If You Purchase Your Notes at a Premium to Face Amount, the Return on Your Investment Will Be Lower Than the Return on Notes Purchased at Face Amount and the Impact of Certain Key Terms of the Notes Will Be Negatively Affected
The cash settlement amount will not be adjusted based on the original issue price you pay for the notes. If you purchase notes at a price that differs from the face amount of the notes, then the return on your investment in such notes held to the stated maturity date will differ from, and may be substantially less than, the return on notes purchased at face amount. If you purchase your notes at a premium to face amount and hold them to the stated maturity date, the return on your investment in the notes will be lower than it would have been had you purchased the notes at face amount or a discount to face amount.
In addition, the impact of the buffer level, the threshold settlement amount and the maximum settlement amount on the return on your investment, and the extent to which the buffer level will diminish your exposure to any negative underlier return will depend upon the price you pay for your notes relative to face amount. For example, if you purchase your notes at a premium to face amount, the threshold settlement amount and the maximum settlement amount will permit a lower positive return on your investment in the notes than would have been the case for notes purchased at face amount or a discount to face amount. Similarly, if the final underlier level is less than the buffer level, you will incur a greater percentage decrease in your investment in the notes than would have been the case for notes purchased at face amount or a discount to face amount.
Risks Relating to Characteristics of the Underlier
Market Risk
The return on the notes is directly linked to the performance of the underlier and indirectly linked to the value of the underlier stocks, and whether the final underlier level is greater than, equal to or less than the buffer level. The level of the underlier can rise or fall sharply due to factors specific to the underlier stocks, as well as general market factors, such as general market volatility and levels, interest rates and economic and political conditions. You may lose some or all of your initial investment.
The Underlier Reflects Price Return, Not Total Return
The return on your notes is based on the performance of the underlier, which reflects the changes in the market prices of the underlier stocks. It is 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 underlier stocks. The return on your notes will not include such a total return feature or dividend component.
The Notes Are Subject to Currency Exchange Risk
Because the prices of the underlier stocks are converted into U.S. dollars by the underlier sponsor for the purposes of calculating the level of the underlier, you will be exposed to currency exchange rate risk with respect to each of the currencies in which the underlier stocks trade. Your net exposure will depend on the extent to which those currencies strengthen or weaken against the U.S. dollar and the relative weight of the underlier stocks denominated in each of those currencies. If, taking into account the relevant weighting, the U.S. dollar strengthens against those currencies, the level of the underlier will be adversely affected and consequently the payment at maturity of the notes, if any, may be reduced.
Your Notes Are Subject to Non-U.S. Securities Market Risk
The underlier is subject to risks associated with non-U.S. securities markets. An investment in notes 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 or futures contracts 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.
Changes Affecting the Underlier, Including Regulatory Changes, Could Have An Adverse Effect On the Value of the Notes and the Amount You Will Receive at Maturity of Your Notes
The policies of the underlier sponsor concerning the underlier, additions, deletions or substitutions of the underlier stocks and the manner in which changes affecting the underlier stocks or the issuers of any underlier stocks (such as stock dividends, reorganizations or mergers) are reflected in the underlier, could affect the level of the underlier, and, therefore, could affect the amount payable on your notes at maturity, if any, and the market value of your notes prior to maturity. The amount payable on the notes and their market value could also be affected if the underlier sponsor changes these policies, for example by changing the manner in which it calculates the underlier, or if the underlier sponsor discontinues or suspends calculation or publication of the underlier, in which case it may become difficult to determine the market value of the notes.