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 17, 2022
STORE Capital Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Maryland | 001-36739 | 45-2280254 | ||
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
8377 East Hartford Drive, Suite 100
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Including Zip Code)
(480) 256-1100
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
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:
☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
☒ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
Common Stock, $0.01 par value | STOR | New York Stock Exchange |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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. ☐
Item 8.01 | Other Events. |
On October 17, 2022, STORE Capital Corporation, a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), issued a press release announcing the expiration of the “go-shop” period set forth in the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 15, 2022, by and among the Company, Ivory Parent, LLC and Ivory REIT, LLC. The full text of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction, the Company will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a proxy statement on Schedule 14A. Promptly after filing its definitive proxy statement with the SEC, the Company will mail the definitive proxy statement and a proxy card to each stockholder entitled to vote at the special meeting relating to the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTION THAT THE COMPANY FILES WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The definitive proxy statement, the preliminary proxy statement and any other documents filed by the Company with the SEC (when available) may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by accessing the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://ir.storecapital.com or by contacting the Company’s Investor Relations by email at info@storecapital.com.
Participants in the Solicitation
The Company and its directors and certain of its executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders with respect to the proposed transaction. Information about the Company’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of the Company’s securities is set forth in the Company’s proxy statement on Schedule 14A for its 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 14, 2022, and subsequent documents filed with the SEC.
Additional information regarding the identity of participants in the solicitation of proxies, and a description of their direct or indirect interests in the proposed transaction, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the proxy statement and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction when they become available.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This Current Report on Form 8-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” or “potential” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions.
The forward-looking statements contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, that may cause actual results and future events to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement, which risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the ability to complete the proposed transaction on the proposed terms or on the anticipated timeline, or at all, including risks related to securing the necessary stockholder approval and satisfaction of other closing conditions to consummate the proposed transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement relating to the proposed transaction; risks that the proposed transaction disrupts the Company’s current plans and operations or diverts the attention of management from ongoing business operations; the risk of
unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the proposed transaction, including potential difficulties with the Company’s ability to retain employees and maintain relationships with customers and other third parties; risks related to the outcome of any stockholder litigation in connection with the proposed transaction; and other effects relating to any further announcements regarding the proposed transaction on the market price of the Company’s common stock.
While forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance or events. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause the Company’s future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2022, as updated by the Company’s subsequent periodic reports filed with the SEC.
Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) | Exhibits |
Exhibit | Description | |
99.1 | Press Release, issued October 17, 2022. | |
104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
STORE Capital Corporation | ||||||
Dated: October 17, 2022 | ||||||
By: | /s/ Chad A. Freed | |||||
Chad A. Freed | ||||||
Executive Vice President – General Counsel |
Exhibit 99.1
STORE Capital Announces Expiration of “Go-Shop” Period
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., October 17, 2022 — STORE Capital Corporation (NYSE: STOR, “STORE Capital” or the “Company”), an internally managed net-lease real estate investment trust (REIT) that invests in Single Tenant Operational Real Estate, today announced the expiration of the “go-shop” period set forth in the previously announced definitive merger agreement, dated September 15, 2022, with affiliates of GIC, a global institutional investor, and Oak Street, a Division of Blue Owl (the “merger agreement”). Under the terms of the merger agreement, GIC and funds managed by Oak Street have agreed to acquire all the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock for $32.25 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $14 billion. The “go-shop” period expired at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time) on October 15, 2022.
During the “go-shop” period, at the direction of the Company’s board of directors, representatives of Evercore and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, financial advisors to the Company, actively solicited acquisition proposals from 15 potentially interested third parties. To date, none of the third parties contacted by the Company or its financial advisors, or any other third parties, have made an acquisition proposal following the execution of the merger agreement.
Upon expiration of the go-shop period, the Company became subject to customary “no-shop” provisions that limit the Company’s ability to negotiate acquisition proposals with, or provide non-public information to, third parties, subject to exceptions specified in the merger agreement.
The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2023, subject to approval by the Company’s stockholders and the satisfaction of certain other customary closing conditions.
Advisors
Evercore and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are acting as financial advisors to STORE Capital, and DLA Piper LLP (US) is acting as its legal counsel.
About STORE Capital
STORE Capital is an internally managed net-lease REIT that is a leader in the acquisition, investment and management of Single Tenant Operational Real Estate, which is its target market and the inspiration for its name. STORE Capital is one of the largest and fastest growing net-lease REITs and owns a large, well-diversified portfolio that consists of investments in more than 3,000 property locations across the United States, substantially all of which are profit centers. Additional information about STORE Capital can be found on its website at www.storecapital.com.
Additional Information and Where to Find It
In connection with the proposed transaction pursuant to the merger agreement, the Company will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) a proxy statement on Schedule 14A. Promptly after filing its definitive proxy statement with the SEC, the Company will mail the definitive proxy statement and a proxy card to each stockholder entitled to vote at the special meeting relating to the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT (INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS THERETO) AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE TRANSACTION THAT THE COMPANY FILES WITH THE SEC WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. The definitive proxy statement, the preliminary proxy statement and any other documents filed by the Company with the SEC (when available) may be obtained free of charge at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by accessing the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://ir.storecapital.com or by contacting the Company’s Investor Relations by email at info@storecapital.com.
Participants in the Solicitation
The Company and its directors and certain of its executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders with respect to the proposed transaction. Information about the Company’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of the Company’s securities is set forth in the Company’s proxy statement on Schedule 14A for its 2022 annual meeting of stockholders, filed with the SEC on April 14, 2022, and subsequent documents filed with the SEC.
Additional information regarding the identity of participants in the solicitation of proxies, and a description of their direct or indirect interests in the proposed transaction, by security holdings or otherwise, will be set forth in the proxy statement and other materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction when they become available.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” or “potential” or the negative of these words and phrases or similar words or phrases which are predictions of or indicate future events or trends and which do not relate solely to historical matters. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions.
The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, that may cause actual results and future events to differ significantly from those expressed in any forward-looking statement, which risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the ability to complete the proposed transaction on the proposed terms or on the anticipated
timeline, or at all, including risks related to securing the necessary stockholder approval and satisfaction of other closing conditions to consummate the proposed transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement relating to the proposed transaction; risks that the proposed transaction disrupts the Company’s current plans and operations or diverts the attention of management from ongoing business operations; the risk of unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the proposed transaction, including potential difficulties with the Company’s ability to retain employees and maintain relationships with customers and other third parties; risks related to the outcome of any stockholder litigation in connection with the proposed transaction; and other effects relating to any further announcements regarding the proposed transaction on the market price of the Company’s common stock.
While forward-looking statements reflect the Company’s good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance or events. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause the Company’s future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, see the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2022, as updated by the Company’s subsequent periodic reports filed with the SEC.
Contacts
STORE Capital
Matthew Sherman / Jon Keehner / Kara Brickman
Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher
212-355-4449