Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

GENERAL

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GENERAL
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
GENERAL
1.   GENERAL
 
Newcastle Investment Corp. (and its subsidiaries, “Newcastle” or the "Company") is a Maryland corporation that was formed in 2002. Newcastle focuses on opportunistically investing in, and actively managing, a variety of real estate-related and other investments. Newcastle is organized and conducts its operations to qualify as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As such, Newcastle will generally not be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on that portion of its net income that is distributed to stockholders if it distributes at least 90% of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders by prescribed dates and complies with various other requirements. However, certain of our activities are conducted through taxable REIT subsidiaries ("TRS") and therefore are subject to federal and state income taxes at regular corporate tax rates. Newcastle's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "NCT".

Newcastle conducts its business through the following segments: (i) debt investments financed with collateralized debt obligations (“CDOs”), (ii) other debt investments (“Other Debt”), (iii) investments in golf properties and facilities (“Golf”) and (iv) corporate. With respect to the CDOs and other debt investments, subject to the passing of certain periodic coverage tests, Newcastle is generally entitled to receive the net cash flows from these structures on a periodic basis.

Newcastle is party to a management agreement (the "Management Agreement") with FIG LLC (the "Manager"), a subsidiary of Fortress Investment Group LLC (“Fortress”), under which the Manager advises Newcastle on various aspects of its business and manages its day-to-day operations, subject to the supervision of Newcastle's board of directors. For its services, the Manager is entitled to an annual management fee and incentive compensation, both as defined in, and in accordance with the terms of the Management Agreement.

Approximately 1.0 million shares of Newcastle’s common stock were held by Fortress, through its affiliates, and its principals at June 30, 2015. In addition, Fortress, through its affiliates, held options to purchase approximately 5.1 million shares of Newcastle’s common stock at June 30, 2015.

A principal of the Manager owned or leased aircraft that Newcastle chartered from a third-party aircraft operator for business purposes in the course of operations. Newcastle paid market rates for the charters.