Starwood Property Trust (STWD) 10-K2020 FY Annual report

Table of Contents

​

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

​

Commission file number 001-34436

Starwood Property Trust, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

​

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (203) 422-7700

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

​

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 ⌧ No ◻

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ◻ No ⌧

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 ⌧ No ◻

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 (§232.405) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ⌧ No ◻

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.

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. ◻

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. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ⌧

As of June 30, 2020, the aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates was $4,069,113,253 based on the reported last sale price of our common stock on June 30, 2020. Shares of our common stock held by affiliates, which includes officers and directors of the registrant, have been excluded from this calculation. This calculation does not reflect a determination that persons are affiliates for any other purposes.

The number of shares of the issuer’s common stock, $0.01 par value, outstanding as of February 19, 2021 was 285,450,156.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Documents Incorporated By Reference: The information required by Part III of this Form 10-K, to the extent not set forth herein or by amendment, is incorporated by reference from the registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A on or prior to April 30, 2021.

​

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

​

​

​

Table of Contents

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Form 10-K”) contains certain forward-looking statements, including without limitation, statements concerning our operations, economic performance and financial condition. These forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are developed by combining currently available information with our beliefs and assumptions and are generally identified by the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate” and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance, which may be materially different from that expressed in, or implied by, any such statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their respective dates.

​

These forward-looking statements are based largely on our current beliefs, assumptions and expectations of our future performance taking into account all information currently available to us. These beliefs, assumptions and expectations can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to us or within our control, and which could materially affect actual results, performance or achievements. Factors that may cause actual results to vary from our forward-looking statements are set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in this report and include, but are not limited to:

​

​

In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurances that the results referred to in the forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K will in fact occur. Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, we undertake no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any such obligation to, update or revise any forward-

Table of Contents

looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events, changes to future results over time or otherwise.

​

PART I

Item 1. Business.

The following description of our business should be read in conjunction with the information included elsewhere in this Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements due to the factors set forth in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Form 10-K. References in this Form 10-K to “we,” “our,” “us,” or the “Company” refer to Starwood Property Trust, Inc. and its subsidiaries.

General

Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (“STWD” and, together with its subsidiaries, “we” or the “Company”) is a Maryland corporation that commenced operations in August 2009, upon the completion of our initial public offering (“IPO”). We are focused primarily on originating, acquiring, financing and managing mortgage loans and other real estate investments in both the United States (“U.S.”) and Europe. As market conditions change over time, we may adjust our strategy to take advantage of changes in interest rates and credit spreads as well as economic and credit conditions.

​

We have four reportable business segments as of December 31, 2020 and we refer to the investments within these segments as our target assets:

​

​

​

​

Our segments exclude the consolidation of securitization variable interest entities (“VIEs”).

We are organized and conduct our operations to qualify as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As such, we will generally not be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on that portion of our net income that is distributed to stockholders if we distribute at least 90% of our taxable income to our stockholders by prescribed dates and comply with various other requirements. We also operate our business in a manner that will permit us to maintain our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended (the “Investment Company Act” or “1940 Act”).

Table of Contents

We are organized as a holding company and conduct our business primarily through our various wholly-owned subsidiaries. We are externally managed and advised by SPT Management, LLC (our “Manager”) pursuant to the terms of a management agreement. Our Manager is controlled by Barry Sternlicht, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Our Manager is an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group, a privately-held private equity firm founded by Mr. Sternlicht.

Our corporate headquarters office is located at 591 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830, and our telephone number is (203) 422-7700.

Investment Strategy

We seek to attain attractive risk-adjusted returns for our investors over the long term by sourcing and managing a diversified portfolio of target assets, financed in a manner that is designed to deliver attractive returns across a variety of market conditions and economic cycles. Our investment strategy focuses on a few fundamental themes:

​

Table of Contents

​

In order to capitalize on the changing sets of investment opportunities that may be present in the various points of an economic cycle, we may expand or refocus our investment strategy by emphasizing investments in different parts of the capital structure and different sectors of real estate. Our investment strategy may be amended from time to time, if recommended by our Manager and approved by our board of directors, without the approval of our stockholders. In addition to our Manager making direct investments on our behalf, we may enter into joint venture, management or other agreements with persons that have special expertise or sourcing capabilities.

Investment Guidelines

Our board of directors has adopted the following investment guidelines:

​

These investment guidelines may be changed from time to time by our board of directors without the approval of our stockholders. In addition, both our Manager and our board of directors must approve any change in our investment guidelines that would modify or expand the types of assets in which we invest.

Investment Process

Our investment process includes sourcing and screening of investment opportunities, assessing investment suitability, conducting interest rate and prepayment analysis, evaluating cash flow and collateral performance, and reviewing legal structure and servicer and originator information and investment structuring, as appropriate, to seek an attractive return commensurate with the risk we are bearing. Upon identification of an investment opportunity, the investment will be screened and monitored by us to determine its impact on maintaining our REIT qualification and our exemption from registration under the 1940 Act. We will seek to make investments in sectors where we have strong core competencies and believe market risk and expected performance can be reasonably quantified.

We evaluate each one of our investment opportunities based on its expected risk-adjusted return relative to the returns available from other, comparable investments. In addition, we evaluate new opportunities based on their relative expected returns compared to comparable positions held in our portfolio. The terms of any leverage available to us for use in funding an investment purchase are also taken into consideration, as are any risks posed by illiquidity or correlations with other securities in the portfolio. We also develop a macro outlook with respect to each target asset class by examining factors in the broader economy such as gross domestic product, interest rates, unemployment rates and availability of credit, among other things. We also analyze fundamental trends in the relevant target asset class sector to adjust/maintain our outlook for that particular target asset class.

Table of Contents

Financing Strategy

Subject to maintaining our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes and our exemption from registering under the 1940 Act, we may finance the acquisition of our target assets, to the extent available to us, through the following methods:

​

​

​

We may also utilize other sources of financing to the extent available to us.

Our Target Assets

We invest in target assets secured primarily by U.S. or European collateral. We focus primarily on originating or opportunistically acquiring commercial mortgage whole loans, B-Notes, mezzanine loans, preferred equity and mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”). We may invest in performing and non-performing mortgage loans and other real estate-related loans and debt investments. We may acquire target assets through portfolio acquisitions or other types of acquisitions. Our Manager targets desirable markets where it has expertise in the real estate collateral underlying the assets being acquired. Our target assets include the following types of loans and other investments:

Table of Contents

​

​

​

​

In addition, we may invest in the following real estate-related investments:

​

​

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

​

​

​

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, our Commercial and Residential Lending Segment’s investment portfolio, excluding residential loans, RMBS, properties and other investments, had the following characteristics based on carrying values:

​

​

Our primary focus has been to build a portfolio of commercial mortgage and mezzanine loans with attractive risk-adjusted returns by focusing on the underlying real estate fundamentals and credit analysis of the borrowers. We continually monitor borrower performance and complete a detailed, loan-by-loan formal credit review on a quarterly basis. The results of this review are incorporated into our quarterly assessment of credit loss allowances.

As of December 31, 2020, commercial loans held-for-investment and HTM securities had a weighted-average expected maturity of 1.5 years, inclusive of extension options that management believes are probable of exercise.

​

Table of Contents

Infrastructure Lending Segment

​

The following table sets forth the amount of each category of investments we owned within our Infrastructure Lending Segment as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in thousands):

​

​

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, our Infrastructure Lending Segment’s investment portfolio had the following characteristics based on carrying values:

​

​

​

As of December 31, 2020, the Infrastructure Lending Segment’s first priority infrastructure loans and HTM securities had a weighted-average contractual maturity of 4.6 years.

Table of Contents

Property Segment

​

The following table sets forth the amount of each category of investments held within our Property Segment as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (amounts in thousands):

​

​

The following table sets forth our net investment and other information regarding the Property Segment’s properties and lease intangibles as of December 31, 2020 (dollars in thousands):

​

​

See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of the above-referenced Property Segment Portfolios.

As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, our Property Segment’s investment portfolio had the following geographic characteristics based on carrying values:

​

Refer to Schedule III included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for a detailed listing of the properties held by the Company, including their respective geographic locations.

​

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Our Investing and Servicing Segment Property Portfolio (the “REIS Equity Portfolio”), as described in Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, had the following characteristics based on carrying values of $198.2 million and $214.9 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively:

​

​

​

Regulation

Our operations are subject, in certain instances, to supervision and regulation by state and federal governmental authorities and may be subject to various laws and judicial and administrative decisions imposing various requirements and restrictions, which, among other things: (1) regulate credit granting activities; (2) establish maximum interest rates, finance charges and other charges; (3) require disclosures to customers; (4) govern secured transactions; (5) set collection, foreclosure, repossession and claims handling procedures and other trade practices; and (6) regulate affordable housing rental activities. Although most states do not regulate commercial finance, certain states impose limitations on interest rates and other charges and on certain collection practices and creditor remedies, and require licensing of lenders and financiers and adequate disclosure of certain contract terms. We are also required to comply with certain provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act that are applicable to commercial loans and the Fair Housing Act. We intend to conduct our business so that neither we nor any of our subsidiaries are required to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act.

Competition

We are engaged in a competitive business. In our investment activities, we compete for opportunities with numerous public and private investment vehicles, including financial institutions, specialty finance companies, mortgage banks, pension funds, opportunity funds, hedge funds, insurance companies, REITs and other institutional investors, as well as individuals. Many competitors are significantly larger than we are, have well established operating histories and may have greater access to capital, more resources and other advantages over us. These competitors may be willing to accept lower returns on their investments or to compromise underwriting standards and, as a result, our origination volume and profit margins could be adversely affected.

Our Manager

We are externally managed and advised by our Manager and benefit from the personnel, relationships and experience of our Manager’s executive team and other personnel of Starwood Capital Group. Pursuant to the terms of a management agreement between our Manager and us, our Manager provides us with our management team and appropriate support personnel. Pursuant to an investment advisory agreement between our Manager and Starwood Capital Group Management, LLC, our Manager has access to the personnel and resources of Starwood Capital Group necessary for the implementation and execution of our business strategy.

Table of Contents

Our Manager is an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group, a privately-held private equity firm founded and controlled by Mr. Sternlicht. Starwood Capital Group has invested in all major real estate asset classes, directly and indirectly, through operating companies, portfolios of properties and single assets. Starwood Capital Group invests at different levels of the capital structure, including equity, preferred equity, mezzanine debt and senior debt, depending on the asset risk profile and return expectation.

Our Manager draws upon the experience and expertise of Starwood Capital Group’s team of professionals and support personnel operating in 16 cities across seven countries. Our Manager also benefits from Starwood Capital Group’s dedicated asset management group operating in offices located in the U.S. and abroad. We also benefit from Starwood Capital Group’s portfolio management, finance and administration functions, which address legal, compliance, investor relations and operational matters, asset valuation, risk management and information technologies in connection with the performance of our Manager’s duties.

Human Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had 282 full-time employees, the majority of which are real estate professionals located throughout the U.S. The Company strives to be an employer of choice, and is therefore highly focused on creating and maintaining best in class recruitment, retention and compensation programs and a culture designed to encourage performance, integrity and well-being.  The Company believes that its competitive compensation, outstanding benefits, training opportunities and stimulating work environment help attract and retain people with exceptional financial and real estate skills.

Taxation of the Company

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Code for federal income tax purposes. We generally must distribute annually at least 90% of our taxable income, subject to certain adjustments and excluding any net capital gain, in order for federal corporate income tax not to apply to our earnings that we distribute. To the extent that we satisfy this distribution requirement, but distribute less than 100% of our taxable income, we will be subject to federal corporate income tax on our undistributed taxable income. In addition, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that we pay out to our stockholders in a calendar year is less than a minimum amount specified under federal tax laws. Our qualification as a REIT also depends on our ability to meet various other requirements imposed by the Code, which relate to organizational structure, diversity of stock ownership and certain restrictions with regard to owned assets and categories of income. If we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we will generally not be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on our taxable income that is currently distributed to stockholders.

Even if we qualify as a REIT, we may be subject to certain federal excise taxes and state and local taxes on our income and property. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to federal income taxes at regular corporate rates (including any applicable alternative minimum tax) and will not be able to qualify as a REIT for four subsequent taxable years.

We utilize taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRSs”) to conduct certain activities that would generate non-qualifying income or income subject to the prohibited transaction tax if earned directly by the REIT, and to hold certain assets that would represent non-qualifying assets if held directly by the REIT. In most cases, income associated with a TRS is fully taxable because a TRS is classified as a regular corporation for income tax purposes.

See Item 1A—“Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Taxation as a REIT” for additional tax status information.

Leverage Policies

Refer to Item 7—“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Leverage Policies.”

​

Table of Contents

Available Information

Our website address is www.starwoodpropertytrust.com. We make available free of charge through our website our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, all amendments to those reports and other filings as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and also make available on our website the charters for the Audit, Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees of our board of directors and our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and Code of Ethics for Principal Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers, as well as our corporate governance guidelines. Copies in print of these documents are available upon request to our Corporate Secretary at the address indicated on the cover of this report. The information on our website is not a part of, nor is it incorporated by reference into, this Form 10-K. Any material we file with or furnish to the SEC is also maintained on the SEC website (http://www.sec.gov).

We intend to post on our website any amendment to, or waiver of, a provision of our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics or Code of Ethics for Principal Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers that applies to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or persons performing similar functions and that relates to any element of the code of ethics definition set forth in Item 406 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

To communicate with our board of directors electronically, we have established an e-mail address, BoardofDirectors@stwdreit.com, to which stockholders may send correspondence to our board of directors or any such individual directors or group or committee of directors.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Summary Risk Factors

We are subject to a number of risks that, if realized, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. Some of our more significant challenges and risks include, but are not limited to, the following, which are described in greater detail below:

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

The above list is not exhaustive, and we face additional challenges and risks. Please carefully consider all of the information in this Form 10-K, including the risk factors set forth below in this Item 1A.

Risk Factors

Risks Related to Our Relationship with Our Manager

We are dependent on Starwood Capital Group, including our Manager and their key personnel, who provide services to us through the management agreement, and we may not find a suitable replacement for our Manager and Starwood Capital Group if the management agreement is terminated, or for these key personnel if they leave Starwood Capital Group or otherwise become unavailable to us.

Our Manager has significant discretion as to the implementation of our investment and operating policies and strategies. Accordingly, we believe that our success depends to a material extent upon the efforts, experience, diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the officers and key personnel of our Manager. The officers and key personnel of our Manager evaluate, negotiate, close and monitor a substantial portion of our investments; therefore, our success depends on their continued service. The departure of any of the officers or key personnel of our Manager could have a material adverse effect on our performance.

We offer no assurance that our Manager will remain our investment manager or that we will continue to have access to our Manager’s officers and key personnel. The terms of our management agreement with our Manager and the investment advisory agreement between our Manager and Starwood Capital Group Management, LLC are automatically renewed on an annual basis; provided, however, that our Manager may terminate the management agreement annually upon 180 days prior notice. If the management agreement and the investment advisory agreement are terminated and no suitable replacement is found to manage us, we may not be able to continue to execute our business plan.

There are various conflicts of interest in our relationship with Starwood Capital Group, including our Manager, which could result in decisions that are not in the best interests of our stockholders.

We are subject to conflicts of interest arising out of our relationship with Starwood Capital Group, including our Manager. Specifically, Mr. Sternlicht, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jeffrey G. Dishner, one of our other directors, and certain of our executive officers are executives of Starwood Capital Group.

Our Manager and executive officers may have conflicts between their duties to us and their duties to, and interests in, Starwood Capital Group and its other investment funds. From time to time, one or more private investment funds sponsored by Starwood Capital Group (collectively, “Starwood Private Real Estate Funds”) may be subject to exclusivity provisions that require all or a portion of investment opportunities related to real estate to be allocated to such Starwood Private Real Estate Funds rather than to us. Subject to the provisions of the co-investment and allocation agreement as described in the next paragraph, there can be no assurance that future Starwood Private Real Estate Funds would not be subject to such exclusivity requirements and, as a result, they may acquire investment opportunities that would not be available to us. Our independent directors do not approve each co-investment made by the Starwood Private Real Estate Funds and us unless the amount of capital we invest in the proposed co-investment otherwise requires the review and approval of our independent directors pursuant to our investment guidelines. Pursuant to the exclusivity provisions of the Starwood Private Real Estate Funds, our investment strategy may not include either (i) equity interests in real estate or (ii) “near-to-medium-term loan to own” investments, in each case (of both (i) and (ii)) if such investments are expected, at the time such investment is made, to produce an internal rate of return (“IRR”) within the target return threshold specified in the governing documents of one or more Starwood Private Real Estate Funds. Therefore, our board of directors does not have the flexibility to expand our investment strategy to include equity interests in real estate or “near-term loan to own” investments with such an IRR expectation.

Our Manager, Starwood Capital Group and their respective affiliates may sponsor or manage one or more publicly traded investment vehicles, public reporting vehicles or funds that invest generally in real estate assets but not primarily in our “target assets” (as defined in our co-investment and allocation agreement) or one or more publicly traded investment vehicles, public reporting vehicles, or funds that do invest in some of our target assets (a “potential competing vehicle”). Our Manager and Starwood Capital Group have also agreed in our co-investment and allocation agreement that for so long as the management agreement is in effect and our Manager and Starwood Capital Group are under common control, no entity controlled by Starwood Capital Group will sponsor or manage a potential competing vehicle unless Starwood Capital Group adopts a policy that either (i) provides for the fair and equitable allocation of

Table of Contents

investment opportunities in our “target assets” (as defined in our co-investment and allocation agreement) among all such vehicles and us or (ii) provides us the right to co-invest with respect to any “target assets” (as defined in our co-investment and allocation agreement) with such vehicles, in each case subject to the suitability of each investment opportunity for the particular vehicle and us and each such vehicle’s and our availability of cash for investment. To the extent that there is overlap between our investment program and that of a Starwood Private Real Estate Fund, a fair and equitable allocation policy may involve a co-investment between us and such Starwood Private Real Estate Fund or a chronological rotation between us and such Starwood Private Real Estate Fund. Although Starwood Capital Group has adopted such an investment allocation policy, Starwood Capital Group has some discretion as to how investment opportunities are allocated. As a result, we may either not be presented with the opportunity to participate in these investments or may be limited in our ability to invest.

Our board of directors has adopted a policy with respect to any proposed investments by our directors or officers or the officers of our Manager, which we refer to as the covered persons, in any of our target asset classes. This policy provides that any proposed investment by a covered person for his or her own account in any of our target asset classes will be permitted if the capital required for the investment does not exceed the personal investment limit. To the extent that a proposed investment exceeds the personal investment limit, we expect that our board of directors will only permit the covered person to make the investment (i) upon the approval of the disinterested directors or (ii) if the proposed investment otherwise complies with terms of any other related party transaction policy our board of directors has adopted. Subject to compliance with all applicable laws, these individuals may make investments for their own account in our target assets which may present certain conflicts of interest not addressed by our current policies.

We pay our Manager substantial base management fees regardless of the performance of our portfolio. Our Manager’s entitlement to a base management fee, which is not based upon performance metrics or goals, might reduce its incentive to devote its time and effort to seeking investments that provide attractive risk-adjusted returns for our portfolio. This in turn could hurt both our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and the market price of our common stock.

Excluding our operating subsidiaries, we do not have any employees except for Andrew Sossen, our Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, and Rina Paniry, our Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer, whom Starwood Capital Group has seconded to us exclusively. Mr. Sossen and Ms. Paniry are also employees of other entities affiliated with our Manager and, as a result, are subject to potential conflicts of interest in service as our employees and as employees of such entities.

The management agreement with our Manager was not negotiated on an arm’s-length basis and may not be as favorable to us as if it had been negotiated with an unaffiliated third party and may be costly and difficult to terminate.

Certain of our executive officers and two of our directors are executives of Starwood Capital Group. Our management agreement with our Manager was negotiated between related parties and its terms, including fees payable, may not be as favorable to us as if it had been negotiated with an unaffiliated third party.

Termination of the management agreement with our Manager without cause is difficult and costly. Our independent directors will review our Manager’s performance and the management fees annually and the management agreement may be terminated annually upon the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of our independent directors based upon: (i) our Manager’s unsatisfactory performance that is materially detrimental to us or (ii) a determination that the management fees payable to our Manager are not fair, subject to our Manager’s right to prevent termination based on unfair fees by accepting a reduction of management fees agreed to by at least two-thirds of our independent directors. Our Manager will be provided 180 days prior notice of any such a termination. Additionally, upon such a termination, the management agreement provides that we will pay our Manager a termination fee equal to three times the sum of the average annual base management fee and incentive fee received by our Manager during the prior 24-month period before such termination, calculated as of the end of the most recently completed fiscal quarter. These provisions may increase the cost to us of terminating the management agreement and adversely affect our ability to terminate our Manager without cause.

Our Manager may terminate the management agreement annually upon 180 days prior notice. If the management agreement is terminated and no suitable replacement is found to manage us, we may not be able to continue to execute our business plan.

Pursuant to the management agreement, our Manager does not assume any responsibility other than to render the services called for thereunder and is not responsible for any action of our board of directors in following or declining to follow its advice or recommendations. Our Manager maintains a contractual, as opposed to a fiduciary, relationship

Table of Contents

with us. Under the terms of the management agreement, our Manager, its officers, members, personnel, any person controlling or controlled by our Manager and any person providing sub-advisory services to our Manager (the “indemnified parties”) will not be liable to us, any subsidiary of ours, our directors, our stockholders or any subsidiary’s stockholders or partners for acts or omissions performed in accordance with and pursuant to the management agreement, except because of acts constituting bad faith, willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of their duties under the management agreement. In addition, we have agreed to indemnify the indemnified parties with respect to all expenses, losses, damages, liabilities, demands, charges and claims arising from acts or omissions of our Manager not constituting bad faith, willful misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties, performed in good faith in accordance with and pursuant to the management agreement.

The incentive fee payable to our Manager under the management agreement is payable quarterly and is based on our Distributable Earnings and, therefore, may cause our Manager to select investments in more risky assets to increase its incentive compensation.

Our Manager is entitled to receive incentive compensation based upon our achievement of targeted levels of Distributable Earnings (which is referred to as “Core Earnings” in our management agreement). In evaluating investments and other management strategies, the opportunity to earn incentive compensation based on Distributable Earnings may lead our Manager to place undue emphasis on the maximization of Distributable Earnings at the expense of other criteria, such as preservation of capital, in order to achieve higher incentive compensation. Investments with higher yield potential are generally riskier or more speculative. This could result in increased risk to the value of our investment portfolio.

Distributable Earnings is not a measure calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and is defined within Item 7 – Non-GAAP Financial Measures in this Form 10-K.

Our conflicts of interest policy may not adequately address all of the conflicts of interest that may arise with respect to our investment activities and also may limit the allocation of investments to us.

In order to avoid any actual or perceived conflicts of interest with our Manager, Starwood Capital Group, any of their affiliates or any investment vehicle sponsored or managed by Starwood Capital Group or any of its affiliates, which we refer to as the Starwood parties, we have adopted a conflicts of interest policy to specifically address some of the conflicts relating to our investment opportunities. Although under this policy the approval of a majority of our independent directors is required to approve (i) any purchase of our assets by any of the Starwood parties and (ii) any purchase by us of any assets of any of the Starwood parties, this policy may not be adequate to address all of the conflicts that may arise or may not address such conflicts in a manner that results in the allocation of a particular investment opportunity to us or is otherwise favorable to us. In addition, the Starwood Private Real Estate Funds currently, and additional competing vehicles may in the future, participate in some of our investments, possibly at a more senior level in the capital structure of the underlying borrower and related real estate than our investment. Our interests in such investments may also conflict with the interests of these entities in the event of a default or restructuring of the investment. Participating investments will not be the result of arm’s length negotiations and will involve potential conflicts between our interests and those of the other participating entities in obtaining favorable terms. Since certain of our executives are also executives of Starwood Capital Group, the same personnel may determine the price and terms for the investments for both us and these entities and any procedural protections, such as obtaining market prices or other reliable indicators of fair value, may not prevent the consideration we pay for these investments from exceeding their fair value or ensure that we receive terms for a particular investment opportunity that are as favorable as those available from an independent third party.

Risks Related to Our Company

The global COVID-19 pandemic is having, and will likely continue to have, an adverse impact on our operations and financial performance, as well as on the operations and financial performance of many of the borrowers underlying our real estate-related assets and tenants of our owned properties. We are unable to predict the extent to which the pandemic and related impacts will continue to adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

Our operations and financial performance have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused, and is expected to continue to cause, the global slowdown of economic activity and significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. Because the severity, magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences are uncertain, rapidly changing and difficult to predict, the pandemic’s impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make

Table of Contents

distributions to our stockholders remains uncertain and difficult to predict. Further, the ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders depends on many factors that are not within our control, including, but not limited, to: governmental, business and individuals’ actions that have been and continue to be taken in response to the pandemic (including the placement or re-institution of quarantine and “stay-at-home” orders or recommendations, restrictions on travel and transport, school closures, limits on the operations of non-essential businesses and other workforce pressures); the impact of the pandemic, and actions taken in response thereto, on global and regional economies and economic activity, including additional surges of the pandemic or the expansion of the economic impact thereof as a result of certain jurisdictions “re-opening” or otherwise lifting certain restrictions prematurely; the availability of U.S. federal, state, local or non-U.S. funding programs aimed at supporting the economy during the COVID 19-pandemic, including uncertainties regarding the potential implementation of new or extended programs; general economic uncertainty in key global markets and financial market volatility; global economic conditions and levels of economic growth; and the pace of recovery, including as to the availability and distribution of treatments or vaccines.

The COVID-19 pandemic and “stay-at-home” and other measures implemented to prevent its spread and any extended period of economic slowdown or recession could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders, among other matters. We expect that these adverse effects are likely to continue as long as the outbreak persists and potentially even longer. Although it is difficult to predict the magnitude of the business and economic implications, the COVID-19 outbreak could affect us in various ways, including, among other factors:

We have been engaged in discussions with our borrowers, some of whom have indicated that, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been unable to timely execute their business plans, have had to temporarily close their businesses or have experienced other negative business consequences and have requested or indicated that they will be requesting interest or principal deferral or other modifications of their loans. We therefore anticipate more frequent modifications of our loans and potentially instances of default or foreclosure on assets underlying our loans.

To the extent that borrowers that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic do not timely remit payments of principal and interest relating to their respective real estate-related assets, the value of such assets will likely be impaired, potentially materially. Failure to receive interest when due may adversely affect our liquidity and therefore our ability to fund our operations or address maturing liabilities on a timely basis.

Table of Contents

The adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could adversely affect our liquidity position and could limit our ability to grow our business and fully execute our business strategy. We expect to preserve and build our liquidity to best position the Company to weather near-term market uncertainty, satisfy our loan future funding and financing obligations and to potentially make opportunistic new investments, which will cause us to take some or all of the following actions: raise capital from offerings of securities, borrow additional capital, sell assets, pay our management and incentive fees in shares of our common stock (as was done for the quarter ended March 31, 2020) and/or change our dividend practice, including by reducing the amount of, or temporarily suspending, our future dividends or paying our future dividends in kind for some period of time.

Table of Contents

To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, the market price of our common stock and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this Item 1A.

Provisions for credit losses are difficult to estimate.

Our credit loss provision is evaluated on a quarterly basis. The determination of such provision requires us to make certain estimates and judgments, which may be difficult to determine. Our estimates and judgments are based on a number of factors, including projected cash flow from the collateral securing our loans, debt structure, including the availability of reserves and recourse guarantees, likelihood of repayment in full at the maturity of a loan, potential for refinancing and expected market discount rates for varying property types, all of which remain uncertain and are subjective. Our estimates and judgments may not be correct and, therefore, our results of operations and financial condition could be severely impacted.

Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, “Financial Instruments—Credit Losses, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326),” which replaces the “incurred loss” model for recognizing credit losses with an “expected loss” model referred to as the Current Expected Credit Loss model (“CECL”) became effective for us on January 1, 2020. Under the CECL model, we are required to provide allowances for credit losses on certain financial assets carried at amortized cost, such as loans held-for-investment and held-to-maturity debt securities, including related future funding commitments and accrued interest receivable. The measurement of expected credit losses is to be based on information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. This measurement takes place at the time the financial asset is first added to the balance sheet and updated quarterly thereafter. This differs significantly from the “incurred loss” model previously required under GAAP, which delayed recognition until it was probable a loss had been incurred. Accordingly, the adoption of the CECL model has materially affected how we determine our credit loss provision and required us to significantly increase our allowance and recognize provisions for credit losses earlier in the lending cycle. Moreover, the CECL model creates more volatility in the level of our credit loss provisions. If we are required to materially increase our future level of credit loss allowances for any reason, such increase could adversely affect our business, results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

We have not established a minimum distribution payment level and we may not be able to make distributions to our stockholders in the future at current levels or at all.

We are generally required to distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our taxable income each year for us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, which requirement we currently intend to satisfy through quarterly distributions of all or substantially all of our REIT taxable income in such year, subject to certain adjustments. We have not established a minimum distribution payment level, and our ability to pay distributions may be adversely affected by a number of factors, including the risk factors contained in this Form 10-K. Although we have made, and anticipate continuing to make, quarterly distributions to our stockholders, our board of directors has the sole discretion to determine the timing, form and amount of any future distributions to our stockholders, and such determination will depend on our earnings, our financial condition, debt covenants, maintenance of our REIT qualification and other factors as our board of directors may deem relevant from time to time. We believe that a change in any one of the following factors could adversely affect our results of operations and impair our ability to continue to pay distributions to our stockholders:

Table of Contents

As a result, distributions to our stockholders in the future may not continue or the level of any future distributions we do make to our stockholders may not achieve a market yield or increase or even be maintained over time, any of which could materially and adversely affect our stockholders’ return on investment.

In addition, distributions that we make to our stockholders are generally taxable to our stockholders as ordinary income. However, a portion of our distributions may be designated by us as long-term capital gains to the extent that they are attributable to capital gain income recognized by us or may constitute a return of capital to the extent that they exceed our earnings and profits as determined for tax purposes. A return of capital is not taxable, but has the effect of reducing the basis of a stockholder’s investment in our common stock.

Risks Related to Sources of Financing

Our access to sources of financing may be limited and thus our ability to maximize our returns may be adversely affected.

Our financing sources currently include our credit agreements, our master repurchase agreements, our collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”), our convertible senior notes, our senior notes, our mortgage debt on certain investment properties and common stock and debt offerings. Subject to market conditions and availability, we may seek additional sources of financing in the form of bank credit facilities (including term loans and revolving facilities), repurchase agreements, warehouse facilities, structured financing arrangements, public and private equity and debt issuances and derivative instruments, in addition to transaction or asset-specific funding arrangements.

Our access to additional sources of financing will depend upon a number of factors, over which we have little or no control, including:

A dislocation and/or weakness in the capital and credit markets, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could adversely affect one or more private lenders and could cause one or more of our private lenders to be unwilling or unable to provide us with financing or to increase the costs of that financing. In addition, if regulatory capital requirements imposed on our private lenders change, they may be required to limit, or increase the cost of, financing they provide to us. In general, this could potentially increase our financing costs and reduce our liquidity or require us to sell assets at an inopportune time or price.

To the extent structured financing arrangements are unavailable, we may have to rely more heavily on additional equity issuances, which may be dilutive to our stockholders, or on less efficient forms of debt financing that require a larger portion of our cash flow from operations, thereby reducing funds available for our operations, future business opportunities, cash distributions to our stockholders and other purposes. We cannot assure you that we will have access to such equity or debt capital on favorable terms (including, without limitation, cost and term) at the desired times, or at all, which may cause us to curtail our asset acquisition activities and/or dispose of assets, which could negatively affect our results of operations.

Our significant indebtedness subjects us to increased risk of loss and may reduce cash available for distributions to our stockholders.

We currently have a significant amount of indebtedness outstanding. As of December 31, 2020, our total consolidated indebtedness was approximately $12.8 billion (excluding accounts payable, accrued expenses, other liabilities, VIE liabilities and unfunded commitments). Our outstanding indebtedness currently includes our credit agreements, our repurchase agreements, our CLO, our convertible senior notes, our senior notes and mortgage debt on certain investment properties. Subject to market conditions and availability, we may incur additional debt through bank credit facilities (including term loans and revolving facilities), repurchase agreements, warehouse facilities, structured financing arrangements, public and private debt issuances and derivative instruments, in addition to transaction or asset-

Table of Contents

specific funding arrangements. The percentage of leverage we employ varies depending on our available capital, our ability to obtain and access financing arrangements with lenders and the lenders’ and rating agencies’ estimate of the stability of our investment portfolio’s cash flow. Our governing documents contain no limitation on the amount of debt we may incur. We may significantly increase the amount of leverage we utilize at any time without approval of our board of directors. However, our secured debt agreements contain customary affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants, that in some cases restrict our total leverage (as defined therein). Moreover, the respective indentures governing our senior notes contain covenants that, subject to a number of exceptions and adjustments, among other things,  limit our ability to incur additional indebtedness and require that we maintain total unencumbered assets (as defined therein) of not less than 120% of the aggregate principal amount of our outstanding unsecured indebtedness (as defined therein). In addition, we may leverage individual assets at substantially higher levels. Incurring substantial debt subjects us to many risks that, if realized, would materially and adversely affect us, including the risk that:

In addition, subject to certain conditions, the lenders under our credit facilities retain the sole discretion over the market value of loans and/or securities that serve as collateral for the borrowings under our credit facilities for purposes of determining whether we are required to pay margin to such lenders.

Interest rate fluctuations could significantly decrease our results of operations and cash flows and the market value of our investments.

Our primary interest rate exposures relate to the following:

Our operating results depend in large part on differences between the income from our assets, net of credit losses, and our financing costs. We anticipate that for any period during which our assets are not match-funded, the income from such assets will respond more slowly to interest rate fluctuations than the cost of our borrowings. Consequently, changes in interest rates may significantly influence our net income. Interest rate fluctuations resulting in our interest expense exceeding interest income would result in operating losses for us.

Table of Contents

In addition, our variable rate indebtedness may use LIBOR as a benchmark for establishing the rate. As was announced in July 2017, LIBOR is anticipated to be phased out by the end of 2021. However, for U.S. dollar LIBOR, it now appears that the relevant date may be deferred to June 30, 2023 for the most common tenors (overnight and one, three, six and 12 month­s). An extension to 2023 would mean that many legacy U.S. dollar LIBOR contracts would terminate before related LIBOR rates cease to be published. However, regulators emphasized that, despite any continued publication of U.S. dollar LIBOR through June 30, 2023, no new contracts using U.S. dollar LIBOR should be entered into after December 31, 2021. Moreover, the LIBOR administrator has indicated its intention to cease publication of non-U.S. dollar LIBOR after December 31, 2021. Although the foregoing may provide some sense of timing, there is no assurance that LIBOR, of any particular currency and tenor, will continue to be published until any particular date. Uncertainty as to the foregoing, the nature of alternative reference rates and as to potential changes or other reforms to LIBOR may adversely impact the availability and cost of borrowings.

Our warehouse facilities may limit our ability to acquire assets, and we may incur losses if the collateral is liquidated.

We utilize warehouse facilities pursuant to which we accumulate mortgage loans in anticipation of a securitization financing, which assets are pledged as collateral for such facilities until the securitization transaction is consummated. In order to borrow funds to acquire assets under any additional warehouse facilities, we expect that our lenders thereunder would have the right to review the potential assets for which we are seeking financing. We may be unable to obtain the consent of a lender to acquire assets that we believe would be beneficial to us and we may be unable to obtain alternate financing for such assets. In addition, a securitization transaction may not be consummated with respect to the assets being warehoused. If the securitization is not consummated, the lender could liquidate the warehoused collateral and we would then have to pay any amount by which the original purchase price of the collateral assets exceeds its sale price, subject to negotiated caps, if any, on our exposure. In addition, regardless of whether the securitization is consummated, if any of the warehoused collateral is sold before the consummation, we would have to bear any resulting loss on the sale. We may not be able to obtain additional warehouse facilities on favorable terms, or at all.

The utilization of our repurchase agreements is subject to the pre-approval of the lender.

We utilize repurchase agreements to finance the purchase of certain investments. In order for us to borrow funds under a repurchase agreement, our lender must have the right to review the potential assets for which we are seeking financing and approve such assets in its sole discretion. Accordingly, we may be unable to obtain the consent of a lender to finance an investment and alternate sources of financing for such asset may not exist.

A failure to comply with restrictive covenants in our financing arrangements would have a material adverse effect on us, and any future financings may require us to provide additional collateral or pay down debt.

We are subject to various restrictive covenants contained in our existing financing arrangements and may become subject to additional covenants in connection with future financings. Our credit agreements contain covenants that restrict our ability to incur additional debt or liens, make certain investments or acquisitions, merge, consolidate or transfer or dispose of substantially all of our assets or otherwise dispose of property and assets, pay dividends and make certain other restricted payments, change the nature of our business or enter into transactions with affiliates. Our credit agreements, as well as our master repurchase agreements, each requires us to maintain compliance with various financial covenants, including, as applicable, a minimum tangible net worth and cash liquidity, and specified financial ratios, such as total debt to total assets and EBITDA to fixed charges or loan-to-value ratios. In addition, the respective indentures governing our respective senior notes contain covenants that, subject to a number of exceptions, adjustments and, in certain circumstances, termination provisions, among other things: limit our ability to incur additional indebtedness; require that we maintain total unencumbered assets (as defined therein) of not less than 120% of the aggregate principal amount of our outstanding unsecured indebtedness (as defined therein); and impose certain requirements in order for us to merge or consolidate with another person.

These covenants may limit our flexibility to pursue certain investments or incur additional debt. If we fail to meet or satisfy any of these covenants, we would be in default under these agreements and our indebtedness could be declared due and payable. In addition, our lenders could terminate their commitments, require the posting of additional collateral and enforce their interests against existing collateral. We may also be subject to cross-default and acceleration rights and, with respect to collateralized debt, the posting of additional collateral and foreclosure rights upon default. Further, such limitations on our liquidity could also make it difficult for us to satisfy the distribution requirements necessary to maintain our status as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Our credit agreements and master repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the market value of the loans pledged or sold by us to the repurchase agreement counterparty or provider of the bank credit facility may decline in

Table of Contents

value, in which case the lender may require us to provide additional collateral or to repay all or a portion of the funds advanced. We may not have the funds available to repay our debt at that time, which would likely result in defaults unless we are able to raise the funds from alternative sources, which we may not be able to achieve on favorable terms or at all. Posting additional collateral would reduce our liquidity and limit our ability to leverage our assets. If we cannot meet these requirements, the lender could accelerate our indebtedness, increase the interest rate on advanced funds and terminate our ability to borrow funds from them, which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and ability to continue to implement our business plan. In addition, in the event that the lender files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, our loans may become subject to bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, thus depriving us, at least temporarily, of the benefit of these assets. Such an event could restrict our access to bank credit facilities and increase our cost of capital.

If one or more of our Manager’s executive officers are no longer employed by our Manager, the financial institutions providing us financing may not provide future financing to us, which could materially and adversely affect us.

If financial institutions with whom we seek to finance our investments require that one or more of our Manager’s executives continue to serve in such capacity and if one or more of our Manager’s executives are no longer employed by our Manager, it may constitute an event of default and the financial institution providing the arrangement may have acceleration rights with respect to outstanding borrowings and termination rights with respect to our ability to finance our future investments with that institution. If we are unable to obtain financing for our accelerated borrowings and for our future investments under such circumstances, we could be materially and adversely affected.

We directly or indirectly utilize non-recourse securitizations, and such structures expose us to risks that could result in losses to us.

We utilize non-recourse securitizations of our investments in mortgage loans to the extent consistent with the maintenance of our REIT qualification and exemption from the Investment Company Act in order to generate cash for funding new investments and/or to leverage existing assets. In most instances, this involves us transferring our loans to a special purpose securitization entity in exchange for cash. In some sale transactions, we also retain a subordinated interest in the loans sold. The securitization of our portfolio investments might magnify our exposure to losses on those portfolio investments because the subordinated interest we retain in the loans sold would be subordinate to the senior interest in the loans sold, and we would, therefore, absorb all of the losses sustained with respect to a loan sold before the owners of the senior interest experience any losses. Moreover, we cannot be assured that we will be able to access the securitization market in the future or be able to do so at favorable rates. The inability to consummate securitizations of our portfolio investments to finance our investments on a long-term basis could require us to seek other forms of potentially less attractive financing or to liquidate assets at an inopportune time or price, which could adversely affect our performance and our ability to continue to grow our business.

We may not have the ability to raise funds on acceptable terms necessary to settle conversions of our outstanding convertible senior notes or to purchase our outstanding convertible senior notes upon a fundamental change.

As of December 31, 2020, we had $250.0 million in principal amount of convertible senior notes outstanding. If a fundamental change within the meaning of our outstanding convertible senior notes occurs, holders of those notes will have the right to require us to purchase for cash any or all of their notes. The fundamental change purchase price will equal 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be purchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon. In addition, upon conversion of the convertible senior notes, we will be required to make cash payments in respect of the notes being converted, unless we elect to settle the conversion entirely in shares of our common stock. However, we may not have sufficient funds at the time we are required to purchase the notes surrendered therefor or to make cash payments on the notes being converted, and we may not be able to arrange necessary financing on acceptable terms. If we were unable to raise necessary funding on acceptable terms, our operating results and financial position could be negatively impacted if we were required to repurchase the notes or to pay cash upon conversion.

Risks Related to Hedging

We enter into hedging transactions that could expose us to contingent liabilities in the future.

Subject to maintaining our qualification as a REIT, part of our investment strategy involves entering into hedging transactions that require us to fund cash payments in certain circumstances (such as the early termination of the hedging instrument caused by an event of default or other early termination event, or the decision by a counterparty to request margin securities it is contractually owed under the terms of the hedging instrument). The amount due would be equal to the unrealized loss of the open swap positions with the respective counterparty and could also include other fees and charges. These economic losses will be reflected in our results of operations, and our ability to fund these

Table of Contents

obligations will depend on the liquidity of our assets and access to capital at the time, and the need to fund these obligations could adversely impact our financial condition.

Hedging may adversely affect our earnings, which could reduce our cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

Subject to maintaining our qualification as a REIT, we pursue various hedging strategies to seek to reduce our exposure to adverse changes in interest and foreign currency rates. Our hedging activity varies in scope based on the level and volatility of interest rates, exchange rates, the types of assets held and other changing market conditions. Hedging may fail to protect or could adversely affect us because, among other things:

In addition, we may fail to recalculate, readjust or execute hedges in an efficient manner.

Any hedging activity in which we engage may materially and adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows. Therefore, while we may enter into such transactions seeking to reduce risks, unanticipated changes in interest rates, credit spreads or currencies may result in poorer overall investment performance than if we had not engaged in any such hedging transactions. In addition, the degree of correlation between price movements of the instruments used in a hedging strategy and price movements in the portfolio positions or liabilities being hedged may vary materially. Moreover, for a variety of reasons, we may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio positions or liabilities being hedged. Any such imperfect correlation may prevent us from achieving the intended hedge and expose us to risk of loss.

Hedging instruments often are not traded on regulated exchanges, guaranteed by an exchange or its clearing house, or regulated by any U.S. or foreign governmental authorities and involve risks and costs that could result in material losses.

The cost of using hedging instruments increases as the period covered by the instrument increases and during periods of rising and volatile interest rates. In addition, some hedging instruments involve risk because they often are not traded on regulated exchanges, guaranteed by an exchange or its clearing house or regulated by any U.S. or foreign governmental authorities. Consequently, in many cases, there are no requirements with respect to record keeping, financial responsibility or segregation of customer funds and positions. Furthermore, the enforceability of agreements underlying hedging transactions may depend on compliance with applicable securities, commodity and other regulatory requirements and, depending on the identity of the counterparty, applicable international requirements. The business failure of a hedging counterparty with whom we enter into a hedging transaction that is not cleared on a regulated centralized clearing house will most likely result in its default. Default by a party with whom we enter into a hedging transaction may result in the loss of unrealized profits and force us to cover our commitments, if any, at the then current market price. Although generally we will seek to reserve the right to terminate our hedging positions, it may not always be possible to dispose of or close out a hedging position without the consent of the hedging counterparty and we may not be able to enter into an offsetting contract in order to cover our risk. We cannot assure you that a liquid secondary market will exist for hedging instruments purchased or sold, and we may be required to maintain a position until exercise or expiration, which could result in significant losses.

​