EQUITY

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

EQUITY

EQUITY

Common Stock

The Company has 450,000,000 authorized shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, with 52,231,152 and 24,947,883 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

On February 22, 2022, the Company closed a transferable common stock rights offering. The Company issued and sold 27,277,679 shares of common stock at a price of $3.06 per share resulting in gross proceeds of approximately $83.5 million.

Stock Repurchase Program

On December 15, 2015, the Company’s board of directors authorized a stock repurchase program (or the "Repurchase Program"), to repurchase up to $10 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock. Shares of the Company’s common stock may be purchased in the open market, including through block purchases, or through privately negotiated transactions, or pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b18(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The timing, manner, price and amount of any repurchases will be determined at the Company’s discretion and the program may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time for any reason. Among other factors, the Company intends to only consider repurchasing shares of the Company’s common stock when the purchase price is less than the Company’s estimate of the Company’s current net asset value per common share. Shares of common stock repurchased by the Company under the Repurchase Program, if any, will be canceled and, until reissued by the Company, will be deemed to be authorized but unissued shares of the Company’s common stock. Through December 31, 2022, the Company had repurchased 126,856 shares of common stock at a weighted average share price of $5.09. No share repurchases have been made since January 19, 2016. As of December 31, 2022, $9.4 million of common stock remained authorized for future share repurchase under the Repurchase Program.

Preferred Stock

At December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company was authorized to issue up to 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, with 2,400,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021. Voting and other rights and preferences will be determined by the Company's Board of Directors upon issuance.

On May 5, 2021, LFT issued 2,400,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, and received net proceeds, after underwriting discounts and commissions but before offering expenses payable by the Company, of $58.1 million. The Series A Preferred Stock is redeemable, at LFT's option, at a liquidation preference price of $25.00 per share plus accrued dividends commencing on May 5, 2026. Dividends on Series A Preferred Stock are payable quarterly in arrears beginning on July 15, 2021.

Distributions to stockholders

For the 2022 taxable year to date, the Company has declared dividends to common stockholders totaling $12,535,116, or $0.07 per share. The following table presents cash dividends declared by the Company on its common stock for the year ended December 31, 2022:

Declaration Date	Record Date	Payment Date	Dividend Amount		Cash Dividend Per Weighted Average Share
March 15, 2022	March 31, 2022	April 15, 2022	$	3,133,509	$	0.006
June 15, 2022	June 30, 2022	July 15, 2022	$	3,133,869	$	0.006
September 15, 2022	September 30, 2022	October 17, 2022	$	3,133,869	$	0.006
December 15, 2022	December 31, 2022	January 17, 2023	$	3,133,869	$	0.006

The following table presents cash dividends declared by the Company on its Series A Preferred stock for the year ended December 31, 2022:

Declaration Date	Record Date	Payment Date	Dividend Amount		Cash Dividend Per Weighted Average Share
March 15, 2022	April 1, 2022	April 15, 2022	$	1,181,250	$	0.49219
June 15, 2022	July 1, 2022	July 15, 2022	$	1,181,250	$	0.49219
September 15, 2022	October 3, 2022	October 17, 2022	$	1,181,250	$	0.49219
December 15, 2022	January 1, 2023	January 17, 2023	$	1,181,250	$	0.49219

Non-controlling interests

On November 29, 2018, Lument Commercial Mortgage Trust, Inc. ("LCMT"), formerly known as Hunt Commercial Mortgage Trust ("HCMT"), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company that has elected to be taxed as a REIT issued 125 shares of Series A Preferred Shares ("LCMT Preferred Shares").  Net proceeds to LCMT were $99,500 representing $125,000 in equity raised, less $25,500 in expenses and is reflected as "Non-controlling interests" in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.  Dividends on the LCMT Preferred Shares are cumulative annually, in an amount equal to 12% of the initial purchase price plus any accrued unpaid dividends.  The LCMT Preferred Shares are redeemable at any time by LCMT.  The redemption price through December 31, 2020 was 1.1x the initial purchase price plus all accrued and unpaid dividends, and the initial purchase price plus all accrued and unpaid dividends thereafter.  The holders of the LCMT Preferred Shares have limited voting rights, which do not entitle the holders to participate or otherwise direct the management of LCMT or the Company.  The LCMT Preferred Shares are not convertible into or exchangeable for any other property or securities LCMT or the Company.  Dividends on the LCMT Preferred Shares, which amounted to $15,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022 and $15,000 for the year ended December 31, 2021, are reflected in "Dividends to preferred stockholders" in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2022, LCMT had $11,292 in accrued dividends on the LCMT Preferred Shares which are reflected in "dividends to preferred stockholders" in the Company's consolidated statements of operations of which $3,791 were accrued and unpaid dividends on the LCMT Preferred Shares which are reflected in "Dividends payable" in the Company's consolidated balance sheet.