MFA Financial Inc.

01/10/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/10/2025 16:33

Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership (Form 4)

Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
Roper Michael Charles
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
MFA FINANCIAL, INC. [MFA] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Sr. VP & Chief Financial Ofcr
(Last) (First) (Middle)
C/O MFA FINANCIAL, INC., ONE VANDERBILT AVENUE, 48TH FLOOR 		3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/07/2025
(Street)
NEW YORK, NY 10017 		4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City) (State) (Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3) 		2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8) 		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 		5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4) 		6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4) 		7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 01/07/2025 M(1) 4,902 A $ 0 (2) 37,027 D
Common Stock 01/07/2025 M(3) 5,751(3) A $ 0 (2) 42,778 D
Common Stock 01/07/2025 F(4) 2,910 D $10.05 39,868 D
Common Stock 01/07/2025 F(5) 8,279 D $10.05 31,589 D
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3) 		2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8) 		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5) 		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year) 		7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4) 		8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5) 		9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4) 		10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4) 		11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Phantom Shares (6) 01/07/2025 M(6) 4,902 01/07/2025 01/07/2025 Common Stock 4,902 (6) 192,121 D
Phantom Shares (7) 01/07/2025 M(7) 8,417(8)(9) 01/07/2025 01/07/2025 Common Stock 8,417(8)(9) (7) 183,704 D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
Roper Michael Charles
C/O MFA FINANCIAL, INC.
ONE VANDERBILT AVENUE, 48TH FLOOR
NEW YORK, NY 10017 		Sr. VP & Chief Financial Ofcr

Signatures

/s/ Michael C. Roper 01/10/2025
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Shares acquired pursuant to the settlement of time-based restricted stock units ("TRSUs") (i.e., phantom stock) granted to the Reporting Person in January 2022.
(2) Each phantom share is the economic equivalent of one share of common stock of MFA Financial, Inc. Each phantom share was or will be settled in one share of common stock of MFA Financial, Inc.
(3) Reflects shares to be acquired in connection with the vesting of performance-based restricted stock units ("PRSUs") (i.e., phantom stock) granted to the Reporting Person in January 2022 as discussed in Notes 7, 8 and 9 below. The number of shares reported also includes 1,752 additional PRSUs representing the value of the dividend equivalents that accrued during the three-year performance period ended December 31, 2024, in respect of the underlying PRSUs that vested. Per the terms and conditions of the PRSU awards, the vested PRSUs and the additional PRSUs in respect of dividend equivalents will settle in January 2026 in the form of one share of common stock of MFA Financial, Inc. for each PRSU.
(4) The reported disposition represents the surrender of shares to satisfy tax obligations arising from the settlement of phantom shares described in Notes 1 and 6.
(5) The reported disposition represents the surrender of shares to satisfy tax obligations arising from the settlement of previously vested phantom shares.
(6) The reported disposition reflects the settlement of TRSUs (i.e., phantom stock) granted to the Reporting Person in January 2022. Each phantom share is the economic equivalent of one share of common stock of MFA Financial, Inc. Each phantom share was settled in one share of common stock of MFA Financial, Inc.
(7) The reported disposition reflects the vesting of PRSUs (i.e., phantom stock) granted to the Reporting Person in January 2022. Each phantom share is the economic equivalent of one share of common stock of MFA Financial, Inc.
(8) The number of PRSUs reported in Table II represents the "target" number of PRSUs that were granted to the reporting person in January 2022. Per the terms of the award agreement governing the PRSUs, the number of underlying shares of MFA common stock that the recipient ultimately became entitled to receive at the time of vesting ranged from 0% to 200% of the target number of PRSUs granted, subject to the achievement of a pre-established performance metric. The vesting of these PRSUs was based on MFA's total stockholder return for the three years ended December 31, 2024.
(9) The Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of MFA has confirmed and certified the vesting level of the PRSUs as reflected in Table I. Per the terms of the award agreement governing the PRSUs, the number of PRSUs that vested was adjusted to reflect the value of any dividends paid on MFA's common stock during the performance period in respect of the number of underlying PRSUs that ultimately vested (see Note 3). Per the terms and conditions of the PRSU awards, the vested PRSUs will settle in the form of one share of common stock of MFA Financial, Inc. for each vested phantom share in January 2026.
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure. Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.