Craig L. Knutson - 08 Jan 2026 Form 4 Insider Report for MFA FINANCIAL, INC. (MFA)

Reporting relationship: CEO, Director
Issuer ticker: MFA
Reported as of: 08 Jan 2026
Net transaction value: -$1,179,158
SEC form: 4
Accepted by SEC: 12 Jan 2026, 17:15:11 UTC
Prior SEC filing: 05 Jan 2026
Source filing: View source filing
Reporting owner signature: /s/ Craig L. Knutson

Key filing fact

Craig L. Knutson filed Form 4 for MFA FINANCIAL, INC. (MFA) on 12 Jan 2026.

Key facts

This page summarizes Craig L. Knutson's Form 4 filing for MFA FINANCIAL, INC. (MFA).
6 reported transactions and 2 derivative rows are listed below.
Accepted by SEC: 12 Jan 2026, 17:15.

Change

Previous filing in this sequence was filed on 05 Jan 2026.
Current net transaction value: -$1,179,158.

Research use

This tells you what this filing adds before you inspect full transaction and derivative tables.
You can trace every row back to the original SEC filing document.

Evidence

Filed on Form 4

Ownership activity is grounded in SEC Form 4 disclosures.

View source filing

Reporting Owners (1)

CIK 0001431830 Primary reporting owner

Knutson Craig L

Relationship: CEO, Director
Address: C/O MFA FINANCIAL, INC., ONE VANDERBILT AVENUE, 48TH FLOOR, NEW YORK
Signature: /s/ Craig L. Knutson
Signature date: 12 Jan 2026

Reported non-derivative transactions

Shares, units, or other non-derivative securities reported in this filing.

MFA transaction

Common Stock

Options Exercise

Transaction value: $0
Shares: +157,481
Change %: +26%
Price: $0.000000
Shares after: 768,370
Date: 08 Jan 2026
Ownership: Direct
Footnotes: F1, F2, F3

MFA transaction

Common Stock

Options Exercise

Transaction value: $0
Shares: +538,186
Change %: +70%
Price: $0.000000
Shares after: 1,306,556
Date: 08 Jan 2026
Ownership: Direct
Footnotes: F2, F4

MFA transaction

Common Stock

Tax liability

Transaction value: $776,003
Shares: -81,087
Change %: -6.2%
Price: $9.57
Shares after: 1,225,469
Date: 08 Jan 2026
Ownership: Direct
Footnotes: F5

MFA transaction

Common Stock

Tax liability

Transaction value: $403,155
Shares: -42,127
Change %: -3.4%
Price: $9.57
Shares after: 1,183,342
Date: 08 Jan 2026
Ownership: Direct
Footnotes: F6

Reported derivative securities

Options, warrants, convertible securities, or similar derivative positions disclosed in the filing.

MFA transaction Derivative

Phantom Shares

Options Exercise

Transaction value
Shares: -157,481
Change %: -9.3%
Price
Shares after: 1,542,971
Date: 08 Jan 2026
Ownership: Direct
Underlying class: Common Stock
Underlying amount: 157,481
Exercise price
Footnotes: F7

MFA transaction Derivative

Phantom Shares

Options Exercise

Transaction value
Shares: -301,882
Change %: -20%
Price
Shares after: 1,241,089
Date: 08 Jan 2026
Ownership: Direct
Underlying class: Common Stock
Underlying amount: 301,882
Exercise price
Footnotes: F7, F8, F9, F10

^* marks a reported price that did not pass the local price check.

Additional SEC filing notes

Filing notes and footnotes

Explanation of responses 10 footnotes

Footnote F1

Shares acquired pursuant to the settlement of time-based restricted stock units ("TRSUs") (i.e., phantom stock) granted to the Reporting Person in January 2023.

Footnote F2

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.

Footnote F3

Effective December 1, 2025, MFA Financial, Inc. ("MFA") eliminated MFA common stock as an investment alternative available under MFA's 401(k) plan, and shares of MFA common stock owned by participants through the 401(k) plan were liquidated. The number of shares beneficially owned by the Reporting Person has been reduced to reflect the liquidation of 14,710 shares of MFA common stock previously owned by him under the MFA 401(k) plan.

Footnote F4

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 2023 as discussed in Notes 8, 9 and 10 below. The number of shares reported also includes 168,412 additional PRSUs representing the value of the dividend equivalents that accrued during the three-year performance period ended December 31, 2025, 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 2027 in the form of one share of common stock of MFA Financial, Inc. for each PRSU.

Footnote F5

The reported disposition represents the surrender of shares to satisfy tax obligations arising from the settlement of phantom shares described in Notes 1 and 7.

Footnote F6

The reported disposition represents the surrender of shares to satisfy tax obligations arising from the settlement of previously vested phantom shares.

Footnote F7

The reported disposition reflects the settlement of TRSUs (i.e., phantom stock) granted to the Reporting Person in January 2023. 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.

Footnote F8

The reported disposition reflects the vesting of PRSUs (i.e., phantom stock) granted to the Reporting Person in January 2023. Each phantom share is the economic equivalent of one share of common stock of MFA Financial, Inc.

Footnote F9

The number of PRSUs reported in Table II represents the "target" number of PRSUs that were granted to the reporting person in January 2023. 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, 2025.

Footnote F10

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 4). 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 2027.