Orchid Island Capital, Inc. (ORC)

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

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes to those statements included in Item 1 of this Form 10-Q. Certain written statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q that are not historical facts constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Statements in this report addressing expectations, assumptions, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, future events, developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future, and future operating results, capital management, and dividend policy are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon management’s beliefs, assumptions, and expectations as of the date of this report regarding future events and operating performance, considering all information currently available to us, and are applicable only as of the date of this report. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “should,” “could,” or similar expressions. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which are not historical facts and may be based on projections, assumptions, expectations, and anticipated events that do not materialize. Except as required by law, we are not obligated to, and do not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q may include, but are not limited to, statements about interest rates, inflation, liquidity, pledging of our structured RMBS, funding levels and spreads, prepayment speeds, portfolio composition, positioning and repositioning, hedging levels, leverage ratio, dividends, investment and return opportunities, the supply and demand for Agency RMBS and the performance of the Agency RMBS sector generally, the effect of actual or expected actions of the U.S. government, including the Fed, market expectations, capital raising, future opportunities and prospects of the Company, the stock repurchase program, geopolitical uncertainty and general economic conditions (including the effects of artificial intelligence, wars, tariffs, trade wars, inflation, the U.S. deficit, and the strength of the U.S. dollar). As a result of many factors, such as those set forth under “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements.

Overview

We are a specialty finance company that invests in residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) which are issued and guaranteed by a federally chartered corporation or agency (“Agency RMBS”). Our investment strategy focuses on, and our portfolio consists of, two categories of Agency RMBS: (i) traditional pass-through ("PT") Agency RMBS, such as mortgage PT certificates issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac" and together with Fannie Mae, the "Enterprises") or the Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae" and, together with the Enterprises the “GSEs”) and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) issued by the GSEs (“PT RMBS”) and (ii) structured Agency RMBS, such as interest-only securities (“IOs”), inverse interest-only securities (“IIOs”) and principal only securities (“POs”), among other types of structured Agency RMBS. We were formed by Bimini Capital Management, Inc. ("Bimini") in August 2010, commenced operations on November 24, 2010 and completed our initial public offering (“IPO”) on February 20, 2013. We are externally managed by Bimini Advisors, LLC ("Bimini Advisors," or our "Manager"), an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

Our business objective is to provide attractive risk-adjusted total returns over the long term through a combination of capital appreciation and the payment of regular monthly distributions. We intend to achieve this objective by investing in the two categories of Agency RMBS described above. We seek to generate income from the net interest margin on our leveraged PT RMBS and structured Agency RMBS portfolio. We intend to fund our PT RMBS and structured Agency RMBS through short-term borrowings structured as repurchase agreements.

We operate so as to qualify to be taxed as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). We generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent that we currently distribute all of our REIT taxable income (as defined in the Code) to our stockholders and maintain our REIT qualification.

The Company’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ORC”.

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Capital Raising Activities

On June 11, 2024, we entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “June 2024 Equity Distribution Agreement”) with three sales agents pursuant to which we could offer and sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate amount of $250,000,000 of gross proceeds from the sales of shares of our common stock in transactions that were deemed to be “at the market” offerings and privately negotiated transactions. We issued a total of 30,513,253 shares under the June 2024 Equity Distribution Agreement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $250.0 million and net proceeds of approximately $245.8 million, after commissions and fees, prior to its termination in February 2025.

On February 24, 2025, we entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “February 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement”) with four sales agents pursuant to which we could offer and sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate amount of $350,000,000 of gross proceeds from the sales of shares of our common stock in transactions that were deemed to be “at the market” offerings and privately negotiated transactions. On July 28, 2025, the February 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement was amended to increase the aggregate amount of gross proceeds from the sales of shares that may be offered by $150,000,000 to a total of $500,000,000. We issued a total of 59,492,504 shares under the February 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $445.1 million and net proceeds of approximately $438.0 million, after commissions and fees, prior to its termination in October 2025.

On October 27, 2025, we entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “October 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement”) with four sales agents pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate amount of $500,000,000 of gross proceeds from the sales of shares of our common stock in transactions that are deemed to be “at the market” offerings and privately negotiated transactions. From inception through June 30, 2026, we issued a total of 48,824,644 shares under the October 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $360.9 million, and net proceeds of approximately $355.2 million, after commissions and fees. For the six months ended June 30, 2026, we issued a total of 18,558,681 shares under the October 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $137.7 million, and net proceeds of approximately $135.5 million, after commissions and fees.

Stock Repurchase Agreement

On July 29, 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 400,000 shares of our common stock. The timing, manner, price and amount of any repurchases is determined by the Company in its discretion and is subject to economic and market conditions, stock price, applicable legal requirements and other factors. The authorization does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of common stock, and the program may be suspended or discontinued at the Company’s discretion without prior notice. On February 8, 2018, the Board of Directors approved an increase in the stock repurchase program for up to an additional 904,564 shares of the Company’s common stock. Coupled with the 156,751 shares remaining from the original 400,000 share authorization, the increased authorization brought the total authorization to 1,061,315 shares, representing 10% of the Company’s then outstanding share count.

On December 9, 2021, the Board of Directors approved an increase in the number of shares of the Company’s common stock available in the stock repurchase program for up to an additional 3,372,399 shares, bringing the remaining authorization under the stock repurchase program to 3,539,861 shares, representing approximately 10% of the Company’s then outstanding shares of common stock.

On October 12, 2022, the Board of Directors approved an increase in the number of shares of the Company’s common stock available in the stock repurchase program for up to an additional 4,300,000 shares, bringing the remaining authorization under the stock repurchase program to 6,183,601 shares, representing approximately 18% of the Company’s then outstanding shares of common stock. This stock repurchase program has no termination date.

On June 22, 2026, the Board of Directors approved an increase in the number of shares of the Company’s common stock available in the stock repurchase program for up to an additional 25,000,000 shares, bringing the remaining authorization under the stock repurchase program to 26,612,580 shares, representing approximately 13.3% of the Company’s currently outstanding shares of common stock.

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From the inception of the stock repurchase program through June 30, 2026, the Company repurchased a total of 7,364,383 shares at an aggregate cost of approximately $92.1 million, including commissions and fees, for a weighted average price of $12.51 per share. During the six and three months ended June 30, 2026, the Company repurchased a total of 1,106,557 shares at an aggregate cost of approximately $7.3 million, including commissions and fees, for a weighted average price of $6.64 per share. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company repurchased a total of 1,113,224 shares at an aggregate cost of approximately $7.3 million, including commissions and fees, for a weighted average price of $6.52 per share. The remaining authorization under the stock repurchase program as of July 23, 2026 was 26,612,580 shares.

Factors that Affect our Results of Operations and Financial Condition

A variety of industry and economic factors may impact our results of operations and financial condition. These factors include:

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

The following discussion of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes to those statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K. The discussion may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are those that are not historical in nature. As a result of many factors, such as those set forth under “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements.

Overview

We are a specialty finance company that invests in residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) which are issued and guaranteed by a federally chartered corporation or agency (“Agency RMBS”). Our investment strategy focuses on, and our portfolio consists of, two categories of Agency RMBS: (i) traditional PT Agency RMBS, such as mortgage PT certificates issued by the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac" and together with Fannie Mae, the "Enterprises") or the Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae" and, together with the Enterprises the “GSEs”) and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) issued by the GSEs (“PT RMBS”) and (ii) structured Agency RMBS, such as interest-only securities (“IOs”), inverse interest-only securities (“IIOs”) and principal only securities (“POs”), among other types of structured Agency RMBS. We were formed by Bimini Capital Management, Inc. ("Bimini") in August 2010, commenced operations on November 24, 2010 and completed our initial public offering (“IPO”) on February 20, 2013. We are externally managed by Bimini Advisors, LLC ("Bimini Advisors," or our "Manager"), an investment adviser registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

Our business objective is to provide attractive risk-adjusted total returns over the long term through a combination of capital appreciation and the payment of regular monthly distributions. We intend to achieve this objective by investing in the two categories of Agency RMBS described above. We seek to generate income from (i) the net interest margin on our leveraged PT RMBS portfolio and the leveraged portion of our structured Agency RMBS portfolio, and (ii) the interest income we generate from the unleveraged portion of our structured Agency RMBS portfolio. We intend to fund our PT RMBS and certain of our structured Agency RMBS through short-term borrowings structured as repurchase agreements.

We operate so as to qualify to be taxed as a real estate investment trust ("REIT") under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). We generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax to the extent that we currently distribute all of our REIT taxable income (as defined in the Code) to our stockholders and maintain our REIT qualification.

The Company’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “ORC”.

Capital Raising Activities

On October 29, 2021, we entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “October 2021 Equity Distribution Agreement”) with four sales agents pursuant to which we could offer and sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate amount of $250,000,000 of shares of our common stock in transactions that were deemed to be “at the market” offerings and privately negotiated transactions. We issued a total of 9,742,188 shares under the October 2021 Equity Distribution Agreement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $151.8 million, and net proceeds of approximately $149.3 million, after commissions and fees, prior to its termination in March 2023.

On March 7, 2023, we entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “March 2023 Equity Distribution Agreement”) with three sales agents pursuant to which we could offer and sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate amount of $250,000,000 of shares of our common stock in transactions that were deemed to be “at the market” offerings and privately negotiated transactions. We issued a total of 24,675,497 shares under the March 2023 Equity Distribution Agreement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $228.8 million and net proceeds of approximately $225.0 million, after commissions and fees, prior to its termination in June 2024.

On June 11, 2024, we entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “June 2024 Equity Distribution Agreement”) with three sales agents pursuant to which we could offer and sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate amount of $250,000,000 of gross proceeds from the sales of shares of our common stock in transactions that were deemed to be “at the market” offerings and privately negotiated transactions. We issued a total of 30,513,253 shares under the June 2024 Equity Distribution Agreement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $250.0 million and net proceeds of approximately $245.8 million, after commissions and fees, prior to its termination in February 2025.

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On February 24, 2025, we entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “February 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement”) with four sales agents pursuant to which we could offer and sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate amount of $350,000,000 of gross proceeds from the sales of shares of our common stock in transactions that are deemed to be “at the market” offerings and privately negotiated transactions. On July 28, 2025, the February 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement was amended to increase the aggregate amount of gross proceeds from the sales of shares that may be offered by $150,000,000 to a total of $500,000,000. We issued a total of 59,492,504 shares under the February 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $445.1 million and net proceeds of approximately $438.0 million, after commissions and fees, prior to its termination in October 2025.

On October 27, 2025, we entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “October 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement”) with four sales agents pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate amount of $500,000,000 of shares of our common stock in transactions that are deemed to be “at the market” offerings and privately negotiated transactions. Through December 31, 2025, we issued a total of 30,265,963 shares under the October 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $223.1 million, and net proceeds of approximately $219.7 million, after commissions and fees. Subsequent to December 31, 2025, we issued a total of 8,707,492 shares under the October 2025 Equity Distribution Agreement for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $66.2 million, and net proceeds of approximately $65.2 million, after commissions and fees.

Stock Repurchase Program

On July 29, 2015, the Company’s Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 400,000 shares of our common stock. The timing, manner, price and amount of any repurchases is determined by the Company in its discretion and is subject to economic and market conditions, stock price, applicable legal requirements and other factors. The authorization does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of common stock and the program may be suspended or discontinued at the Company’s discretion without prior notice. On February 8, 2018, the Board of Directors approved an increase in the stock repurchase program for up to an additional 904,564 shares of the Company’s common stock. Coupled with the 156,751 shares remaining from the original 400,000 share authorization, the increased authorization brought the total authorization to 1,061,315 shares, representing 10% of the then outstanding share count.

On December 9, 2021, the Board of Directors approved an increase in the number of shares of the Company’s common stock available in the stock repurchase program for up to an additional 3,372,399 shares, bringing the remaining authorization under the stock repurchase program to 3,539,861 shares, representing approximately 10% of the Company’s then outstanding shares of common stock.

On October 12, 2022, the Board of Directors approved an increase in the number of shares of the Company’s common stock available in the stock repurchase program for up to an additional 4,300,000 shares, bringing the remaining authorization under the stock repurchase program to 6,183,601 shares, representing approximately 18% of the Company’s then outstanding shares of common stock. This stock repurchase program has no termination date.

From the inception of the stock repurchase program through December 31, 2025, the Company repurchased a total of 6,257,826 shares at an aggregate cost of approximately $84.8 million, including commissions and fees, for a weighted average price of $13.55 per share. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company repurchased a total of 1,113,224 shares of its common stock at an aggregate cost of approximately $7.3 million, including commissions and fees, for a weighted average price of $6.52 per share.

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Factors that Affect our Results of Operations and Financial Condition

A variety of industry and economic factors may impact our results of operations and financial condition. These factors include:

In addition, a variety of factors relating to our business may also impact our results of operations and financial condition. These factors include:

Results of Operations

Described below are the Company’s results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2025, as compared to the Company’s results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

Net Income (Loss) Summary

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $159.0 million, or $1.24 per share. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $37.7 million, or $0.57 per share. Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $39.2 million, or $0.89 per share. The components of net income (income (loss)) for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 are presented in the table below:

GAAP and Non-GAAP Reconciliations

In addition to the results presented in accordance with GAAP, our results of operations discussed below include certain non-GAAP financial information, including “Net Earnings Excluding Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses”, “Economic Interest Expense”, “Economic Net Interest Income,” “Interest Income – Inclusive of Premium Amortization/Discount Accretion” and “Yield on Average RMBS – Inclusive of Premium Amortization/Discount Accretion.”

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Net Earnings Excluding Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses

We have elected to account for our Agency RMBS under the fair value option. Securities held under the fair value option are recorded at estimated fair value, with changes in the fair value recorded as unrealized gains or losses through the statements of comprehensive income (loss).

In addition, we have not designated our derivative financial instruments used for hedging purposes as hedges for accounting purposes, but rather hold them for economic hedging purposes. Changes in fair value of these instruments are presented in a separate line item in the Company’s statements of comprehensive income (loss) and are not included in interest expense. As such, for financial reporting purposes, interest expense and cost of funds are not impacted by the fluctuation in value of the derivative instruments.

Presenting net earnings excluding realized and unrealized gains and losses allows management to: (i) isolate the net interest income and other expenses of the Company over time, free of all fair value adjustments and (ii) assess the effectiveness of our funding and hedging strategies on our capital allocation decisions and our asset allocation performance. Our funding and hedging strategies, capital allocation and asset selection are integral to our risk management strategy, and therefore critical to the management of our portfolio. We believe that the presentation of our net earnings excluding realized and unrealized gains is useful to investors because it provides a means of comparing our results of operations to those of our peers who have not elected the same accounting treatment. Our presentation of net earnings excluding realized and unrealized gains and losses may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures of other companies, who may use different calculations. As a result, net earnings excluding realized and unrealized gains and losses should not be considered as a substitute for our GAAP net income (loss) as a measure of our financial performance or any measure of our liquidity under GAAP. The table below presents a reconciliation of our net income (loss) determined in accordance with GAAP and net earnings excluding realized and unrealized gains and losses. Described below are the Company's results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, and for each quarter during 2025, 2024 and 2023.

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Economic Interest Expense and Economic Net Interest Income

We use derivative and other hedging instruments, specifically Fed Funds, SOFR, ERIS SOFR Swap, and T-Note futures contracts, short positions in U.S. Treasury securities, interest rate floors and caps, dual digital options, interest rate swaps and swaptions, to hedge a portion of the interest rate risk on repurchase agreements in a rising rate environment.

We have not elected to designate our derivative holdings for hedge accounting treatment. Changes in fair value of these instruments are presented in a separate line item in our statements of comprehensive income (loss) and not included in interest expense. As such, for financial reporting purposes, interest expense and cost of funds are not impacted by the fluctuation in value of the derivative instruments.

For the purpose of computing economic net interest income and ratios relating to cost of funds measures, GAAP interest expense has been adjusted to reflect the realized and unrealized gains or losses on certain derivative instruments the Company uses, specifically Fed Funds, SOFR, ERIS SOFR Swap, and T-Note futures, dual digital options, interest rate floors and caps, and interest rate swaps and swaptions, that pertain to each period presented. We believe that adjusting our interest expense for the periods presented by the gains or losses on these derivative instruments would not accurately reflect our economic interest expense for these periods. The reason is that these derivative instruments may cover periods that extend into the future, not just the current period. Any realized or unrealized gains or losses on the instruments reflect the change in market value of the instrument caused by changes in underlying interest rates applicable to the term covered by the instrument, not just the current period. For each period presented, we have combined the effects of the derivative financial instruments in place for the respective period with the actual interest expense incurred on borrowings to reflect total economic interest expense for the applicable period. Interest expense, including the effect of derivative instruments for the period, is referred to as economic interest expense. Net interest income, when calculated to include the effect of derivative instruments for the period, is referred to as economic net interest income. This presentation includes gains or losses on all contracts in effect during the reporting period, covering the current period as well as periods in the future.

From time to time, we invest in TBAs, which are forward contracts for the purchase or sale of Agency RMBS at a predetermined price, face amount, issuer, coupon and stated maturity on an agreed-upon future date. The specific Agency RMBS to be delivered into the contract are not known until shortly before the settlement date. We may choose, prior to settlement, to move the settlement of these securities out to a later date by entering into a dollar roll transaction. The Agency RMBS purchased or sold for a forward settlement date are typically priced at a discount to equivalent securities settling in the current month. Consequently, forward purchases of Agency RMBS and dollar roll transactions represent a form of off-balance sheet financing. These TBAs are accounted for as derivatives and marked to market through the income statement. Gains or losses on TBAs are included with gains or losses on other derivative contracts and are not included in interest income for purposes of the discussions below.

We believe that economic interest expense and economic net interest income provide meaningful information to consider, in addition to the respective amounts prepared in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP measures help management to evaluate its financial position and performance without the effects of certain transactions and GAAP adjustments that are not necessarily indicative of our current investment portfolio or operations. The unrealized gains or losses on derivative instruments presented in our statements of comprehensive income (loss) are not necessarily representative of the total interest rate expense that we will ultimately realize. This is because as interest rates move up or down in the future, the gains or losses we ultimately realize, and which will affect our total interest rate expense in future periods, may differ from the unrealized gains or losses recognized as of the reporting date.

Our presentation of the economic value of our hedging strategy has important limitations. First, other market participants may calculate economic interest expense and economic net interest income differently than the way we calculate them. Second, while we believe that the calculation of the economic value of our hedging strategy described above helps to present our financial position and performance, it may be of limited usefulness as an analytical tool. Therefore, the economic value of our investment strategy should not be viewed in isolation and is not a substitute for interest expense and net interest income computed in accordance with GAAP.

The tables below present a reconciliation of the adjustments to interest expense shown for each period relative to our derivative instruments, and the income statement line item, gains (losses) on derivative instruments, calculated in accordance with GAAP for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 and each quarter during 2025, 2024 and 2023.

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Net Interest Income

During the year ended December 31, 2025, we generated $108.3 million of net interest income, consisting of $414.0 million of interest income from RMBS assets offset by $305.7 million of interest expense on borrowings. For the comparable period ended December 31, 2024, we generated $5.3 million of net interest income, consisting of $241.6 million of interest income from RMBS assets offset by $236.3 million of interest expense on borrowings. The $172.4 million increase in interest income was driven by a 26 basis points ("bps") increase in yield on average RMBS, combined with a $2,901.3 million increase in average RMBS. The $69.5 million increase in interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2025 was driven by a $2,749.6 million increase in average borrowings, that was partially offset by 108 bps decrease in the average cost of funds.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, we incurred $24.4 million of net interest expense, consisting of $177.6 million of interest income from RMBS assets offset by $201.9 million of interest expense on borrowings. The $64.0 million increase in interest income for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, was due to a 97 bps increase in yield on average RMBS, combined with a $453.0 million increase in average RMBS. The $34.4 million increase in interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 was due to a 28 bps increase in the average cost of funds, combined with a $428.4 million increase in average borrowings.

On an economic basis, our interest expense on borrowings for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $222.4 million, $119.5 million and $109.6 million, respectively, resulting in $191.6 million, $122.1 million and $68.0 million of economic net interest income, respectively.

The tables below provide information on our portfolio average balances, interest income, yield on assets, average borrowings, interest expense, cost of funds, net interest income (expense) and net interest spread for each quarter in 2025, 2024 and 2023 and for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 on both a GAAP and economic basis.

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Interest Expense and the Cost of Funds

We had average outstanding borrowings of $7,163.0 million and $4,413.4 million and total interest expense of $305.7 million and $236.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Our average cost of funds was 4.27% for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 5.35% for the comparable period in 2024. There was a $2,749.6 million increase in average outstanding borrowings during the year ended December 31, 2025 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2024.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, we had average borrowings of $3,985.0 million and total interest expense of $201.9 million, resulting in an average cost of funds of 5.07%. There was a 28 bps increase in the average cost of funds and an $428.4 million increase in average outstanding borrowings during the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023.

Our economic interest expense was $222.4 million, $119.5 million and $109.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. There was a 40 bps increase in the average economic cost of funds to 3.11% for the year ended December 31, 2025 from 2.71% for the year ended December 31, 2024. There was a 4 bps decrease in the average economic cost of funds to 2.71% for the year ended December 31, 2024 from 2.75% for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Since all of our repurchase agreements are short-term, changes in market rates directly affect our interest expense. Our average cost of funds calculated on a GAAP basis was 8 bps above one-month average SOFR and 10 bps below six-month average SOFR for the year ended December 31, 2025. Our average economic cost of funds was 108 bps below one-month average SOFR and 126 bps below six-month average SOFR for the year ended December 31, 2025. The average term to maturity of the outstanding repurchase agreements was 39 days as of December 31, 2025 and 26 days as of December 31, 2024.

The table below presents the one-month average and six-month average SOFR rates for each quarter in 2025, 2024 and 2023 and for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 on both a GAAP and economic basis.

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Gains or Losses

The table below presents our gains or losses for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.

We invest in RMBS with the intent to earn net income from the realized yield on those assets over their related funding and hedging costs, and not for the purpose of making short term gains from sales. However, we have sold, and may continue to sell, existing assets to acquire new assets, which our management believes might have higher risk-adjusted returns in light of current or anticipated interest rates, federal government programs or general economic conditions or to manage our balance sheet as part of our asset/liability management strategy.  During the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company received proceeds of $1,455.1 million, $904.3 million, and $835.1 million, respectively, from the sales and maturities of RMBS and U.S. Treasury securities. Approximately $221.7 million of the 2024 proceeds received consisted of pools that were consolidated into a larger pool and simultaneously acquired by us. No gain or loss was recorded on this resecuritization.

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Realized and unrealized gains and losses on RMBS are driven in part by changes in yields and interest rates, the spreads that Agency RMBS trade relative to comparable duration U.S. Treasuries or swaps, as well as varying levels of demand for RMBS, which affect the pricing of the securities in our portfolio. The unrealized gains and losses on RMBS may also include the premium lost as a result of prepayments on the underlying mortgages, decreasing unrealized gains or increasing unrealized losses as prepayment speeds or premiums increase. To the extent RMBS are carried at a discount to par, unrealized gains or losses on RMBS would also include discount accreted as a result of prepayments on the underlying mortgages, increasing unrealized gains or decreasing unrealized losses as speeds on discounts increase. Gains and losses on interest rate futures contracts are affected by changes in implied forward rates during the reporting period. The table below presents historical interest rate data for each quarter end during 2025, 2024 and 2023.

Unrealized Gains and Losses on PT RMBS

For the purpose of recording income on the Company’s investments in PT RMBS, interest income is based on the stated interest rate of the security. Using the fair value accounting method, premiums or discounts to the face value of the PT RMBS present at the date of purchase are not amortized. Premium lost and discount accretion resulting from monthly principal repayments are reflected in unrealized gains (losses) on RMBS in the statements of comprehensive income (loss). The following table adjusts the Company’s interest income as reported on the Company’s statements of comprehensive income (loss) for the periods indicated to show interest income adjusted for premium amortization and discount accretion on its mortgage-backed security investments. The purpose of presenting this non-GAAP measure of interest income is to provide management and investors with an alternative way of evaluating yield on RMBS that may be more comparable to some of its peers who amortize premiums and discounts on their PT RMBS investments.

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Expenses

Total operating expenses were $20.5 million, $16.7 million and $18.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The table below provides a breakdown of operating expenses for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had accrued a liability of $0.6 million for bonuses to be paid to the Manager's employees. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company awarded shares of Company common stock with a fair value of $0.3 million. Accrued incentive compensation for the year ended December 31, 2024 includes a reversal of the over accrual of this liability. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had accrued a liability of $0.6 million for bonuses to be paid to the Manager's employees. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company awarded shares of Company common stock with a fair value of $0.2 million. Accrued incentive compensation for the year ended December 31, 2025 includes a reversal of the over accrual of this liability.

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We are externally managed and advised by Bimini Advisors pursuant to the terms of a management agreement. The management agreement has been renewed through February 20, 2027 and provides for automatic one-year extension options thereafter and is subject to certain termination rights. Under the terms of the management agreement, the Manager is responsible for administering the business activities and day-to-day operations of the Company. The Manager receives a monthly management fee in the amount of:

The Company is obligated to reimburse the Manager for any direct expenses incurred on its behalf and to pay the Manager the Company’s pro rata portion of certain overhead costs set forth in the management agreement.

Should the Company terminate the management agreement without cause, it will pay the Manager a termination fee equal to three times the average annual management fee, as defined in the management agreement, before or on the last day of the term of the agreement.

On April 1, 2022, pursuant to the third amendment to the management agreement entered into on November 16, 2021, the Manager began providing certain repurchase agreement trading, clearing and administrative services to the Company that had been previously provided by AVM, L.P. under an agreement terminated on March 31, 2022.  In consideration for such services, the Company pays the following fees to the Manager:

The following table summarizes the management fee and overhead allocation expenses for each quarter in 2025, 2024 and 2023 and for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.

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Financial Condition:

Mortgage-Backed Securities

As of December 31, 2025, our RMBS portfolio consisted of $10,628.7 million of Agency RMBS at fair value and had a weighted average coupon on assets of 5.64%. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we received principal repayments of $903.4 million, compared to $495.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The average three month prepayment speeds for the quarters ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 were 15.7% and 10.5%, respectively.

The following table presents the 3-month constant prepayment rate (“CPR”) experienced on our portfolio, on an annualized basis, for the quarterly periods presented. CPR is a method of expressing the prepayment rate for a mortgage pool that assumes that a constant fraction of the remaining principal is prepaid each month or year. Specifically, the CPR in the chart below represents the three month prepayment rate of the securities.

The following tables summarize certain characteristics of the Company’s PT RMBS and structured RMBS as of December 31, 2025 and 2024:

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As of December 31, 2025, the Company's portfolio had an effective duration of 2.513, indicating that an interest rate increase of 1.0% would be expected to cause a 2.513% decrease in the value of the RMBS in the Company’s investment portfolio. As of  December 31, 2024, the Company's portfolio had an effective duration of 4.200, indicating that an interest rate increase of 1.0% would be expected to cause a 4.200% decrease in the value of the RMBS in the Company’s investment portfolio. These figures do not include the effect of the Company’s funding cost hedges. Effective duration quotes for individual investments are obtained from The Yield Book, Inc.

The following table presents a summary of portfolio assets acquired during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.

Borrowings

As of December 31, 2025, we had established borrowing facilities in the repurchase agreement market with a number of commercial banks and other financial institutions and had borrowings in place with 28 of these counterparties. None of these lenders are affiliated with the Company. These borrowings are secured by the Company’s RMBS and cash, and bear interest at prevailing market rates. We believe our established repurchase agreement borrowing facilities provide borrowing capacity in excess of our needs.

As of December 31, 2025, we had obligations outstanding under the repurchase agreements of approximately $10,115.5 million with a net weighted average borrowing cost of 3.98%. The remaining maturity of our outstanding repurchase agreement obligations ranged from 5 to 317 days, with a weighted average remaining maturity of 39 days. Securing the repurchase agreement obligations as of December 31, 2025 are RMBS with an estimated fair value, including accrued interest, of approximately $10,551.3 million. Through February 20, 2026, we have been able to maintain our repurchase facilities with comparable terms to those that existed as of December 31, 2025 with maturities extending to various dates through November 13, 2026.

The table below presents information about our period end, maximum and average balances of borrowings for each quarter in 2025 and 2024.