Filed by Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.
pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed pursuant to Rule 14a-6
under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company: Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.
Commission File No.: 001-36004
Registration No.: 333-275868
Date: January 4, 2024
On January 4, 2024, Spirit Realty Capital, Inc. mailed a voting reminder letter, in the following form, to certain of its stockholders in connection with the upcoming January 19, 2024 special meeting of stockholders related to Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.’s proposed merger with Realty Income Corporation.
YOUR VOTE IS URGENTLY NEEDED!
PLEASE VOTE YOUR PROXY TODAY
January 4, 2024
Dear Stockholder:
We recently mailed you proxy materials in connection with the special meeting of stockholders (the “Spirit special meeting”) of Spirit Realty Capital, Inc. (“Spirit”) to be held virtually on January 19, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time. Your voting participation is requested for this important meeting.
Please vote your proxy today. Internet and telephone voting are available for your convenience.
As set forth in the materials sent to you, at the Spirit special meeting, Spirit stockholders are being asked to consider and vote on (i) a proposal to approve the merger (the “Merger”) of Spirit with and into Saints MD Subsidiary, Inc. (“Merger Sub”), with Merger Sub continuing its existence as a wholly owned subsidiary of Realty Income Corporation (“Realty Income”), on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of October 29, 2023 (as amended from time to time, the “Merger Agreement”), by and among Spirit, Realty Income and Merger Sub, and the transactions contemplated thereby (the “Merger Proposal”), (ii) a proposal to approve, by advisory (non-binding) vote, certain compensation that may be paid or become payable to Spirit’s named executive officers in connection with the completion of the Merger (the “Compensation Proposal”), and (iii) a proposal to approve the adjournment of the Spirit special meeting, if necessary or appropriate, to solicit additional proxies in favor of the Merger Proposal, if there are insufficient votes at the time of such adjournment to approve such proposal (the “Adjournment Proposal”).
The Spirit board of directors recommends that Spirit stockholders vote “FOR” the Merger Proposal, which approval is necessary to complete the Merger, “FOR” the Compensation Proposal and “FOR” the Adjournment Proposal.
The approval of the Merger Proposal requires the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Spirit common stock. Accordingly, every vote, large and small, is important.
Please vote your shares today. Please take advantage of Internet or telephone voting by following the instructions on the proxy card or voting instruction form sent to you. If you need assistance voting your shares, please contact D.F. King & Co., Inc., which is assisting us, toll free at (866) 356-7814 or via email at [email protected].
On behalf of the Spirit Board of Directors, thank you for your cooperation and continued support.
Sincerely,
Rochelle Thomas
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
Spirit Realty Capital, Inc.
YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT
THREE EASY WAYS TO VOTE
1. Vote by Internet. Please access the website listed on the proxy card or voting form sent to you. Have voting card in hand. Follow the instructions provided to vote via the Internet.
2. Vote by Telephone. Please call the toll-free number listed on the proxy card or voting form sent to you. Have voting card in hand. Follow the instructions provided to vote via telephone.
3. Vote by Mail. Please mark, sign and date the proxy card or voting form sent to you and return it promptly in the postage-paid envelope provided.
Forward Looking Statements
This communication may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words and phrases such as “preliminary,” “expect,” “plan,” “will,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” “believe,” “guidance,” “approximately,” “anticipate,” “may,” “should,” “seek,” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases that are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and that do not relate to historical matters but are meant to identify forward-looking statements. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions of management. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that you should not rely on as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements depend on assumptions, data and/or methods which may be incorrect or imprecise, and Spirit Realty Capital, Inc. (“Spirit”) may not be able to realize them. Spirit does not guarantee that the events described will happen as described (or that they will happen at all). The following risks and uncertainties, among others, could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those set forth or contemplated in the forward-looking statements: risks that the transaction disrupts current plans and operations; the outcome of any legal proceedings related to the transaction; the ability of the Spirit and Realty Income Corporation (“Realty Income”) to consummate the proposed transaction on a timely basis or at all; the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to consummation of the proposed transaction; the effect of the announcement of the proposed transaction on the ability of Spirit to operate its businesses and attract, retain and hire key personnel and to maintain favorable business, tenant, employee and third-party relationships; industry and economic conditions; volatility and uncertainty in the financial markets, including potential fluctuations in the Consumer Price Index; Spirit’s success in implementing its business strategy and its ability to identify, underwrite, finance, consummate, integrate and manage diversified acquisitions or investments; the financial performance of Spirit’s retail tenants and the demand for retail space; Spirit’s ability to diversify its tenant base; the nature and extent of future competition; increases in Spirit’s costs of borrowing as a result of changes in interest rates and other factors; Spirit’s ability to access debt and equity capital markets; Spirit’s ability to pay down, refinance, restructure and/or extend its indebtedness as it becomes due; Spirit’s ability and willingness to renew its leases upon expiration and to reposition its properties on the same or better terms upon expiration in the event such properties are not renewed by tenants or Spirit exercises its rights to replace existing tenants upon default; the impact of any financial, accounting, legal or regulatory issues or litigation that may affect Spirit or its major tenants; Spirit’s ability to manage its expanded operations; Spirit’s ability and willingness to maintain its qualification as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended; the impact on Spirit’s business and those of its tenants from epidemics, pandemics or other outbreaks of illness, disease or virus; and other risks inherent in the real estate business, including tenant defaults, potential liability relating to environmental matters, illiquidity of real estate investments and potential damages from natural disasters. These risks, as well as other risks related to the proposed transaction, are included in the registration statement on Form S-4 and proxy statement/prospectus, along with any amendment thereto that were filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors to be presented in the registration statement on Form S-4, including any amendments, are considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. For additional information about other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, please refer to Spirit’s and Realty Income’s respective periodic reports and other filings with the SEC, including the risk factors identified in Spirit’s and Realty Income’s most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Reports on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof. Neither Spirit nor Realty Income undertakes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by law.
No Offer or Solicitation
This communication is not intended to and shall not constitute an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities, or a solicitation 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 U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction, Realty Income filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, along with an amendment, that includes a proxy statement of Spirit that also constitutes a prospectus of Realty Income. Each of Spirit and Realty Income may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. This document is not a substitute for the proxy statement/prospectus or registration statement or any other document that Spirit or Realty Income have or may file with the SEC. The definitive proxy statement/prospectus has been mailed to stockholders of Spirit. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders are able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and proxy statement/prospectus and other documents containing important information about Spirit, Realty Income and the proposed transaction through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Spirit are available free of charge on Spirit’s website at investors.spiritrealty.com or by contacting Spirit’s Investor Relations department by mail at Investor Relations, 2727 North Harwood Street, Suite 300, Dallas, TX. Copies of the documents filed with the SEC by Realty Income are available free of charge on Realty Income’s website at www.realtyincome.com/investors or by contacting Realty Income’s Investor Relations department at 858-284-5000.
Participants in the Solicitation
Realty Income, Spirit and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Realty Income, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Realty Income’s proxy statement for its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 31, 2023, and Realty Income’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC on February 22, 2023. Information about the directors and executive officers of Spirit, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is set forth in Spirit’s proxy statement for its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on March 23, 2023, and Spirit’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC on February 28, 2023. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitations and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials that have been or may be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. Investors should read the proxy statement/prospectus, along with any amendments or supplements thereto, carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from Spirit or Realty Income using the sources indicated above.