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Note 13 - Fair Value
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2026
Notes to Financial Statements  
Fair Value Disclosures [Text Block]

NOTE 13. FAIR VALUE

 

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (an exit price). A fair value measure should reflect the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, including the assumptions about the risk inherent in a particular valuation technique, the effect of a restriction on the sale or use of an asset and the risk of non-performance. Required disclosures include presentation of balance sheet amounts measured at fair value based on inputs the Company uses to derive fair value measurements. These inputs are:

 

 

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Level 1 valuations, where the valuation is based on quoted market prices for identical assets or liabilities traded in active markets (which include exchanges and over-the-counter markets with sufficient volume),

 

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Level 2 valuations, where the valuation is based on quoted market prices for similar instruments traded in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant assumptions are observable in the market, and

 

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Level 3 valuations, where the valuation is generated from model-based techniques that use significant assumptions not observable in the market, but observable based on Company-specific data. These unobservable assumptions reflect the Company’s own estimates for assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Valuation techniques typically include option pricing models, discounted cash flow models and similar techniques, but may also include the use of market prices of assets or liabilities that are not directly comparable to the subject asset or liability.

 

The Company's MBS and Orchid common stock are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis as of  June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025. When determining fair value measurements, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact and considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset. When possible, the Company looks to active and observable markets to price identical assets. When identical assets are not traded in active markets, the Company looks to market observable data for similar assets.

 

The Company's MBS are valued using Level 2 valuations, and such valuations currently are determined by the Company based on independent pricing sources and/or third-party broker quotes. Because the price estimates may vary, the Company must make certain judgments and assumptions about the appropriate price to use to calculate the fair values. The Company and the independent pricing sources use various valuation techniques to determine the price of the Company’s securities. These techniques include observing the most recent market for like or identical assets (including security coupon, maturity, yield, and prepayment speeds), spread pricing techniques to determine market credit spreads (option adjusted spread, zero volatility spread, spread to the U.S. Treasury curve or spread to a benchmark such as a TBA security), and model driven approaches (the discounted cash flow method, Black Scholes and SABR models which rely upon observable market rates such as the term structure of interest rates and volatility). The appropriate spread pricing method used is based on market convention. The pricing source determines the spread of recently observed trade activity or observable markets for assets similar to those being priced. The spread is then adjusted based on variances in certain characteristics between the market observation and the asset being priced. Those characteristics include: type of asset, the expected life of the asset, the stability and predictability of the expected future cash flows of the asset, whether the coupon of the asset is fixed or adjustable, the guarantor of the security if applicable, the coupon, the maturity, the issuer, size of the underlying loans, year in which the underlying loans were originated, loan to value ratio, state in which the underlying loans reside, credit score of the underlying borrowers and other variables if appropriate. The fair value of the security is determined by using the adjusted spread.

 

The Company’s U.S. Treasury securities that are based on quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets are classified as Level 1 assets. U.S. Treasury securities are considered Level 2 investments when they were issued before the most recent issue and were still outstanding at measurement day.

 

The Company’s futures contracts are Level 1 valuations, as they are exchange-traded instruments and quoted market prices are readily available. Futures contracts are settled daily.

 

The estimated fair value of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accrued interest receivable, other assets, due from affiliates, repurchase agreements, accrued interest payable and other liabilities generally approximates their carrying values due to the short-term nature of these financial instruments. The Company estimates the fair value of the cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash using Level 1 inputs, and the accrued interest receivable, other assets, due from affiliates, repurchase agreements, accrued interest payable and other liabilities using Level 2 inputs. The fair value of the Company’s junior subordinated debt approximates its carrying value. The carrying value is a reasonable estimate of fair value since the instrument carries a floating rate that resets frequently. Further information regarding this instrument is presented in Note 8.

 

The following table presents financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of June 30, 2026 and December 31, 2025:

 

(in thousands)

                
      

Quoted Prices

         
      

in Active

  

Significant

     
      

Markets for

  

Other

  

Significant

 
      

Identical

  

Observable

  

Unobservable

 
  

Fair Value

  

Assets

  

Inputs

  

Inputs

 
  

Measurements

  

(Level 1)

  

(Level 2)

  

(Level 3)

 

June 30, 2026

                

Mortgage-backed securities

 $15,985  $-  $15,985  $- 

U.S. Treasury securities

  995   -   995   - 

Orchid Island Capital, Inc. common stock

  3,966   3,966   -   - 

December 31, 2025

                

Mortgage-backed securities

 $88,929  $-  $88,929  $- 

Orchid Island Capital, Inc. common stock

  4,097   4,097   -   - 

 

During the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, there were no transfers of financial assets or liabilities between Levels 1, 2 or 3.