The information in this preliminary pricing supplement is not complete and may be changed. This preliminary pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus are not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

Subject To Completion, dated April 29, 2024

 

PRICING SUPPLEMENT No. ARC 3443 dated April __, 2024

(To Product Supplement No. WF1 dated July 20, 2022,

Prospectus Supplement dated May 26, 2022 and Prospectus dated May 26, 2022)

Registration Statement No. 333-264388

Filed Pursuant to Rule 433

 

 

Bank of Montreal

Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series I

Equity Index Linked Securities

 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

nLinked to the lowest performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® (each referred to as an “Index”)
nThe securities are redeemable debt securities of Bank of Montreal that, unlike ordinary debt securities, do not provide for fixed payments of interest, and do not repay a fixed amount of principal at stated maturity (if Bank of Montreal does not exercise its redemption right). Whether the securities pay a contingent coupon and whether you receive the face amount of your securities at stated maturity will depend, in each case, on the closing level of the lowest performing Index as described below. The lowest performing Index on any eligible trading day during an observation period (including on the final calculation day) is the Index that has the lowest performance factor on that day, calculated for each Index as the closing level of that Index on that day divided by its starting level
nContingent Coupon. The securities will pay a contingent coupon on a quarterly basis until the earlier of stated maturity or early redemption if, and only if, the closing level of the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during such observation period is greater than or equal to its coupon threshold level. However, if the closing level of the lowest performing Index on any eligible trading day during an observation period is less than its coupon threshold level, you will not receive any contingent coupon with respect to that observation period. This will be the case even if the closing level of the lowest performing Index is greater than or equal to its coupon threshold level on one or more other eligible trading days during that observation period, and even if the better performing Indices perform favorably. If the closing level of the lowest performing Index is less than its coupon threshold level on one or more eligible trading days during each observation period, you will not receive any contingent coupons throughout the entire term of the securities. The coupon threshold level for each Index is equal to 70% of its starting level. The contingent coupon rate will be determined on the pricing date and will be at least 10.20% per annum
nOptional Redemption. Bank of Montreal may, at its option, redeem the securities on any contingent coupon payment date beginning approximately three months after issuance. If Bank of Montreal elects to redeem the securities prior to maturity, you will receive the face amount plus the final contingent coupon payment, if payable
nPotential Loss of Principal. If Bank of Montreal does not redeem the securities prior to stated maturity, you will receive the face amount at stated maturity if, and only if, the closing level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is greater than or equal to its downside threshold level. If the closing level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is less than its downside threshold level, you will lose more than 40%, and possibly all, of the face amount of your securities. The downside threshold level for each Index is equal to 60% of its starting level
nIf the securities are not redeemed prior to stated maturity, you will have full downside exposure to the lowest performing Index from its starting level if its closing level on the final calculation day is less than its downside threshold level, but you will not participate in any appreciation of any Index and will not receive any dividends on securities included in any Index
nYour return on the securities will depend solely on the performance of the Index that is the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the observation periods, including on the final calculation day. You will not benefit in any way from the performance of the better performing Indices. Therefore, you will be adversely affected if any Index performs poorly, even if the other Indices perform favorably
nAll payments on the securities are subject to our credit risk, and you will have no ability to pursue any securities included in any Index for payment; if Bank of Montreal defaults on its obligations, you could lose some or all of your investment
nNo exchange listing; designed to be held to maturity

On the date of this preliminary pricing supplement, the estimated initial value of the securities is $972.80 per security. The estimated initial value of the securities on the pricing date may differ from this value but will not be less than $928.00 per security. However, as discussed in more detail in this pricing supplement, the actual value of the securities at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted with accuracy. See “Estimated Value of the Securities” in this pricing supplement.

The securities have complex features and investing in the securities involves risks not associated with an investment in conventional debt securities. See "Selected Risk Considerations" beginning on page PRS-10 herein and "Risk Factors" beginning on page PS-5 of the accompanying product supplement.

The securities are the unsecured obligations of Bank of Montreal, and, accordingly, all payments on the securities are subject to the credit risk of Bank of Montreal. If Bank of Montreal defaults on its obligations, you could lose some or all of your investment. The securities are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Deposit Insurance Fund, the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission or other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this pricing supplement or the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

Original Offering Price

Agent Discount(1)(2)

Proceeds to Bank of Montreal

Per Security $1,000.00 Up to $12.75 $987.25
Total      
(1)Wells Fargo Securities, LLC is the agent for the distribution of the securities and is acting as principal. See "Terms of the Securities—Agent" and "Estimated Value of the Securities" in this pricing supplement for further information.
(2)In addition to the forgoing, in respect of certain securities sold in this offering, our affiliate, BMO Capital Markets Corp. ("BMOCM"), may pay a fee of up to $1.50 per security to selected securities dealers in consideration for marketing and other services in connection with the distribution of the securities to other securities dealers.

 

Wells Fargo Securities

 

  

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Terms of the Securities
Issuer: Bank of Montreal.
Market
Measures:
The S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® (each referred to as an “Index,” and collectively as the “Indices”).
Pricing Date*: April 30, 2024.
Issue Date*: May 3, 2024.
Original
Offering Price:
$1,000 per security.
Face Amount: $1,000 per security. References in this pricing supplement to a “security” are to a security with a face amount of $1,000.
Contingent
Coupon
Payment:

On each contingent coupon payment date, you will receive a contingent coupon payment at a per annum rate equal to the contingent coupon rate if, and only if, the closing level of the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during such observation period is greater than or equal to its coupon threshold level. Each “contingent coupon payment,” if any, will be calculated per security as follows: ($1,000 × contingent coupon rate)/4. Any contingent coupon payment will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent rounded upward.

 

If the closing level of the lowest performing Index on any eligible trading day during an observation period is less than its coupon threshold level, you will not receive any contingent coupon payment on the related contingent coupon payment date. If the closing level of the lowest performing Index is less than its coupon threshold level on one or more eligible trading days during each observation period, you will not receive any contingent coupon payments over the term of the securities.

 

Any return on the securities will be limited to the sum of the contingent coupon payments, if any, even if the closing level of the lowest performing Index on any observation period end-date significantly exceeds its starting level. You will not participate in any appreciation of any Index.

Contingent
Coupon
Payment
Dates:
Quarterly, on the third business day following each observation period end-date (as each such observation period end-date may be postponed pursuant to “—Market Disruption Events and Postponement Provisions” below, if applicable); provided that the contingent coupon payment date with respect to the final calculation day will be the stated maturity date.
Contingent
Coupon Rate:
The “contingent coupon rate” will be determined on the pricing date and will be at least 10.20% per annum.
Optional
Redemption:

Bank of Montreal may, at its option, redeem the securities, in whole but not in part, on any optional redemption date. If Bank of Montreal elects to redeem the securities prior to stated maturity, you will be entitled to receive on the applicable optional redemption date a cash payment per security in U.S. dollars equal to the face amount plus a final contingent coupon payment, if payable.

 

If Bank of Montreal elects to redeem the securities on an optional redemption date, Bank of Montreal will give you notice on or before the observation period end-date immediately preceding that optional redemption date. Any redemption of the securities will be at Bank of Montreal’s option and will not automatically occur based on the performance of any Index.

 

If the securities are redeemed, they will cease to be outstanding on the applicable optional redemption date and you will have no further rights under the securities after that date.

Optional
Redemption
Dates:
Quarterly, beginning approximately three months after the issue date, on the contingent coupon payment dates following each observation period end-date scheduled to occur from July 2024 to July 2026, inclusive.

 

 PRS-2 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Observation
Periods:

Each observation period will consist of each day that is a trading day for at least one Index (each such day, an “eligible trading day”) from but excluding an observation period end-date to and including the following observation period end-date, provided that the first observation period will consist of each eligible trading day from but excluding the pricing date to and including the first observation period end-date.

 

If a market disruption event or non-trading day occurs with respect to an Index on any eligible trading day during an observation period (other than an observation period end-date), that Index will be disregarded on that eligible trading day for purposes of determining whether the contingent coupon payment is payable with respect to such observation period. For the avoidance of doubt, any such eligible trading day for any Index not affected by a market disruption event or non-trading day on that eligible trading day will remain a valid day for purposes of determining whether a contingent coupon payment is payable with respect to that observation period, even if that day is not a trading day for any other Index or a market disruption event has occurred with respect to any other Index on that day.

Observation
Period End-
Dates*:
Quarterly, on the 30th day of each January, April, July and October, commencing July 2024 and ending July 2026, and the final calculation day, each subject to postponement as described below under “—Market Disruption Events and Postponement Provisions.”
Final
Calculation
Day*:
October 30, 2026

Stated Maturity

 

Date*:

November 4, 2026, subject to postponement. The securities are not subject to repayment at the option of any holder of the securities prior to the stated maturity date.
Maturity
Payment
Amount:

If Bank of Montreal does not redeem the securities prior to the stated maturity date, you will be entitled to receive on the stated maturity date a cash payment per security in U.S. dollars equal to the maturity payment amount (in addition to the final contingent coupon payment, if payable). The “maturity payment amount” per security will equal:

·if the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is greater than or equal to its downside threshold level: $1,000; or

·if the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is less than its downside threshold level:

 

$1,000 × performance factor of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day

 

If Bank of Montreal does not redeem the securities prior to stated maturity and the ending level of the lowest performing Index is less than its downside threshold level, you will lose more than 40%, and possibly all, of the face amount of your securities at stated maturity.

 

Any return on the securities will be limited to the sum of your contingent coupon payments, if any. You will not participate in any appreciation of any Index, but you will have full downside exposure to the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day if the ending level of that Index is less than its downside threshold level.

Lowest
Performing
Index:

For any eligible trading day during an observation period (including the final calculation day), the “lowest performing Index” will be the Index with the lowest performance factor on that eligible trading day and that has not been disregarded due to a market disruption event or non-trading day in accordance with “—Observation Periods” above.

 

For the avoidance of doubt, if any eligible trading day is a valid day for only one Index, then that Index will be the lowest performing Index on that eligible trading day.

Performance
Factor:
With respect to an Index on any eligible trading day during an observation period, its closing level on such day divided by its starting level (expressed as a percentage).

 

 PRS-3 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Closing Level: With respect to each Index, closing level has the meaning set forth under “General Terms of the Securities—Certain Terms for Securities Linked to an Index—Certain Definitions” in the accompanying product supplement.
Starting Level:

With respect to the S&P 500® Index:       , its closing level on the pricing date.

 

With respect to the Russell 2000® Index:       , its closing level on the pricing date.

 

With respect to the Nasdaq-100 Index®:       , its closing level on the pricing date.

Ending Level: The “ending level” of an Index will be its closing level on the final calculation day.
Coupon
Threshold
Level:

With respect to the S&P 500® Index:       , which is equal to 70% of its starting level.

 

With respect to the Russell 2000® Index:       , which is equal to 70% of its starting level.

 

With respect to the Nasdaq-100 Index®:       , which is equal to 70% of its starting level.

 

Downside
Threshold
Level:

With respect to the S&P 500® Index:       , which is equal to 60% of its starting level.

 

With respect to the Russell 2000® Index:       , which is equal to 60% of its starting level.

 

With respect to the Nasdaq-100 Index®:       , which is equal to 60% of its starting level.

Market
Disruption
Events and
Postponement
Provisions:
Each observation period end-date (including the final calculation day) is subject to postponement due to non-trading days and the occurrence of a market disruption event. In addition, the stated maturity date will be postponed if the final calculation day is postponed, and will be adjusted for non-business days. For more information regarding adjustments to the eligible trading days and the stated maturity date, see “General Terms of the Securities—Consequences of a Market Disruption Event; Postponement of a Calculation Day—Securities Linked to Multiple Market Measures” and “—Payment Dates” in the accompanying product supplement. For purposes of the accompanying product supplement, each call settlement date and the stated maturity date is a “payment date.” In addition, for information regarding the circumstances that may result in a market disruption event, see “General Terms of the Securities—Certain Terms for Securities Linked to an Index—Market Disruption Events” in the accompanying product supplement.
Calculation
Agent:
BMO Capital Markets Corp. ("BMOCM")
Material Tax
Consequences:
For a discussion of the material U.S. federal income and certain estate tax consequences and the Canadian federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of the securities, see "United States Federal Tax Considerations" below, and the sections of the product supplement entitled "United States Federal Tax Considerations" and "Canadian Federal Income Tax Consequences."
Agent:

Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (“WFS”) is the agent for the distribution of the securities. The agent will receive an agent discount of up to $12.75 per security. The agent may resell the securities to other securities dealers at the original offering price of the securities less a concession not in excess of $10.00 per security. Such securities dealers may include Wells Fargo Advisors (“WFA”) (the trade name of the retail brokerage business of WFS’s affiliates, Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC). In addition to the concession allowed to WFA, WFS will pay $0.75 per security of the agent discount that it receives to WFA as a distribution expense fee for each security sold by WFA.

 

In addition, in respect of certain securities sold in this offering, BMOCM may pay a fee of up to $1.50 per security to selected securities dealers in consideration for marketing and other services in connection with the distribution of the securities to other securities dealers.

 

WFS, BMOCM and/or one or more of their respective affiliates expects to realize hedging profits projected by their proprietary pricing models to the extent they assume the risks inherent in hedging our obligations under the securities. If WFS or any other dealer participating in the distribution of the securities or any of their affiliates conduct hedging activities for us in connection with the securities, that dealer or its affiliates will expect to realize a profit projected by its proprietary pricing models from those hedging activities. Any such projected profit will be in addition to any discount, concession or fee received in connection with the sale of the securities to you.

Denominations: $1,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000.
CUSIP: 06376AFQ8

____________________

*To the extent that we make any change to the expected pricing date or expected issue date, the observation period end-dates, including the final calculation day, and stated maturity date may also be changed in our discretion to ensure that the term of the securities remains the same.

 

 PRS-4 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Additional Information About the Issuer and the Securities

 

You should read this pricing supplement together with product supplement No. WF1 dated July 20, 2022, the prospectus supplement dated May 26, 2022 and the prospectus dated May 26, 2022 for additional information about the securities. Information included in this pricing supplement supersedes information in the product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus to the extent it is different from that information. Certain defined terms used but not defined herein have the meanings set forth in the product supplement, prospectus supplement or prospectus.

 

Our Central Index Key, or CIK, on the SEC website is 927971. When we refer to “we,” “us” or “our” in this pricing supplement, we refer only to Bank of Montreal.

 

You may access the product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus on the SEC website www.sec.gov as follows (or if such address has changed, by reviewing our filing for the relevant date on the SEC website):

 

Product Supplement No. WF1 dated July 20, 2022:

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/927971/000121465922009020/r715220424b5.htm

 

Prospectus Supplement and prospectus dated May 26, 2022:

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/927971/000119312522160519/d269549d424b5.htm

 

We have filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this document relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and the other documents that we have filed with the SEC for more complete information about us and this offering. You may obtain these documents free of charge by visiting the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Alternatively, we will arrange to send to you the prospectus (as supplemented by the prospectus supplement if you request it by calling BMOCM toll-free at 1-877-369-5412.

 

 PRS-5 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Estimated Value of the Securities

 

Our estimated initial value of the securities on the date of this preliminary pricing supplement, and that will be set forth on the cover page of the final pricing supplement relating to the securities, equals the sum of the values of the following hypothetical components:

 

·a fixed-income debt component with the same tenor as the securities, valued using our internal funding rate for structured notes; and

 

·one or more derivative transactions relating to the economic terms of the securities.

 

The internal funding rate used in the determination of the initial estimated value generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. The value of these derivative transactions is derived from our internal pricing models. These models are based on factors such as the traded market prices of comparable derivative instruments and on other inputs, which include volatility, dividend rates, interest rates and other factors. As a result, the estimated initial value of the securities on the pricing date will be determined based on market conditions at that time.

 

For more information about the estimated initial value of the securities, see “Selected Risk Considerations” below.

 

 PRS-6 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Investor Considerations

 

The securities are not appropriate for all investors. The securities may be an appropriate investment for investors who:

 

§seek an investment with contingent coupon payments at a rate of at least 10.20% per annum (to be determined on the pricing date) until the earlier of stated maturity or early redemption, if, and only if, the closing level of the lowest performing Index on any eligible trading day during each observation period is greater than or equal to 70% of its starting level;

 

§understand that if we do not exercise our redemption right and the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day has declined by more than 40% from its starting level, they will be fully exposed to the decline in the lowest performing Index from the starting level and will lose more than 40%, and possibly all, of the face amount at stated maturity;

 

§are willing to accept the risk that they may receive few or no contingent coupon payments over the term of the securities;

 

§understand that we may redeem the securities prior to stated maturity at our option beginning approximately three months after issuance and that it is more likely that we will redeem the securities when it would otherwise be advantageous for you to continue to hold the securities;

 

§understand that the return on the securities will depend solely on the performance of the Index that is the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the observation periods and that they will not benefit in any way from the performance of the better performing Indices;

 

§understand that the securities are riskier than alternative investments linked to only one of the Indices or linked to a basket composed of each Index;

 

§understand and are willing to accept the full downside risks of each Index;

 

§are willing to forgo participation in any appreciation of any Index and dividends on securities included in the Indices; and

 

§are willing to hold the securities until maturity.

 

The securities may not be an appropriate investment for investors who:

 

§seek a liquid investment or are unable or unwilling to hold the securities to maturity;

 

§require full payment of the face amount of the securities at stated maturity;

 

§seek a security with a fixed term;

 

§are unwilling to purchase securities with an estimated value as of the pricing date that is lower than the original offering price and that may be as low as the lower estimated value set forth on the cover page;

 

§anticipate that the closing level of the lowest performing index will be less than its coupon threshold level on one or more eligible trading days during the observation periods;

 

§are unwilling to accept the risk that the closing level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day may decline by more than 40% from its starting level;

 

§seek the certainty of current income over the term of the securities;

 

§seek exposure to the upside performance of any or each Index;

 

§seek exposure to a basket composed of each Index or a similar investment in which the overall return is based on a blend of the performances of the Indices, rather than solely on the lowest performing Index;

 

§are unwilling to accept the risk of exposure to the Indices;

 

§are unwilling to accept the credit risk of Bank of Montreal to obtain exposure to the Indices; or

 

§prefer the lower risk of fixed income investments with comparable maturities issued by companies with comparable credit ratings.

 

The considerations identified above are not exhaustive. Whether or not the securities are an appropriate investment for you will depend on your individual circumstances, and you should reach an investment decision only after you and your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisors have carefully considered the appropriateness of an investment in the securities in light of your particular circumstances. You should also review carefully the “Selected Risk Considerations” herein and the “Risk Factors” in the accompanying product supplement for risks related to an investment in the securities. For more information about the Indices, please see the sections titled “The S&P 500® Index,” “The Russell 2000® Index” and “Nasdaq-100 Index®” below.

 

 PRS-7 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Determining Payment On A Contingent Coupon Payment Date and at Maturity

 

Unless we have previously redeemed the securities, on each contingent coupon payment date, you will either receive a contingent coupon payment or you will not receive a contingent coupon payment, depending on the closing level of the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the related observation period.

 

Step 1: Determine which Index is the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the related observation period. The lowest performing Index on any eligible trading day during an observation period is the Index that has the lowest performance factor on that date, calculated for each Index as the closing level of that Index on that date divided by its starting level.

 

Step 2: Determine whether a contingent coupon is paid on the applicable contingent coupon payment date based on the closing level of the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the relevant observation period, as follows:

 

 

If we have not redeemed the securities prior to the stated maturity date, then at maturity you will receive (in addition to the final contingent coupon payment, if any) a cash payment per security (the maturity payment amount) calculated as follows:

 

Step 1: Determine which Index is the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day. The lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is the Index that has the lowest performance factor on the final calculation day. The performance factor of an Index on the final calculation day is its ending level as a percentage of its starting level (i.e., its ending level divided by its starting level).

 

Step 2: Calculate the maturity payment amount based on the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day, as follows:

 

 

 PRS-8 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Hypothetical Payout Profile

 

The following profile illustrates the potential maturity payment amount on the securities (excluding the final contingent coupon payment, if any) for a range of hypothetical performances of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day from its starting level to its ending level, assuming the securities have not been redeemed prior to the stated maturity date. As this profile illustrates, in no event will you have a positive rate of return based solely on the maturity payment amount received at maturity; any positive return will be based solely on the contingent coupon payments, if any, received during the term of the securities. This graph has been prepared for purposes of illustration only. Your actual return will depend on whether the securities have been redeemed, the actual ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day and whether you hold your securities to stated maturity. The performance of the better performing Indices is not relevant to your return on the securities.

 

 

 PRS-9 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Selected Risk Considerations

 

The securities have complex features and investing in the securities will involve risks not associated with an investment in conventional debt securities. Some of the risks that apply to an investment in the securities are summarized below, but we urge you to read the more detailed explanation of the risks relating to the securities generally in the “Risk Factors” section of the accompanying product supplement. You should reach an investment decision only after you have carefully considered with your advisors the appropriateness of an investment in the securities in light of your particular circumstances.

 

Risks Relating To The Terms And Structure Of The Securities

 

If We Do Not Redeem The Securities Prior To Stated Maturity, You May Lose Some Or All Of The Face Amount Of Your Securities At Stated Maturity.

 

We will not repay you a fixed amount on the securities at stated maturity. If we do not exercise our right to redeem the securities prior to stated maturity, you will receive a maturity payment amount that will be equal to or less than the face amount, depending on the ending level of the lowest performing Index.

 

If the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is less than its downside threshold level, the maturity payment amount will be reduced by an amount equal to the decline in the level of the lowest performing Index from its starting level (expressed as a percentage of its starting level). The downside threshold level for each Index is 60% of its starting level. For example, if we do not redeem the securities prior to the stated maturity date and the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day has declined by 40.1% from its starting level to its ending level, you will not receive any benefit of the contingent downside protection feature and you will lose 40.1% of the face amount. As a result, you will not receive any protection if the level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day declines significantly and you may lose some, and possibly all, of the face amount at stated maturity, even if the level of the lowest performing Index is greater than or equal to its starting level or its downside threshold level at certain times during the term of the securities.

 

Even if the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is greater than its downside threshold level, the maturity payment amount will not exceed the face amount, and your yield on the securities, taking into account any contingent coupon payments you may have received during the term of the securities, may be less than the yield you would earn if you bought a traditional interest-bearing debt security of Bank of Montreal or another issuer with a similar credit rating with the same stated maturity date.

 

The Securities Do Not Provide For Fixed Payments Of Interest And You May Receive No Coupon Payments On One Or More Contingent Coupon Payment Dates, Or Even Throughout The Entire Term Of The Securities.

 

On each contingent coupon payment date you will receive a contingent coupon payment if, and only if, the closing level of the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during such observation period is greater than or equal to its coupon threshold level. The coupon threshold level for each Index is 70% of its starting level. If the closing level of the lowest performing Index on any eligible trading day during the related observation period is less than its coupon threshold level, you will not receive any contingent coupon payment on the related contingent coupon payment date, and if the closing level of at least one Index is less than its coupon threshold level on one more eligible trading days during each observation period over the term of the securities, you will not receive any contingent coupon payments over the entire term of the securities. This will be the case even if that Index closed above its coupon threshold level on one or more other eligible trading days during the term of the securities.

 

The Securities Are Subject To The Full Risks Of Each Index And Will Be Negatively Affected If Any Index Performs Poorly, Even If The Other Indices Perform Favorably.

 

You are subject to the full risks of each Index. If any Index performs poorly, you will be negatively affected, even if the other Indices perform favorably. The securities are not linked to a basket composed of the Indices, where the better performance of some Indices could offset the poor performance of others. Instead, you are subject to the full risks of whichever Index is the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the observation periods. As a result, the securities are riskier than an alternative investment linked to only one of the Indices or linked to a basket composed of each Index. You should not invest in the securities unless you understand and are willing to accept the full downside risks of each Index.

 

Your Return On The Securities Will Depend Solely On The Performance Of The Index That Is The Lowest Performing Index On Each Eligible Trading Day During the Observation Periods, And You Will Not Benefit In Any Way From The Performance Of The Better Performing Indices.

 

Your return on the securities will depend solely on the performance of the Index that is the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the observation periods (including the final calculation day). Although it is necessary for each Index to close at or above its respective coupon threshold level during the related observation period in order for you to receive a contingent coupon payment and at or above its respective downside threshold level on the final calculation day for you to receive the face amount of your securities at maturity, you will not benefit in any way from the performance of the better performing Indices. The securities may underperform an alternative investment linked to a basket composed of the Indices, since in such case the performance of the better performing Indices would be blended with the performance of the lowest performing Index, resulting in a better return than the return of the lowest performing Index alone.

 

 PRS-10 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

You Will Be Subject To Risks Resulting From The Relationship Among The Indices.

 

It is preferable from your perspective for the Indices to be correlated with each other so that their levels will tend to increase or decrease at similar times and by similar magnitudes. By investing in the securities, you assume the risk that the Indices will not exhibit this relationship. The less correlated the Indices, the more likely it is that any one of the Indices will be performing poorly at any time over the term of the securities. All that is necessary for the securities to perform poorly is for one of the Indices to perform poorly; the performance of the better performing Indices is not relevant to your return on the securities. It is impossible to predict what the relationship among the Indices will be over the term of the securities. To the extent the Indices represent a different equity market, such equity markets may not perform similarly over the term of the securities.

 

You May Be Fully Exposed To The Decline In The Lowest Performing Index On The Final Calculation Day From Its Starting Level, But Will Not Participate In Any Positive Performance Of Any Index.

 

Even though you will be fully exposed to a decline in the level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day if its ending level is below its downside threshold level, you will not participate in any increase in the level of any Index over the term of the securities. Your maximum possible return on the securities will be limited to the sum of the contingent coupon payments you receive, if any. Consequently, your return on the securities may be significantly less than the return you could achieve on an alternative investment that provides for participation in an increase in the level of any or each Index.

 

Higher Contingent Coupon Rates Are Associated With Greater Risk.

 

The securities offer contingent coupon payments at a higher rate, if paid, than the fixed rate we would pay on conventional debt securities of the same maturity. These higher potential contingent coupon payments are associated with greater levels of expected risk as of the pricing date as compared to conventional debt securities, including the risk that you may not receive a contingent coupon payment on one or more, or any, contingent coupon payment dates and the risk that you may lose a substantial portion, and possibly all, of the face amount at maturity. The volatility of the Indices and the correlation among the Indices are important factors affecting this risk. Volatility is a measurement of the size and frequency of daily fluctuations in the level of an Index, typically observed over a specified period of time. Volatility can be measured in a variety of ways, including on a historical basis or on an expected basis as implied by option prices in the market. Correlation is a measurement of the extent to which the levels of the Indices tend to fluctuate at the same time, in the same direction and in similar magnitudes. Greater expected volatility of the Indices or lower expected correlation among the Indices as of the pricing date may result in a higher contingent coupon rate, but it also represents a greater expected likelihood as of the pricing date that the closing level of at least one Index will be less than its coupon threshold level on one or more eligible trading days during one or more observation periods, such that you will not receive one or more, or any, contingent coupon payments during the term of the securities, and that the closing level of at least one Index will be less than its downside threshold level on the final calculation day such that you will lose a substantial portion, and possibly all, of the face amount at maturity. In general, the higher the contingent coupon rate is relative to the fixed rate we would pay on conventional debt securities, the greater the expected risk that you will not receive one or more, or any, contingent coupon payments during the term of the securities and that you will lose a substantial portion, and possibly all, of the face amount at maturity.

 

Our Redemption Right May Limit Your Potential To Receive Contingent Coupon Payments.

 

We may, at our option, redeem the securities on any optional redemption date beginning approximately three months after issuance. Although exercise of the redemption right will be within our sole discretion, we will be more likely to redeem the securities at a time when the lowest performing Index is performing favorably from your perspective—in other words, at a time when, if the securities were to remain outstanding, it is more likely that you would have continued to receive contingent coupon payments and received the face amount at maturity. Therefore, our redemption right is likely to limit your potential to receive contingent coupon payments if the lowest performing Index is performing favorably from your perspective. On the other hand, we will be less likely to redeem the securities at a time when the lowest performing Index is performing unfavorably from your perspective—in other words, you are more likely to continue to hold the securities at a time when it is less likely that you will continue to receive contingent coupon payments and it is less likely that you will be receive the face amount at maturity.

 

If we exercise our redemption right, the term of the securities may be reduced to as short as approximately three months. There is no guarantee that you would be able to reinvest the proceeds from an investment in the securities at a comparable return for a similar level of risk in the event we redeem the securities prior to maturity.

 

A Contingent Coupon Payment Date, An Optional Redemption Date And The Stated Maturity Date May Be Postponed If An Eligible Trading Day Is Postponed.

 

Each coupon period end-date, including the final calculation day, may be postponed as set forth in the section above, "Terms of the Securities." If such a postponement occurs, then the related contingent coupon payment date or call settlement date, as applicable, will be postponed. If such a postponement occurs with respect to the final calculation day, the stated maturity date will be the later of (i) the initial stated maturity date and (ii) three business days after the final calculation day as postponed.

 

The Securities Are Subject To Credit Risk.

 

The securities are our obligations, and are not, either directly or indirectly, an obligation of any third party. Any amounts payable under the securities are subject to our creditworthiness and you will have no ability to pursue any securities included in any Index for payment. As a result, our actual and perceived creditworthiness may affect the value of the securities and, in the event we were to default on our obligations under the securities, you may not receive any amounts owed to you under the terms of the securities.

 

 PRS-11 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Significant Aspects Of The Tax Treatment Of The Securities Are Uncertain.

 

There is no direct legal authority as to the proper U.S. federal tax treatment of the securities, and we do not intend to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”). Consequently, significant aspects of the tax treatment of the securities are uncertain, and the IRS or a court might not agree with the treatment of the securities as described in this pricing supplement under “United States Federal Tax Considerations.” If the IRS were successful in asserting an alternative treatment, the tax consequences of ownership and disposition of the securities might be materially and adversely affected.

 

Risks Relating To The Estimated Value Of The Securities And Any Secondary Market

 

The Estimated Value Of The Securities On The Pricing Date, Based On Our Proprietary Pricing Models, Will Be Less Than The Original Offering Price.

 

Our initial estimated value of the securities is only an estimate, and is based on a number of factors. The original offering price of the securities may exceed our initial estimated value, because costs associated with offering, structuring and hedging the securities are included in the original offering price, but are not included in the estimated value. These costs include the agent discount and selling concessions, the profits that we and our affiliates and/or the agent and its affiliates expect to realize for assuming the risks in hedging our obligations under the securities, and the estimated cost of hedging these obligations. The initial estimated value may be as low as the amount indicated on the cover page of this pricing supplement.

 

The Terms Of The Securities Are Not Determined By Reference To The Credit Spreads For Our Conventional Fixed-Rate Debt.

 

To determine the terms of the securities, we will use an internal funding rate that represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. As a result, the terms of the securities are less favorable to you than if we had used a higher funding rate.

 

The Estimated Value Of The Securities Is Not An Indication Of The Price, If Any, At Which WFS Or Any Other Person May Be Willing To Buy The Securities From You In The Secondary Market.

 

Our initial estimated value of the securities as of the date of this preliminary pricing supplement is, and our estimated value as determined on the pricing date will be, derived using our internal pricing models. This value is based on market conditions and other relevant factors, which include volatility of the Indices, dividend rates and interest rates. Different pricing models and assumptions, including those used by the agent, its affiliates or other market participants, could provide values for the securities that are greater than or less than our initial estimated value. In addition, market conditions and other relevant factors after the pricing date are expected to change, possibly rapidly, and our assumptions may prove to be incorrect. After the pricing date, the value of the securities could change dramatically due to changes in market conditions, our creditworthiness, and the other factors set forth in this pricing supplement. These changes are likely to impact the price, if any, at which WFS or its affiliates or any other party (including us or our affiliates) would be willing to purchase the securities from you in any secondary market transactions. Our initial estimated value does not represent a minimum price at which WFS or any other party (including us or our affiliates) would be willing to buy your securities in any secondary market at any time.

 

WFS has advised us that if it, WFA or any of their affiliates makes a secondary market in the securities at any time, the secondary market price offered by it, WFA or any of their affiliates will be affected by changes in market conditions and other factors described in the next risk factor. WFS has advised us that if it, WFA or any of their affiliates makes a secondary market in the securities at any time up to the issue date or during the 3-month period following the issue date, the secondary market price offered by it, WFA or any of its affiliates will be increased by an amount reflecting a portion of the costs associated with selling, structuring and hedging the securities that are included in their original offering price. Because this portion of the costs is not fully deducted upon issuance, WFS has advised us that any secondary market price it, WFA or any of their affiliates offers during this period will be higher than it otherwise would be after this period, as any secondary market price offered after this period will reflect the full deduction of the costs as described above. WFS has advised us that the amount of this increase in the secondary market price will decline steadily to zero over this 3-month period. WFS has advised us that, if you hold the securities through an account with WFS, WFA or any of their affiliates, WFS expects that this increase will also be reflected in the value indicated for the securities on your brokerage account statement. If you hold your securities through an account at a broker-dealer other than WFS, WFA or any of their affiliates, the value of the securities on your brokerage account statement may be different than if you held your securities at WFS, WFA or any of their affiliates.

 

The Value Of The Securities Prior To Stated Maturity Will Be Affected By Numerous Factors, Some Of Which Are Related In Complex Ways.

 

The value of the securities prior to stated maturity will be affected by the then-current level of each Index, interest rates at that time and a number of other factors, some of which are interrelated in complex ways. The effect of any one factor may be offset or magnified by the effect of another factor. The following factors, which we refer to as the "derivative component factors," and which are described in more detail in the accompanying product supplement, are expected to affect the value of the securities: performance of the Indices; interest rates; volatility of the Indices; correlation among the Indices; time remaining to maturity; and dividend yields on the securities included in the Indices. When we refer to the "value" of your security, we mean the value you could receive for your security if you are able to sell it in the open market before the stated maturity date.

 

In addition to the derivative component factors, the value of the securities will be affected by actual or anticipated changes in our creditworthiness. The value of the securities will also be limited by our redemption right feature because if we redeem the securities, you will not receive the contingent coupon payments that would have accrued, if any, after the early redemption. You should understand that the impact of one of the factors specified above, such as a change in interest rates, may offset some or all of any change in the value of the securities attributable to another factor, such as a change in the level of any or all the Indices. Because numerous factors are expected to affect the value of the securities, changes in the levels of the Indices may not result in a comparable change in the value of the securities.

 

 PRS-12 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

The Securities Will Not Be Listed On Any Securities Exchange And We Do Not Expect A Trading Market For The Securities To Develop.

 

The securities will not be listed or displayed on any securities exchange or any automated quotation system. Although the agent and/or its affiliates may purchase the securities from holders, they are not obligated to do so and are not required to make a market for the securities. There can be no assurance that a secondary market will develop. Because we do not expect that any market makers will participate in a secondary market for the securities, the price at which you may be able to sell your securities is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which the agent is willing to buy your securities. If a secondary market does exist, it may be limited. Accordingly, there may be a limited number of buyers if you decide to sell your securities prior to stated maturity. This may affect the price you receive upon such sale. Consequently, you should be willing to hold the securities to stated maturity.

 

Risks Relating To The Indices

 

An Investment In The Securities Is Subject To Risks Associated With Investing In Stocks With A Small Market Capitalization.

 

The stocks that constitute the Russell 2000® Index are issued by companies with relatively small market capitalization. These companies often have greater stock price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than large capitalization companies. As a result, the Russell 2000® Index may be more volatile than that of an equity index that does not track solely small capitalization stocks. Stock prices of small capitalization companies are also generally more vulnerable than those of large capitalization companies to adverse business and economic developments, and the stocks of small capitalization companies may be thinly traded, and be less attractive to many investors if they do not pay dividends. In addition, small capitalization companies are typically less well-established and less stable financially than large capitalization companies and may depend on a small number of key personnel, making them more vulnerable to loss of those individuals. Small capitalization companies tend to have lower revenues, less diverse product lines, smaller shares of their target markets, fewer financial resources and fewer competitive strengths than large capitalization companies. These companies may also be more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products or services.

 

An Investment In The Securities Is Subject To Risks Associated With Foreign Securities Markets.

 

The Nasdaq-100 Index® tracks the value of certain foreign equity securities. You should be aware that investments in securities linked to the value of foreign equity securities involve particular risks. The foreign securities markets comprising this index may have less liquidity and may be more volatile than U.S. or other securities markets and market developments may affect foreign markets differently from U.S. or other securities markets. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize these foreign securities markets, as well as cross-shareholdings in foreign companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in these markets.

 

Prices of securities in foreign countries are subject to political, economic, financial and social factors that apply in those geographical regions. These factors, which could negatively affect those securities markets, include the possibility of recent or future changes in a foreign government’s economic and fiscal policies, the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other laws or restrictions applicable to foreign companies or investments in foreign equity securities and the possibility of fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies, the possibility of outbreaks of hostility and political instability and the possibility of natural disaster or adverse public health developments in the region. Moreover, foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in important respects such as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency.

 

Any Payments On The Securities Will Depend Upon The Performance Of The Indices And Therefore The Securities Are Subject To The Following Risks, Each As Discussed In More Detail In The Accompanying Product Supplement.

 

·Investing In The Securities Is Not The Same As Investing In The Indices. Investing in the securities is not equivalent to investing in the Indices. As an investor in the securities, your return will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned and held the securities included in each Index for a period similar to the term of the securities because you will not receive any dividend payments, distributions or any other payments paid on those securities. As a holder of the securities, you will not have any voting rights or any other rights that holders of the securities included in the Indices would have.

 

·Historical Levels Of The Indices Should Not Be Taken As An Indication Of The Future Performance Of The Indices During The Term Of The Securities.

 

·Changes That Affect The Index May Adversely Affect The Value Of The Securities And Any Payments On The Securities.

 

·We Cannot Control Actions By Any Of The Unaffiliated Companies Whose Securities Are Included In The Indices.

 

·We And Our Affiliates Have No Affiliation With Any Index Sponsor And Have Not Independently Verified Its Public Disclosure Of Information.

 

 PRS-13 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Risks Relating To Conflicts Of Interest

 

Our Economic Interests And Those Of Any Dealer Participating In The Offering Are Potentially Adverse To Your Interests.

 

You should be aware of the following ways in which our economic interests and those of any dealer participating in the distribution of the securities, which we refer to as a “participating dealer,” are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the securities. In engaging in certain of the activities described below and as discussed in more detail in the accompanying product supplement, our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may take actions that may adversely affect the value of and your return on the securities, and in so doing they will have no obligation to consider your interests as an investor in the securities. Our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may realize a profit from these activities even if investors do not receive a favorable investment return on the securities.

 

·We will exercise our rights under the securities without taking your interests into account. We may, at our option, redeem the securities on any contingent coupon payment date beginning approximately three months after issuance. Any redemption of the securities will be at our option and will not automatically occur based on the performance of the Index. As described under “Risk Factors—Our Redemption Right May Limit Your Potential To Receive Contingent Coupon Payments” above, we are more likely to redeem the securities at a time when it would otherwise be advantageous for you to continue to hold the securities, and we are less likely to redeem the securities at a time when it would otherwise be advantageous to you for us to exercise our redemption right.

 

·The calculation agent is our affiliate and may be required to make discretionary judgments that affect the return you receive on the securities. BMOCM, which is our affiliate, will be the calculation agent for the securities. As calculation agent, BMOCM will determine the closing levels of the Indices and make any other determinations necessary to calculate any payments on the securities. In making these determinations, BMOCM may be required to make discretionary judgments that may adversely affect any payments on the securities. See the sections entitled "General Terms of the Securities—Certain Terms for Securities Linked to an Index—Market Disruption Events," "—Adjustments to an Index" and "—Discontinuance of an Index" in the accompanying product supplement. In making these discretionary judgments, the fact that BMOCM is our affiliate may cause it to have economic interests that are adverse to your interests as an investor in the securities, and BMOCM’s determinations as calculation agent may adversely affect your return on the securities.

 

·The estimated value of the securities was calculated by us and is therefore not an independent third-party valuation.

 

·Research reports by our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may be inconsistent with an investment in the securities and may adversely affect the levels of the Indices.

 

·Business activities of our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates with the companies whose securities are included in the Indices may adversely affect the levels of the Indices.

 

·Hedging activities by our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may adversely affect the levels of the Indices.

 

·Trading activities by our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may adversely affect the levels of the Indices.

 

·A participating dealer or its affiliates may realize hedging profits projected by its proprietary pricing models in addition to any selling concession and/or fee, creating a further incentive for the participating dealer to sell the securities to you.

 

 PRS-14 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Hypothetical Returns

 

If we redeem the securities prior to the stated maturity date:

 

If we redeem the securities prior to stated maturity, you will receive the face amount of your securities plus a final contingent coupon payment, if any, on the applicable optional redemption date. If we redeem the securities prior to the stated maturity date, your total return on the securities will equal any contingent coupon payments received prior to the applicable optional redemption date and the contingent coupon payment received on such optional redemption date, if any.

 

If we do not redeem the securities prior to the stated maturity date:

 

If we do not redeem the securities prior to stated maturity, the following table illustrates, for a range of hypothetical performance factors of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day, the hypothetical maturity payment amount payable at stated maturity per security (excluding the final contingent coupon payment, if any). The performance factor of the lowest performing Index is its ending level on the final calculation date expressed as a percentage of its starting level (i.e., its ending level divided by its starting level).

 

Hypothetical Performance Factor
of Lowest Performing Index on
Final Calculation Day
Hypothetical Maturity Payment
Amount per Security
175.00% $1,000.00
160.00% $1,000.00
150.00% $1,000.00
140.00% $1,000.00
130.00% $1,000.00
120.00% $1,000.00
110.00% $1,000.00
100.00% $1,000.00
90.00% $1,000.00
80.00% $1,000.00
70.00% $1,000.00
60.00% $1,000.00
59.00% $590.00
50.00% $500.00
40.00% $400.00
30.00% $300.00
25.00% $250.00
0.00% $0.00

 

The above figures do not take into account contingent coupon payments, if any, received during the term of the securities. As evidenced above, in no event will you have a positive rate of return based solely on the maturity payment amount received at maturity; any positive return will be based solely on the contingent coupon payments, if any, received during the term of the securities.

 

The above figures are for purposes of illustration only and may have been rounded for ease of analysis. If we do not redeem the securities prior to the stated maturity date, the actual amount you will receive at stated maturity will depend on the actual ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day. The performance of the better performing Indices is not relevant to your return on the securities.

 

 PRS-15 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Hypothetical Contingent Coupon Payments

 

Set forth below are examples that illustrate how to determine whether a contingent coupon payment will be paid on a contingent coupon payment date. The examples do not reflect any specific contingent coupon payment date. The following examples reflect a hypothetical contingent coupon rate of 10.20% per annum (the minimum contingent coupon rate that may be determined on the pricing date) and assume the hypothetical starting level, coupon threshold level and closing levels for each Index indicated in the examples. The terms used for purposes of these hypothetical examples do not represent any actual starting level or coupon threshold level. The hypothetical starting level of 100.00 for each Index has been chosen for illustrative purposes only and does not represent the actual starting level for any Index. The actual starting level and coupon threshold level for each Index will be determined on the pricing date and will be set forth under “Terms of the Securities” above. For historical data regarding the actual closing levels of the Indices, see the historical information provided below. These examples are for purposes of illustration only and the values used in the examples may have been rounded for ease of analysis. If we were to redeem the securities on the relevant contingent coupon payment date in either of the examples below, you would receive the face amount on the contingent coupon payment date in addition to the contingent coupon payment, if payable.

 

Example 1. The closing level of the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the relevant observation period is greater than or equal to its coupon threshold level and less than its starting level. As a result, investors receive a contingent coupon payment on the applicable contingent coupon payment date:

 

  S&P 500® Index Russell 2000®
Index
Nasdaq-100
Index®
Hypothetical starting level: 100.00 100.00 100.00
Hypothetical lowest closing level during observation period: 90.00 95.00 80.00
Hypothetical coupon threshold level: 70.00 70.00 70.00
Lowest performance factor during observation period (lowest closing level during observation period divided by starting level): 90.00% 95.00% 80.00%

 

Step 1: Determine which Index is the lowest performing Index on any eligible trading day during the relevant observation period.

 

In this example, the Nasdaq-100 Index® has the lowest performance factor and is, therefore, the lowest performing Index during the relevant observation period.

 

Step 2: Determine whether a contingent coupon payment will be paid on the applicable contingent coupon payment date.

 

Since the hypothetical closing level of the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the relevant observation period is greater than or equal to its coupon threshold level, but less than its starting level, you would receive a contingent coupon payment on the applicable contingent coupon payment date. The contingent coupon payment would be equal to $25.50 per security, determined as follows: (i) $1,000 multiplied by 10.20% per annum divided by (ii) 4, rounded to the nearest cent.

 

Example 2. The closing level of the lowest performing Index on at least one eligible trading day during the relevant observation period is less than its coupon threshold level. As a result, investors do not receive a contingent coupon payment on the applicable contingent coupon payment date:

 

  S&P 500® Index Russell 2000®
Index
Nasdaq-100
Index®
Hypothetical starting level: 100.00 100.00 100.00
Hypothetical lowest closing level during observation period: 65.00 85.00 80.00
Hypothetical coupon threshold level: 70.00 70.00 70.00
Lowest performance factor during observation period (lowest closing level during observation period divided by starting level): 65.00% 85.00% 80.00%

 

Step 1: Determine which Index is the lowest performing Index on any eligible trading day during the relevant observation period.

 

In this example, the closing level of the S&P 500® Index on at least one eligible trading day during the relevant observation period was less than its coupon threshold level and is, therefore, the lowest performing Index during the relevant observation period.

 

Step 2: Determine whether a contingent coupon payment will be paid on the applicable contingent coupon payment date.

 

Since the hypothetical closing level of the lowest performing Index on at least one eligible trading day during the relevant observation period is less than its coupon threshold level, you would not receive a contingent coupon payment on the applicable contingent coupon payment date. This is the case even though the closing levels of the better performing Indices were each greater than their respective coupon threshold levels on every eligible trading day during the relevant observation period, and would be the case even if the closing level of the S&P 500® Index was greater than or equal to its coupon threshold level on every other eligible trading day during the relevant observation period.

 

 PRS-16 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

As this example illustrates, whether you receive a contingent coupon payment on a contingent coupon payment date will depend solely on the closing level of the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the relevant observation period. Therefore, if the closing level of any one of the Indices is less than its coupon threshold level on any eligible trading day during an observation period, you will not receive a contingent coupon payment with respect to that observation period. The performance of the better performing Indices is not relevant to your return on the securities.

 

 PRS-17 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Hypothetical Payment at Stated Maturity

 

Set forth below are examples of calculations of the maturity payment amount payable at stated maturity, assuming that we have not redeemed the securities prior to the stated maturity date and assuming the hypothetical starting level, coupon threshold level, downside threshold level, closing levels and ending levels for each Index indicated in the examples. The terms used for purposes of these hypothetical examples do not represent any actual starting level, coupon threshold level or downside threshold level. The hypothetical starting level of 100.00 for each Index has been chosen for illustrative purposes only and does not represent the actual starting level for any Index. The actual starting level, coupon threshold level and downside threshold level for each Index will be determined on the pricing date and will be set forth under “Terms of the Securities” above. For historical data regarding the actual closing levels of the Indices, see the historical information provided below. These examples are for purposes of illustration only and the values used in the examples may have been rounded for ease of analysis.

 

Example 1. The closing level of the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the final observation period is greater than or equal to its coupon threshold level, and the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is greater than its starting level. As a result, the maturity payment amount is equal to the face amount of your securities at maturity and you receive a final contingent coupon payment:

 

  S&P 500® Index Russell 2000®
Index
Nasdaq-100
Index®
Hypothetical starting level: 100.00 100.00 100.00
Hypothetical lowest closing level during final observation period: 95.00 80.00 90.00
Hypothetical ending level: 135.00 145.00 125.00
Hypothetical coupon threshold level: 70.00 70.00 70.00
Hypothetical downside threshold level: 60.00 60.00 60.00
Lowest performance factor during final observation period (lowest closing level during final observation period divided by starting level): 95.00% 80.00% 90.00%
Performance factor on final calculation day (ending level divided by starting level): 135.00% 145.00% 125.00%

 

Step 1: Determine which Index is the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day.

 

In this example, the Nasdaq-100 Index® has the lowest performance factor on the final calculation day and is, therefore, the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day.

 

Step 2: Determine the maturity payment amount based on the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day.

 

Since the hypothetical ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is greater than its hypothetical downside threshold level, the maturity payment amount would equal the face amount. Although the hypothetical ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is significantly greater than its hypothetical starting level in this scenario, the maturity payment amount will not exceed the face amount.

 

In addition to any contingent coupon payments received during the term of the securities, on the stated maturity date you would receive $1,000 per security. In addition, because the hypothetical ending level of the lowest performing Index on each eligible trading day during the final observation period is greater than its coupon threshold level, you would receive a final contingent coupon payment on the stated maturity date.

 

 PRS-18 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Example 2. The closing level of the lowest performing Index on at least one eligible trading day during the final observation period is less than its coupon threshold level, and the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is less than its starting level but greater than its downside threshold level. As a result, the maturity payment amount is equal to the face amount of your securities at maturity, but you will not receive a final contingent coupon payment:

 

  S&P 500® Index Russell 2000®
Index
Nasdaq-100
Index®
Hypothetical starting level: 100.00 100.00 100.00
Hypothetical lowest closing level during final observation period: 65.00 80.00 95.00
Hypothetical ending level: 80.00 90.00 110.00
Hypothetical coupon threshold level: 70.00 70.00 70.00
Hypothetical downside threshold level: 60.00 60.00 60.00
Lowest performance factor during final observation period (lowest closing level during final observation period divided by starting level): 65.00% 80.00% 95.00%
Performance factor on final calculation day (ending level divided by starting level): 80.00% 90.00% 110.00%

 

Step 1: Determine which Index is the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day.

 

In this example, the S&P 500® Index has the lowest performance factor on the final calculation day and is, therefore, the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day.

 

Step 2: Determine the maturity payment amount based on the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day.

 

Since the hypothetical ending level of the lowest performing Index is less than its hypothetical starting level, but not by more than 40%, you would receive the face amount of your securities at maturity.

 

In addition to any contingent coupon payments received during the term of the securities, on the stated maturity date you would receive $1,000.00 per security, but no final contingent coupon payment since the hypothetical closing level of the lowest performing Index on at least one eligible trading day during the final observation period was less than its coupon threshold level. This is the case even though the closing levels of the better performing Indices were greater than their respective coupon threshold levels on every eligible trading day during the relevant observation period, and even though the ending level of the S&P 500® Index was greater than its coupon threshold level.

 

Example 3. The ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is less than its coupon threshold level and its downside threshold level, the maturity payment amount is less than the face amount of your securities at maturity and you do not receive a contingent coupon payment at maturity:

 

  S&P 500®
Index
Russell
2000® Index
Nasdaq-100
Index®
Hypothetical starting level: 100.00 100.00 100.00
Hypothetical lowest closing level during final observation period: 105.00 45.00 85.00
Hypothetical ending level: 90.00 45.00 80.00
Hypothetical coupon threshold level: 70.00 70.00 70.00
Hypothetical downside threshold level: 60.00 60.00 60.00
Lowest performance factor during final observation period (lowest closing level during final observation period divided by starting level): 105.00% 45.00% 85.00%
Performance factor on final calculation day (ending level divided by starting level): 90.00% 45.00% 80.00%

 

Step 1: Determine which Index is the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day.

 

In this example, the Russell 2000® Index has the lowest performance factor on the final calculation day and is, therefore, the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day.

 

Step 2: Determine the maturity payment amount based on the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day.

 

Since the hypothetical ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is less than its hypothetical starting level by more than 40%, you would lose a portion of the face amount of your securities and receive the maturity payment amount equal to $450.00 per security, calculated as follows:

 

= $1,000 × performance factor of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day

 

 PRS-19 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

= $1,000 × 45.00%

 

= $450.00

 

In addition to any contingent coupon payments received prior to the stated maturity date, on the stated maturity date you would receive $450.00 per security, but no final contingent coupon payment since the hypothetical closing level of the lowest performing Index on at least one eligible trading day during the final observation period was less than its coupon threshold level.

 

These examples illustrate that you will not participate in any appreciation of any Index, but will be fully exposed to a decrease in the lowest performing Index if the ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day is less than its downside threshold level, even if the ending levels of the other Indices have appreciated or have not declined below their respective downside threshold level.

 

To the extent that the starting level, coupon threshold level, downside threshold level and ending level of the lowest performing Index on the final calculation day differ from the values assumed above, the results indicated above would be different.

 

 PRS-20 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

The S&P 500® Index

 

The S&P 500® Index is an equity index that is intended to provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price movement in the large capitalization segment of the United States equity market.

 

In addition, information about the S&P 500® Index may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, the S&P 500® Index sponsor’s website (including information regarding the S&P 500® Index’s sector weightings). We are not incorporating by reference into this pricing supplement the website or any material it includes. Neither we nor the agent makes any representation that such publicly available information regarding the S&P 500® Index is accurate or complete.

 

Historical Information

 

We obtained the closing levels of the S&P 500® Index in the graph below from Bloomberg Professional® service (“Bloomberg”), without independent verification.

 

The following graph sets forth daily closing levels of the S&P 500® for the period from January 1, 2019 to April 25, 2024. The closing level on April 25, 2024 was 5,048.42. The historical performance of the S&P 500® Index should not be taken as an indication of the future performance of the S&P 500® Index during the term of the securities.

 

 

We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg and have not undertaken an independent review or due diligence. The historical performance of the S&P 500® Index should not be taken as an indication of its future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the closing level of the S&P 500® Index during an observation period or its ending level. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the S&P 500® Index will result in any positive return on your investment.

 

 PRS-21 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

The S&P 500® Index ("SPX")

 

The SPX measures the performance of the large-cap segment of the U.S. market. The calculation of the level of the SPX is based on the relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average market value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943.

 

S&P calculates the SPX by reference to the prices of the constituent stocks of the SPX without taking account of the value of dividends paid on those stocks. As a result, the return on the securities will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the SPX constituent stocks and received the dividends paid on those stocks.

 

Additional information regarding the SPX may be obtained from the SPX website: https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/sp-500/. We are not incorporating by reference the website or any material it includes in this document.

 

Eligibility Criteria

 

Stocks must meet the following eligibility factors to be considered eligible for the SPX:

 

Domicile. The issuer of the security must be a U.S.-domiciled company. The incorporation and/or registration, operational headquarters location and primary stock exchange listing are the principal factors determining country of domicile. Other factors considered include the geographic breakdown of revenue and assets, ownership information, location of officers, directors and employees, investor perception and other factors deemed to be relevant by the Index Committee. All final domicile determinations are subject to review by the Index Committee.

 

Security Filing Type. The company issuing the security satisfies the Securities Exchange Act's periodic reporting obligations by filing certain required forms for domestic issuers, such as but not limited to: Form 10-K annual reports, Form 10-Q quarterly reports and Form 8-K current reports.

 

Exchange Listing. The security must have a primary listing on one of the following U.S. exchanges: NYSE; Nasdaq Capital Market; NYSE Arca; Cboe BZX; NYSE American; Cboe BYX; Nasdaq Global Select Market; Cboe EDGA; Nasdaq Select Market; and Cboe EDGX. Over-the-counter (OTC) markets including Pink Open Market, do not satisfy this criterion.

 

Organizational Structure and Share Type. The issuer of the security must be a corporation (including equity and mortgage REITs) and the security must be common stock (i.e., shares). The following organizational structures and share types do not satisfy this criterion: business development companies; preferred stock; limited partnerships; convertible preferred stock; master limited partnerships; unit trusts; limited liability companies; equity warrants; closed-end funds; convertible bonds; exchange-traded funds; investment trusts; exchange-traded notes; rights; royalty trusts; American depositary receipts; and special purpose acquisition companies.

 

Tracking Stocks. Tracking stocks are not eligible for inclusion.

 

Multiple Share Classes. Effective with the September 2015 rebalance, consolidated share class lines will no longer be included in the SPX. Each share class line will be subject to public float and liquidity criteria individually, but the company’s total market capitalization will be used to evaluate each share class line. This may result in one listed share class line of a company being included in the SPX while a second listed share class line of the same company is excluded.

 

Market Capitalization. In order for a security to be eligible, the issuer of the security must have a total market capitalization of $15.8 billion or more.

 

Investable Weight Factor (IWF). A security must have an IWF of at least 0.10 as of the rebalancing effective date. The IWF is calculated by dividing the available float shares by the total shares outstanding. Available float shares are defined as the total shares outstanding less shares held by control holders (i.e., shareholder who purchase shares for control and not investment). Control holders generally include, but are not limited to: officers and directors; private equity, venture capital and special equity firms; asset managers and insurance companies with direct board of director representation; shares held by another publicly traded company; holders of restricted shares; company-sponsored employee share plans/trusts, defined contribution plans/savings and investment plans; foundations or family trusts associated with the company; government entities at all levels except government retirement/pension funds; sovereign wealth funds; and any individual person listed as a 5% or greater stakeholder in a company as reported in regulatory filings (a 5% threshold is used as detailed information on holders and their relationship to the company is generally not available for holders below that threshold). In addition, treasury stock, stock options, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock and rights are not part of the float. In most cases, an IWF is reported to the nearest one percentage point. This calculation is subject to a 5% minimum threshold for control blocks. For example, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares and no other control group holds 5% of the company’s shares, the index sponsor would assign that company an IWF of 1.00, as no control group meets the 5% threshold. However, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares and another control group holds 20% of the company’s shares, the index sponsor would assign an IWF of 0.77, reflecting the fact that 23% of the company’s outstanding shares are considered to be held for control.

 

Liquidity. The security must trade a minimum of 250,000 shares in each of the six months leading up to the evaluation date and have a float-adjusted liquidity ratio (defined as the annual dollar value traded divided by the float-adjusted market capitalization) greater than or equal to 0.75 at the time of addition to the SPX. Current constituents have no minimum requirement.

 

 PRS-22 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Financial Viability. The sum of the most recent four consecutive quarters’ Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) earnings (net income excluding discontinued operations) should be positive, as should the most recent quarter. For equity real estate investment trusts (REITs), financial viability is based on GAAP earnings and/or Funds From Operations (FFO), if reported. For IPOs, the company must be traded on an eligible exchange for at least twelve months (for former SPACs, the index sponsor considers the de-SPAC transaction to be an event equivalent to an IPO, and twelve months of trading post the de-SPAC event are required before a former SPAC can be considered for inclusion in the SPX. Spin-offs or in-specie distributions from existing constituents do not need to be traded on an eligible exchange for twelve months prior to their inclusion in the SPX).

 

Index Construction

 

Index constituents are selected from the S&P Total Market Index, which measures the performance of the broad U.S. market and includes all eligible U.S. common equities. Constituent selection is at the discretion of the Index Committee and is based on the eligibility criteria. The SPX has a fixed constituent count of 500. Sector balance, as measured by a comparison of each Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS®) sector’s weight in the SPX with its weight in the S&P Total Market Index, in the relevant market capitalization range, is also considered in the selection of companies for the SPX.

 

The SPX is weighted by float-adjusted market capitalization. Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the SPX reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not all of a company’s outstanding shares. Float adjustment excludes shares that are closely held by control holders.

 

Index Calculation

 

The SPX is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology. The level of the SPX reflects the total market value of all 500 component stocks relative to the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. An indexed number is used to represent the results of this calculation in order to make the level easier to use and track over time. The actual total market value of the component stocks during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 has been set to an indexed level of 10. This is often indicated by the notation 1941-43 = 10. In practice, the daily calculation of the SPX is computed by dividing the total market value of the component stocks by the “index divisor.” By itself, the index divisor is an arbitrary number. However, in the context of the calculation of the SPX, it serves as a link to the original base period level of the SPX. The index divisor keeps the SPX comparable over time and is the manipulation point for all adjustments to the SPX, which is explained further in the section "Index Maintenance" below.

 

Index Maintenance

 

Changes to index composition are made on an as-needed basis. There is no scheduled reconstitution. Rather, changes in response to corporate actions and market developments can be made at any time. Index additions and deletions are announced with at least three business days advance notice. Less than three business days’ notice may be given at the discretion of the Index Committee.

 

Index maintenance includes monitoring and completing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, share changes, stock splits, stock dividends and stock price adjustments due to company restructuring or spinoffs. Some corporate actions, such as stock splits and stock dividends, require changes in the common shares outstanding and the stock prices of the companies in the SPX and do not require index divisor adjustments.

 

To prevent the level of the SPX from changing due to corporate actions, corporate actions which affect the total market value of the SPX require an index divisor adjustment. By adjusting the index divisor for the change in market value, the level of the SPX remains constant and does not reflect the corporate actions of individual companies in the SPX. Index divisor adjustments are made after the close of trading and after the calculation of the SPX closing level.

 

Share counts are updated to the latest publicly available filings on a quarterly basis. IWF changes will only be made at the quarterly review if the change represents at least 5% of total current shares outstanding and is related to a single corporate action that did not qualify for the accelerated implementation rule, regardless of whether there is an associated share change. Certain mandatory actions, such as M&A driven share/IWF changes, stock splits and mandatory distributions, are implemented when they occur and not subject to a minimum threshold for implementation. Material share/IWF changes resulting from certain non-mandatory corporate actions follow the accelerated implementation rule.

 

Accelerated Implementation Rule

 

Public offerings. Public offerings of new company-issued shares and/or existing shares offered by selling shareholders, including block sales and spot secondaries, will be eligible for accelerated implementation treatment if the size of the event meets the materiality threshold criteria: (a) at least $150 million and (b) at least 5% of the pre-event total shares. In addition to the materiality threshold, public offerings must be underwritten, have a publicly available prospectus, offering document, or prospectus summary filed with the relevant authorities and have a publicly available confirmation from an official source that the offering has been completed. For public offerings that involve a concurrent combination of new company shares and existing shares offered by selling shareholders, both events are implemented if either of the public offerings represent at least 5% of total shares and US $150 million. Any concurrent share repurchase by the affected company will also be included in the implementation.

 

Dutch Auctions, Self-tender Offer Buybacks and Split-off Exchange Offers. These non-mandatory corporate action types will be eligible for accelerated implementation treatment regardless of size once the final results are publicly announced and verified by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (the "index sponsor").

 

For non-mandatory corporate actions subject to the accelerated implementation rule with a size of at least $1 billion, the index sponsor will apply the share change, and any resulting IWF change, using the latest share and ownership information publicly available at the time of the announcement, even if the offering size is below the 5% threshold.

 

 PRS-23 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

All non-mandatory events not covered by the accelerated implementation rule (including but not limited to private placements, acquisition of private companies and conversion of non-index share lines) will be implemented quarterly coinciding with the third Friday of the third month in each calendar quarter.

 

Accelerated implementation for events less than $1 billion will include an adjustment to the company’s IWF only to the extent that such an IWF change helps the new float share total mimic the shares available in the offering. To minimize unnecessary turnover, these IWF changes do not need to meet any minimum threshold requirement for implementation. Any IWF change resulting in an IWF of 0.96 or greater is rounded up to 1.00 at the next annual IWF review.

 

Index Governance

 

In addition to its daily governance of the SPX, at least once within any 12-month period, the Index Committee reviews its methodology to ensure the SPX continues to achieve its stated objectives and that the data and methodology remain effective. In certain instances, S&P Dow Jones Indices may publish a consultation inviting comments from external parties.

 

License Agreement

 

S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”). These trademarks have been licensed for use by S&P. “Standard & Poor’s®”, “S&P 500®” and “S&P®” are trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC. These trademarks have been sublicensed for certain purposes by us. The SPX is a product of S&P and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by us. The securities are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the holders of the securities or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the securities particularly or the ability of the SPX to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to us with respect to the SPX is the licensing of the SPX and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its third party licensors. The SPX is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to us or the securities. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation to take our needs or the needs of holders of the securities into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the SPX. S&P Dow Jones Indices are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of the securities or the timing of the issuance or sale of the securities or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the securities are to be converted into cash. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the securities. There is no assurance that investment products based on the SPX will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and its subsidiaries are not investment advisors. Inclusion of a security or futures contract within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security or futures contract, nor is it considered to be investment advice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the securities currently being issued by us, but which may be similar to and competitive with the securities. In addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the SPX. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the securities.

 

S&P DOW JONES INDICES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE SPX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY US, HOLDERS OF THE SECURITIES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE SPX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND US, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.

 

 PRS-24 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

The Russell 2000® Index

 

The Russell 2000® Index is an equity index that is intended to track the performance of the small capitalization segment of the U.S. equity market.

 

In addition, information about the Russell 2000® Index may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, the Russell 2000® Index sponsor’s website (including information regarding the Russell 2000® Index‘s sector weightings). We are not incorporating by reference into this pricing supplement the website or any material it includes. Neither we nor the agent makes any representation that such publicly available information regarding the Russell 2000® Index is accurate or complete.

 

Historical Information

 

We obtained the closing levels of the Russell 2000® Index in the graph below from Bloomberg, without independent verification.

 

The following graph sets forth daily closing levels of the Russell 2000® Index for the period from January 1, 2019 to April 25, 2024. The closing level on April 25, 2024 was 1,981.118. The historical performance of the Russell 2000® Index should not be taken as an indication of the future performance of the Russell 2000® Index during the term of the securities.

 

 

We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg and have not undertaken an independent review or due diligence. The historical performance of the Russell 2000® should not be taken as an indication of its future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the closing level of the Russell 2000® during an observation period or its ending level. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the Russell 2000® Index will result in any positive return on your investment.

 

 PRS-25 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Russell 2000® Index ("RTY")

 

The RTY was developed by Russell Investments (“Russell”) before FTSE International Limited and Russell combined in 2015 to create FTSE Russell, which is wholly owned by London Stock Exchange Group. Russell began dissemination of the RTY (Bloomberg L.P. index symbol “RTY”) on January 1, 1984. FTSE Russell calculates and publishes the RTY. The RTY was set to 135 as of the close of business on December 31, 1986. The RTY is designed to track the performance of the small capitalization segment of the U.S. equity market. As a subset of the Russell 3000® Index, the RTY consists of the smallest 2,000 companies included in the Russell 3000® Index. The Russell 3000® Index measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies, representing approximately 96% of the investable U.S. equity market. The RTY is determined, comprised, and calculated by FTSE Russell without regard to the securities.

 

Selection of Stocks Underlying the RTY

 

All companies eligible for inclusion in the RTY must be classified as a U.S. company under FTSE Russell’s country-assignment methodology. If a company is incorporated, has a stated headquarters location, and trades on a standard exchange in the same country (American Depositary Receipts and American Depositary Shares are not eligible), then the company is assigned to its country of incorporation. If any of the three factors are not the same, FTSE Russell defines three Home Country Indicators (“HCIs”): country of incorporation, country of headquarters, and country of the most liquid exchange (as defined by a two-year average daily dollar trading volume) from all exchanges within a country. Using the HCIs, FTSE Russell compares the primary location of the company’s assets with the three HCIs. If the primary location of its assets matches any of the HCIs, then the company is assigned to the primary location of its assets. If there is insufficient information to determine the country in which the company’s assets are primarily located, FTSE Russell will use the country from which the company’s revenues are primarily derived for the comparison with the three HCIs in a similar manner. FTSE Russell uses the average of two years of assets or revenues data to reduce potential turnover. If conclusive country details cannot be derived from assets or revenues data, FTSE Russell will assign the company to the country of its headquarters, which is defined as the address of the company’s principal executive offices, unless that country is a Benefit Driven Incorporation “BDI” country, in which case the company will be assigned to the country of its most liquid stock exchange. BDI countries include: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Cook Islands, Curacao, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Panama, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Turks and Caicos Islands. For any companies incorporated or headquartered in a U.S. territory, including Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands, a U.S. HCI is assigned. If a company is designated as a Chinese N share, it will not be considered eligible for inclusion.

 

All securities eligible for inclusion in the RTY must trade on a major U.S. exchange. Stocks must have a closing price at or above $1.00 on their primary exchange on the “rank day”, which is the last business day of April. However, in order to reduce unnecessary turnover, if an existing member’s closing price is less than $1.00 on the rank day, it will be considered eligible if the average of the daily closing prices (from its primary exchange) during the 30 days prior to the rank date is equal to or greater than $1.00. Initial public offerings are added each quarter and must have a closing price at or above $1.00 on the last day of their eligibility period in order to qualify for index inclusion. If an existing stock does not trade on the rank day, it must have a closing price at or above $1.00 on another eligible U.S. exchange to remain eligible for inclusion.

 

An important criterion used to determine the list of securities eligible for the RTY is total market capitalization, which is defined as the market price as of the rank day for those securities being considered at annual reconstitution times the total number of shares outstanding. Where applicable, common stock, non-restricted exchangeable shares and partnership units/membership interests are used to determine market capitalization. Any other form of shares such as preferred stock, convertible preferred stock, redeemable shares, participating preferred stock, warrants, rights, installment receipts or trust receipts, are excluded from the calculation. If multiple share classes of common stock exist, they are combined to determine total shares outstanding. If multiple classes of common stock exist, they are combined to determine total shares outstanding. In cases where the common stock share classes act independently of each other (e.g., tracking stocks), each class is considered for inclusion separately.

 

Companies with a total market capitalization of less than $30 million are not eligible for the RTY. Similarly, companies with only 5% or less of their shares available in the marketplace are not eligible for the RTY. Royalty trusts, U.S. limited liability companies, closed-end investment companies (companies that are required to report acquired fund fees and expenses, as defined by the SEC, including business development companies), blank check companies, special purpose acquisition companies, and limited partnerships are also ineligible for inclusion. Exchange traded funds and mutual funds are also excluded. Bulletin board, pink sheets, and over-the-counter traded securities are not eligible for inclusion.

 

Annual reconstitution is a process by which the RTY is completely rebuilt. Based on closing levels of the company’s common stock on its primary exchange on the rank day, all eligible securities are ranked by their total market capitalization. Reconstitution of the RTY occurs on the fourth Friday in June. In addition, FTSE Russell adds initial public offerings to the RTY on a quarterly basis based on total market capitalization ranking within the market-adjusted capitalization breaks established during the most recent reconstitution.

 

After membership is determined, a security’s shares are adjusted to include only those shares available to the public. This is often referred to as “free float.” The purpose of the adjustment is to exclude from market calculations the capitalization that is not available for purchase and is not part of the investable opportunity set.

 

License Agreement

 

FTSE Russell and the Bank have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement providing for the license to the Bank, and certain of its affiliates, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use indices owned and published by FTSE Russell in connection with some securities, including the securities. The license agreement provides that the following language must be stated in this document.

 

 PRS-26 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

FTSE Russell does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the RTY or any data included in the RTY and has no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions in the RTY. FTSE Russell makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the calculation agent, holders of the securities, or any other person or entity from the use of the RTY or any data included in the RTY in connection with the rights licensed under the license agreement described in this document or for any other use. FTSE Russell makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the RTY or any data included in the RTY. Without limiting any of the above information, in no event will FTSE Russell have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect or consequential damages, including lost profits, even if notified of the possibility of these damages.

 

The securities are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FTSE Russell. FTSE Russell makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the securities or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the securities particularly or the ability of the RTY to track general stock market performance or a segment of the same. FTSE Russell’s publication of the RTY in no way suggests or implies an opinion by FTSE Russell as to the advisability of investment in any or all of the stocks upon which the RTY is based. FTSE Russell's only relationship to the Bank is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of FTSE Russell and of the RTY, which is determined, composed and calculated by FTSE Russell without regard to the Bank or the securities. FTSE Russell is not responsible for and has not reviewed the securities nor any associated literature or publications and FTSE Russell makes no representation or warranty express or implied as to their accuracy or completeness, or otherwise. FTSE Russell reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate or in any way change the RTY. FTSE Russell has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the securities.

 

“Russell 2000®” and “Russell 3000®” are registered trademarks of FTSE Russell in the U.S. and other countries.

 

 PRS-27 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

The Nasdaq-100 Index®

 

The Nasdaq-100 Index® is a modified market capitalization-weighted index of the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market.

 

In addition, information about the Nasdaq-100 Index® may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, the Nasdaq-100 Index® sponsor’s website (including information regarding the Nasdaq-100 Index®’s sector weightings). We are not incorporating by reference into this pricing supplement the website or any material it includes. Neither we nor the agent makes any representation that such publicly available information regarding the Nasdaq-100 Index® is accurate or complete.

 

Historical Information

 

We obtained the closing levels of the Nasdaq-100 Index® in the graph below from Bloomberg, without independent verification.

 

The following graph sets forth daily closing levels of the Nasdaq-100 Index® for the period from January 1, 2019 to April 25, 2024. The closing level on April 25, 2024 was 17,430.50. The historical performance of the Nasdaq-100 Index® should not be taken as an indication of the future performance of the Nasdaq-100 Index® during the term of the securities.

 

 

We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg and have not undertaken an independent review or due diligence. The historical performance of the Nasdaq-100 Index® should not be taken as an indication of its future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the closing level of the Nasdaq-100 Index® during an observation period or its ending level. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the Nasdaq-100 Index® will result in any positive return on your investment.

 

 PRS-28 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Nasdaq-100 Index® ("NDX")

 

The Nasdaq-100 Index® ("NDX") is a modified market capitalization-weighted index of the 100 largest non-financial stocks that have their primary U.S. listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market. The NDX excludes securities of companies assigned to the Financials industry according to the Industry Classification Benchmark. The NDX was launched on January 31, 1985, with a base index value of 250.00. On January 1, 1994, the base index value was reset to 125.00. The Nasdaq, Inc. (“index sponsor”) publishes the NDX.

 

Security Eligibility Criteria

 

To be eligible for initial inclusion in the NDX, a security must meet the following criteria:

 

·the security must generally be a common stock, ordinary share, American Depositary Receipt ("ADR"), or tracking stock. Companies organized as real estate investment trusts are not eligible for index inclusion. If the security is an ADR, then references to the “issuer” are references to the underlying security and the total shares outstanding is the actual ADRs outstanding as reported by the depositary banks. If an issuer has listed multiple security classes, all security classes are eligible, subject to meeting all other security eligibility criteria;

 

·the security’s primary U.S. listing must exclusively be listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market;

 

·if the security is issued by an issuer organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the United States, it must have listed options on a registered options market in the United States or be eligible for listed-options trading on a registered options market in the United States;

 

·the security must be issued by a non-financial company (any industry other than Financials) according to the Industry Classification Benchmark;

 

·the security must have a minimum average daily trading volume of 200,000 shares s (measured over the three calendar months ending with the month that includes the reconstitution reference date);

 

·the security must have traded for at least three full calendar months, not including the month of initial listing, on an “eligible exchange,” which includes Nasdaq (Nasdaq Global Select Market, Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq Capital Market), NYSE, NYSE American or CBOE BZX. Eligibility is determined as of the constituent selection reference date, and includes that month. A security that was added to the NDX as a result of a spin-off event will be exempt from this requirement;

 

·the security may not be issued by an issuer currently in bankruptcy proceedings; and

 

·the issuer of the security generally may not have entered into a definitive agreement or other arrangement that would make it ineligible for NDX inclusion and where the transaction is imminent as determined by the Index Management Committee.

 

There is no market capitalization eligibility or float eligibility criterion.

 

Constituent Selection Process

 

The index sponsor selects constituents once annually in December. The security eligibility criteria are applied using market data as of the end of October and total shares outstanding as of the end of November. All eligible issuers, ranked by market capitalization, are considered for the NDX inclusion based on the following order of criteria.

 

·The top 75 ranked issuers will be selected for inclusion in the NDX.

 

·Any other issuers that were already members of the NDX as of the reconstitution reference date and are ranked within the top 100 are also selected for inclusion in the NDX.

 

·In the event that fewer than 100 issuers pass the first two criteria, the remaining positions will first be filled, in rank order, by issuers currently in the index ranked in positions 101-125 that were ranked in the top 100 at the previous reconstitution or replacement-or spin-off-issuers added since the previous reconstitution. In the event that fewer than 100 issuers pass the first three criteria, the remaining positions will be filled, in rank order, by any issuers ranked in the top 100 that were not already members of the NDX as of the reconstitution reference date.

 

Index reconstitutions are announced in early December and become effective after the close of trading on the third Friday in December.

 

Constituent Weighting

 

The NDX is rebalanced on a quarterly basis in March, June, September and December and index weights are announced in early March, June, September and December.

 

Quarterly weight adjustment

 

The NDX’s quarterly weight adjustment employs a two-stage weight adjustment scheme according to issuer-level constraints.

 

 PRS-29 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Index securities’ initial weights are determined using up to two calculations of market capitalization: Total shares outstanding-derived market capitalization and index share-derived market capitalization. Total shares outstanding-derived market capitalization is defined as a security’s last sale price times its total shares outstanding. Index share-derived market capitalization is defined as a security’s last sale price times its updated index shares as of the prior month end. Both total shares outstanding-derived market capitalization and index share-derived market capitalization can be used to calculate total shares outstanding-derived index weights and index share-derived initial weights by dividing each index security’s total shares outstanding-derived market capitalization or index share-derived market capitalization by the aggregate total shares outstanding-derived market capitalization or index share-derived market capitalization of all index securities.

 

When the rebalance coincides with the reconstitution, only total shares outstanding-derived initial weights are used. When the rebalance does not coincide with the reconstitution, index share-derived initial weights are used when doing so results in no weight adjustment; otherwise, total shares outstanding-derived initial weights are used in both stages of the weight adjustment procedure. Issuer weights are the aggregated weights of the issuers’ respective index securities.

 

Stage 1

 

If no initial issuer weight exceeds 24%, initial weights are used as Stage 1 weights; otherwise, initial weights are adjusted to meet the following Stage 1 constraint, producing the Stage 1 weights:

 

·No issuer weight may exceed 20% of the index.

 

Stage 2

 

If the aggregate weight of the subset of issuers whose Stage 1 weights exceed 4.5% does not exceed 48%, Stage 1 weights are used as final weights; otherwise, Stage 1 weights are adjusted to meet the following Stage 2 constraint, producing the final weights:

 

·The aggregate weight of the subset of issuers whose Stage 1 weights exceed 4.5% is set to 40%.

 

Annual weight adjustment

 

The NDX’s annual weight adjustment employs a two-stage weight adjustment scheme according to security-level constraints.

 

Index securities’ initial weights are determined via the quarterly weight adjustment procedure.

 

Stage 1

 

If no initial security weight exceeds 15%, initial weights are used as Stage 1 weights; otherwise, initial weights are adjusted to meet the following Stage 1 constraint, producing the Stage 1 weights:

 

·No security weight may exceed 14% of the index.

 

Stage 2

 

If the aggregate weight of the subset of index securities with the five largest market capitalizations is less than 40%, Stage 1 weights are used as final weights; otherwise, Stage 1 weights are adjusted to meet the following constraints, producing the final weights:

 

·The aggregate weight of the subset of index securities with the five largest market capitalizations is set to 38.5%.
·No security with a market capitalization outside the largest five may have a final index weight exceeding the lesser of 4.4% or the final index weight of the index security ranked fifth by market capitalization.

 

Special rebalance schedule

 

A special rebalance may be conducted at any time based on the weighting restrictions described above if it is determined to be necessary to maintain the integrity of the NDX.

 

Index Calculation

 

The NDX is a modified market capitalization-weighted index. The level of the NDX equals the index market value divided by the divisor. The index market value is the sum of each index security's market value, as may be adjusted for any corporate actions. An index security’s market value is determined by multiplying the last sale price by the number of shares of the index security represented in the NDX. The NDX is a price return index, which means that the NDX reflects changes in market value of the index securities and does not reflect regular cash dividends paid on those index securities.

 

 PRS-30 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

If an index security does not trade on the relevant Nasdaq exchange on a given day or the relevant Nasdaq exchange has not opened for trading, the previous index calculation day’s closing price for the index security (adjusted for corporate actions occurring prior to market open on the current day, if any) is used. If an index security is halted during the trading day, the most recent last sale price is used until trading resumes. For securities where the Nasdaq Stock Market is the relevant Nasdaq exchange, the last sale price may be the Nasdaq Official Closing Price when it is closed.

 

The divisor is calculated as the ratio of (i) the start of day market value of the NDX divided by (ii) the previous day market value of the NDX. The index divisor is adjusted to ensure that changes in an index security’s price or shares either by corporate actions or index participation which occur outside of trading hours do not affect the index level. An index divisor change occurs after the close of the NDX.

 

Index Maintenance

 

Deletion Policy

 

If, at any time other than an index reconstitution, the index sponsor determines that an index security is ineligible for index inclusion, the index security is removed as soon as practicable. This may include:

 

·Listing on an ineligible index exchange;

 

·Merger, acquisition, or other major corporate event that would adversely impact the integrity of the NDX;

 

·If a company is organized as a real estate investment trust;

 

·If an index security is classified as a financial company (Financials industry) according to the Industry Classification Benchmark;

 

·if the issuer has an adjusted market capitalization below 0.10% of the aggregate adjusted market capitalization of the NDX for two consecutive month ends; and

 

·If a security that was added to the NDX as the result of a spin-off event has an adjusted market capitalization below 0.10% of the aggregate adjusted market capitalization of the NDX at the end of its second day of regular way trading as an index member.

 

In the case of mergers and acquisitions, the effective date for the removal of an index issuer or security will be largely event-based, with the goal to remove the issuer or security as soon as completion of the acquisition or merger has been deemed highly probable. Notable events include, but are not limited to, completion of various regulatory reviews, the conclusion of material lawsuits and/or shareholder and board approvals.

 

If at the time of the removal of the index issuer or security there is not sufficient time to provide advance notification of the replacement issuer or security so that both the removal and replacement can be effective on the same day, the index issuer or security being removed will be retained and persisted in the NDX calculations at its last sale price until the effective date of the replacement issuer or security’s entry to the NDX.

 

Securities that are added as a result of a spin-off may be deleted as soon as practicable after being added to the NDX. This may occur when the index sponsor determines that a security is ineligible for inclusion because of reasons such as ineligible exchange, security type, industry, or adjusted market capitalization. Securities that are added as a result of a spin-off may be maintained in the NDX until a later date and then removed, for example, if a spin-off security has liquidity characteristics that diverge materially from the security eligibility criteria and could affect the integrity of the NDX.

 

 

Replacement policy

 

Securities may be added to the NDX outside of the index reconstitution when there is a deletion. The index security (or all index securities under the same issuer, if appropriate) is replaced as soon as practicable if the issuer in its entirety is being deleted from the NDX. The issuer with the largest market capitalization and that meets all eligibility criteria as of the prior month end which is not in the NDX will replace the deleted Issuer. Issuers that are added as a result of a spin-off are not replaced until after they have been included in an index reconstitution.

 

For pending deletions set to occur soon after an index reconstitution and/or index rebalance effective date, the index sponsor may decide to remove the index security from the NDX in conjunction with the index reconstitution and/or index rebalance effective date.

 

Corporate actions

 

In the periods between scheduled index reconstitution and rebalancing events, individual index securities may be the subject to a variety of corporate actions and events that require maintenance and adjustments to the NDX, including special cash dividends, stock splits, stock dividends, bonus issues, reverse stock splits, rights offerings/issues, stock distributions of another security and spin-offs/de-mergers. Adjustments for corporate actions are made prior to market open on the effective date, ex-date, ex-dividend date or ex-distribution date of a given corporate action/event. In absence of one of those dates, there will be no adjustment to the NDX for such corporate action.

 

At the quarterly rebalancing, no changes are made to the NDX from the previous month end until the quarterly share change effective date, with the exception of corporate actions with an ex-date.

 

 PRS-31 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Index share adjustments

 

If a change in total shares outstanding arising from other corporate events is greater than or equal to 10%, an adjustment to index shares is made as soon as practicable after being sufficiently verified. If the change in total shares outstanding is less than 10%, then all such changes are accumulated and made effective at one time on a quarterly basis after the close of trading on the third Friday in each of March, June, September and December. The index shares are adjusted by the same percentage amount by which the total shares outstanding has changed.

 

License Agreement

 

The securities are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Nasdaq, Inc. or its affiliates (collectively, “Nasdaq”). Nasdaq has not passed on the legality or suitability of, or the accuracy or adequacy of descriptions and disclosures relating to, the securities. Nasdaq makes no representation or warranty, express or implied to the owners of the securities, or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the securities particularly, or the ability of the NDX to track general stock market performance. Nasdaq’s only relationship to us is in the licensing of the Nasdaq®, NDX trademarks or service marks, and certain trade names of Nasdaq and the use of the NDX which are determined, composed and calculated by Nasdaq without regard to us or the securities. Nasdaq has no obligation to take the needs of us or the owners of the securities into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the NDX. Nasdaq is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the securities to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the securities are to be converted into cash. Nasdaq has no liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the securities.

 

NASDAQ DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR UNINTERRUPTED CALCULATION OF THE NDX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NASDAQ MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE SECURITIES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE NDX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NASDAQ MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE NDX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL NASDAQ HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. NASDAQ®, NASDAQ 100® AND NASDAQ 100 INDEX® ARE TRADE OR SERVICE MARKS OF NASDAQ AND ARE INCENSED FOR USE BY US. THE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN PASSED ON BY NASDAQ AS TO THEIR LEGALITY OR SUITABILITY. THE SECURITIES ARE NOT ISSUED, ENDORSED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY NASDAQ. NASDAQ MAKES NO WARRANTIES AND BEARS NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE SECURITIES.

 

 PRS-32 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

United States Federal Tax Considerations

 

You should review carefully the section entitled “United States Federal Tax Considerations” in the accompanying product supplement. The following discussion, when read in combination with that section, constitutes the full opinion of our counsel, Ashurst LLP, regarding the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of the securities.

 

In the opinion of our counsel, Ashurst LLP, it is reasonable to treat the securities described in this pricing supplement as a pre-paid cash-settled contingent income-bearing derivative contract in respect of the Indices for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and by purchasing a security, you agree (in the absence of a change in law or an administrative or judicial ruling to the contrary) to treat the securities for all tax purposes in accordance with such characterization. Although the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the contingent coupon payments is uncertain, we intend to take the position, and the following discussion assumes, that such contingent coupon payments (including any contingent coupon payment on or with respect to the maturity date) constitute taxable ordinary income to a United States holder at the time received or accrued in accordance with the holder’s regular method of accounting. If the securities are treated as described above, it would be reasonable for a United States holder to take the position that it will recognize capital gain or loss upon the sale, maturity or other disposition of the securities in an amount equal to the difference between the amount a United States holder receives at such time (other than amounts properly attributable to any coupon payments, which would be treated, as described above, as ordinary income) and the United States holder’s tax basis in the securities. In general, a United States holder’s tax basis in the securities will be equal to the price the holder paid for the securities. Capital gain recognized by an individual United States holder is generally taxed at preferential rates where the property is held for more than one year and is generally taxed at ordinary income rates where the property is held for one year or less. The deductibility of capital losses may be subject to limitations.

 

Non-U.S. Holders. The following discussion applies to non-U.S. holders of the securities and to the extent inconsistent overrides the discussion entitled “United States Federal Tax Considerations” and “United States Federal Tax Considerations—Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders” in the accompanying product supplement. A non-U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of a security that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is a non-resident alien individual, a foreign corporation, or a foreign estate or trust.

 

The U.S. federal income tax treatment of the securities (including proper characterization of the contingent coupon payments for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is uncertain. We intend to withhold (or expect the applicable withholding agent will withhold) U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate in respect of the contingent coupon payments made to a non-U.S. holder. However, a reduced rate of withholding tax may be available for a non-U.S. holder under an applicable income tax treaty (but subject to withholding tax on dividend equivalent payments under Section 871(m) of the Code discussed below) and withholding tax will not apply if payments are effectively connected with the conduct by the non-U.S. holder of a trade or business in the United States (in which case, the non-U.S. holder will be required to provide a Form W-8ECI). We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of such withholding.

 

To claim benefits under an income tax treaty, a non-U.S. holder must obtain a taxpayer identification number and certify as to its eligibility under the appropriate treaty’s limitations on benefits article, if applicable. Certifications may generally be made on a Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E, or a substitute or successor form. In addition, special rules may apply to claims for treaty benefits made by corporate non- U.S. holders. A non-U.S. holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for refund with the Internal Revenue Service. The availability of a lower rate of withholding or an exemption from withholding under an applicable income tax treaty will depend on the proper characterization of the contingent coupon payments under U.S. federal income tax laws and whether such treaty rate or exemption applies to such contingent coupon payments. No assurance can be provided on the proper characterization of the contingent coupon payments for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, accordingly, no assurance can be provided on the availability of benefits under any income tax treaty. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors in this regard.

 

You will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain (other than amounts attributable to any contingent coupon payments) upon the sale or maturity of the securities, provided that (i) you comply with applicable certification requirements, which certification may be made on Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or a substitute or successor form) on which you certify, under penalties of perjury, that you are not a U.S. person and provide your name and address, (ii) your gain is not effectively connected with your conduct of a U.S. trade or business, and (iii) if you are a non-resident alien individual, you are not present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the sale or maturity of the securities. In the case of (ii) above, you generally would be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to any income or gain in the same manner as if you were a U.S. holder and, if you are a corporation, you may also be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30% (or such lower rate provided by an applicable U.S. income tax treaty) of a portion of your earnings and profits for the taxable year that are effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the U.S., subject to certain adjustments.

 

 PRS-33 

Market Linked Securities—Callable Securities with Contingent Coupon with Daily Observation and Contingent Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the Lowest Performing of the S&P 500® Index, the Russell 2000® Index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® due November 4, 2026

 

Under Section 871(m) of the Code, a “dividend equivalent” payment is treated as a dividend from sources within the United States. Such payments generally would be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax if paid to a non-U.S. holder. Under U.S. Treasury Department regulations, payments (including deemed payments) with respect to equity-linked instruments (“ELIs”) that are “specified ELIs” may be treated as dividend equivalents if such specified ELIs reference, directly or indirectly, an interest in an “underlying security,” which is generally any interest in an entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes if a payment with respect to such interest could give rise to a U.S. source dividend. However, the IRS has issued guidance that states that the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS intend to amend the effective dates of the U.S. Treasury Department regulations to provide that withholding on dividend equivalent payments will not apply to specified ELIs that are not delta-one instruments and that are issued before January 1, 2025. Based on our determination that the securities are not delta-one instruments, non-U.S. holders should not be subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments, if any, under the securities. However, it is possible that the securities could be treated as deemed reissued for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the occurrence of certain events affecting the market measures or the securities (for example, upon a rebalancing of an Index), and following such occurrence the securities could be treated as subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments. Non-U.S. holders that enter, or have entered, into other transactions in respect of an Index or the securities should consult their tax advisors as to the application of the dividend equivalent withholding tax in the context of the securities and their other transactions. If any payments are treated as dividend equivalents subject to withholding, we (or the applicable withholding agent) would be entitled to withhold taxes without being required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld.

 

In the event of any withholding on the securities, we, or the applicable withholding agent, will not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld.

 

 

PRS-34