SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
DC 20549
SCHEDULE
14A
Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the
Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )
Filed
by the Registrant þ
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Filed
by a Party other than the Registrant ¨
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Check
the appropriate box:
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Preliminary
Proxy Statement
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Confidential,
For Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
14a-6(e)(2))
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þ Definitive
Proxy Statement
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Definitive
Additional Materials
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Soliciting
Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12
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DYNEX
CAPITAL, INC.
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(Name
of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
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(Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
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Payment
of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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fee required.
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computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and
0-11.
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of each class of securities to which transaction
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(2)
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Aggregate
number of securities to which transaction applies:
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Per
unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant
to
Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth the amount on which the filing
fee is
calculated and state how it was determined):
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(4)
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Proposed
maximum aggregate value of transaction:
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previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement
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Dynex
Capital, Inc.
Notice
of
Annual Meeting of Shareholders
and
Proxy
Statement
Annual
Meeting of Shareholders
May
24,
2007
DYNEX
CAPITAL, INC.
April
16,
2007
To
Our
Shareholders:
You
are
cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of Dynex Capital,
Inc. (the “Company”) to be held at the Hilton Newark Penn Station Hotel located
at Gateway Center-Raymond Boulevard, Newark, New Jersey on
Thursday, May 24, 2007, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern
Time.
The
business of the meeting is to consider and act upon the election of directors
and appointment of auditors of the Company.
While
shareholders may exercise their right to vote their shares in person, we
recognize that many shareholders may not be able to attend the Annual Meeting.
Accordingly, we have enclosed a proxy which will enable you to vote your shares
on the issues to be considered at the Annual Meeting even if you are unable
to
attend. All you need to do is mark the proxy to indicate your vote, date and
sign the proxy, and return it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope as soon
as
conveniently possible. If you are a common shareholder and desire to vote your
shares of common stock in accordance with management’s recommendations, you need
not mark your votes on the proxy but need only sign, date and return the common
proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid envelope in order to record your vote.
If you are a preferred shareholder and desire to vote your shares of Series
D
preferred stock for one or both of the preferred nominees, you must mark your
votes on the preferred proxy card and return such proxy card in the enclosed
postage-paid envelope in order to record your vote.
Sincerely,
Thomas
B.
Akin
Chairman
of the Board
Stephen
J. Benedetti
Executive
Vice President and
Chief
Operating Officer
DYNEX
CAPITAL, INC.
4551
Cox Road, Suite 300
Glen
Allen, Virginia 23060
(804)
217-5800
____________________________
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
To
Our
Shareholders:
The
Annual Meeting of Dynex Capital, Inc. (the “Company”) will be held at the Hilton
Newark Penn Station Hotel located at Gateway Center-Raymond Boulevard, Newark,
New Jersey on Thursday, May 24, 2007, at 9:00 a.m.
Eastern
Time, to consider and act upon the following matters:
1. |
Holders
of our common stock will:
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A.
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Elect
three (3) directors of the Company, to hold office until the next
annual
meeting and until their successors are elected and duly qualified;
and
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B. |
Ratify
the selection of BDO Seidman LLP, independent certified public
accountants, as auditors for the Company for the 2007 fiscal year;
and
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C.
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Transact
such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any
adjournment or adjournments
thereof.
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2. |
Holders
of our Series D preferred stock
will:
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A.
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Elect
two (2) directors of the Company, to hold office until the next annual
meeting and until their successors are elected and duly qualified,
or as
otherwise provided in the Company’s Articles of
Incorporation.
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Only
shareholders of record at the close of business on April 9, 2007, the record
date, will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Management
desires to have maximum representation at the Annual Meeting and respectfully
requests that you date, execute and promptly mail the enclosed proxy in the
accompanying postage-paid envelope. A proxy may be revoked by a shareholder
by
notice in writing to the Secretary of the Company at any time prior to its
use,
by presentation of a later-dated proxy or by attending the Annual Meeting and
voting in person.
By
Order
of the Board of Directors
Secretary
Dated:
April 16, 2007
DYNEX
CAPITAL, INC.
4551
Cox Road, Suite 300
Glen
Allen, Virginia 23060
(804)
217-5800
____________________________
PROXY
STATEMENT
ANNUAL
MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
May
24, 2007
To
Our
Shareholders:
This
Proxy Statement is furnished to the holders of the common stock (“Common Stock”)
and Series D 9.50% Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (“Series D Preferred
Stock”) of Dynex Capital, Inc. (the “Company”) in connection with the
solicitation by the Company’s Board of Directors of proxies to be used at the
Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to be held at the Hilton Newark
Penn Station Hotel located at Gateway Center-Raymond Boulevard, Newark, New
Jersey on
Thursday, May 24, 2007, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The Annual Meeting is being
held for the purposes set forth in the accompanying notice of Annual Meeting
of
Shareholders. This Proxy Statement, the accompanying proxy card and the notice
of Annual Meeting are being provided to shareholders beginning on or about
April
16, 2007.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Solicitation
The
enclosed proxy is solicited by the Board of Directors of the Company. The costs
of this solicitation will be borne by the Company. Proxy solicitations will
be
made by mail, and also may be made by personal interview, telephone and telegram
by directors and officers of the Company. Brokerage houses and nominees will
be
requested to forward the proxy soliciting material to the beneficial owners
of
shares of Common Stock and Series D Preferred Stock and to obtain authorization
for the execution of proxies. The Company will, upon request, reimburse such
parties for their reasonable expenses in forwarding these proxy materials to
such beneficial owners.
Voting
Rights
Common
Stock.
Holders
of shares of Common Stock at the close of business on April 9, 2007, the record
date, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting. On that
date, 12,136,262 shares of Common Stock were outstanding. Each share of Common
Stock outstanding on the record date is entitled to one vote for each of three
directors to be elected by the holders of shares of Common Stock and one vote
on
any other matter presented to such holders at the Annual Meeting. The presence,
in person or by proxy, of holders of shares of Common Stock entitled to cast
a
majority of all the votes entitled to be cast constitutes a quorum for the
transaction of business at the Annual Meeting.
Series
D Preferred Stock. Holders
of shares of Series D Preferred Stock at the close of business on April 9,
2007, the record date, are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual
Meeting, voting as a single class to elect two directors to the Company’s Board
of Directors. The holders of Series D Preferred Stock are not entitled to vote
on any other matter. There were 4,221,539 shares of Series D Preferred Stock
outstanding as of April 9, 2007.
Voting
of Proxies - Common Stock
A
proxy
card, indicating COMMON STOCK shares, is being sent to the holders of shares
of
Common Stock (the “common proxy”). Shares of Common Stock represented by a
properly executed common proxy received in time for the Annual Meeting will
be
voted in accordance with the choices specified in such common proxy. If no
instructions are indicated on the common proxy, the shares of Common Stock
will
be voted FOR the election of the nominees named in this Proxy Statement as
common shareholder directors and FOR the appointment of BDO Seidman LLP as
the
Company's auditors for the 2007 fiscal year.
Voting
of Proxies—Series D Preferred Stock
A
proxy
card, indicating SERIES D PREFERRED STOCK shares, is being sent to holders
of
shares of Series D Preferred Stock (the “preferred proxy”). Shares of
Series D Preferred Stock represented by a properly completed and executed
preferred proxy received in time for the Annual Meeting will be voted in
accordance with the choices specified in such preferred proxy. If a preferred
proxy is not completed in accordance with its instructions or no choices are
specified on the preferred proxy, the shares of Series D Preferred Stock
represented by such preferred proxy will not be voted.
Revocability
of Proxy
The
giving of the enclosed proxy does not preclude the right to vote in person
should the shareholder giving the proxy so desire. A proxy may be revoked at
any
time prior to its exercise by delivering a written statement to the Secretary
of
the Company that the proxy is revoked, by presenting to the Company a
later-dated proxy executed by the person executing the prior proxy, or by
attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person.
Quorum
The
following principles of Virginia law apply to the voting of shares of capital
stock at the Annual Meeting. The presence in person or by proxy of shareholders
entitled to vote a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock will
constitute a quorum for all matters upon which holders of shares of Common
Stock
are entitled to vote. The presence in person or by proxy of shareholders
entitled to vote a majority of the outstanding shares of Series D Preferred
Stock will constitute a quorum for the matter upon which holders of shares
of
Series D Preferred Stock are entitled to vote. Shares represented by proxy
or in
person at the Annual Meeting, including shares represented by proxies that
reflect abstentions, will be counted as present in the determination of a
quorum. An abstention as to any particular matter, however, does not constitute
a vote “for” or “against” such matter. “Broker non-votes” (i.e.,
where a
broker or nominee submits a proxy specifically indicating the lack of
discretionary authority to vote on a matter) will be treated in the same manner
as abstentions.
Other
Matters
The
management and the Board of Directors of the Company know of no other matters
to
come before the Annual Meeting other than those stated in the notice of the
Annual Meeting. However, if any other matters are properly presented to the
shareholders for action, it is the intention of the proxy holders named in
the
enclosed proxy to vote in their discretion on all matters on which the shares
represented by such proxy are entitled to vote.
Annual
Report on Form 10-K
The
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, including financial statements for the
year ended December 31, 2006, which is being mailed to shareholders together
with this Proxy Statement, contains financial and other information about the
activities of the Company, but is not incorporated into this Proxy Statement
and
is not to be considered a part of these proxy soliciting
materials.
PROPOSAL
ONE
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
General
Common
Stock Directors.
Three
directors of the Company are to be elected by the holders of shares of Common
Stock at the Annual Meeting to serve until the next annual meeting and until
their successors are elected and duly qualified. On the recommendation of the
Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee, the Board of Directors has
nominated Thomas B. Akin, Daniel K. Osborne and Eric P. Von der Porten for
election by the holders of shares of Common Stock to the Board of Directors
at
the Annual Meeting. Unless otherwise indicated, a common proxy representing
shares of Common Stock will be voted FOR the election of Messrs. Akin, Osborne
and Von der Porten to the Board of Directors. Each common stock director nominee
has agreed to serve if elected. In the event any common stock director nominee
shall unexpectedly be unable to serve, each common proxy will be voted for
such
other person as the Board of Directors may designate. Selected biographical
information regarding each common stock director nominee is set forth below.
Series
D Preferred Stock Directors.
Pursuant
to Section 10 of Article IIID of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as
amended, the holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock are entitled to
elect
two directors to the Board of Directors of the Company. Except as otherwise
provided in the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, each such director will
serve until the next annual meeting of the shareholders of the Company and
until
their successors are elected and duly qualified. Leon A. Felman and Barry
Igdaloff have been nominated for election by holders of shares of Series D
Preferred Stock to the Board of Directors at the Annual Meeting. Each preferred
stock director nominee has agreed to serve if elected. Selected biographical
information regarding each preferred stock director nominee is set forth
below.
Vote
Required
Common
Stock Directors.
The
three directors to be elected by the holders of shares of Common Stock will
be
elected by a favorable vote of a plurality of the shares of Common Stock
represented and entitled to vote with respect to each common stock director,
in
person or by proxy, at the Annual Meeting. Accordingly, abstentions or broker
non-votes as to the election of the common stock directors will not affect
the
election of candidates receiving the plurality of votes. Unless instructed
to
the contrary, the shares represented by each common proxy will be voted FOR
the
election of each of the three common stock director nominees named below.
Although it is anticipated that each common stock director nominee will be
able
to serve as a director, should any nominee become unavailable to serve, the
shares represented by each common proxy will be voted for another person or
persons designated by the Company’s Board of Directors. In no event will a
common proxy be voted for more than three common stock directors.
Series
D Preferred Stock Directors.
The two
directors to be elected by the holders of shares of Series D Preferred Stock
will be elected by a favorable vote of a plurality of the shares of Series
D
Preferred Stock represented and entitled to vote with respect to each preferred
stock director, in person or by proxy, at the Annual Meeting. Accordingly,
abstentions or broker non-votes as to the election of the preferred stock
directors will not affect the election of candidates receiving the plurality
of
votes. If a preferred proxy is not completed in accordance with its instructions
or no choices are specified on the preferred proxy, the shares of Series D
Preferred Stock represented by such preferred proxy will not be voted. Although
it is anticipated that each preferred stock director nominee will be able to
serve as a director, should any nominee become unavailable to serve, the shares
represented by each preferred proxy will not be voted for another person or
persons. In no event will a preferred proxy be voted for more than two
directors.
Common
Stock Director Nominees
The
following information sets forth as of March 6, 2007 the
names, ages, principal occupations and business experience for the Company’s
common stock director nominees. Unless otherwise indicated, the business
experience and principal occupations shown for each director has extended five
or more years.
Thomas
B. Akin
(55) has
been a director of the Company and Chairman since 2003. Mr. Akin has served
as
the managing general partner of Talkot Capital, LLC located in Sausalito,
California since 1995. Talkot Capital is the general partner for various limited
partnerships investing in both private and public companies. From 1991 to 1994,
Mr. Akin was the managing director for the Western United States for Merrill
Lynch Institutional Services. He had been the regional director of the San
Francisco and Los Angeles regions for Merrill Lynch Institutional Services
from
1981 to 1991. Prior to Merrill Lynch, Mr. Akin was an employee of Salomon
Brothers from 1978 to 1981. He is currently on the board of directors for Acacia
Research Corporation, CombiMatrix Corporation, and he serves as Chairman of
the
Board for both Advance Data Exchange and Centiv Services, Inc. Mr. Akin holds
a
B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz and an M.B.A. from the
Anderson School of Management, UCLA.
Daniel
K. Osborne (42)
has
been a director of the Company since 2005. Mr. Osborne has been Managing Member
of Vantage Pointe Capital, LLC, an investment advisory firm that serves as
the
general partner of Vantage Pointe Capital Partners LP, since February 2003.
Prior to founding Vantage Pointe Capital, LLC in 2003, Mr. Osborne was a private
investor and co-founder of Apex Mortgage Capital, Inc. He was the company’s
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer from September 1997 to
September 2001. Mr. Osborne was also a Managing Director of Trust Company of
The
West from July 1994 to December 2001. Mr. Osborne began his career with Deloitte
& Touche, LLP. He holds a B.S. degree in accounting from Arizona State
University.
Eric
P. Von der Porten (49)
has
been a director of the Company since 2002. Since 1997, Mr. Von der Porten has
served as the managing member of Leeward Investments, LLC, the general partner
of Leeward Capital, L.P. Mr. Von der Porten earned an A.B. from the University
of Chicago and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of
Business.
Series
D Preferred Stock Director Nominees
The
following information sets forth as of March 6, 2007, the names, ages, principal
occupations and business experience for the Company’s preferred stock director
nominees. Unless otherwise indicated, the business experience and principal
occupations shown for each director has extended five or more
years.
Leon
A. Felman (72)
has
been a director of the Company since 2000. Mr. Felman has been a private
investor in financial institutions since 1980. From 1968 to 1999, Mr. Felman
was
President and Chief Executive Officer of Sage Systems, Inc. Mr. Felman has
served on the Board of Directors of Pulaski Financial Corporation since June
2004. Mr. Felman was a director of Allegiant Bancorp, Inc., a St. Louis,
Missouri based bank holding company, from 1992 to 2004, and its subsidiary,
Allegiant Bank & Trust Company, Inc., from 2001 to 2004, until their sale.
Mr. Felman currently serves as a member of the Chancellor’s Council for the
University of Missouri-St. Louis and on the Board of Directors of the
Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation. Mr. Felman graduated from Carnegie Institute
of Technology with a B.S. in Industrial Administration.
Barry
Igdaloff (52) has
been
a director of the Company since 2000. Mr. Igdaloff has been a registered
investment advisor and the sole proprietor of Rose Capital, Inc. in Columbus,
Ohio, since 1995. Mr. Igdaloff graduated from Indiana University in 1976 with
a
B.S.B. in accounting and from The Ohio State University in 1978, with a Juris
Doctorate degree. Mr. Igdaloff is a non-practicing certified public accountant
and a non-practicing attorney.
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE
AND
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
General
The
business and affairs of the Company are managed under the direction of the
Board
of Directors in accordance with the Virginia Stock Corporation Act and the
Company’s Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. Members of the Board are kept
informed of the Company’s business through discussions with the Chairman of the
Board and chief executive officer (or, in his absence, the principal executive
officer) and other officers, by reviewing materials provided to them and by
participating in meetings of the Board and its committees. The corporate
governance practices followed by the Company are summarized below.
Director
Independence
The
Board
of Directors has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines that set forth the
practices of the Board with respect to its size,
criteria for membership and selection to the Board, committees of the Board,
meetings and access to management, director compensation, director orientation
and continuing education, an annual performance evaluation of the Board,
director responsibilities, an annual
review of performance of the president and chief executive officer (or, in
his
absence, the principal executive officer) and management succession and
ethics
and conduct. The
Guidelines are available on the Company’s web page at www.dynexcapital.com.
A
printed copy is available to any shareholder upon written request to the
Secretary of the Company, 4551 Cox Road, Suite 300, Glen Allen, Virginia
23060.
The
Board
of Directors in its business judgment has determined that all of its members
are
independent as defined by New York Stock Exchange listing standards. In reaching
this conclusion, the Board considered whether the Company and its subsidiaries
conduct business and have other relationships with organizations of which
certain members of the Board or members of their immediate families are or
were
directors or officers. Consistent with the New York Stock Exchange listing
standards, the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines establish categorical
standards under which a director will not be considered to have a material
relationship with the Company if:
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during
each of the current fiscal year and three most recent fiscal years,
neither the director nor any immediate family member of the director
received more than $100,000 per year in direct compensation from
the
Company, other than director and committee fees and pension or other
forms
of deferred compensation for prior service (provided that such
compensation is not contingent on continued service);
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· |
during
each of the current fiscal year and three most recent fiscal years,
the
director is not, and was not, an executive officer or an employee,
or
whose immediate family member is not, or was not, an executive officer
of
another company that made payments to, or received payments from,
the
Company for property or services in an amount which, in any single
fiscal
year, exceeded the greater of $1,000,000 or 2% of such other company’s
consolidated gross revenues; or
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the
director serves as an executive officer of a charitable organization
to
which during each of the three preceding fiscal years the Company
made
charitable contributions that did not exceed the greater of $1,000,000
or
2% of such charitable organization’s consolidated gross revenues.
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None
of
the Company’s directors, their immediate family members, or organizations in
which they are a partner, shareholder or officer, are engaged in any
relationships with the Company.
Code
of Ethics
The
Board
of Directors has approved a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics for directors,
officers and employees of the Company and each of its subsidiaries, including
the Company’s chief executive officer (or, in his absence, the principal
executive officer) and principal financial officers. The Code addresses such
topics as compliance with applicable laws, conflicts of interest, use and
protection of Company assets, confidentiality, dealings with the press and
communications with the public, accounting and financial reporting matters,
fair
dealing,
discrimination
and harassment and health and safety. It is available on the Company’s web page
at www.dynexcapital.com.
A
printed copy of the Code is available to any shareholder upon written request
to
the Secretary of the Company at the address set forth above.
Board
and Committee Meeting Attendance
In
2006,
there were eleven meetings of the Board of Directors. Each director attended
75%
or more of the total aggregate number of meetings of the Board and of the
committees on which he served.
Executive
Sessions
Executive
sessions where non-employee directors meet on an informal basis are scheduled
either before or after regularly scheduled Board meetings. At least once a
year
the Board schedules an executive session including only independent directors.
Thomas B. Akin, the Chairman of the Board, serves as chairman for executive
sessions.
Communications
with Directors
Any
director may be contacted by writing to him c/o the Secretary of the Company
at
the address set forth above. Communications to the non-management directors
as a
group may be sent to the Chairman of the Board c/o the Secretary of the Company
at the same address. The Company promptly forwards, without screening, all
such
correspondence to the indicated director(s).
Committees
of the Board
The
Board
of Directors has a standing Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and
Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee.
Audit
Committee
The
Audit
Committee assists the Board of Directors in fulfilling the Board’s oversight
responsibility to the shareholders relating to the integrity of the Company’s
financial statements, the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory
requirements, the qualifications, independence and performance of the Company’s
independent auditor and the performance of the internal audit function. The
Committee is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, retention
and oversight of the work of the independent auditor engaged for the purpose
of
preparing or issuing an audit report or performing other audit, review or
attestation services for the Company. The Committee operates under a written
charter last amended by the Board in June 2004. The Audit Committee Charter
is
available on the Company’s web page at www.dynexcapital.com.
The
members of the Audit Committee are Messrs. Von der Porten (Chairman), Felman,
Igdaloff and Osborne, all of whom the Board in its business judgment has
determined are independent as defined by regulations of the Securities and
Exchange Commission and the New York Stock Exchange listing standards. The
Board
of Directors also has determined that all of the Committee members are
financially literate as defined by the New York Stock Exchange listing standards
and that Mr. Osborne qualifies as an audit committee financial expert as defined
by regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The
Audit
Committee met five
times in
2006.
For additional information regarding the Committee, see “Audit Information -
Audit Committee Report” on page 20 of this Proxy Statement.
Compensation
Committee
The
Compensation Committee performs the responsibilities of the Board of Directors
relating to compensation of the Company’s executives. The Committee’s
responsibilities include reviewing and approving corporate goals and objectives
relevant to compensation of the Company’s chief executive officer (or, in his
absence, the principal executive officer), evaluating the chief executive
officer’s performance in light of those goals and objectives and determining and
approving the chief executive officer’s compensation level based on this
evaluation; reviewing and approving the compensation for senior executive
officers, including their corporate goals and objectives; producing a report
on
executive compensation as required by the rules of the Securities and Exchange
Commission to be included in the Company’s annual proxy statement; reviewing and
approving any employment-related agreement, other compensation arrangement,
or
transaction with senior management; making recommendations to the Board with
respect to annual and long-term incentive compensation and equity-based plans;
administering the Company’s equity-based, deferral and other compensation plans
approved by the Board from time to time; reviewing any significant changes
in
the Company’s tax-qualified employee benefit plans; and reviewing annually with
the chief executive officer succession planning and management development
activities and strategies. The Compensation Committee has currently tabled
discussion of succession planning since we have only one executive officer
and
given that we currently do not have an active investment strategy because of
current market conditions. The Compensation Committee anticipates that it will
engage in succession planning discussion at the appropriate time. The Committee
operates under a written charter last amended by the Board in June 2004. The
Charter of the Compensation Committee is available on the Company’s web page at
www.dynexcapital.com.
A
printed copy is available to any shareholder upon written request to the
Secretary of the Company at the address set forth above.
The
members of the Compensation Committee are Messrs. Osborne (Chairman), Akin
and
Von der Porten, all of whom the Board in its business judgment has determined
are independent as defined by the New York Stock Exchange listing standards.
The
Committee met three times in 2006. For additional information regarding the
Committee, see “Executive Compensation - Compensation Discussion and Analysis”
on page 11 of this Proxy Statement.
Nominating
& Corporate Governance Committee
The
Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee develops qualifications for
director candidates, recommends to the Board of Directors persons to serve
as
directors of the Company and monitors developments in, and makes recommendations
to the Board concerning corporate governance practices. The Committee acts
as
the Company’s nominating committee. The Committee operates under a written
charter last amended by the Board in June 2004. The Charter of the Nominating
& Corporate Governance Committee is available on the Company’s web page at
www.dynexcapital.com.
A
printed copy is available to any shareholder upon written request to the
Secretary of the Company at the address set forth above.
The
members of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee are Messrs.
Felman (Chairman), Igdaloff, and Von der Porten, all of whom the Board in its
business judgment has determined are independent as defined by the New York
Stock Exchange listing standards. The Committee met one time in
2006.
The
Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee considers candidates for the
Board based upon several criteria, including but not limited to their
broad-based business and professional skills and experience, concern for the
long-term interest of the Company’s shareholders, personal integrity and
judgment, and knowledge and experience in the Company’s industry. The Committee
further considers each candidate’s independence, as defined by the New York
Stock Exchange listing standards. All candidates must have time available to
devote to Board duties and responsibilities.
The
Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee utilizes a variety of methods
for identifying and evaluating nominees for director. The Committee will
regularly assess the appropriate size of the Board and whether any vacancies
on
the Board are expected due to retirement or otherwise. In the event that
vacancies are anticipated, or otherwise arise, the Committee will consider
various potential candidates for director. Candidates may come to the attention
of the Committee through current Board members, professional search firms,
shareholders or other persons. These candidates are evaluated at regular or
special meetings of the Committee and may be considered at any point during
the
year.
Shareholders
entitled to vote for the election of directors may submit candidates for
consideration by the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee if the
Company receives timely written notice, in proper form, for each such
recommended director nominee. If the notice is not timely and in proper form,
the committee reserves the right to not consider the nominee. Whether the
committee considers the nomination of such candidate depends on the facts and
circumstances of the nomination at that time Under the regulations of the
Securities and Exchange Commission, any shareholder desiring to recommend a
nominee to be acted upon at the 2008 annual meeting of shareholders must cause
such nominee to be received, in proper form, by the Secretary of the Company
no
later than December 14, 2007 in order for the nominee to be considered for
inclusion in the Company’s Proxy Statement for that meeting. Any nominees that
are received after that date may be considered by the Nominating & Corporate
Governance Committee outside of the proxy statement process.
In
evaluating nominations, the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee
seeks to achieve a balance of knowledge, experience and capability on the Board.
Annual
Meeting Attendance
The
Company encourages members of the Board of Directors to attend the annual
meeting of shareholders. All of the directors attended the 2006 annual meeting
of shareholders.
Directors’
Compensation
Each
director receives an annual fee of $25,000, plus $1,000 for each meeting of
the
Board of Directors and Audit Committee he attends and $750 for each meeting
of
all other committees he attends. The Chairman of the Board receives an
additional annual fee of $15,000, so long as he is not an employee of the
Company, and the Chairman of the Audit Committee receives an additional fee
of
$3,000.
Directors
are reimbursed expenses related to their attendance at Board of Director or
committee meetings.
In
addition, the independent directors will receive annually a grant of stock
options for 5,000 shares of common stock, under the Company’s 2004 Stock
Incentive Plan. The stock options will be fully-vested at the grant date, will
have a five-year term and will be granted at a strike price at 10% above the
market price on the date of grant. The grant date will be the first Friday
following each year’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
The
following table shows the compensation earned by each of the directors during
2006 *:
Name
|
Fees
Earned or Paid in Cash ($)
|
Option
Awards ($)
(1)
(2)
|
All
Other Compensation ($)
|
Total
($)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas
B. Akin, Chairman
|
60,000
|
9,052
|
-
|
69,052
|
J.
Sydney Davenport
Leon
A. Felman
|
15,458
44,250
|
18,103
9,052
|
-
-
|
33,561
53,302
|
Barry
Igdaloff
|
51,000
|
9,052
|
-
|
60,052
|
Daniel
K. Osborne
|
47,250
|
9,052
|
-
|
56,302
|
Eric
P. Von der Porten
|
51,750
|
9,052
|
-
|
60,802
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
___________
*
Columns
for “Stock Awards”, “Non-Equity Incentive Compensation”, and “Change in Pension
Value and Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings” have been omitted because
they were not applicable
(1) |
Each
of the above Directors has an aggregate outstanding 10,000 stock
options,
except Mr. Felman who has 5,000 outstanding stock options, as he
exercised
5,000 stock options in February
2007.
|
(2) |
The
fair value of each option award was estimated on the date of grant
using
the Black-Scholes option valuation model based on an expected volatility
of 21.8% and a risk-free rate of 5.11%.
|
Management
and Certain Beneficial Owners
The
following table sets forth information regarding the beneficial ownership of
each of shares of Common Stock and shares of Series D Preferred Stock as of
March 6, 2007, by: (a) each director of the Company, (b) the Named Officer
(c)
all directors and the executive officer of the Company as a group, and (d)
all
other shareholders known by the Company to be beneficial owners of more than
5%
of the outstanding shares of any class of the Company’s stock.
|
|
Common
Stock
|
|
Series
D Preferred Stock
|
|
Name
|
|
Shares
(1)
|
|
Percentage
(2)
|
|
Shares
|
|
Percentage
(3)
|
|
Thomas
B. Akin (4)
4551
Cox Road, Suite 300
Glen
Allen, Virginia 23060
|
|
|
1,864,095
|
|
|
14.65%
|
|
|
589,938
|
|
|
13.97%
|
|
Stephen
J. Benedetti
|
|
|
21,637
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
--
|
|
Leon
A. Felman (5)
|
|
|
152,190
|
|
|
1.25%
|
|
|
67,086
|
|
|
1.59%
|
|
Barry
Igdaloff (6)
4551
Cox Road, Suite 300
Glen
Allen, Virginia 23060
|
|
|
557,771
|
|
|
4.44%
|
|
|
416,218
|
|
|
9.86%
|
|
Daniel
K. Osborne (7)
|
|
|
16,869
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
5,008
|
|
|
*
|
|
Eric
P. Von der Porten (8)
|
|
|
165,621
|
|
|
1.36%
|
|
|
11,813
|
|
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All
directors and executive officers as a group (6 persons)
|
|
|
2,789,681
|
|
|
21.00%
|
|
|
1,090,063
|
|
|
25.82%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rockwood
Partners, L.P. (9)
Rockwood
Asset Man-age-ment, Inc.
Demeter
Asset Management, Inc.
Jay
Buck
35
Mason Street
Greenwich,
Connecticut 06830
|
|
|
920,350
|
|
|
7.50%
|
|
|
141,983
|
|
|
3.36%
|
|
Wellington
Management (10)
Company,
LLP
75
State Street
Boston,
Massachusetts 02109
|
|
|
671,500
|
|
|
5.53%
|
|
|
--
|
|
|
--
|
|
Arthur
D. Lipson (11)
Western
Investment LLC
Western
Investment Hedged Partners, LP
Western
Investment Institutional Partners, LLC
Western
Investment Total Return Master Fund, Ltd
2855
East Cottonwood Parkway
Suite
110
Salt
Lake City, UT 84121
|
|
|
1,182,893
|
|
|
9.59%
|
|
|
204,422
|
|
|
4.84%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
_______________
* Percentage
of ownership is less than one percent of the outstanding shares of the
applicable class.
(1) All
amounts include both shares of Common Stock and shares of Series D Preferred
Stock, which are convertible into shares of Common Stock, on a one-for-one
basis, at the option of its holder.
(2) Each
percentage is based on 12,136,262 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding
and is calculated based on the assumption that the beneficial owner has
converted all shares of Series D Preferred Stock into shares of Common
Stock.
(3) Each
percentage is based on 4,221,539 shares of Series D Preferred Stock issued
and
outstanding.
(4) Amount
includes 623,438 shares of Common Stock and 350,064 shares of Series D Preferred
Stock owned by Talkot Crossover Fund, L.P., of which Mr. Akin is the managing
general partner.
(5) Amount
reflects 6,589 shares of Common Stock and 10,848 shares of Series D Preferred
Stock owned by the Leon A. Felman IRA Rollover, 43,447 shares of Common Stock
and 30,826 shares of Series D Preferred Stock owned by the Homebaker Brand
Profit Sharing Plan, 7,537 shares of Common Stock and 9,614 shares of Series
D
Preferred Stock owned by the Leon A. Felman Keogh Profit Sharing Plan, 19,778
shares of Common Stock and 11,840 shares of Series D Preferred Stock owned
by
the Leon A. Felman Family Trust, 2,120 shares of Common Stock and 2,555 shares
of Series D Preferred Stock owned by HLF Corporation, 278 shares of Common
Stock
and 626 shares of Series D Preferred Stock owned by the Harriet Felman IRA
and
355 shares of Common Stock and 777 shares of Series D Preferred Stock owned
by
the Leon A. Felman IRA.
(6) Amount
includes 77,663 shares of Common Stock and 206,902 shares of Series D Preferred
Stock owned by clients of Rose Capital, Inc., of which Mr. Igdaloff is the
sole
proprietor. Mr. Igdaloff shares the power to vote and dispose of such
shares.
(7) Amount
reflects 11,322 shares of Common Stock and 4,225 shares of Series D Preferred
Stock owned by Vantage Pointe Capital Partners LP, of which Mr. Osborne is
the
managing member of its general partner, and 539 shares of Common Stock and
783
shares of Series D Preferred Stock held in Mr. Osborne’s spouse’s IRA
account.
(8) |
Amount
reflects 153,808 shares of Common Stock and 11,813 shares of Series
D
Preferred Stock owned by Leeward Capital, L.P. Mr. Von der Porten
is the
managing member of Leeward Investments, LLC, which is the general
partner
of Leeward Capital, L.P.
|
(9) |
Based
on a Company inquiry, as of December 31, 2006, each of Rockwood Partners,
L.P., Rockwood Asset Man-age-ment, Inc., Demeter Asset Management,
Inc.
and Jay Buck has shared power to vote and dispose of 778,367 shares
of
Common Stock and 141,983 shares of Series D Preferred Stock. Rockwood
Asset Management, Inc. is the general partner of Rockwood Partners,
L.P.,
an investment limited partnership that owns all of the shares reported.
Demeter Asset Management, Inc. provides investment management services
to
Rockwood Partners, L.P., and Mr. Buck is the owner of both Rockwood
Asset
Management, Inc. and Demeter Asset Management,
Inc.
|
(10) |
Wellington
Management Company, LLP indicated on a Schedule 13G filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on February 14, 2006 that, in
its
capacity as investment adviser, it may be deemed to beneficially
own
shares of Common Stock held of record by its clients.
|
(11) |
Based
on a Company inquiry, as of December 31, 2006, the amount reflects
142,470
shares of Common Stock owned by Western Investment Hedged Partners
LP,
760,756 shares of Common Stock and 204,422 shares of Preferred Stock
owned
by Western Investment Institutional Partners LLC, 50,245 shares of
Common
Stock owned by Western Investment Total Return Master Fund Ltd, and
25,000
shares of Common Stock individually owned by Mr. Lipson.
|
Section
16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance
Section
16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, requires our directors
and executive officers, and any persons who own more than 10% of the outstanding
shares of Common Stock or Series D Preferred Stock, to file with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) reports of ownership and changes in ownership of
Common Stock and Series D Preferred Stock. Directors and executive officers
are
required by SEC regulations to furnish the Company with copies of all Section
16(a) reports that they file. Generally, we will prepare all Section 16(a)
filings with the SEC for our directors and executive officer. Based solely
on
review of the copies of such reports filed with the SEC, we noted that Form
4’s
were not filed until March 7, 2006 on reportable transactions related to the
partial redemption of our Series D Preferred Stock completed on January 9,
2006
for Messrs. Akin, Felman, Osborne, Igdaloff and Von der Porten.
EXECUTIVE
COMPENSATION
Compensation
Committee Report
The
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, which is composed of the
non-employee directors listed below, is responsible for the development,
oversight and implementation of our compensation program for executive officers,
including the executive officer named in the Summary Compensation Table. In
carrying out its responsibilities, the Compensation Committee annually reviews
and establishes the compensation of our executive officer, including annual
salary levels and bonuses to be paid. The Compensation Committee also makes
recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding the issuance of stock
incentive awards to the executive officer and other compensation related
matters.
The
primary objective of our executive compensation program is to attract and retain
highly skilled and motivated executive officers who will manage us in a manner
to promote its growth and profitability and advance the interest of its
shareholders. As such, the compensation program is designed to provide levels
of
compensation that are reflective of both the individual’s and our performance in
achieving our goals and objectives. The Compensation Committee seeks to provide
a mix of compensation that will align the short- and long-term interests of
our
executive officers with that of our shareholders.
A
discussion of the principles, objectives, components and determinations of
the
Compensation Committee with respect to executive compensation is included in
the
Compensation Discussion and Analysis that follows this Committee report. The
specific decisions of the Compensation Committee regarding the compensation
of
our named executive officers are reflected in the compensation tables and
narrative that follow the Compensation Discussion and Analysis.
The
Compensation Committee has reviewed the Compensation Discussion and Analysis
included in this proxy statement and discussed it with management. Based on
this
review and discussion, the Compensation Committee recommended that the
Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in the Company’s annual report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and this Proxy Statement.
Compensation
Committee
Daniel
K,
Osborne, Chairman
Thomas
B.
Akin
Eric
P.
Von der Porten
Compensation
Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation
No
member
of the Compensation Committee is a current or former officer of the Company
or
any of our subsidiaries. In addition, there are no compensation committee
interlocks with other entities with respect to any such member.
Compensation
Discussion and Analysis
The
Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors reviews and establishes the
salary and other compensation of our executive officers and provides oversight
of our compensation programs. The Compensation Committee consists entirely
of
non-employee, independent members of our Board of Directors and operates under
a
written charter approved by the Board of Directors.
Information
on the Compensation Committee’s processes and procedures for the consideration
and determination of executive and director compensation is included under
the
caption “Corporate Governance and the Board of Directors - Committees of the
Board - Compensation Committee.”
We
currently have no Chief Executive Officer or President, and only one executive
officer, Stephen J. Benedetti, our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer. Accordingly, Mr. Benedetti does not participate in determining
compensation for our executive officers other than to provide the Committee
with
his perspective on his salary requirements and his view on our success during
the calendar year in achieving our goals and objectives set forth at the
beginning of the calendar year.
Compensation
Objectives and Philosophy
The
primary objective of our executive compensation program is to attract and retain
highly skilled and motivated officers who will manage us in a manner to promote
our growth and profitability and advance the interest of our shareholders.
The
Compensation Committee understands that the specialized nature and complexities
of the Company’s investment activities require individuals with unique skills
and experience. The Committee also understands the need to retain Mr. Benedetti
and non-executive members of management given the Company’s current posture
related to capital preservation versus adding significant new investments.
The
Committee strives to establish competitive compensation packages which strike
a
balance between recognition of current achievements and aligning the interests
of management on a longer-term basis with that of the Company’s shareholders.
Further, it is the intent of the Compensation Committee, and executive
management, that the compensation philosophy be applied throughout the
organization and that the types of compensation and benefits described herein
provided to the executive officers be similar as provided to all other
employees.
Executive
Compensation Principles
Our
executive compensation program consists of base salaries, annual cash incentive
payments in the form of discretionary annual bonuses and long-term equity
incentives in the form of stock appreciation rights. These components of
executive compensation are used together to strike an appropriate balance
between cash and stock-based compensation and between short-term and long-term
incentives. We expect a meaningful portion of an executive officer’s total
compensation to be at risk, tied both to our annual and long-term performance
as
well as to the creation of shareholder value. In particular, we believe that
short-term annual cash compensation should be tied directly to both corporate
performance and individual performance for the fiscal year, including the
achievement of identified goals as they pertain to the areas of our operations
for which the executive officer is personally responsible and accountable.
In
contrast, we believe that the value of long-term incentive compensation should
be tied directly to long-term corporate performance and an increase in
shareholder value. Under our policy, performance above identified goals results
in increased total compensation, and performance below identified goals results
in decreased total compensation.
We
differentiate compensation to executive officers based on the principle that
total compensation should increase with an executive officer’s position and
responsibility, while at the same time a greater percentage of total
compensation should be tied to corporate and individual performance, and
therefore at risk, as position and responsibility increases. For example, Mr.
Benedetti’s annual discretionary bonus is currently set at a maximum of 75% of
his salary, and is determined based on the achievement of certain objectives,
primarily for us in a given year, and including individual objectives. In
addition, as an executive officer’s position and responsibility increases, the
use of long-term incentive compensation should increase where our executive
officers have the greatest influence on our strategic performance over
time.
We
presently do not have a policy for adjustment or recovery of payments and awards
made to our executive officers in the event that our financial statements were
to be restated in the future in a manner that would have impacted the size
or
payment of the award at the time of payment.
How
Executive Pay Levels are Determined
The
Compensation Committee annually reviews our executive compensation program
and
its elements. All decisions by the Compensation Committee relating to the
compensation of our executive officer are reported to the full Board of
Directors. Periodically, the Committee may solicit third party reviews of our
programs, though it did not solicit such review for 2006.
As
we
have only one executive officer, and no president or chief executive officer,
all executive officer compensation is established by the Committee. Mr.
Benedetti, our Chief Operating Officer, assists the Committee in assessing
the
achievement of organizational goals for a particular calendar year, and will
provide the Committee with market information regarding executive compensation
for similarly situated companies as requested. Otherwise, Mr. Benedetti is
responsible for setting base salaries for senior management, to be approved
by
the Committee, and making recommendations with respect to stock incentive awards
for senior management.
In
determining the compensation of our executive officer, the Committee evaluates
total overall compensation, as well as the mix of salary, cash bonus incentives,
equity incentives, and potential severance amounts using a number of factors
including the following:
· |
Historical
cash and equity compensation levels
|
· |
The
financial and operating performance of the Company, as compared to
specific objectives established at the beginning of the calendar
year
|
· |
The
specific performance of the executive officer as it relates to the
achievement of identified goals for the
year
|
· |
Comparative
industry and market data, if deemed
necessary
|
With
respect to comparative industry data, the Compensation Committee may review
executive salaries, compensation structures and the financial performance of
comparable companies in a designated peer group established by the Compensation
Committee, with assistance from its executive officer. The peer group used
for
comparison purposes focuses principally on public companies in the financial
services industry that are similar to us in size and complexity or companies
with similar market capitalizations and other characteristics.
In
connection with the establishment of Mr. Benedetti’s compensation for 2006, Mr.
Benedetti prepared an analysis of the compensation structures of five public
companies for the Committee’s use. The Committee reviewed the amounts and forms
of executive compensation and only used these companies as a general guide
in
reviewing Mr. Benedetti’s compensation structure in 2006. Mr. Benedetti’s
overall compensation package was lower than that of all five of the companies
selected for similarly situated officers.
Components
of Executive Compensation
The
elements of the our compensation program in 2006 included base annual salary,
bonus compensation and long-term incentives through stock-based awards under
our
2004 Stock Incentive Plan, all of which are consistent with our compensation
program in prior years. We provide certain retirement benefits through our
401(k) savings plan and non-qualified 401(k) overflow plan. We also provide
health and welfare benefits that include participation in our health, dental
and
vision plans and various insurance plans, including disability and life
insurance.
Each
of
the three principal components of executive compensation is designed to reward
and provide incentives to the executive officer consistent with our overall
policies and principles on executive compensation as previously discussed.
These
components and the rationale and methodology for each are described below.
Specific information on the amounts and types of compensation earned by the
named executive officer during 2006 can be found in the Summary Compensation
Table and other tables and narrative disclosures following this discussion.
Base
Salary. Our
base
salary philosophy is to provide reasonable current income to our named executive
officers in amounts that will attract and retain individuals with a broad,
proven track record of performance. The Compensation Committee establishes
the
annual salary range for executive officers. In establishing these ranges, the
Compensation Committee balances the need to offer salaries that are competitive
with peer companies with the need to maintain careful control of salary and
benefits expense. The Committee also attempts to balance the fact that Mr.
Benedetti is currently our sole executive officer.
Mr.
Benedetti’s annual salary for 2006 was $225,000, an increase of $25,000, or
12.5%, from his annual salary in 2005. Mr. Benedetti received a 12.5% increase
in base salary in part to reflect an increase in his responsibilities and in
part to reflect his performance for 2005. At the end of 2005, Mr. Benedetti
was
appointed our Chief Operating Officer, a move from Chief Financial Officer,
and
shifting his responsibilities toward business and operating strategy. Mr.
Benedetti nevertheless remains our principal financial officer.
Annual
Bonuses. Currently, Mr.
Benedetti has the opportunity to earn an annual bonus up to 75% of base salary
based on achievement of Company performance goals. In addition to promoting
the
achievement of corporate performance goals, the bonus awards are designed to
align the interests of senior management into a common objective.
The
actual amount awarded to Mr. Benedetti is in the discretion of the Compensation
Committee and is based on the achievement of certain organizational goals during
the year, including increases in adjusted common book value and other
quantitative and qualitative goals. Such goals are established at the beginning
of the calendar year, and may be changed by the Committee based on changes
in
the markets in which the Company invests and operates. As it relates to Mr.
Benedetti’s 2006 bonus, the Committee evaluated the performance of Mr. Benedetti
based on our financial performance, principally as it relates to growth in
adjusted common book value per share, achievements in sourcing long-term
investment opportunities, achievement of other objectives as determined at
the
beginning of 2006, and the personal observations of Mr. Benedetti’s performance
by the members of the Compensation Committee. The Committee weighed Mr.
Benedetti’s performance during the year as an executive officer in general in
determining the bonus as well, with no particular weight given to any single
identified goal.
The
Compensation Committee may also consider the award of individual bonus amounts
to executive officers outside of the annual discretionary bonuses. Such bonus
amounts are also discretionary, and would be predicated on achievement of
extraordinary individual or corporate results. No such bonus was paid in 2006.
In
December 2006, the Compensation Committee approved a cash bonus of $135,000
to
Mr. Benedetti, which was paid in January 2007. Such bonus was based on a
determination by the Committee that the Company had achieved 80% of its targeted
objectives. Mr. Benedetti’s bonus was $30,000 higher, or approximately 29%, in
2006 than in 2005. The primary reasons for the increase in 2006 bonus versus
2005 bonus paid to Mr. Benedetti were the increase in his base salary (as the
bonus is based on a percentage of salary), and the Committee’s determination
that the Company has achieved 80% of its targeted objectives, versus 70% for
2005.
Long-Term
Equity Incentives. The
Compensation Committee may provide equity incentives to executive officers
through long-term awards. Long-term equity incentives historically have been
made available to executive officers in the form of stock appreciation rights.
The goal of the Compensation Committee in granting equity incentives is to
directly link an executive’s compensation opportunities with shareholder value
creation. Stock appreciation rights require stock price appreciation in order
for executive officers to realize any benefit, thus directly aligning executive
and shareholder interests. We have in recent years not granted associated
dividend equivalent rights, as we are not current paying a dividend to our
common shareholders and we do not expect to pay one for the foreseeable
future.
The
Compensation Committee uses multiyear vesting of equity incentive awards.
Multiyear vesting focuses executive officers on consistent long-term growth
in
shareholder value and requires executive officers to remain employed with us
for
extended periods to receive the full benefit of the awards. Equity incentive
awards are made pursuant to our 2004 Stock Incentive Plan. Such awards are
made
to Mr. Benedetti as our sole executive officer and to other employees.
As
discussed further below, the Committee awarded Mr. Benedetti 25,000 stock
appreciation rights in December 2006 with an effective grant date as of January
3, 2007. These stock appreciation rights had an estimated fair value at the
time
of grant of approximately $67,250.
Timing
of Long-Term Incentive Awards. Our
practice with respect to the timing of long-term incentive awards to our
executive officer and senior management is to make grants of stock appreciation
rights awards to executive officers once each year in December. The grants
are
effective the close of business on the first official business day in January
of
the following year. The approval date and grant date are slightly different
as
it has generally been our policy to price the grant on the first business day
of
the new calendar year to avoid possible pricing issues with respect to our
common stock that may occur in December (for example, a lower price on the
common stock as a result of tax loss selling) and to avoid any potential issues
with respect to the announcement of our quarterly and annual results.
Non-employee
directors receive annual grants of stock options in connection with the annual
meeting of shareholders, generally in May or June of each year. Such grants
of
stock options are based on the 110% of the closing price of our common stock
on
the first Friday following the Annual Meeting.
We
are
aware that the release of our quarterly financial results may have an impact
on
the market price of our common stock, and therefore the value of the stock
appreciation rights awarded to our executive officers and the stock option
grant, depending on whether the information is favorable or unfavorable. In
the
case of grants to our non-employee directors, we believe that the annual meeting
of shareholders is an appropriate time during the year to make option grants
and
that a consistent application of our option granting practices from year to
year
regardless of the content of the first quarter earnings release is also
appropriate. The stock options granted by the Compensation Committee are
designed to create incentives for the creation of long-term shareholder value
and contain delayed vesting provisions that prevent recipients of stock options
from taking advantage of short-term fluctuations in the market price of our
common stock.
We
have
not planned in the past, nor do we plan in the future, to time the release
of
material non-public information for the purpose of affecting the value of
executive compensation. We do not have a practice of setting the exercise price
of options or stock appreciation rights based on the stock price on any date
other than the grant date, nor do we use a formula or any other method to select
a price based on a period before, after or surrounding the grant date. All
stock
incentive awards are granted at the closing price of our common stock on the
effective date of grant.
Retirement
Plans. We
provide additional compensation to our executive officers through various plans
which are also available to some or all of our employees. The Compensation
Committee oversees these plans and the Compensation Committee considers these
plans when reviewing an executive’s total annual compensation and determining
the annual and long-term compensation components described above.
We
have a
401(k) Savings Plan for all of our employees. The 401(k) Savings Plan allows
eligible employees to defer up to 25% of their income on a pretax basis. We
match on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to 6% of an employee’s eligible
compensation, subject to limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code.
We
also have a non-qualified 401(k) Overflow Savings Plan where employees who
maximize their contributions to the 401(k) Savings Plan can contribute amounts
on an after-tax basis. We match the employee’s contribution up to 6% of their
eligible compensation.
Severance
Plans. The
Compensation Committee evaluates the potential payment to executive officers
under various arrangements that provide for severance payments, including
termination and change of control arrangements, in connection with its annual
review of executive compensation. As our only executive officer, Mr. Benedetti
has a severance agreement as further discussed below. The Committee and the
Board feels that such an agreement is important given that Mr. Benedetti is
our
only executive officer, and given that, we currently do not have a set business
strategy.
The
terms
of the severance agreement provide generally that a lump sum payment will be
made to Mr. Benedetti under certain circumstances upon his termination of
employment with us. Such circumstances include the termination of employment
by
Mr. Benedetti for “good reason” (as defined in the agreement) or the termination
of his employment by the Company without “cause” (as defined in the agreement).
In such events, Mr. Benedetti will have the right to receive a lump sum payment
equal to the sum of (i) Mr. Benedetti’s base salary and bonus that has accrued
but has not been paid, (ii) the equivalent of Mr. Benedetti’s annual base
salary of one year for every fifty months that Mr. Benedetti has been employed
by the Company prorated for any period of less than fifty months and
(iii)
any
other amounts or benefits Mr. Benedetti is entitled to receive under any
plan, program, policy or practice or contract or agreement of the Company.
Mr. Benedetti also will become fully vested in any options, stock
appreciation rights or other forms of incentive stock compensation granted
to
Mr. Benedetti under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan if he terminates his
employment for good reason or if he is terminated without cause. See further
discussion at “Severance Agreement” below.
Annual
Compensation of Executive Officer
Compensation
for our sole executive officer is administered under the direction of our
Compensation Committee. In the tables and discussion below, we summarize the
compensation earned during 2006 by Mr. Benedetti as our only named executive
officer. As previously indicated, we have no Chief Executive Officer, President,
or Chief Financial Officer.
Summary
Compensation Tables *
Name
and Principal
Position
|
Year
|
Salary ($)
|
Bonus
($)
|
Options
Awards ($) (1)
|
All
Other Compensation ($) (2)
|
Total
($)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
J. Benedetti
Executive
Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Secretary and
Treasurer
|
2006
|
225,000
|
135,000
|
67,250
|
13,530
|
440,780
|
______________
*
Columns
for “Non-Equity Incentive Plan Compensation”, “Change in Pension Value and
Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Earnings” and “Stock Awards” have been
omitted because they were not applicable
(1) Amount
represents the fair value of stock appreciation rights awards on the grant
date,
as computed in accordance with SFAS 123R (award is listed by approval date
which
is generally in December of each calendar year and differs from the grant date
as discussed in the table “Grant of Plan-Based Awards” below). Computed amount
was based on average volatility assumption of 25% for 2006 awards, using the
volatility assumptions required by SFAS 123R.
(2) Amount
consisted of matching contributions to the Company’s 401(k) Plan in the amount
of $13,200 and group term life insurance plus associated gross-up taxes in
the
amount of $330.
We
have
not entered into an employment agreement with our named executive officer.
All compensation that we pay to him is determined as described above in our
“Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section.
The
following table contains information concerning grants of stock appreciation
rights to the named executive officer during the fiscal year ended December
31,
2006.
Grants
of Plan-Based Awards *
Name
|
Grant
Date
|
Approval
Date
|
All
Other Options Awards: Number of Securities Underlying Options (#)
|
Exercise
or Base Price of Option Awards ($)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
J. Benedetti
|
1-3-2007
|
12-19-2006
|
25,000
|
7.06
|
___________
*
Columns
for “Estimated Future Payouts Under Non-Equity Incentive Plan Awards”,
“Estimated Future Payouts Under Equity Incentive Plan Awards” and “All Other
Stock Awards: Number of Shares of Stock or Units” have been omitted because they
were not applicable.
The
approval date and grant date of plan-based awards are slightly different as
it
has generally been our policy to price the grant on the first business day
of
the new calendar year to avoid possible pricing issues with respect to our
common stock which may occur in December (for example, a lower price on the
common stock as a result of tax loss selling). For our executive officers,
we
typically grant awards in the form of stock appreciation rights. We have not
in
recent years granted associated dividend equivalent rights. Stock appreciation
rights awards will typically vest ratably over a four year period, and expire
approximately seven years from the grant date.
Holdings
of Stock-Based Awards
In
the
table below, we list information on the holdings of exercisable and
unexercisable option awards as of December 31, 2006 for each of the named
executive officers.
Outstanding
Equity Awards at Fiscal Year-End *
Name
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#)
Exercisable
|
Number
of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#)
Unexercisable
|
Option
Exercise Price ($)
|
Option
Expiration Date
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stephen
J. Benedetti
|
-
-
15,000
|
25,000
25,000
45,000
|
7.06
6.61
7.81
|
12-31-13
12-31-12
12-31-11
|
___________
*
Columns
for “Equity Incentive Plan Awards”, and all columns related to “Stock Awards”
have been omitted because they were not applicable.
Each
of
the above option awards vest ratably over a four-year period based on the
anniversary date of the grant (generally at the close of the first business
day
of the subsequent calendar year).
Option
Exercises and Stock Vested
No
options were exercised by our executive officer in 2006. The only outstanding
stock-based awards held by our named executive officer are stock appreciation
rights.
Other
Compensation
We
do not
offer any pension benefit plans or deferred compensation plans to our executive
officer or other employees, other than what is discussed under the Retirement
Plans section of “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” above.
Severance
Agreement
As
previously indicated, Mr. Benedetti has a Severance Agreement which provides
for
payments and acceleration of outstanding and unvested stock options upon his
termination without cause or for his resignation with good reason. Mr. Benedetti
will receive amounts based on a formula set forth in the Severance Agreement.
Items considered good reason include a change-in-control of us, a material
change in Mr. Benedetti’s responsibilities or compensation, or a change in the
headquarters location of the Company. Change of control includes among other
things, an acquisition of more than 20% of our common stock by an unrelated
entity, a material change in the composition of our Board of Directors, a merger
or other business combination, or a vote by our shareholders to liquidate or
dissolve us.
Under
the
Severance Agreement, Mr. Benedetti will have the right to receive a lump sum
payment equal to the sum of (i) Mr. Benedetti’s base salary and bonus that has
accrued but has not been paid, (ii) the equivalent of Mr. Benedetti’s
annual base salary of one year for every fifty months that Mr. Benedetti has
been employed by the Company prorated for any period of less than fifty months
and (iii) any other amounts or benefits Mr. Benedetti is entitled to
receive under any plan, program, policy or practice or contract or agreement
of
the Company. Mr. Benedetti also will become fully vested in the stock
appreciation rights granted to him under the 2004 Stock Incentive Plan if he
terminates his employment for good reason or if he is terminated without cause.
If Mr. Benedetti had been terminated without cause or had terminated his
employment effective December 31, 2006 with good reason, inclusive of the
$135,000 in bonus paid in January 2007 for his 2006 performance, Mr. Benedetti
would have received $796,500. In addition, the value of previously unvested
stock appreciation rights would have been approximately $12,000 (based on a
closing stock price on December 31, 2006 of $7.09).
There
are
no arrangements that provide for the payment of severance or similar benefits
to
Mr. Benedetti in connection with a termination of employment for any other
reason.
Related
Person Transactions
We
recognize that maintaining the independence in fact and appearance for our
directors and officers is critical. Therefore, we have certain policies and
procedures in place to critically evaluate each transaction that could impact
the independence of directors and officers. Our Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics provides that directors and officers are expected to make appropriate
disclosures to the Board and to take appropriate steps to recuse themselves
from
Board decisions with respect to transactions or other matters involving us
as to
which they are interested parties or with respect to which a real or apparent
conflict or interest exists. Our Corporate Governance Guidelines also provide
that directors and officers are to refrain from entering contracts with Board
members and their immediate family members or providing support directly or
indirectly to their organizations with whom a Board member may be affiliated.
In
the event that we deem it appropriate to enter transactions with a Board member
or a member of their immediate family, the terms of the transaction must be
made
in the ordinary course of business and on substantially the same terms as those
prevailing at the time of a comparable transaction with a non-affiliated person.
The Board will evaluate each of these transactions when the independence of
the
director is determined.
For
the
year ending December 31, 2006, there were no related person transactions
required to be reported pursuant to applicable securities laws.
PROPOSAL
TWO
RATIFICATION
OF THE SELECTION
OF
THE COMPANY’S AUDITORS
The
Board
of Directors has selected, subject to shareholder ratification, the firm of
BDO
Seidman LLP as independent certified public accountants to audit the
consolidated financial statements of the Company for the fiscal year ending
December 31, 2007. BDO Seidman LLP audited the financial statements of the
Company for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2005 and 2006. A majority of
the
votes cast by holders of the Common Stock is required for the ratification
of
the selection of the auditors for the Company.
On
October 12, 2005, the Audit Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors
dismissed Deloitte & Touche LLP as the Company’s independent registered
public accounting firm. Also on October 12, 2005, the Audit Committee engaged
the accounting firm BDO Seidman LLP as Deloitte & Touche LLP’s replacement.
The Audit Committee had previously decided to solicit proposals from independent
registered public accounting firms for purposes of evaluating other alternatives
to Deloitte & Touche LLP in the audit of the Company’s consolidated
financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2005. After receiving
these proposals and considering a variety of factors, the Audit Committee voted
to dismiss Deloitte & Touche LLP and engage BDO Seidman LLP as the Company’s
new independent registered public accounting firm.
The
report of Deloitte & Touche LLP on the Company’s consolidated financial
statements for the years ended December 31, 2004 and 2003 contained no adverse
opinion or disclaimer of opinion and was not qualified or modified as to
uncertainty, audit scope or accounting principles. In addition, during the
2003
and 2004 fiscal years and the interim period from January 1, 2005 through
October 12, 2005, there were no disagreements with Deloitte & Touche LLP on
any matter of accounting principles or practices, financial statement
disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which disagreements if not resolved
to the satisfaction of Deloitte & Touche LLP would have caused them to make
reference thereto in their report on our consolidated financial statements
for
such years. During the same period, there were no reportable events, as required
to be disclosed under applicable securities laws.
During
the 2003 and 2004 fiscal years and the interim period from January 1, 2005
through October 12, 2005, the Company did not consult with BDO Seidman LLP
regarding either (i) the application of accounting principles to a specified
transaction, either completed or proposed, or the type of audit opinion that
might be rendered on the Company’s financial statements or (ii) any matter that
was either the subject of a disagreement or a reportable event, each as required
to be disclosed under applicable securities laws.
Representatives
of BDO Seidman LLP are expected to be present at the Annual Meeting, will have
an opportunity to make a statement, if they desire to do so, and are expected
to
be available to respond to appropriate questions from shareholders.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS THAT THE SHAREHOLDERS VOTE FOR THE SELECTION
OF
BDO SEIDMAN LLP AS INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING
DECEMBER 31, 2007.
AUDIT
INFORMATION
Independent
Registered Public Accounting Firm Fees
The
following information is furnished with respect to fees billed for professional
services rendered to the Company by BDO Seidman LLP for the fiscal years ended
December 31, 2006 and 2005, respectively.
|
|
Fiscal
Year Ended December 31,
|
|
|
|
2006
|
|
2005
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Audit
Fees
(1)
|
|
$
|
215,590
|
|
$
|
186,790
|
|
Audit-Related
Fees (2)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
7,700
|
|
Tax
Fees (3)
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
-
|
|
All
Other Fees (4)
|
|
|
11,100
|
|
|
16,400
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total
|
|
$
|
226,690
|
|
$
|
210,890
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(1) |
Both
2006 and 2005 Audit Fees include: (i) the audit of the Company’s
consolidated financial statements included in its annual report on
Form
10-K and services attended to, or required by, statute or regulation;
(ii)
reviews of the interim consolidated financial statements included
in the
Company’s quarterly reports on Form 10-Q; (iii) comfort letters, consents
and other services related to Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”)
and other regulatory filings.
|
(2) |
Audit-Related
Fees represent professional services for assurance and related services
that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review
of
the Company’s consolidated financial statements and not reported under the
heading “Audit Fees.” There were no audit-related fees during 2006. During
2005, these amounts include the professional services provided in
connection with the audit of the Company’s 401(k) Plan.
|
(3) |
Tax
Fees include tax compliance, tax planning, tax advisory and related
services.
|
(4) |
During
2006 and 2005, BDO Seidman performed certain agreed upon procedures
related to the Company’s master servicing responsibilities on certain
securitization financing issuances.
|
Pre-Approval
Policies and Procedures
All
services not related to the annual audit and quarterly review of the Company’s
financial statements, as described above, were pre-approved by the Audit
Committee, which concluded that the provision of such services by the Company’s
independent registered public accounting firm was compatible with the
maintenance of that firm’s independence in the conduct of its auditing
functions. The Audit Committee’s Charter provides for pre-approval of audit and
permitted non-audit services. The Charter authorizes the Audit Committee to
delegate to one or more of its members pre-approval authority with respect
to
permitted services.
The
decisions of any Audit Committee member to whom pre-approval authority is
delegated must be presented to the full Audit Committee at its next scheduled
meeting.
Audit
Committee Report
The
following Audit Committee Report shall not be deemed to be soliciting material
or to be incorporated by reference by any general statement incorporating by
reference this proxy statement into any filing under the Securities Act of
1933
or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent the
Company specifically incorporates this Report therein, and shall not otherwise
be deemed filed under such Acts.
The
Audit
Committee makes recommendations concerning the engagement of independent public
accountants, reviews with the independent public accountants the plans and
results of any audits, reviews other professional services provided by the
independent public accountants, reviews the independence of the independent
public accountants, considers the range of audit and non-audit fees and reviews
the adequacy of internal accounting controls. The Audit Committee is composed
of
four directors, each of whom is independent as defined by the New York Stock
Exchange listing standards.
The
Audit
Committee has reviewed and discussed with management and the independent
accountants the Company’s audited financial statements for fiscal year 2006. In
addition, the Committee has communicated with the independent accountants the
matters required to be communicated by Statement of Auditing Standards No.
61,
“Communication with Audit Committees,” as amended.
The
Audit
Committee has received from the independent accountants written disclosures
and
a letter concerning the independent accountants’ independence from the Company,
as required by Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, “Independence
Discussions with Audit Committees.” These disclosures have been reviewed by the
Committee, and the Committee has discussed with the independent accountant
the
independent accountant’s independence.
Based
on
these reviews and discussions, the Committee recommended to the Board that
the
audited financial statements be included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form
10-K for fiscal year 2006 for filing with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Audit
Committee
Eric
P.
Von der Porten, Chairman
Leon
A.
Felman
Barry
Igdaloff
Daniel
K.
Osborne
SHAREHOLDER
PROPOSALS
Under
the
regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, any shareholder desiring
to make a proposal to be acted upon at the 2008 annual meeting of shareholders
must cause such proposal to be received, in proper form, by the Secretary of
the
Company no later than December 14, 2007 in order for the proposal to be
considered for inclusion in the Company’s Proxy Statement for that meeting. Any
proposals that are received after that date may be considered by the Company
outside of the proxy statement process. Proposals that are received after March
28, 2008 may be voted on by the proxy holders designated for that meeting in
their discretion.
OTHER
MATTERS
The
Company’s 2006 Annual Report to Shareholders (the “Annual Report”), which
includes a copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year
ended December 31, 2006 (excluding exhibits), as filed with the SEC, is being
mailed to shareholders with this proxy statement. A copy of the annual report
may also be obtained without charge by writing to Dynex Capital, Inc. 4551
Cox
Road, Suite 300, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060. The annual report is not part
of
the proxy solicitation materials.
By
the
order of the Board of Directors
Stephen
J. Benedetti
Executive
Vice President and
Chief
Operating Officer
April
16,
2007