The information in this Preliminary Pricing Supplement is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these Securities until the Pricing Supplement is delivered in final form. We are not selling these Securities, nor are we soliciting offers to buy these Securities, in any State where such offer or sale is not permitted.
PRELIMINARY PRICING SUPPLEMENT | Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2) |
Subject to Completion | Registration No. 333-228614 |
Dated April 6, 2021 |
Pricing Supplement dated April ●, 2021 to the
Prospectus dated December 26, 2018,
Prospectus Supplement dated November 19, 2020 and Product Prospectus Supplement (Equity Linked Index Notes, Series A) dated November 19, 2020
The Bank of Nova Scotia
$
Market Linked Securities – Auto-Callable with Contingent Coupon and Contingent Downside, Principal at Risk Securities
Linked to the Lowest Performing of the Russell 2000® Index, the S&P 500® Index and the EURO STOXX 50® Index Due April 29, 2025
The Market Linked Securities – Auto-Callable with Contingent Coupon and Contingent Downside, Principal at Risk Securities, Linked to the Lowest Performing of the Russell 2000® Index, the S&P 500® Index and the EURO STOXX 50® Index Due April 29, 2025 (the “Securities”) offered hereunder are senior unsecured debt obligations of the Bank and are subject to investment risks including possible loss of the Principal Amount invested due to the negative performance of the Reference Assets and the credit risk of the Bank. As used in this pricing supplement, the “Bank,” “we,” “us” or “our” refers to The Bank of Nova Scotia. The Securities are linked to the lowest performing of the Russell 2000® Index, the S&P 500® Index and the EURO STOXX 50® Index (each, a “Reference Asset” and together, the “Reference Assets”). The “Lowest Performing Reference Asset” on any Calculation Date will be the Reference Asset that has the lowest Percentage Change on that Calculation Date. The “Percentage Change” of a Reference Asset on any Calculation Date will be equal to the change in the Closing Level of such Reference Asset on such Calculation Date as compared to its Starting Level, expressed as a percentage of its Starting Level.
The Securities will not be listed on any securities exchange or automated quotation system.
Contingent Coupon. The Securities will pay a Contingent Coupon Payment on each Contingent Coupon Payment Date until the earlier of the Maturity Date or Call Settlement Date if, and only if, the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the related Calculation Date is greater than or equal to its Coupon Threshold Level. However, if the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on a Calculation Date 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 Reference Asset on every Calculation Date is less than its Coupon Threshold Level, you will not receive any Contingent Coupon Payments throughout the entire term of the Securities and you will not earn any positive return. The Coupon Threshold Level for each Reference Asset is equal to 70.00% of its Starting Level. The Contingent Coupon Rate will be determined on the pricing date and will be within the range of 6.25% to 7.25% per annum.
Automatic Call. If the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on any of the quarterly Calculation Dates from October 24, 2021 to January 24, 2025, inclusive, is greater than or equal to its Starting Level, we will automatically call the Securities for the Principal Amount plus the Contingent Coupon Payment applicable to that Calculation Date.
Potential Loss of Principal. If the Securities are not automatically called prior to the Maturity Date, the amount that you will be paid on your Securities at maturity will be based on the performance of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset from its Starting Level to its Closing Level on the Final Calculation Date (its “Ending Level”). If the Securities are not automatically called, you will receive the Principal Amount per Security at maturity if, and only if, the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset is greater than or equal to its Downside Threshold Level. However, if the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset is less than its Downside Threshold Level, you will have full downside exposure to the decrease in the level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset from its Starting Level to its Ending Level, and will lose more than 30.00%, and possibly all, of the Principal Amount at maturity.
Any payments on the Securities, including any Contingent Coupon Payments that become payable, are subject to our credit risk.
Your return on the Securities will depend solely on the performance of the Reference Asset that is the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on each Calculation Date. You will not benefit in any way form the performance of any better performing Reference Asset. Therefore, you will be adversely affected if any Reference Asset performs poorly, and such poor performance will not be offset or mitigated by positive or less negative performance by any other Reference Asset.
The difference between the estimated value of your Securities and the Original Offering Price reflects costs that the Bank expects to incur and profits that the Bank expects to realize in connection with hedging activities related to the Securities. These costs and profits will likely reduce the secondary market price, if any, at which the Underwriters are willing to purchase the Securities. The Underwriters may, but are not obligated to, purchase any Securities. As a result, you may experience an immediate and substantial decline in the market value of your Securities on the Trade Date and you may lose a substantial portion of your investment in the Securities. The Bank's profit in relation to the Securities will vary based on the difference between (i) the amounts received by the Bank in connection with the issuance and the reinvestment return received by the Bank in connection with such amounts and (ii) the costs incurred by the Bank in connection with the issuance of the Securities and the hedging transactions it effects. The Bank's affiliates or the Underwriters’ affiliates may also realize a profit from a hedging transaction with our affiliate and/or an affiliate of Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (“WFS”) in connection with your Securities as described under “The Bank’s Estimated Value of the Securities”.
The return on your Securities will relate to the price return of the Reference Assets and will not include a total return or dividend component. The Securities are derivative products based on the performance of the Reference Assets. The Securities do not constitute a direct investment in any of the shares, units or other securities represented by the Reference Assets. By acquiring Securities, you will not have any direct economic or other interest in, claim or entitlement to, or any legal or beneficial ownership of any such share, unit or security and will not have any rights as a shareholder, unitholder or other security holder of any of the issuers including, without limitation, any voting rights or rights to receive dividends or other distributions.
Neither the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the Securities or passed upon the accuracy or the adequacy of this document, the accompanying prospectus, prospectus supplement or product prospectus supplement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The Securities are not insured by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation pursuant to the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act (the “CDIC Act”) or the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency of Canada, the United States or any other jurisdiction.
Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., our affiliate, will purchase the Securities from us for distribution to other registered broker dealers including WFS or will offer the Securities directly to investors. Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. or any of its affiliates or agents may use this pricing supplement in market-making transactions in Securities after their initial sale. If you are buying Securities from Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. or another of its affiliates or agents, the final pricing supplement to which this pricing supplement relates may be used in a market-making transaction. See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” in this pricing supplement and on page PS-32 of the accompanying product prospectus supplement.
Per Security | Total | |
Price to public1 | 100.00% | $● |
Underwriting commissions2 | Up to 2.50% | $● |
Proceeds to The Bank of Nova Scotia3 | At least 97.50% | $● |
The Securities have complex features and investment in the Securities involves certain risks. You should refer to “Additional Risks” beginning on page P-21 in this pricing supplement and “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” beginning on page PS-5 of the accompanying product prospectus supplement and “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-2 of the accompanying prospectus supplement and on page 6 of the accompanying prospectus.
We will deliver the Securities in book-entry form through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) on the Original Issue Date against payment in immediately available funds.
Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. | Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. |
1 If the Securities priced today, the estimated value of the Securities as determined by the Bank would be between $900.00 (90.00%) and $925.30 (92.53%) per $1,000 Principal Amount of the Securities. See “The Bank's Estimated Value of the Securities” in this pricing supplement for additional information.
2 Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. or one of our affiliates will purchase the aggregate Principal Amount of the Securities and as part of the distribution, will sell the Securities to WFS at a discount of up to $25.00 (2.50%) per $1,000 Principal Amount of the Securities. WFS will provide selected dealers, which may include Wells Fargo Advisors (“WFA”, the trade name of the retail brokerage business of Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC), with a selling concession of up to $15.00 (1.50%) per $1,000 Principal Amount of the Securities, and WFA will receive a distribution expense fee of $0.75 (0.075%) per $1,000 Principal Amount of the Securities for Securities sold by WFA. In respect of certain Securities sold in this offering, we may pay a fee of up to $1.00 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. See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” in this pricing supplement for additional information.
3 Excludes any profits from hedging. For additional considerations relating to hedging activities see “Additional Risks—The Inclusion of Dealer Spread and Projected Profit from Hedging in the Original Offering Price is Likely to Adversely Affect Secondary Market Prices” in this pricing supplement.
Summary
The information in this “Summary” section is qualified by the more detailed information set forth in this pricing supplement, and the accompanying prospectus, prospectus supplement, and product prospectus supplement. See “Additional Terms of the Securities” in this pricing supplement.
Issuer: | The Bank of Nova Scotia (the “Bank”) |
Issue: | Senior Note Program, Series A |
CUSIP/ISIN: | 0641592B1 / US0641592B18 |
Type of Securities: | Market Linked Securities – Auto-Callable with Contingent Coupon and Contingent Downside, Principal at Risk Securities |
Reference Assets: | The Russell 2000® Index (Bloomberg Ticker: RTY), the S&P 500® Index (Bloomberg Ticker: SPX) and the EURO STOXX 50® Index (Bloomberg Ticker: SX5E). We may refer to the Russell 2000® Index as the “RTY”, the S&P 500® Index as the “SPX” and the EURO STOXX 50® Index as the “SX5E” herein. |
Sponsors: | With respect to RTY: FTSE Russell, with respect to SPX: S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and with respect to SX5E: STOXX Limited |
Minimum Investment and Denominations: | $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof |
Principal Amount: | $1,000 per Security |
Original Offering Price: | 100.00% of the Principal Amount of each Security |
Currency: | U.S. Dollars |
Pricing Date: | Expected to be April 29, 2021 |
Trade Date: | Expected to be April 29, 2021 |
Original Issue Date: | Expected to be May 4, 2021 (to be determined on the Trade Date and expected to be the 3rd scheduled Business Day after the Trade Date). We expect that delivery of the Securities will be made against payment therefor on or about the 3rd Business Day following the Trade Date (this settlement cycle being referred to as “T+3”). Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in 2 Business Days (T+2), unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the Securities on the Trade Date will be required, by virtue of the fact that each Security initially will settle in 3 Business Days (T+3), to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement. |
Maturity Date: | April 29, 2025 or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next succeeding Business Day. If the Final Calculation Date is postponed such that the last Final Calculation Date falls less than two Business Days prior to the scheduled Maturity Date, the Maturity Date will be postponed to the second Business Day following the last Final Calculation Date as postponed. |
Contingent Coupon Payment: | On each Contingent Coupon Payment Date, you will receive a Contingent Coupon Payment based on the Contingent Coupon Rate, which is a per annum rate if, and only if, the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the related Calculation Date is greater than or equal to its Coupon Threshold Level. Contingent Coupon Payments on the Securities are not guaranteed. If the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on a Calculation Date 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 Reference Asset is less than its Coupon Threshold Level on each Calculation Date, you will not receive any Contingent Coupon Payments over the term of the Securities and you will not earn any positive return. Each Contingent Coupon Payment, if any, will be calculated per Security as follows: ($1,000 × Contingent Coupon Rate) / 4. Any Contingent Coupon Payments will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent rounded upward. |
Contingent Coupon Rate: | 6.25% - 7.25% per annum, to be determined on the Pricing Date |
Calculation Dates: | Quarterly, on the 24th day of each January, April, July and October, commencing July 24, 2021 and ending April 24, 2025, each subject to postponement as described under “—Postponement of a Calculation Date” below. We refer to April 24, 2025 as the “Final Calculation Date”. |
Contingent Coupon Payment Dates: | Three business days after the applicable Calculation Date (as each such Calculation Date may be postponed pursuant to “—Postponement of a Calculation Date” below, if applicable); provided that the Contingent Coupon Payment Date for the Final Calculation Date is the Maturity Date. If a Contingent Coupon Payment Date is postponed, the Contingent Coupon Payment, if any, due on that Contingent Coupon Payment Date will be made on that Contingent Coupon Payment Date as so postponed with the same force and effect as if it had been made on the originally scheduled Contingent Coupon Payment Date, that is, with no additional amount accruing or payable as a result of the postponement. |
Coupon Threshold Level: | With respect to the RTY: [•] (70.00% of its Starting Level, to be set on the Trade Date) With respect to the SPX: [•] (70.00% of its Starting Level, to be set on the Trade Date) With respect to the SX5E: [•] (70.00% of its Starting Level, to be set on the Trade Date) |
Principal at Risk: | If the Securities are not automatically called and there is a percentage decrease in the Lowest Performing Reference Asset from its Starting Level to its Ending Level of more than 30.00%, you will be fully exposed to the decline of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset from its Starting Level. Under such circumstances, you will lose more than 30.00% and you may lose up to 100% of the Principal Amount of your Securities. |
Automatic Call Feature: | If the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on any of the quarterly Calculation Dates from October 24, 2021 to January 24, 2025, inclusive, is greater than or equal to its Starting Level, the Securities will be automatically called. On the related Call Settlement Date, you will be entitled to receive a cash payment per Security in U.S. dollars equal to the Principal Amount per Security plus the Contingent Coupon Payment applicable to the relevant Calculation Date. If the Securities are automatically called, they will cease to be outstanding on the related Call Settlement Date and you will have no further rights under the Securities after such Call Settlement Date. You will not receive any notice from us if the Securities are automatically called. |
Call Settlement Date: | Three business days after the applicable Calculation Date (as each such Calculation Date may be postponed pursuant to “—Postponement of a Calculation Date” herein, if applicable). |
Fees and Expenses: | Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. or one of our affiliates will purchase the aggregate Principal Amount of the Securities and as part of the distribution, will sell the Securities to WFS at a discount of up to $25.00 (2.50%) per $1,000 Principal Amount of the Securities. WFS will provide selected dealers, which may include Wells Fargo Advisors (“WFA”), with a selling concession of up to $15.00 (1.50%) per $1,000 Principal Amount of the Securities, and WFA will receive a distribution expense fee of $0.75 (0.075%) per $1,000 Principal Amount of the Securities for Securities sold by WFA. In addition, in respect of certain Securities sold in this offering, we may pay a fee of up to $1.00 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. The price at which you purchase the Securities includes costs that the Bank, the Underwriters or their respective affiliates expect to incur and profits that the Bank, the Underwriters or their respective affiliates expect to realize in connection with hedging activities related to the Securities, as set forth above. These costs and profits will likely reduce the secondary market price, if any secondary market develops, for the Securities. As a result, you may experience an immediate and substantial decline in the market value of your Securities on the Pricing Date. See “Additional Risks—The Inclusion of Dealer Spread and Projected Profit from Hedging in the Original Offering Price is Likely to Adversely Affect Secondary Market Prices” in this pricing supplement. |
Redemption Amount at Maturity: | If the Securities are not automatically called prior to the Maturity Date, the Redemption Amount at Maturity, if any (in addition to the final Contingent Coupon Payment, if one is payable with respect to the Final Calculation Date), will be calculated as follows: • If the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset is greater than or equal to its Downside Threshold Level, the Redemption Amount at Maturity will equal: Principal Amount • If the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset is less than its Downside Threshold Level, the Redemption Amount at Maturity will equal: Principal Amount + (Principal Amount x Percentage Change of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date) If the Securities are not automatically called prior to the Maturity Date and the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date is less than its Downside Threshold Level, you will lose more than 30.00%, and possibly all, of the Principal Amount of your Securities. Any positive 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 Reference Asset, but you will have full downside exposure to the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date if the Ending Level of that Reference Asset is less than its Downside Threshold Level. |
Starting Level: | With respect to the RTY, [•] (to be set on the Trade Date) With respect to the SPX, [•] (to be set on the Trade Date) With respect to the SX5E, [•] (to be set on the Trade Date) In each case equal to the Closing Level of such Reference Asset on the Trade Date. |
Ending Level: | With respect to each Reference Asset, the Closing Level of such Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date. |
Downside Threshold Level: | With respect to the RTY: [•] (70.00% of its Starting Level, to be set on the Trade Date) With respect to the SPX: [•] (70.00% of its Starting Level, to be set on the Trade Date) With respect to the SX5E: [•] (70.00% of its Starting Level, to be set on the Trade Date) In each case, as determined by the Calculation Agent. |
Closing Level: | With respect to a Reference Asset on any date of determination, the closing level of such Reference Asset published on the applicable Bloomberg Professional® service (“Bloomberg”) page (with respect to the RTY, the Bloomberg page “RTY <Index>”, with respect to the SPX, the Bloomberg page “SPX <Index>”, and with respect to the SX5E, the Bloomberg page “SX5E <Index>”) or any successor page on Bloomberg or any successor service, as applicable. In certain special circumstances, the Closing Level of a Reference Asset will be determined by the Calculation Agent. See “—Postponement of a Calculation Date” and “Additional Terms of the Securities—Market Disruption Events” herein and “General Terms of the Notes—Unavailability of the Level of a Reference Asset on a Valuation Date” in the accompanying product prospectus supplement. |
Lowest Performing Reference Asset: | With respect to any Calculation Date, the Reference Asset with the lowest Percentage Change calculated as of such date. |
Percentage Change: | With respect to any Reference Asset on any Calculation Date, the Percentage Change will be calculated as follows: Closing Level on the Calculation Date – Starting Level Starting Level |
Postponement of a Calculation Date: | If any Calculation Date is not a Trading Day with respect to any Reference Asset, such Calculation Date for each Reference Asset will be postponed to the next succeeding day that is a Trading Day with respect to each Reference Asset. If a market disruption event occurs or is continuing with respect to a Reference Asset on any Calculation Date, then such Calculation Date for such Reference Asset will be postponed to the first succeeding Trading Day for such Reference Asset on which a market disruption event for such Reference Asset has not occurred and is not continuing; however, if such first succeeding Trading Day has not occurred as of the eighth Trading Day for such Reference Asset after the originally scheduled Calculation Date, that eighth Trading Day shall be deemed to be the Calculation Date for such Reference Asset. If a Calculation Date has been postponed eight Trading Days for a Reference Asset after the originally scheduled Calculation Date and a market disruption event occurs or is continuing with respect to such Reference Asset on such eighth Trading Day, the Calculation Agent will determine the Closing Level of such Reference Asset on such eighth Trading Day in accordance with the formula for and method of calculating the Closing Level of such Reference Asset last in effect prior to commencement of the market disruption event, using the closing price (or, with respect to any relevant security, if a market disruption event has occurred with respect to such security, its good faith estimate of the value of such security at (i) with respect to the S&P 500® Index or the Russell 2000® Index, the scheduled closing time of the Relevant Stock Exchange for such security or, if earlier, the actual closing time of the regular trading session of such Relevant Stock Exchange or (ii) with respect to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, the time at which the official Closing Level of such Reference Asset is calculated and published by the relevant Sponsor) on such date of each security included in such Reference Asset. As used herein, “closing price” means, with respect to any security on any date, the Relevant Stock Exchange traded or quoted price of such security as of (i) with respect to the S&P 500® Index or the Russell 2000® Index, the scheduled closing time of the Relevant Stock Exchange for such security or, if earlier, the actual closing time of the regular trading session of such Relevant Stock Exchange or (ii) with respect to the EURO STOXX 50® Index, the time at which the official Closing Level of such Reference Asset is calculated and published by the relevant Sponsor. Notwithstanding the postponement of a Calculation Date for a Reference Asset due to a market disruption event with respect to such Reference Asset on such Calculation Date, the originally scheduled Calculation Date will remain the Calculation Date for any Reference Asset not affected by a market disruption event on such day. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the accompanying product prospectus supplement, the Calculation Dates will be postponed as set forth herein. |
Form of Securities: | Book-entry |
Calculation Agent: | Scotia Capital Inc., an affiliate of the Bank |
Underwriters: | Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. |
Status: | The Securities will constitute direct, senior, unsubordinated and unsecured obligations of the Bank ranking pari passu with all other direct, senior, unsecured and unsubordinated indebtedness of the Bank from time to time outstanding (except as otherwise prescribed by law). Holders will not have the benefit of any insurance under the provisions of the CDIC Act, the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Act or under any other deposit insurance regime. |
Tax Considerations: | For a discussion of Canadian income tax considerations to a holder of owning the Securities, see “Canadian Income Tax Consequences” herein. For a discussion of United States federal income tax considerations to a holder's ownership and disposition of the Securities, see “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” herein. |
Tax Redemption: | The Bank (or its successor) may redeem the Securities, in whole but not in part, at a redemption price determined by the Calculation Agent in a manner reasonably calculated to preserve your and our relative economic position, if it is determined that changes in tax laws of Canada (or the jurisdiction of organization of the successor to the Bank) or of any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein affecting taxation or their interpretation will result in the Bank (or its successor) becoming obligated to pay additional amounts with respect to the Securities. See “Tax Redemption” in the accompanying product prospectus supplement. |
Listing: | The Securities will not be listed on any securities exchange or automated quotation system. |
Use of Proceeds: | General corporate purposes |
Clearance and Settlement: | The Depository Trust Company |
Business Day: | New York and Toronto |
Canadian Bail-in: | The Securities are not bail-inable debt securities under the CDIC Act. |
Investing in the Securities involves significant risks. If the Securities are not automatically called and the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset is less than its Downside Threshold Level, you will lose more than 30.00%, and possibly up to 100% of the Principal Amount of your Securities. Any payment on the Securities, including any repayment of principal, is subject to the creditworthiness of the Bank. If the Bank were to default on its payment obligations you may not receive any amounts owed to you under the Securities and you could lose your entire investment.
ADDITIONAL TERMS OF THE SECURITIES
You should read this pricing supplement together with the accompanying prospectus dated December 26, 2018, as supplemented by the accompanying prospectus supplement dated November 19, 2020 and the product prospectus supplement (Equity Linked Index Notes, Series A) dated November 19, 2020, relating to our Senior Note Program, Series A, of which these Securities are a part. Certain terms used but not defined in this pricing supplement will have the meanings given to them in the accompanying product prospectus supplement. In the event of any conflict, this pricing supplement will control. The Securities may vary from the terms described in the accompanying prospectus, prospectus supplement, and product prospectus supplement in several important ways. You should read this pricing supplement, including the documents incorporated herein, carefully.
This pricing supplement, together with the documents listed below, contains the terms of the Securities and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous oral statements as well as any other written materials including preliminary or indicative pricing terms, correspondence, trade ideas, structures for implementation, sample structures, brochures or other educational materials of ours. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth in “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” in the accompanying product prospectus supplement, as the Securities involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisors before you invest in the Securities. You may access these documents on the SEC website at www.sec.gov as follows (or if that address has changed, by reviewing our filings for the relevant date on the SEC website at http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar?action=getcompany&CIK=0000009631):
Prospectus dated December 26, 2018:
Prospectus Supplement dated November 19, 2020:
Product Prospectus Supplement (Equity Linked Index Notes, Series A), dated November 19, 2020:
For purposes of the Securities, the following definitions will apply and to the extent they conflict with the definitions including in the accompanying product prospectus supplement, the definitions in this pricing supplement will control.
Certain Definitions
A “Trading Day” with respect to the S&P 500® Index or the Russell 2000® Index means a day, as determined by the Calculation Agent, on which (i) the Relevant Stock Exchanges with respect to each security underlying such Index are scheduled to be open for trading for their respective regular trading sessions and (ii) each Related Futures or Options Exchange with respect to such Index is scheduled to be open for trading for its regular trading session.
A “Trading Day” with respect to the EURO STOXX 50® Index means a day, as determined by the Calculation Agent, on which (i) the relevant Sponsor is scheduled to publish the level of the EURO STOXX 50® Index and (ii) each Related Futures or Options Exchange with respect to the EURO STOXX 50® Index is scheduled to be open for trading for its regular trading session.
The “Relevant Stock Exchange” for any security underlying a Reference Asset means the primary exchange or quotation system on which such security is traded, as determined by the Calculation Agent.
The “Related Futures or Options Exchange” for a Reference Asset means an exchange or quotation system where trading has a material effect (as determined by the Calculation Agent) on the overall market for futures or options contracts relating to such Reference Asset.
Market Disruption Events
A “Market Disruption Event” with respect to the S&P 500® Index or the Russell 2000® Index means any of the following events as determined by the Calculation Agent in its sole discretion:
(A) | The occurrence or existence of a material suspension of or limitation imposed on trading by the Relevant Stock Exchanges or otherwise relating to securities which then comprise 20% or more of the level of such Reference Asset or any successor equity index at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the close of trading on that day, whether by reason of movements in price exceeding limits permitted by those Relevant Stock Exchanges or otherwise. |
(B) | The occurrence or existence of a material suspension of or limitation imposed on trading by any Related Futures or Options Exchange or otherwise in futures or options contracts relating to such Reference Asset or any successor equity index on any Related Futures or Options Exchange at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the close of trading on that day, whether by reason of movements in price exceeding limits permitted by the Related Futures or Options Exchange or otherwise. |
(C) | The occurrence or existence of any event, other than an early closure, that materially disrupts or impairs the ability of market participants in general to effect transactions in, or obtain market values for, securities that then comprise 20% or more of the level of such Reference Asset or any successor equity index on their Relevant Stock Exchanges at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the close of trading on that day. |
(D) | The occurrence or existence of any event, other than an early closure, that materially disrupts or impairs the ability of market participants in general to effect transactions in, or obtain market values for, futures or options contracts relating to such Reference Asset or any successor equity index on any Related Futures or Options Exchange at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the close of trading on that day. |
(E) | The closure on any exchange business day of the Relevant Stock Exchanges on which securities that then comprise 20% or more of the level of such Reference Asset or any successor equity index are traded or any Related Futures or Options Exchange with respect to such Reference Asset or any successor equity index prior to its scheduled closing time unless the earlier closing time is announced by the Relevant Stock Exchange or Related Futures or Options Exchange, as applicable, at least one hour prior to the earlier of (1) the actual closing time for the regular trading session on such Relevant Stock Exchange or Related Futures or Options Exchange, as applicable, and (2) the submission deadline for orders to be entered into the Relevant Stock Exchange or Related Futures or Options Exchange, as applicable, system for execution at such actual closing time on that day. |
(F) | The Relevant Stock Exchange for any security underlying such Reference Asset or successor equity index or any Related Futures or Options Exchange with respect to such Reference Asset or successor equity index fails to open for trading during its regular trading session. |
For purposes of determining whether a market disruption event has occurred with respect to the S&P 500® Index or the Russell 2000® Index:
(1) | the relevant percentage contribution of a security to the level of such Reference Asset or any successor equity index will be based on a comparison of (x) the portion of the level of such Reference Asset attributable to that security and (y) the overall level of such Reference Asset or successor equity index, in each case immediately before the occurrence of the market disruption event; |
(2) | the “close of trading” on any Trading Day for such Reference Asset or any successor equity index means the scheduled closing time of the Relevant Stock Exchanges with respect to the securities underlying such Reference Asset or successor equity index on such Trading Day; provided that, if the actual closing time of the regular trading session of any such Relevant Stock Exchange is earlier than its scheduled closing time on such Trading Day, then (x) for purposes of clauses (A) and (C) of the definition of “market disruption event” above, with respect to any security underlying such Reference Asset or successor equity index for which such Relevant Stock Exchange is its Relevant Stock Exchange, the “close of trading” means such actual closing time and (y) for purposes of clauses (B) and (D) of the definition of “market disruption event” above, with respect to any futures or options contract relating to such Reference Asset or successor equity index, the “close of trading” means the latest actual closing time of the regular trading session of any of the Relevant Stock Exchanges, but in no event later than the scheduled closing time of the Relevant Stock Exchanges; |
(3) | the “scheduled closing time” of any Relevant Stock Exchange or Related Futures or Options Exchange on any Trading Day for such Reference Asset or any successor equity index means the scheduled weekday closing time of such Relevant Stock Exchange or Related Futures or Options Exchange on such Trading Day, without regard to after hours or any other trading outside the regular trading session hours; and |
(4) | an “exchange business day” means any Trading Day for such Reference Asset or any successor equity index on which each Relevant Stock Exchange for the securities underlying such Reference Asset or any successor equity index and each Related Futures or Options Exchange with respect to such Reference Asset or any successor equity index are open for trading during their respective regular trading sessions, notwithstanding any such Relevant Stock Exchange or Related Futures or Options Exchange closing prior to its scheduled closing time. |
A “market disruption event” with respect to the EURO STOXX 50® Index means, any of (A), (B), (C) or (D) below, as determined by the Calculation Agent in its sole discretion:
(A) | Any of the following events occurs or exists with respect to any security included in such Reference Asset or any successor equity index, and the aggregate of all securities included in such Reference Asset or successor equity index with respect to which any such event occurs comprise 20% or more of the level of such Reference Asset or successor equity index: |
• | a material suspension of or limitation imposed on trading by the Relevant Stock Exchange for such security or otherwise at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the scheduled closing time for the Relevant Stock Exchange for such security on that day, whether by reason of movements in price exceeding limits permitted by the Relevant Stock Exchange or otherwise; |
• | any event, other than an early closure, that materially disrupts or impairs the ability of market participants in general to effect transactions in, or obtain market values for, such security on its Relevant Stock Exchange at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the scheduled closing time for the Relevant Stock Exchange for such security on that day; or |
• | the closure on any exchange business day of the Relevant Stock Exchange for such security prior to its scheduled closing time unless the earlier closing is announced by such Relevant Stock Exchange at least one hour prior to the earlier of (i) the actual closing time for the regular trading session on such Relevant Stock Exchange and (ii) the submission deadline for orders to be entered into the Relevant Stock Exchange system for execution at the scheduled closing time for such Relevant Stock Exchange on that day. |
(B) | Any of the following events occurs or exists with respect to futures or options contracts relating to such Reference Asset or any successor equity index: |
• | a material suspension of or limitation imposed on trading by any Related Futures or Options Exchange or otherwise at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the close of trading on such Related Futures or Options Exchange on that day, whether by reason of movements in price exceeding limits permitted by the Related Futures or Options Exchange or otherwise; |
• | any event, other than an early closure, that materially disrupts or impairs the ability of market participants in general to effect transactions in, or obtain market values for, futures or options contracts relating to such Reference Asset or successor equity index on any Related Futures or Options Exchange at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the close of trading on such Related Futures or Options Exchange on that day; or |
• | the closure on any exchange business day of any Related Futures or Options Exchange prior to its scheduled closing time unless the earlier closing time is announced by such Related Futures or Options Exchange at least one hour prior to the earlier of (i) the actual closing time for the regular trading session on such Related Futures or Options Exchange and (ii) the submission deadline for orders to be entered into the Related Futures or Options Exchange system for execution at the close of trading for such Related Futures or Options Exchange on that day. |
(C) | The relevant Sponsor fails to publish the level of such Reference Asset or any successor equity index (other than as a result of the relevant Sponsor having discontinued publication of such Reference Asset or successor equity Reference Asset and no successor equity index being available). |
(D) | Any Related Futures or Options Exchange fails to open for trading during its regular trading session. |
For purposes of determining whether a market disruption event has occurred with respect to the EURO STOXX 50® Index:
(1) | the relevant percentage contribution of a security included in such Reference Asset or any successor equity index to the level of such Reference Asset will be based on a comparison of (x) the portion of the level of such index attributable to that security to (y) the overall level of such index, in each case using the official opening weightings as published by the relevant Sponsor as part of the market opening data; |
(2) | the “scheduled closing time” of any Relevant Stock Exchange or Related Futures or Options Exchange on any Trading Day means the scheduled weekday closing time of such Relevant Stock Exchange or Related Futures or Options Exchange on such Trading Day, without regard to after hours or any other trading outside the regular trading session hours; and |
(3) | an “exchange business day” means any Trading Day on which (i) the relevant Sponsor publishes the level of such index or any successor equity index and (ii) each Related Futures or Options Exchange is open for trading during its regular trading session, notwithstanding any Related Futures or Options Exchange closing prior to its scheduled closing time. |
INVESTOR SUITABILITY
The Securities may be suitable for you if:
• | You fully understand and accept the risks inherent in an investment in the Securities, including the risk that you may receive few or no Contingent Coupon Payments over the term of the Securities and the risk that you may lose a substantial portion or all of your investment in the Securities |
• | You can tolerate a loss of up to 100% of your investment in the Securities |
• | You understand and accept that your return on the Securities is limited to any Contingent Coupon Payments received and that you will not participate in any appreciation of any of the Reference Assets, which may be significant |
• | You believe the Closing Level of each Reference Asset will be equal to or greater than its Coupon Threshold Level on each Calculation Date |
• | You believe that, if the Securities are not automatically called, the Ending Level of each Reference Asset will be equal to or greater than its Downside Threshold Level |
• | You understand and accept that you will not receive a Contingent Coupon Payment if the Closing Level of any Reference Asset on a Calculation Date is less than its Coupon Threshold Level (and, accordingly, that you may not receive any Contingent Coupon Payments) |
• | You understand and accept that, if the Securities are not automatically called, you will lose some or all of your investment if the Ending Level of any Reference Asset is less than its Downside Threshold Level |
• | You understand and accept that the Securities are not linked to a basket of the Reference Assets and that, if the Securities are not automatically called, the Redemption Amount will be based solely on the performance of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset, which is the Reference Asset with the lowest Percentage Change, regardless of the performance of any other Reference Asset |
• | You do not seek an investment that produces fixed periodic interest payments or other non-contingent sources of current income and you are willing to forgo dividends or other distributions on the component stocks of any Reference Asset (for each Reference Asset, the “Reference Asset Constituent Stocks”) |
• | You can tolerate fluctuations in the price of the Securities prior to maturity that may be similar to or exceed the downside fluctuations in the levels of the Reference Assets |
• | You understand and accept that the Securities may be automatically called prior to maturity and that you may not be able to reinvest your money in an alternative investment with comparable risk and yield |
• | You are willing to hold the Securities to maturity and accept that there may be little or no secondary market for the Securities |
• | You are willing to accept the risk of exposure to the small- and large-capitalization segment of the United States equity market and to companies in the Eurozone |
• | You are willing to assume the credit risk of the Bank for all payments under the Securities, and understand that if the Bank defaults on its obligations you may not receive any amounts due to you, including any repayment of principal |
The Securities may not be suitable for you if:
• | You do not fully understand or are unwilling to accept the risks inherent in an investment in the Securities, including the risk that you may receive few or no Contingent Coupon Payments and the risk that you may lose a substantial portion or all of your investment in the Securities |
• | You seek a security with a fixed term |
• | You require an investment designed to guarantee a full return of principal at maturity |
• | You cannot tolerate a loss of up to 100% of your investment in the Securities |
• | You seek an investment that produces fixed periodic interest payments or other non-contingent sources of current income and/or you prefer an investment that entitles you to receive dividends or other distributions on the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks |
• | You believe that the Closing Level of at least one Reference Asset on one or more Calculation Dates will be less than its Coupon Threshold Level |
• | You believe that, if the Securities are not automatically called, the Ending Level of at least one Reference Asset will be less than its Downside Threshold Level |
• | You do not fully understand or are unwilling to accept that the Securities are not linked to a basket of the Reference Assets and that, if the Securities are not automatically called, the Redemption Amount will based solely on the performance of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset, regardless of the performance of any other Reference Asset |
• | You are unwilling to accept the risk that the Securities may be automatically called prior to scheduled maturity |
• | You are unwilling to purchase Securities with an estimated value as of the Pricing Date that is lower than the Principal Amount and that may be as low as the lower estimated value set forth on the cover page |
• | You cannot tolerate fluctuations in the price of the Securities prior to maturity that may be similar to or exceed the downside fluctuations in the levels of the Reference Asset |
• | You are unwilling to accept the risk of exposure to the Reference Assets |
• | You are unwilling to hold the Securities to maturity or you seek an investment for which there will be an active secondary market |
• | You are unwilling to accept the risk of exposure to the small- and large-capitalization segment of the United States equity market and to companies in the Eurozone |
• | You are not willing to assume the credit risk of the Bank for all payments under the Securities |
• | You prefer the lower risk of fixed income investments with comparable maturities issued by companies with comparable credit ratings |
The investor suitability considerations identified above are not exhaustive. Whether or not the Securities are a suitable 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 suitability of an investment in the Securities in light of your particular circumstances. You should also review “Additional Risks” of this preliminary pricing supplement and the “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” of the accompanying product prospectus supplement for risks related to an investment in the Securities.
DETERMINING PAYMENT ON A CONTINGENT PAYMENT DATE AND AT MATURITY
If the Securities have not been previously automatically called, 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 Reference Asset on the related Calculation Date.
Step 1: Determine which Reference Asset is the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date. The Lowest Performing Reference Asset on any Calculation Date is the Reference Asset with the lowest Percentage Change on that Calculation Date. The Percentage Change of a Reference Asset on a Calculation Date is the percentage change in the Closing Level of such Reference Asset on that Calculation Date as compared to its Starting Level, expressed as a percentage of 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 Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date, as follows:
If the Securities have not been automatically called prior to the Maturity Date, you will receive on the Maturity Date (in addition to the final Contingent Coupon Payment, if any) a cash payment per Security (the Redemption Amount at Maturity) calculated as follows:
Step 1: Determine which Reference Asset is the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date. The Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date is the Reference Asset with the lowest Percentage Change on the Final Calculation Date.
Step 2: Calculate the Redemption Amount at Maturity based on the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset, as follows:
HYPOTHETICAL PAYOUT PROFILE
The following profile illustrates the potential Redemption Amount at Maturity on the Securities (excluding the final Contingent Coupon Payment, if any) for a range of hypothetical performances of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date from its Starting Level to its Ending Level, assuming the Securities have not been automatically called prior to the Maturity Date. This graph has been prepared for purposes of illustration only. Your actual return will depend on the actual Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date and whether you hold your Securities to maturity. The performance of the better performing Reference Assets is not relevant to your return on the Securities.
HYPOTHETICAL RETURNS
If the Securities are automatically called:
If the Securities are automatically called prior to the Maturity Date, you will receive a cash payment on the related Call Settlement Date equal to the Principal Amount plus the Contingent Coupon Payment otherwise due. In the event the Securities are automatically called, your total return on the Securities will equal any Contingent Coupon Payments received prior to the Call Settlement Date and the Contingent Coupon Payment received on the Call Settlement Date.
If the Securities are not automatically called:
If the Securities are not automatically called prior to the Maturity Date, the following table illustrates, for a range of hypothetical Percentage Changes of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date, the hypothetical Redemption Amount at Maturity per Security (excluding the final Contingent Coupon Payment, if any). The Percentage Change of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date is equal to the percentage change from its Starting Level to its Ending Level (i.e., Ending Level minus Starting Level, divided by Starting Level).
Hypothetical Percentage Change of Lowest Performing Reference Asset on Final Calculation Date | Hypothetical Redemption Amount at Maturity per security | |
75.00% | $1,000.00 | |
60.00% | $1,000.00 | |
50.00% | $1,000.00 | |
40.00% | $1,000.00 | |
30.00% | $1,000.00 | |
20.00% | $1,000.00 | |
10.00% | $1,000.00 | |
0.00% | $1,000.00 | |
-10.00% | $1,000.00 | |
-20.00% | $1,000.00 | |
-30.00% | $1,000.00 | |
-30.01% | $699.90 | |
-40.00% | $600.00 | |
-50.00% | $500.00 | |
-60.00% | $400.00 | |
-75.00% | $250.00 | |
-100.00% | $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 Redemption Amount 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 the Securities are not automatically called prior to the Maturity Date, the actual amount you will receive at maturity will depend on the actual Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date. The performance of the better performing Reference Assets is not relevant to your return on the Securities.
HYPOTHETICAL CONTINGENT COUPON PAYMENTS ON THE SECURITIES
Set forth below are examples that illustrate how to determine whether a Contingent Coupon Payment will be paid and whether the Securities will be automatically called, if applicable, on a Contingent Coupon Payment Date prior to the Maturity Date. The examples do not reflect any specific Contingent Coupon Payment Date. The following examples assume that the Securities are subject to automatic call on the applicable Calculation Date. The Securities will not be subject to automatic call until the second Calculation Date, which is approximately six months after the Original Issue Date. The following examples reflect a hypothetical Contingent Coupon Rate of 6.75% per annum (the midpoint of the specified range for the Contingent Coupon Rate) and assume the hypothetical Starting Level, Coupon Threshold Level and Closing Levels for each Reference Asset 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 Reference Asset has been chosen for illustrative purposes only and does not represent the actual Starting Level for any Reference Asset. The actual Starting Level And Coupon Threshold Level for each Reference Asset will be determined on the Pricing Date and will be set forth under “Summary” herein. For historical data regarding the actual Closing Levels of the Reference Assets, see the historical information provided herein. 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 Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date 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 and the Securities are not automatically called.
RTY | SPX | SX5E | |
Hypothetical Starting Level: | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
Hypothetical Closing Level on relevant Calculation Date: | 90.00 | 95.00 | 80.00 |
Hypothetical Coupon Threshold Level: | 70.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 |
Percentage Change on Relevant Calculation Date: | -10.00% | -5.00% | -20.00% |
In this example, SX5E has the lowest Percentage Change and is therefore the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date. Since the hypothetical Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date 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 and the Securities would not be automatically called. The Contingent Coupon Payment would be equal to $16.88 per Security, determined as follows: (i) $1,000 multiplied by 6.75% per annum divided by (ii) 4, rounded to the nearest cent.
Example 2. The Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date 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 and the Securities are not automatically called.
RTY | SPX | SX5E | |
Hypothetical Starting Level: | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
Hypothetical Closing Level on relevant Calculation Date: | 65.00 | 120.00 | 150.00 |
Hypothetical Coupon Threshold Level: | 70.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 |
Percentage Change on Relevant Calculation Date: | -35.00% | 20.00% | 50.00% |
In this example, RTY has the lowest Percentage Change and is therefore the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date. Since the hypothetical Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date is less than its Coupon Threshold Level, you would not receive a Contingent Coupon Payment on the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment Date. In addition, even though the Closing Levels of the other Reference Assets on the relevant Calculation Date are greater than their Starting Levels, the Securities would not be automatically called. No Contingent Coupon Payment would be paid with respect to this Calculation Date. As this example illustrates, whether you receive a Contingent Coupon Payment and whether the Securities are automatically called on a Contingent Coupon Payment Date will depend solely on the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date. The performance of the better performing Reference Assets is not relevant to your return on the Securities.
Example 3. The Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date is greater than or equal to its Starting Level. As a result, the Securities are automatically called on the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment Date for the Principal Amount per Security plus a final Contingent Coupon Payment.
RTY | SPX | SX5E | |
Hypothetical Starting Level: | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
Hypothetical Closing Level on relevant Calculation Date: | 115.00 | 105.00 | 130.00 |
Hypothetical Coupon Threshold Level: | 70.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 |
Percentage Change on Relevant Calculation Date: | 15.00% | 5.00% | 30.00% |
In this example, SPX has the lowest Percentage Change and is therefore the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date. Since the hypothetical Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the relevant Calculation Date is greater than or equal to its Starting Level, the Securities would be automatically called and you would receive the Principal Amount per Security plus a final Contingent Coupon Payment on the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment Date, which is also referred to as the Call Settlement Date. On the Call Settlement Date, you would receive $1,016.88 per Security. You will not receive any further payments after the Call Settlement Date.
HYPOTHETICAL REDEMPTION AMOUNT AT MATURITY
Set forth below are examples of calculations of the Redemption Amount at Maturity, assuming that the Securities have not been automatically called prior to the Maturity Date and assuming the hypothetical Starting Level, Coupon Threshold Level, Downside Threshold Level and Ending Levels for each Reference Asset 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 Reference Asset has been chosen for illustrative purposes only and does not represent the actual Starting Level for any Reference Asset. The actual Starting Level, Coupon Threshold Level And Downside Threshold Level for each Reference Asset will be determined on the Pricing Date and will be set forth under “Summary” herein. For historical data regarding the actual Closing Levels of the Reference Assets, see the historical information provided herein. 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 Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date is greater than its Starting Level, the Redemption Amount at Maturity is equal to the Principal Amount of your Securities at maturity and you receive a final Contingent Coupon Payment.
RTY | SPX | SX5E | |
Hypothetical Starting Level: | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
Hypothetical Ending Level on the Final Calculation Date: | 145.00 | 135.00 | 125.00 |
Hypothetical Coupon Threshold Level: | 70.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 |
Hypothetical Downside Threshold Level: | 70.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 |
Percentage Change on Final Calculation Date: | 45.00% | 35.00% | 25.00% |
In this example, SX5E has the lowest Percentage Change and is therefore the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date. Since the hypothetical Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date is greater than its hypothetical Downside Threshold Level, the Redemption Amount at Maturity would equal the Principal Amount. Although the hypothetical Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date is significantly greater than its hypothetical Starting Level in this scenario, the Redemption Amount at Maturity will not exceed the Principal Amount. In addition to any Contingent Coupon Payments received during the term of the Securities, on the Maturity Date you would receive $1,000 per Security as well as a final Contingent Coupon Payment.
Example 2: The Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date is less than its Starting Level but greater than its Downside Threshold Level and its Coupon Threshold Level, the Redemption Amount at Maturity is equal to the Principal Amount of your Securities at maturity and you receive a final Contingent Coupon Payment.
RTY | SPX | SX5E | |
Hypothetical Starting Level: | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
Hypothetical Ending Level on the Final Calculation Date: | 80.00 | 115.00 | 110.00 |
Hypothetical Coupon Threshold Level: | 70.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 |
Hypothetical Downside Threshold Level: | 70.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 |
Percentage Change on Final Calculation Date: | -20.00% | 15.00% | 10.00% |
In this example, RTY has the lowest Percentage Change and is therefore the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date. Since the hypothetical Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset is less than its hypothetical Starting Level, but greater than or equal to the Downside Threshold Level, you would be repaid the Principal Amount of your Securities at maturity. In addition to any Contingent Coupon Payments received during the term of the Securities, on the Maturity Date you would receive $1,000 per Security as well as a final Contingent Coupon Payment.
Example 3. The Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date is less than its Downside Threshold Level, the Redemption Amount at Maturity is less than the Principal Amount of your Securities at maturity and you do not receive a final Contingent Coupon Payment.
RTY | SPX | SX5E | |
Hypothetical Starting Level: | 100.00 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
Hypothetical Ending Level on the Final Calculation Date: | 120.00 | 45.00 | 90.00 |
Hypothetical Coupon Threshold Level: | 70.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 |
Hypothetical Downside Threshold Level: | 70.00 | 70.00 | 70.00 |
Percentage Change on Final Calculation Date: | 20.00% | -55.00% | -10.00% |
In this example, SPX has the lowest Percentage Change and is therefore the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date. Since the hypothetical Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date is less than its Downside Threshold Level, you would lose a portion of the Principal Amount and receive a Redemption Amount at Maturity equal to $450.00 per Security, calculated as follows:
$1,000 + ($1,000 x Percentage Change of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date)
$1,000 + ($1,000 ×–55.00%) = $450.00
In addition to any Contingent Coupon Payments received during the term of the Securities, on the Maturity Date you would receive $450.00 per Security, but no final Contingent Coupon Payment.
These examples illustrate that you will not participate in any appreciation of any Reference Asset, but will be fully exposed to a decrease in the Lowest Performing Reference Asset if the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the Final Calculation Date is less than its Downside Threshold Level, even if the Ending Levels of the other Reference Assets have appreciated or have not declined bellow their respective Downside Threshold Levels.
Any payment on the Securities, including any repayment of principal, is subject to the creditworthiness of the Bank. If the Bank were to default on its payment obligations, you may not receive any amounts owed to you under the Securities and you could lose your entire investment.
ADDITIONAL RISKS
An investment in the Securities involves significant risks. In addition to the following risks included in this pricing supplement, we urge you to read “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” in the accompanying product prospectus supplement and “Risk Factors” in the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
You should understand the risks of investing in the Securities and should reach an investment decision only after careful consideration, with your advisors, of the suitability of the Securities in light of your particular financial circumstances and the information set forth in this pricing supplement and the accompanying prospectus, prospectus supplement and product prospectus supplement.
Risks Relating to Return Characteristics
Risk of Loss at Maturity
The Redemption Amount at Maturity depends on the Percentage Change of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset calculated on the Final Calculation Date. If the Securities are not automatically called, the Bank will only repay you the full Principal Amount of your Securities if the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset is equal to or greater than its Downside Threshold Level. If the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset is less than its Downside Threshold Level, you will have full downside exposure to the Lowest Performing Reference Asset from its Starting Level to its Ending Level and you will lose more than 30.00%, and possibly all, of the Principal Amount of your Securities on the Maturity Date. Specifically, you will lose 1% for each 1% decline in the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset from its Starting Level.
The Contingent Repayment of Principal Applies Only at Maturity
You should be willing to hold your Securities to maturity. If you are able to sell your Securities prior to maturity in the secondary market, you may have to sell them at a loss relative to your initial investment even if the level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset at such time is greater than or equal to its Downside Threshold Level.
Any Potential Positive Return on the Securities is Limited to the Contingent Coupon Payments; You may not Receive any Contingent Coupon Payments
The potential positive return on the Securities is limited to the Contingent Coupon Payments, if any, that may be payable during the term of the Securities, and you will not participate in any appreciation in the value of any Reference Asset. You will receive a Contingent Coupon Payment on a Contingent Coupon Payment Date only if the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on the corresponding Calculation Date is equal to or greater than its Coupon Threshold Level. If the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset is less than its Coupon Threshold Level on a Calculation Date, you will not receive a Contingent Coupon Payment on the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment Date. If the Closing Level of any Reference Asset is less than its Coupon Threshold Level on each Calculation Date over the term of the Securities, you will not receive any Contingent Coupon Payments during the term of, and you will not receive a positive return on, your Securities. Generally, this non-payment of any Contingent Coupon Payment will coincide with a greater risk of principal loss on your Securities.
You Will Be Subject To Reinvestment Risk
If your Securities are automatically called prior to the Final Calculation Date, the term of the Securities may be reduced to as short as approximately 6 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 the Securities are automatically called prior to maturity. Even if you are able to reinvest the proceeds in an investment with comparable risk and yield, you may incur distribution fees and other transaction costs built into the price of such investment.
The Securities are Exposed to the Market Risk of each Reference Asset
The return on the Securities is not linked to a basket consisting of the Reference Assets, but is instead contingent on the performance of each Reference Asset. Unlike an instrument with a return linked to a basket of underlying securities, the determination as to whether a Contingent Coupon Payment is payable on any Contingent Coupon Payment Date will be contingent on the performance of each individual Reference Asset on each Calculation Date, and the Redemption Amount at Maturity will be calculated based solely on the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset. Poor performance by any Reference Asset over the term of the Securities will negatively affect your return and will not be offset or mitigated by a more favorable performance of any other Reference Asset. For example, if the Closing Level of any Reference Asset on a
Calculation Date is less than its Coupon Threshold Level, you will not receive the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment, even if the Closing Levels of the other Reference Assets on such Calculation Date are equal to or greater than their respective Coupon Threshold Levels. It is therefore more likely that you will not receive any Contingent Coupon Payments over the term of the Securities than would have been the case had the Securities been linked to only one of the Reference Assets or a basket of the Reference Assets. Similarly, if the Securities are not automatically called and the Ending Level of any Reference Asset is less than its Downside Threshold Level, you will be fully exposed to the negative performance of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset, even if the other Reference Assets perform positively or do not decline as much as the Lowest Performing Reference Asset.
The Contingent Coupon Rate, Coupon Threshold Level and Downside Threshold Level Reflect in Part the Volatility of the Reference Assets and Greater Volatility Generally Indicates an Increased Risk of Loss at Maturity
Volatility is a measure of the frequency and magnitude of the movements of the price of an asset (or value of an index). The terms of the Securities, including the Contingent Coupon Rate, Coupon Threshold Level and Downside Threshold Level are based on a number of factors, including the expected volatility of the Reference Assets. The Contingent Coupon Rate is higher than the fixed rate that we would pay on a conventional debt security of the same tenor and is higher than it otherwise would have been had the expected volatility of the Reference Assets, calculated as of the Trade Date, been lower. As volatility of a Reference Asset increases, there will typically be a greater likelihood that its Closing Level on one or more Calculation Dates will be less than its Coupon Threshold Level and its Ending Level will be less than its Downside Threshold Level and, as a consequence, indicates an increased risk of not receiving a Contingent Coupon Payment and an increased risk of loss, respectively. All things being equal, this greater expected volatility will generally be reflected in a higher Contingent Coupon Rate, which may indicate an increased risk of loss.
In addition, while the Contingent Coupon Rate is set based on the expected volatility of the Reference Assets at the time the terms of the Securities are determined, the actual volatility of the Reference Assets over the term of the Securities may be significantly higher, and therefore you will face an even greater risk that you will not receive Contingent Coupon Payments and/or that you will lose some or all of your principal at maturity.
Any Amounts Payable on the Securities are not Linked to the Closing Level of any Reference Asset at any time other Than on the Applicable Calculation Dates
Any payments on the Securities will be based on the Closing Level of each Reference Asset only on the applicable Calculation Dates. Therefore, the Closing Levels of the Reference Assets on dates other than the applicable Calculation Date will have no effect on any amount paid in respect of your Securities. In addition, if the Securities are not automatically called, the Redemption Amount at Maturity will be based on the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset, which will be the Reference Asset with the lowest Percentage Change based on its Closing Level on the Final Calculation Date. If the level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset falls on the Final Calculation Date, the Redemption Amount at Maturity may be significantly less than it would otherwise have been had such payment been linked to the level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset at any time prior to such drop.
The Securities Differ from Conventional Debt Instruments
The Securities are not conventional notes or debt instruments. The Securities do not provide you with fixed interest payments prior to maturity as a conventional fixed-rate or floating-rate debt security with the same maturity would. The return that you will receive on the Securities, which could be negative, may be less than the return you could earn on other investments. If the Securities are not automatically called, even if you receive one or more Contingent Coupon Payments, your return on the Securities may be negative and may be less than the return you would earn if you bought a conventional senior interest bearing debt security of the Bank.
Holding the Securities is Not the Same as Holding the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks
Holding the Securities is not the same as holding the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks. As a holder of the Securities, you will not be entitled to the voting rights or rights to receive dividends or other distributions or other rights that holders of the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks would enjoy.
There is No Assurance that the Investment View Implicit in the Securities Will Be Successful
It is impossible to predict with certainty whether and the extent to which the levels of the Reference Assets will rise or fall. There can be no assurance that the level of each Reference Asset will rise above its Coupon Threshold Level on any Calculation Date or that the Ending Level of any Reference Asset will be greater than or equal to its Downside Threshold Level. The Closing Levels and Ending Levels of the Reference Assets may be influenced by complex and interrelated political, economic, financial and other factors that affect the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks. You should be willing to accept the risks of the price performance of equity securities in general and the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks in particular, and the risk of losing some and as much as all of your investment in the Securities.
Furthermore, we cannot give you any assurance that the future performance of the Reference Assets or the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks will result in your receiving an amount greater than or equal to the Principal Amount of your Securities. Certain periods of historical performance of the Reference Assets or the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks would have resulted in you receiving less than the Principal Amount of your Securities if you had owned Securities with terms similar to these Securities in the past. See “Information Regarding The Reference Assets” in this pricing supplement for further information regarding the historical performance of the Reference Assets.
Risks Relating to Characteristics of the Reference Assets
The Securities are Subject to Market Risk
The return on the Securities is directly linked to the performance of the Reference Assets and indirectly linked to the value of the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks. The return on the Securities will depend on whether the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on any Calculation Date is greater than or equal to its Starting Level which will result in an automatic call of the Securities, whether the Closing Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset on any Calculation Date is greater than or equal to its Coupon Threshold Level which will result in a Contingent Coupon Payment, and if not automatically called, whether the Ending Level of the Lowest Performing Reference Asset is greater than or equal to its Downside Threshold Level. The levels of the Reference Assets can rise or fall sharply due to factors specific to the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks, as well as general market factors, such as general market volatility and levels, interest rates and economic and political conditions. Recently, the coronavirus infection has caused volatility in the global financial markets and a slowdown in the global economy. Coronavirus or any other communicable disease or infection may adversely affect the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks and, therefore, the Reference Assets.
The Securities are Subject to Small-Capitalization Stock Risks
The Securities are subject to risks associated with small-capitalization companies because the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks of RTY are considered small-capitalization companies. These companies often have greater stock price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than large-capitalization companies and therefore the reference asset may be more volatile than an index in which a greater percentage of the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks are issued by large-capitalization companies. Stock prices of small-capitalization companies are also 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. In addition, small-capitalization companies are typically less stable financially than large-capitalization companies and may depend on a small number of key personnel, making them more vulnerable to loss of personnel. Small-capitalization companies are often given less analyst coverage and may be in early, and less predictable, periods of their corporate existences. Such companies tend to have smaller revenues, less diverse product lines, smaller shares of their product or service markets, fewer financial resources and less competitive strengths than large-capitalization companies and are more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products.
The Securities are Subject to Non-U.S. Securities Market Risk
The Securities are subject to risks associated with non-U.S. securities markets because the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks of SX5E are issued by companies in the Eurozone. An investment in securities, such as the Securities, linked directly or indirectly to the value of securities issued by non-U.S. companies involves particular risks. Generally, non-U.S. securities markets may be more volatile than U.S. securities markets, and market developments may affect non-U.S. markets differently from U.S. securities markets. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize these non-U.S. markets, as well as cross shareholdings in non-U.S. companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in those markets. There is generally less publicly available information about non-U.S. companies than about those U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC, and non-U.S. companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies. Securities prices in non-U.S.
countries are subject to political, economic, financial and social factors that may be unique to the particular country. These factors, which could negatively affect the non-U.S. securities markets, include the possibility of recent or future changes in the non-U.S. government’s economic and fiscal policies, the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other non-U.S. laws or restrictions applicable to non-U.S. companies or investments in non-U.S. equity securities and the possibility of fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies. Moreover, certain aspects of a particular non-U.S. economy 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.
An Investment in the Securities is Subject to risks Associated with the Eurozone
The Securities are subject to risks associated with the Eurozone. The Eurozone has undergone and may again undergo severe financial stress, and the political, legal and regulatory ramifications are impossible to predict. Increased financial stress, or political, legal or regulatory changes in the Eurozone may cause the USD/EUR exchange rate (and the exchange rate between the Euro and other currencies) to become significantly more volatile than it has been in the past. There is also a possibility that one or more Eurozone countries may cease to use the euro, which could also adversely affect the exchange rate between the euro and other currencies and potentially the convertibility of the euro in such countries. There is also the possibility that the euro may cease to exist or the USD/EUR exchange rate may otherwise become unavailable. If these events were to happen, the closing level of the SX5E and the value of, and any amount payable on, the Securities could be adversely affected.
In addition, the United Kingdom ceased to be a member of the European Union on January 31, 2020 (an event commonly referred to as “Brexit”). The effects of Brexit are uncertain, and, among other things, Brexit has contributed, and may continue to contribute, to volatility in the prices of securities of companies located in Europe (or elsewhere) and currency exchange rates, including the valuation of the euro and British pound in particular.
An Investment in the Securities is Subject to Risks Associated with Currency Exchange Rates
Although the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks of the SX5E are traded in euro, the Securities are denominated in U.S. dollars, and the calculation of the amount payable on the Securities at maturity will not be adjusted for changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the euro. Changes in exchange rates, however, may reflect changes in various non-U.S. economies that in turn may affect the level of the SX5E, and therefore, the amount payable on your Securities. In addition, you will not benefit from any appreciation of the euro relative to the U.S. dollar, which you would have had you owned the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks of the SX5E directly.
The Reference Assets Reflect Price Return Only and Not Total Return
The return on your Securities is based on the performance of the Reference Assets, each of which reflects the changes in the market prices of its Reference Asset Constituent Stocks. The Securities are not, however, linked to a “total return” index or strategy, which, in addition to reflecting those price returns, would also reflect dividends paid on the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks. The return on your Securities will not include such a total return feature or dividend component.
Past Performance is Not Indicative of Future Performance
The actual performance of the Reference Assets or the correlation between them over the term of the Securities, as well as the amount payable at maturity, may bear little relation to the historical performance of the Reference Assets or to the hypothetical return examples set forth elsewhere in this pricing supplement. We cannot predict the future performance of the Reference Assets.
Changes Affecting a Reference Asset Could Have an Adverse Effect on the Value of, and the Amount Payable on, the Securities
The policies of a Sponsor concerning additions, deletions and substitutions of the applicable Reference Asset Constituent Stocks and the manner in which such Sponsor takes account of certain changes affecting those Reference Asset Constituent Stocks may adversely affect the level of a Reference Asset. The policies of a Sponsor with respect to the calculation of a Reference Asset could also adversely affect the level of such Reference Asset. A Sponsor may discontinue or suspend calculation or dissemination of a Reference Asset. Any such actions could have a material adverse effect on the value of, and the amount payable on, the Securities.
The Bank Cannot Control Actions by any Sponsor and the Sponsors Have No Obligation to Consider Your Interests
The Bank and its affiliates are not affiliated with any Sponsor and have no ability to control or predict its actions, including any errors in or discontinuation of public disclosure regarding methods or policies relating to the calculation of a Reference Asset.
No Sponsor is involved in the Securities offering in any way and none of them have any obligation to consider your interest as an owner of the Securities in taking any actions that might negatively affect the market value of, and the amount payable on, your Securities.
Risks Relating to Hedging Activities and Conflicts of Interest
Hedging Activities by the Bank and/or the Underwriters May Negatively Impact Investors in the Securities and Cause Our Respective Interests and Those of Our Clients and Counterparties to Be Contrary to Those of Investors in the Securities
The Bank or one or more of our respective affiliates and/or the Underwriters has hedged or expects to hedge the obligations under the Securities by purchasing futures and/or other instruments linked to the Reference Assets. The Bank or one or more of our respective affiliates and/or the Underwriters also expects to adjust the hedge by, among other things, purchasing or selling any of the foregoing, and perhaps other instruments linked to the Reference Assets or one or more of the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks, at any time and from time to time, and to unwind the hedge by selling any of the foregoing on or before a Calculation Date (including the Final Calculation Date).
The Bank or one or more of our respective affiliates and/or the Underwriters may also enter into, adjust and unwind hedging transactions relating to other basket- or index-linked securities whose returns are linked to changes in the level or price of the Reference Assets or the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks. Any of these hedging activities may adversely affect the level of a Reference Asset—directly or indirectly by affecting the price of its Reference Asset Constituent Stocks—and therefore the market value of the Securities and the amount you will receive, if any, on the Securities. In addition, you should expect that these transactions will cause the Bank, our respective affiliates and/or the Underwriters, or our respective clients or counterparties, to have economic interests and incentives that do not align with, and that may be directly contrary to, those of an investor in the Securities. The Bank, our respective affiliates and/or the Underwriters will have no obligation to take, refrain from taking or cease taking any action with respect to these transactions based on the potential effect on an investor in the Securities, and may receive substantial returns with respect to these hedging activities while the value of the Securities may decline.
Market Activities by the Bank or the Underwriters for Their Own Respective Accounts or for Their Respective Clients Could Negatively Impact Investors in the Securities
The Bank, the Underwriters and their respective affiliates provide a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base. As such, each of the Bank, the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may act as an investor, investment banker, research provider, investment manager, investment advisor, market maker, trader, prime broker or lender. In those and other capacities, we and/or our affiliates and the Underwriters and/or their respective affiliates purchase, sell or hold a broad array of investments, actively trade securities (including the Securities or other securities that we have issued), the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks, derivatives, loans, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products for our own accounts or for the accounts of our customers, and we and the Underwriters will have other direct or indirect interests in those securities and in other markets that may not be consistent with your interests and may adversely affect the level of a Reference Asset and/or the value of the Securities. Any of these financial market activities may, individually or in the aggregate, have an adverse effect on the level of a Reference Asset and the market for your Securities, and you should expect that our interests and those of our affiliates and those of the Underwriters and/or of their respective affiliates, or our or their clients or counterparties, will at times be adverse to those of investors in the Securities.
The Bank, the Underwriters and their respective affiliates regularly offer a wide array of securities, financial instruments and other products into the marketplace, including existing or new products that are similar to the Securities or other securities that we may issue, the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks or other securities or instruments similar to or linked to the foregoing. Investors in the Securities should expect that the Bank, the Underwriters and their respective affiliates will offer securities, financial instruments, and other products that may compete with the Securities for liquidity or otherwise.
In addition, our and their affiliates or any dealer participating in the offering of the Securities or its affiliates may, at present or in the future, publish research reports on the Reference Assets or the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks. This research is modified from time to time without notice and may, at present or in the future, express opinions or provide recommendations that are inconsistent with purchasing or holding the Securities. Any research reports on the Reference Assets or the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks could adversely affect the levels of the Reference Assets and, therefore, adversely affect the value of and your return on the Securities. You are encouraged to derive information concerning the Reference Assets from multiple sources and should not rely on the views expressed by us, the Underwriters or our or their affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates.
The Bank, the Underwriters and Their Respective Affiliates Regularly Provide Services to, or Otherwise Have Business Relationships with, a Broad Client Base, Which Has Included and May Include the Reference Asset Constituent Stock Issuers
The Bank, the Underwriters and their respective affiliates regularly provide financial advisory, investment advisory and transactional services to a substantial and diversified client base. You should assume that the Bank or the Underwriters will, at present or in the future, provide such services or otherwise engage in transactions with, among others, the Reference Asset Constituent Stock Issuers or transact in securities or instruments or with parties that are directly or indirectly related to these entities. These services could include making loans to or equity investments in those companies, providing financial advisory or other investment banking services, or issuing research reports. You should expect that the Bank, the Underwriters and their respective affiliates, in providing these services, engaging in such transactions, or acting for their own accounts, may take actions that have direct or indirect effects on the Securities or other securities that the Bank may issue, the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks or other securities or instruments similar to or linked to the foregoing, and that such actions could be adverse to the interests of investors in the Securities. In addition, in connection with these activities, certain personnel within the Bank or the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may have access to confidential material non-public information about these parties that would not be disclosed to investors in the Securities.
Other Investors in the Securities May Not Have the Same Interests as You
The interests of other investors may, in some circumstances, be adverse to your interests. Other investors may make requests or recommendations to us regarding the establishment of transactions on terms that are adverse to your interests, and investors in the Securities are not required to take into account the interests of any other investor in exercising remedies, voting or other rights in their capacity as noteholders. Further, other investors may enter into market transactions with respect to the Securities, assets that are the same or similar to the Securities, assets referenced by the Securities (such as stocks or stock indices) or other similar assets or securities which may adversely impact the market for or value of your Securities. For example, an investor could take a short position (directly or indirectly through derivative transactions) in respect of securities similar to your Securities or in respect of the Reference Assets.
The Calculation Agent Can Postpone any Calculation Date (including the Final Calculation Date) for a Reference Asset if a Market Disruption Event with Respect to a Reference Asset Occurs
If the Calculation Agent determines, in its sole discretion, that, on a day that would otherwise be a Calculation Date for a Reference Asset, a market disruption event with respect to a Reference Asset has occurred or is continuing for such Reference Asset, such Calculation Date for such Reference Asset will be postponed until the first following Trading Day for such Reference Asset on which no market disruption event occurs or is continuing with respect to such Reference Asset, although such Calculation Date will not be postponed by more than eight scheduled Trading Days for such Reference Asset. Moreover, if such Calculation Date is postponed to the last possible day, but a market disruption event occurs or is continuing with respect to the applicable Reference Asset on that day, that day will nevertheless be the Calculation Date or the Final Calculation Date, as applicable, for such Reference Asset and the Calculation Agent will determine the applicable Closing Level or Ending Level that must be used to determine whether a Contingent Coupon Payment is payable on the Securities, whether the Securities are subject to an automatic call or the Redemption Amount at Maturity, as applicable. For the avoidance of doubt, if on any Calculation Date no market disruption event is occurring with respect to a particular Reference Asset, the Closing Level for such Reference Asset will be determined on the originally scheduled Calculation Date, irrespective of the occurrence of a market disruption even with respect to any other Reference Asset. See “Summary—Postponement of a Calculation Date” and “Additional Terms of the Securities—Market Disruption Events” in this pricing supplement as well as “General Terms of the Notes—Unavailability of the Level of the Reference Asset on a Valuation Date” in the accompanying product prospectus supplement.
There Is No Affiliation Between Any Reference Asset Constituent Stock Issuers or Any Sponsor and Us and We Are Not Responsible for Any Disclosure by Any of the Other Reference Asset Constituent Stock Issuers or Any Sponsor
The Bank, the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may currently, or from time to time in the future, engage in business with the Reference Asset Constituent Stock Issuers. The Bank, the Underwriters and their respective affiliates are not affiliated with any of the companies included in the Reference Assets. None of us, the Underwriters or our or their affiliates assumes any responsibility for the accuracy or the completeness of any information about the Reference Assets or any of the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks. Before investing in the Securities you should make your own investigation into the Reference Assets and the Reference Asset Constituent Stock Issuers. See the section below entitled “Information Regarding the Reference Assets” in this pricing supplement for additional information about the Reference Asset.
A Participating Dealer or its Affiliates May Realize Hedging Profits Projected by its Proprietary Pricing Models in Addition to any Selling Concession and/or any Distribution Expense Fee, Creating a Further Incentive for the Participating Dealer to Sell the Securities to You
If any dealer participating in the distribution of the Securities (referred to as a “participating dealer”) or any of its affiliates conducts hedging activities for us in connection with the Securities, that participating dealer or its affiliate will expect to realize a projected profit from such hedging activities. If a participating dealer receives a concession and/or any distribution expense fee for the sale of the Securities to you, this projected profit will be in addition to the concession and/or distribution expense fee, creating a further incentive for the participating dealer to sell the Securities to you.
Risks Relating to Estimated Value and Liquidity
The Inclusion of Dealer Spread and Projected Profit from Hedging in the Original Offering Price is Likely to Adversely Affect Secondary Market Prices
Assuming no change in market conditions or any other relevant factors, the price, if any, at which Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. or any other party is willing to purchase the Securities at any time in secondary market transactions will likely be significantly lower than the Original Offering Price, since secondary market prices are likely to exclude discounts and underwriting commissions paid with respect to the Securities and the cost of hedging our obligations under the Securities that are included in the Original Offering Price. The cost of hedging includes the projected profit that we or our hedge provider may realize in consideration for assuming the risks inherent in managing the hedging transactions. These secondary market prices are also likely to be reduced by the costs of unwinding the related hedging transactions. The profits also include an estimate of the difference between the amounts we or our hedge provider pay and receive in a hedging transaction with our affiliate and/or an affiliate of WFS in connection with your Securities. In addition, any secondary market prices may differ from values determined by pricing models used by Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. or WFS as a result of dealer discounts, mark-ups or other transaction costs.
WFS has advised us that if it or any of its affiliates makes a secondary market in the Securities at any time up to the Original Issue Date or during the 4-month period following the Original Issue Date, the secondary market price offered by WFS 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 the 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 or any of its affiliates offers during this period will be higher than it otherwise would be outside of this period, as any secondary market price offered outside of 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 4-month period. If you hold the Securities through an account at WFS or any of its affiliates, WFS has advised us that it expects that this increase will also be reflected in the value indicated for the Securities on your brokerage account statement.
The Bank's Estimated Value of the Securities Will Be Lower Than the Original Offering Price of the Securities
The Bank's estimated value is only an estimate using several factors. The Original Offering Price of the Securities will exceed the Bank's estimated value because costs associated with selling and structuring the Securities, as well as hedging the Securities, are included in the Original Offering Price of the Securities. These costs include the selling commissions and the estimated cost of using a third party hedge provider to hedge our obligations under the Securities. See “The Bank's Estimated Value of the Securities” in this pricing supplement.
The Bank's Estimated Value Does Not Represent Future Values of the Securities and may Differ from Others' Estimates
The Bank's estimated value of the Securities is determined by reference to the Bank's internal pricing models when the terms of the Securities are set. This estimated value is based on market conditions and other relevant factors existing at that time and the Bank's assumptions about market parameters, which can include volatility, dividend rates, interest rates and other factors as well as an estimate of the difference between the amounts we or our hedge provider pay and receive in a hedging transaction with our affiliate and/or an affiliate of WFS in connection with your Securities. Different pricing models and assumptions could provide valuations for Securities that are greater than or less than the Bank's estimated value. In addition, market conditions and other relevant factors in the future may change, and any assumptions may prove to be incorrect. On future dates, the value of the Securities could change significantly based on, among other things, changes in market conditions, our creditworthiness, interest rate movements and other relevant factors, which may impact the price, if any, at which the Bank would be willing to buy Securities from you in secondary market transactions. See “The Bank's Estimated Value of the Securities” in this pricing supplement.
The Bank's Estimated Value is not Determined by Reference to Credit Spreads for our Conventional Fixed-Rate Debt
The internal funding rate used in the determination of the Bank's estimated value generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. If the Bank were to use the interest rate implied by our conventional fixed-rate credit spreads, we would expect the economic terms of the Securities to be more favorable to you. Consequently, our use of an internal funding rate would have an adverse effect on the terms of the Securities and any secondary market prices of the Securities. See “The Bank's Estimated Value of the Securities” in this pricing supplement.
If the Levels of the Reference Assets or the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks Change, the Market Value of Your Securities May Not Change in the Same Manner
Your Securities may trade quite differently from the performance of the Reference Assets or the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks. Changes in the levels of the Reference Assets or the Reference Asset Constituent Stocks may not result in a comparable change in the market value of your Securities. We discuss some of the reasons for this disparity under “—The Price at Which the Securities May Be Sold Prior to Maturity will Depend on a Number of Factors and May Be Substantially Less Than the Amount for Which They Were Originally Purchased” herein.
We May Sell an Additional Aggregate Principal Amount of the Securities at a Different Issue Price
We may decide to sell an additional aggregate Principal Amount of the Securities subsequent to the date of the final pricing supplement. The issue price of the Securities in the subsequent sale may differ substantially (higher or lower) from the Original Offering Price as provided on the cover of this pricing supplement.
The Price at Which the Securities May Be Sold Prior to Maturity will Depend on a Number of Factors and May Be Substantially Less Than the Amount for Which They Were Originally Purchased
The price at which the Securities may be sold prior to maturity will depend on a number of factors. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to: (i) actual or anticipated changes in the levels of the Reference Assets over the full term of the Security, (ii) volatility of the levels of the Reference Assets and the market's perception of future volatility of the levels of the Reference Assets, (iii) changes in interest rates generally, (iv) any actual or anticipated changes in our credit ratings or credit spreads, (v) dividend yields on the securities included in the Reference Assets and (vi) time remaining to maturity. In particular, because the provisions of the Securities relating to the automatic call feature, the Contingent Coupon Payment feature and the Redemption Amount at Maturity behave like options, the value of the Security will vary in ways which are non-linear and may not be intuitive.
Depending on the actual or anticipated levels of the Reference Assets and other relevant factors, the market value of the Securities may decrease and you may receive substantially less than 100.00% of the Original Offering Price if you sell your Securities prior to maturity.
The Securities Lack Liquidity
The Securities will not be listed on any securities exchange or automated quotation system. Therefore, there may be little or no secondary market for the Securities. Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. may, but is not obligated to, make a market in the Securities. Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to trade or sell the Securities easily. Because we do not expect that other broker-dealers will participate significantly in the secondary market for the Securities, the price at which you may be able to trade your Securities is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. is willing to purchase the Securities from you. If at any time Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. was not to make a market in the Securities, it is likely that there would be no secondary market for the Securities. Accordingly, you should be willing to hold your Securities to maturity.
Risks Relating to General Credit Characteristics
Your Investment is Subject to the Credit Risk of the Bank
The Securities are senior unsecured debt obligations of the Bank, and are not, either directly or indirectly, an obligation of any third party. As further described in the accompanying prospectus, prospectus supplement and product prospectus supplement, the Securities will rank on a parity with all of the other unsecured and unsubordinated debt obligations of the Bank, except such obligations as may be preferred by operation of law. Any payment to be made on the Securities, including the Redemption Amount at Maturity, depends on the ability of the Bank to satisfy its obligations as they come due. As a result, the actual and perceived creditworthiness of the Bank may affect the market value of the Securities and, in the event the Bank were to default on its obligations, you may not receive the amounts owed to you under the terms of the Securities. If you sell the Securities prior to maturity, you may receive substantially less than the Principal Amount of your Securities.
The COVID-19 Virus May Have an Adverse Impact on the Bank
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of a strain of novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, a global pandemic. Governments in affected areas have imposed a number of measures designed to contain the outbreak, including business closures, travel restrictions, quarantines and cancellations of gatherings and events. The spread of COVID-19 has had disruptive effects in countries in which the Bank operates and the global economy more widely, as well as causing increased volatility and declines in financial markets. COVID-19 has materially impacted and continues to materially impact the markets in which the Bank operates. If the pandemic is prolonged, or further diseases emerge that give rise to similar effects, the adverse impact on the global economy could deepen and result in further declines in financial markets. A substantial amount of the Bank’s business involves making loans or otherwise committing resources to specific companies, industries or countries. The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on such borrowers, industries and countries could have a material adverse effect on the Bank’s financial results, businesses, financial condition or liquidity. The COVID-19 pandemic may also result in disruption to the Bank’s key suppliers of goods and services and result in increased unavailability of staff adversely impacting the quality and continuity of service to customers and the reputation of the Bank. As a result, the business, results of operations, corporate reputation and financial condition of the Bank could be adversely impacted for a substantial period of time.
Risks Relating to Canadian and U.S. Federal Income Taxation
Uncertain Tax Treatment
Significant aspects of the tax treatment of the Securities are uncertain. You should consult your tax advisor about your tax situation. See “Canadian Income Tax Consequences” and “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” in this pricing supplement.
INFORMATION REGARDING THE REFERENCE ASSETS
Russell 2000® Index
General
The RTY is sponsored by FTSE Russell and measures the composite price performance of stocks of 2,000 companies in the U.S. equity market. It is generally considered to be a “small-cap” index. Additional information about the RTY is available on the following website: ftserussell.com/products/indices/russell-us. We are not incorporating by reference the website or any material it includes in this pricing supplement or any document incorporated herein by reference.
Companies included in the RTY were divided into nine Russell Global Sectors. The Russell Global Sectors include: Consumer Discretionary, Consumer Staples, Financial Services, Health Care, Materials & Processing, Other Energy, Producer Durables, Technology and Utilities. Sector designations are determined by the Sponsor using criteria it has selected or developed. Index sponsors may use very different standards for determining sector designations. In addition, many companies operate in a number of sectors, but are listed in only one sector and the basis on which that sector is selected may also differ. As a result, sector comparisons between indices with different index sponsors may reflect differences in methodology as well as actual differences in the sector composition of the indices.
The RTY includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities that form the Russell 3000® Index. The Russell 3000® Index is comprised of the 3,000 largest U.S. companies, or 98% based on market capitalization, of the investable U.S. equity market. The RTY is designed to track the performance of the small capitalization segment of the U.S. equity market.
Selection of Constituent Stocks of the RTY
The RTY is a sub-index of the Russell 3000® Index. To be eligible for inclusion in the Russell 3000® Index, and, consequently, the RTY, a company’s stocks must be listed on the rank day in May of a given year (the timetable is announced each spring) and the Sponsor must have access to documentation verifying the company’s eligibility for inclusion. Eligible initial public offerings (“IPOs”) are added to Russell U.S. Indices quarterly, based on total market capitalization rankings within the market-adjusted capitalization breaks established during the most recent reconstitution. To be added to any Russell U.S. index during a quarter outside of reconstitution, IPOs must meet additional eligibility criteria.
A company is included in the U.S. equity markets and is eligible for inclusion in the Russell 3000® Index, and consequently, the RTY, if that company incorporates in the U.S., has its headquarters in the U.S. and also trades with the highest liquidity in the U.S. If a company does not satisfy all of the above criteria, it can still be included in the U.S. equity market if any one of the following home country indicators is in the United States: (i) country of incorporation, (ii) country of headquarters and (iii) country in which the company trades with the highest liquidity (as defined by a two-year average daily dollar trading volume from all exchanges within the country), and the primary location of that company’s assets or its revenue, based on an average of two years of assets or revenues data, is also in the United States. In addition, if there is insufficient information to assign a company to the U.S. equity markets based on its assets or revenue, the company may nonetheless be assigned to the U.S. equity markets if the headquarters of the company is located in the United States or if the headquarters of the company is located in certain “benefit-driven incorporation countries”, or “BDIs”, and that company’s most liquid stock exchange is in the United States. The BDI countries are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Cook Islands, Curaçao, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Panama, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten and Turks and Caicos Islands. A U.S.-listed company is not eligible for inclusion within the U.S. equity market if it has been classified by the Sponsor as a China N share on the rank date of the index reconstitution. A company will be considered a China N share if the following criteria are satisfied: (i) the company is incorporated outside of the People’s Republic of China, (ii) the company is listed on the NYSE, the Nasdaq or the NYSE American (formerly the NYSE MKT), (iii) over 55% of the revenue or assets of the company are derived from the People’s Republic of China, and (iv) the company is controlled by a mainland Chinese entity, company or individual (if the shareholder background cannot be determined with publicly available information, the Sponsor will consider whether the establishment and origin of the company are in mainland China and whether the company is headquartered in mainland China). An existing China N Share which fails one or more of the following criteria will cease to be classified as a China N share: (i) the company is no longer incorporated outside the People’s Republic of China, (ii) the company is no longer listed on the NYSE, the Nasdaq exchange, or the NYSE American, (iii) the percentages of revenue and assets derived from the People’s Republic of China have both fallen below 45%, or (iv) the company is acquired/a controlling stake is held by a non-Mainland Chinese state entity, company or individual. Only asset and revenue data from the most
recent annual report is considered when evaluating whether a company should be classified a China N share (i.e., there will be no two year averaging). ADRs and ADSs are not eligible for inclusion in the Russell 3000® Index or consequently, the RTY.
In addition, all securities eligible for inclusion in the Russell 3000® Index, and consequently, the RTY, must trade on an eligible exchange (CBOE (formerly BATS), IEX, NYSE, NYSE American (formerly NYSE MKT), NYSE Arca and Nasdaq).
Exclusions from the RTY
The Sponsor specifically excludes the following companies and securities from the RTY: (i) preferred and convertible preferred stock, redeemable shares, participating preferred stock, warrants, rights, depositary receipts, installment receipts and trust receipts; (ii) 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; (iii) companies with a total market capitalization less than $30 million; (iv) companies with only a small portion of their shares available in the marketplace (companies with less than an absolute 5% of shares available); (v) bulletin board, pink sheets or over-the-counter traded securities, including securities for which prices are displayed on the FINRA ADF; (vi) real estate investment trusts and publicly traded partnerships that generate, or have historically generated, unrelated business taxable income and have not taken steps to block their unrelated business taxable income to equity holders; and (vii) companies with 5% or less of the company’s voting rights in the hands of unrestricted shareholders (existing constituents that do not currently have more than 5% of the company’s voting rights in the hands of unrestricted shareholders have until the September 2022 review to meet this requirement).
Initial List of Eligible Securities
The primary criterion the Sponsor uses to determine the initial list of securities eligible for the Russell 3000® Index and, consequently, the RTY, is total market capitalization, which is calculated by multiplying the total outstanding shares for a company by the market price as of the rank day for those securities being considered at annual reconstitution. IPOs may be added between constitutions as noted below. All common stock share classes are combined in determining a company’s total shares outstanding. If multiple share classes have been combined, the number of total shares outstanding will be multiplied by the primary exchange close price and used to determine the company’s total market capitalization. In cases where the common stock share classes act independently of each other (e.g., tracking stocks), each class is considered for inclusion separately. Stocks must have a closing price at or above $1.00 on their primary exchange or an eligible secondary exchange on the last trading day of May of each year to be eligible for inclusion in the RTY. In order to reduce unnecessary turnover, if an existing member’s closing price is less than $1.00 on the rank day in May, it will be considered eligible if the average of the daily closing prices from their primary exchange during the 30 days prior to the rank day is equal to or greater than $1.00. If an existing member does not trade on the rank day, it must price at $1.00 or above on another eligible U.S. exchange to remain eligible.
Multiple Share Classes
If an eligible company trades under multiple share classes or if a company distributes shares of an additional share class to its existing shareholders through a mandatory corporate action, each share class will be reviewed independently for inclusion. Share classes in addition to the primary vehicle (the pricing vehicle) that have a total market capitalization larger than $30 million, an average daily dollar trading value that exceeds that of the global median, and a float greater than 5% of shares available in the market place are eligible for inclusion.
The pricing vehicle will generally be designated as the share class with the highest two-year trading volume as of the rank day. In the absence of two years’ worth of data, all available data will be used for this calculation. If the difference between trading volumes for each share class is less than 20%, the share class with the most available shares outstanding will be used as the pricing vehicle. At least 100 day trading volume is necessary to consider the class as a pricing vehicle for existing members. New members will be analyzed on all available data, even if that data is for less than 100 days.
Annual Reconstitution
The RTY is reconstituted annually by the Sponsor to reflect changes in the marketplace. The list of companies is ranked based on total market capitalization on the last trading day in May, with the actual reconstitution occurring on the final Friday of June each year, unless the final Friday in June is the 29th or 30th, in which case reconstitution will occur on the preceding Friday. A full calendar for reconstitution is made available each spring.
A company’s total shares are multiplied by the primary exchange close price of the pricing vehicle and used to determine the company’s total market capitalization for the purpose of ranking of companies and determination of index membership. If no volume exists on the primary exchange on the rank day, the last trade price from an eligible secondary exchange will be used where volume exists (using the lowest trade price above $1.00 if multiple secondary markets exist). The company’s rank will be determined based on the cumulative market capitalization. As of the June 2016 reconstitution, any share class not qualifying for eligibility independently will not be aggregated with the pricing vehicle within the available shares calculation.
For mergers and spin-offs that are effective between the rank day and the Friday prior to annual reconstitution in June, the market capitalizations of the impacted securities are recalculated and membership is reevaluated as of the effective date of the corporate action. For corporate events that occur during the final week of reconstitution (during which reconstitution is finalized Friday after U.S. market close), market capitalizations and memberships will not be reevaluated. Non index members that have been considered ineligible as of rank day will not be reevaluated in the event of a subsequent corporate action that occurs between rank day and the reconstitution effective date.
Index Calculation and Capitalization Adjustments
As a capitalization-weighted index, the RTY reflects changes in the capitalization, or market value, of the index stocks relative to the capitalization on a base date. This discussion describes the “price return” calculation of the RTY. The current RTY value is the compounded result of the cumulative daily (or monthly) return percentages, where the starting value of the RTY is equal to the base value (100) and base date (December 31, 1978). Returns between any two dates can then be derived by dividing the ending period index value (IV1) by the beginning period (IV0) index value, so that the return equals [(IV1 / IV0) –1]*100.
Constituent stocks of the RTY are weighted in the RTY by their free-float market capitalization, which is calculated by multiplying the primary closing price by the number of free-float shares. Free-float shares are shares that are available to the public for purchase as determined by the Sponsor. Adjustments to shares are reviewed quarterly (including at reconstitution) and for major corporate actions such as mergers. Total shares and adjustments for available shares are based on information recorded in SEC corporate filings.
The following are excluded from free float: shares directly owned by state, regional, municipal and local governments (excluding shares held by independently managed pension schemes for governments); shares held by sovereign wealth funds where each holding is 10% or greater of the total number of shares in issue; shares held by directors, senior executives and managers of the company, and by their family and direct relations, and by companies with which they are affiliated; shares held within employee share plans; shares held by public companies or by non-listed subsidiaries of public companies; shares held by founders, promoters, former directors, founding venture capital and private equity firms, private companies and individuals (including employees) where the holding is 10% or greater of the total number of shares in issue; all shares where the holder is subject to a lock-up clause (for the duration of that clause, after which free float changes resulting from the expiry of a lock-up will be implemented at the next quarterly review subject to the lock-up expiry date occurring on or prior to the share and float change information cut-off date); shares held by an investor, investment company or an investment fund that is actively participating in the management of a company or is holding shares for publicly announced strategic reasons, or has successfully placed a current member to the board of directors of a company; and shares that are subject to ongoing contractual agreements (such as swaps) where they would ordinarily be treated as restricted. In addition, while portfolio holdings such as pension funds, insurance funds or investment companies will generally not be considered as restricted from free float, where a single portfolio holding is 30% or greater it will be regarded as strategic and therefore restricted (and will remain restricted until the holding falls below 30%).
Corporate Actions Affecting the RTY
The Sponsor adjusts the RTY on a daily basis in response to certain corporate actions and events. Therefore, a company’s membership in the RTY and its weight in the RTY can be impacted by these corporate actions. The adjustment is applied based on sources of public information, including press releases and SEC filings. Prior to the completion of a corporate action or event, the Sponsor estimates the effective date. The Sponsor will then adjust the anticipated effective date based on public information until the date is considered final. Depending on the time on a given day that an action is determined to be final, the Sponsor will generally either (1) apply the action before the open on the ex-date or (2) apply the action after providing appropriate notice. If the Sponsor has confirmed the completion of a corporate action, scheduled to become effective subsequent to a rebalance, the event may be implemented in conjunction with the rebalance to limit turnover, provided appropriate notice can be given. The Sponsor applies the following methodology guidelines when adjusting the RTY in response to corporate actions and events:
“No Replacement” Rule — Securities that are deleted from the RTY between reconstitution dates, for any reason (e.g., mergers, acquisitions or other similar corporate activity) are not replaced. Thus, the number of securities in the RTY over the past year will fluctuate according to corporate activity.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Adjustments due to mergers and acquisitions are applied to the RTY after the action is determined to be final. In the event that a constituent is being acquired for cash or is delisted subsequent to an index review, such constituent will be removed from the RTY in conjunction with the index review, assuming that the action is determined to be final and a minimum of two days’ notice can be provided.
Between constituents: When mergers and acquisitions take place between companies that are both constituents of a Russell index for cash, the target company is deleted from the index at the last traded price. When mergers and acquisitions take place between companies that are both constituents of a Russell index for stock, the target company is deleted from the RTY and the shares of the acquiring stock are increased according to the offer terms. When mergers and acquisitions take place between companies that are both constituents of a Russell index for cash or stock or a combination thereof, the target company is deleted from the RTY and the shares of the acquiring company are simultaneously increased per the merger terms.
Between a constituent and a non-constituent: If the target company is a member of the RTY, it is deleted from the RTY and the acquiring company will be included initially in the RTY provided it is eligible in all other respects at the time of the merger, regardless of previous eligibility screenings. If the acquiring company is deemed eligible it will be added to the RTY on the effective date and the opening price will be calculated using the offer terms. When the target company is a FTSE Russell Universe member, the shares of the member acquiring company will be updated to reflect the merger. Any share update will be made giving appropriate notice.
Given sufficient market hours after the confirmation of a merger or acquisition, the Sponsor effects the action after the close on the last day of trading of the target company, or at an appropriate time once the transaction has been deemed to be final.
Rights Offerings — Rights offered to shareholders are reflected in the RTY only if the subscription price of the rights is at a discount to the market price of the stock. Provided that the Sponsor has been alerted to the rights offer prior to the ex-date, it will adjust the price of the stock for the value of the rights and increased shares according to the terms of the offering before the open on the ex-date.
Spin-offs— If the spin-off entity meets the eligibility requirements for the RTY, the spin-off entity will be added to the RTY on the ex-date of the distribution. The spin-off entity will be retained in the RTY until the next annual reconstitution, when it will be evaluated for inclusion. If the spin-off entity does not meet the eligibility requirements for the RTY, the spin-off entity will be added to the RTY on the ex-date of the distribution. It will remain in the RTY until listing and settlement and then deleted at market price with notice.
Initial Public Offerings — Eligible IPOs are added to the RTY based on total market capitalization ranking within the market-adjusted capitalization breaks established at the most recent annual reconstitution.
An IPO of additional share classes will be considered for eligibility and must meet the same eligibility criteria for all other multiple share classes. If at the time of the IPO the additional share class does not meet the eligibility criteria for separate index membership, it will not be added to the RTY and will subsequently be reviewed for index membership during the next annual reconstitution.
Once IPO additions have been announced, an IPO may be added to the RTY prior to the previously announced schedule, if a corporate action has deemed this to be appropriate and notice can be provided (e.g. an index member automatically receives shares via a stock distribution into a projected IPO add).
Tender Offers — A company acquired as a result of a tender offer is removed when (i) (a) offer acceptances reach 90%; (b) shareholders have validly tendered and the shares have been irrevocably accepted for payment; and (c) all pertinent offer conditions have been reasonably met and the acquirer has not explicitly stated that it does not intend to acquire the remaining shares; (ii) there is reason to believe that the remaining free float is under 5% based on information available at the time; or (iii) following completion of the offer the acquirer has stated intent to finalize the acquisition via a short-form merger, squeeze-out, top-up option or any other compulsory mechanism.
Where the conditions for index deletion are not met, the Sponsor may implement a free float change based on the reported acceptance results at the expiration of the initial, subsequent or final offer period where (i) the minimum acceptance level as stipulated by the acquiror is met; (ii) shareholders have validly tendered and the shares have been irrevocably accepted for payment; (iii) all pertinent offer conditions have been reasonably met and (iv) the change to the current float factor is greater than 3%. The Sponsor uses the published results of the offer to determine the new free float of the target company. If no information is published in conjunction with the results from which the Sponsor can determine which shareholders have and have not tendered, the free float change will reflect the total shares now owned by the acquiring company. A minimum T+2 notice period of the change is generally provided. Any subsequent disclosure on the updated shareholder structure will be reviewed during the quarterly review cycle. If the offer includes a stock consideration, the acquiring company’s shares will be increased proportionate to the free float change of the target company. If the target company’s free float change is greater than 3%, the associated change to the acquiring company’s shares will be implemented regardless of size. Additionally, if the change to the target company is less than 3%, then no change will be implemented to the target or the acquiring company at the time of the event, regardless of any change to the acquiring company’s shares. The target company will then be deleted as a second-step, if the conditions for deletion are achieved at the expiration of a subsequent offer period.
In the event that a tender offer results in an additional listed and active “tendered” line prior to the tendered shares being accepted and exchanged for settlement, the Sponsor will generally evaluate the following factors to determine whether to switch to the tendered line: (i) the objective of the offer is to fully acquire and delist the target company (and the Sponsor is not aware of any obstacles designed to prevent this objective; e.g. there are no major shareholders who have publicly disclosed that they will not be tendering); (ii) the offer is deemed to be successful (i.e. the minimum acceptance threshold has been achieved); (iii) more than 50% of the shares subject to the offer have been tendered; (iv) there is an additional tender offer period to provide a window for index users to tender into the tendered shares’ line; and (v) there are outstanding regulatory or other substantive hurdles preventing the transaction completing immediately at the conclusion of the tender offer, with the results not expected to be known for some time. Index implementation will generally occur immediately after the opening of the additional offer period (with the provision of appropriate notice) – with an informative notice published announcing the change, to supplement the information within the applicable tracker files. In the event that the tendered line is halted prior to index implementation, its close price will be updated to reflect the deal terms until implementation. In the event that the prerequisites for deletion are not achieved and the target company is retained within the index at a reduced weight, the tendered line will be removed at deal terms (if no active market) with the ordinary line being re-added at a reduced weight at its last close price.
In exceptional circumstances, any review changes due to be effective for the companies involved in a tender offer may be retracted if the Sponsor becomes aware of a tender offer which is due to complete on or around the effective date of such index review changes. Such exceptional circumstances may include undue price pressure being placed on the companies involved, or if proceeding with the review changes would compromise the replicability of the index.
Delisted and Suspended Stocks — A stock will be deleted as a constituent if it is delisted from all eligible exchanges, becomes bankrupt, files for bankruptcy protection, is insolvent or is liquidated, or where evidence of a change in circumstances makes it ineligible for index inclusion. If, however, a stock is suspended, the Sponsor will determine its treatment as follows:
• | if a constituent is declared bankrupt without any indication of compensation to shareholders, the last traded price will be adjusted to zero value and the constituent will be removed from the RTY with notice (typically T+2); |
• | in all other cases, a constituent will continue to be included in the RTY for a period of up to 20 business days at its last traded price; |
• | if a constituent continues to be suspended at the end of the 20 business day period, it will be subject to review and a decision will be taken to either allow the constituent to remain in the RTY for a further period of up to 20 business days or to remove it at zero value. In making this determination, the Sponsor will take into account the stated reasons for the suspension. These reasons may include announcements made by the company regarding a pending acquisition or restructuring, and any stated intentions regarding a date for the resumption of trading; |
• | if the suspension period reaches 60 business days, the constituent will be removed from the index at zero value at the next index review, subject to the 60th business day of suspension occurring on or before the Friday which falls four weeks prior to the index review implementation date. Where the 60th business day of suspension occurs after such date, the constituent will be reviewed for removal at the subsequent index review; |
• | in certain limited circumstances where the index weight of the constituent is significant and the Sponsor determines that a market-related value can be established for the suspended constituent, for example because similar company securities continue to trade, deletion may take place at the market-related value instead. In such circumstances, the Sponsor will set out its rationale for the proposed treatment of the constituent at the end of the 60 business day period; |
• | if, following the end of the 60 business day period, a suspended constituent resumes trading in advance of the index review lock-down period (i.e., the two week period prior to the index review effective date) in March, June, September or December, the deletion notice will be rescinded and the constituent will be retained in the RTY. However, where the constituent resumes trading during the index review lock-down period, the constituent will continue to be removed from the RTY as previously announced but in these circumstances the deletion will instead be implemented at market value unless there are barriers that render a market value irreplicable. In this event, the company will continue to be removed at zero; |
• | if a constituent has been removed from the RTY and trading is subsequently restored, the constituent will only be reconsidered for inclusion after a period of 12 months from its deletion. For the purposes of index eligibility it will be treated as a new issue. |
Bankruptcy and Voluntary Liquidations — Companies that file for a Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy or have filed a liquidation plan will be removed from the RTY at the time of the bankruptcy filing (except when shareholder approval is required to finalize the liquidation plan, in which case the company will be removed once shareholder approval has been granted); whereas companies filing for a Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy will remain a member of the RTY, unless the company is delisted from the primary exchange, in which case normal delisting rules apply. If a company files for bankruptcy, is delisted and it can be confirmed that it will not trade on any market, including OTC, the Sponsor may remove the stock at a nominal price of $0.0001.
Stock Distributions and distributions in specie— A price adjustment for stock distributions is applied on the ex-date of the distribution. Where the Sponsor is able to value a distribution in specie prior to the ex-date, a price adjustment is made to the company paying the dividend at the open on the ex-date. If no valuation of the distribution exists prior to the ex-date, no price adjustment is applied. Where the company whose holders are receiving the distribution is an index member, its shares will be increased according to the terms of the distribution. If such company is not an index member, the distributed shares will be added to the RTY until they have been settled and have listed, at which point they will be removed at the last traded price giving appropriate notice.
Special Cash Dividends — If a constituent pays out a special cash dividend, the price of the stock is adjusted to deduct the dividend amount before the open on the ex-date. No adjustment for regular cash dividends is made in the price return calculation of the RTY.
Updates to Shares Outstanding and Free Float — The Sponsor reviews the RTY quarterly for updates to shares outstanding and to free floats used in calculating the RTY. The changes are implemented quarterly in March, June, September and December after the close on the third Friday of such month. The June reconstitution will be implemented on the last Friday of June (unless the last Friday occurs on the 29th or 30th of the month, in which case reconstitution will occur on the Friday prior).
In March, September and December shares outstanding and free floats are updated to reflect (i) cumulative share changes greater than 1%, (ii) for constituents with a free float of 5% and less, cumulative free float changes greater than 0.25%, (iii) for constituents with a free float greater than 5% but less than or equal to 15%, cumulative free float changes greater than 1%, and (iv) for constituents with a free float greater than 15%, cumulative free float changes greater than 3%. The Sponsor implements the June updates using data sourced primarily from the companies’ publicly available information filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Outside of the quarterly update cycle, outstanding shares and free float will be updated with at least two days’ notice if prompted by primary or secondary offerings if (i) there is a USD $1 billion investable market capitalization change related to a primary/secondary offering measured by multiplying the change to index shares by the subscription price or (ii) there is a resultant 5% change in index shares related to a primary or secondary offering and a USD $250 million investable market capitalization change measured by multiplying the change to index shares by the subscription price. The pricing date will serve as the trigger for implementation; i.e. once FTSE Russell is aware that an offering has priced, the update will be implemented with two days’ notice from market close (contingent on the thresholds described above being triggered). If discovery of the pricing date occurs more than two days after the pricing date, the update will be deferred until the next quarterly review.
If a company distributes shares of an additional share class to its existing shareholders through a mandatory corporate action, the additional share class will be evaluated for separate index membership. The new share class will be deemed eligible if the market capitalization of the distributed shares meets the minimum size requirement (the market capitalization of the smallest member of the Russell 3000E Index from the previous rebalance as adjusted for performance to date). If the additional share class is not eligible at the time of distribution, it will not be added to the RTY.
License Agreement
FTSE Russell has entered into a non-exclusive license agreement with us, granting us, and certain of our affiliates, in exchange for a fee, permission to use the RTY in connection with the offer and sale of the Securities. We are not affiliated with FTSE Russell; the only relationship between FTSE Russell and us is the licensing of the use of the RTY (a trademark of FTSE Russell) and trademarks relating to the RTY. We do not accept any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of the RTY or any successor index.
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 securities upon which the RTY is based. FTSE Russell’s only relationship to us 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 us 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.
FTSE RUSSELL DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE RTY OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND FTSE RUSSELL SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. FTSE RUSSELL MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY US, INVESTORS, HOLDERS OF THE SECURITIES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE RTY OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FTSE RUSSELL 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 RTY OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL FTSE RUSSELL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Historical Information
The graph below illustrates the performance of the RTY from January 1, 2016 through April 5, 2021. The dotted line represents its hypothetical Coupon Threshold Level and Downside Threshold Level of 1,585.4202, which is equal to 70.00% of 2,264.886, which was the Closing Level of the RTY on April 5, 2021. Past performance of the RTY is not indicative of future performance.
We obtained the information regarding the historical performance of the RTY in the graph above from Bloomberg.
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 RTY should not be taken as an indication of its future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the Closing Level of the RTY on any Calculation Date or its Ending Level. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the RTY will result in any positive return on your investment.
S&P 500® Index
The S&P 500® Index includes a representative sample of 500 companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The 500 companies are not the 500 largest companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and not all 500 companies are listed on the NYSE. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“S&P” or the “sponsor”) chooses companies for inclusion in the S&P 500® Index with an aim of achieving a distribution by broad industry groupings that approximates the distribution of these groupings in the common stock population of the U.S. equity market. Although the S&P 500® Index contains 500 constituent companies, at any one time it may contain greater than 500 constituent trading lines since some companies included in the S&P 500® Index prior to July 31, 2017 may be represented by multiple share class lines in the index. The S&P 500® Index is calculated, maintained and published by S&P and is part of the S&P Dow Jones Indices family of indices. Additional information is available on the following websites: spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/sp-500/ and spglobal.com/. We are not incorporating by reference the websites or any material they include in this pricing supplement or any document incorporated herein by reference.
S&P intends for the S&P 500® Index to provide a performance benchmark for the large-cap U.S. equity markets. Constituent changes are made on an as-needed basis and there is no schedule for constituent reviews. 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 S&P 500® Index committee (the “S&P Index Committee”). Relevant criteria for additions to the S&P 500® Index that are employed by S&P include: the company proposed for addition should have an unadjusted company market capitalization of $9.8 billion or more and a security level float-adjusted market capitalization of at least 50% of such threshold (for spin-offs, eligibility is determined using when-issued prices, if available); using composite pricing and volume, the ratio of annual dollar value traded (defined as average closing price over the period multiplied by historical volume) in the proposed constituent to float-adjusted market capitalization of that company should be at least 1.00 and the stock should trade a minimum of 250,000 shares in each of the six months leading up to the evaluation date; the company must be a U.S. company (characterized as a Form 10-K filer with its U.S. portion of fixed assets and revenues constituting a plurality of the total and with a primary listing of the common stock on the NYSE, NYSE Arca, NYSE American (formerly NYSE MKT), Nasdaq Global Select Market, Nasdaq Select Market, Nasdaq Capital Market, Cboe BZX (formerly Bats BZX), Cboe BYX (formerly Bats BYX), Cboe EDGA (formerly Bats EDGA) or Cboe EDGX (formerly Bats EDGX) (each, an “eligible exchange”)); the proposed constituent has an investable weight factor (“IWF”) of 10% or more; the inclusion of the company will contribute to sector balance in the index relative to sector balance in the market in the relevant market capitalization range; financial viability (the sum of the most recent four consecutive quarters’ Generally Accepted Accounting Principles earnings (net income excluding discontinued operations) should be positive as should the most recent quarter); and, for initial public offerings, the company must be traded on an eligible exchange for at least twelve months (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 S&P 500® Index). In addition, constituents of the S&P MidCap 400® Index and the S&P SmallCap 600® Index can be added to the S&P 500® Index provided they meet the unadjusted company level market capitalization eligibility criteria for the S&P 500® Index. Migrations from the S&P MidCap 400® Index or the S&P SmallCap 600® Index do not need to meet the financial viability, liquidity, or 50% of the S&P 500® Index’s unadjusted company level minimum market capitalization threshold criteria. Further, constituents of the S&P Total Market Index Ex S&P Composite 1500 (which includes all eligible U.S. common equities except for those included in the S&P 500® Index, the S&P MidCap 400® Index and the S&P SmallCap 600® Index) that acquire a constituent of the S&P 500® Index, the S&P MidCap 400® Index or the S&P SmallCap 600® Index that do not fully meet the financial viability or IWF criteria may still be added to the S&P 500® Index at the discretion of the S&P Index Committee if the S&P Index Committee determines that the addition could minimize turnover and enhance the representativeness of the S&P 500® Index as a market benchmark. Certain types of organizational structures and securities are always excluded, including, but not limited to, business development companies, limited partnerships, master limited partnerships, limited liability companies, OTC bulletin board issues, closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), exchange-traded notes, royalty trusts, tracking stocks, special purpose acquisition companies, preferred stock and convertible preferred stock, unit trusts, equity warrants, convertible bonds, investment trusts, rights and American depositary receipts. Stocks are deleted from the S&P 500® Index when they are involved in mergers, acquisitions or significant restructurings such that they no longer meet the inclusion criteria, and when they substantially violate one or more of the addition criteria. Stocks that are delisted or moved to the pink sheets or the OTC bulletin board are removed, and those that experience a trading halt may be retained or removed in S&P’s discretion. S&P evaluates additions and deletions with a view to maintaining S&P 500® Index continuity.
For constituents included in the S&P 500® Index prior to July 31, 2017, all publicly listed multiple share class lines are included separately in the S&P 500® Index, subject to, in the case of any such share class line, that share class line satisfying the liquidity and float criteria discussed above and subject to certain exceptions. It is possible that one listed share class line of a company may be included in the S&P 500® Index while a second listed share class line of the same company is excluded. For companies that issue a second publicly traded share class to index share class holders, the newly issued share class line is considered for inclusion if the event is mandatory and the market capitalization of the distributed class is not considered to be de minimis.
As of July 31, 2017, companies with multiple share class lines are no longer eligible for inclusion in the S&P 500® Index. Only common shares are considered when determining whether a company has a multiple share class structure. Constituents of the S&P 500® Index prior to July 31, 2017 with multiple share class lines will be grandfathered in and continue to be included in the S&P 500® Index. If an S&P 500® Index constituent reorganizes into a multiple share class line structure, that company will be reviewed for continued inclusion in the S&P 500® Index at the discretion of the S&P Index Committee.
As of February 26, 2021, the 500 companies included in the S&P 500® Index were divided into eleven Global Industry Classification Sectors. The Global Industry Classification Sectors include (with the approximate percentage currently included in such sectors indicated in parentheses): Information Technology (27.4%), Health Care (13.1%), Consumer Discretionary (12.4%), Financials (11.2%), Communication Services (11.1%), Industrials (8.4%), Consumer Staples (6.0%), Energy (2.8%), Materials (2.6%), Utilities (2.5%) and Real Estate (2.4%). The weightings for each sector are rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent and, therefore, may not equal 100%. (Sector designations are determined by the underlying index sponsor using criteria it has selected or developed. Index sponsors may use very different standards for determining sector designations. In addition, many companies operate in a number of sectors, but are listed in only one sector and the basis on which that sector is selected may also differ. As a result, sector comparisons between indices with different index sponsors may reflect differences in methodology as well as actual differences in the sector composition of the indices.)
Calculation of the S&P 500® Index
The S&P 500® Index is calculated using a base-weighted aggregative methodology. The value of the S&P 500® Index on any day for which an index value is published is determined by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate of the market price of each stock in the S&P 500® Index times the number of shares of such stock included in the S&P 500® Index, and the denominator of which is the divisor, which is described more fully below. The “market value” of any index stock is the product of the market price per share of that stock times the number of the then-outstanding shares of such index stock that are then included in the S&P 500® Index.
The S&P 500® Index is also sometimes called a “base-weighted aggregative index” because of its use of a divisor. The “divisor” is a value calculated by S&P that is intended to maintain conformity in index values over time and is adjusted for all changes in the index stocks’ share capital after the “base date” as described below. The level of the S&P 500® Index reflects the total market value of all index stocks relative to the index’s base date of 1941-43.
In addition, the S&P 500® Index is float-adjusted, meaning that the share counts used in calculating the S&P 500® Index reflect only those shares available to investors rather than all of a company’s outstanding shares. S&P seeks to exclude shares held by long-term, strategic shareholders concerned with the control of a company, a group that generally includes the following: officers and directors and related individuals whose holdings are publicly disclosed, private equity, venture capital, special equity firms, asset managers and insurance companies with board of director representation, publicly traded companies that hold shares in another company, holders of restricted shares (except for shares held as part of a lock-up agreement), company-sponsored employee share plans/trusts, defined contribution plans/savings, investment plans, foundations or family trusts associated with the company, government entities at all levels (except government retirement or pension funds), sovereign wealth funds and any individual person listed as a 5% or greater stakeholder in a company as reported in regulatory filings (collectively, “strategic holders”). To this end, S&P excludes all share-holdings (other than depositary banks, pension funds (including government pension and retirement funds), mutual funds, ETF providers, investment funds, asset managers (including hedge funds with no board of director representation), investment funds of insurance companies (except in certain countries where insurance companies may be considered strategic holders based on regulatory issues and country-specific practices) and independent foundations not associated with the company) with a position greater than 5% of the outstanding shares of a company from the float-adjusted share count to be used in S&P 500® Index calculations.
The exclusion is accomplished by calculating an IWF for each stock that is part of the numerator of the float-adjusted index fraction described above:
IWF = (available float shares)/(total shares outstanding)
where available float shares is defined as total shares outstanding less shares held by strategic holders. In most cases, an IWF is reported to the nearest one percentage point. For companies with multiple share class lines, a separate IWF is calculated for each share class line. In most cases, an IWF is reported to the nearest one percentage point.
Maintenance of the S&P 500® Index
In order to keep the S&P 500® Index comparable over time S&P engages in an index maintenance process. The S&P 500® Index maintenance process involves changing the constituents as discussed above, and also involves maintaining quality assurance processes and procedures, adjusting the number of shares used to calculate the S&P 500® Index, monitoring and completing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, adjusting for stock splits and stock dividends and adjusting for other corporate actions. In addition to its daily governance of indices and maintenance of the S&P 500® Index methodology, at least once within any 12 month period, the S&P Index Committee reviews the S&P 500® Index methodology to ensure the S&P 500® Index continues to achieve the stated objective, and that the data and methodology remain effective. The S&P Index Committee may at times consult with investors, market participants, security issuers included in or potentially included in the S&P 500® Index, or investment and financial experts.
Divisor Adjustments
The two types of adjustments primarily used by S&P are divisor adjustments and adjustments to the number of shares (including float adjustments) used to calculate the S&P 500® Index. Set forth below is a table of certain corporate events and their resulting effect on the divisor and the share count. If a corporate event requires an adjustment to the divisor, that event has the effect of altering the market value of the affected reference asset constituent stock and consequently of altering the aggregate market value of the reference asset constituent stocks following the event. In order that the level of the S&P 500® Index not be affected by the altered market value (which could be an increase or decrease) of the affected reference asset constituent stock, S&P generally derives a new divisor by dividing the post-event market value of the reference asset constituent stocks by the pre-event index value, which has the effect of reducing the S&P 500® Index’s post-event value to the pre-event level.
Changes to the Number of Shares of a Constituent
The index maintenance process also involves tracking the changes in the number of shares included for each of the reference asset companies. Changes as a result of mandatory events, such as mergers or acquisition driven share/IWF changes, stock splits and mandatory distributions are not subject to a minimum threshold for implementation and are implemented when the transaction occurs. At S&P’s discretion, however, de minimis merger and acquisition changes may be accumulated and implemented with the updates made with the quarterly share updates as described below. Material share/IWF changes resulting from certain non-mandatory corporate actions follow the accelerated implementation rule. Non-material share/IWF changes are implemented quarterly.
Accelerated Implementation Rule
1. 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 US $150 million, and
(b) at least 5% of the pre-event total shares.
In addition to the materiality threshold, public offerings must satisfy the following conditions:
• be underwritten.
• have a publicly available prospectus, offering document, or prospectus summary filed with the relevant authorities.
• 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 $150 million. Any concurrent share repurchase by the affected company will also be included in the implementation.
2. Dutch Auctions, self-tender offer buybacks, and split-off exchange offers. These nonmandatory corporate action types will be eligible for accelerated implementation treatment regardless of size once their results are publicly announced and verified by S&P.
Exception to the Accelerated Implementation Rule
For non-mandatory corporate actions subject to the accelerated implementation rule with a size of at least US $1 billion, S&P 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. This exception ensures that very large events are recognized in a timely manner using the latest available information.
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. In addition, events that were not implemented under the accelerated implementation rule but were found to have been eligible, (e.g. due to lack of publicly available information at the time of the event) are implemented as part of a quarterly rebalancing.
Announcement Policy
For accelerated implementation, S&P will provide two (2) business days’ notice for all non-US domiciled stocks, and one (1) business days’ notice for all US domiciled stocks.
IWF Updates
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.
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.
Quarterly share change events resulting from the conversion of derivative securities, acquisitions of private companies, or acquisitions of non-index companies that do not trade on a major exchange are considered to be available to investors unless there is explicit information stating that the new owner is a strategic holder.
Other than the situations described above, please note that IWF changes are only made at the annual IWF review.
Share Updates
When total shares outstanding increase by at least 5%, but the new share issuance is to a strategic or major shareholder, it implies that there is no change in float- adjusted shares. However, in such instances, S&P will apply the share change and resulting IWF change regardless of whether the float change is greater than or equal to 5%.
For companies with multiple share class lines, the 5% share change threshold is based on each individual multiple share class line rather than total company shares.
Changes to share counts that total less than 5% of total shares are accumulated and made quarterly on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December.
Exceptions:
Any non- fully paid or non-fully settled offering such as forward sales agreements are not eligible for accelerated implementation. Share updates resulting from completion of subscription receipts terms or the settlement of forward sale agreements are updated at a future quarterly share rebalance.
Rebalancing Guidelines – Share/IWF Freeze
A share/IWF freeze period is implemented during each quarterly rebalancing. The freeze period begins after the market close on the Tuesday prior to the second Friday of each rebalancing month (i.e. March, June, September, and December) and ends after the market close on the third Friday of the rebalancing month. Pro-forma files are normally released after the market close on the second Friday, one week prior to the rebalancing effective date. In September, preliminary share and float data is released on the first Friday of the month. However, the share freeze period for September follows the same schedule as the other three quarterly share freeze periods. For illustration purposes, if rebalancing pro-forma files are scheduled to be released on Friday, March 13, the share/IWF freeze period will begin after the close of trading on Tuesday, March 10 and will end after the close of trading the following Friday, March 20 (i.e. the third Friday of the rebalancing month).
During the share/IWF freeze period, shares and IWFs are not changed except for mandatory corporate action events (such as merger activity, stock splits, and rights offerings), and the accelerated implementation rule is suspended. The suspensions include all changes that qualify for accelerated implementation and would typically be announced or effective during the share/IWF freeze period. At the end of the freeze period all suspended changes will be announced on the third Friday of the rebalancing month, and implemented five business days after the quarterly rebalancing effective date.
Adjustments for Corporate Actions
There is a large range of corporate actions that may affect companies included in the S&P 500® Index. Certain corporate actions require S&P to recalculate the share count or the float adjustment or to make an adjustment to the divisor to prevent the value of the S&P 500® Index from changing as a result of the corporate action. This helps ensure that the movement of the S&P 500® Index does not reflect the corporate actions of individual companies in the S&P 500® Index.
Spin-Offs
As a general policy, a spin-off security is added to the S&P 500® Index on the ex-date at a price of zero (with no divisor adjustment) and will remain in the index for at least one trading day. On the ex-date the spin-off will have the same attributes and capping adjustment factor as its parent company. The spin-off security will remain in the S&P 500® Index if it meets all eligibility criteria. If the spin-off security is determined ineligible to remain in the S&P 500® Index, it will generally be removed after at least one day of regular way trading (with a divisor adjustment). The weight of the spin-off being deleted is reinvested across all the index components proportionately such that the relative weights of all index components are unchanged. The net change in index market capitalization will cause a divisor change.
Companies that are spun off from a constituent of the S&P 500® Index do not need to meet the eligibility criteria for new constituents, but they should be considered U.S. domiciled for index purposes. At the discretion of the S&P Index Committee, a spin-off company may be retained in the S&P 500® Index if the S&P Index Committee determines it has a total market capitalization representative of the S&P 500® Index. If the spin-off company’s estimated market capitalization is below the minimum unadjusted company market capitalization for the S&P 500® Index but there are other constituent companies in the S&P 500® Index that have a significantly lower total market capitalization than the spin-off company, the S&P Index Committee may decide to retain the spin-off company in the S&P 500® Index.
Several additional types of corporate actions, and their related treatment, are listed in the table below.
Corporate Action | Treatment |
Company addition/deletion | Addition Companies are added at the float market capitalization weight. The net change to the index market capitalization causes a divisor adjustment. Deletion The weights of all stocks in the index will proportionally change. Relative weights will stay the same. The index divisor will change due to the net change in the index market capitalization. |
Change in shares outstanding | Increasing (decreasing) the shares outstanding increases (decreases) the market capitalization of the index. The change to the index market capitalization causes a divisor adjustment. |
Split/reverse split | Shares outstanding are adjusted by split ratio. Stock price is adjusted by split ratio. There is no change to the index market capitalization and no divisor adjustment. |
Change in IWF | Increasing (decreasing) the IWF increases (decreases) the market capitalization of the index. A net change to the index market capitalization causes a divisor adjustment. |
Ordinary dividend | When a company pays an ordinary cash dividend, the index does not make any adjustments to the price or shares of the stock. As a result there are no divisor adjustments to the index. |
Special dividend | The stock price is adjusted by the amount of the special dividend. The net change to the index market capitalization causes a divisor adjustment. |
Rights offering | All rights offerings that are in-the-money on the ex-date are applied under the assumption the rights are fully subscribed. The stock price is adjusted by the value of the rights and the shares outstanding are increased by the rights ratio. The net change in market capitalization causes a divisor adjustment. |
Any company that is removed from the S&P 500® Index, the S&P MidCap 400® Index or the S&P SmallCap 600® Index must wait a minimum of one year from its removal date before being reconsidered as a replacement candidate for the S&P 500® Index.
Recalculation Policy
S&P reserves the right to recalculate and republish the S&P 500® Index at its discretion in the event one of the following issues has occurred: (1) incorrect or revised closing price of one or more constituent securities; (2) missed or misapplied corporate action; (3) incorrect application of an index methodology; (4) late announcement of a corporate action; or (5) incorrect calculation or data entry error. The decision to recalculate the S&P 500® Index is made at the discretion of the index manager and/or S&P Index Committee, as further discussed below. The potential market impact or disruption resulting from a recalculation is considered when making any such decision. In the event of an incorrect closing price, a missed or misapplied corporate action, a late announcement of a corporate action, or an incorrect calculation or data entry error that is discovered within two trading days of its occurrence, generally the index is recalculated. In the event any such event is discovered beyond the two trading day period, the S&P Index Committee shall decide whether the index should be recalculated. In the event of an incorrect application of the methodology that results in the incorrect composition and/or weighting of index constituents, the S&P Index Committee shall determine whether or not to recalculate the index following specified guidelines. In the event that the index is recalculated, it shall be done within a reasonable timeframe following the detection and review of the issue.
Calculations and Pricing Disruptions
Closing levels for the S&P 500® Index are calculated by S&P based on the closing price of the individual constituents of the index as set by their primary exchange. Closing prices are received by S&P from one of its third party vendors and verified by comparing them with prices from an alternative vendor. The vendors receive the closing price from the primary exchanges. Real-time intraday prices are calculated similarly without a second verification. Prices used for the calculation of real time index values are based on the “Consolidated Tape”. The Consolidated Tape is an aggregation of trades for each constituent over all regional exchanges and trading venues and includes the primary exchange. If there is a failure or interruption on one or more exchanges, real-time calculations will continue as long as the “Consolidated Tape” is operational.
If an interruption is not resolved prior to the market close, official closing prices will be determined by following the hierarchy set out in NYSE Rule 123C. A notice is published on the S&P website at spglobal.com indicating any changes to the prices used in S&P 500® Index calculations. In extreme circumstances, S&P may decide to delay index adjustments or not publish the S&P 500® Index. Real-time indices are not restated.
Unexpected Exchange Closures
An unexpected market/exchange closure occurs when a market/exchange fully or partially fails to open or trading is temporarily halted. This can apply to a single exchange or to a market as a whole, when all of the primary exchanges are closed and/or not trading. Unexpected market/exchange closures are usually due to unforeseen circumstances, such as natural disasters, inclement weather, outages, or other events.
To a large degree, S&P is dependent on the exchanges to provide guidance in the event of an unexpected exchange closure. S&P’s decision making is dependent on exchange guidance regarding pricing and mandatory corporate actions.
NYSE Rule 123C provides closing contingency procedures for determining an official closing price for listed securities if the exchange is unable to conduct a closing transaction in one or more securities due to a system or technical issue.
3:00 PM ET is the deadline for an exchange to determine its plan of action regarding an outage scenario. As such, S&P also uses 3:00 PM ET as the cutoff.
If all major exchanges fail to open or unexpectedly halt trading intraday due to unforeseen circumstances, S&P will take the following actions:
Market Disruption Prior to Open of Trading:
(i) | If all exchanges indicate that trading will not open for a given day, S&P will treat the day as an unscheduled market holiday. The decision will be communicated to clients as soon as possible through the normal channels. Indices containing multiple markets will be calculated as normal, provided that at least one market is open that day. Indices which only contain closed markets will not be calculated. |
(ii) | If exchanges indicate that trading, although delayed, will open for a given day, S&P will begin index calculation when the exchanges open. |
Market Disruption Intraday:
If exchanges indicate that trading will not resume for a given day, the S&P 500® Index level will be calculated using prices determined by the exchanges based on NYSE Rule 123C. Intraday S&P 500® Index values will continue to use the last traded composite price until the primary exchange publishes official closing prices.
License Agreement
S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“SPFS”) 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 Dow Jones Indices LLC. “Standard & Poor’s®”, “S&P 500®” and “S&P®” are trademarks of SPFS. These trademarks have been sublicensed for certain purposes by us. The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by us for a fee:
The Securities are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, SPFS or their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices 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 S&P 500® Index to track general stock market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to the Bank is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its third party licensors. The S&P 500® Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to the Bank or the Securities. S&P Dow Jones Indices has no obligation to take the needs of the Bank or the owners of the Securities into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S&P 500® Index. Neither S&P nor its third party licensors are responsible for and has 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 has 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 S&P 500® Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC is not an investment advisor. 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 S&P 500® Index. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the Securities.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS OR COMPLETENESS OF THE S&P 500® INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR ANY COMMUNICATIONS (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 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 MARKS, THE S&P 500® INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. 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.
Historical Information
The graph below illustrates the performance of the SPX from January 1, 2016 through April 5, 2021. The dotted line represents its hypothetical Coupon Threshold Level and Downside Threshold Level of 2,854.537, which is equal to 70.00% of 4,077.91, which was the Closing Level of the SPX on April 5, 2021. Past performance of the SPX is not indicative of future performance.
We obtained the information regarding the historical performance of the SPX in the graph above from Bloomberg.
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 SPX should not be taken as an indication of its future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the Closing Level of the SPX on any Calculation Date or its Ending Level. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the SPX will result in any positive return on your investment.
EURO STOXX 50® Index
We have derived all information regarding the EURO STOXX 50® Index (the “SX5E”) contained in this pricing supplement, including without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation and changes in its components from publicly available information. Such information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by STOXX Limited (“STOXX”), the Sponsor with respect to the SX5E.
The SX5E is a free-float market capitalization-weighted index of 50 European blue-chip stocks and was created by and is sponsored and maintained by STOXX. Publication of the SX5E began on February 26, 1998, based on an initial index value of 1,000 at December 31, 1991. The level of the SX5E is disseminated on STOXX’s website. STOXX is under no obligation to continue to publish the SX5E and may discontinue publication of it at any time. Additional information regarding the SX5E may be obtained from the STOXX’s website: stoxx.com. We are not incorporating by reference the website or any material it includes in this pricing supplement or any document incorporated herein by reference.
Select information regarding top constituents, industry and/or sector weightings and country weightings may be made available by STOXX on its website.
Composition
The SX5E is composed of 50 underlier stocks chosen by STOXX from the 19 EURO STOXX Supersector indices, which represent the Eurozone portion of the STOXX Europe 600 Supersector indices. STOXX selects underlier stocks that have, in its view, a high degree of liquidity and represent the largest companies across all market sectors. The 19 supersectors from which stocks are selected for the SX5E are Automobiles & Parts, Banks, Basic Resources, Chemicals, Construction & Materials, Financial Services, Food & Beverages, Health Care, Industrial Goods & Services, Insurance, Media, Oil & Gas, Personal & Household Goods, Real Estate, Retail, Technology, Telecommunications, Travel & Leisure and Utilities, although stocks from each of these supersectors are not necessarily included at a given time.
Component Selection
The composition of the SX5E is reviewed by STOXX annually in September. Within each of the 19 EURO STOXX Supersector indices, the respective index component stocks are ranked by free—float market capitalization. The largest stocks are added to the selection list until the coverage is close to, but still less than, 60% of the free—float market capitalization of the corresponding EURO STOXX Total Market Index Supersector Index. If the next highest—ranked stock brings the coverage closer to 60% in absolute terms, then it is also added to the selection list. All remaining stocks that are current SX5E components are then added to the selection list. The stocks on the selection list are then ranked by free—float market capitalization. The 40 largest stocks on the selection list are chosen as index components. The remaining 10 stocks are then selected from the largest current stocks ranked between 41 and 60. If the number of index components is still below 50, then the largest remaining stocks on the selection list are added until the SX5E contains 50 stocks. In exceptional cases, STOXX’s Management Board may make additions and deletions to the selection list.
Ongoing Maintenance of Index Constituent Stocks
The component stocks of the SX5E are monitored on an ongoing monthly basis for deletion and quarterly basis for addition. Changes to the composition of the SX5E due to corporate actions (including mergers and takeovers, spin—offs, sector changes and bankruptcy) are announced immediately, implemented two trading days later and become effective on the next trading day after implementation.
The component stocks of the SX5E are subject to a “fast exit” rule. A component stock is deleted if it ranks 75 or below on the monthly selection list and it ranked 75 or below on the selection list of the previous month. The highest-ranked non-component stock will replace the exiting component stock. The SX5E is also subject to a “fast entry” rule. All stocks on the latest selection lists and initial public offering (IPO) stocks are reviewed for a fast-track addition on a quarterly basis. A stock is added if it qualifies for the latest blue-chip selection list generated at the end of February, May, August or November and if it ranks within the lower buffer (between 1 and 25) on the selection list. If added, the stock replaces the smallest component stock.
A deleted stock is replaced immediately to maintain the fixed number of stocks. The replacement is based on the latest monthly selection list. In the case of a merger or takeover where a component stock is involved, the original component stock is replaced by the new component stock. In the case of a spin-off, if the original stock was a component stock, then each spin-off stock qualifies for addition if it lies within the lower buffer (between 1 and 40) on the latest selection list. The largest qualifying spin-off stock replaces the original component stock, while the next qualifying spin-off stock replaces the lowest ranked component stock and likewise for other qualifying spin-off stocks.
The free float factors and outstanding number of shares for each underlier stock that STOXX uses to calculate the SX5E, as described below, are reviewed, calculated and implemented on a quarterly basis and are fixed until the next quarterly review. Certain extraordinary adjustments to the free float factors and/or the number of outstanding shares are implemented and made effective more quickly. The timing depends on the magnitude of the change. Each component’s weight is capped at 10% of the SX5E’s total free float market capitalization. The free float factor reduces the underlier stock’s number of shares to the actual amount available on the market. All holdings that are larger than five percent of the total outstanding number of shares and held on a long-term basis are excluded from the index calculation (including, but not limited to, stock owned by the company itself, stock owned by governments, stock owned by certain individuals or families, and restricted shares).
Index Calculation
STOXX calculates the SX5E using the “Laspeyres formula,” which measures the aggregate price changes in the underlier stocks against a fixed base quantity weight. The discussion below describes the “price return” calculation of the SX5E. The formula for calculating the SX5E value can be expressed as follows:
SX5E | = | Free Float Market Capitalization of the SX5E |
Divisor |
The “free float market capitalization of the SX5E” is equal to the sum of the product of the price, the number of shares, the free float factor and the weighting cap factor for each underlier stock as of the time the SX5E is being calculated. The index stocks trade in Euros and thus, no currency conversion is required. Where any index component stock price is unavailable on any trading day, the underlier sponsor will generally use the last reported price for such component stock.
In case the investability and tradability of the index and index based products is affected by an upcoming market or company event that is considered significant or “extreme” by the STOXX Management Board, the following actions or a combination of the following actions are taken. For all such changes a minimum notification period of two full trading days will be observed. The action scope may include but is not limited to:
● application of expert judgment for index component pricing data,
● adjustment of operational procedures,
● postponement of index adjustments,
● adjustment of selection lists,
● change of weights of index constituents by adjusting the number of shares, free-float factors or weighting cap-factors, or
● adjustment of index compositions.
EURO STOXX 50 Divisor
The SX5E is calculated using a divisor that helps to maintain the continuity of the index’s value so that corporate actions do not artificially increase or decrease the level of the SX5E.
The divisor is calculated by starting with the previous divisor in effect for the SX5E (which we call the “original divisor value”) and multiplying it by a fraction, the numerator of which is the previous free float market capitalization of the SX5E, plus or minus the difference between the closing market capitalization of the SX5E and the adjusted closing market capitalization of the SX5E, and the denominator of which is the previous free float market capitalization of the SX5E. The adjusted free float market capitalization is calculated for stocks of companies that have experienced a corporate action of the type described below as of the time the new divisor value is being calculated using the free float market capitalization calculated with adjusted closing prices, the new number of shares, and the new free float factor minus the free float market capitalization calculated with that stock’s original closing price, number of shares, and free float factor, in each case as used in calculating
the original divisor value. Errors in divisor calculation are corrected on an intraday basis if discovered on the same day the new divisor is effective. If the error is discovered later, the error is corrected on an intraday basis if feasible and only if the error is considered significant by the STOXX Limited Management Board.
Divisor Adjustments
STOXX adjusts the divisor for the SX5E to maintain the continuity of the SX5E values across changes due to corporate actions. Changes in weights due to corporate actions are distributed proportionally across all index components and equal an investment into the portfolio. The following is a summary of the adjustments to any underlier stock made for corporate actions and the effect of such adjustments on the divisor, where shareholders of the underlier stock will receive “B” new shares for every “A” share held (where applicable) and assuming that the version of the index to which your Securities are linked is the price return version. If your Securities are linked to the total return calculation of the SX5E, please see the discussion in your pricing supplement regarding divisor adjustments. All adjusted prices consider withholding taxes based on the new shares being distributed, using “B * (1 – withholding tax where applicable)”.
(1) Special cash dividend:
Adjusted price = closing price – dividend announced by the company * (1- withholding tax if applicable)
Divisor: decreases
(2) Split and reverse split:
Adjusted price = closing price * A / B
New number of shares = old number of shares * B / A Divisor: no change
(3) Rights offering:
Adjusted price = (closing price * A + subscription price * B) / (A + B)
New number of shares = old number of shares * (A + B) / A
Divisor: increases
If the subscription price is not available or if the subscription price is equal to or greater than the closing price on the day before the effective date, then no adjustment is made.
Extremely dilutive rights issues having a share ratio larger or equal to 2000% (B/A>20) are treated as follows:
STOXX will announce the deletion of the company from all indices following the standard rules for index
replacements if sufficient notice of two trading days before the ex-date can be given.
The company may enter the indices again at the next periodic index review, but only after the new rights issue shares have been listed.
Extremely dilutive rights issues for which two trading days’ notice before the ex-date cannot be given, and all highly dilutive rights issues having a share ratio larger or equal to 200% (B/A>2) are treated as follows:
● | The rights issue shares are included into the indices with a theoretical price on the ex-date; |
● | The rights issue shares must be listed on an eligible stock exchange and tradable starting on the ex-date, otherwise, only a price adjustment is made and the rights are not included; |
● | The rights issue shares will have the same parameters as the parent company; |
● | The rights issue shares will be removed after their first trading day at the close; and |
● | The number of shares and weighting factors will be increased after the new rights issue shares have been listed. |
(4) Stock dividend:
Adjusted price = closing price * A / (A + B)
New number of shares = old number of shares * (A + B) / A
Divisor: no change
(5) Stock dividend from treasury stock if treated as extraordinary dividend:
Adjusted close = close – close * B / (A + B) Divisor: decreases
(6) Stock dividend of another company:
Adjusted price = (closing price * A – price of other company * B) / A Divisor: decreases
(7) Return of capital and share consolidation:
Adjusted price = [closing price – capital return announced by company * (1– withholding tax)] * A / B New number of shares = old number of shares * B / A
Divisor: decreases
(8) Repurchase of shares / self-tender:
Adjusted price = [(price before tender * old number of shares) – (tender price * number of tendered shares)] / (old number of shares – number of tendered shares)
New number of shares = old number of shares – number of tendered shares
Divisor: decreases
(9) Spin– off:
Adjusted price = (closing price * A – price of spin–off shares * B) / A Divisor: decreases
(10) Combination stock distribution (dividend or split) and rights offering:
For this corporate action, the following additional assumptions apply:
Shareholders receive B new shares from the distribution and C new shares from the rights offering for every A share held; and
If A is not equal to one, all the following “new number of shares” formulae need to be divided by A.
If rights are applicable after stock distribution (one action applicable to another):
Adjusted price = [closing price * A + subscription price * C * (1 + B / A)] / [(A + B) * (1 + C / A)]
New number of shares = old number of shares * [(A + B) * (1 + C / A)] / A
Divisor: increases
If stock distribution is applicable after rights (one action applicable to another):
Adjusted price = (closing price * A + subscription price * C) / [(A + C) * (1 + B / A)]
New number of shares = old number of shares * [(A + C) * (1 + B / A)]
Divisor: increases
Stock distribution and rights (neither action is applicable to the other):
Adjusted price = (closing price * A + subscription price * C) / (A + B + C)
New number of shares = old number of shares * (A + B + C) / A
Divisor: increases
(11) Addition/deletion of a company
No price adjustments are made. The net change in market capitalization determines the divisor adjustment.
(12) Free float and shares changes
No price adjustments are made. The net change in market capitalization determines the divisor adjustment.
The SX5E is the intellectual property of STOXX Limited, Zurich, Switzerland and/or its licensors (“Licensors”), which is used under license. The securities or other financial instruments based on the SX5E are in no way sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by STOXX and its Licensors and neither STOXX nor its Licensors shall have any liability with respect thereto.
License Agreement between the Sponsor and the Bank
The Bank has entered into a non-exclusive license agreement with the Sponsor, which grants the Bank a license in exchange for a fee to use the Index in connection with the issuance of certain securities, including the Securities.
The Sponsor, Deutsche Borse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers have no relationship to the Bank, other than the licensing of the Index and the related trademarks for use in connection with the Securities.
The Sponsor, Deutsche Borse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers do not:
• | sponsor, endorse, sell or promote the Securities; |
• | recommend that any person invest in the Securities or any other securities; |
• | have any responsibility or liability for or make any decisions about the timing, amount or pricing of the Securities; |
• | have any responsibility or liability for the administration, management or marketing of the Securities; or |
• | consider the needs of the Securities or the owners of the Securities in determining, composing or calculating the Index or have any obligation to do so. |
The Sponsor, Deutsche Borse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers give no warranty, and exclude any liability (whether in negligence or otherwise), in connection with the Securities or their performance.
The Sponsor does not assume any contractual relationship with the purchasers of the Securities or any other third parties.
Specifically,
• | The Sponsor, Deutsche Borse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers do not make any warranty, express or implied and disclaim any and all warranty about: |
o | the results to be obtained by the Securities, the owner of the Securities or any other person in connection with the use of the Index and the data included in the Index; |
o | the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of the Index and its data; |
o | the merchantability and the fitness for a particular purpose or use of the Index and its data; or |
o | the performance of the Securities generally. |
• | The Sponsor, Deutsche Borse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers give no warranty and exclude any liability, for any errors, omissions or interruptions in the Index or its data; |
• | under no circumstances will Deutsche Borse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers be liable (whether in negligence or otherwise) for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special or consequential damages or losses, arising as a result of such errors, omissions or interruptions in the Index or its data or generally in relation to the Securities, even in circumstances where the Sponsor Deutsche Borse Group and their licensors, research partners or data providers are aware that such loss or damage may occur. |
The licensing agreement between the Bank and the Sponsor is solely for their benefit and not for the benefit of the owners of the Securities or any other third parties.
Historical Information
The graph below illustrates the performance of the SX5E from January 1, 2016 through April 5, 2021. The dotted line represents its hypothetical Coupon Threshold Level and Downside Threshold Level of 2,762.172, which is equal to 70.00% of 3,945.96, which was the Closing Level of the SX5E on April 5, 2021. Past performance of the SX5E is not indicative of future performance.
We obtained the information regarding the historical performance of the SX5E in the graph above from Bloomberg.
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 SX5E should not be taken as an indication of its future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the Closing Level of the SX5E on any Calculation Date or its Ending Level. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the SX5E will result in any positive return on your investment.
SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION (CONFLICTS OF INTEREST)
Pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc., an affiliate of the Bank, will purchase the Securities from the Bank for distribution to other registered broker-dealers or will offer the Securities directly to investors.
Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. or one of our affiliates will purchase the aggregate Principal Amount of the Securities and as part of the distribution, will sell the Securities to WFS at a discount of up to $25.00 (2.50%) per $1,000 Principal Amount of the Securities. WFS will provide selected dealers, which may include WFA, with a selling concession of up to $15.00 (1.50%) per $1,000 Principal Amount of the Securities, and WFA will receive a distribution expense fee of $0.75 (0.075%) per $1,000 Principal Amount of the Securities for Securities sold by WFA.
In addition, in respect of certain Securities sold in this offering, we may pay a fee of up to $1.00 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.
In addition, Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. or another of its affiliates or agents may use this pricing supplement in market-making transactions after the initial sale of the Securities. While the Underwriters may make markets in the Securities, they are under no obligation to do so and may discontinue any market-making activities at any time without notice. See the sections titled “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” in the accompanying prospectus supplement and product prospectus supplement.
The price at which you purchase the Securities includes costs that the Bank, the Underwriters or their affiliates expect to incur and profits that the Bank, the Underwriters or their affiliates expect to realize in connection with hedging activities related to the Securities, as set forth above. These costs and profits will likely reduce the secondary market price, if any secondary market develops, for the Securities. As a result, you may experience an immediate and substantial decline in the market value of your Securities on the Original Issue Date.
Conflicts of Interest
Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. is an affiliate of the Bank and, as such, has a “conflict of interest” in this offering within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121. In addition, the Bank will receive the gross proceeds from the initial public offering of the Securities, thus creating an additional conflict of interest within the meaning of Rule 5121. Consequently, the offering is being conducted in compliance with the provisions of Rule 5121. Scotia Capital (USA) Inc. is not permitted to sell Securities in this offering to an account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of the account holder.
The Underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing and brokerage activities. The Underwriters and their respective affiliates have, from time to time, performed, and may in the future perform, various financial advisory and investment banking services for the Bank, for which they received or will receive customary fees and expenses.
In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the Underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of the Bank. The Underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.
THE BANK'S ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE SECURITIES
The Bank's estimated value of the Securities set forth on the cover of this pricing supplement is equal to the sum of the values of the following hypothetical components: (1) a fixed-income debt component with the same maturity as the Securities, valued using our internal funding rate for structured debt described below, and (2) the derivative or derivatives underlying the economic terms of the Securities. The Bank's estimated value does not represent a minimum price at which the Bank would be willing to buy your Securities in any secondary market (if any exists) at any time. The internal funding rate used in the determination of the Bank's estimated value generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. The discount is based on, among other things, our view of the funding value of the Securities as well as the higher issuance, operational and ongoing liability management costs of the Securities in comparison to those costs for our conventional fixed-rate debt. For additional information, see “Additional Risk Factors— Risks Relating to Estimated Value and Liquidity — The Bank's Estimated Value Is Not Determined by Reference to Credit Spreads for Our Conventional Fixed-Rate Debt.” The value of the derivative or derivatives underlying the economic terms of the Securities is derived from the Bank's internal pricing model. This model is dependent on inputs such as the traded market prices of comparable derivative instruments and on various other inputs, some of which are market-observable, and which can include volatility, dividend rates, interest rates and other factors, as well as assumptions about future market events and/or environments. Accordingly, the Bank's estimated value of the Securities is determined when the terms of the Securities are set based on market conditions and other relevant factors and assumptions existing at that time. See “Additional Risk Factors— Risks Relating to Estimated Value and Liquidity — The Bank's Estimated Value Does Not Represent Future Values of the Securities and May Differ from Others' Estimates.”
The Bank's estimated value of the Securities will be lower than the Original Offering Price of the Securities because costs associated with selling, structuring and hedging the Securities are included in the Original Offering Price of the Securities. These costs include the selling commissions paid to the Underwriters and other affiliated or unaffiliated dealers, the projected profits that we or our hedge provider expect to realize for assuming risks inherent in hedging our obligations under the Securities and the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the Securities. The profits also include an estimate of the difference between the amounts we or our hedge provider pay and receive in a hedging transaction with our affiliate and/or an affiliate of WFS in connection with your Securities. We pay to such hedge provider amounts based on, but at a discount to, what we would pay to holders of a non-structured note with a similar maturity. In return for such payment, such hedge provider pays to us the amount we owe under the Securities. Because hedging our obligations entails risk and may be influenced by market forces beyond our control, this hedging may result in a profit that is more or less than expected, or it may result in a loss. We or one or more of our affiliates will retain any profits realized in hedging our obligations under the Securities. See “Additional Risk Factors— Risks Relating to Estimated Value and Liquidity — The Bank's Estimated Value of the Securities Will Be Lower Than the Original Offering Price of the Securities” in this pricing supplement.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SECURITIES
Please read this information in conjunction with the summary terms on the front cover of this document. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the accompanying product prospectus supplement for this Security, the amount you will receive at maturity will be the Redemption Amount at Maturity, defined and calculated as provided in this pricing supplement.
Additional Information About the Terminology Used in this Pricing Supplement
This pricing supplement uses certain terminology that differs from that used in the accompanying product prospectus supplement. For the avoidance of doubt, the provisions in this pricing supplement regarding any payment on the Securities (whether upon automatic call or at maturity) will control. Please read this pricing supplement and the accompanying prospectus, prospectus supplement, and product prospectus supplement with the following mapping in mind.
“Security” | The accompanying product prospectus supplement refers to a Security as a “note” |
“Original Offering Price” | The accompanying product prospectus supplement refers to the Original Offering Price as the “original issue price” |
“Final Calculation Date” | The accompanying product prospectus supplement refers to a Final Calculation Date as a “valuation date” |
“Calculation Date” | The accompanying product prospectus supplement refers to a Calculation Date as a “valuation date” |
“Starting Level” | The accompanying product prospectus supplement refers to the Starting Level as the “Initial Level” |
“Ending Level” | The accompanying product prospectus supplement refers to the Ending Level as the “Final Level” |
“Redemption Amount at Maturity” | The accompanying product prospectus supplement refers to the Redemption Amount at Maturity as the “payment at maturity” |
“Downside Threshold Level” | The accompanying product prospectus supplement refers to the Downside Threshold Level as the “Barrier Level” |
CANADIAN INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
An investor should read carefully the description of principal Canadian federal income tax considerations under “Canadian Taxation” in the accompanying prospectus relevant to a holder (as defined on page 20 of the accompanying prospectus) owning debt securities, and the description of principal Canadian federal income tax considerations under “Supplemental Discussion of Canadian Tax Consequences” in the accompanying product prospectus supplement.”
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the Securities are uncertain. There are no statutory provisions, regulations, published rulings or judicial decisions addressing the characterization for U.S. federal income tax purposes of securities with terms that are substantially the same as the Securities. Some of these tax consequences are summarized below, but we urge you to read the more detailed discussion under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” in the accompanying product prospectus supplement and discuss the tax consequences of your particular situation with your tax advisor. This discussion is based upon the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), final, temporary and proposed U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) regulations, rulings and decisions, in each case, as available and in effect as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. Except as provided above under “Canadian Income Tax Consequences”, tax consequences under state, local and non-U.S. laws are not addressed herein. No ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) has been sought as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the Securities, and the following discussion is not binding on the IRS.
U.S. Tax Treatment. By purchasing the Securities, the Bank and you agree, in the absence of a statutory or regulatory change or an administrative determination or judicial ruling to the contrary, to characterize your Securities as prepaid derivative contracts with respect to the Reference Assets with associated contingent coupons for U.S. federal income tax purposes. You further agree to include any contingent coupon that is paid by the Bank (including on the maturity date or call settlement date) in your income as ordinary income in accordance with your regular method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Under this treatment, if you are a U.S. holder, as defined in the accompanying product prospectus supplement, you should generally recognize capital gain or loss upon the taxable disposition of your Securities in an amount equal to the difference between the amount you receive at such time (other than amounts or proceeds attributable to a contingent coupon or any amount attributable to any accrued but unpaid contingent coupon) and the amount you paid for your Securities. Such gain or loss should generally be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Securities for more than one year (and, otherwise, should be short-term capital gain or loss). The deductibility of capital losses may be subject to limitations. Although uncertain, it is possible that proceeds received from the taxable disposition of your Securities prior to a coupon payment date, but that could be attributed to an expected contingent coupon, could be treated as ordinary income. You should consult your tax advisor regarding this risk.
However, it is possible that the IRS could assert that your holding period in respect of the Securities should end on the date on which the amount you are entitled to receive upon maturity or automatic call of the Securities is determined, even though you will not receive any amounts from the Bank in respect of the Securities ending prior to the maturity or automatic call of the Securities. In such case, you may be treated as having a holding period in respect of the Securities prior to the maturity or automatic call of the Securities, and such holding period may be less than one year even if you receive cash upon the maturity or automatic call of the Securities at a time that is more than one year after the beginning of your holding period.
Except to the extent otherwise required by law, the Bank intends to treat your Securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described above and under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” in the accompanying product prospectus supplement unless and until such time as Congress, the IRS or the Treasury determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.
Based on certain factual representations received from us, our special U.S. tax counsel, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, is of the opinion that it would be reasonable to treat your Securities in the manner described above. However, because there is no authority that specifically addresses the tax treatment of the Securities, it is possible that your Securities could alternatively be treated for tax purposes as a single contingent payment debt instrument, or pursuant to some other characterization, such that the timing and character of your income from the Securities could differ materially and adversely from the treatment described above.
Section 1297. We will not attempt to ascertain whether the any Reference Asset Constituent Stock Issuer would be treated as a “passive foreign investment company” (a “PFIC”) within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code. If any such entity were so treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences might apply to a U.S. holder upon the taxable disposition (including cash settlement) of a note. U.S. holders should refer to information filed with the SEC or the equivalent governmental authority by such entities and consult their tax advisors regarding the possible consequences to them if any such entity is or becomes a PFIC.
Notice 2008-2. In 2007, the IRS released a notice that may affect the taxation of holders of the Securities. According to Notice 2008-2, the IRS and the Treasury are actively considering whether a holder of an instrument such as the Securities should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis. It is not possible to determine what guidance they will ultimately issue, if any. It is possible, however, that under such guidance, holders of the Securities will ultimately be required to accrue income currently and this could be applied on a retroactive basis. The IRS and the Treasury are also considering other relevant issues, including whether additional gain or loss from such instruments should be treated as ordinary or capital, whether non-U.S. holders of such instruments should be subject to withholding tax on any deemed income accruals, and whether the special “constructive ownership rules” of Section 1260 of the Code should be applied to such instruments. Both U.S. and non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the significance, and the potential impact, of the above considerations.
Medicare Tax on Net Investment Income. U.S. holders that are individuals, estates or certain trusts are subject to an additional 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” or “undistributed net investment income” in the case of an estate or trust, which may include any income or gain recognized with respect to the Securities, to the extent of their net investment income or undistributed net investment income (as the case may be) that, when added to their other modified adjusted gross income, exceeds $200,000 for an unmarried individual, $250,000 for a married taxpayer filing a joint return (or a surviving spouse), $125,000 for a married individual filing a separate return or the dollar amount at which the highest tax bracket begins for an estate or trust. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors as to the consequences of the 3.8% Medicare tax.
Specified Foreign Financial Assets. U.S. holders may be subject to reporting obligations with respect to their Securities if they do not hold their Securities in an account maintained by a financial institution, and the aggregate value of their Securities and certain other “specified foreign financial assets” (applying certain attribution rules) exceeds an applicable threshold. Significant penalties can apply if a U.S. holder is required to disclose its Securities and fails to do so.
Non-U.S. Holders. If you are a non-U.S. holder, as defined in the accompanying product prospectus supplement, subject to Section 897 of the Code, Section 871(m) of the Code and FATCA, each discussed below, you should generally not be subject to U.S. withholding tax with respect to payments on your Securities or to generally applicable information reporting and backup withholding requirements with respect to payments on your Securities if you comply with certain certification and identification requirements as to your non-U.S. status including providing us (and/or the applicable withholding agent) a properly executed and fully completed applicable IRS Form W-8. Subject to Section 897 of the Code and Section 871(m) of the Code, as discussed below, gain recognized on the taxable disposition of the Securities generally will not be subject to U.S. tax unless (i) such gain is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by you in the U.S., (ii) you are a non-resident alien individual and are present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year of such taxable disposition and certain other conditions are satisfied, (iii) you fail to provide the relevant correct, completed and executed IRS Form W-8 or (iv) you have certain other present or former connections with the U.S.
Section 897. We will not attempt to ascertain whether any Reference Asset Constituent Stock Issuer would be treated as a “United States real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) within the meaning of Section 897 of the Code. We also have not attempted to determine whether the Securities should be treated as “United States real property interests” (“USRPI”) as defined in Section 897 of the Code. If any such entity and/or the Securities were so treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could possibly apply, including subjecting any gain recognized by a non-U.S. holder in respect of a Security upon a taxable disposition (including cash settlement) of the Security to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis, and the proceeds from such a taxable disposition to a 15% withholding tax. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential treatment of any such entity as a USRPHC and/or the Securities as USRPI.
Section 871(m). A 30% withholding tax (which may be reduced by an applicable income tax treaty) is imposed under Section 871(m) of the Code on certain “dividend equivalents” paid or deemed paid to a non-U.S. holder with respect to a “specified equity-linked instrument” that references one or more dividend-paying U.S. equity securities or indices containing U.S. equity securities. The withholding tax can apply even if the instrument does not provide for payments that reference dividends. Treasury regulations provide that the withholding tax applies to all dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid on specified equity-linked instruments that have a delta of one (“delta-one specified equity-linked instruments”) issued after 2016 and to all dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid on all other specified equity-linked instruments issued after 2018. However, the IRS has issued guidance that states that the Treasury and the IRS intend to amend the effective dates of the Treasury regulations to provide that withholding on dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid will not apply to specified equity-linked instruments that are not delta-one specified equity-linked instruments and are issued before January 1, 2023.
Based on our representation that the Securities are not “delta-one” with respect to the Reference Assets or any Reference Asset Constituent Stock, our special U.S. tax counsel is of the opinion that the Securities should not be delta-one specified equity-linked instruments and thus should not be subject to withholding on dividend equivalents. Our determination is not binding on the IRS, and the IRS may disagree with this determination. Furthermore, the application of Section 871(m) of the Code will depend on our determinations on the date the terms of the Securities are set. If withholding is required, we will not make payments of any additional amounts.
Nevertheless, after the date the terms are set, it is possible that your Securities could be deemed to be reissued for tax purposes upon the occurrence of certain events affecting the Reference Asset, any Reference Asset Constituent Stock or your Securities, and following such occurrence your Securities could be treated as delta-one specified equity-linked instruments that are subject to withholding on dividend equivalents. It is also possible that withholding tax or other tax under Section 871(m) of the Code could apply to the Securities under these rules if you enter, or have entered, into certain other transactions in respect of the Reference Asset, any Reference Asset Constituent Stock or the Securities. If you enter, or have entered, into other transactions in respect of the Reference Asset, Reference Asset Constituent Stocks or the Securities, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the application of Section 871(m) of the Code to your Securities in the context of your other transactions.
Because of the uncertainty regarding the application of the 30% withholding tax on dividend equivalents to the Securities, you are urged to consult your tax advisors regarding the potential application of Section 871(m) of the Code and the 30% withholding tax to an investment in the Securities.
FATCA. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) was enacted on March 18, 2010, and imposes a 30% U.S. withholding tax on “withholdable payments” (i.e., certain U.S.-source payments, including interest (and original issue discount), dividends, other fixed or determinable annual or periodical gain, profits, and income, and on the gross proceeds from a disposition of property of a type which can produce U.S.-source interest or dividends) and “passthru payments” (i.e., certain payments attributable to withholdable payments) made to certain foreign financial institutions (and certain of their affiliates) unless the payee foreign financial institution agrees (or is required), among other things, to disclose the identity of any U.S. individual with an account at the institution (or the relevant affiliate) and to annually report certain information about such account. FATCA also requires withholding agents making withholdable payments to certain foreign entities that do not disclose the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of any substantial U.S. owners (or do not certify that they do not have any substantial U.S. owners) to withhold tax at a rate of 30%. Under certain circumstances, a holder may be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes.
Pursuant to final and temporary Treasury regulations and other IRS guidance, the withholding and reporting requirements under FATCA will generally apply to certain “withholdable payments”, will not apply to gross proceeds on a sale or disposition (because proposed Treasury regulations, which may be currently relied upon, would eliminate FATCA withholding on gross proceeds), and will apply to certain foreign passthru payments only to the extent that such payments are made after the date that is two years after final regulations defining the term “foreign passthru payment” are published. If withholding is required, we (or the applicable paying agent) will not be required to pay additional amounts with respect to the amounts so withheld. Foreign financial institutions and non-financial foreign entities located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. governing FATCA may be subject to different rules.
Investors should consult their tax advisors about the application of FATCA, in particular if they may be classified as financial institutions (or if they hold their Securities through a non-U.S. entity) under the FATCA rules.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting. The proceeds received from a taxable disposition of the Securities will be subject to information reporting unless you are an “exempt recipient” and may also be subject to backup withholding at the rate specified in the Code if you fail to provide certain identifying information (such as an accurate taxpayer number, if you are a U.S. holder) or meet certain other conditions.
Amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules are not additional taxes and may be refunded or credited against your U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS.
Proposed Legislation. In 2007, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if it had been enacted, would have required holders of Securities purchased after the bill was enacted to accrue interest income over the term of the Securities despite the fact that there will be no interest payments over the term of the Securities.
Furthermore, in 2013 the House Ways and Means Committee released in draft form certain proposed legislation relating to financial instruments. If it had been enacted, the effect of this legislation generally would have been to require instruments such as the Securities to be marked to market on an annual basis with all gains and losses to be treated as ordinary, subject to certain exceptions.
It is impossible to predict what any such legislation or administrative or regulatory guidance might provide, and whether the effective date of any legislation or guidance will affect securities that were issued before the date that such legislation or guidance is issued. You are urged to consult your tax advisor as to the possibility that any legislative or administrative action may adversely affect the tax treatment of your Securities.
Both U.S. and non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Securities, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction (including that of the Bank and those of the Reference Asset Constituent Stock Issuers).