Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Basis of Presentation and Use of Estimates

The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could significantly differ from those estimates. The significant estimates affecting the accompanying financial statements are the fair values of RMBS and derivatives. Management believes the estimates and assumptions underlying the financial statements are reasonable based on the information available as of December 31, 2024.

Consolidation, Variable Interest Entity, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Variable Interest Entities (VIEs)

The Company obtains interests in VIEs through its investments in mortgage-backed securities. The Company's interests in these VIEs are passive in nature and are not expected to result in the Company obtaining a controlling financial interest in these VIEs in the future. As a result, the Company does not consolidate these VIEs and accounts for these interests in these VIEs as mortgage-backed securities. See Note 2 for additional information regarding the Company's investments in mortgage-backed securities. The maximum exposure to loss for these VIEs is the carrying value of the mortgage-backed securities.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on deposit with financial institutions and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase. Restricted cash includes cash pledged as collateral for repurchase agreements and other borrowings, and interest rate swaps and other derivative instruments.

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the statement of financial position that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the statement of cash flows.

(in thousands)
	December 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Cash and cash equivalents	$	309,330	$	171,893
Restricted cash		25,723		28,396
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	335,053	$	200,289

The Company maintains cash balances at three banks, a government securities backed overnight sweep fund, and excess margin on account with three exchange clearing members. At times, balances may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses related to these balances. Restricted cash balances are uninsured, but are held in separate customer accounts that are segregated from the general funds of the counterparty. The Company limits uninsured balances to only large, well-known banks and exchange clearing members and believes that it is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash and cash equivalents or restricted cash balances.

Marketable Securities, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Mortgage-Backed Securities and U.S. Treasury Securities

The Company invests primarily in mortgage pass-through (“PT”) residential mortgage backed securities (“RMBS”) and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) issued by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae or Ginnie Mae, interest-only (“IO”) securities and inverse interest-only (“IIO”) securities representing interest in or obligations backed by pools of RMBS. The Company refers to RMBS and CMOs as PT RMBS and IO and IIO securities as structured RMBS. The Company also invests in U.S. Treasury Notes (T-Notes) and U.S. Treasury Bills (collectively, "U.S. Treasury securities"), primarily to satisfy collateral requirements of derivative counterparties. The Company has elected to account for its investment in RMBS and its U.S. Treasury securities acquired before September 2023 under the fair value option. The Company recorded changes in fair value in net income. The Company has designated its U.S. Treasury securities acquired after August 2023 as available-for-sale, and changes in fair value during the period for reasons other than expected credit losses are recognized in other comprehensive income (loss). 

The Company records securities transactions on the trade date. Security purchases that have not settled as of the balance sheet date are included in the portfolio balance with an offsetting liability recorded, whereas securities sold that have not settled as of the balance sheet date are removed from the portfolio balance with an offsetting receivable recorded.

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell the asset or paid to transfer the liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value measurement assumes that the transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability either occurs in the principal market for the asset or liability, or in the absence of a principal market, occurs in the most advantageous market for the asset or liability. Estimated fair values for RMBS are based on independent pricing sources and/or third party broker quotes, when available. Estimated fair values for U.S. Treasury securities are based on quoted prices for identical assets in active markets.

Income on PT RMBS, and U.S. Treasury securities acquired before September, 2023, is based on the stated interest rate of the security. Premiums or discounts present at the date of purchase are not amortized. Premium lost and discount accretion resulting from monthly principal repayments are reflected in unrealized gains (losses) on RMBS in the statements of comprehensive income (loss). For IO securities, the income is accrued based on the carrying value and the effective yield. The difference between income accrued and the interest received on the security is characterized as a return of investment and serves to reduce the asset’s carrying value. At each reporting date, the effective yield is adjusted prospectively for future reporting periods based on the new estimate of prepayments and the contractual terms of the security. For IIO securities, effective yield and income recognition calculations also take into account the index value applicable to the security. Income on U.S. Treasury securities acquired after August, 2023, is based on the stated interest rate (if any) of the security. Premiums or discounts associated with the purchase are amortized or accreted income over the life of the investment and reported in the statements of comprehensive income (loss) as interest income.

Changes in fair value of investments for which the fair value option is elected are recorded in earnings and reported as unrealized gains or losses on mortgage-backed securities and U.S. Treasury securities in the accompanying statements of comprehensive income (loss). Realized gains and losses on sales of investments for which the fair value option has been elected, using the specific identification method, are reported as a separate component of net portfolio income on the statements of comprehensive income (loss). Changes in fair value of U.S. Treasury securities that are classified as available-for-sale are reported in accumulated other comprehensive income ("OCI"). Upon the sale of a security designated as available-for-sale, we determine the cost of the security and the amount of unrealized gain or loss to reclassify out of accumulated OCI into earnings based on the specific identification method.

The Company evaluated securities for allowance for credit losses and since all of the Company's available-for-sale securities designated investments consist of U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government, the Company does not record an allowance for credit losses.

Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company uses derivative and other hedging instruments to manage interest rate risk, facilitate asset/liability strategies and manage other exposures, and it may continue to do so in the future. The principal instruments that the Company has used to date are T-Note, Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"), and federal funds ("Fed Funds") futures contracts, short positions in U.S. Treasury securities, interest rate swaps, options to enter in interest rate swaps (“interest rate swaptions”), dual digital options, interest rate caps and floors, and "to-be-announced" ("TBA") securities transactions, but the Company may enter into other derivative and other hedging instruments in the future.

The Company accounts for TBA securities as derivative instruments. Gains and losses associated with TBA securities transactions are reported in gain (loss) on derivative instruments in the accompanying statements of comprehensive income (loss).

Derivative and other hedging instruments are carried at fair value, and changes in fair value are recorded in income as gains or losses on derivative and other hedging instruments for each period. The Company’s derivative financial instruments are not designated as hedge accounting relationships, but rather are used as economic hedges of its portfolio assets and liabilities. Gains and losses on derivatives, except those that result in cash receipts or payments, are included in operating activities on the statements of cash flows. Cash payments and cash receipts from settlements of derivatives, including current period net cash settlements on interest rate swaps, are classified as an investing activity on the statements of cash flows.

Holding derivatives creates exposure to credit risk related to the potential for failure on the part of counterparties and exchanges to honor their commitments. In the event of default by a counterparty, the Company may have difficulty recovering its collateral and may not receive payments provided for under the terms of the agreement. The Company’s derivative agreements require it to post or receive collateral to mitigate such risk. In addition, the Company uses only registered central clearing exchanges and well-established commercial banks as counterparties, monitors positions with individual counterparties and adjusts posted collateral as required.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Financial Instruments

The fair value of financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate that value is disclosed, either in the body of the financial statements or in the accompanying notes. RMBS, Fed Funds, SOFR and T-Note futures contracts, interest rate swaps, interest rate swaptions, dual digital options, interest rate floors and caps, and TBA securities are accounted for at fair value in the balance sheets. The methods and assumptions used to estimate fair value for these instruments are presented in Note 13 of the financial statements.

Repurchase and Resale Agreements Policy [Policy Text Block]

Repurchase Agreements

The Company finances the acquisition of the majority of its RMBS through the use of repurchase agreements under master repurchase agreements. Repurchase agreements are accounted for as collateralized financing transactions, which are carried at their contractual amounts, including accrued interest, as specified in the respective agreements.

Management Fees Policy [Policy Text Block]

Manager Compensation

The Company is externally managed by Bimini Advisors, LLC (the “Manager” or “Bimini Advisors”), a Maryland limited liability company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Bimini. The Company’s management agreement with the Manager provides for payment to the Manager of a management fee and reimbursement of certain operating expenses, which are accrued and expensed during the period for which they are earned or incurred. Refer to Note 14 for the terms of the management agreement.

Earnings Per Share, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is calculated as net income or loss attributable to common stockholders divided by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted EPS is calculated using the treasury stock or two-class method, as applicable, for common stock equivalents, if any. However, the common stock equivalents are not included in computing diluted EPS if the result is anti-dilutive.

Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Policy Text Block]

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company may grant equity-based compensation to non-employee members of its board of directors and to the executive officers and employees of the Manager. Stock-based awards issued include Performance Units ("PUs"), Deferred Stock Units ("DSUs") and immediately vested common stock awards. Compensation expense is measured and recognized for all stock-based payment awards made to employees and non-employee directors based on the fair value of our common stock on the date of grant. Compensation expense is recognized over each award’s respective service period using the graded vesting attribution method. We do not estimate forfeiture rates; rather, we adjust for forfeitures in the periods in which they occur.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income Taxes

Orchid elected and is organized and operated so as to qualify to be taxed as a REIT under the Code. REITs are generally not subject to U.S. federal income tax on their REIT taxable income provided that they distribute to their stockholders all of their REIT taxable income on an annual basis. A REIT must distribute at least 90% of its REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deductions for dividends paid and excluding net capital gain, and meet other requirements of the Code to retain its tax status.

Orchid assesses the likelihood, based on their technical merit, that uncertain tax positions will be sustained upon examination based on the facts, circumstances and information available at the end of each period. All of Orchid’s tax positions are categorized as highly certain. There is no accrual for any tax, interest or penalties related to Orchid’s tax position assessment. The measurement of uncertain tax positions is adjusted when new information is available, or when an event occurs that requires a change.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures”. The amendments in the ASU require disclosures to include significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”), a description of other segment items by reportable segment, and any additional measures of a segment's profit or loss used by the CODM when deciding how to allocate resources. ASU 2023-07 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, with early adoption allowed. We adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2024, and the adoption did not have a material impact on our financial statements. Refer to Note 15, "Segment Information," for new disclosures resulting from the adoption of ASU 2023-07.

In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU No. 2024-03, "Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses". The amendments in the ASU require disclosures about specific types of expenses included in the expense captions presented on the Consolidated Statements of Income, as well as disclosures about selling expenses. ASU 2024-03 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2026, with early adoption allowed. We are currently evaluating the impact of adoption on our financial disclosures.