Key Risks
An investment in the Notes involves significant risks. Investing in the Notes is not equivalent to a hypothetical investment in the underlying asset. Some of the key risks that apply to the Notes are summarized below, but we urge you to read the more detailed explanation of risks relating to the Notes in the “Risk Factors” section of the accompanying product supplement. We also urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisors concerning an investment in the Notes.
Risks Relating to Return Characteristics
♦Risk of loss at maturity — The Notes differ from ordinary debt securities in that UBS will not necessarily repay the full principal amount of the Notes at maturity. If the Notes are not subject to an automatic call and the final level is less than the downside threshold, you will lose a percentage of your principal amount equal to the underlying return and in extreme situations, you could lose all of your initial investment.
♦The contingent repayment of principal applies only if you hold your Notes to maturity — You should be willing to hold your Notes to maturity. If you are able to sell your Notes prior to an automatic call or 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 underlying asset at such time is equal to or greater than the downside threshold. All payments on the Notes are subject to the creditworthiness of UBS.
♦No interest payments — UBS will not pay any interest with respect to the Notes.
♦Your potential return on the Notes is limited to any call return, you will not participate in any appreciation in the level of the underlying asset or any underlying constituents and you will not have the same rights as holders of any underlying constituents — The return potential of the Notes is limited to the pre-specified call return resulting from an automatic call, regardless of any appreciation in the level of the underlying asset. The Notes will only be subject to an automatic call if the closing level or the final level, as applicable, of the underlying asset on an observation date is equal to or greater than the call threshold level. Because the call return increases the longer the Notes have been outstanding, the call price payable with respect to earlier observation dates is less than the call price payable with respect to later observation dates. The earlier the Notes are subject to an automatic call, the lower your return will be. Because the Notes may be subject to an automatic call as early as the first potential call settlement date, the total return on the Notes could be less than if the Notes remained outstanding until maturity. Further, if the Notes are not subject to an automatic call and the final level is less than the downside threshold, you will be subject to the decline in the level of the underlying asset even though you cannot participate in any appreciation in the level of the underlying asset. As a result, the return on an investment in the Notes could be less than the return on a hypothetical investment in the underlying asset or underlying constituents. In addition, as an owner of the Notes, you will not have voting rights or any other rights of a holder of any underlying constituents.
♦A higher call return rate or lower downside threshold or call threshold level may reflect greater expected volatility of the underlying asset, and greater expected volatility generally indicates an increased risk of loss at maturity — The economic terms for the Notes, including the call return rate, call threshold level and downside threshold, are based, in part, on the expected volatility of the underlying asset at the time the terms of the Notes are set. “Volatility” refers to the frequency and magnitude of changes in the level of the underlying asset. The greater the expected volatility of the underlying asset as of the trade date, the greater the expectation is as of that date that the closing level or final level, as applicable, of the underlying asset could be less than the call threshold level on any observation date (including the final valuation date) and that the final level could be less than the downside threshold and, as a consequence, indicates an increased risk of the Notes not being subject to an automatic call and an increased risk of loss, respectively. All things being equal, this greater expected volatility will generally be reflected in a higher call return rate than the yield payable on our conventional debt securities with a similar maturity or on otherwise comparable securities, and/or a lower downside threshold and/or call threshold level than those terms on otherwise comparable securities. Therefore, a relatively higher call return rate may indicate an increased risk of loss. Further, a relatively lower downside threshold and/or call threshold level may not necessarily indicate that the Notes have a greater likelihood of a return of principal at maturity and/or paying the call price. You should be willing to accept the downside market risk of the underlying asset and the potential to lose a significant portion or all of your initial investment.
♦Reinvestment risk — The Notes will be subject to an automatic call if the closing level of the underlying asset is equal to or greater than the call threshold level on any observation date, including the final valuation date, as set forth herein. Because the Notes could be subject to an automatic call as early as the first potential call settlement date, the term of your investment may be limited. In the event that the Notes are subject to an automatic call, there is no guarantee that you would be able to reinvest the proceeds at a comparable rate of return and/or with a comparable call return rate for a similar level of risk. In addition, to the extent you are able to reinvest such proceeds in an investment comparable to the Notes, you may incur transaction costs such as dealer discounts and hedging costs built into the price of the new securities. Generally, however, the longer the Notes remain outstanding, the less likely the Notes will be subject to an automatic call due to the decline in the level of the underlying asset and the shorter time remaining for the level of the underlying asset to recover. Such periods generally coincide with a period of greater risk of principal loss on your Notes.
Risks Relating to Characteristics of the Underlying Asset
♦Market risk — The return on the Notes, which may be negative, is directly linked to the performance of the underlying asset and indirectly linked to the performance of the underlying constituents and their issuers (the “underlying constituent issuers”). The level of the underlying asset can rise or fall sharply due to factors specific to the underlying asset or the underlying constituents, such as stock or commodity price volatility, earnings, financial conditions, corporate, industry and regulatory developments, management changes and decisions and other events, as well as general market factors, such as general stock and commodity market volatility and levels, interest rates and economic, political and other conditions. You, as an investor in the Notes, should conduct your own investigation into the underlying asset and underlying constituents.
♦There can be no assurance that the investment view implicit in the Notes will be successful — It is impossible to predict whether and the extent to which the level of the underlying asset will rise or fall. There can be no assurance that the closing level or final level, as applicable, of the underlying asset will be equal to or greater than the call threshold level on any observation date (including the final valuation date)or, if the Notes are not subject to an automatic call, that the final level will be equal to or greater than the downside threshold. The level of the underlying asset will be influenced by complex and interrelated political, economic, financial and other factors that affect the underlying constituent issuers. You should be willing to accept the downside risks associated with the underlying asset in general and the underlying constituents in particular, and the risk of losing a significant portion or all of your initial investment.
♦Changes affecting the underlying asset, including regulatory changes, could have an adverse effect on the market value of, and return on, your Notes — The policies of the index sponsor as specified under “Information About the Underlying Asset” (the “index sponsor”), concerning additions, deletions and substitutions of the underlying constituents and the manner in which the index sponsor takes account of certain changes affecting those underlying constituents may adversely affect the level of the underlying asset. The policies of the index sponsor with respect to the calculation of the underlying asset could also adversely affect the level of the underlying asset. The index sponsor may discontinue or suspend calculation or dissemination of the underlying asset. Further, indices like the underlying asset have been, and continue to be, the subject of regulatory guidance and proposal for reform, including the European Union’s Regulation (EU) 2016/1011. The occurrence of a benchmark event (as defined in the accompanying product supplement