BrightSpire Capital, Inc.BRSP
BrightSpire Capital, Inc. Stock Compensation Disclosure
Equity-Based Compensation
On February 15, 2022, the Company’s board of directors adopted, and at the annual meeting of stockholders held on May 5, 2022, the stockholders approved, the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”), which was effective as of May 5, 2022 and amends and restates the Company’s 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”) to increase the total number of shares of the Class A common stock issuable by 10.0 million shares (subject to adjustment pursuant to the terms of the 2022 Plan) and extending the termination date to May 4, 2032. Awards may be granted under the 2022 Plan to (x) any employee, officer, director, consultant or advisor (who is a natural person) providing services to the Company, or its affiliates and (y) any other individual whose participation in the 2022 Plan is determined to be in the best interests of the Company. The following types of awards may be made under the 2022 Plan, subject to the limitations set forth in the plan: (i) stock options (which may be either incentive stock options or non-qualified stock options); (ii) stock appreciation rights; (iii) restricted stock awards; (iv) stock units; (v) unrestricted stock awards; (vi) dividend equivalent rights; (vii) performance awards; (viii) annual cash incentive awards; (ix) long-term incentive units; and (x) other equity-based awards.
Shares subject to an award granted under the 2022 Plan will be counted against the maximum number of shares of Class A common stock available for issuance thereunder as one share of Class A common stock for every one share of Class A common stock subject to such an award. Shares subject to an award granted under the 2022 Plan will again become available for issuance under the 2022 Plan if the award terminates by expiration, forfeiture, cancellation, or otherwise without the issuance of such shares (except as set forth in the following sentence). The number of shares of Class A common stock available for issuance under the 2022 Plan will not be increased by (i) any shares tendered or withheld in connection with the purchase of shares upon exercise of a stock option, (ii) any shares deducted or delivered in connection with the Company’s tax withholding obligations, or (iii) any shares purchased by the Company with proceeds from stock option exercises. Shares granted to non-independent directors, officers and employees, if applicable, generally vest ratably in three annual installments following the grant date.
On May 5, 2022, the Company granted 1,456,366 shares of Class A common stock to certain of its employees, including executive officers. The remaining one-third increment of such share grant vested on March 15, 2025. On March 6, 2023, the Company granted 1,391,217 shares of Class A common stock to certain of its employees, including executive officers. The remaining one-third of such share grant will vest on March 15, 2026. On March 15, 2024, the Company granted 1,243,696
shares of Class A common stock to certain of its employees, including executive officers. Remaining one-third of the increments of such share grant will vest on March 15, 2026 and March 15, 2027.
On May 17, 2023, the Company granted 93,285 shares of Class A common stock to the non-employee directors of the Company which vested on May 17, 2024. On May 17, 2024, the Company granted 79,495 shares of Class A common stock to the non-employee directors of the Company which vested on May 17, 2025.
On March 17, 2025, the Company granted 1,392,965 shares of Class A common stock to certain of its employees, including executive officers. The shares vest in one-third increments on March 15, 2026, March 15, 2027 and March 15, 2028. Additionally, on March 17, 2025 the Company granted 225,544 shares of Class A common stock to its executive officers. Such share grant vested immediately.
On May 19, 2025, the Company granted 92,940 shares of Class A common stock to the non-employee directors of the Company which vest on May 19, 2026.
Equity-Based Compensation Expense
In connection with the share grants, the Company recognized share-based compensation expense of $12.8 million, $11.6 million and $14.1 million within compensation and benefits in the consolidated statements of operations for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Restricted Stock—Restricted stock awards relating to the Company’s Class A common stock are granted to non-employee directors of the Company and generally vest within one year. Restricted stock awards are granted to certain employees of the Company, with service conditions only and are generally subject to annual time-based vesting in equal tranches over a three-year period. Restricted stock is entitled to dividends declared and paid on the Company’s Class A common stock and such dividends are not forfeitable prior to vesting of the award. Restricted stock awards are valued based on the Company’s Class A common stock price on grant date and equity-based compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite three-year service period.
Performance Stock Units (“PSU”)—PSUs are granted to certain employees of the Company and are subject to both a service condition and a market condition. Following the end of the measurement period for the PSUs, the recipients of PSUs may be eligible to vest in all or a portion of PSUs granted, and be issued a number of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, ranging from 0% to 200% of the number of PSUs granted and eligible to vest, to be determined based upon the Company’s total shareholder return relative to certain peer group companies at the end of a three-year measurement period for the 2023 PSU grant (the “2023 Grant”), the 2024 PSU grant (the “2024 Grant”) and the 2025 PSU grant (the “2025 Grant”). PSUs also contain dividend equivalent rights which entitle the recipients to a payment equal to the amount of dividends that would have been paid on the shares that are ultimately issued at the end of the measurement period.
Fair value of PSUs, including dividend equivalent rights, was determined using a Monte Carlo simulation, with the following assumptions.
| 2025 Grant | 2024 Grant | 2023 Grant | ||||||||||||||||||
Expected volatility(1) | 35.7 | % | 35.6 | % | 74.4 | % | ||||||||||||||
Risk free rate(2) | 4.0 | % | 4.3 | % | 4.6 | % | ||||||||||||||
Expected dividend yield(3) | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
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(1)Based upon the Company’s historical stock volatility.
(2)Based upon the continuously compounded zero-coupon U.S. Treasury yield for the term coinciding with the measurement period of the award as of valuation date.
(3)Based upon award holders being entitled to dividends paid during the measurement period on any shares earned.
Fair value of PSU awards, excluding dividend equivalent rights, is generally recognized on a straight-line basis over their measurement period as compensation expense, except when certain performance metrics are achieved.
The table below summarizes the Company’s awards granted, forfeited or vested under the 2022 Plan during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023:
| Number of Shares | Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Restricted Stock | PSUs | Total | Restricted Stock | PSUs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unvested shares at December 31, 2022 | 2,308,691 | 272,000 | 2,580,691 | $ | 8.47 | $ | 11.96 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Granted | 1,484,502 | 384,378 | 1,868,880 | 6.80 | 9.69 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vested | (951,024) | (136,000) | (1,087,024) | 8.43 | 11.96 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Forfeited | (54,362) | (136,000) | (190,362) | 7.62 | 11.96 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unvested shares at December 31, 2023 | 2,787,807 | 384,378 | 3,172,185 | $ | 7.61 | $ | 9.69 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Granted | 1,636,256 | 534,056 | 2,170,312 | 6.48 | 7.82 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vested | (1,629,391) | — | (1,629,391) | 7.66 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Forfeited | (51,755) | — | (51,755) | 7.03 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unvested shares at December 31, 2024 | 2,742,917 | 918,434 | 3,661,351 | $ | 6.92 | $ | 8.60 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Granted | 1,711,449 | 542,789 | 2,254,238 | 5.93 | 6.78 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vested | (1,508,494) | — | (1,508,494) | 7.11 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Forfeited | (80,473) | — | (80,473) | 5.54 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unvested shares at December 31, 2025 | 2,865,399 | 1,461,223 | 4,326,622 | $ | 6.27 | $ | 7.93 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fair value of equity awards that vested during the years ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, determined based on their respective fair values at vesting date, was $9.0 million and $10.9 million, respectively. Fair value of granted awards is determined based on the closing price of the Class A common stock on the date of vesting of the awards. Equity-based compensation is classified within compensation and benefits in the consolidated statement of operations.
At December 31, 2025, aggregate unrecognized compensation cost for all unvested equity awards was $15.2 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.8 years.Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 18, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 19, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 21, 2024 | |
About Stock Compensation Disclosures
Stock-based compensation disclosures detail the equity awards granted to employees and executives — including stock options, restricted stock units (RSUs), and performance shares — along with the valuation methods and assumptions used to expense them. This section reveals the true cost of talent retention and the alignment between management incentives and shareholder interests.
Key signals: total unrecognized compensation expense and its expected recognition period signal future earnings headwinds from already-granted awards. For stock options, examine Black-Scholes assumptions — expected volatility, risk-free rate, and expected term — as understating any of these reduces reported compensation expense. Compare stock compensation expense as a percentage of revenue against peers to assess dilution cost. Watch vesting schedules for acceleration clauses tied to change-of-control events. Performance-based awards with undemanding targets may indicate weak governance. Add back stock compensation to operating cash flow to calculate a more conservative free cash flow figure.