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( Mark One ) UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON , D.C. 20549 □ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 OR □ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Maryland ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) 350 Park Avenue , 20th Floor New York New York ( Address of principal executive offices ) FORM 10 - K Commission File Number : 1-13991 MFA FINANCIAL , INC . ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Title of Each Class Common Stock , par value $ 0.01 per share 7.50 % Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock , par value $ 0.01 per share 6.50 % Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock , par value $ 0.01 per share Large accelerated filer Non - accelerated filer ( 212 ) 207-6400 ( Registrant's telephone number , including area code ) Not Applicable ( Former name , former address and former fiscal year , if changed since last period ) Trading Symbol ( s ) X MFA MFA / PB 13-3974868 ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) MFA / PC 10022 ( Zip Code ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes x No o Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Exchange Act . Yes o No x Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes x No o Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes x No o 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 the definitions of " large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , " " smaller reporting company , " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . ( Check one ) : Accelerated filer Smaller reporting company Emerging growth company 000 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 . o Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . X Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes □ No x On June 30 , 2020 , the aggregate market value of the registrant's common stock held by non - affiliates of the registrant was $ 1.1 billion based on the closing sales price of our common stock on such date as reported on the New York Stock Exchange . On February 17 , 2021 , the registrant had a total of 452,058,867 shares of Common Stock outstanding . DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Portions of the registrant's proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the Annual Meeting of Stockholders scheduled to be held on or about June 2 , 2021 , are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10 - K .