NEW YORK & DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Benefit Street Partners Realty Trust, Inc. , a publicly-registered, non-listed real estate investment trust, and Capstead Mortgage Corporation (NYSE: CMO), a REIT, today announced they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Capstead common stockholders will receive a cash payment equal to a 15.75% premium to Capstead’s diluted book value per share and shares of BSPRT common stock calculated on an adjusted “book-for-book” basis. The book values for Capstead and BSPRT used to calculate the cash consideration and exchange ratio will be set on a date prior to the closing of the transaction. Based on the June 30 adjusted book values per share,1 the implied cash payment would be $0.99 per share and the total value would be $7.30 per share, representing an implied 20% premium to the last reported sale price of Capstead common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) on July 23, 2021.
The combined company, to be called “Franklin BSP Realty Trust” post-close, will transition the capital base of Capstead, a residential mortgage REIT, into commercial mortgage loans where BSPRT is focused. BSPRT’s external manager, Benefit Street Partners L.L.C. (“BSP”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin Templeton”), will manage the combined company following the completion of the transaction. Upon closing the transaction, which is expected in the fourth quarter of 2021, the combined company will become the fourth largest commercial mortgage REIT with nearly $2 billion of pro forma equity and its common stock will trade on the NYSE under the new ticker symbol FBRT.
Highlights of the Merger
- Transaction provides Capstead common stockholders with a cash payment at closing equal to a 15.75% premium to diluted book value per share and an ongoing ownership interest in Franklin BSP Realty Trust with the potential for higher returns and dividend yields.
- Franklin BSP Realty Trust will be the 4th largest commercial mortgage REIT with nearly $2 billion of pro forma equity.
- Transition to BSPRT’s strategy of originating commercial mortgage loans, which has delivered returns on equity in excess of 10%, is expected to generate higher returns with less volatility and lower leverage than Capstead’s current strategy.
- Franklin BSP Realty Trust will be externally managed by an experienced team of approximately 60 real estate credit investment professionals at BSP, led by Michael Comparato, BSP’s Head of Commercial Real Estate, and Franklin Templeton with significant investment and risk management expertise across the credit spectrum.
- Franklin BSP Realty Trust will be publicly traded on the NYSE under the ticker FBRT, providing existing BSPRT stockholders greater access to liquidity.
- A $100 million common stock repurchase program will be available post-closing to support the combined company’s common stock trading level.
Richard J. Byrne, President and Chief Executive Officer of BSPRT, said, “With the combined capital of BSPRT and Capstead, we are well positioned to capture opportunities ahead of us and create superior value for our stockholders. We believe our differentiated investment strategy, marked by a focus on middle market commercial real estate mortgages, provides us a significant competitive advantage with a large-scale, diverse portfolio that has delivered strong growth and attractive returns over the long term. Coupled with BSP’s strong deal sourcing and underwriting capabilities supported by Franklin Templeton’s world class sponsorship, the new Franklin BSP Realty Trust will be poised to benefit from the large and compelling commercial real estate lending market opportunity resulting from a significant volume of upcoming commercial real estate debt maturities.”
Phillip A. Reinsch, Chief Executive Officer of Capstead, said, “This transaction provides Capstead common stockholders with an immediate and sizable cash premium and significant opportunity to participate in the upside of the combined company as it establishes itself as one of the larger publicly-traded commercial mortgage REITs. After conducting a thorough strategic review, our Board concluded redirecting Capstead’s capital into commercial real estate lending by combining with a highly respected originator that has a strong track record and best-in-class sponsorship is an exciting opportunity. Combining with BSPRT will allow Capstead’s stockholders to transition into an ownership position in a leading commercial mortgage REIT capable of generating 10%-plus returns on equity that we believe has significant long-term growth potential.”
The combined company will be externally managed by BSP, a leading credit-focused alternative asset manager with approximately $32 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2021. BSP is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Templeton, one of the largest independent asset managers in the world with over $1.5 trillion of assets under management as of June 30, 2021.
External manager BSP will fund approximately $75 million of the cash merger consideration to be paid for each share of Capstead common stock. The remaining cash consideration will be funded by BSPRT, which will also issue shares of the combined company’s common stock for each share of Capstead common stock based on an adjusted book-for-book exchange. The merger will be a taxable transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
In addition to the above consideration, BSPRT will assume Capstead’s $100 million in unsecured borrowings maturing in 2035 and 2036 and $258 million of issued and outstanding 7.50% Series E cumulative redeemable preferred stock, which will be exchanged for new preferred shares of the combined company with the same terms.
BSPRT and BSP have committed to certain structural and market protections to support the combined company’s common stock performance following completion of the merger, including a 6-month lock-up for approximately 94% of the current shares of BSPRT common stock and a committed common stock repurchase plan of up to $100 million to support the combined company’s stock price beginning four weeks after closing, up to $35 million of which will be funded by BSP and Franklin Templeton.
The transaction has been unanimously approved by both companies’ Boards of Directors and is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of Capstead’s stockholders.
Credit Suisse is serving as financial advisor and Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is serving as legal advisor to Capstead. Houlihan Lokey served as lead financial advisor, and Barclays served as financial advisor, to BSPRT. Hogan Lovells US LLP served as legal advisor to BSPRT.
About Capstead
Formed in 1985 and based in Dallas, Texas, Capstead is a mortgage REIT that earns income from investing in a leveraged portfolio of residential adjustable-rate mortgage pass-through securities, referred to as ARM securities, issued and guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises, either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or by an agency of the federal government, Ginnie Mae.
About Benefit Street Partners Realty Trust
Benefit Street Partners Realty Trust, Inc. (“BSPRT”) is a publicly-registered, private real estate investment trust that originates, acquires and manages a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate debt secured by properties located in the United States. As of June 30, 2021, BSPRT had over $3 billion of assets. BSPRT is externally managed by Benefit Street Partners L.L.C. For further information, please visit www.bsprealtytrust.com.
About Benefit Street Partners
Benefit Street Partners L.L.C. (“BSP”) is a leading credit-focused alternative asset management firm with over $32 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021. BSP manages assets across a broad range of complementary credit strategies, including private/opportunistic debt, structured credit, high yield, special situations, and commercial real estate. Based in New York, the BSP platform was established in 2008. BSP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Templeton. For further information, please visit www.benefitstreetpartners.com.
About Franklin Templeton
Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 165 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company brings extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternatives. With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the California-based company has over 70 years of investment experience and over $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021. For more information, please visit franklinresources.com.
