UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 19, 2019

NEW YORK MORTGAGE TRUST, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Maryland
001-32216
47-0934168
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)
(Commission File Number)
(IRS Employer Identification No.)

275 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10016
(Address and zip code of
principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 792-0107

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[ ]
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[ ]
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[ ]
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[ ]
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging Growth Company ☐
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.




Item 5.02.      Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On March 19, 2019, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of New York Mortgage Trust, Inc. (the “Company”), on the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board, unanimously approved the appointment of Jason T. Serrano as a director of the Company, effective as of March 19, 2019, to serve until the 2019 annual meeting of stockholders or until such time as his successor is elected and qualified. Concurrent with the appointment of Mr. Serrano to the Board and in accordance with Article III, Section 2 of the Company’s bylaws, the Board also approved a resolution increasing the size of the Board to seven directors.

Mr. Serrano, 43, has served as the President of the Company since January 7, 2019. The information included in Item 5.02 of the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on January 7, 2019 is incorporated by reference herein.

Mr. Serrano will only receive compensation for his services as the Company’s President and will not receive any additional compensation for his service on the Board. There were no arrangements or understandings pursuant to which Mr. Serrano was elected as a director.

Item 8.01.      Other Events.

On March 19, 2019, the Company issued a press release (the “Press Release”) announcing Mr. Serrano’s appointment to the Board and the Board’s declaration of a regular quarterly cash dividend on its common stock for the quarter ending March 31, 2019. The Company also announced in the Press Release that the Board declared a cash dividend on the Company’s 7.75% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock for the quarterly period that began on January 15, 2019 and ends on April 14, 2019, that the Board declared a cash dividend on the Company’s 7.875% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock for the quarterly period that began on January 15, 2019 and ends on April 14, 2019, and that the Board declared a cash dividend on the Company’s 8.00% Series D Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock for the quarterly period that began on January 15, 2019 and ends on April 14, 2019.

A copy of the Press Release is filed with this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.1 and incorporated by reference herein.


Item 9.01.    Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits. The following exhibit is being filed herewith this Current Report on Form 8-K.
Exhibit
 
Description
 
Press Release dated March 19, 2019.





SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
 
 
 
 
 
NEW YORK MORTGAGE TRUST, INC.
 
(Registrant)
 
 
 
Date: March 19, 2019
By:
/s/ Steven R. Mumma
 
 
Steven R. Mumma
 
 
Chief Executive Officer





EX991LOGO.JPG
New York Mortgage Trust Declares First Quarter
2019 Common Stock Dividend of $0.20 Per Share, and Preferred Stock Dividends
and Announces Election of Jason T. Serrano to the Board of Directors

NEW YORK, NY - March 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - New York Mortgage Trust, Inc. (Nasdaq: NYMT) (the “Company”) announced today that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share on shares of its common stock for the quarter ending March 31, 2019. The dividend will be payable on April 25, 2019 to common stockholders of record as of March 29, 2019.
In accordance with the terms of the 7.75% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (“Series B Preferred Stock”) of the Company, the Board declared a Series B Preferred Stock cash dividend of $0.484375 per share of Series B Preferred Stock for the quarterly period that began on January 15, 2019 and ends on April 14, 2019. This dividend is payable on April 15, 2019 to holders of record of Series B Preferred Stock as of April 1, 2019.
In accordance with the terms of the 7.875% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock ("Series C Preferred Stock") of the Company, the Board declared a Series C Preferred Stock cash dividend of $0.4921875 per share of Series C Preferred Stock for the quarterly period that began on January 15, 2019 and ends on April 14, 2019. This dividend is payable on April 15, 2019 to holders of record of Series C Preferred Stock as of April 1, 2019.
In accordance with the terms of the 8.00% Series D Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock ("Series D Preferred Stock") of the Company, the Board declared a Series D Preferred Stock cash dividend of $0.50 per share of Series D Preferred Stock for the quarterly period that began on January 15, 2019 and ends on April 14, 2019. This dividend is payable on April 15, 2019 to holders of record of Series D Preferred Stock as of April 1, 2019.
The Company also announced today that its Board has appointed Jason T. Serrano as a director of the Company, effective immediately. Mr. Serrano was named President of the Company on January 7, 2019.





About New York Mortgage Trust
New York Mortgage Trust, Inc. is a Maryland corporation that has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes (“REIT”). NYMT is an internally managed REIT in the business of acquiring, investing in, financing and managing mortgage-related and residential housing-related assets and targets multi-family CMBS, direct financing to owners of multi-family properties through preferred equity and mezzanine loan investments, residential mortgage loans (including distressed residential mortgage loans, non-QM loans, second mortgage loans and other residential mortgage loans), non-Agency RMBS, Agency RMBS and other mortgage-related and residential housing-related investments.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to the payment of the dividends. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s beliefs, assumptions and expectations of the Company's future performance, taking into account all information currently available to the Company. These beliefs, assumptions and expectations are subject to risks and uncertainties and can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to the Company, including those described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and as updated by those risk factors included in the Company's subsequent filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which can be accessed at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. If a change occurs, these forward-looking statements may vary materially from those expressed in this release. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. Except as required by law, the Company is not obligated to, and does not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.


For Further Information

AT THE COMPANY
Kristine Nario-Eng     
Chief Financial Officer     
Phone: 646-216-2363
Email: knario@nymtrust.com