Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Organization and Operations

v3.20.1
Organization and Operations
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Organization and Operations [Abstract]  
Organization and Operations Organization and Operations
Two Harbors Investment Corp., or the Company, is a Maryland corporation investing in and managing Agency residential mortgage-backed securities, or Agency RMBS, non-Agency securities, mortgage servicing rights, or MSR, and other financial assets. The investment portfolio as a whole is managed by the Company’s Co-Chief Investment Officers and resources are allocated and financial performance is assessed on a consolidated basis. The Company is externally managed and advised by PRCM Advisers LLC, or PRCM Advisers, which is a subsidiary of Pine River Capital Management L.P., or Pine River. The Company’s common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “TWO”.
The Company was incorporated on May 21, 2009, and commenced operations as a publicly traded company on October 28, 2009, upon completion of a merger with Capitol Acquisition Corp., or Capitol, which became a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of the Company as a result of the merger.
The Company has elected to be treated as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, as defined under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As long as the Company continues to comply with a number of requirements under federal tax law and maintains its qualification as a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes to the extent that the Company distributes its taxable income to its stockholders on an annual basis and does not engage in prohibited transactions. However, certain activities that the Company may perform may cause it to earn income which will not be qualifying income for REIT purposes. The Company has designated certain of its subsidiaries as taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRSs, as defined in the Code, to engage in such activities.
As a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Company experienced unprecedented market conditions during quarter ended March 31, 2020, including unusually significant spread widening in both Agency RMBS and non-Agency securities. In response, the Company focused its efforts on raising excess liquidity and de-risking its portfolio. On March 25, 2020, the Company sold substantially all of its non-Agency securities in order to eliminate the risks posed by continued outsized margin calls and ongoing funding concerns associated with the significant spread widening on these assets. The Company also sold approximately one-third of its Agency RMBS in order to reduce risk and raise cash to establish a strong defensive liquidity position to weather potential ongoing economic and market instability.