CMO Capstead Mortgage Corporation

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 7, 2021

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below):

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act or Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

On October 7, 2021, Capstead Mortgage Corporation, a Maryland corporation (“Capstead”), issued a press release (the “Press Release”) announcing that its board of directors has declared an interim dividend on Capstead’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share, in connection with Capstead’s previously announced proposed merger transaction with a subsidiary of Benefit Street Partners Realty Trust, Inc.

A copy of the Press Release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Important Additional Information About the Merger and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed merger transaction contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of July 25, 2021, as amended pursuant to that certain First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 22, 2021 (as amended, the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Benefit Street Partners Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (“BSPRT”), Rodeo Sub I, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company and a wholly owned subsidiary of BSPRT (“Merger Sub”), Capstead and, solely for the purposes set forth therein, Benefit Street Partners L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company, pursuant to which, subject to the terms and conditions therein, Capstead will be merged with and into Merger Sub, with Merger Sub continuing as the surviving company (such transaction, the “Merger”), BSPRT has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a registration statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-258947), which was declared effective by the SEC on September 3, 2021. The registration statement includes a prospectus of BSPRT and a proxy statement of Capstead. On September 23, 2021, Capstead and BSPRT respectively filed with the SEC a supplement to the proxy statement/prospectus with respect to the First Amendment to Agreement and Plan of Merger. On October 6, 2021, Capstead filed with the SEC a supplement to the proxy statement/prospectus with respect to disclosure claims by purported stockholders of Capstead. Capstead and BSPRT also expect to file with the SEC other documents regarding the Merger.

STOCKHOLDERS OF CAPSTEAD AND BSPRT ARE ADVISED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS (INCLUDING ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT ARE FILED OR WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS) CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CAPSTEAD, BSPRT, THE PROPOSED MERGER AND RELATED MATTERS. Stockholders of Capstead and BSPRT may obtain free copies of the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by Capstead or BSPRT at the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by Capstead are available free of charge on Capstead’s website at http://www.capstead.com/investor-relations/financial-reports/sec-filings. Copies of documents filed with the SEC by BSPRT are available free of charge on BSPRT’s website at https://benefitstreetpartners.com/our-business/funds/bsprt/bsprt-investor-relations/.

Participants in the Solicitation Relating to the Merger

Capstead, BSPRT and their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may be deemed to be “participants” in the solicitation of proxies from the stockholders of Capstead in connection with the proposed Merger. Information regarding Capstead and its directors and executive officers and their ownership of common stock of Capstead can be found in Capstead’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and in its definitive proxy statement relating to its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders filed with the SEC on April 1, 2021. Information regarding BSPRT and its directors and executive officers and their ownership of common stock of BSPRT can be found in BSPRT’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and in its definitive proxy statement relating to its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders filed with

the SEC on April 8, 2021. Additional information regarding the interests of such individuals in the Merger is included in the proxy statement/prospectus relating to the Merger filed with the SEC on September 7, 2021. Free copies of these documents may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication and the information contained herein does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or a solicitation of a proxy or of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This communication may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the proposed Merger.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Statements can generally be identified as forward-looking because they include words such as “believes,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “would,” “could,” or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements include or may relate to statements about the benefits of the proposed Merger and statements that address operating performance, events or developments that Capstead expects or anticipates will occur in the future, including but not limited to statements regarding future financial and operating results, plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, expected sources of financing, anticipated asset dispositions, anticipated leadership and governance changes, changes to outstanding structure of Capstead’s capital stock, creation of value for stockholders, operation and implementation of share repurchase programs, benefits of the proposed Merger to customers, stockholders and other constituents of the combined company, the integration of Capstead and BSPRT, the expected GAAP book value per share of Capstead, cost savings and the expected timetable for completing the proposed Merger, and other non-historical statements. These statements are based on the companies’ current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including those related to the payment of future dividends; Capstead can give no assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Capstead’s expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk that the Merger will not be consummated within the expected time period or at all; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement; the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the proposed Merger, including the approval of the stockholders of Capstead; fluctuations in the adjusted book value per share of both Capstead and BSPRT; risks related to the disruption of management’s attention from ongoing business operations due to the proposed Merger; the availability of suitable investment or disposition opportunities; changes in interest rates; the availability and terms of financing; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operations and financial condition of each of Capstead and BSPRT and the industries in which they operate; general financial and economic conditions, which may be affected by government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic; market conditions; legislative and regulatory changes that could adversely affect the business of Capstead and BSPRT; and other factors, including those set forth in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the proxy statement/prospectus, Capstead’s and BSPRT’s most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, as amended, and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC, and other reports filed by Capstead and BSPRT with the SEC, copies of which are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance or results and speak only as of the date such statements are made. Except as required by law, neither Capstead nor BSPRT undertakes any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement in this communication, whether to reflect new information, future events, changes in assumptions or circumstances or otherwise.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.