includes $(0.3) million attributable to noncontrolling interests, or $1.88 per average basic common share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $822.2 million, which includes $(0.4) million attributable to noncontrolling interests, or $0.72 per average basic common share, for the same period in 2017. We attribute the majority of the change in net income (loss) to the change in unrealized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps, which was $1.7 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $28.5 million for the same period in 2017, reflecting a rise in forward interest rates, partially offset by higher net losses on disposal of investments which was ($376.9) million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to ($11.8) million for the same period in 2017.

Non-GAAP
Core earnings (excluding premium amortization adjustment (“PAA”)) were $389.7 million, or $0.30 per average common share, for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $353.5 million, or $0.30 per average common share, for the same period in 2017. Core earnings (excluding PAA) were $1.2 billion, or $0.90 per average common share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $1.0 billion, or $0.91 per average common share, for the same period in 2017. Core earnings (excluding PAA) increased during each period in 2018 compared to the same periods in 2017 primarily due to higher coupon income earned resulting from an increase in average Interest Earning Assets partially offset by an increase in interest expense from higher rates and an increase in average Interest Bearing Liabilities. Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings were ($51.6) million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to $23.7 million for the same period in 2017, primarily due to unfavorable changes in unrealized gains (losses) on Agency interest-only investments, non-Agency mortgage-backed securities and credit risk transfer securities, partially offset by favorable changes in unrealized gains (losses) on MSRs.

Non-GAAP
Core earnings (excluding premium amortization adjustment (“PAA”)) were $385.3 million, or $0.30 per average common share, for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to $335.9 million, or $0.31 per average common share, for the same period in 2017. Core earnings (excluding PAA) increased during the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017 primarily due to higher coupon income earned resulting from an increase in average Interest Earning Assets, higher TBA dollar roll income and lowernet interest expense oncomponent of interest rate swaps, partially offset by an increase in interest expense from higher borrowing rates, an increase in average Interest Bearing Liabilities and higher amortization on MSRs.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis



Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In connection with our continued growth and diversification, including the recent acquisition of MTGE, we have updated our calculation of core earnings and related metrics to reflect changes to our portfolio composition and operations. Beginning with the results for the quarter ended September 30, 2018, core earnings has been refreshed to include coupon income (expense) on CMBX positions (reported in Net gains (losses) on other derivatives) and to exclude depreciation and amortization expense on real estate and related intangibles (reported in Other income (loss)), non-core income (loss) allocated to equity method investments (reported in Other income (loss)) and the income tax effect of non-core income (loss) (reported in Income taxes). Prior period results will not be adjusted to conform to the revised calculation as the impact was not material.

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we provide the following non-GAAP financial measures.

core earnings and core earnings (excluding PAA);
core earnings and core earnings (excluding PAA)
per average common share;
annualized core return on average equity
(excluding PAA);
interest income (excluding PAA);
 
interest income (excluding PAA);
economic interest expense;
economic net interest income (excluding PAA);
average yield on Interest Earning Assets (excluding
(excluding PAA);
net interest margin (excluding PAA); and
net interest spread (excluding PAA).

These measures should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures computed in accordance with GAAP. While intended to offer a fuller understanding of our results and operations, non-GAAP financial measures also have limitations. For example, we may calculate our non-GAAP metrics, such as core earnings, or the PAA, differently than our peers making comparative analysis difficult. Additionally, in the case of non-GAAP measures that exclude the PAA, the amount of amortization expense excluding the PAA is not necessarily representative of the amount of future periodic amortization nor is it indicative of the term over which we will amortize the remaining unamortized premium. Changes to actual and estimated prepayments will impact the timing and amount of premium amortization and, as such, both GAAP and non-GAAP results.

These non-GAAP measures provide additional detail to enhance investor understanding of our period-over-period operating performance and business trends, as well as for assessing our performance versus that of industry peers. Additional information
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


pertaining to our use of these non-GAAP financial measures, including discussion of how each such measure is useful to investors, and reconciliations to their most directly comparable GAAP results are provided below.

Amortization

In accordance with GAAP, we amortize or accrete premiums or discounts into interest income for our Agency mortgage-backed securities, excluding interest-only securities, taking into account estimates of future principal prepayments in the calculation of the effective yield. We recalculate the effective yield as differences between anticipated and actual prepayments occur. Using third-party model and market information to project future cash flows and expected remaining lives of securities, the effective interest rate determined for each security is applied as if it had been in place from the date of the security’s acquisition. The amortized cost of the security is then adjusted to the amount that would have existed had the new effective yield been applied since the acquisition date. The adjustment to amortized cost is offset with a charge or credit to interest income. Changes in interest rates and other market factors will impact prepayment speed projections and the amount of premium amortization recognized in any given period.

Our GAAP metrics include the unadjusted impact of amortization and accretion associated with this method. Certain of our non-GAAP metrics exclude the effect of the PAA, which quantifies the component of premium
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


amortization representing the cumulative impact on prior periods, but not the current period, of quarter-over-quarter changes in estimated long-term CPR.

The following table illustrates the impact of the PAA on premium amortization expense for our Residential Investment Securities portfolio for the periods presented:
 Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
 (dollars in thousands)
Premium amortization expense$187,537
 $220,636
 $485,795
 $675,354
Less: PAA cost (benefit)3,386
 39,899
 (107,493) 130,469
Premium amortization expense (excluding PAA)$184,151
 $180,737
 $593,288
 $544,885
For the Three Months EndedThree Months Ended Nine Months Ended
March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
(dollars in thousands)(per average common share)
Premium amortization expense$95,832
 $203,634
$0.16
 $0.21
 $0.41
 $0.65
Less: PAA cost (benefit)(118,395) 17,870
0.01
 0.04
 (0.10) 0.12
Premium amortization expense (excluding PAA)$214,227
 $185,764
$0.15
 $0.17
 $0.51
 $0.53

 For the Three Months Ended
 March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017
 (per average common share)
Premium amortization expense$0.08
 $0.20
Less: PAA cost (benefit)(0.11) 0.02
Premium amortization expense (excluding PAA)$0.19
 $0.18

Core earnings and core earnings (excluding PAA), core earnings and core earnings (excluding PAA) per average common share and annualized core return on average equity (excluding PAA)

Our principal business objective is to generate net income for distribution to our stockholders and to preserve capital through prudent selection of investments and continuous management of our portfolio. We generate net income by earning a net interest spread on our investment portfolio, which is a function of our interest income from our investment portfolio less financing, hedging and operating costs.  Core earnings, which is compriseddefined as the sum of (a) economic net interest income, plus(b) TBA dollar roll income less financing and hedging costsCMBX coupon income, (c) realized amortization of MSRs, (d) other income (loss) (excluding depreciation and amortization expense on real estate and related intangibles, non-core income allocated to equity method investments and other non-core components of other income (loss)), (e) general and administrative expenses (excluding transaction expenses and non-recurring items) and (f) income taxes (excluding the income tax effect of non-core income (loss) items), and core earnings (excluding PAA), are used by management and we believe, used by our analysts and investors, to measure progress in achieving our business objectives.

We define “core earnings”, a non-GAAP measure,which is defined as net income (loss)core earnings excluding gains or losses on disposals of investments and termination or maturity of interest rate swaps, unrealized gains or losses on interest rate swaps and investments measured at fair value through earnings, net gains and losses on trading assets, impairment losses, net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest, transaction expenses and certain other non-recurring gains or losses, and inclusive of TBA dollar roll income (a component of Net gains (losses) on trading assets) and realized amortization of MSRs (a component of net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through
earnings). Core earnings (excluding PAA) excludes the premium amortization adjustment representing the cumulative impact on prior periods, but not the current period, of quarter-over-quarter changes in estimated long-term prepayment speeds related to our Agency mortgage-backed securities.securities, are used by management and, we believe, used by analysts and investors to measure its progress in achieving this objective.  

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


We seek to fulfill our principal business objective through a variety of factors including portfolio construction, the degree of market risk exposure and related hedge profile, and the use and forms of leverage, all while operating within the parameters of our capital allocation policy and risk governance framework.

We believe these non-GAAP measures provide management and investors with additional details regarding our underlying operating results and investment portfolio trends by (i) making adjustments to account for the disparate reporting of changes in fair value where certain instruments are reflected in GAAP net income (loss) while others are reflected in other comprehensive income (loss), and (ii) by excluding certain unrealized, non-cash or episodic components of GAAP net income (loss) in order to provide additional transparency into the operating performance of our portfolio. Annualized core return on average equity (excluding PAA), which is calculated by dividing core earnings (excluding PAA) over average stockholders’ equity, provides investors with additional detail on the core earnings generated by our invested equity capital.

The following table presents a reconciliation of GAAP financial results to non-GAAP core earnings for the periods presented:
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


 For the Three Months Ended
 March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017
 (dollars in thousands, except per share data)
GAAP net income (loss)$1,327,704
 $440,408
Less:   
Realized (gains) losses on termination or maturity of interest rate swaps(834) 
Unrealized (gains) losses on interest rate swaps(977,285) (149,184)
Net (gains) losses on disposal of investments(13,468) (5,235)
Net (gains) losses on trading assets47,145
 (319)
Net unrealized (gains) losses on financial instruments measured at fair value through earnings51,593
 (23,683)
Transaction expenses (1)
1,519
 
Net (income) loss attributable to noncontrolling interest96
 103
Plus:   
TBA dollar roll income (loss) (2)
88,353
 69,968
MSR amortization (3)
(21,156) (14,030)
Core earnings (4)
503,667
 318,028
Less:   
Premium amortization adjustment cost (benefit)(118,395) 17,870
Core earnings (excluding PAA) (4)
$385,272
 $335,898
GAAP net income (loss) per common share$1.12
 $0.41
Core earnings per common share (4)
$0.41
 $0.29
Core earnings (excluding PAA) per common share (4)
$0.30
 $0.31
Annualized GAAP return (loss) on average equity36.86% 13.97%
Annualized core return on average equity (excluding PAA) (4)
10.70% 10.66%
 Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
 (dollars in thousands, except per share data)
GAAP net income (loss)$385,429
 $367,315
 $2,309,020
 $822,245
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests(149) (232) (277) (437)
Net income (loss) attributable to Annaly385,578
 367,547
 2,309,297
 822,682
Adjustments to exclude reported realized and unrealized (gains) losses:
Realized (gains) losses on termination or maturity of interest rate swaps(575) 
 (1,409) 58
Unrealized (gains) losses on interest rate swaps(417,203) (56,854) (1,737,963) (28,471)
Net (gains) losses on disposal of investments324,294
 11,552
 376,943
 11,833
Net (gains) losses on other derivatives(94,827) (154,208) (81,871) (140,104)
Net unrealized (gains) losses on instruments measured at fair value through earnings39,944
 67,492
 139,913
 27,569
Adjustments to exclude components of other (income) loss:
Depreciation and amortization expense related to commercial real estate9,278
 
 9,278
 
Non-core (income) loss allocated to equity method investments (1)
(2,358) 
 (2,358) 
Non-core other (income) loss (2)

44,525
 
 44,525
 
Adjustments to exclude components of general and administrative expenses and income taxes:
Transaction expenses and non-recurring items (3)
60,081
 
 61,600
 
Income tax effect of non-core income/(loss) items886
 
 886
 
Adjustments to add back components of realized and unrealized (gains) losses:
TBA dollar roll income and CMBX coupon income (4)
56,570
 94,326
 207,414
 245,345
MSR amortization (5)
(19,913) (16,208) (61,011) (47,336)
Core earnings (6)
386,280
 313,647
 1,265,244
 891,576
Premium amortization adjustment cost (benefit)3,386
 39,899
 (107,493) 130,469
Core earnings (excluding PAA) (6)
$389,666
 $353,546
 $1,157,751
 $1,022,045
GAAP net income (loss) per average common share (7)
$0.29
 $0.31
 $1.88
 $0.72
Core earnings per average common share (6) (7)
$0.29
 $0.26
 $1.00
 $0.79
Core earnings (excluding PAA) per average common share (6) (7)
$0.30
 $0.30
 $0.90
 $0.91
Annualized GAAP return (loss) on average equity10.73% 10.98% 21.40% 8.44%
Annualized core return on average equity (excluding PAA) (6)
10.85% 10.57% 10.73% 10.49%
(1)
Beginning with the period ended September 30, 2018, we exclude non-core (income) loss allocated to equity method investments, which represents the unrealized (gains) losses allocated to equity interests in a portfolio of MSR, which is a component of Other income (loss).
(2)
Represents the amount of consideration paid for the acquisition of MTGE in excess of the fair value of net assets acquired. This amount is primarily attributable to a decline in portfolio valuation between the pricing and closing dates of the transaction and is consistent with changes in market values observed for similar instruments over the same period.
(3)
Represents costs incurred in connection with the MTGE transaction and costs incurred in connection with a securitization of residential whole loans.loans for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018.
(2)
(4)
RepresentsTBA dollar roll income and CMBX coupon income each represent a component of Net gains (losses) on trading assets inother derivatives. CMBX coupon income totaled $1.2 million for the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).three and nine months ended September 30, 2018. There were no adjustments for CMBX coupon income prior to September 30, 2018.
(3)
(5)
RepresentsMSR amortization represents the portion of changes in fair value that is attributable to the realization of estimated cash flows on ourthe Company’s MSR portfolio and is reported as a component of Net unrealized (gains) lossesgains (losses) on investmentsinstruments measured at fair value through earnings in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).value.
(4)
(6)
Represents a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to
(7)
Includes cumulative and undeclared dividends on our Series F Preferred Stock of $8.3 million for the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information.three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


From time to time, we enter into TBA forward contracts as an alternate means of investing in and financing Agency mortgage-backed securities. A TBA contract is an agreement to purchase or sell, for future delivery, an Agency mortgage-backed security with a specified issuer, term and coupon. A TBA dollar roll represents a transaction where TBA contracts with the same terms but different settlement dates are simultaneously bought and sold. The TBA contract settling in the later month typically prices at a discount to the earlier month contract with the difference in price commonly referred to as the “drop”. The drop is a reflection of the expected net interest income from an investment in similar Agency mortgage-backed securities, net of an implied financing cost, that would be foregone as a result of settling the contract in the later month rather than in the earlier month. The drop between the current settlement month price and the forward settlement month price occurs because in the TBA dollar roll market, the party providing the financing is the party that would retain all principal and interest payments accrued during the financing period. Accordingly, TBA dollar roll income generally represents the economic equivalent of the net interest income earned on the underlying Agency mortgage-backed security less an implied financing cost.

TBA dollar roll transactions are accounted for under GAAP as a series of derivatives transactions. The fair value of TBA derivatives is based on methods similar to those used to value Agency mortgage-backed securities. We record TBA derivatives at fair value on our Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition and recognize periodic changes in fair value as Net gains (losses) on trading assetsother derivatives in our Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss), which includes both unrealized and realized gains and losses on derivatives (excluding interest rate swaps).

TBA dollar roll income is calculated as the difference in price between two TBA contracts with the same terms but different settlement dates multiplied by the notional amount of the TBA contract. Although accounted for as derivatives, TBA dollar rolls capture the economic equivalent of net interest income, or carry, on the underlying Agency mortgage-backed security (interest income less an implied cost of financing). TBA dollar roll income is reported as a component of Net gains (losses) on trading assetsother derivatives in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis

The CMBX index is a synthetic tradable index referencing a basket of 25 commercial mortgage-backed securities of a particular rating and vintage. The CMBX index allows investors to take a long position (referred to as selling protection) or short position (referred to as purchasing protection) on the respective basket of commercial mortgage-backed securities and is structured as a “pay-as-you-go” contract whereby the protection seller receives and the protection buyer pays a standardized running coupon on the contracted notional amount. Additionally, the protection seller is obligated to pay to the protection buyer the amount of principal losses and/or coupon shortfalls on the underlying commercial mortgage-backed securities as they occur. We report income (expense) on CMBX positions in Net gains (losses) on other derivatives in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss). The coupon payments received or paid on CMBX positions is equivalent to interest income (expense) and therefore included in core earnings.


Interest income (excluding PAA), economic interest expense and economic net interest income (excluding PAA)

Interest income (excluding PAA) represents interest income excluding the effect of the premium amortization adjustment, and serves as the basis for deriving average yield on Interest Earning Assets (excluding PAA), net interest spread (excluding PAA) and net interest margin (excluding PAA), which are discussed below. We believe this measure provides management and investors with additional detail to enhance their understanding of our operating results and trends by excluding the component of premium amortization expense representing the cumulative effect of quarter-over-quarter changes in estimated long-term prepayment speeds related to our Agency mortgage-backed securities (other than interest-only securities), which can obscure underlying trends in the performance of the portfolio.

Economic interest expense is comprised of interest expense, as computed in accordance with GAAP, plus the net interest expense oncomponent of interest rate swaps. Prior to the three months ended March 31, 2018, economic interest expense included the net interest expense oncomponent of interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds. Beginning with the three months ended March 31, 2018, as
a result of changes to our hedging portfolio, this metric reflects the net interest component of all interest expense on interest rate swaps, which is reported as Realized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).swaps. We use interest rate swaps to manage our exposure to changing interest rates on repurchase agreements by economically hedging cash flows associated with these borrowings. Accordingly, adding the contractualnet interest payments oncomponent of interest rate swaps to interest expense, as computed in accordance with GAAP, reflects the total contractual interest expense and thus, provides investors with additional information about the cost of our financing strategy.

Similarly, economic net interest income (excluding PAA), as computed below, provides investors with additional information to enhance their understanding of the net economics of our primary business operations.

The following tables provide GAAP measures of interest expense and net interest income and details with respect to reconciling the aforementioned line items on a non-GAAP basis for each respective period:
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis



Interest Income (excluding PAA)
 
 GAAP Interest Income PAA Cost (Benefit) Interest Income (excluding PAA)
Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
March 31, 2018$879,487
 $(118,395) $761,092
March 31, 2017$587,727
 $17,870
 $605,597
 GAAP Interest Income PAA Cost (Benefit) Interest Income (excluding PAA)
Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2018$816,596
 $3,386
 $819,982
September 30, 2017$622,550
 $39,899
 $662,449
Nine Months Ended:     
September 30, 2018$2,472,889
 $(107,493) $2,365,396
September 30, 2017$1,747,703
 $130,469
 $1,878,172
 

Economic Interest Expense and Economic Net Interest Income (excluding PAA)
 
 
GAAP
Interest
Expense
 
Add: Interest Expense
on Interest Rate Swaps (1)
 
Economic
Interest
Expense
 
GAAP Net
Interest
Income
 
Less: Interest Expense
on Interest Rate Swaps (1)
 
Economic
Net Interest
Income
 
Add: PAA
Cost
(Benefit)
 
Economic Net
Interest Income
(excluding PAA)
Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
March 31, 2018$367,421
 $48,160
 $415,581
 $512,066
 $48,160
 $463,906
 $(118,395) $345,511
March 31, 2017$198,425
 $88,966
 $287,391
 $389,302
 $88,966
 $300,336
 $17,870
 $318,206
 
GAAP
Interest
Expense
 
Add: Net Interest Component
of Interest Rate Swaps (1)
 
Economic
Interest
Expense
 
GAAP Net
Interest
Income
 
Less: Net Interest Component
of Interest Rate Swaps (1)
 
Economic
Net Interest
Income
 
Add: PAA
Cost
(Benefit)
 
Economic Net
Interest Income
(excluding PAA)
Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2018$500,973
 $(51,349) $449,624
 $315,623
 $(51,349) $366,972
 $3,386
 $370,358
September 30, 2017$268,937
 $78,564
 $347,501
 $353,613
 $78,564
 $275,049
 $39,899
 $314,948
Nine Months Ended:               
September 30, 2018$1,311,086
 $(34,664) $1,276,422
 $1,161,803
 $(34,664) $1,196,467
 $(107,493) $1,088,974
September 30, 2017$689,643
 $251,782
 $941,425
 $1,058,060
 $251,782
 $806,278
 $130,469
 $936,747
(1)
(1)
Prior to the three months ended March 31, 2018, economic interest expense included interest expense on interest rate swaps used to the three months ended March 31, 2018, economic interest expense included the net interest component of interest rate swaps used to
hedge cost of funds. Beginning with the three months ended March 31, 2018, as a result of changes to our hedging portfolio, this metric reflects
the net interest component of all interest expense on interest rate swaps, which is reported as Realized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis

swaps.

Experienced and Projected Long-termLong-Term CPR
 
Prepayment speeds, as reflected by the Constant Prepayment Rate (“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 and expectations
of prepayment speeds on our Agency mortgage-backed securities portfolio increase, related purchase premium amortization increases, thereby reducing the yield on such assets. The following table presents the weighted average experienced CPR and weighted average projected long-term CPR on our Agency mortgage-backed securities portfolio as of or for the periods presented.

  
Experienced CPR (1)
 
Projected Long-term CPR (2)
Three Months Ended:
September 30, 2018 10.3% 9.1%
September 30, 2017 10.3% 10.4%
  
Experienced CPR (1)
 
Long-term CPR (2)
Nine Months Ended:
September 30, 2018 9.8% 9.1%
September 30, 2017 10.9% 10.4%
(1)
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
(2)
At September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Three Months Ended 
Experienced CPR (1)
 
Long-term CPR (2)
March 31, 2018 8.9% 9.2%
March 31, 2017 11.5% 10.0%
(1) For the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
(2) At March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. 

Average Yield on Interest Earning Assets (excluding PAA), Net Interest Spread (excluding PAA) and Net Interest Margin (excluding PAA)

Net interest spread (excluding PAA), which is the difference between the average yield on interest earning assets (excluding PAA) and the average cost of interest bearing liabilities, and net interest margin (excluding PAA), which is calculated as sum of interest income (excluding PAA) plus TBA dollar roll income and CMBX coupon income less interest expense and realized
gains (losses) onthe net interest component of interest rate swaps divided by the sum of average Interest Earning Assets plus average TBA contract and CMBX balances, provide management with additional measures of our profitability that management relies upon in monitoring the performance of the business.

Disclosure of these measures, which are presented below, provides investors with additional detail regarding how management evaluates our performance.

Net Interest Spread (excluding PAA)
 
 
Average Interest Earning
    Assets (1)
 
Interest Income (excluding PAA) (2)
 
Average Yield on Interest Earning Assets (excluding PAA) (2)
 Average Interest Bearing Liabilities 
Economic Interest Expense (2)(3)
 
Average Cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities (3)
 
Economic Net Interest Income (excluding PAA) (2)
 
Net Interest Spread (excluding PAA) (2)
Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
March 31, 2018$101,979,042
 $761,092
 2.99% $87,376,452
 $415,581
 1.90% $345,511
 1.09%
March 31, 2017$85,664,151
 $605,597
 2.83% $72,422,968
 $287,391
 1.59% $318,206
 1.24%
 
Average Interest Earning
    Assets (1)
 
Interest Income (excluding PAA) (2)
 
Average Yield on Interest Earning Assets (excluding PAA) (2)
 Average Interest Bearing Liabilities 
Economic Interest Expense (2)(3)
 
Average Cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities (3)
 
Economic Net Interest Income (excluding PAA) (2)
 
Net Interest Spread (excluding PAA) (2)
Three Months Ended: (dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2018$101,704,957
 $819,982
 3.22% $86,638,082
 $449,624
 2.08% $370,358
 1.14%
September 30, 2017$89,253,094
 $662,449
 2.97% $76,382,315
 $347,501
 1.82% $314,948
 1.15%
Nine Months Ended:              
September 30, 2018$101,959,145
 $2,365,396
 3.09% $87,039,447
 $1,276,422
 1.96% $1,088,974
 1.13%
September 30, 2017$86,114,838
 $1,878,172
 2.91% $73,097,354
 $941,425
 1.72% $936,747
 1.19%
(1)
Does not reflect the unrealized gains/(losses).
(2)
Represents a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information.
(3)
Includes GAAP interest expense and the net interest expense oncomponent of interest rate swaps. Prior to the three months ended March 31, 2018, this metric included the net interest expense oncomponent of interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds. Beginning with the three months ended March 31, 2018, as a result of changes to our hedging portfolio, this metric reflects the net interest component of all interest expense on interest rate swaps, which is reported as Realized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps in the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).swaps.


Net Interest Margin (excluding PAA)

 
Interest Income (excluding PAA) (1)
 TBA Dollar Roll Income Interest Expense 
Realized Gains (Losses) on Interest Rate Swaps (2)
 Subtotal Average Interest Earnings Assets Average TBA Contract Balances Subtotal 
Net Interest Margin (excluding PAA) (1)
Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
March 31, 2018$761,092
 88,353
 (367,421) (48,160) $433,864
 101,979,042
 12,050,341
 $114,029,383
 1.52%
March 31, 2017$605,597
 69,968
 (198,425) (104,156) $372,984
 85,664,151
 10,655,785
 $96,319,936
 1.55%
 
Interest Income (excluding PAA) (1)
 TBA Dollar Roll and CMBX Coupon Income Interest Expense Net Interest Component of Interest Rate Swaps Subtotal Average Interest Earnings Assets Average TBA Contract and CMBX Balances Subtotal 
Net Interest Margin (excluding PAA) (1)
Three Months Ended: (dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2018$819,982
 56,570
 (500,973) 51,349
 $426,928
 $101,704,957
 12,216,863
 $113,921,820
 1.50%
September 30, 2017$662,449
 94,326
 (268,937) (88,211) $399,627
 $89,253,094
 19,291,834
 $108,544,928
 1.47%
Nine Months Ended:                
September 30, 2018$2,365,396
 207,414
 (1,311,086) 34,664
 $1,296,388
 $101,959,145
 11,225,007
 $113,184,152
 1.53%
September 30, 2017$1,878,172
 245,345
 (689,643) (288,837) $1,145,037
 $86,114,838
 14,718,163
 $100,833,001
 1.51%
(1)
Represents a non-GAAP financial measure. Refer to the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” section for additional information.
(2)Consists of interest expense on interest rate swaps.



Economic Interest Expense and Average Cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities

Typically, our largest expense is the cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities and the net interest expense oncomponent of interest rate swaps, which is recorded in realized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps
on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss).swaps. The table below shows our average Interest Bearing Liabilities and average cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities as compared to average one-month and average six-month LIBOR for the periods presented.






ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Cost of Funds on Average Interest Bearing Liabilities

 
Average
Interest Bearing
Liabilities
 
Interest
Bearing
Liabilities at
Period End
 
Economic Interest Expense (1)
 Average Cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities 
Average
One-
Month
LIBOR
 
Average
Six-
Month
LIBOR
 Average One-Month LIBOR Relative to Average Six-Month LIBOR Average Cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities Relative to Average One-Month LIBOR Average Cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities Relative to Average Six-Month LIBOR
Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
March 31, 2018$87,376,452
 $84,750,379
 $415,581
 1.90% 1.65% 2.11% (0.46%) 0.25% (0.21)%
March 31, 2017$72,422,968
 $70,085,056
 $287,391
 1.59% 0.83% 1.37% (0.54%) 0.76% 0.22 %
 
Average
Interest Bearing
Liabilities
 
Interest
Bearing
Liabilities at
Period End
 
Economic Interest Expense (1)
 Average Cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities 
Average
One-
Month
LIBOR
 
Average
Six-
Month
LIBOR
 Average One-Month LIBOR Relative to Average Six-Month LIBOR Average Cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities Relative to Average One-Month LIBOR Average Cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities Relative to Average Six-Month LIBOR
Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2018$86,638,082
 $86,981,115
 $449,624
 2.08% 2.11% 2.54% (0.43%) (0.03)% (0.46)%
September 30, 2017$76,382,315
 $76,501,453
 $347,501
 1.82% 1.23% 1.46% (0.23)% 0.59 % 0.36 %
Nine Months Ended:                
September 30, 2018$87,039,447
 $86,981,115
 $1,276,422
 1.96% 1.91% 2.38% (0.47)% 0.05 % (0.42)%
September 30, 2017$73,097,354
 $76,501,453
 $941,425
 1.72% 1.04% 1.42% (0.38)% 0.68 % 0.30 %
(1)
Economic interest expense includes the net interest component of interest rate swaps. Prior to the three months ended March 31, 2018, economic interest expense included the net interest component of interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds. Beginning with the three months ended March 31, 2018, as a result of changes to our hedging portfolio, this metric reflects the net interest component of all interest rate swaps.
 
(1) Economic interest expense includes interest expense on interest rate swaps. Prior to the three months ended March 31, 2018, economic interest expense included interest expense on interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds. Beginning with the three months ended March 31, 2018, as a result of changes to our hedging portfolio, this metric reflects all interest expense on interest rate swaps.
Economic interest expense increased by $128.2$102.1 million to $415.6$449.6 million for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. Economic interest expense increased by $335.0 million to $1.3 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. The change in each period was primarily due to an increase in average Interest Bearing Liabilities and higher rates on repurchase agreements, partially offset by lowerthe change in the net interest expense oncomponent of interest rate swaps.swaps which was $51.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to ($78.6) million for the same period in 2017 and $34.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to ($251.8) million for the same period in 2017.

We do not manage our portfolio to have a pre-designated amount of borrowings at quarter or year end. Our borrowings at period end are a snapshot of our borrowings as of a date, and this number may differ from average borrowings over the period for a number of reasons. The mortgage-backed securities we own pay principal and interest towards the end of each month and the mortgage-backed securities we purchase are typically settled during the beginning of the month. As a result, depending on the amount of mortgage-backed securities we have committed to purchase, we may retain the principal and interest we receive in the prior month, or we may use it to pay down our borrowings. Moreover, we generally use interest rate swaps, swaptions and other derivative instruments to hedge our portfolio, and as we pledge or receive collateral under these agreements, our borrowings on any given day may be increased or decreased. Our average borrowings during a quarter may differ from period end borrowings as we implement our portfolio management strategies and risk management strategies over changing market conditions by increasing or decreasing leverage. Additionally, these numbers may differ during periods when we conduct equity capital raises, as in certain
instances we may purchase additional assets and increase leverage with the expectationin anticipation of a successfulan equity capital raise. Since our average borrowings and period end borrowings can be expected to differ, we believe our average borrowings during a period provide a more accurate representation of our exposure to the risks associated with leverage than our period end borrowings.

At March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the majority of our debt represented repurchase agreements and other secured financing arrangements collateralized by a pledge of our Residential Investment Securities, residential mortgage loans, commercial real estate investments and corporate loans. All of our Residential 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 increase the liquidity and strength of our balance sheet.

Realized and Unrealized Gains (Losses)
 
Realized and unrealized gains (losses) is comprised of net gains (losses) on interest rate swaps, net gains (losses) on disposal of investments, net gains (losses) on trading assetsother derivatives and net unrealized gains (losses) on investmentsinstruments measured at fair value through earnings. These components of realized and unrealized gains (losses) for the three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:
 
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


For the Three Months Ended,Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017 September 30, 2018 September 30, 2017
(dollars in thousands)(dollars in thousands)
Net gains (losses) on interest rate swaps (1)
$929,959
 $45,028
$469,127
 $(31,357) $1,774,036
 $(260,424)
Net gains (losses) on disposal of investments13,468
 5,235
(324,294) (11,552) (376,943) (11,833)
Net gains (losses) on trading assets(47,145) 319
Net unrealized gains (losses) on investments measured at fair value through earnings(51,593) 23,683
Net gains (losses) on other derivatives94,827
 154,208
 81,871
 140,104
Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair value through earnings(39,944) (67,492) (139,913) (27,569)
Total$844,689
 $74,265
$199,716
 $43,807
 $1,339,051
 $(159,722)
(1)
Includes the net interest component of interest rate swaps, realized gains (losses) on termination or maturity of interest rate swaps and
unrealized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps.
(1) Includes realized
For the Three Months Ended September 30, 2018 and 2017

Net gains (losses) on interest rate swaps realized gains (losses) on termination or maturity of interest rate swaps andfor the three months ended September 30, 2018 was $469.1 million compared to ($31.4) million for the same period in 2017. The change was primarily attributable to the change in unrealized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps.swaps which was $417.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $56.9 million for the same period in 2017, reflecting a steeper rise in forward interest rates during the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Net gains (losses) on disposal of investments was ($324.3) million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared with ($11.6) million for the same period in 2017. During the three months ended September 30, 2018, we disposed of Residential Securities with a carrying value of $9.1 billion for an aggregate net loss of ($322.4) million. For the same period in 2017, we disposed of Residential Securities with a carrying value of $6.8 billion for an aggregate net loss of ($10.2) million.
Net gains (losses) on other derivatives was $94.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $154.2 million for the same period in 2017. Net gains (losses) on TBA derivatives was ($77.2) million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $139.8 million for the same period in 2017. Net gains (losses) on futures contracts was $213.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $22.7 million for the same period in 2017.

Net unrealized gains (losses) on instruments measured at fair value through earnings was ($39.9) million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to ($67.5) million for the same period in 2017, primarily due to more favorable changes in unrealized gains (losses) on MSRs, partially offset by unfavorable changes in unrealized gains (losses) on Agency interest-only investments and non-Agency mortgage-backed securities for the three months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

For the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018 and 2017

Net gains (losses) on interest rate swaps for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $1.8 billion compared to ($260.4) million for the same period in 2017. The change was primarily attributable to the change in unrealized gains (losses) on interest rate swaps which was $1.7 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $28.5 million for the same period in 2017, reflecting a steeper rise in forward interest rates during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Net gains (losses) on disposal of investments was ($376.9) million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared with ($11.8) million for the same period in 2017. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we disposed of Residential Securities with a carrying value of $14.5 billion for an aggregate net loss of ($372.5) million. For the same period in 2017, we disposed of Residential Securities with a carrying value of $11.4 billion for an aggregate net loss of ($14.3) million and residential mortgage loans for a net loss of ($3.4) million partially offset by a disposal of a wholly-owned triple net leased property for a gain of $5.1 million. 
Net gains (losses) on other derivatives was $81.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $140.1 million for the same period in 2017. Net gains (losses) on TBA derivatives was ($356.3) million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to $255.5 million for the same period in 2017. Net gains (losses) on futures contracts was $458.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to ($97.0) million for the same period in 2017.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 and 2017

Net gains (losses) on interest rate swaps for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was $930.0 million compared to $45.0 million for the same period in 2017. The change was primarily attributable to a $828.1 million increase in unrealized gains on interest rate swaps which was $977.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to $149.2 million for the same period in 2017, reflecting a sharper rise in forward interest rates during the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Net gains (losses) on disposal of investments was $13.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared with $5.2 million for the same period in 2017. During the three months ended March 31, 2018, we disposed of Residential Investment Securities with a carrying value of $463.4 million for an aggregate net gain of $13.0 million. For the same period in 2017, we disposed of a wholly-owned triple net leased property for a gain of $5.1 million and Residential Investment Securities with a carrying value of $2.1 billion for an aggregate net gain of $1.2 million.
Net gains (losses) on trading assets was ($47.1) million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to $0.3 million for the same period in 2017. The change was primarily due to higher losses on TBA contracts, partially offset by higher net gains on futures contracts and interest rate swaptions for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Net unrealized gains (losses) on investmentsinstruments measured at fair value through earnings was ($51.6)139.9) million for the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 compared to $23.7($27.6) million for the same period in 2017, primarily due to unfavorable changes in unrealized gains (losses) on Agency interest-only investments, non-Agency mortgage-backed securities and credit risk transfer securities, partially offset by favorable changes in unrealized gains (losses) on MSRs for the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.

Other Income (Loss)

Other income (loss) includes certain revenues and costs associated with our investments in commercial real estate, including rental income and recoveries, net servicing income on MSRs, operating and transaction costs as well as depreciation and amortization expense. We report in Other income (loss) items whose amounts, either individually or in the aggregate, would not, in the opinion of management, be meaningful to readers of the financial statements. Given the nature of certain components of this line item, balances may fluctuate from period to period.

Other income (loss) also includes the amount of consideration paid for the acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp. in excess of the fair value of net assets acquired, which was $44.5 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses consist of compensation expense, theand management fee and other expenses. The following table shows our total G&A expenses as compared to average total assets and average equity for the periods presented.

G&A Expenses and Operating Expense Ratios
  Total G&A Expenses 
Total G&A Expenses/Average Assets (1)
 
Total G&A Expenses/Average Equity (1)
For the Three Months Ended: (dollars in thousands)
March 31, 2018 $62,510
 0.25% 1.74%
March 31, 2017 $53,828
 0.25% 1.71%
  Total G&A Expenses 
Total G&A Expenses/Average Assets (1)
 
Total G&A Expenses/Average Equity (1)
Three Months Ended: (dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2018 $126,509
 0.49% 3.52%
September 30, 2017 $57,016
 0.25% 1.70%
Nine Months Ended:      
September 30, 2018 $252,800
 0.33% 2.34%
September 30, 2017 $164,867
 0.25% 1.69%
(1) Includes $1.5 million of transaction costs incurred in connection with a securitization of residential whole loans for the three months ended March 31, 2018. Excluding these transaction costs, G&A expenses as a percentage of average total assets were 0.24% and as a percentage of average equity were 1.69%.
(1)
Includes $60.1 million and$61.6 million of transaction costs incurred in connection with the MTGE Acquisition and securitizations of residential whole loans for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively. Excluding these transaction costs, G&A expenses as a percentage of average total assets were 0.26% and as a percentage of average equity were 1.85% for the three months ended September 30, 2018. Excluding these transaction costs, G&A expenses as a percentage of average total assets were 0.25% and as a percentage of average equity were 1.77% for the nine months ended September 30, 2018.

G&A expenses were $62.5$126.5 million for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018, an increase of $8.7$69.5 million compared to the same period in 2017. G&A expenses were $252.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, an increase of $87.9 million compared to the same period in 2017. The change in each period was largely attributable to transaction costs in connection with the MTGE Acquisition and securitizations of residential whole loans, higher compensation and management fees, reflecting an increase in adjusted stockholders’ equity primarily resulting from the equity capital raised during the third quarter of 2018 and second half of 2017, and higher other G&A expenses primarily duereimbursement payments made to costs incurredthe Manager for certain services in connection with a securitizationthe management and operations of residential whole loansAnnaly which commenced during the firstthird quarter of 2018.

Unrealized Gains and Losses
 
With our available-for-sale accounting treatment on our Agency mortgage-backed securities, which represent the largest portion of assets on balance sheet, as well as certain
commercial mortgage-backed securities, 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 this fair value accounting treatment, our book value and book value per share are likely to fluctuate far more than if we used amortized cost accounting. As a result, comparisons with companies that use amortized cost accounting for some or all of their balance sheet may not be meaningful.

The table below shows cumulative unrealized gains and losses on our available-for-sale investments reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
  September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
  (dollars in thousands)
Unrealized gain $38,088
 $157,818
Unrealized loss (3,861,044) (1,283,838)
Net unrealized gain (loss) $(3,822,956) $(1,126,020)
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


  March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
  (dollars in thousands)
Unrealized gain $76,217
 $157,818
Unrealized loss (3,076,297) (1,283,838)
Net unrealized gain (loss) $(3,000,080) $(1,126,020)
Unrealized changes in the estimated fair value of available-for-sale investments may have a direct effect on our potential earnings and dividends: positive changes will increase our equity base and allow us to increase our borrowing capacity while negative changes tend to reduce borrowing capacity .capacity. A very large negative change in the net fair value of our available-for-sale Residential Investment Securities might impair our liquidity position, requiring us to sell assets with the likely result of realized losses upon sale.

The fair value of these securities being less than amortized cost at March 31,September 30, 2018 is solely due to market conditions and not the quality of the assets. Substantially all of the Agency mortgage-backed securities are “AAA” rated or carry an implied “AAA” rating. The investments are not considered to be other-than-temporarily impaired because we currently have 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, and it is not more likely than not that we will be required to sell the investments before recovery of the amortized cost bases, which may be maturity. Also, we are guaranteed payment of the principal and interest amounts of the securities by the respective issuing Agency.

Return on Average Equity

Our annualized return (loss) on average equity was 36.86%10.73% and 13.97%10.98% for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Our annualized return (loss) on average equity was 21.40% and 8.44% for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.


The following table shows the components of our annualized return on average equity for the periods presented.

Components of Annualized Return on Average Equity

  
Economic Net Interest Income/Average Equity (1)
 
Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses/Average Equity (2)
 
Other Income (Loss)/Average Equity (3)
 G&A Expenses/Average Equity Income Taxes/Average Equity Return on Average Equity
Three Months Ended:          
March 31, 2018 12.88% 24.80% 0.94% (1.74%) (0.02%) 36.86%
March 31, 2017 9.53% 5.18% 1.00% (1.71%) (0.03%) 13.97%
  
Economic Net Interest Income/Average Equity (1)
 
Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses/Average Equity (2)
 Other Income (Loss)/Average Equity G&A Expenses/Average Equity Income Taxes/Average Equity Return on Average Equity
Three Months Ended:          
September 30, 2018 10.22% 4.13% (0.30%) (3.52%) 0.20% 10.73%
September 30, 2017 8.21% 3.66% 0.85% (1.70%) (0.04%) 10.98%
Nine Months Ended:          
September 30, 2018 11.09% 12.09% 0.53% (2.34%) 0.03% 21.40%
September 30, 2017 8.27% 0.94% 0.93% (1.69%) (0.01%) 8.44%
(1) Economic net interest income includes interest expense on interest rate swaps. Prior to the three ended March 31, 2018, economic interest expense included interest expense on interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds. Beginning with the three months ended March 31, 2018, as a result of changes to our hedging portfolio, this metric reflects all interest expense on interest rate swaps.
(2) Realized and unrealized gains and losses excludes interest expense on interest rate swaps.
(3) Other income (loss) includes investment advisory income, dividend income from affiliate, and other income (loss).
(1)
Economic net interest income includes the net interest component of interest rate swaps. Prior to the three months ended March 31, 2018, economic interest expense included the net interest component of interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds. Beginning with the three months ended March 31, 2018, as a result of changes to our hedging portfolio, this metric reflects the net interest component of all interest rate swaps.
(2)
Realized and unrealized gains and losses excludes the net interest component of interest rate swaps.
 

Financial Condition

Total assets were $100.4$106.0 billion and $101.8 billion at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively. The change was primarily due to increases in commercial real estate investments of $1.3 billion, receivable for unsettled trades of $1.3 billion and reverse repurchase agreements of $1.2 billion, partially offset by a ($2.0)1.1) billion decrease in Residential Investment Securities partially offset by a $200.5
million increase in reverse repurchase agreements and a $141.5 million increase in corporate debt.Securities. Our portfolio composition, net equity allocation and debt-to-net equity ratio by asset class waswere as follows at March 31,September 30, 2018:

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Residential Commercial   
Agency MBS and MSRs 
TBAs (1)
 CRTs Non-Agency MBS and Residential Mortgage Loans 
CRE Debt &
Preferred
Equity
Investments
 
Investments
in CRE
 
Corporate
Debt
 
Total (2)
 Residential Commercial   
(dollars in thousands) Agency MBS and MSRs 
TBAs (1)
 CRTs Non-Agency MBS and Residential Mortgage Loans 
CRE Debt &
Preferred
Equity
Investments (2)
 
Investments
in CRE
 
Corporate
Debt
 
Total (3)
 
Assets:                (dollars in thousands) 
Fair Value/Carrying Value$89,175,475
 $9,132,631
 $628,942
 $2,602,028
 $4,041,618
 $480,063
 $1,152,745
 $98,080,871
 $89,878,961
 $16,253,193
 $688,521
 $3,156,482
 $5,186,630
 $753,014
 $1,528,874
 $101,192,482
 
                
Debt:                                
Repurchase agreements76,963,498
 8,954,000
 326,985
 309,599
 415,349
 
 
 78,015,431
 77,142,421
 16,209,160
 437,020
 474,006
 1,019,579
 
 
 79,073,026
 
Other secured financing2,711,228
 
 
 735,004
 158,651
 
 225,192
 3,830,075
 2,757,633
 
 
 805,914
 95,000
 
 450,000
 4,108,547
 
Securitized debt
 
 
 407,463
 2,497,410
 
 
 2,904,873
 
Debt issued by securitization vehicles
 
 
 559,499
 3,240,043
 
 
 3,799,542
 
Net forward purchases46,201
 
 
 
 
 
 
 46,201
 1,195,813
 
 11,587
 31,188
 
 
 
 1,238,588
 
Mortgages payable
 
 
 
 
 309,794
 
 309,794
 
 
 
 
 
 511,588
 
 511,588
 
Net Equity Allocated$9,454,548
 $178,631
 $301,957
 $1,149,962
 $970,208
 $170,269
 $927,553
 12,974,497
(3) 
$8,783,094
 $44,033
 $239,914
 $1,285,875
 $832,008
 $241,426
 $1,078,874
 12,461,191
(4) 
                                
Net Equity Allocated (%)74% 1% 2% 9% 7% 1% 7% 100% 70% % 2% 10% 7% 2% 9% 100% 
Debt/Net Equity Ratio8.4:1
 50.1:1
 1.1:1
 1.3:1
 3.2:1
 1.8:1
 0.2:1
 6.1:1
(4) 
9.2:1
 NM
 1.9:1
 1.5:1
 5.2:1
 2.1:1
 0.4:1
 5.9:1
(5) 
(1)
Fair value/carrying value represents implied market value and repurchase agreements represent the notional value.
(2)
Includes loans held for sale, net.
(3)
Excludes the TBA asset, debt and equity balances.
(3)
(4)
Net Equity Allocated, as disclosed in the above table, excludes non-portfolio related activity and may differ from stockholders’ equity per the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
(4)
(5)
Represents the debt/net equity ratio as determined using amounts on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


NM
Not meaningful.


Residential Investment Securities

Substantially all of our Agency mortgage-backed securities at March 31,September 30, 2018  and December 31, 2017 were backed by single-family residential mortgage loans and were secured with a first lien position on the underlying single-family properties. Our mortgage-backed securities were largely Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or Ginnie Mae pass through certificates or CMOs, which carry an actual or implied “AAA” rating. We carry all of our Agency mortgage-backed securities at fair value on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.

We accrete discount balances as an increase to interest income over the expected life of the related Interest Earning Assets and we amortize premium balances as a decrease to interest income over the expected life of the related Interest Earning Assets. At March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 we had on our Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition a total of $143.1$167.3 million and $148.3 million, respectively, of unamortized discount (which is the difference between the remaining principal value and current amortized cost of our Residential Investment Securities acquired at a price below principal value) and a total of $5.9 billion and $6.2 billion, respectively, of unamortized premium (which is the difference between the remaining principal value and the current amortized cost of our Residential Investment Securities acquired at a price above principal value).

The weighted average experienced prepayment speed on our Agency mortgage-backed securities portfolio for the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017 was 8.9%10.3% and 11.5%10.3%, respectively. The weighted average projected long-term prepayment speed on our Agency mortgage-backed securities portfolio as of March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017 was 9.2%9.1% and 10.0%10.4%, respectively.

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.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


The following table summarizes certain characteristics oftables present our Residential Investment Securities (excluding interest-only mortgage-backed securities)that were carried at fair value at September 30, 2018 and interest-only mortgage-backed securities at the dates presented.December 31, 2017:


 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
 Estimated Fair Value
Agency(dollars in thousands)
Fixed-rate pass-through$81,650,616
 $81,983,842
Adjustable-rate pass-through5,527,421
 6,948,906
CMO11,541
 
Interest-only887,767
 1,085,762
Multifamily1,174,298
 493,689
Reverse mortgages38,485
 39,564
Total Agency Securities$89,290,128
 $90,551,763
Residential Credit 
  
CRT$688,521
 $651,764
Alt-A216,064
 183,886
Prime377,630
 192,760
Subprime428,686
 533,880
NPL/RPL3,439
 42,988
Prime Jumbo (>= 2010 Vintage)129,968
 126,622
Prime Jumbo (>= 2010 Vintage) Interest-Only17,680
 17,158
Total Residential Credit Securities
$1,861,988
 $1,749,058
Total Residential Securities$91,152,116
 $92,300,821
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


The following table summarizes certain characteristics of our Residential Securities (excluding interest-only mortgage-backed securities) and interest-only mortgage-backed securities at the dates presented.
 March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
 (dollars in thousands)
Residential Investment Securities: (1)
    
Residential Securities: (1)
 (dollars in thousands)
Principal Amount $87,381,276
 $87,518,155
 $89,452,442
 $87,518,155
Net Premium 4,752,799
 4,682,299
 $4,530,128
 $4,682,299
Amortized Cost 92,134,075
 92,200,454
 $93,982,570
 $92,200,454
Amortized Cost/Principal Amount 105.44% 105.35% 105.06% 105.35%
Carrying Value 89,236,193
 91,197,901
 $90,246,669
 $91,197,901
Carrying Value / Principal Amount 102.12% 104.20% 100.89% 104.20%
Weighted Average Coupon Rate 3.70% 3.69% 3.81% 3.69%
Weighted Average Yield 2.87% 2.79% 3.02% 2.79%
Adjustable-Rate Residential Investment Securities: (1)
  
Adjustable-Rate Residential Securities: (1)
Adjustable-Rate Residential Securities: (1)
  
Principal Amount $7,571,513
 $8,002,252
 $6,778,380
 $8,002,252
Weighted Average Coupon Rate 3.12% 3.05% 3.35% 3.05%
Weighted Average Yield 2.75% 2.52% 2.77% 2.52%
Weighted Average Term to Next Adjustment 23 Months
 24 Months
 20 Months
 24 Months
Weighted Average Lifetime Cap (2)
 8.07% 8.12% 8.04% 8.12%
Principal Amount at Period End as % of Total Residential Investment Securities 8.66% 9.14%
Fixed-Rate Residential Investment Securities: (1)
  
  
Principal Amount at Period End as % of Total Residential Securities 7.58% 9.14%
Fixed-Rate Residential Securities: (1)
  
  
Principal Amount $79,809,763
 $79,515,903
 $82,674,062
 $79,515,903
Weighted Average Coupon Rate 3.76% 3.75% 3.85% 3.75%
Weighted Average Yield 2.88% 2.82% 3.04% 2.82%
Principal Amount at Period End as % of Total Residential Investment Securities 91.34% 90.86%
Interest-Only Residential Investment Securities:  
  
Principal Amount at Period End as % of Total Residential Securities 92.42% 90.86%
Interest-Only Residential Securities:  
  
Notional Amount $7,595,757
 $7,793,767
 $7,133,210
 $7,793,767
Net Premium 1,310,810
 1,342,048
 $1,239,298
 $1,342,048
Amortized Cost 1,310,810
 1,342,048
 $1,239,298
 $1,342,048
Amortized Cost/Notional Amount 17.26% 17.22% 17.37% 17.22%
Carrying Value 1,038,189
 1,102,920
 $905,447
 $1,102,920
Carrying Value/Notional Amount 13.67% 14.15% 12.69% 14.15%
Weighted Average Coupon Rate 3.47% 3.61% 3.29% 3.61%
Weighted Average Yield 4.45% 4.17% 3.31% 4.17%
(1)    Excludes interest-only mortgage-backed securities.
(2)    Excludes non-Agency mortgage-backed securities and CRT securities as this attribute is not applicable to these asset classes.
(1)
Excludes interest-only mortgage-backed securities.
(2)
Excludes non-Agency mortgage-backed securities and CRT securities as this attribute is not applicable to these asset classes.

 
 
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


The following tables summarize certain characteristics of our Residential Creditresidential credit portfolio at March 31,September 30, 2018.
 
   Payment StructureInvestment Characteristics   Payment StructureInvestment Characteristics
Product Estimated Fair Value Senior Subordinate Coupon 
Credit
Enhancement
 
60+
Delinquencies
 
3M VPR (1)
 Estimated Fair Value Senior Subordinate Coupon 
Credit
Enhancement
 
60+
Delinquencies
 
3M VPR (1)
(dollars in thousands)
Agency Credit Risk Transfer $597,336
 $
 $597,336
 5.33% 1.17% 0.42% 7.70% $658,691
 $
 $658,691
 5.46% 1.16% 0.25% 9.33%
Private Label Credit Risk Transfer 31,606
 
 31,606
 7.68% 4.96% 2.55% 11.68% 29,830
 
 29,830
 7.49% 1.17% 0.52% 12.12%
Alt-A 180,039
 112,359
 67,680
 4.49% 10.43% 12.33% 9.66% 216,064
 152,656
 63,408
 4.58% 10.47% 11.20% 12.84%
Prime 214,828
 50,039
 164,789
 4.53% 3.76% 10.11% 12.03% 377,630
 189,938
 187,692
 4.60% 9.32% 7.86% 12.36%
Subprime 492,506
 206,799
 285,707
 2.97% 11.87% 20.14% 5.33% 428,686
 156,671
 272,015
 3.08% 10.47% 18.40% 6.23%
Re-Performing Loan Securitizations 31,288
 31,288
 
 4.09% 43.11% 33.70% 6.57%
Non-Performing Loan Securitizations 8,284
 4,833
 3,451
 4.68% 64.00% 69.71% 6.41% 3,439
 
 3,439
 5.00% 55.49% 54.68% 14.76%
Prime Jumbo (>=2010 Vintage) 121,200
 95,150
 26,050
 3.59% 14.44% 0.01% 11.26% 129,968
 95,393
 34,575
 3.63% 13.62% 0.02% 6.48%
Prime Jumbo (>=2010 Vintage) Interest-Only 18,198
 18,198
 
 0.46% % 0.05% 15.64% 17,680
 17,680
 
 0.45% % 0.24% 7.87%
Total/Weighted Average $1,695,285
 $518,666
 $1,176,619
 4.54% 8.04% 10.15% 16.81% $1,861,988
 $612,338
 $1,249,650
 4.70% 7.30% 7.80% 13.23%
(1) Represents the 3 month voluntary prepayment rate (“VPR”).
(1)
Represents the 3 month voluntary prepayment rate (“VPR”).
 
Market Value By Sector and Bond Coupon
Product ARM Fixed Floater Interest-Only Estimated Fair Value
(dollars in thousands)
Agency Credit Risk Transfer $
 $
 $597,336
 $
 $597,336
Private Label Credit Risk Transfer 
 
 31,606
 
 31,606
Alt-A 49,829
 103,557
 26,653
 
 180,039
Prime 116,989
 97,839
 
 
 214,828
Subprime 
 93,112
 399,394
 
 492,506
Re-Performing Loan Securitizations 
 31,288
 
 
 31,288
Non-Performing Loan Securitizations 
 8,284
 
 
 8,284
Prime Jumbo (>=2010 Vintage) 
 121,200
 
 
 121,200
Prime Jumbo (>=2010 Vintage) Interest-Only 
 
 
 18,198
 18,198
Total $166,818
 $455,280
 $1,054,989
 $18,198
 $1,695,285
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis
Bond Coupon
Product ARM Fixed Floater Interest-Only Estimated Fair Value
(dollars in thousands)
Agency Credit Risk Transfer $
 $
 $658,691
 $
 $658,691
Private Label Credit Risk Transfer 
 
 29,830
 
 29,830
Alt-A 64,558
 100,264
 51,242
 
 216,064
Prime 177,834
 172,384
 27,412
 
 377,630
Subprime 
 59,903
 368,783
 
 428,686
Non-Performing Loan Securitizations 
 3,439
 
 
 3,439
Prime Jumbo (>=2010 Vintage) 
 129,968
 
 
 129,968
Prime Jumbo (>=2010 Vintage) Interest-Only 
 
 
 17,680
 17,680
Total $242,392
 $465,958
 $1,135,958
 $17,680
 $1,861,988


Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes the effect on our liquidity and cash flows from contractual obligations at March 31,September 30, 2018. The table does not include the effect of net interest rate payments oncomponent of our interest rate swap agreements.swaps. The net swap
payments will fluctuate based on monthly changes in the receive rate. At March 31,September 30, 2018, the interest rate swaps had a net fair value of ($358.7)214.7) million.
 
Within One
Year
 
One to Three
Years
 
Three to
Five Years
 
More than
Five Years
 Total 
Within One
Year
 
One to Three
Years
 
Three to
Five Years
 
More than
Five Years
 Total
 (dollars in thousands) (dollars in thousands)
Repurchase agreements $78,015,431
 $
 $
 $
 $78,015,431
 $78,691,215
 $381,811
 $
 $
 $79,073,026
Interest expense on repurchase agreements (1)
 317,461
 
 
 
 317,461
 290,234
 4,924
 
 
 295,158
Other secured financing 3,607
 3,601,276
 225,192
 
 3,830,075
 2,366
 3,656,181
 450,000
 
 4,108,547
Interest expense on other secured financing (1)
 84,253
 148,693
 6,339
 
 239,285
 110,558
 147,904
 1,614
 
 260,076
Securitized debt of consolidated VIEs (principal) 
 
 1,884,873
 988,186
 2,873,059
Interest expense on securitized debt of consolidated VIEs 68,671
 137,343
 124,643
 339,357
 670,014
Debt issued by securitization vehicles (principal) 
 888,500
 1,880,487
 1,004,753
 3,773,740
Interest expense on debt issued by securitization vehicles 122,399
 244,797
 122,847
 501,601
 991,644
Mortgages payable (principal) 
 23,375
 
 289,125
 312,500
 33,081
 16,125
 
 468,297
 517,503
Interest expense on mortgages payable 13,263
 25,051
 24,746
 29,844
 92,904
 20,338
 38,143
 37,933
 166,394
 262,808
Long-term operating lease obligations 3,267
 7,266
 7,723
 9,976
 28,232
 3,267
 7,415
 7,723
 8,045
 26,450
Total $78,505,953
 $3,943,004
 $2,273,516
 $1,656,488
 $86,378,961
 $79,273,458
 $5,385,800
 $2,500,604
 $2,149,090
 $89,308,952
(1)
Interest expense on repurchase agreements and other secured financing calculated based on rates at March 31,September 30, 2018.

In the coming periods, we expect to continue to finance our Residential Investment Securities in a manner that is largely consistent with our current operations via repurchase agreements. We may use FHLB Des Moines advances, securitization structures, mortgages
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


payable or other term financing structures to finance certain of our assets. During the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018, we received $2.7$8.7 billion from principal repayments and $463.2 million in cash from disposal of Residential Investment Securities, respectively. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, we received $3.0 billion from principal repayments and $1.8$9.6 billion in cash from disposal of Residential InvestmentSecurities, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, we received $9.0 billion from principal repayments and $11.6 billion in cash from disposal of Residential Securities.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
 
We do not have any relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships which would have been established for the sole purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements or other contractually narrow or limited purposes.

We have limited future funding commitments related to certain of our unconsolidated joint ventures. In addition, the Company has provided customary non-recourse carve-out and environmental guarantees (or underlying indemnities with respect thereto) with respect to mortgage loans held by subsidiaries of these unconsolidated joint ventures. We believe that the likelihood of making any payments under these guarantees is remote, and have not accrued a related liability at March 31,September 30, 2018.
 

Capital Management

Maintaining a strong balance sheet that can support the business even in times of economic stress and market volatility is of critical importance to our business strategy. A strong and robust capital position is essential to executing our investment strategy. Our capital strategy is predicated on a strong capital position, which enables us to execute our investment strategy regardless of the market environment.

Our Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Program (“ICAAP”) framework supports capital measurement, and is integrated within the overall risk governance framework.  The ICAAP framework is designed to align capital measurement with our risk appetite.

Our capital policy defines the parameters and principles supporting a comprehensive capital management practice, including processes that effectively identify, measure and monitor risks impacting capital adequacy. Our capital assessment process considers the precision in risk measures as well as the volatility of exposures and the relative activities producing risk. Parameters used in modeling economic capital must align with our risk appetite.

The major risks impacting capital are liquidity, investment/market, credit, counterparty, operational and compliance, regulatory and legal risks. For further discussion of the risks we are subject to, please see Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Capital requirements are based on maintaining levels above approved limits, ensuring the quality of our capital appropriately reflects our asset mix, market and funding structure. As such we use a complement of capital metrics and related threshold levels to measure and analyze our capital from a magnitude and composition perspective. Our policy is to maintain an appropriate amount of available financial resources over the aggregate economic capital requirements.

Available Financial Resources is the actual capital held to protect against the unexpected losses measured in our capital management process and may include:

Common and preferred equity
Other forms of equity-like capital
Surplus credit reserves over expected losses
Other loss absorption instruments

In the event we fall short of our internal limits, we will consider appropriate actions which may include asset sales, changes in asset mix, reductions in asset purchases or originations, issuance of capital or other capital enhancing or risk reduction strategies.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Stockholders’ Equity

The following table provides a summary of total stockholders’ equity at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017:
March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
Stockholders’ Equity:(dollars in thousands)(dollars in thousands)
7.625% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock$169,466
 $290,514
$169,466
 $290,514
7.50% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock445,457
 445,457
445,457
 445,457
7.625% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
 287,500

 287,500
6.95% Series F Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock696,910
 696,910
696,910
 696,910
6.50% Series G Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock411,335
 
411,335
 
8.125% Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock55,000
 
Common stock11,597
 11,596
13,031
 11,596
Additional paid-in capital17,218,191
 17,221,265
18,793,706
 17,221,265
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)(3,000,080) (1,126,020)(3,822,956) (1,126,020)
Accumulated deficit(2,015,612) (2,961,749)(1,811,955) (2,961,749)
Total stockholders’ equity$13,937,264
 $14,865,473
$14,949,994
 $14,865,473
Common and Preferred
Capital Stock
 
The following table provides a summary of options activity related to our Direct Purchase and Dividend Reinvestment Program for the periods presented:
 
Options
Exercised
 
Aggregate
Exercise Price
 
Shares Issued
Through Direct
Purchase
 
Amount Raised from Direct
Purchase and Dividend
Reinvestment Program
For the Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
March 31, 2018
 $
 70,000
 $746
March 31, 2017
 $
 56,000
 $596
 
Shares Issued
Through Direct
Purchase
 
Amount Raised from Direct
Purchase and Dividend
Reinvestment Program
Nine Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2018245,000
 $2,584
September 30, 2017169,000
 $1,949

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we issued 24.0 million shares under the at-the-market sales program, for proceeds of $251.1 million, net of commissions and fees.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we closed the public offering of an original issuance of 75.0 million shares of common stock for proceeds of approximately $753.8 million before deducting offering expenses. In connection with the offering, we granted the underwriters a thirty-day option to purchase up to an additional 11.3 million shares of common stock, which the underwriters exercised in full resulting in an additional $113.1 million in proceeds before deducting offering expenses.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, we closed the public offering of an original issuance of 60.0 million shares of common stock for proceeds of approximately $709.8 million before deducting offering expenses. In connection with the offering, we granted the underwriters a thirty-day option to purchase up to an additional 9.0 million shares of common stock, which the underwriters exercised in full resulting in an additional $106.5 million in proceeds before deducting offering expenses.
Refer to the section titled “Acquisition of MTGE Investment Corp.” for capital stock activity related to the MTGE Acquisition.
No options were exercised during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017.

Leverage and Capital

We believe that it is prudent to maintain conservative debt-to-equity and economic leverage ratios as there continues tomay be volatility in the mortgage and credit markets. Our capital policy governs our capital and leverage position including setting limits. Based on the guidelines, we generally expect to maintain an economic leverage ratio of less than 10:1. Our actual economic leverage ratio varies from time to time based upon various factors, including our Manager’s opinion of the level of risk of our assets and liabilities, our
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


liquidity position, our level of unused borrowing capacity, the availability of credit, over-collateralization levels required by lenders when we pledge assets to secure borrowings and our assessment of domestic and international market conditions.

Our debt-to-equity ratio at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was 6.1:5.9:1 and 5.7:1, respectively.  Our economic leverage ratio, which is computed as the sum of Recourse Debt, TBA derivative notional outstanding and net forward purchases (sales) of investments divided by total equity, at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was 6.5:6.7:1 and 6.6:1, respectively. Our capital ratio, which represents our ratio of stockholders’ equity to total assets (inclusive of total market value of TBA derivatives and exclusive of securitized debt of consolidated VIEs), was 13.1%12.6% and 12.9% at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Risk Management

We are subject to a variety of risks in the ordinary conduct of our business. The effective management of these risks is of critical importance to the overall success of Annaly. The objective of our risk management framework is to identify, measure, monitor and manage these risks.

Our risk management framework is intended to facilitate a holistic, enterprise wide view of risk. We have built a strong and collaborative risk management culture throughout Annaly focused on awareness which ensures the key risks are understood and managed appropriately. Each employee of our Manager is accountable for monitoring and managing risk within their area of responsibility.
 

Risk Appetite
 
We maintain a firm-wide risk appetite statement which defines the types and levels of risk we are willing to take in order to achieve our business objectives, and reflects our risk management philosophy. We engage in risk activities based on our core expertise that aim to enhance value for our stockholders. Our activities focus on capital preservation and income generation through proactive portfolio management, supported by a conservative liquidity and leverage posture.

The risk appetite statement asserts the following key risk parameters to guide our investment management activities:
Risk Parameter Description
Portfolio Composition We will maintain a portfolio comprised of target assets approved by our Board and in accordance with our capital allocation policy.
Leverage We will operate at an economic leverage ratio no greater than 10:1.
Liquidity Risk We will seek to maintain an unencumbered asset portfolio sufficient to meet our liquidity needs under adverse market conditions.
Interest Rate Risk We will seek to manage interest rate risk to protect the portfolio from adverse rate movements utilizing derivative instruments targeting both income and capital preservation.
Credit Risk We will seek to manage credit risk by making investments which conform within our specific investment policy parameters and optimize risk-adjusted returns.
Capital Preservation We will seek to protect our capital base through disciplined risk management practices.
Compliance We will comply with regulatory requirements needed to maintain our REIT status and our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act.

Governance
 
Risk management begins with our Board, through the review and oversight of the risk management framework, and executive management, through the ongoing formulation of risk management practices and related execution in managing risk. The Board exercises its oversight of risk management primarily through the Board Risk Committee (“BRC”) and Board Audit Committee (“BAC”). The BRC is responsible for oversight of our risk governance structure, risk management and risk assessment guidelines and policies and our risk appetite. The BAC is responsible for oversight of the quality and integrity of our accounting, internal controls and financial reporting practices, including independent auditor selection, evaluation and review, and oversight of the internal audit function.

Risk assessment and risk management are the responsibility of our management. A series of management committees have oversight or decision-making responsibilities for risk management activities. Membership of these committees is reviewed regularly to
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


ensure the appropriate personnel are engaged in the risk management process. Four primary management committees have been established to provide a comprehensive framework for risk management. The management committees responsible for our risk
management include the Enterprise Risk Committee (“ERC”), Asset and Liability Committee (“ALCO”), Investment Committee and the Financial Reporting and Disclosure Committee (“FRDC”). Each of these committees reports to our management Operating Committee which is responsible for oversight and management of our operations, including oversight and approval authority over all aspects of our enterprise risk management. 

Audit Services is an independent function with reporting lines to the BAC. Audit Services is responsible for performing our internal audit activities, which includes independently assessing and validating key controls within the risk management framework.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Description of Risks

We are subject to a variety of risks due to the business we operate. Risk categories are an important component of a robust enterprise wide risk management framework.

We have identified the following primary categories that we utilize to identify, assess, measure and monitor risk.
Risk Description
Capital, Liquidity and Funding Risk Risk to earnings, capital or business arising from our inability to meet our obligations when they come due without incurring unacceptable losses because of inability to liquidate assets or obtain adequate funding.
Investment/Market Risk Risk to earnings, capital or business resulting in the decline in value of our assets or an increase in the costs of financing caused by changes in market variables, such as interest rates, which affect the values of investment securities and other investment instruments.
Credit Risk Risk to earnings, capital or business resulting from an obligor’s failure to meet the terms of any contract or otherwise failure to perform as agreed. This risk is present in lending and investing activities.
Counterparty Risk Risk to earnings, capital or business resulting from a counterparty’s failure to meet the terms of any contract or otherwise failure to perform as agreed. This risk is present in funding, hedging and investing activities.
Operational Risk Risk to earnings, capital, reputation or business arising from inadequate or failed internal processes or systems, human factors or external events. Model risk is included in operational risk.
Compliance, Regulatory and Legal Risk Risk to earnings, capital, reputation or conduct of business arising from violations of, or nonconformance with internal and external applicable rules and regulations, losses resulting from lawsuits or adverse judgments, or from changes in the regulatory environment that may impact our business model.
 
Capital, Liquidity and Funding Risk Management

Our capital, liquidity and funding risk management strategy is designed to ensure the availability of sufficient resources to support our business and meet our financial obligations under both normal and adverse market and business
environments. Our capital, liquidity and funding risk management practices consist of the following primary elements:
 
Element Description
Funding Availability of diverse and stable sources of funds.
Excess Liquidity Excess liquidity primarily in the form of unencumbered assets.
Maturity Profile Diversity and tenor of liabilities and modest use of leverage.
Stress Testing Scenario modeling to measure the resiliency of our liquidity position.
Liquidity Management Policies Comprehensive policies including monitoring, risk limits and an escalation protocol.
 

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Funding

Our primary financing sources are repurchase agreements provided through counterparty arrangements and through RCap,Arcola, other secured financing including funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”), securitized debt, mortgages, credit facilities, note sales and various forms of equity. We maintain excess liquidity by holding unencumbered liquid assets that could be either sold or used to collateralize additional borrowings.

We seek to conservatively manage our repurchase agreement funding position through a variety of methods including diversity, breadth and depth of counterparties and maintaining a staggered maturity profile.

Additionally, our wholly-owned subsidiary, RCap,Arcola, provides direct access to third party funding as a FINRA member broker-dealer. RCapArcola borrows funds through the General Collateral Finance Repo service offered by the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (“FICC”), with FICC acting as the central counterparty. RCap mayArcola also borrowborrows funds through otherdirect repurchase agreements.

To reduce our liquidity risk we maintain a laddered approach to our repurchase agreements. At March 31,September 30, 2018, the weighted average days to maturity was 7255 days.

Our repurchase agreements generally provide that in the event of a margin call we must provide additional securities or cash on the same business day that a margin call is made. Should prepayment speeds on the mortgages underlying our Agency and Residential mortgage-backed securities and/or market interest rates or other factors move suddenly and cause declines in the market value of assets posted as collateral, resulting margin calls may cause an adverse change in our liquidity position.

We maintain access to FHLB funding through our captive insurance subsidiary Truman Insurance Company LLC (“Truman”). We finance eligible Agency, residential credit and commercial investments through the FHLB. A rule from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (“FHFA”) requires captive insurance companies to terminate their FHLB membership, however, given the length of its membership, Truman was granted a five year sunset provision whereby its membership will expire in February 2021. We believe our business objectives align well with the mission of the FHLB System. While there can be no assurances that such steps will be taken, we believe it would be appropriate for there to be legislative or other action to permit Truman and similar captive insurance subsidiaries to retain their membership status beyond the current sunset period.

We utilize diverse funding sources to finance our commercial investments. Aside from FHLB funding, we may utilize credit facilities, securitization funding and, in the case of investments in commercial real estate, mortgage financing and note sales.

At March 31,September 30, 2018, we had total financial assets and cash pledged against existing liabilities of $91.2$93.1 billion. The weighted average haircut was approximately 4% on repurchase agreements. The quality and character of the Residential Investment Securities and commercial real estate investments that we pledge as collateral under the repurchase agreements and interest rate swaps did not materially change at March 31,September 30, 2018 compared to December 31, 2017, and our counterparties did not materially alter any requirements, including required haircuts, related to the collateral we pledge under repurchase agreements and interest rate swaps during the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018.

The following table presents our quarterly average and quarter-end repurchase agreement and reverse repurchase
agreement balances outstanding for the periods presented:

 Repurchase Agreements Reverse Repurchase Agreements
 Average Daily Amount Outstanding Ending Amount Outstanding Average Daily Amount Outstanding Ending Amount Outstanding
Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
March 31, 2018$80,770,663
 $78,015,431
 $2,064,862
 $200,459
December 31, 201778,755,896
 77,696,343
 1,295,652
 
September 30, 201769,314,576
 69,430,268
 994,565
 
June 30, 201763,191,827
 62,497,400
 474,176
 
March 31, 201764,961,511
 62,719,087
 1,738,333
 
December 31, 201664,484,326
 65,215,810
 1,064,130
 
September 30, 201663,231,246
 61,784,121
 1,494,022
 
June 30, 201654,647,175
 53,868,385
 1,159,341
 
March 31, 201655,753,041
 54,448,141
 1,294,505
 
 Repurchase AgreementsReverse Repurchase Agreements
 Average Daily Amount Outstanding Ending Amount Outstanding Average Daily Amount Outstanding Ending Amount Outstanding
Three Months Ended:(dollars in thousands)
September 30, 2018$79,214,382
 $79,073,026
 $2,330,519
 $1,234,704
June 30, 201880,582,681
 75,760,655
 2,929,470
 259,762
March 31, 201880,770,663
 78,015,431
 2,064,862
 200,459
December 31, 201778,755,896
 77,696,343
 1,295,652
 
September 30, 201769,314,576
 69,430,268
 994,565
 
June 30, 201763,191,827
 62,497,400
 474,176
 
March 31, 201764,961,511
 62,719,087
 1,738,333
 
December 31, 201664,484,326
 65,215,810
 1,064,130
 
September 30, 201663,231,246
 61,784,121
 1,494,022
 
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


The following table provides information on our repurchase agreements and other secured financing by maturity date at March 31,September 30, 2018. The weighted average remaining maturity on our repurchase agreements and other secured financing was 11694 days at March 31,September 30, 2018:
 
March 31, 2018
Principal Balance 
Weighted
Average Rate
 % of TotalPrincipal Balance 
Weighted
Average Rate
 % of Total
(dollars in thousands)(dollars in thousands)
1 day$
 % %$16,400,345
 2.38% 19.7%
2 to 29 days39,527,178
 1.76% 48.3%20,175,176
 2.10% 24.4%
30 to 59 days8,619,507
 1.67% 10.5%7,321,938
 2.26% 8.8%
60 to 89 days10,243,046
 1.83% 12.5%17,423,359
 2.38% 20.9%
90 to 119 days5,381,838
 1.64% 6.6%6,518,313
 2.20% 7.8%
Over 120 days (1)
18,073,937
 2.19% 22.1%15,342,442
 2.52% 18.4%
Total$81,845,506
 1.84% 100.0%$83,181,573
 2.31% 100.0%
(1)
Approximately 5% of the total repurchase agreements and other secured financing had a remaining maturity over 1 year.
 
(1) Approximately 5% of the total repurchase agreements and other secured financing had a remaining maturity over 1 year.

The table below presents our outstanding debt balances and associated weighted average rates and days to maturity at March 31,September 30, 2018:
  Weighted Average Rate    Weighted Average Rate  
Principal Balance At Period End For the Quarter 
Weighted Average
Days to Maturity (1)
Principal Balance At Period End For the Quarter 
Weighted Average
Days to Maturity (1)
(dollars in thousands)(dollars in thousands)
Repurchase agreements$78,015,431
 1.83% 1.64% 72
$79,073,026
 2.32% 2.25% 55
Other secured financing (2)
3,830,075
 2.18% 2.14% 1,022
4,108,547
 2.66% 2.73% 845
Securitized debt of consolidated VIEs (3)
2,873,059
 2.39% 2.24% 3,348
3,773,740
 3.24% 3.26% 2,983
Mortgages payable (3)
312,500
 4.24% 4.32% 2,498
517,503
 4.03% 4.44% 4,863
Total indebtedness$85,031,065
  
  
  
$87,472,816
  
  
  
(1)
Determined based on estimated weighted-average lives of the underlying debt instruments.
(2)
Includes advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines of $3.6 billion and financing under credit facilities.
(3)
Non-recourse to Annaly.
 
(1) Determined based on estimated weighted-average lives of the underlying debt instruments.
(2) Includes advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines of $3.6 billion and financing under credit facilities.
(3) Non-recourse to Annaly.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Excess Liquidity
 
Our primary source of liquidity is the availability of unencumbered assets which may be provided as collateral to support additional funding needs. We target minimum thresholds of available, unencumbered assets to maintain excess liquidity. The following table illustrates our asset portfolio available to support potential collateral obligations and funding needs.

Assets are considered encumbered if pledged as collateral against an existing liability, and therefore are no longer available to support additional funding. An asset is considered unencumbered if it has not been pledged or securitized. The following table also provides the carrying amount of our encumbered and unencumbered financial assets at March 31,September 30, 2018:
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Encumbered Assets Unencumbered Assets Total
(dollars in thousands)Encumbered Assets Unencumbered Assets Total
Financial Assets:     (dollars in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents$884,667
 $99,608
 $984,275
$924,891
 $157,856
 $1,082,747
Reverse repurchase agreements (1)
750,000
 484,704
 1,234,704
Investments, at carrying value: (1)(2)
      
Agency mortgage-backed securities83,893,493
 4,560,031
 88,453,524
83,280,776
 4,750,600
 88,031,376
Credit risk transfer securities411,780
 214,111
 625,891
551,673
 125,274
 676,947
Non-Agency mortgage-backed securities499,271
 567,072
 1,066,343
617,579
 524,614
 1,142,193
Residential mortgage loans(3)1,376,883
 158,802
 1,535,685
1,555,562
 427,453
 1,983,015
MSRs5,153
 591,225
 596,378
2,958
 585,875
 588,833
Commercial real estate debt investments(3)2,900,098
 60,225
 2,960,323
3,685,492
 22,948
 3,708,440
Commercial real estate debt and preferred equity, held for investment529,324
 551,971
 1,081,295
1,050,469
 385,396
 1,435,865
Loans held for sale, net
 42,325
 42,325
Corporate debt666,682
 486,063
 1,152,745
679,185
 849,689
 1,528,874
Total financial assets$91,167,351
 $7,289,108
 $98,456,459
$93,098,585
 $8,356,734
 $101,455,319
(1)
The collateral received in connection with reverse repurchase agreements was not sold or repledged as of September 30, 2018.
(2)
The amounts reflected in the table above are on a settlement date basis and may differ from the total positions reported on the
Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
(3)
Includes assets transferred or pledged to securitization vehicles.
 
We maintain liquid assets in order to satisfy our current and future obligations in normal and stressed operating environments. These are held as the primary means of liquidity risk mitigation. The composition of our liquid assets is also considered and is subject to certain parameters. The composition is monitored for concentration risk and asset type. We believe the assets we consider liquid can be readily converted into cash, through liquidation or by being used as
collateral in financing arrangements (including as additional collateral to support existing financial arrangements). Our balance sheet also generates liquidity on an on-going basis through mortgage principal and interest repayments and net earnings held prior to payment of dividends. The following table presents our liquid assets as a percentage of total assets at March 31,September 30, 2018.
 
Carrying Value (1)
Liquid Assets
Carrying Value (1)
(dollars in thousands)
(dollars in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents$984,275
$1,082,747
Residential Investment Securities (2)
90,145,758
Reverse repurchase agreements484,704
Residential Securities (2)
89,850,516
Residential mortgage loans (3)
975,491
1,217,139
Commercial real estate debt investments (4)
264,810
186,495
Commercial real estate debt and preferred equity, held for investment723,997
1,143,549
Loans held for sale, net42,325
Corporate debt763,023
888,859
Total liquid assets$93,857,354
$94,896,334
Percentage of liquid assets to carrying amount of encumbered and unencumbered financial assets (3)(4)
98.59%97.66%
(1)
Carrying value approximates the market value of assets. The assets listed in this table include $88.5$88.2 billion of assets that have been pledged as collateral against existing liabilities at March 31, 2018. Please refer to the Encumbered and Unencumbered Assets table for related information.
pledged as collateral against existing liabilities at September 30, 2018. Please refer to the Encumbered and Unencumbered Assets
table for related information.
(2)
The amounts reflected in the table above are on a settlement date basis and may differ from the total positions reported on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition.
(3)
Excludes securitized residential mortgage loans transferred or pledged to consolidated VIEs carried at fair value of $560.2$765.9 million.
(4)
Excludes senior securitized commercial mortgage loans of consolidated VIEs carried at fair value of $2.7$3.5 billion.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Maturity Profile

We consider the profile of our assets, liabilities and derivatives when managing both liquidity risk as well as investment/market risk employing a measurement of both the maturity gap and interest rate sensitivity gap.
We determine the amount of liquid assets that are required to be held by monitoring several liquidity metrics. We utilize several modeling techniques to analyze our current and potential obligations including the expected cash flows from our assets, liabilities and derivatives. The following table illustrates the expected final maturities and cash flows of our assets, liabilities and derivatives. The table is based on a static portfolio and assumes no reinvestment of asset cash flows and no future liabilities are entered into. In assessing the maturity of our assets,
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


liabilities and off balance sheet obligations, we use the stated maturities, or our prepayment expectations for assets and liabilities that exhibit prepayment characteristics. Cash and cash equivalents are included in the ‘Less than 3 Months’ maturity bucket, as they are typically held for a short period of time.

With respect to each maturity bucket, our maturity gap is considered negative when the amount of maturing liabilities exceeds the amount of maturing assets. A negative gap increases our liquidity risk as we must enter into future liabilities.

Our interest rate sensitivity gap is the difference between Interest Earning Assets and Interest Bearing Liabilities
maturing or re-pricing within a given time period. Unlike the calculation of maturity gap, interest rate sensitivity gap includes the effect of our interest rate swaps. 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 assets and liabilities were perfectly matched in each maturity category. The amount of assets and liabilities utilized to compute our interest rate sensitivity gap was determined in accordance with the contractual terms of the assets and liabilities, except that 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. The effects of interest rate swaps, whichwhereby we generally pay a fixed rate and receive a floating rate and effectively lock in our financing costs for a longer term, are also reflected in our interest rate sensitivity gap. The interest rate sensitivity of our assets and liabilities in the following table at March 31,September 30, 2018 could vary substantially based on actual prepayment experience.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Less than 3
Months
 3-12 Months 
More than 1 Year
to 3 Years
 3 Years and Over Total
Less than 3
Months
 3-12 Months More than 1 Year to 3 Years 3 Years and Over Total
Financial Assets:(dollars in thousands)(dollars in thousands)
Cash and cash equivalents$984,275
 $
 $
 $
 $984,275
$1,082,747
 $
 $
 $
 $1,082,747
Reverse repurchase agreements1,234,704
 
 
 
 1,234,704
Agency mortgage-backed securities (principal)
 
 1,665,951
 84,031,652
 85,697,603

 
 2,662,348
 84,921,742
 87,584,090
Credit risk transfer securities (principal)
 
 10,006
 569,071
 579,077
1,569
 
 
 649,791
 651,360
Non-Agency mortgage-backed securities (principal)
 9,748
 119,552
 975,296
 1,104,596

 17,305
 135,653
 1,064,034
 1,216,992
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (principal)
 
 
 196,407
 196,407
Total securities1,569
 17,305
 2,798,001
 86,831,974
 89,648,849
Residential mortgage loans (principal)
 
 
 1,527,171
 1,527,171

 
 
 1,218,940
 1,218,940
Commercial real estate debt investments (principal)
 
 
 2,941,236
 2,941,236
Commercial real estate debt and preferred equity (principal)101,551
 365,783
 492,996
 125,103
 1,085,433
209,094
 183,227
 712,367
 338,515
 1,443,203
Corporate debt (principal)
 
 50,078
 1,114,376
 1,164,454

 
 99,953
 1,442,858
 1,542,811
Reverse repurchase agreements200,459
 
 
 
 200,459
Total loans209,094
 183,227
 812,320
 3,000,313
 4,204,954
Assets transferred or pledged to securitization vehicles (principal)
 
 
 4,252,367
 4,252,367
Total financial assets - maturity1,286,285
 375,531
 2,338,583
 91,283,905
 95,284,304
2,528,114
 200,532
 3,610,321
 94,084,654
 100,423,621
Effect of utilizing reset dates (1)
6,926,553
 2,232,539
 771,441
 (9,930,533)  7,829,356
 3,049,093
 (1,809,353) (9,069,096)  
Total financial assets - interest rate sensitive$8,212,838
 $2,608,070
 $3,110,024
 $81,353,372
 $95,284,304
$10,357,470
 $3,249,625
 $1,800,968
 $85,015,558
 $100,423,621
         
Financial Liabilities:                  
Repurchase agreements$58,753,814
 $19,261,617
 $
 $
 $78,015,431
$61,320,817
 $17,370,398
 $381,811
 $
 $79,073,026
Other secured financing
 3,607
 3,601,276
 225,192
 3,830,075

 2,366
 3,956,181
 150,000
 4,108,547
Securitized debt of consolidated VIE (principal)
 
 
 2,873,059
 2,873,059
Debt issued by securitization vehicles (principal)
 
 888,500
 2,885,240
 3,773,740
Total financial liabilities - maturity58,753,814
 19,265,224
 3,601,276
 3,098,251
 84,718,565
61,320,817
 17,372,764
 5,226,492
 3,035,240
 86,955,313
Effect of utilizing reset dates (1)(2)
(57,104,744) 13,337,921
 19,283,674
 24,483,149
  (61,080,204) 14,276,031
 13,128,363
 33,675,810
  
Total financial liabilities - interest rate sensitive$1,649,070
 $32,603,145
 $22,884,950
 $27,581,400
 $84,718,565
$240,613
 $31,648,795
 $18,354,855
 $36,711,050
 $86,955,313
                  
Maturity gap$(57,467,529) $(18,889,693) $(1,262,693) $88,185,654
 $10,565,739
$(58,792,703) $(17,172,232) $(1,616,171) $91,049,414
 $13,468,308
                  
Cumulative maturity gap$(57,467,529) $(76,357,222) $(77,619,915) $10,565,739
  $(58,792,703) $(75,964,935) $(77,581,106) $13,468,308
  
                  
Interest rate sensitivity gap$6,563,768
 $(29,995,075) $(19,774,926) $53,771,972
 $10,565,739
$10,116,857
 $(28,399,170) $(16,553,887) $48,304,508
 $13,468,308
                  
Cumulative rate sensitivity gap$6,563,768
 $(23,431,307) $(43,206,233) $10,565,739
  $10,116,857
 $(18,282,313) $(34,836,200) $13,468,308
  

(1)
Maturity gap utilizes stated maturities, or prepayment expectations for assets that exhibit prepayment characteristics, while interest rate sensitivity gap utilizes reset dates, if applicable.
(2)
Includes effect of interest rate swaps.

The methodologies we employ for evaluating interest rate risk include an analysis of our interest rate “gap,” measurement of the duration and convexity of our portfolio and sensitivities to interest rates and spreads.

Stress Testing

We utilize liquidity stress testing to ensure we have sufficient liquidity under a variety of scenarios and stresses. These stress tests assist with the management of our pool of liquid assets and influence our current and future funding plans. Our stress tests are modeled over both short term and longer time horizons. The stresses applied include market-wide and firm-specific stresses.

Liquidity Management Policies

We utilize a comprehensive liquidity policy structure to inform our liquidity risk management practices including monitoring and measurement, along with well-defined key limits. Both quantitative and qualitative targets are utilized
to measure the ongoing stability and condition of the liquidity position, and include the level and composition of unencumbered assets, as well as both short-term and long-term sustainability of the funding composition under stress conditions.

We also monitor early warning metrics designed to measure the quality and depth of liquidity sources based upon both company-specific and market conditions. The metrics assist in assessing our liquidity conditions and are integrated into our escalation protocol, with various liquidity ratings influencing management actions with respect to contingency planning and potential related actions.


Investment/Market Risk Management

One of the primary risks we are subject to is investment/market risk. Changes in the level of interest rates can affect our net interest income, which is the difference between the income we earn on our Interest Earning Assets and the interest expense incurred from Interest Bearing Liabilities and
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


derivatives. Changes in the level of interest rates and spreads can also affect the value of our securities and potential realization of gains or losses from the sale of these assets. We may utilize a variety of financial instruments, including interest rate swaps, swaptions, options, futures and other hedges, in order to limit the adverse effects of interest rates on our results. In the case of interest rate swaps, we may use
market agreed coupon (“MAC”) interest rate swaps in which we may receive or make a payment at the time of entering such interest rate swap to compensate for the out of marketoff-market nature of such interest rate swap. MAC interest rate swaps offer increased liquidity and more efficient portfolio administration through compression which is the process of reducing the number of unique interest rate swap contracts and replacing them with fewer contracts containing market defined terms. Our portfolio and the value of our portfolio, including derivatives, may be adversely affected as a result of changing interest rates and spreads.

We simulate a wide variety of interest rate scenarios in evaluating our risk. Scenarios are run to capture our sensitivity to changes in interest rates, spreads and the shape of the yield curve. We also consider the assumptions affecting our analysis such as those related to prepayments. In addition
to predefined interest rate scenarios, we utilize Value-at-Risk measures to estimate potential losses in the portfolio over various time horizons utilizing various confidence levels. The following tables estimate the potential changes in economic net interest income over a twelve month period and the immediate effect on our portfolio market value (inclusive of derivative instruments), should interest rates instantaneously increase or decrease by 25, 50 or 75 basis points, and the effect of portfolio market value if mortgage option-adjusted spreads instantaneously increase or decrease by 5, 15 or 25 basis points (assuming shocks are parallel and instantaneous). All changes to income and portfolio market 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 March 31,September 30, 2018. The net interest income simulations incorporate the interest expense effect of rate resets on liabilities and derivatives as well as the amortization expense and reinvestment of principal based on the prepayments on our securities, which varies based on the level of rates. The results assume no management actions in response to the rate or spread changes. The following table presents estimates at March 31,September 30, 2018. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Change in Interest Rate (1)
 
Projected Percentage Change in Economic Net Interest Income (2)
 
Estimated Percentage Change in Portfolio Value (3)
 
Estimated Change as a
% on NAV (3)(4)
 
Projected Percentage Change in Economic Net Interest Income (2)
 
Estimated Percentage Change in Portfolio Value (3)
 
Estimated Change as a
% on NAV (3)(4)
-75 Basis Points (13.3%) 0.3% 2.5% (12.2%) 0.5% 3.3%
-50 Basis Points (6.9%) 0.3% 2.5% (6.2%) 0.4% 3.0%
-25 Basis Points (2.2%) 0.2% 1.5% (2.2%) 0.3% 1.8%
Base Interest Rate      
+25 Basis Points 2.2% (0.3%) (2.0%) 0.7% (0.3%) (2.4%)
+50 Basis Points 3.7% (0.6%) (4.4%) 0.8% (0.7%) (5.3%)
+75 Basis Points 4.5% (0.9%) (7.2%) 0.4% (1.2%) (8.6%)
MBS Spread Shock (1)
 
Estimated Change in
Portfolio Market Value
 
Estimated Change as a %
on NAV (3)(4)
   
Estimated Change in
Portfolio Market Value
 
Estimated Change as a %
on NAV (3)(4)
  
-25 Basis Points 1.5% 11.5%   1.6% 11.5%  
-15 Basis Points 0.9% 6.9%   1.0% 6.9%  
-5 Basis Points 0.3% 2.3%   0.3% 2.3%  
Base Interest Rate        
+5 Basis Points (0.3%) (2.3%)   (0.3%) (2.3%)  
+15 Basis Points (0.9%) (6.8%)   (0.9%) (6.8%)  
+25 Basis Points (1.5%) (11.3%)   (1.6%) (11.3%)  
(1)
Interest rate and MBS spread sensitivity are based on results from third party models in conjunction with inputs from our internal investment professionals. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.
investment professionals. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates.
(2)
Scenarios include Residential Investment Securities, commercial real estate investments, corporate debt, repurchase agreements, other secured financing and interest rate swaps.  Economic net interest income includes interest expense on interest rate swaps.
secured financing and interest rate swaps.  Economic net interest income includes the net interest component of interest rate swaps.
(3)
Scenarios include Residential Investment Securities, residential mortgage loans, MSRs and derivative instruments.
(4)
NAV represents book value of equity.

Credit Risk Management

Key risk parameters have been established to specify our credit risk appetite. We will seek to manage credit risk by making investments which conform within the firm’s specific investment policy parameters and optimize risk-return attributes.

While we do not expect to encounter credit risk in our Agency investments, we face credit risk on the non-Agency mortgage-backed securities and CRT securities in our portfolio. In addition, we are also exposed to credit risk on residential mortgage loans, commercial real estate investments and corporate debt. MSR values may also be impacted if overall costs to service the underlying mortgage
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


loans increase due to borrower performance. We are subject to risk of loss if an issuer or borrower fails to perform its contractual obligations. We have established policies and procedures for mitigating credit risk, including establishing and reviewing limits for credit exposure. We will originate or purchase commercial investments that meet our comprehensive underwriting process and credit standards and are approved by the appropriate committee. Once a
commercial investment is made, our ongoing surveillance process includes regular reviews, analysis and oversight of investments by our investment personnel and appropriate committee. We review credit and other risks of loss associated with each investment. Our management monitors the overall portfolio risk and determines estimates of provision for loss. Our portfolio composition at March 31,September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was as follows:
Asset Portfolio (using balance sheet values)
Asset Portfolio (using balance sheet values)
September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
CategoryMarch 31, 2018
 December 31, 2017
   
Agency mortgage-backed securities90.3% 90.6%88.2% 90.6%
Credit risk transfer securities0.6% 0.7%0.7% 0.7%
Non-Agency mortgage-backed securities1.1% 1.1%1.2% 1.1%
Residential mortgage loans(1)1.6% 1.4%2.0% 1.4%
Mortgage servicing rights0.6% 0.6%0.6% 0.6%
Commercial real estate (1)(2)
4.6% 4.6%5.8% 4.6%
Corporate debt1.2% 1.0%1.5% 1.0%
(1)
Includes assets transferred or pledged to securitization vehicles.
(2)
Net of unamortized origination fees.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Counterparty Risk Management

Our use of repurchase and derivative agreements and trading activities create exposure to counterparty risk relating to potential losses that could be recognized if the counterparties to these agreements fail to perform their obligations under the contracts. In the event of default by a counterparty, we could have difficulty obtaining our assets pledged as collateral. A significant portion of our investments are financed with repurchase agreements by pledging our Residential Investment Securities and certain commercial real estate investments as collateral to the lender. The collateral we pledge generally exceeds the amount of the borrowings under each agreement. If the counterparty to the repurchase agreement defaults on its obligations and we are not able to recover our pledged asset, we are at risk of losing the over-collateralization or haircut. The amount of this exposure is the difference between the amount loaned to us plus interest due to the counterparty and the fair value of the collateral pledged by us to the lender including accrued interest receivable on such collateral.

We also use interest rate swaps and other derivatives to manage interest rate risk. Under these agreements, we pledge securities and cash as collateral or settle variation margin payments as part of a margin arrangement.

If a counterparty were to default on its obligations, we would be exposed to a loss to a derivative counterparty to the extent that the amount of our securities or cash pledged exceeded the unrealized loss on the associated derivative and we were not able to recover the excess collateral. Additionally, we would be exposed to a loss to a derivative counterparty to the extent that our unrealized gains on derivative instruments exceeded the amount of the counterparty’s securities or cash pledged to us.

We monitor our exposure to counterparties across several dimensions including by type of arrangement, collateral type, counterparty type, ratings and geography.

The following table summarizes our exposure to counterparties by geography at March 31,September 30, 2018:
 
Number of Counterparties 
Repurchase
Agreement
Financing
 Interest Rate Swaps at Fair Value 
Exposure (1)
CountryNumber of Counterparties 
Repurchase
Agreement
Financing
 Interest Rate Swaps at Fair Value 
Exposure (1)
(dollars in thousands)
(dollars in thousands)
North America31
 $56,243,298
 $(139,785) $2,139,272
35
 $56,666,963
 $(90,964) $2,734,516
Europe13
 16,218,302
 (218,944) 1,263,433
13
 16,985,714
 (123,763) 1,831,751
Asia (non-Japan)1
 457,099
 
 30,745
1
 513,694
 
 28,476
Japan4
 5,096,732
 
 335,657
4
 4,906,655
 
 292,017
Total49
 $78,015,431
 $(358,729) $3,769,107
53
 $79,073,026
 $(214,727) $4,886,760
(1)
Represents the amount of cash and/or securities pledged as collateral to each counterparty less the
aggregate of repurchase agreement financing and unrealized loss on swaps for each counterparty.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Operational Risk Management

We are subject to operational risk in each of our business and support functions. Operational risk may arise from internal or external sources including human error, fraud, systems issues, process change, vendors, business interruptions and other external events. Model risk considers potential errors with a model’s results due to uncertainty in model parameters and inappropriate methodologies used. The result of these risks may include financial loss and reputational damage. We manage operational risk through a variety of tools including policies and procedures that cover topics such as business continuity, personal conduct, cybersecurity and vendor management. Other tools include testing, including disaster recovery testing; systems controls, including access controls; training, including cybersecurity awareness training; and monitoring, which includes the use of key risk indicators. Employee level lines of defense against operational risk include proper segregation of incompatible duties, activity-level internal controls over financial reporting, the empowerment of business units to identify and mitigate operational risk sources, testing by our internal audit staff, and our overall governance framework.  

We have established a Cybersecurity Committee to help mitigate cybersecurity risks. The role of the committee is to oversee cyber risk assessments, monitor applicable key risk indicators, review cybersecurity training procedures, oversee the Company’s Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan and engage third parties to conduct periodic penetration testing. Our cybersecurity risk assessment includes an evaluation of cyber risk related to sensitive data held by third parties on their systems. The Cybersecurity Committee periodically reports to the ERC, the BRC and the BAC. There is no assurance that these efforts will effectively mitigate cybersecurity risk and mitigation efforts are not an assurance that no cybersecurity incidents will occur. We have purchased cybersecurity insurance, however, there is no assurance that the insurance policy will cover all cybersecurity breaches or that the policy will cover all losses.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Compliance, Regulatory and Legal Risk Management

Our business is organized as a REIT, and 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.  Accordingly, we closely monitor our REIT status within our risk management program.

The financial services industry is highly regulated and continues to receive increasing attention from regulators, which may impact both our company as well as our business strategy. We proactively monitor the potential impact regulation may have both directly and indirectly on us. We maintain a process to actively monitor both actual and potential legal action that may affect us. Our risk management
framework is designed to identify, monitor and manage these risks under the oversight of the ERC.

We currently rely on the exemption from registration provided by Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act, and we plan to continue to meet the requirements for this exemption from registration. The determination that we qualify for this exemption from registration depends on various factual matters and circumstances. Accordingly, in conjunction with our legal department, we closely monitor our compliance with Section 3(c)(5)(C) within our risk management program. The monitoring of this risk is also under the oversight of the ERC.

As a result of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) gained jurisdiction over the regulation of interest rate swaps.  The CFTC has asserted that this causes the operators of mortgage real estate investment trusts that use swaps as part of their business model to fall within the statutory definition of Commodity Pool Operator (“CPO”), and, absent relief from the Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight or the CFTC, to register as CPOs. On December 7, 2012, as a result of numerous requests for no-action relief from the CPO registration requirement for operators of mortgage real estate investment trusts, the Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight of the CFTC issued no-action relief entitled “No-Action Relief from the Commodity Pool Operator Registration Requirement for Commodity Pool Operators of Certain Pooled Investment Vehicles Organized as Mortgage Real Estate Investment Trusts” that permits a CPO to receive relief by filing a claim to perfect the use of the relief. A claim submitted by a CPO will be effective upon filing, so long as the claim is materially complete. The conditions that must be met relate to initial margin and premiums requirements, net income derived annually from commodity interest positions that are not qualifying hedging transactions, marketing of interests in the mortgage real estate investment trust to the public, and identification of the entity as a mortgage real estate investment trust in its federal tax filings with the Internal Revenue Service. While we disagree with the CFTC’s position that mortgage real estate investment trusts that use swaps as part of their business model fall within the statutory definition of a CPO, we have submitted a claim for the relief set forth in the no-action relief entitled “No-Action Relief from the Commodity Pool Operator Registration Requirement for Commodity Pool Operators of Certain Pooled Investment Vehicles Organized as Mortgage Real Estate Investment Trusts” and believe we meet the criteria for such relief set forth therein.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our critical accounting policies that require us to make significant judgments or estimates are described below.  For more information on these critical accounting policies and other significant accounting policies, see “Significant
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Accounting Policies” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Valuation of Financial Instruments

Residential Investment Securities

There is an active market for our Agency mortgage-backed securities, Agency debentures, CRT securities and non-Agency mortgage-backed securities. Since we primarily invest in securities that can be valued using actively quoted prices for actively traded assets, there is a high degree of observable inputs and less subjectivity in measuring fair value. Internal fair values are determined using quoted prices from the TBA securities market, the Treasury curve and the underlying characteristics of the individual securities, which may include coupon, periodic and life caps, reset dates and the expected life of the security. Prepayment rates are difficult to predict and require estimation and judgment in the valuation of Agency mortgage-backed securities. All internal fair values are compared to external pricing sources and/or dealer quotes to determine reasonableness. Additionally, securities used as collateral for repurchase agreements are priced daily by counterparties to ensure sufficient collateralization, providing additional verification of our internal pricing.

Residential Mortgage Loans

There is an active market for the residential whole loans in which we invest. Since we primarily invest in residential loans that can be valued using actively quoted prices for similar assets, there are observable inputs in measuring fair value. Internal fair
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis

values are determined using quoted prices for similar market transactions, the Treasury curve and the underlying characteristics of the individual loans, which may include loan term, coupon, and reset dates. Prepayment rates are difficult to predict and are a significant estimate requiring judgment in the valuation of residential whole loans. All internal fair values are compared to external pricing sources to determine reasonableness.

Commercial Real Estate Investments

The fair value of commercial mortgage-backed securities classified as available-for-sale is determined based upon quoted prices of similar assets in recent market transactions and requires the application of judgment due to differences in the underlying collateral. These securities must also be evaluated for other-than-temporary impairment if the fair value of the security is lower than its amortized cost. Determining whether there is an other-than-temporary impairment may require us to exercise significant judgment and make estimates to determine expected cash flows incorporating assumptions such as changes in interest rates and loss expectations. For commercial real estate loans and preferred equity investments classified as held for investment, we apply significant judgment in evaluating the
need for a loss reserve. Estimated net recoverable value of the commercial real estate loans and preferred equity investments and other factors such as the fair value of any collateral, the amount and status of senior debt, the prospects of the borrower and the competitive landscape where the borrower conducts business must be considered in determining the allowance for loan losses. For commercial real estate loans held for sale, significant judgment may need to be applied in determining fair value of the loans and whether a valuation allowance is necessary. Factors that may need to be considered to determine fair value of a loan held for sale include the borrower’s credit quality, liquidity and other market factors and the fair value of the underlying collateral.

Interest Rate Swaps

We use the overnight indexed swap (“OIS”) curve as an input to value substantially all of our uncleared interest rate swaps. We believe using the OIS curve, which reflects the interest rate typically paid on cash collateral, enables us to most accurately determine the fair value of uncleared interest rate swaps. Consistent with market practice, we exchange collateral (also called margin) based on the fair values of our interest rate swaps. Through this margining process, we may be able to compare our recorded fair value with the fair value calculated by the counterparty or derivatives clearing organization, providing additional verification of our recorded fair value of the uncleared interest rate swaps. We value our cleared interest rate swaps using the prices provided by the derivatives clearing organization.


Revenue Recognition

Interest income from coupon payments is accrued based on the outstanding principal amounts of the Residential Investment Securities and their contractual terms. Premiums and discounts associated with the purchase of the Residential Investment Securities are amortized or accreted into interest income over the projected lives of the securities using the interest method. We use third-party model and market information to project prepayment speeds. Our prepayment speed projections incorporate underlying loan characteristics (i.e., coupon, term, original loan size, original loan-to-value ratio, etc.) and market data, including interest rate and home price index forecasts and expert judgment. Prepayment speeds vary according to the type of investment, conditions in the financial markets and other factors and cannot be predicted with any certainty. Changes to model assumptions, including interest rates and other market data, as well as periodic revisions to the model will cause changes in the results. Adjustments are made for actual prepayment activity as it relates to calculating the effective yield. Gains or losses on sales of Residential Investment Securities are recorded on trade date based on the specific identification method.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities

Determining whether an entity has a controlling financial interest in a VIE requires significant judgment related to assessing the purpose and design of the VIE and determination of the activities that most significantly impact its economic performance. We must also identify explicit and implicit variable interests in the entity and consider our involvement in both the design of the VIE and its ongoing activities. To determine whether consolidation of the VIE is required, we must apply judgment to assess whether we have the power to direct the most significant activities of the VIE and whether we have either the rights to receive benefits or the obligation to absorb losses that could be potentially significant to the VIE.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis

Use of Estimates

The use of 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 materially from those estimates.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Glossary of Terms


A


Adjustable-Rate Loan / Security
A loan / security on which interest rates are adjusted at regular intervals according to predetermined criteria. The adjustable interest rate is tied to an objective, published interest rate index.

Agency
Refers to a federally chartered corporation, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association, or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or an agency of the U.S. Government, such as the Government National Mortgage Association.

Agency Debentures
Debt issued by a federal agency or a government-sponsored enterprise (“GSE”) for financing purposes. These types of debentures are not backed by collateral, but by the integrity and credit-worthiness of the issuer. Agency debentures issued by a GSE are backed only by that GSE’s ability to pay. The callable feature allows the Agency to repay the bond prior to maturity.

Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities
Refers to residential mortgage-backed securities that are issued or guaranteed by an Agency.

Amortization
Liquidation of a debt through installment payments.  Amortization also refers to the process of systematically reducing a recognized asset or liability (e.g., a purchase premium or discount for a debt security) with an offset to earnings.

Average Life
On a mortgage-backed security, the average time to receipt of each dollar of principal, weighted by the amount of each principal prepayment, based on prepayment assumptions.


B


Basis Point (“BP”)
One hundredth of one percent, used in expressing differences in interest rates.  One basis point is 0.01% of yield. For example, a bond’s yield that changed from 3.00% to 3.50% would be said to have moved 50 basis points.

Benchmark
A bond or an index referencing a basket of bonds whose terms are used for comparison with other bonds of similar maturity. The global financial market typically looks to U.S. Treasury securities as benchmarks.

Beneficial Owner
One who benefits from owning a security, even if the security’s title of ownership is in the name of a broker or bank.

B-Note
Subordinate mortgage notes and/or subordinate mortgage loan participations.

B-Piece
The most subordinate commercial mortgage-backed security bond class.

Board
Refers to the board of directors of Annaly.

Bond
The written evidence of debt, bearing a stated rate or stated rates of interest, or stating a formula for determining that rate, and maturing on a date certain, on which date and upon presentation a fixed sum of money plus interest (usually represented by interest coupons attached to the bond) is payable to the holder or owner. Bonds are long-term securities with an original maturity of greater than one year. For purposes of computations tied in to “per bond,” a $1,000 increment of an issue is used (no matter what the actual denominations are).

Book Value Per Share
Calculated by summing common stock, additional paid-in capital, accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and accumulated deficit and dividing that number by the total common shares outstanding.

Broker
Generic name for a securities firm engaged in both buying and selling securities on behalf of customers or its own account.


C


Capital Buffer
Includes unencumbered financial assets which can be either sold or utilized as collateral to meet liquidity needs.

Capital Ratio
Calculated as total stockholders’ equity divided by total assets inclusive of outstanding market value of TBA positions and exclusive of consolidated VIEs. 
 
Carry
The amount an asset earns over its hedging and financing costs. A positive carry happens when the rate on the securities being financed is greater than the rate on the funds borrowed. A negative carry is when the rate on the funds borrowed is greater than the rate on the securities that are being financed.

CMBX
The CMBX index is a synthetic tradable index referencing a basket of 25 CMBS of a particular rating and vintage. The CMBX index allows investors to take a long position (referred to as selling protection) or short position (referred to as purchasing protection) on the respective basket of CMBS securities and is structured as “pay-as-you-go”
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


contract whereby the protection seller receives and the protection buyer pays a standardized running coupon on the contracted notional amount. Additionally, the protection seller is obligated to pay to the protection buyer the amount of principal losses and/or coupon shortfalls on the underlying CMBS securities as they occur.

Collateral
Securities, cash or property pledged by a borrower or party to a derivative contract to secure payment of a loan or derivative. If the borrower fails to repay the loan or defaults under the derivative contract, the secured party may take ownership of the collateral.

Collateralized Mortgage Obligation (“CMO”)
A multiclass bond backed by a pool of mortgage pass-through securities or mortgage loans.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”)
An independent U.S. federal agency established by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Act of 1974. The CFTC regulates the swaps, commodity futures and options markets. Its goals include the promotion of competitive and efficient futures markets and the protection of investors against manipulation, abusive trade practices and fraud.

Commercial Mortgage-Backed Security (“CMBS”)
Securities collateralized by a pool of mortgages on commercial real estate in which all principal and interest from the mortgages flow to certificate holders in a defined sequence or manner.

Constant Prepayment Rate (“CPR”)
The percentage of outstanding mortgage loan principal that prepays in one year, based on the annualization of the Single Monthly Mortality, which reflects the outstanding mortgage loan principal that prepays in one month.

Convertible Securities
Securities which may be converted into shares of another security under stated terms, often into the issuing company’s common stock.

Convexity
A measure of the change in a security’s duration with respect to changes in interest rates. The more convex a security is, the more its duration will change with interest rate changes.

Core Earnings and Core Earnings Per Average Common Share
Non-GAAP measure thatCore earnings is defined as the sum of (a) economic net interest income, (loss) excluding gains or losses on disposals of investments and termination or maturity of interest rate swaps, unrealized gains or losses on interest rate swaps and investments measured at fair value through earnings, net gains (losses) on trading assets, impairment losses, net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest, transaction expenses and certain other non-recurring gains or losses, and inclusive of(b) TBA dollar roll income (a component of Net gains (losses) on trading assets) and CMBX coupon income, (c) realized amortization of MSRs.MSRs, (d) other income (loss) (excluding depreciation and amortization expense on real estate and related intangibles, non-core income allocated to equity method investments and other non-core components of other income (loss)), (e) general and administrative expenses (excluding transaction expenses and
non-recurring items) and (f) income taxes (excluding the income tax effect of non-core income (loss) items), and core earnings (excluding PAA) is defined as core earnings excluding the premium amortization adjustment representing the cumulative impact on prior periods, but not the current period, of quarter-over-quarter changes in estimated long-term prepayment speeds related to our Agency mortgage-backed securities. Core earnings and core earnings (excluding PAA) per average common share is calculated by dividing core earnings or core earnings (excluding PAA) by average basic common shares for the period. As discussed in the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”, these measures have been updated beginning in the third quarter ended September 30, 2018. Prior period results will not be adjusted to conform to the revised calculation as the impact in each of those periods is not material.

Corporate Debt
Non-government debt instruments issued by corporations. Long-term corporate debt can be issued as bonds or loans.

Counterparty
One of two entities in a transaction. For example, in the bond market a counterparty can be a state or local government, a broker-dealer or a corporation.

Coupon
The interest rate on a bond that is used to compute the amount of interest due on a periodic basis.

Credit and Counterparty Risk
Risk to earnings, capital or business, resulting from an obligor’s or counterparty’s failure to meet the terms of any contract or otherwise failure to perform as agreed. Credit and counterparty risk is present in lending, investing, funding and hedging activities.

Credit Derivatives
Derivative instruments that have one or more underlyings related to the credit risk of a specified entity (or group of entities) or an index that exposes the seller to potential loss from specified credit-risk related events. An example is credit derivatives referencing the commercial mortgage-backed securities index.
 
Credit Risk Transfer (“CRT”) Securities
Credit Risk Transfer securities are risk sharing transactions issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and similarly structured transactions arranged by third party market participants. The securities issued in the CRT sector are designed to synthetically transfer mortgage credit risk from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and/or third parties to private investors.

Current Face
The current remaining monthly principal on a mortgage security. Current face is computed by multiplying the original
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


face value of the security by the current principal balance factor.


D
___


Dealer
Person or organization that underwrites, trades and sells securities, e.g., a principal market-maker in securities.

Default Risk
Possibility that a bond issuer will fail to pay principal or interest when due.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Derivative
A financial product that derives its value from the price, price fluctuations and price expectations of an underlying instrument, index or reference pool (e.g. futures contracts, options, interest rate swaps, interest rate swaptions and certain to-be-announced securities).

Discount Price
When the dollar price is below face value, it is said to be selling at a discount.

Duration
The weighted maturity of a fixed-income investment’s cash flows, used in the estimation of the price sensitivity of fixed-income securities for a given change in interest rates.


E


Economic Capital
A measure of the risk a firm is subject to.  It is the amount of capital a firm needs as a buffer to protect against risk.  It is a probabilistic measure of potential future losses at a given confidence level over a given time horizon.

Economic Interest Expense
Non-GAAP financial measure that is composed of GAAP interest expense adjusted for realized gains or losses onthe net interest component of interest rate swaps.

Economic Leverage Ratio (Economic Debt-to-Equity Ratio)
Calculated as the sum of recourse debt, TBA derivative notional outstanding and net forward purchases (sales) of investments divided by total equity. Recourse debt consists of repurchase agreements and other secured financing (excluding certain non-recourse credit facilities). Securitized debt, certain credit facilities (included within other secured financing) and mortgages payable are non-recourse to us and are excluded from this measure.

Economic Net Interest Income
Non-GAAP financial measure that is composed of GAAP net interest income adjusted for realized gains or losses on interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds.less Economic Interest Expense.

Encumbered Assets
Assets on the company’s balance sheet which have been pledged as collateral against a liability.

Eurodollar
A U.S. dollar deposit held in Europe or elsewhere outside the United States.


F


Face Amount
The par value (i.e., principal or maturity value) of a security appearing on the face of the instrument.

Factor
A decimal value reflecting the proportion of the outstanding principal balance of a mortgage security, which changes over time, in relation to its original principal value.

Fannie Mae
Federal National Mortgage Association.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”)
An independent agency created by the U.S. Congress to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation’s financial system by insuring deposits, examining and supervising financial institutions for safety and soundness and consumer protection, and managing receiverships.

Federal Funds Rate
The interest rate charged by banks on overnight loans of their excess reserve funds to other banks.

Federal Home Loan Banks (“FHLB”)
U.S. Government-sponsored banks that provide reliable liquidity to member financial institutions to support housing finance and community investment.

Federal Housing Financing Agency (“FHFA”)
The FHFA is an independent regulatory agency that oversees vital components of the secondary mortgage market including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks.

Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”)
FINRA is a non-governmental organization tasked with regulating all business dealings conducted between dealers, brokers and all public investors.

Fixed-Rate Mortgage
A mortgage featuring level monthly payments, determined at the outset, which remain constant over the life of the mortgage.

Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (“FICC”)
The FICC is an agency that deals with the confirmation, settlement and delivery of fixed-income assets in the U.S.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


The agency ensures the systematic and efficient settlement of U.S. Government securities and mortgage-backed security transactions in the market.

Floating Rate Bond
A bond for which the interest rate is adjusted periodically according to a predetermined formula, usually linked to an index.

Floating Rate CMO
A CMO tranche which pays an adjustable rate of interest tied to a representative interest rate index such as the LIBOR, the Constant Maturity Treasury or the Cost of Funds Index.


ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Freddie Mac
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.

Futures Contract
A legally binding agreement to buy or sell a commodity or financial instrument in a designated future month at a price agreed upon at the initiation of the contract by the buyer and seller. Futures contracts are standardized according to the quality, quantity, and delivery time and location for each commodity. A futures contract differs from an option in that an option gives one of the counterparties a right and the other an obligation to buy or sell, while a futures contract represents an obligation of both counterparties, one to deliver and the other to accept delivery. A futures contract is part of a class of financial instruments called derivatives.


G


GAAP
U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Ginnie Mae
Government National Mortgage Association.


H


Hedge
An investment made with the intention of minimizing the impact of adverse movements in interest rates or securities prices.


I


In-the-Money
Description for an option that has intrinsic value and can be sold or exercised for a profit; a call option is in-the-money when the strike price (execution price) is below the market price of the underlying security.

Interest Bearing Liabilities
Refers to repurchase agreements, securitized debt of consolidated VIEs, participation sold,issued by securitization vehicles, FHLB Des Moines advances and
credit facilities, U.S. Treasury securities sold, not yet purchased and securities loaned.facilities. Average Interest Bearing Liabilities is based on daily balances.

Interest Earning Assets
Refers to Residential Investment Securities, securities borrowed, U.S. Treasury securities, reverse repurchase agreements, commercial real estate debt investments, commercial real estate debt and preferred equity interests, residential mortgage loans and corporate debt. Average Interest Earning Assets is based on daily balances.



Interest-Only (IO) Bond
The interest portion of mortgage, Treasury or bond payments, which is separated and sold individually from the principal portion of those same payments.

Interest Rate Risk
The risk that an investment’s value will change due to a change in the absolute level of interest rates, in the spread between two rates, in the shape of the yield curve or in any other interest rate relationship. As market interest rates rise, the value of current fixed income investment holdings declines. Diversifying, deleveraging and hedging techniques are utilized to mitigate this risk. Interest rate risk is a form of market risk.

Interest Rate Swap
A binding agreement between counterparties to exchange periodic interest payments on some predetermined dollar principal, which is called the notional principal amount. For example, one party will pay fixed and receive a variable rate .

Interest Rate Swaption
Options on interest rate swaps. The buyer of a swaption has the right to enter into an interest rate swap agreement at some specified date in the future. The swaption agreement will specify whether the buyer of the swaption will be a fixed-rate receiver or a fixed-rate payer.

Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Program (“ICAAP”)
The ongoing assessment and measurement of risks, and the amount of capital which is necessary to hold against those risks.  The objective is to ensure that a firm is appropriately capitalized relative to the risks in its business.
 
International Swaps and Derivatives Association (“ISDA”) Master Agreement
Standardized contract developed by ISDA used as an umbrella under which bilateral derivatives contracts are entered into.

Inverse IO Bond
An interest-only bond whose coupon is determined by a formula expressing an inverse relationship to a benchmark rate, such as LIBOR. As the benchmark rate changes, the IO coupon adjusts in the opposite direction. When the
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


benchmark rate is relatively low, the IO pays a relatively high coupon payment, and vice versa.

Investment/Market Risk
Risk to earnings, capital or business resulting in the decline in value of our assets caused from changes in market variables, such as interest rates, which affect the values of Residential Investment Securities and other investment instruments.

Investment Company Act
Refers to the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


L                     
L

Leverage
The use of borrowed money to increase investing power and economic returns.

Leverage Ratio (Debt-to-Equity Ratio)
Calculated as total debt to total stockholders’ equity. For purposes of calculating this ratio total debt includes repurchase agreements, other secured financing, securitized debt of consolidated VIEs, loan participation soldissued by securitization vehicles and mortgages payable. Certain credit facilities (included within other secured financing), debt issued by securitization vehicles and mortgages payable which are non-recourse to us, subject to customary carveouts.us.

LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate)
The rate banks charge each other for short-term Eurodollar loans. LIBOR is frequently used as the base for resetting rates on floating-rate securities and the floating-rate legs of interest rate swaps.

Liquidity Risk
Risk to earnings, capital or business arising from our inability to meet our obligations when they come due without incurring unacceptable losses because of inability to liquidate assets or obtain adequate funding.

Long-Term CPR
The Company’s projected prepayment speeds for certain Agency mortgage-backed securities using third-party model and market information. The Company’s prepayment speed projections incorporate underlying loan characteristics (e.g., coupon, term, original loan size, original loan-to-value ratio, etc.) and market data, including interest rate and home price index forecasts.  Changes to model assumptions, including interest rates and other market data, as well as periodic revisions to the model will cause changes in the results.

Long-Term Debt
Debt which matures in more than one year.


M


Market Agreed Coupon (“MAC”) Interest Rate Swap
An interest rate swap contract structure with pre-defined, market agreed terms, developed by SIFMA and ISDA with the purpose of promoting liquidity and simplified administration.


Monetary Policy
Action taken by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to influence the money supply or interest rates.

Mortgage-Backed Security (“MBS”)
A security representing a direct interest in a pool of mortgage loans. The pass-through issuer or servicer collects the payments on the loans in the pool and “passes through” the
principal and interest to the security holders on a pro rata basis.

Mortgage Loan
A mortgage loan granted by a bank, thrift or other financial institution that is based solely on real estate as security and is not insured or guaranteed by a government agency.

Mortgage Servicing Rights (“MSRs”)
Contractual agreements constituting the right to service an existing mortgage where the holder receives the benefits and bears the costs and risks of servicing the mortgage.


N


NAV
Net asset value.

Net Equity Yield
Calculated using GAAP net income, excluding depreciation and amortization expense, divided by average net equity.

Net Interest Income
Represents interest income earned on our portfolio investments, less interest expense paid for borrowings.

Net Interest Margin
Represents the sum of the Company's interest income plus TBA dollar roll income and CMBX coupon income less interest expense and realized gains (losses) onthe net interest component of interest rate swaps divided by the sum of average Interest Earning Assets plus average TBA contract and CMBX balances.

Net Interest Spread
Calculated by taking the average yield on Interest Earning Assets minus the average cost of Interest Bearing Liabilities, including the net interest payments oncomponent of interest rate swaps used to hedge cost of funds.swaps.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Non-Performing Loan (“NPL”)
A loan that is close to defaulting or is in default.

Notional Amount
A stated principal amount in a derivative contract on which the contract is based.


O


Operational Risk
Risk to earnings, capital, reputation or business arising from inadequate or failed internal processes or systems, human factors or external events.

Option Contract
A contract in which the buyer has the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an asset at a set price on or before a given date. Buyers of call options bet that a security will be
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


worth more than the price set by the option (the strike price), plus the price they pay for the option itself. Buyers of put options bet that the security’s price will drop below the price set by the option. An option is part of a class of financial instruments called derivatives, which means these financial instruments derive their value from the worth of an underlying investment.

Original Face
The face value or original principal amount of a security on its issue date.

Out-of-the-Money
Description for an option that has no intrinsic value and would be worthless if it expired today; for a call option, this situation occurs when the strike price is higher than the market price of the underlying security; for a put option, this situation occurs when the strike price is less than the market price of the underlying security.

Over-The-Counter (“OTC”) Market
A securities market that is conducted by dealers throughout the country through negotiation of price rather than through the use of an auction system as represented by a stock exchange.


P

Par
Price equal to the face amount of a security; 100%.

Par Amount
The principal amount of a bond or note due at maturity. Also known as par value.
 
Pass-Through Security
A securitization structure where a GSE or other entity “passes” the amount collected from the borrowers every
month to the investor, after deducting fees and expenses.

Pool
A collection of mortgage loans assembled by an originator or master servicer as the basis for a security. In the case of Ginnie Mae, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac mortgage pass-through securities, pools are identified by a number assigned by the issuing agency.

Premium
The amount by which the price of a security exceeds its principal amount. When the dollar price of a bond is above its face value, it is said to be selling at a premium.

Premium Amortization Adjustment (“PAA”)
The component of premium amortization representing the quarter-over-quarter change in estimated long-term CPR.


Prepayment
The unscheduled partial or complete payment of the principal amount outstanding on a mortgage loan or other debt before it is due.

Prepayment Risk
The risk that falling interest rates will lead to increased prepayments of mortgage or other loans, forcing the investor to reinvest at lower prevailing rates.

Prime Rate
The indicative interest rate on loans that banks quote to their best commercial customers.
 
Principal and Interest
The term used to refer to regularly scheduled payments or prepayments of principal and payments of interest on a mortgage or other security.


R

Rate Reset
The adjustment of the interest rate on a floating-rate security according to a prescribed formula.
 
Real Estate Investment Trust (“REIT”)
A special purpose investment vehicle that provides investors with the ability to participate directly in the ownership or financing of real-estate related assets by pooling their capital to purchase and manage mortgage loans and/or income property.

Recourse Debt
Debt on which the economic borrower is obligated to repay the entire balance regardless of the value of the pledged collateral. By contrast, the economic borrower’s obligation to repay non-recourse debt is limited to the value of the pledged collateral. Recourse debt consists of repurchase agreements and other secured financing.financing (excluding certain non-recourse credit facilities).

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Reinvestment Risk
The risk that interest income or principal repayments will have to be reinvested at lower rates in a declining rate environment.

Re-Performing Loan (“RPL”)
A type of loan in which payments were previously delinquent by at least 90 days but have resumed.

Repurchase Agreement
The sale of securities to investors with the agreement to buy them back at a higher price after a specified time period; a form of short-term borrowing. For the party on the other end of the  transaction (buying the security and agreeing to sell in the future) it is a reverse repurchase agreement.


ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


Residential Investment Securities
Refers to Agency mortgage-backed securities, Agency debentures, CRT securities and non-Agency mortgage-backed securities.

Residual
In a CMO, the residual is the tranche that collects any cash flow from the collateral that remains after obligations to the other tranches have been met.

Return on Average Equity
Calculated by taking earnings divided by average stockholders’ equity.

Reverse Repurchase Agreement
Refer to Repurchase Agreement. The buyer of securities effectively provides a collateralized loan to the seller.

Risk Appetite Statement
Defines the types and levels of risk we are willing to take in order to achieve our business objectives, and reflects our risk management philosophy.


S


Secondary Market
Ongoing market for bonds previously offered or sold in the primary market.

Settlement Date
The date securities must be delivered and paid for to complete a transaction.

Short-Term Debt
Generally, debt which matures in one year or less. However, certain securities that mature in up to three years may be considered short-term debt.

Spread
When buying or selling a bond through a brokerage firm, an individual investor will be charged a commission or spread,
which is the difference between the market price and cost of purchase, and sometimes a service fee. Spreads differ based on several factors including liquidity.


T

Target Assets
Includes Agency mortgage-backed securities, to-be-announced forward contracts, Agency debentures, CRT securities, MSRs, non-Agency mortgage-backed securities, residential mortgage loans, commercial real estate investments, and corporate debt.

To-Be-Announced Securities (“TBAs”)
A contract for the purchase or sale of a mortgage-backed security to be delivered at a predetermined price, face amount,
issuer, coupon and stated maturity on an agreed-upon future date but does not include a specified pool number and number of pools.

TBA Dollar Roll Income
TBA dollar roll income is defined as the difference in price between two TBA contracts with the same terms but different settlement dates. The TBA contract settling in the later month typically prices at a discount to the earlier month contract with the difference in price commonly referred to as the “drop”. TBA dollar roll income represents the equivalent of interest income on the underlying security less an implied cost of financing.

Total Return
Investment performance measure over a stated time period which includes coupon interest, interest on interest, and any realized and unrealized gains or losses.

Total Return Swap
A derivative instrument where one party makes payments at a predetermined rate (either fixed or variable) while receiving a return on a specific asset (generally an equity index, loan or bond) held by the counterparty.


U


Unencumbered Assets
Assets on our balance sheet which have not been pledged as collateral against an existing liability.

U.S. Government-Sponsored Enterprise (“GSE”) Obligations
Obligations of Agencies originally established or chartered by the U.S. government to serve public purposes as specified by the U.S. Congress, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; these obligations are not explicitly guaranteed as to the timely payment of principal and interest by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.


ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


V


Value-at-Risk (“VaR”)
A statistical technique which measures the potential loss in value of an asset or portfolio over a defined period for a given confidence interval.

Variable Interest Entity (“VIE”)
An entity in which equity investors (i) do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest, and/or (ii) do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support from other parties.

Variation Margin
Cash or securities provided by a party to collateralize its obligations under a transaction as a result of a change in value
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 2. Management’s Discussion And Analysis


of such transaction since the trade was executed or the last time collateral was provided.

Volatility
A statistical measure of the variance of price or yield over time. Volatility is low if the price does not change very much over a short period of time, and high if there is a greater change.


W


Warehouse Lending
A line of credit extended to a loan originator to fund mortgages extended by the loan originators to property purchasers. The loan typically lasts from the time the mortgage is originated to when the mortgage is sold into the secondary market, whether directly or through a
securitization.  Warehouse lending can provide liquidity to the loan origination market.

Weighted Average Coupon
The weighted average interest rate of the underlying mortgage loans or pools that serve as collateral for a security, weighted by the size of the principal loan balances.

Weighted Average Life (“WAL”)
The assumed weighted average amount of time that will elapse from the date of a security’s issuance until each dollar of principal is repaid to the investor. The WAL will change as the security ages and depending on the actual realized rate at which principal, scheduled and unscheduled, is paid on the loans underlying the MBS.


Y


Yield-to-Maturity
The expected rate of return of a bond if it is held to its maturity date; calculated by taking into account the current market price, stated redemption value, coupon payments and time to maturity and assuming all coupons are reinvested at the same rate; equivalent to the internal rate of return.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ITEM 3.QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK


Quantitative and qualitative disclosures about market risk are contained within the section titled “Risk Management” of Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
 



ITEM 4.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 report.  Based on that review and evaluation, the CEO and CFO have concluded that our current disclosure controls and procedures, as designed, (1) were effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO
and CFO, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and (2) were effective in ensuring that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the SEC’s rules and forms.
 
There have been no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the three months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

_________
ITEM 1.LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From time to time, we are involved in various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business.

At March 31,September 30, 2018, we were not party to any pending material legal proceedings.

ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS

Other than the following risk factors relating to the pending MTGE Acquisition, thereThere have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K. The materialization of any risks and uncertainties identified in our Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements contained in this report together with those previously disclosed in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K or those that are presently unforeseen could result in significant adverse effects on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. See Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this quarterly report or our most recent annual report on Form 10-K.

Risks Related to the MTGE Acquisition

Completion of the MTGE Acquisition remains subject to conditions that we cannot control.

The MTGE Acquisition is subject to various closing conditions, including the receipt of specified regulatory approvals.  There are no assurances that all of the conditions necessary to consummate the MTGE Acquisition will be satisfied or that the conditions will be satisfied in the time frame expected.

Failure to consummate the MTGE Acquisition could negatively impact the share price of our common stock and our future business and financial results.

If the MTGE Acquisition is not consummated, our businesses may be adversely affected and, without realizing any of the potential benefits of having consummated the MTGE Acquisition, we will be subject to a number of risks, including the following:

we will be required to pay certain costs and expenses relating to the MTGE Acquisition; and
matters relating to the MTGE Acquisition (including integration planning) may require substantial commitments of time and resources by our management, which could otherwise have been devoted to other opportunities that may have been beneficial to us.

If the MTGE Acquisition is not consummated, these risks may materialize and may adversely affect our business, financial results and share price.
Risks Related to Annaly Following the MTGE Acquisition

We may fail to realize all of the expected benefits of the MTGE Acquisition or those benefits may take longer to realize than expected.

The full benefits of the MTGE Acquisition may not be realized as expected or may not be achieved within the anticipated time-frame, or at all.  Failure to achieve the anticipated benefits of the MTGE Acquisition could adversely affect our results of operations or cash flows, cause dilution to our earnings per share or book value per share, decrease or delay the expected accretive effect of the MTGE Acquisition, and negatively impact the share price of our common stock.

In addition, we will be required to devote significant attention and resources prior to closing to prepare for the post-closing operation of Annaly, as the combined company. Post-closing, Annaly, as the combined company, will be required to devote significant attention and resources to successfully integrate the MTGE portfolio and operating businesses into the existing Annaly structure. In particular, prior to the acquisition, we will have limited experience operating MTGE’s healthcare and senior living facilities portfolio. This business present additional regulatory constraints and poses operational risks different from those that we have successfully managed in the past. This integration process, coupled with managing a new business line, may disrupt our businesses and, if ineffective, would limit the anticipated benefits of the MTGE Acquisition and could adversely affect our results of operations or cash flows, cause dilution to our earnings per share or book value per share, decrease or delay the expected accretive effect of the MTGE Acquisition, and negatively impact the share price of our common stock.

We will incur direct and indirect costs as a result of the MTGE Acquisition.

We will incur substantial expenses in connection with and as a result completing the MTGE Acquisition and, following completion, we expect to incur additional expenses in connection with combining the businesses, operations, policies and procedures of the two companies.  Factors beyond our control could affect the total amount or timing of these expenses, many of which, by their nature, are difficult to estimate accurately.
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Risks Related to MTGE’s Business

You should read and consider risk factors specific to MTGE’s business that will also affect the combined company after the MTGE Acquisition.  These risks are described in Part I, Item 1A of MTGE’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, and in other documents filed with the SEC.

ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Item 6. Exhibits


ITEM 6.EXHIBITS

Exhibits:

The exhibits required by this item are set forth on the Exhibit Index attached hereto. 
Exhibit
Number
 Exhibit Description
   



 
 
 
 
Exhibit 101.INS XBRL Instance Document †
Exhibit 101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document †
Exhibit 101.CAL XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document †
Exhibit 101.DEF XBRL Additional Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document Created†
Exhibit 101.LAB XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document †
Exhibit 101.PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document †
 
*  Management contracts or compensatory plans or arrangements.

†  Submitted electronically herewith. Attached as Exhibit 101 to this report are the following documents formatted in XBRL (Extensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition at March 31,September 30, 2018 (Unaudited) and December 31, 2017 (Derived from the audited Consolidated Statement of Financial Condition at December 31, 2017); (ii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Unaudited) for the three and nine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017; (iii) Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity (Unaudited) for the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017; (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) for the threenine months ended March 31,September 30, 2018 and 2017; and (v) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited).  
ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Signatures


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.
 
   ANNALY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.
    
Dated:May 3,November 2, 2018 By: /s/ Kevin G. Keyes
   Kevin G. Keyes
   
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
    
Dated:  May 3,November 2, 2018 By: /s/ Glenn A. Votek
   Glenn A. Votek
   Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)

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