Pricing Supplement | Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2) |
(To Prospectus dated November 4, 2016, Series A | Registration Statement No. 333-213265 |
Prospectus Supplement dated November 4, 2016 and
Product Supplement EQUITY-1 dated January 24, 2017)
Dated August 10, 2018
$1,769,000
BofA Finance LLC
Contingent Income Issuer Callable Notes Linked to the Least Performing of the Dow Jones Industrial AverageSM, the Nasdaq-100® Index and the Energy Select Sector SPDR® Fund, due August 15, 2022
Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed by Bank of America Corporation
· | The CUSIP number for the notes is 09709TFV8. |
· | The notes are senior unsecured obligations issued by BofA Finance LLC (“BofA Finance”), a direct, wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation (“BAC” or the “Guarantor”), which are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor. Any payments due on the notes, including any repayment of principal, will be subject to the credit risk of BofA Finance, as issuer of the notes, and the credit risk of BAC, as guarantor of the notes. |
· | The notes do not guarantee a full return of your principal at maturity, and you could lose up to 100% of the principal amount at maturity. |
· | The notes will mature on August 15, 2022, unless previously called. |
· | Payments on the notes will depend on the individual performance of the Dow Jones Industrial AverageSM (the “INDU”), the Nasdaq-100® Index (the “NDX”), and the Energy Select Sector SPDR® Fund (the “XLE”) (each, an “Underlying,” and collectively, the “Underlyings”). |
· | If, on any quarterly Observation Date, the Observation Value of each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Threshold Value, we will pay a Contingent Coupon Payment of $23.125 per $1,000 in principal amount (a rate of 2.3125% per quarter, or 9.25% per annum) on the applicable quarterly Contingent Payment Date (each as defined below). |
· | We have the right to redeem all, but not less than all, of the notes on any quarterly Call Date at 100% of the principal amount, together with the relevant Contingent Coupon Payment, if payable. The “Call Date” will be each quarterly Contingent Payment Date beginning on February 15, 2019 and ending on May 15, 2022. No further amounts will be payable following an early redemption. |
· | At maturity, the amount you will be entitled to receive per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes (the “Redemption Amount”) will depend on the performance of the Least Performing Underlying (as defined below). If the notes are not redeemed prior to maturity, the Redemption Amount will be determined as follows: |
a) | If the Ending Value (as defined below) of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its Threshold Value, the Redemption Amount will equal the principal amount plus the final Contingent Coupon Payment. |
b) | If the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Threshold Value, you will be subject to 1-1 downside exposure to any decrease in the level of the Least Performing Underlying from its Starting Value. In that case, the Redemption Amount will be less than 60% of the principal amount and could be zero. |
· | The “Threshold Value” with respect to each Underlying is 60% of its Starting Value. |
· | The “Least Performing Underlying” will be the Underlying with the lowest Underlying Return (as defined below). |
· | The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. |
· | The notes will be issued in denominations of $1,000 and whole multiples of $1,000. |
· | The initial estimated value of the notes will be less than the public offering price. The initial estimated value of the notes as of August 10, 2018 (the “pricing date”) is $974 per $1,000 in principal amount. See “Summary” beginning on page PS-3 of this pricing supplement, “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8 of this pricing supplement and “Structuring the Notes” on page PS-30 of this pricing supplement for additional information. The actual value of your notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted with accuracy. |
· | The notes and the related guarantee: |
Are Not FDIC Insured | Are Not Bank Guaranteed | May Lose Value |
Per Note | Total | ||
Public Offering Price | $1,000.00 | $ 1,769,000.00 | |
Underwriting Discount | $2.50 | $ 4,422.50 | |
Proceeds (before expenses) to BofA Finance | $997.50 | $ 1,764,577.50 |
The notes and the related guarantee of the notes by the Guarantor are unsecured and are not savings accounts, deposits, or other obligations of a bank. The notes are not guaranteed by Bank of America, N.A. or any other bank, are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency and involve investment risks. Potential purchasers of the notes should consider the information in “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8 of this pricing supplement, page PS-5 of the accompanying product supplement, page S-4 of the accompanying prospectus supplement, and page 7 of the accompanying prospectus. You may lose some or all of your principal amount in the notes.
None of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), any state securities commission, or any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these notes or the guarantee, or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this pricing supplement, or the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement or prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
We will deliver the notes in book-entry form only through The Depository Trust Company on August 15, 2018 against payment in immediately available funds.
BofA Merrill Lynch
Selling Agent
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
SUMMARY | PS-3 |
RISK FACTORS | PS-8 |
DESCRIPTION OF THE NOTES | PS-13 |
THE UNDERLYINGS | PS-15 |
SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION; ROLE OF MLPF&S AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST | PS-29 |
STRUCTURING THE NOTES | PS-30 |
VALIDITY OF THE NOTES | PS-30 |
U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX SUMMARY | PS-31 |
PS-2
SUMMARY
The Contingent Income Issuer Callable Notes Linked to the Least Performing of the Dow Jones Industrial AverageSM, the Nasdaq-100® Index and the Energy Select Sector SPDR® Fund, due August 15, 2022 (the “notes”) are our senior debt securities. Any payments on the notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by BAC. The notes and the related guarantee are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or secured by collateral. The notes will rank equally with all of our other senior unsecured debt, and the related guarantee will rank equally with all of BAC’s other senior unsecured debt. Any payments due on the notes, including any repayment of the principal amount, will be subject to the credit risk of BofA Finance, as issuer, and BAC, as guarantor. Unless earlier called, the notes will mature on August 15, 2022.
If, on any quarterly Observation Date, the Observation Value of each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Threshold Value, we will pay a Contingent Coupon Payment of $23.125 per $1,000 in principal amount (a rate of 2.3125% per quarter, or 9.25% per annum) on the applicable quarterly Contingent Payment Date. Prior to the maturity date, on each quarterly Contingent Payment Date beginning on February 15, 2019 and ending on May 15, 2022, we have the right to redeem all, but not less than all, of the notes at 100% of the principal amount, together with the relevant Contingent Coupon Payment, if payable. No further amounts will be payable following an early redemption. If the notes are not called prior to maturity, and if the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its Threshold Value, at maturity you will receive the principal amount plus the final Contingent Coupon Payment. If the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Threshold Value, you will be subject to 1-1 downside exposure to any decrease in the level of the Least Performing Underlying from its Starting Value. In that case, the Redemption Amount will be less than 60% of the principal amount. The notes are not traditional debt securities and it is possible that the notes will not pay any Contingent Coupon Payments, and you may lose some or all of your principal amount at maturity.
Any payments on the notes, including any Contingent Coupon Payments, depend on the credit risk of BofA Finance and BAC and on the performance of each of the Underlyings. The economic terms of the notes are based on BAC’s internal funding rate, which is the rate it would pay to borrow funds through the issuance of market-linked notes, and the economic terms of certain related hedging arrangements it enters into. BAC’s internal funding rate is typically lower than the rate it would pay when it issues conventional fixed or floating rate debt securities. This difference in funding rate, as well as the underwriting discount and the hedging related charges described below, reduced the economic terms of the notes to you and the initial estimated value of the notes. Due to these factors, the public offering price you pay to purchase the notes is greater than the initial estimated value of the notes as of the pricing date.
On the cover page of this pricing supplement, we have provided the initial estimated value for the notes. For more information about the initial estimated value and the structuring of the notes, see “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8 and “Structuring the Notes” on page PS-30.
Issuer: | BofA Finance LLC (“BofA Finance”) |
Guarantor: | Bank of America Corporation (“BAC”) |
Term: | Four years, if not previously called. |
Pricing Date: | August 10, 2018 |
Issue Date: | August 15, 2018 |
Maturity Date: | August 15, 2022 |
Underlyings: | The Dow Jones Industrial AverageSM (Bloomberg ticker: “INDU”), the Nasdaq-100® Index (Bloomberg ticker: “NDX”), and the Energy Select Sector SPDR® Fund (Bloomberg ticker: “XLE”). |
Threshold Value: |
INDU: 15,187.88, which is 60% of its Starting Value, rounded to two decimal places. NDX: 4,444.982, which is 60% of its Starting Value, rounded to three decimal places. XLE: $45.17, which is 60% of its Starting Value, rounded to two decimal places. |
PS-3
Contingent Coupon Payment: | If, on any Observation Date, the Observation Value of each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Threshold Value, we will pay a quarterly Contingent Coupon Payment of $23.125 per $1,000 in principal amount (a rate of 2.3125% per quarter or 9.25% per annum) on the applicable quarterly Contingent Payment Date. |
Observation Dates: | Quarterly, the third scheduled trading day prior to the relevant quarterly Contingent Payment Date. The Observation Dates are subject to postponement as set forth in “Description of the Notes—Certain Terms of the Notes—Events Relating to Observation Dates” on page PS-19 of product supplement EQUITY-1. |
Contingent Payment Dates: | Quarterly, on the 15th day of each February, May, August and November, beginning on November 15, 2018 and ending on the Maturity Date. |
Optional Early Redemption: | On any quarterly Call Date, we have the right to redeem all, but not less than all, of the notes at the Early Redemption Payment. No further amounts will be payable following an early redemption. We will give notice to the trustee at least five business days but not more than 60 calendar days before the applicable quarterly Call Date. |
Early Redemption Payment: | The sum of the principal amount plus the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment, if payable. |
Call Dates: | The quarterly Contingent Payment Dates beginning on February 15, 2019 and ending on May 15, 2022. |
Redemption Amount: |
If the notes have not been called prior to maturity, the Redemption Amount per note will be: a) If the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its Threshold Value: $1,000 + the final Contingent Coupon Payment b) If the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Threshold Value: $1,000 + ($1,000 x Underlying Return of the Least Performing Underlying) In that case, the Redemption Amount will be less than 60% of the principal amount and could be zero. |
Starting Value: |
INDU: 25,313.14 NDX: 7,408.304 XLE: $75.29 |
Observation Value: | With respect to the INDU and the NDX, its closing level on the applicable Observation Date. With respect to the XLE, its Closing Market Price on the applicable Observation Date multiplied by its Price Multiplier on that day. |
Ending Value: | With respect to each Underlying, its Observation Value on the final Observation Date. |
Price Multiplier: | One, subject to adjustment for certain events relating to the XLE as described in “Description of the Notes-Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to ETFs” beginning on page PS-23 of product supplement EQUITY-1. |
Least Performing Underlying: | The Underlying with the lowest Underlying Return. |
Underlying Return: |
With respect to each Underlying, (Ending Value – Starting Value) Starting Value |
Calculation Agent: | Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“MLPF&S”), an affiliate of BofA Finance. |
Selling Agent: | MLPF&S |
You should read carefully this entire pricing supplement, product supplement, prospectus supplement, and prospectus to understand fully the terms of the notes, as well as the tax and other considerations important to you in making a decision about whether to invest in the notes. In particular, you should review carefully the section in this pricing supplement entitled “Risk Factors,” which highlights a number of risks of an investment in the notes, to determine whether an investment in the
PS-4
notes is appropriate for you. If information in this pricing supplement is inconsistent with the product supplement, prospectus supplement or prospectus, this pricing supplement will supersede those documents. You are urged to consult with your own attorneys and business and tax advisors before making a decision to purchase any of the notes.
The information in this “Summary” section is qualified in its entirety by the more detailed explanation set forth elsewhere in this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus. You should rely only on the information contained in this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. None of us, the Guarantor or MLPF&S is making an offer to sell these notes in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should assume that the information in this pricing supplement, the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement, and prospectus is accurate only as of the date on their respective front covers.
Capitalized terms used but not defined in this pricing supplement have the meanings set forth in the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus. Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this pricing supplement to “we,” “us,” “our,” or similar references are to BofA Finance, and not to BAC (or any other affiliate of BofA Finance).
The above documents may be accessed at the following links:
· | Product supplement EQUITY-1 dated January 24, 2017: |
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/70858/000119312517016445/d331325d424b5.htm
· | Series A MTN prospectus supplement dated November 4, 2016 and prospectus dated November 4, 2016: |
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/70858/000119312516760144/d266649d424b3.htm
PS-5
Hypothetical Payments on the Notes
The following table is for purposes of illustration only. It assumes that the notes have not been called by the issuer prior to maturity and is based on hypothetical values and show hypothetical returns on the notes. It illustrates the calculation of the Redemption Amount and return on the notes based on a hypothetical Starting Value of 100 and a hypothetical Threshold Value of 60 for the Least Performing Underlying, the Contingent Coupon Payment of $23.125 per $1,000 in principal amount, and a range of hypothetical Ending Values of the Least Performing Underlying. The actual amount you receive and the resulting total rate of return will depend on the actual Starting Values, Threshold Values, Observation Values and Ending Values of the Underlyings, whether the notes are called prior to maturity, and whether you hold the notes to maturity. The numbers appearing in the table below have been rounded for ease of analysis, and do not take into account any tax consequences from investing in the notes.
For recent actual levels of the Underlyings, see “The Underlyings” section below. The Ending Value of each Underlying will not include any income generated by dividends paid on the securities represented by that Underlying, which you would otherwise be entitled to receive if you invested in those securities directly. In addition, all payments on the notes are subject to issuer credit risk.
Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying |
Underlying Return of the Least Performing Underlying |
Redemption Amount per Note |
Return on the Notes(1) |
0.00 | -100.00% | $0.000 | -100.0000% |
10.00 | -90.00% | $100.000 | -90.0000% |
20.00 | -80.00% | $200.000 | -80.0000% |
30.00 | -70.00% | $300.000 | -70.0000% |
40.00 | -60.00% | $400.000 | -60.0000% |
50.00 | -50.00% | $500.000 | -50.0000% |
59.99 | -40.01% | $599.900 | -40.0100% |
60.00(2) | -40.00% | $1,023.125(3) | 2.3125% |
70.00 | -30.00% | $1,023.125 | 2.3125% |
80.00 | -20.00% | $1,023.125 | 2.3125% |
90.00 | -10.00% | $1,023.125 | 2.3125% |
100.00(4) | 0.00% | $1,023.125 | 2.3125% |
110.00 | 10.00% | $1,023.125 | 2.3125% |
120.00 | 20.00% | $1,023.125 | 2.3125% |
140.00 | 40.00% | $1,023.125 | 2.3125% |
160.00 | 60.00% | $1,023.125 | 2.3125% |
180.00 | 80.00% | $1,023.125 | 2.3125% |
200.00 | 100.00% | $1,023.125 | 2.3125% |
(1) | The “Return on the Notes” is calculated based on the Redemption Amount, not including any Contingent Coupon Payments paid prior to maturity. |
(2) | This is the hypothetical Threshold Value of the Least Performing Underlying. |
(3) | This amount represents the sum of the principal amount and the final Contingent Coupon Payment. |
(4) | The hypothetical Starting Value of 100 used in the table above has been chosen for illustrative purposes only. The actual Starting Value of the INDU is 25,313.14, the actual Starting Value of the NDX is 7,408.304 and the actual Starting Value of the XLE is $75.29. |
PS-6
Total Contingent Coupon Payments
The table below illustrates the hypothetical total Contingent Coupon Payments per $1,000 in principal amount over the term of the notes, based on the Contingent Coupon Payment of $23.125 per note, depending on how many Contingent Coupon Payments are payable prior to early redemption or maturity. Depending on the performance of the Underlyings, you may not receive any Contingent Coupon Payments during the term of the notes.
Number of Contingent Coupon Payments | Total Contingent Coupon Payments |
0 | $0.000 |
1 | $23.125 |
2 | $46.250 |
3 | $69.375 |
4 | $92.500 |
5 | $115.625 |
6 | $138.750 |
7 | $161.875 |
8 | $185.000 |
9 | $208.125 |
10 | $231.250 |
11 | $254.375 |
12 | $277.500 |
13 | $300.625 |
14 | $323.750 |
15 | $346.875 |
16 | $370.000 |
PS-7
RISK FACTORS
Your investment in the notes entails significant risks, many of which differ from those of a conventional debt security. Your decision to purchase the notes should be made only after carefully considering the risks of an investment in the notes, including those discussed below, with your advisors in light of your particular circumstances. The notes are not an appropriate investment for you if you are not knowledgeable about significant elements of the notes or financial matters in general.
Your investment may result in a loss; there is no guaranteed return of principal. The notes are not principal protected. There is no fixed principal repayment amount on the notes at maturity. If the notes are not called and the Ending Value of any Underlying is less than its Threshold Value, you will lose 1% of the principal amount for each 1% that the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Starting Value. In that case, you will lose all or a substantial portion of your principal.
Your return on the notes is limited to the return represented by the Contingent Coupon Payments, if any, over the term of the notes. Your return on the notes is limited to the Contingent Coupon Payments paid over the term of the notes, regardless of the extent to which the Ending Value of any Underlying exceeds its Starting Value. Similarly, the amount payable at maturity or upon a call will never exceed the sum of the principal amount and the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment, regardless of the extent to which the Observation Value of any Underlying exceeds its Starting Value.
In contrast, a direct investment in the securities included in one or more of the Underlyings would allow you to receive the benefit of any appreciation in their values. Thus, any return on the notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned those securities and received the dividends paid or distributions made on them.
The notes are subject to early redemption at our option. On each quarterly Contingent Payment Date (from February 15, 2019 to and including May 15, 2022), at our option, we may redeem your notes in whole, but not in part. Even if we do not exercise our option to redeem your notes, our ability to do so may adversely affect the market value of your notes. It is our sole option whether to redeem your notes prior to maturity on any such quarterly Contingent Payment Date and we may or may not exercise this option for any reason. Because of this early redemption option, the term of your notes could be anywhere between six months and four years. If your notes are redeemed early, you will not have the right to receive any future Contingent Coupon Payments that you may otherwise have received. Further, if your notes are redeemed early, you may not be able to reinvest the Early Redemption Payment at a comparable return for a similar level of risk.
You may not receive any Contingent Coupon Payments. Investors in the notes will not necessarily receive Contingent Coupon Payments on the notes. If the Observation Value of any Underlying is less than its Threshold Value on an Observation Date, you will not receive the Contingent Coupon Payment applicable to that Observation Date. If the Observation Value of any Underlying is less than its Threshold Value on all the Observation Dates during the term of the notes, you will not receive any Contingent Coupon Payment during the term of the notes, and will not receive a positive return on the notes.
Your return on the notes may be less than the yield on a conventional debt security of comparable maturity. Any return that you receive on the notes, which could be negative, may be less than the return you would earn if you purchased a conventional debt security with the same maturity date. As a result, your investment in the notes may not reflect the full opportunity cost to you when you consider factors, such as inflation, that affect the time value of money.
Any payment on the notes is subject to our credit risk and the credit risk of the Guarantor, and actual or perceived changes in our or the Guarantor’s creditworthiness are expected to affect the value of the notes. The notes are our senior unsecured debt securities. Any payment on the notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor. The notes are not guaranteed by any entity other than the Guarantor. As a result, your receipt of all payments on the notes will be dependent upon our ability and the ability of the Guarantor to repay our obligations under the notes on the applicable payment date, regardless of the Observation Value of any Underlying as compared to its Threshold Value or Starting Value. No assurance can be given as to what our financial condition or the financial condition of the Guarantor will be at any time during the term of the notes. If we and the Guarantor become unable to meet our respective financial obligations as they become due, you may not receive the amounts payable under the terms of the notes.
In addition, our credit ratings and the credit ratings of the Guarantor are assessments by ratings agencies of our respective abilities to pay our obligations. Consequently, our or the Guarantor’s perceived creditworthiness and actual or anticipated decreases in our or the Guarantor’s credit ratings or increases in the spread between the yield on our respective securities and the yield on U.S. Treasury securities (the “credit spread”) prior to the maturity date may adversely affect the market value of the notes. However, because your return on the notes depends upon factors in addition to our ability and the ability of the
PS-8
Guarantor to pay our respective obligations, such as the values of the Underlyings, an improvement in our or the Guarantor’s credit ratings will not reduce the other investment risks related to the notes.
We are a finance subsidiary and, as such, will have limited assets and operations. We are a finance subsidiary of BAC and will have no assets, operations or revenues other than those related to the issuance, administration and repayment of our debt securities that are guaranteed by the Guarantor. As a finance subsidiary, to meet our obligations under the notes, we are dependent upon payment or contribution of funds and/or repayment of outstanding loans from the Guarantor and/or its other subsidiaries. Therefore, our ability to make payments on the notes may be limited. In addition, we will have no independent assets available for distributions to holders of the notes if they make claims in respect of the notes in a bankruptcy, resolution or similar proceeding. Accordingly, any recoveries by such holders may be limited to those available under the related guarantee by the Guarantor, and that guarantee will rank equally with all other senior unsecured obligations of the Guarantor.
The public offering price you pay for the notes exceeds the initial estimated value. The estimated value that is provided on the cover page of this pricing supplement is an estimate only, determined as of the pricing date by reference to our and our affiliates’ pricing models. These pricing models consider certain assumptions and variables, including our credit spreads and those of the Guarantor, the Guarantor’s internal funding rate, mid-market terms on hedging transactions, expectations on interest rates, dividends and volatility, price-sensitivity analysis, and the expected term of the notes. These pricing models rely in part on certain forecasts about future events, which may prove to be incorrect.
The initial estimated value does not represent a minimum or maximum price at which we, the Guarantor, MLPF&S or any of our other affiliates would be willing to purchase your notes in any secondary market (if any exists) at any time. The value of your notes at any time after the pricing date will vary based on many factors that cannot be predicted with accuracy, including our and the Guarantor’s creditworthiness and changes in market conditions.
If you attempt to sell the notes prior to maturity, their market value may be lower than the price you paid for them and lower than their initial estimated value. This is due to, among other things, changes in the values of the Underlyings, the Guarantor’s internal funding rate, and the inclusion in the public offering price of the underwriting discount and the hedging related charges, all as further described in “Structuring the Notes” below. These factors, together with various credit, market and economic factors over the term of the notes, are expected to reduce the price at which you may be able to sell the notes in any secondary market and will affect the value of the notes in complex and unpredictable ways.
We cannot assure you that a trading market for your notes will ever develop or be maintained. We will not list the notes on any securities exchange. We cannot predict how the notes will trade in any secondary market or whether that market will be liquid or illiquid.
The development of a trading market for the notes will depend on the Guarantor’s financial performance and other factors, including changes in the values of the Underlyings. The number of potential buyers of your notes in any secondary market may be limited. We anticipate that MLPF&S will act as a market-maker for the notes, but none of us, the Guarantor or MLPF&S is required to do so. There is no assurance that any party will be willing to purchase your notes at any price in any secondary market. MLPF&S may discontinue its market-making activities as to the notes at any time. To the extent that MLPF&S engages in any market-making activities, it may bid for or offer the notes. Any price at which MLPF&S may bid for, offer, purchase, or sell any notes may differ from the values determined by pricing models that it may use, whether as a result of dealer discounts, mark-ups, or other transaction costs. These bids, offers, or completed transactions may affect the prices, if any, at which the notes might otherwise trade in the market.
In addition, if at any time MLPF&S were to cease acting as a market-maker as to the notes, it is likely that there would be significantly less liquidity in the secondary market. In such a case, the price at which the notes could be sold likely would be lower than if an active market existed.
The payments on the notes will not reflect changes in the values of the Underlyings other than on the Observation Dates. Changes in the values of the Underlyings during the term of the notes other than on the Observation Dates will not affect payments on the notes. The calculation agent will determine whether each Contingent Coupon Payment is payable and calculate the Redemption Amount, by comparing only the Starting Value or the Threshold Value, as applicable, to the Observation Value or the Ending Value for each Underlying. No other values of the Underlyings will be taken into account. As a result, if the notes are not called prior to maturity, you will receive less than the principal amount at maturity even if the value of each Underlying has increased at certain times during the term of the notes before the Least Performing Underlying decreases to a value that is less than its Threshold Value as of the final Observation Date.
PS-9
Because the notes are linked to the least performing (and not the average performance) of the three Underlyings, you may not receive any return on the notes and may lose some or all of your principal amount even if the Observation Value of one or more Underlyings is always greater than or equal to its Threshold Value. Your notes are linked to the least performing of three Underlyings, and a change in the value of one Underlying may not correlate with changes in the value of the other two Underlyings. The notes are not linked to a basket composed of the Underlyings, where the depreciation in the value of one Underlying could be offset to some extent by the appreciation in the value of one or both of the other Underlyings. In the case of the notes that we are offering, the individual performance of each Underlying would not be combined, and the depreciation in the value of one Underlying would not be offset by any appreciation in the values of the other Underlyings. Even if the Observation Values of two Underlyings are at or above their respective Threshold Values on an Observation Date, you will not receive the Contingent Coupon Payment with respect to that Observation Date if the Observation Value of the other Underlying is below its Threshold Value on that day. In addition, even if the Ending Values of two Underlyings are at or above their respective Threshold Values, you will lose more than 40% of your principal if the Ending Value of the other Underlying is below its Threshold Value.
The notes are subject to risks associated with foreign securities markets. The NDX includes certain foreign equity securities. You should be aware that investments in securities linked to the value of foreign equity securities involve particular risks. The foreign securities markets comprising the NDX may have less liquidity and may be more volatile than U.S. or other securities markets and market developments may affect foreign markets differently from U.S. or other securities markets. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize these foreign securities markets, as well as cross-shareholdings in foreign companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in these markets. Also, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than about those U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and foreign companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies.
Prices of securities in foreign countries are subject to political, economic, financial and social factors that apply in those geographical regions. These factors, which could negatively affect those securities markets, include the possibility of recent or future changes in a foreign government’s economic and fiscal policies, the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other laws or restrictions applicable to foreign companies or investments in foreign equity securities and the possibility of fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies, the possibility of outbreaks of hostility and political instability and the possibility of natural disaster or adverse public health developments in the region. Moreover, foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in important respects such as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency.
An investment in the notes is subject to foreign currency exchange risk. The value of the NDX will fluctuate based in part upon changes in the value of the currencies in which the securities held by the NDX are traded. Accordingly, investors in the notes will be exposed to currency exchange rate risk with respect to each of the currencies in which the securities held by the NDX are traded.
The anti-dilution adjustments will be limited. The calculation agent may adjust the Price Multiplier of the XLE and other terms of the notes to reflect certain corporate actions by the XLE, as described in the section “Description of the Notes—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to ETFs” in the accompanying product supplement. The calculation agent will not be required to make an adjustment for every event that may affect the XLE and will have broad discretion to determine whether and to what extent an adjustment is required.
The sponsor or investment advisor of the XLE may adjust the XLE in a way that affects its price, and the sponsor or investment advisor has no obligation to consider your interests. The sponsor or investment advisor of the XLE can add, delete, or substitute the components included in that Underlying or make other methodological changes that could change its price. A new security included in an Underlying may perform significantly better or worse than the replaced security, and the performance will impact the price of that Underlying. Additionally, the sponsor or investment advisor of the XLE may alter, discontinue, or suspend calculation or dissemination of that Underlying. Any of these actions could adversely affect the value of your notes. The sponsor or investment advisor of any Underlying will have no obligation to consider your interests when making any changes to the applicable Underlying.
The performance of the XLE may not correlate with the performance of its underlying index (the “Underlying Index”) as well as the net asset value per share of the XLE, especially during periods of market volatility. The performance of the XLE and that of its Underlying Index generally will vary due to, for example, transaction costs, management fees, certain corporate actions, and timing variances. Moreover, it is also possible that the performance of the XLE may not fully replicate or may, in certain circumstances, diverge significantly from the performance of its Underlying Index. This could be
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due to, for example, the XLE not holding all or substantially all of the underlying assets included in the Underlying Index and/or holding assets that are not included in the Underlying Index, the temporary unavailability of certain securities in the secondary market, the performance of any derivative instruments held by the XLE, differences in trading hours between the XLE (or the underlying assets held by the XLE) and the Underlying Index, or due to other circumstances. This variation in performance is called the “tracking error,” and, at times, the tracking error may be significant. In addition, because the shares of the XLE are traded on a securities exchange and are subject to market supply and investor demand, the market price of one share of the XLE may differ from its net asset value per share; shares of the XLE may trade at, above, or below its net asset value per share. During periods of market volatility, securities held by the XLE may be unavailable in the secondary market, market participants may be unable to calculate accurately the net asset value per share of the XLE and the liquidity of the XLE may be adversely affected. Market volatility may also disrupt the ability of market participants to trade shares of the XLE. Further, market volatility may adversely affect, sometimes materially, the prices at which market participants are willing to buy and sell shares of the XLE. As a result, under these circumstances, the market value of shares of the XLE may vary substantially from the net asset value per share of the XLE.
For the foregoing reasons, the performance of the XLE may not match the performance of its Underlying Index or the net asset value per share of the XLE over the same period. Because of this variance, the return on the notes to the extent dependent on the performance of the XLE may not be the same as an investment directly in the securities included in the Underlying Index or the same as a debt security with a return linked to the performance of the Underlying Index.
Trading and hedging activities by us, the Guarantor and any of our other affiliates may affect your return on the notes and their market value. We, the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including MLPF&S, may buy or sell shares of the XLE or the securities held by or included in an Underlying, or futures or options contracts on an Underlying or those securities, or other listed or over-the-counter derivative instruments linked to an Underlying or those securities. We, the Guarantor and any of our other affiliates, including MLPF&S, may execute such purchases or sales for our own or their own accounts, for business reasons, or in connection with hedging our obligations under the notes. These transactions could affect the value of an Underlying in a manner that could be adverse to your investment in the notes. On or before the pricing date, any purchases or sales by us, the Guarantor or our other affiliates, including MLPF&S or others on its behalf (including for the purpose of hedging anticipated exposures), may have affected the value of an Underlying. Consequently, the value of an Underlying may change subsequent to the pricing date, adversely affecting the market value of the notes.
We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including MLPF&S, may have engaged in hedging activities that could have affected the value of an Underlying on the pricing date. In addition, these activities may decrease the market value of your notes prior to maturity, and may affect the amounts to be paid on the notes. We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including MLPF&S, may purchase or otherwise acquire a long or short position in the notes and may hold or resell the notes. For example, MLPF&S may enter into these transactions in connection with any market making activities in which it engages. We cannot assure you that these activities will not adversely affect the value of an Underlying, the market value of your notes prior to maturity or the amounts payable on the notes.
Our trading, hedging and other business activities may create conflicts of interest with you. We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including MLPF&S, may engage in trading activities related to the Underlyings or the securities represented by the Underlyings that are not for your account or on your behalf. We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including MLPF&S, also may issue or underwrite other financial instruments with returns based upon the Underlyings. These trading and other business activities may present a conflict of interest between your interest in the notes and the interests we, the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including MLPF&S, may have in our proprietary accounts, in facilitating transactions, including block trades, for our or their other customers, and in accounts under our or their management. These trading and other business activities, if they influence the values of the Underlyings or secondary trading in your notes, could be adverse to your interests as a beneficial owner of the notes.
We expect to enter into arrangements or adjust or close out existing transactions to hedge our obligations under the notes. We, the Guarantor or our other affiliates, including MLPF&S, also may enter into hedging transactions relating to other notes or instruments, some of which may have returns calculated in a manner related to that of the notes offered hereby. We may enter into such hedging arrangements with one of our affiliates. Our affiliates may enter into additional hedging transactions with other parties relating to the notes and the Underlyings. This hedging activity is expected to result in a profit to those engaging in the hedging activity, which could be more or less than initially expected, or the hedging activity could also result in a loss. We and our affiliates will price these hedging transactions with the intent to realize a profit, regardless of whether the value of the notes increases or decreases. Any profit in connection with such hedging activities will be in addition to any other compensation that we,
PS-11
the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including MLPF&S, receive for the sale of the notes, which creates an additional incentive to sell the notes to you.
There may be potential conflicts of interest involving the calculation agent, which is an affiliate of ours. We have the right to appoint and remove the calculation agent. One of our affiliates will be the calculation agent for the notes and, as such, will make a variety of determinations relating to the notes, including the amounts that will be paid on the notes. Under some circumstances, these duties could result in a conflict of interest between its status as our affiliate and its responsibilities as calculation agent. These conflicts could occur, for instance, in connection with the calculation agent’s determination as to whether a Market Disruption Event (as defined in the product supplement) has occurred, or in connection with judgments that it would be required to make if certain corporate events occur as to the XLE. The calculation agent will be required to carry out its duties in good faith and use its reasonable judgment. However, because we expect that the Guarantor will control the calculation agent, potential conflicts of interest could arise.
The stocks held by the XLE are concentrated in one sector. The XLE holds securities issued by companies in the energy sector. As a result, the stocks that will in part determine the performance of the notes are concentrated in one sector. Although an investment in the notes will not give holders any ownership or other direct interests in the securities held by the XLE, the return on an investment in the notes will be subject to certain risks associated with a direct equity investment in companies in the energy sector. Accordingly, by investing in the notes, you will not fully benefit from the diversification which could result from an investment linked to companies that operate in multiple sectors.
The stocks of companies in the energy sector are subject to swift price fluctuations. The issuers of the stocks held by the XLE develop and produce, among other things, crude oil and natural gas, and provide, among other things, drilling services and other services related to energy resources production and distribution. Stock prices for these types of companies are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for energy products in general. The price of oil and gas, exploration and production spending, government regulation, world events and economic conditions will likewise affect the performance of these companies. Correspondingly, the stocks of companies in the energy sector are subject to swift price fluctuations caused by events relating to international politics, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects and tax and other governmental regulatory policies. Weak demand for the companies’ products or services or for energy products and services in general, as well as negative developments in these other areas, would adversely impact the value of the stocks held by the XLE and, therefore, the price of the XLE and the value of the notes.
The U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes are uncertain, and may be adverse to a holder of the notes. No statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addresses the characterization of the notes or securities similar to the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes are not certain. Under the terms of the notes, you will have agreed with us to treat the notes as contingent income bearing single financial contracts, as described under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary—General.” If the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) were successful in asserting an alternative characterization for the notes, the timing and character of income, gain or loss with respect to the notes may differ. No ruling will be requested from the IRS with respect to the notes and no assurance can be given that the IRS will agree with the statements made in the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary.” You are urged to consult with your own tax advisor regarding all aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in the notes.
* * *
Investors in the notes should review the additional risk factors set forth beginning on page PS-5 of the product supplement prior to making an investment decision.
PS-12
DESCRIPTION OF THE NOTES
General
The notes will be part of a series of medium-term notes entitled “Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series A” issued under the senior indenture, as amended and supplemented from time to time, among us, the Guarantor and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company N.A., as trustee. The senior indenture is more fully described in the prospectus supplement and prospectus. The following description of the notes supplements the description of the general terms and provisions of the notes and debt securities set forth under the headings “Description of the Notes” in the prospectus supplement and “Description of Debt Securities” in the prospectus. These documents should be read in connection with this pricing supplement.
Our payment obligations on the notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Guarantor. The notes will rank equally with all of our other senior unsecured debt from time to time outstanding. The guarantee of the notes will rank equally with all other senior unsecured obligations of the Guarantor. Any payments due on the notes, including any repayment of principal, are subject to our credit risk, as issuer, and the credit risk of BAC, as guarantor.
The notes will be issued in denominations of $1,000 and whole multiples of $1,000. You may transfer the notes only in whole multiples of $1,000.
Prior to maturity, the notes are not repayable at your option. We have the right to redeem the notes, as discussed in more detail in this document.
If any scheduled quarterly Contingent Payment Date, including the maturity date, is not a business day, the payment will be postponed to the next business day, and no interest will be payable as a result of that postponement.
Contingent Coupon Payment
If, on any quarterly Observation Date, the Observation Value of each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Threshold Value, we will pay the Contingent Coupon Payment on the applicable quarterly Contingent Payment Date.
The “Contingent Coupon Payment” will be $23.125 per $1,000 in principal amount (a rate of 2.3125% per quarter or 9.25% per annum).
The “Threshold Value” for each Underlying (which is 60% of its Starting Value) is set forth on page PS-3 above.
For so long as the notes are held in book-entry only form, we will pay the Contingent Coupon Payment to the persons in whose names the notes are registered at the close of business one business day prior to each quarterly Contingent Payment Date. If the notes are not held in book-entry only form, the record dates will be the fifteenth calendar day preceding the applicable payment date, whether or not that date is a business day.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Redemption Amount, including the final Contingent Coupon Payment with respect to the final Observation Date, if payable, will be paid to the persons in whose names the notes are registered on the maturity date.
Optional Early Redemption
On any quarterly Call Date, we have the right to redeem all, but not less than all, of the notes at the Early Redemption Payment. No further amounts will be payable following an early redemption. We will give notice to the trustee at least five business days but not more than 60 calendar days before the applicable quarterly Call Date.
The “Early Redemption Payment” will be the principal amount of your notes, plus the Contingent Coupon Payment with respect to the applicable quarterly Call Date, if payable.
The “Call Dates” will be the quarterly Contingent Payment Dates beginning on February 15, 2019 and ending on May 15, 2022.
Redemption Amount
If your notes are not called prior to maturity, then at maturity, subject to our credit risk as issuer
PS-13
of the notes and the credit risk of the Guarantor as guarantor of the notes, you will receive the Redemption Amount per note that you hold, denominated in U.S. dollars. The Redemption Amount per note will be calculated as follows:
· | If the Ending Value of each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Threshold Value, the Redemption Amount will equal the principal amount plus the Contingent Coupon Payment with respect to the final Observation Date. |
· | If the Ending Value of any Underlying is less than its Threshold Value, the Redemption Amount per note will equal: |
$1,000 + ($1,000 x the Underlying Return of the Least Performing Underlying)
In this case, the Redemption Amount will be less than 60% of the principal amount of the notes, and you will lose more than 40% and up to 100% of your principal.
With respect to each Underlying, its “Underlying Return” will equal:
Ending Value – Starting Value
Starting Value
The “Price Multiplier” of the XLE will be one, subject to adjustment by the calculation agent in its sole discretion and as it deems reasonable for certain corporate events relating to that Underlying described in the product supplement under “Description of the Notes-Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to ETFs-Anti-Dilution Adjustments for an ETF.”
Determining the Starting Value, the Observation Value and the Ending Value of Each Underlying
With respect to each Underling, the “Starting Value” is set forth on page PS-4 above.
With respect to the INDU and the NDX, the “Observation Value” will be its closing level on the applicable Observation Date. With respect to the XLE, the “Observation Value” will be its Closing Market Price on the applicable Observation Date multiplied by its Price Multiplier on that day.
With respect to each Underlying, the “Ending Value” will be its Observation Value on the final Observation Date.
The Observation Dates are subject to postponement as set forth in the product supplement, in the section “Description of the Notes—Certain Terms of the Notes—Events Relating to Observation Dates.”
Events of Default and Acceleration
If an Event of Default, as defined in the senior indenture and in the section entitled “Events of Default and Rights of Acceleration” beginning on page 35 of the accompanying prospectus, with respect to the notes occurs and is continuing, the amount payable to a holder of the notes upon any acceleration permitted under the senior indenture will be equal to the amount described under the caption “—Redemption Amount,” calculated as though the date of acceleration were the maturity date of the notes and as though the final Observation Date were the third trading day prior to the date of acceleration. We will also determine whether the final Contingent Coupon Payment is payable based upon the prices of the Underlyings on the deemed final Observation Date; any such final Contingent Coupon Payment will be prorated by the calculation agent to reflect the length of the final contingent payment period. In case of a default in the payment of the notes, whether at their maturity or upon acceleration, the notes will not bear a default interest rate.
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THE UNDERLYINGS
All disclosures contained in this pricing supplement regarding the Underlyings, including, without limitation, their make-up, method of calculation, and changes in their components, have been derived from publicly available sources. The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by each of, Dow Jones Indexes, the marketing name of CME Group Index Services LLC, the sponsor of the INDU, Nasdaq, Inc., the sponsor of the NDX and SSGA Funds Management Inc., the investment advisor of the XLE.
The Dow Jones Industrial AverageSM
Unless otherwise stated, all information on the INDU provided in this pricing supplement is derived from Dow Jones Indexes, the marketing name and a licensed trademark of CME Indexes. The INDU is a price-weighted index, which means an underlying stock’s weight in the INDU is based on its price per share rather than the total market capitalization of the issuer. The INDU is designed to provide an indication of the composite performance of 30 common stocks of corporations representing a broad cross-section of U.S. industry. The corporations represented in the INDU tend to be market leaders in their respective industries and their stocks are typically widely held by individuals and institutional investors.
The INDU is maintained by an Averages Committee comprised of the Managing Editor of The Wall Street Journal (“WSJ”), the head of Dow Jones Indexes research and the head of CME Group Inc. research. The Averages Committee was created in March 2010, when Dow Jones Indexes became part of CME Group Index Services, LLC, a joint venture company owned 90% by CME Group Inc. and 10% by Dow Jones & Company. Generally, composition changes occur only after mergers, corporate acquisitions or other dramatic shifts in a component's core business. When such an event necessitates that one component be replaced, the entire INDU is reviewed. As a result, when changes are made they typically involve more than one component. While there are no rules for component selection, a stock typically is added only if it has an excellent reputation, demonstrates sustained growth, is of interest to a large number of investors and accurately represents the sector(s) covered by the average.
Changes in the composition of the INDU are made entirely by the Averages Committee without consultation with the corporations represented in the INDU, any stock exchange, any official agency or us. Unlike most other indices, which are reconstituted according to a fixed review schedule, constituents of the INDU are reviewed on an as-needed basis. Changes to the common stocks included in the INDU tend to be made infrequently, and the underlying stocks of the INDU may be changed at any time for any reason. The companies currently represented in the INDU are incorporated in the United States and its territories and their stocks are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and The Nasdaq Stock Market (“NASDAQ”).
The INDU initially consisted of 12 common stocks and was first published in the WSJ in 1896. The INDU was increased to include 20 common stocks in 1916 and to 30 common stocks in 1928. The number of common stocks in the INDU has remained at 30 since 1928, and, in an effort to maintain continuity, the constituent corporations represented in the INDU have been changed on a relatively infrequent basis. Nine main groups of companies constitute the INDU, with the approximate sector weights of the INDU as of June 30, 2018 indicated in parentheses: Industrials (22.2%); Technology (18.1%); Financials (15.2%); Consumer Discretionary (15.0%); Healthcare (13.0%); Consumer Goods (7.5%); Oil & Gas (5.8%); Basic Materials (1.8%); and Telecommunications (1.4%).
Computation of the INDU
The level of the INDU is the sum of the primary exchange prices of each of the 30 component stocks included in the INDU, divided by a divisor that is designed to provide a meaningful continuity in the level of the INDU. Because the INDU is price-weighted, stock splits or changes in the component stocks could result in distortions in the INDU level. In order to prevent these distortions related to extrinsic factors, the divisor is periodically changed in accordance with a mathematical formula that reflects adjusted proportions within the INDU. The current divisor of the INDU is published daily in the WSJ and other publications. In addition, other statistics based on the INDU may be found in a variety of publicly available sources.
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The following table presents the listing symbol, industry group, price per share, and component stock weight for each of the top 10 component stocks in the INDU based on publicly available information on June 30, 2018.
Issuer of Component Stock |
Symbol |
Industry |
Component Stock Weight |
The Boeing Company | BA | Aerospace | 9.37% |
Unitedhealth Group Incorporated | UNH | Health Care Providers | 6.85% |
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. | GS | Investment Services | 6.16% |
3M Company | MMM | Diversified Industrials | 5.50% |
The Home Depot, Inc. | HD | Home Improvement Retailers | 5.45% |
Apple Inc. | AAPL | Computer Hardware | 5.17% |
McDonald's Corporation | MCD | Restaurants & Bars | 4.38% |
International Business Machines Corporation | IBM | Computer Services | 3.90% |
Caterpillar Inc. | CAT | Commercial Vehicles & Trucks | 4379% |
Visa Inc. | V | Consumer Finance | 3.70% |
PS-16
The following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of the INDU in the period from January 1, 2008 through the pricing date. This historical data on the INDU is not necessarily indicative of its future performance or what the value of the notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the INDU during any period set forth below is not an indication that the level of the INDU is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time over the term of the notes. The horizontal line in the graph represents the Threshold Value of 15,187.88 (rounded to two decimal places), which is 60% of its Starting Value of 25,313.14.
Before investing in the notes, you should consult publicly available sources for the levels of the INDU.
License Agreement
S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”) 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 S&P. These trademarks have been sublicensed for certain purposes by our affiliate, MLPF&S. The INDU is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by MLPF&S.
The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the holders of the notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the notes particularly or the ability of the INDU to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to MLPF&S with respect to the INDU is the licensing of the INDU and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its third party licensors. The INDU is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to us, MLPF&S, or the notes. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation to take our needs, BAC’s needs or the needs of MLPF&S or holders of the notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the INDU. S&P Dow Jones Indices are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of the notes or the timing of the issuance or sale of the notes or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the notes are to be converted into cash. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the notes. There is no assurance that investment products based on the INDU will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and its subsidiaries are not investment advisors. Inclusion of a security or futures contract within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security or futures contract, nor is it considered to be investment advice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the notes currently being issued by us, but which may be similar to and competitive with the notes. In addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the INDU. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the notes.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INDU OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES
PS-17
SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS,
OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL
WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY US, BAC, MLPF&S,
HOLDERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE INDU OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO.
WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL,
EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE.
THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND MLPF&S, OTHER
THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.
PS-18
The NASDAQ-100® Index
General
The NDX is intended to measure the performance of the 100 largest domestic and international non-financial securities listed on NASDAQ based on market capitalization. The NDX reflects companies across major industry groups including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, retail/wholesale trade and biotechnology. It does not contain securities of financial companies including investment companies.
As of August 1, 2018, the major industry groups covered in the NDX (listed according to their respective capitalization in the NDX) were as follows: Information Technology (59.68%); Consumer Discretionary (22.15%); Health Care (9.51%); Consumer Staples (5.86%); Industrials (2.05%) and Telecommunication Services (0.74%).
The NDX began trading on January 31, 1985 at a base value of 125.00. The NDX is calculated and published by Nasdaq, Inc. In administering the NDX, Nasdaq, Inc. will exercise reasonable discretion as it deems appropriate.
Underlying Stock Eligibility Criteria
NDX eligibility is limited to specific security types only. The security types eligible for the NDX include foreign or domestic common stocks, ordinary shares, ADRs and tracking stocks. Security types not included in the NDX are closed-end funds, convertible debt securities, exchange traded funds, limited liability companies, limited partnership interests, preferred stocks, rights, shares or units of beneficial interest, warrants, units, and other derivative securities. The NDX does not contain securities of investment companies. For purposes of the NDX eligibility criteria, if the security is a depositary receipt representing a security of a non-U.S. issuer, then references to the “issuer” are references to the issuer of the underlying security.
Initial Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for initial inclusion in the NDX, a security must be listed on NASDAQ and meet the following criteria:
· | the security’s U.S. listing must be exclusively on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market (unless the security was dually listed on another U.S. market prior to January 1, 2004 and has continuously maintained such listing); |
· | the security must be of a non-financial company; |
· | the security may not be issued by an issuer currently in bankruptcy proceedings; |
· | the security must have a minimum three-month average daily trading volume of at least 200,000 shares; |
· | if the issuer of the security is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the U.S., then such security must have listed options on a recognized options market in the U.S. or be eligible for listed-options trading on a recognized options market in the U.S.; |
· | the issuer of the security may not have entered into a definitive agreement or other arrangement which would likely result in the security no longer being eligible for inclusion in the NDX; |
· | the issuer of the security may not have annual financial statements with an audit opinion that is currently withdrawn; and |
· | the issuer of the security must have “seasoned” on NASDAQ, NYSE or NYSE Amex. Generally, a company is considered to be seasoned if it has been listed on a market for at least three full months (excluding the first month of initial listing). |
Continued Eligibility Criteria
In addition, to be eligible for continued inclusion in the NDX, the following criteria apply:
· | the security’s U.S. listing must be exclusively on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market; |
· | the security must be of a non-financial company; |
· | the security may not be issued by an issuer currently in bankruptcy proceedings; |
· | the security must have a minimum three-month average daily trading volume of at least 200,000 shares; |
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· | if the issuer of the security is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the U.S., then such security must have listed options on a recognized options market in the U.S. or be eligible for listed-options trading on a recognized options market in the U.S. (measured annually during the ranking review process); |
· | the security must have an adjusted market capitalization equal to or exceeding 0.10% of the aggregate adjusted market capitalization of the NDX at each month-end. In the event a company does not meet this criterion for two consecutive month-ends, it will be removed from the NDX effective after the close of trading on the third Friday of the following month; and |
· | the issuer of the security may not have annual financial statements with an audit opinion that is currently withdrawn. |
Computation of the NDX
The value of the NDX equals the aggregate value of the NDX share weights (the “NDX Shares”) of each of the NDX securities multiplied by each such security’s last sale price (last sale price refers to the last sale price on NASDAQ), and divided by the divisor of the NDX. If trading in an NDX security is halted while the market is open, the last traded price for that security is used for all NDX computations until trading resumes. If trading is halted before the market is open, the previous day’s last sale price is used. The formula for determining the NDX value is as follows:
Aggregated Adjusted Market Value |
Divisor |
The NDX is ordinarily calculated without regard to cash dividends on NDX securities. The NDX is calculated during the trading day and is disseminated once per second from 09:30:01 to 17:16:00 ET. The closing level of the NDX may change up until 17:15:00 ET due to corrections to the last sale price of the NDX securities. The official closing value of the NDX is ordinarily disseminated at 17:16:00 ET.
NDX Maintenance
Changes to NDX Constituents
Changes to the NDX constituents may be made during the annual ranking review. In addition, if at any time during the year other than the annual review, it is determined that an NDX security issuer no longer meets the criteria for continued inclusion in the NDX, or is otherwise determined to have become ineligible for continued inclusion in the NDX, it is replaced with the largest market capitalization issuer not currently in the NDX that meets the applicable eligibility criteria for initial inclusion in the NDX.
Ordinarily, a security will be removed from the NDX at its last sale price. However, if at the time of its removal the NDX security is halted from trading on its primary listing market and an official closing price cannot readily be determined, the NDX security may, in Nasdaq, Inc.’s discretion, be removed at a price of $0.00000001 (“zero price”). This zero price will be applied to the NDX security after the close of the market but prior to the time the official closing value of the NDX is disseminated.
Divisor Adjustments
The divisor is adjusted to ensure that changes in the NDX constituents either by corporate actions (that adjust either the price or shares of an NDX security) or NDX participation outside of trading hours do not affect the value of the NDX. All divisor changes occur after the close of the applicable index security markets.
Quarterly NDX Rebalancing
The NDX will be rebalancing on a quarterly basis if it is determined that (1) the current weight of the single NDX security with the largest market capitalization is greater than 24.0% of the NDX or (2) the collective weight of those securities whose individual current weights are in excess of 4.5% exceeds 48.0% of the NDX. In addition, a “special rebalancing” of the NDX may be conducted at any time if Nasdaq, Inc. determines it necessary to maintain the integrity and continuity of the NDX. If either one or both of the above weight distribution conditions are met upon quarterly review, or Nasdaq, Inc. determines that a special rebalancing is necessary, a weight rebalancing will be performed.
If the first weight distribution condition is met and the current weight of the single NDX security with the largest market capitalization is greater than 24.0%, then the weights of all securities with current weights greater than 1.0% (“large securities”) will be scaled down proportionately toward 1.0% until the adjusted weight of the single largest NDX security reaches 20.0%.
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If the second weight distribution condition is met and the collective weight of those securities whose individual current weights are in excess of 4.5% (or adjusted weights in accordance with the previous step, if applicable) exceeds 48.0% of the NDX, then the weights of all such large securities in that group will be scaled down proportionately toward 1.0% until their collective weight, so adjusted, is equal to 40.0%.
The aggregate weight reduction among the large securities resulting from either or both of the rebalancing steps above will then be redistributed to those securities with weightings of less than 1.0% (“small securities”) in the following manner. In the first iteration, the weight of the largest small security will be scaled upwards by a factor which sets it equal to the average NDX weight of 1.0%. The weights of each of the smaller remaining small securities will be scaled up by the same factor reduced in relation to each security’s relative ranking among the small securities such that the smaller the NDX security in the ranking, the less its weight will be scaled upward. This is intended to reduce the market impact of the weight rebalancing on the smallest component securities in the NDX.
In the second iteration of the small security rebalancing, the weight of the second largest small security, already adjusted in the first iteration, will be scaled upwards by a factor which sets it equal to the average NDX weight of 1.0%. The weights of each of the smaller remaining small securities will be scaled up by this same factor reduced in relation to each security’s relative ranking among the small securities such that, once again, the smaller the security in the ranking, the less its weight will be scaled upward. Additional iterations will be performed until the accumulated increase in weight among the small securities equals the aggregate weight reduction among the large securities that resulted from the rebalancing in accordance with the two weight distribution conditions discussed above.
Finally, to complete the rebalancing process, once the final weighting percentages for each NDX security have been set, the NDX Shares will be determined anew based upon the last sale prices and aggregate capitalization of the NDX at the close of trading on the last calendar day in February, May, August and November. Changes to the NDX Shares will be made effective after the close of trading on the third Friday in March, June, September and December, and an adjustment to the divisor is made to ensure continuity of the NDX. Ordinarily, new rebalanced NDX Shares will be determined by applying the above procedures to the current NDX Shares. However, Nasdaq, Inc. may, from time to time, determine rebalanced weights, if necessary, by applying the above procedure to the actual current market capitalization of the NDX components. In such instances, Nasdaq, Inc. would announce the different basis for rebalancing prior to its implementation.
During the quarterly rebalancing, data is cutoff as of the previous month end and no changes are made to the NDX from that cutoff until the quarterly index share change effective date, except in the case of changes due to corporate actions with an ex-date.
Adjustments for Corporate Actions
Changes in the price and/or NDX Shares driven by corporate events such as stock dividends, splits, and certain spin-offs and rights issuances will be adjusted on the ex-date. If the change in total shares outstanding arising from other corporate actions is greater than or equal to 10.0%, the change will be made as soon as practicable. Otherwise, if the change in total shares outstanding is less than 10.0%, then all such changes are accumulated and made effective at one time on a quarterly basis after the close of trading on the third Friday in each of March, June, September, and December. The NDX Shares are derived from the security’s total shares outstanding. The NDX Shares are adjusted by the same percentage amount by which the total shares outstanding have changed.
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The following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of the NDX in the period from January 1, 2008 through the pricing date. This historical data on the NDX is not necessarily indicative of its future performance or what the value of the notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the NDX during any period set forth below is not an indication that the level of the NDX is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time over the term of the notes. The horizontal line in the graph represents the Threshold Value of 4,444.982 (rounded to three decimal places), which is 60% of its Starting Value of 7,408.304.
Before investing in the notes, you should consult publicly available sources for the levels of the NDX.
License Agreement
The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Nasdaq, Inc. or its affiliates (Nasdaq, with its affiliates, are referred to as the “Corporations”). The Corporations have not passed on the legality or suitability of, or the accuracy or adequacy of descriptions and disclosures relating to, the notes. The Corporations make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the notes particularly, or the ability of the NDX to track general stock market performance. The Corporations’ only relationship to MLPF&S (“Licensee”) is in the licensing of the NASDAQ®, OMX®, NASDAQ OMX®, and NDX registered trademarks, and certain trade names of the Corporations or their licensor and the use of the NDX which is determined, composed and calculated by Nasdaq without regard to Licensee or the notes. Nasdaq has no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the NDX. The Corporations are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the notes to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the notes are to be converted into cash. The Corporations have no liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the notes.
THE CORPORATIONS DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR UNINTERRUPTED CALCULATION OF THE NDX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY LICENSEE, OWNERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE NDX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE NDX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING
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ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN
NO EVENT SHALL THE CORPORATIONS HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
DAMAGES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
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The Energy Select Sector SPDR® Fund
The shares of the XLE are issued by Select Sector SPDR® Trust, a registered investment company. This Underlying seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Energy Select Sector Index. The XLE measures the performance of the energy sector of the U.S. equity market. The XLE is composed of equity securities of companies in the oil, gas and consumable fuel, energy equipment and services industries. The Underlying trades on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “XLE.”
Investment Approach
The XLE utilizes a “passive” or “indexing” investment approach in attempting to track the performance of its underlying index. The XLE will invest in substantially all of the securities which comprise its underlying index. The XLE will normally invest at least 95% of its total assets in common stocks that comprise its underlying index.
Investment Objective and Strategy
The XLE seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Energy Select Sector Index, (the “Underlying Index”). The investment manager of the XLE uses a replication strategy to try to achieve the XLE’s investment objective, which means that the XLE generally invests in substantially all of the securities represented in its Underlying Index in approximately the same proportions as its Underlying Index. In certain situations or market conditions, the XLE may temporarily depart from its normal investment policies and strategies provided that the alternative is consistent with the XLE’s investment objective and is in the best interest of the XLE. For example, if the XLE is unable to invest directly in a component security or if a derivative investment may provide higher liquidity than other types of investments, it may make larger than normal investments in derivatives to maintain exposure to the index that it tracks. Consequently, under such circumstances, the XLE may invest in a different mix of investments than it would under normal circumstances. The XLE is managed with a passive investment strategy, attempting to track the performance of an unmanaged index of securities. This differs from an actively managed Underlying, which typically seeks to outperform a benchmark index.
Notwithstanding the XLE’s investment objective, the return on your notes will not reflect any dividends paid on shares of the XLE, on the securities purchased by the XLE or on the securities that comprise the Underlying Index for XLE.
Replication Strategy
The XLE uses a replication strategy to attempt to track the performance of its Underlying Index. This strategy involves investing in substantially all of the securities represented in the Underlying Index in approximately the same proportions as the Underlying Index. Under normal market conditions, the XLE generally invests at least 95% of its total assets in the securities comprising the Underlying Index. The XLE will provide shareholders with at least 60 days notice prior to any material change in its investment policies.
The Select Sector Indices
The Underlying Index of the XLE is part of the Select Sector Indices. The Select Sector Indices are sub-indices of the S&P 500® Index. Each stock in the S&P 500® Index is allocated to at least one Select Sector Index, and the combined companies of the ten Select Sector Indices represent all of the companies in the S&P 500® Index. The industry indices are sub-categories within each Select Sector Index and represent a specific industry segment of the overall Select Sector Index. The ten Select Sector Indices seek to represent the eleven S&P 500® Index sectors. The S&P 500® Index sectors, with the approximate percentage of the market capitalization of the S&P 500® Index included in each sector as of June 29, 2018 indicated in parentheses: Information Technology (26.0%); Health Care (14.1%); Financials (13.8%); Consumer Discretionary (12.9%); Industrials (9.5%); Consumer Staples (7.0%); Energy (6.3%); Utilities (2.9%); Real Estate (2.9%); Materials (2.6%); and Telecommunication Services (2.0%). The index compilation agent for these indices (the “Index Compilation Agent”) determines the composition of the Select Sector Indices based on S&P’s sector classification methodology. (Sector designations are determined by the 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.)
Each Select Sector Index was developed and is maintained in accordance with the following criteria:
· | Each of the component stocks in a Select Sector Index (the “Component Stocks”) is a constituent company of the S&P 500® Index. |
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· | The ten Select Sector Indices together will include all of the companies represented in the S&P 500® Index and each of the stocks in the S&P 500® Index will be allocated to at least one of the Select Sector Indices. |
· | The Index Compilation Agent assigns each constituent stock of the S&P 500® Index to a Select Sector Index. The Index Compilation Agent assigns a company’s stock to a particular Select Sector Index based on S&P Dow Jones Indices’s sector classification methodology as set forth in its Global Industry Classification Standard. |
· | Each Select Sector Index is calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices using a modified “market capitalization” methodology. This design ensures that each of the component stocks within a Select Sector Index is represented in a proportion consistent with its percentage with respect to the total market capitalization of that Select Sector Index. |
· | For reweighting purposes, each Select Sector Index is rebalanced quarterly after the close of business on the second to last calculation day of March, June, September and December using the following procedures: (1) The rebalancing reference date is two business days prior to the last calculation day of each quarter; and (2) With prices reflected on the rebalancing reference date, and membership, shares outstanding, additional weight factor (capping factor) and investable weight factors (as described in the section “Computation of the S&P 500 Index®” below) as of the rebalancing effective date, each company is weighted using the modified market capitalization methodology. Modifications are made as defined below. |
(i) | The indices are first evaluated to ensure none of the indices breach the maximum allowable limits defined in rules (ii) and (v) below. If any of the allowable limits are breached, the component stocks are reweighted based on their float-adjusted market capitalization weights. |
(ii) | If any component stock has a weight greater than 24%, that component stock has its float-adjusted market capitalization weight capped at 23%. The 23% weight cap creates a 2% buffer to ensure that no component stock exceeds 25% as of the quarter-end diversification requirement date. |
(iii) | All excess weight is equally redistributed to all uncapped component stocks within the relevant Select Sector Index. |
(iv) | After this redistribution, if the float-adjusted market capitalization weight of any other component stock(s) then breaches 23%, the process is repeated iteratively until no component stock breaches the 23% weight cap. |
(v) | The sum of the component stocks with weight greater than 4.8% cannot exceed 50% of the total index weight. These caps are set to allow for a buffer below the 5% limit. |
(vi) | If the rule in step (v) is breached, all the component stocks are ranked in descending order of their float-adjusted market capitalization weights and the first component stock that causes the 50% limit to be breached has its weight reduced to 4.6%. |
(vii) | This excess weight is equally redistributed to all component stocks with weights below 4.6%. This process is repeated iteratively until step (v) is satisfied. |
(viii) | Index share amounts are assigned to each component stock to arrive at the weights calculated above. Since index shares are assigned based on prices one business day prior to rebalancing, the actual weight of each component stock at the rebalancing differs somewhat from these weights due to market movements. |
(ix) | If necessary, the reweighting process may take place more than once prior to the close on the last business day of March, June, September or December to ensure conformity with all diversification requirements. |
Each Select Sector Index is calculated using the same methodology utilized by S&P Dow Jones Indices in calculating the S&P 500® Index, using a base-weighted aggregate methodology. The daily calculation of each Select Sector Index is computed by dividing the total market value of the companies in the Select Sector Index by a number called the index divisor.
The Index Compilation Agent at any time may determine that a Component Stock which has been assigned to one Select Sector Index has undergone such a transformation in the composition of its business, and should be removed from that Select Sector Index and assigned to a different Select Sector
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Index. In the event that the Index Compilation Agent notifies S&P Dow Jones Indices that a Component Stock’s Select Sector Index assignment should be changed, S&P Dow Jones Indices will disseminate notice of the change following its standard procedure for announcing index changes and will implement the change in the affected Select Sector Indices on a date no less than one week after the initial dissemination of information on the sector change to the maximum extent practicable. It is not anticipated that Component Stocks will change sectors frequently.
Component Stocks removed from and added to the S&P 500® Index will be deleted from and added to the appropriate Select Sector Index on the same schedule used by S&P Dow Jones Indices for additions and deletions from the S&P 500® Index insofar as practicable.
The 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 S&P 500® Index is intended to provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price movement. The calculation of the level of the S&P 500® Index is based on the relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average market value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943.
Effective March 10, 2017, company additions to the S&P 500® Index must have an unadjusted company market capitalization of $6.1 billion or more (an increase from the previous requirement of an unadjusted company market capitalization of $5.3 billion or more).
The index sponsor calculates the S&P 500® Index by reference to the prices of the constituent stocks of the S&P 500® Index without taking account of the value of dividends paid on those stocks. As a result, the return on the notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the index constituent stocks and received the dividends paid on those stocks. Additional information is available on the following websites: us.spindices.com/indices/equity/sp-500 and spdji.com/. We are not incorporating by reference the websites or any material they include in this pricing supplement.
Computation of the S&P 500® Index
While the index sponsor currently employs the following methodology to calculate the S&P 500® Index, no assurance can be given that the index sponsor will not modify or change this methodology in a manner that may affect the Redemption Amount.
Historically, the market value of any component stock of the S&P 500® Index was calculated as the product of the market price per share and the number of then outstanding shares of such component stock. In March 2005, the index sponsor began shifting the S&P 500® Index halfway from a market capitalization weighted formula to a float-adjusted formula, before moving the S&P 500® Index to full float adjustment on September 16, 2005. The index sponsor’s criteria for selecting stocks for the S&P 500® Index did not change with the shift to float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects each company’s weight in the S&P 500® Index.
Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the S&P 500® Index reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not all of a company’s outstanding shares. Float adjustment excludes shares that are closely held by control groups, other publicly traded companies or government agencies.
In September 2012, all shareholdings representing more than 5% of a stock’s outstanding shares, other than holdings by “block owners,” were removed from the float for purposes of calculating the S&P 500® Index. Generally, these “control holders” will include officers and directors, private equity, venture capital and special equity firms, other publicly traded companies that hold shares for control, strategic partners, holders of restricted shares, ESOPs, employee and family trusts, foundations associated with the company, holders of unlisted share classes of stock, government entities at all levels (other than government retirement/pension funds) and any individual person who controls a 5% or greater stake in a company as reported in regulatory filings. However, holdings by block owners, such as depositary banks, pension funds, mutual funds and ETF providers, 401(k) plans of the company, government retirement/pension funds, investment funds of insurance companies, asset managers and investment funds, independent foundations and savings and investment plans, will ordinarily be considered part of the float.
Treasury stock, stock options, restricted shares, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock, and rights are not part of the float. Shares held in a trust to allow investors in countries outside the country of domicile, such as depositary shares and Canadian exchangeable shares are normally part of the float unless those shares form a control block.
For each stock, an investable weight factor (“IWF”) is calculated by dividing the available float shares by the total shares outstanding. Available float shares are defined as the total shares outstanding less shares held by control holders. This calculation is subject to a 5% minimum threshold for control
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blocks. For example, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares, and no other control group holds 5% of the company’s shares, the index sponsor would assign that company an IWF of 1.00, as no control group meets the 5% threshold. However, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares and another control group holds 20% of the company’s shares, the index sponsor would assign an IWF of 0.77, reflecting the fact that 23% of the company’s outstanding shares are considered to be held for control. As of July 31, 2017, companies with multiple share class lines are no longer eligible for inclusion in the S&P 500® Index. 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 a constituent company of the S&P 500® Index reorganizes into a multiple share class line structure, that company will remain in the S&P 500® Index at the discretion of the S&P Index Committee in order to minimize turnover.
The S&P 500® Index is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology. The level of the S&P 500® Index reflects the total market value of all component stocks relative to the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. An indexed number is used to represent the results of this calculation in order to make the level easier to work with and track over time. The actual total market value of the component stocks during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 has been set to an indexed level of 10. This is often indicated by the notation 1941- 43 = 10. In practice, the daily calculation of the S&P 500® Index is computed by dividing the total market value of the component stocks by the “index divisor.” By itself, the index divisor is an arbitrary number. However, in the context of the calculation of the S&P 500® Index, it serves as a link to the original base period level of the S&P 500® Index. The index divisor keeps the S&P 500® Index comparable over time and is the manipulation point for all adjustments to the S&P 500® Index, which is index maintenance.
Index Maintenance
Index maintenance includes monitoring and completing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, share changes, stock splits, stock dividends, and stock price adjustments due to company restructuring or spinoffs. Some corporate actions, such as stock splits and stock dividends, require changes in the common shares outstanding and the stock prices of the companies in the S&P 500® Index, and do not require index divisor adjustments.
To prevent the level of the S&P 500® Index from changing due to corporate actions, corporate actions which affect the total market value of the S&P 500® Index require an index divisor adjustment. By adjusting the index divisor for the change in market value, the level of the S&P 500® Index remains constant and does not reflect the corporate actions of individual companies in the S&P 500® Index. Index divisor adjustments are made after the close of trading and after the calculation of the index closing level.
Changes in a company’s shares outstanding and IWF due to its acquisition of another public company are made as soon as reasonably possible. At the index sponsor’s discretion, de minimis merger and acquisition share changes are accumulated and implemented with the quarterly share rebalancing.
All other changes of less than 5% are accumulated and made quarterly on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December.
Changes in a company’s total shares outstanding of 5% or more due to public offerings are made as soon as reasonably possible. Other changes of 5% or more (for example, due to tender offers, Dutch auctions, voluntary exchange offers, company stock repurchases, private placements, acquisitions of private companies or non-index companies that do not trade on a major exchange, redemptions, exercise of options, warrants, conversion of preferred stock, notes, debt, equity participations, at-the-market stock offerings or other recapitalizations) are made weekly, and are generally announced on Fridays for implementation after the close of trading the following Friday (one week later). If a 5% or more share change causes a company’s IWF to change by five percentage points or more, the IWF is updated at the same time as the share change. IWF changes resulting from partial tender offers are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Changes in IWFs of more than five percentage
points caused by corporate actions (such as merger and acquisition activity, restructurings, or spinoffs) will be made as soon
as reasonably possible. Other changes in IWFs will be made annually when IWFs are reviewed.
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The following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of the XLE in the period from January 1, 2008 through the pricing date. This historical data on the XLE is not necessarily indicative of its future performance or what the value of the notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the price of the XLE during any period set forth below is not an indication that the price of the XLE is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time over the term of the notes. The horizontal line in the graph represents the Threshold Value of $45.17 (rounded to two decimal places), which is 60% of its Starting Value of $75.29.
Before investing in the notes, you should consult publicly available sources for the prices and trading pattern of the XLE.
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SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION; ROLE OF MLPF&S AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
MLPF&S, a broker-dealer affiliate of ours, is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and will participate as selling agent in the distribution of the notes. Accordingly, the offering of the notes will conform to the requirements of FINRA Rule 5121. MLPF&S may not make sales in this offering to any of its discretionary accounts without the prior written approval of the account holder.
We will deliver the notes against payment therefor in New York, New York on a date that is greater than two business days following the pricing date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the notes more than two business days prior to the original issue date will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.
Under our distribution agreement with MLPF&S, MLPF&S will purchase the notes from us as principal at the public offering price indicated on the cover of this term sheet, less the indicated underwriting discount. MLPF&S will sell the notes to other broker-dealers that will participate in the offering and that are not affiliated with us, at an agreed discount to the principal amount. Each of those broker-dealers may sell the notes to one or more additional broker-dealers. MLPF&S has informed us that these discounts may vary from dealer to dealer and that not all dealers will purchase or repurchase the notes at the same discount.
MLPF&S and any of our other broker-dealer affiliates, may use this pricing supplement, and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus for offers and sales in secondary market transactions and market-making transactions in the notes. However, they are not obligated to engage in such secondary market transactions and/or market-making transactions. The selling agent may act as principal or agent in these transactions, and any such sales will be made at prices related to prevailing market conditions at the time of the sale.
At MLPF&S’s discretion, for a short, undetermined initial period after the issuance of the notes, MLPF&S may offer to buy the notes in the secondary market at a price that may exceed the initial estimated value of the notes. Any price offered by MLPF&S for the notes will be based on then-prevailing market conditions and other considerations, including the performance of the Underlyings and the remaining term of the notes. However, none of us, the Guarantor, MLPF&S or any of our other affiliates is obligated to purchase your notes at any price or at any time, and we cannot assure you that any party will purchase your notes at a price that equals or exceeds the initial estimated value of the notes.
Any price that MLPF&S may pay to repurchase the notes will depend upon then prevailing market conditions, the creditworthiness of us and the Guarantor, and transaction costs. At certain times, this price may be higher than or lower than the initial estimated value of the notes.
No Prospectus (as defined in Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (the “Prospectus Directive”)) will be prepared in connection with these notes. Accordingly, these notes may not be offered to the public in any member state of the European Economic Area (the “EEA”), and any purchaser of these notes who subsequently sells any of these notes in any EEA member state must do so only in accordance with the requirements of the Prospectus Directive, as implemented in that member state.
The notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to, and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to, any retail investor in the EEA. For these purposes, the expression “offer" includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the notes, and a “retail investor” means a person who is one (or more) of: (a) a retail client, as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU, as amended (“MiFID II”); or (b) a customer, within the meaning of Insurance Distribution Directive 2016/97/EU, as amended, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (c) not a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014, as amended (the “PRIIPs Regulation”), for offering or selling the notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared, and therefore, offering or selling the notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation.
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STRUCTURING THE NOTES
The notes are our debt securities, the return on which is linked to the performance of the Underlyings. The related guarantees are BAC’s obligations. As is the case for all of our and BAC’s respective debt securities, including our market-linked notes, the economic terms of the notes reflect our and BAC’s actual or perceived creditworthiness at the time of pricing. In addition, because market-linked notes result in increased operational, funding and liability management costs to us and BAC, BAC typically borrows the funds under these types of notes at a rate, which we refer to in this pricing supplement as BAC’s internal funding rate, that is more favorable to BAC than the rate that it might pay for a conventional fixed or floating rate debt security. This generally relatively lower internal funding rate, which is reflected in the economic terms of the notes, along with the fees and charges associated with market-linked notes, resulted in the initial estimated value of the notes on the pricing date being less than their public offering price.
In order to meet our payment obligations on the notes, at the time we issue the notes, we may choose to enter into certain hedging arrangements (which may include call options, put options or other derivatives) with MLPF&S or one of our other affiliates. The terms of these hedging arrangements are determined based upon terms provided by MLP&S and its affiliates, and take into account a number of factors, including our and BAC’s creditworthiness, interest rate movements, the volatility of the Underlyings, the tenor of the notes and the hedging arrangements. The economic terms of the notes and their initial estimated value depend in part on the terms of these hedging arrangements.
MLPF&S has advised us that the hedging arrangements will include hedging related charges, reflecting the costs associated with, and our affiliates’ profit earned from, these hedging arrangements. Since hedging entails risk and may be influenced by unpredictable market forces, actual profits or losses from these hedging transactions may be more or less than any expected amounts.
For further information, see “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8 above and “Supplemental Use of Proceeds” on page PS-16 of product supplement EQUITY-1.
VALIDITY OF THE NOTES
In the opinion of McGuireWoods LLP, as counsel to BofA Finance and BAC, when the trustee has made an appropriate entry on Schedule 1 to the Master Registered Global Note dated November 4, 2016 that represents the notes (the “Master Note”) identifying the notes offered hereby as supplemental obligations thereunder in accordance with the instructions of BofA Finance, and the notes have been delivered against payment therefor as contemplated in this pricing supplement and the related prospectus, prospectus supplement and product supplement, all in accordance with the provisions of the indenture governing the notes and the related guarantee, such notes will be legal, valid and binding obligations of BofA Finance, and the related guarantee will be the legal, valid and binding obligations of BAC, subject, in each case, to the effects of applicable bankruptcy, insolvency (including laws relating to preferences, fraudulent transfers and equitable subordination), reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, and to general principles of equity. This opinion is given as of the date of this pricing supplement and is limited to the laws of the State of New York and the Delaware Limited Liability Company Act and the Delaware General Corporation Law (including the statutory provisions, all applicable provisions of the Delaware Constitution and reported judicial decisions interpreting the foregoing) as in effect on the date hereof. In addition, this opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the indenture governing the notes and due authentication of the Master Note, the validity, binding nature and enforceability of the indenture governing the notes and the related guarantee with respect to the trustee, the legal capacity of individuals, the genuineness of signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to McGuireWoods LLP as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to McGuireWoods LLP as copies thereof, the authenticity of the originals of such copies and certain factual matters, all as stated in the letter of McGuireWoods LLP dated August 23, 2016, which has been filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement of BofA Finance and BAC relating to the notes and the related guarantees initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 23, 2016.
Sidley Austin LLP, New York, New York, is acting as counsel to MLPF&S and as special tax counsel to BofA Finance and BAC.
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U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX SUMMARY
The following summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations of the acquisition, ownership, and disposition of the notes supplements, and to the extent inconsistent supersedes, the discussions under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus and under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus supplement and is not exhaustive of all possible tax considerations. In addition, any reference to “Morrison & Foerster LLP” in the aforementioned tax discussions in the accompanying prospectus and prospectus supplement should be read as a reference to “Sidley Austin LLP.” This summary is based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), regulations promulgated under the Code by the U.S. Treasury Department (“Treasury”) (including proposed and temporary regulations), rulings, current administrative interpretations and official pronouncements of the IRS, and judicial decisions, all as currently in effect and all of which are subject to differing interpretations or to change, possibly with retroactive effect. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax consequences described below. This summary does not include any description of the tax laws of any state or local governments, or of any foreign government, that may be applicable to a particular holder.
Although the notes are issued by us, they will be treated as if they were issued by Bank of America Corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly throughout this tax discussion, references to “we,” “our” or “us” are generally to Bank of America Corporation unless the context requires otherwise.
This summary is directed solely to U.S. Holders and Non-U.S. Holders that, except as otherwise specifically noted, will purchase the notes upon original issuance and will hold the notes as capital assets within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code, which generally means property held for investment, and that are not excluded from the discussion under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus.
You should consult your own tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences to you of acquiring, owning, and disposing of the notes, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local, foreign, or other tax jurisdiction and the possible effects of changes in U.S. federal or other tax laws.
General
Although there is no statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addressing the characterization of the notes, we intend to treat the notes for all tax purposes as contingent income bearing single financial contracts with respect to the Underlyings and under the terms of the notes, we and every investor in the notes agree, in the absence of an administrative determination or judicial ruling to the contrary, to treat the notes in accordance with such characterization. In the opinion of our counsel, Sidley Austin LLP, it is reasonable to treat the notes as contingent income bearing single financial contracts with respect to the Underlyings. However, Sidley Austin LLP has advised us that it is unable to conclude that it is more likely than not that this treatment will be upheld. This discussion assumes that the notes constitute contingent income bearing single financial contracts with respect to the Underlyings for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the notes did not constitute contingent income bearing single financial contracts, the tax consequences described below would be materially different.
This characterization of the notes is not binding on the IRS or the courts. No statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addresses the characterization of the notes or any similar instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and no ruling is being requested from the IRS with respect to their proper characterization and treatment. Due to the absence of authorities on point, significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes are not certain, and no assurance can be given that the IRS or any court will agree with the characterization and tax treatment described in this pricing supplement. Accordingly, you are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding all aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes, including possible alternative characterizations.
Unless otherwise stated, the following discussion is based on the characterization described above. The discussion in this section assumes that there is a significant possibility of a significant loss of principal on an investment in the notes.
We will not attempt to ascertain whether the issuer of any component stocks included in an Underlying that is an index would be treated as a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”), within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code, or a United States real property holding corporation, within the
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meaning of Section 897(c) of the Code. If the issuer of one or more stocks included in an Underlying that is an index were so treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could possibly apply to a holder of the notes. You should refer to information filed with the SEC by the issuers of the component stocks included in the INDU and NDX Underlyings and consult your tax advisor regarding the possible consequences to you, if any, if any issuer of a component stock included in an Underlying is or becomes a PFIC or is or becomes a United States real property holding corporation.
U.S. Holders
Although the U.S. federal income tax treatment of any Contingent Coupon Payment on the notes is uncertain, we intend to take the position, and the following discussion assumes, that any Contingent Coupon Payment constitutes taxable ordinary income to a U.S. Holder at the time received or accrued in accordance with the U.S. Holder’s regular method of accounting. By purchasing the notes you agree, in the absence of an administrative determination or judicial ruling to the contrary, to treat any Contingent Coupon Payment as described in the preceding sentence.
Upon receipt of a cash payment at maturity or upon a sale, exchange, or redemption of the notes prior to maturity, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized (other than amounts representing any Contingent Coupon Payment, which would be taxed as described above) and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the notes. A U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the notes will equal the amount paid by that holder to acquire them. Subject to the discussion below concerning the possible application of the “constructive ownership” rules of Section 1260 of the Code, this capital gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if the U.S. Holder held the notes for more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Possible Application of Section 1260 of the Code. Since one Underlying is the type of financial asset described under Section 1260 of the Code (including, among others, any equity interest in pass-through entities such as exchange traded funds, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, partnerships, and passive foreign investment companies, each a “Section 1260 Financial Asset”), while the matter is not entirely clear, there may exist a risk that an investment in the notes will be treated, in whole or in part, as a “constructive ownership transaction” to which Section 1260 of the Code applies. If Section 1260 of the Code applies, all or a portion of any long-term capital gain recognized by a U.S. Holder in respect of the notes will be recharacterized as ordinary income (the “Excess Gain”). In addition, an interest charge will also apply to any deemed underpayment of tax in respect of any Excess Gain to the extent such gain would have resulted in gross income inclusion for the U.S. Holder in taxable years prior to the taxable year of the sale, exchange, redemption, or settlement (assuming such income accrued at a constant rate equal to the applicable federal rate as of the date of sale, exchange, or settlement).
If an investment in the notes is treated as a constructive ownership transaction, it is not clear to what extent any long-term capital gain of a U.S. Holder in respect of the notes will be recharacterized as ordinary income. It is possible, for example, that the amount of the Excess Gain (if any) that would be recharacterized as ordinary income in respect of the notes will equal the excess of (i) any long-term capital gain recognized by the U.S. Holder in respect of the notes and attributable to Section 1260 Financial Assets, over (ii) the “net underlying long-term capital gain” (as defined in Section 1260 of the Code) such U.S. Holder would have had if such U.S. Holder had acquired an amount of the corresponding Section 1260 Financial Assets at fair market value on the original issue date for an amount equal to the portion of the issue price of the notes attributable to the corresponding Section 1260 Financial Assets and sold such amount of Section 1260 Financial Assets at maturity or upon sale, exchange, or redemption of the notes at fair market value. Unless otherwise established by clear and convincing evidence, the net underlying long-term capital gain is treated as zero and therefore it is possible that all long-term capital gain recognized by a U.S. Holder in respect of the notes will be recharacterized as ordinary income if Section 1260 of the Code applies to an investment in the notes. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of Section 1260 of the Code to an investment in the notes.
As described below, the IRS, as indicated in Notice 2008-2 (“Notice”), is considering whether Section 1260 of the Code generally applies or should apply to the notes, including in situations where the Underlying is not the type of financial asset described under Section 1260 of the Code.
Alternative Tax Treatments. Due to the absence of authorities that directly address the proper tax treatment of the notes, prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding all possible alternative tax treatments of an investment in the notes. In particular, the IRS could seek to subject the notes to the Treasury regulations governing contingent payment debt instruments. If the IRS were successful in that regard, the timing and character of income on the notes would be affected significantly. Among other things, a U.S. Holder would be required to accrue original issue discount every year at a “comparable yield” determined at the time of issuance. In addition, any gain realized by a U.S. Holder at maturity or upon a sale, exchange, or redemption of the notes generally would be treated as ordinary
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income, and any loss realized at maturity would be treated as ordinary loss to the extent of the U.S. Holder’s prior accruals of original issue discount, and as capital loss thereafter.
In addition, it is possible that the notes could be treated as a unit consisting of a deposit and a put option written by the note holder, in which case the timing and character of income on the notes would be affected significantly.
The Notice sought comments from the public on the taxation of financial instruments currently taxed as “prepaid forward contracts.” The scope of the Notice may extend to instruments similar to the notes. According to the Notice, the IRS and Treasury are considering whether a holder of such instruments should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis, regardless of whether any payments are made prior to maturity. It is not possible to determine what guidance the IRS and Treasury will ultimately issue, if any. Any such future guidance may affect the amount, timing and character of income, gain, or loss in respect of the notes, possibly with retroactive effect.
The IRS and Treasury are also considering additional issues, including whether additional gain or loss from such instruments should be treated as ordinary or capital, whether foreign holders of such instruments should be subject to withholding tax on any deemed income accruals, whether Section 1260 of the Code, concerning certain “constructive ownership transactions,” generally applies or should generally apply to such instruments, and whether any of these determinations depend on the nature of the underlying asset.
In addition, proposed Treasury regulations require the accrual of income on a current basis for contingent payments made under certain notional principal contracts. The preamble to the regulations states that the “wait and see” method of accounting does not properly reflect the economic accrual of income on those contracts, and requires current accrual of income for some contracts already in existence. While the proposed regulations do not apply to prepaid forward contracts, the preamble to the proposed regulations expresses the view that similar timing issues exist in the case of prepaid forward contracts. If the IRS or Treasury publishes future guidance requiring current economic accrual for contingent payments on prepaid forward contracts, it is possible that you could be required to accrue income over the term of the notes.
Because of the absence of authority regarding the appropriate tax characterization of the notes, it is also possible that the IRS could seek to characterize the notes in a manner that results in tax consequences that are different from those described above. For example, the IRS could possibly assert that any gain or loss that a holder may recognize at maturity or upon the sale, exchange or redemption of the notes should be treated as ordinary gain or loss.
Because two Underlyings are indices that periodically rebalance, it is possible that the notes could be treated as a series of contingent income bearing single financial contracts, each of which matures on the next rebalancing date. If the notes were properly characterized in such a manner, a U.S. Holder would be treated as disposing of the notes on each rebalancing date in return for new notes that mature on the next rebalancing date, and a U.S. Holder would accordingly likely recognize capital gain or loss on each rebalancing date equal to the difference between the holder’s tax basis in the notes (which would be adjusted to take into account any prior recognition of gain or loss) and the fair market value of the notes on such date.
Non-U.S. Holders
Because the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the notes (including any Contingent Coupon Payment) is uncertain, we will withhold U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate (or at a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty) on the entire amount of any Contingent Coupon Payment made unless such payments are effectively connected with the conduct by the Non-U.S. Holder of a trade or business in the U.S. (in which case, to avoid withholding, the Non-U.S. Holder will be required to provide a Form W-8ECI). We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of such withholding. To claim benefits under an income tax treaty, a Non-U.S. Holder must obtain a taxpayer identification number and certify as to its eligibility under the appropriate treaty’s limitations on benefits article, if applicable. In addition, special rules may apply to claims for treaty benefits made by Non-U.S. Holders that are entities rather than individuals. The availability of a lower rate of withholding under an applicable income tax treaty will depend on whether such rate applies to the characterization of the payments under U.S. federal income tax laws. A Non-U.S. Holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for refund with the IRS.
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A Non-U.S. Holder will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain (not including, for the avoidance of doubt, any amounts representing accrued Contingent Coupon Payments which would be subject to the rules discussed in the previous paragraph) from the sale, exchange or redemption of the notes or their settlement at maturity, provided that the Non-U.S. Holder complies with applicable certification requirements and that the payment is not effectively connected with the conduct by the Non-U.S. Holder of a U.S. trade or business. Notwithstanding the foregoing, gain from the sale, exchange, or redemption of the notes or their settlement at maturity may be subject to U.S. federal income tax if that Non-U.S. Holder is a non-resident alien individual and is present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the sale, exchange, or redemption and certain other conditions are satisfied.
If a Non-U.S. Holder of the notes is engaged in the conduct of a trade or business within the U.S. and if any Contingent Coupon Payment and gain realized on the sale, exchange, redemption, or settlement of the notes, is effectively connected with the conduct of such trade or business (and, if certain tax treaties apply, is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the Non-U.S. Holder in the U.S.), the Non-U.S. Holder, although exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax, generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such Contingent Coupon Payment and gain on a net income basis in the same manner as if it were a U.S. Holder. Such Non-U.S. Holders should read the material under the heading “—U.S. Holders,” for a description of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of acquiring, owning, and disposing of the notes. In addition, if such Non-U.S. Holder is a foreign corporation, it may also be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30% (or such lower rate provided by any applicable tax treaty) of a portion of its earnings and profits for the taxable year that are effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the U.S., subject to certain adjustments.
A “dividend equivalent” payment is treated as a dividend from sources within the United States and such payments generally would be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax if paid to a Non-U.S. Holder. Under U.S. Treasury Department regulations, payments (including deemed payments) with respect to equity-linked instruments (“ELIs”) that are “specified ELIs” may be treated as dividend equivalents if such specified ELIs reference an interest in an “underlying security,” which is generally any interest in an entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, if a payment with respect to such interest could give rise to a U.S. source dividend. However, IRS guidance provides that withholding on dividend equivalent payments will not apply to specified ELIs that are not delta-one instruments and that are issued before January 1, 2019. Based on our determination that the notes are not delta-one instruments, Non-U.S. Holders should not be subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments, if any, under the notes. However, it is possible that the notes could be treated as deemed reissued for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the occurrence of certain events affecting the Underlyings or the notes, and following such occurrence the notes could be treated as subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments. Non-U.S. Holders that enter, or have entered, into other transactions in respect of the Underlyings or the notes should consult their tax advisors as to the application of the dividend equivalent withholding tax in the context of the notes and their other transactions. If any payments are treated as dividend equivalents subject to withholding, we (or the applicable paying agent) would be entitled to withhold taxes without being required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld.
As discussed above, alternative characterizations of the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes are possible. Should an alternative characterization, by reason of change or clarification of the law, by regulation or otherwise, cause payments as to the notes to become subject to withholding tax in addition to the withholding tax described above, tax will be withheld at the applicable statutory rate. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of such alternative characterizations.
U.S. Federal Estate Tax. Under current law, while the matter is not entirely clear, individual Non-U.S. Holders, and entities whose property is potentially includible in those individuals’ gross estates for U.S. federal estate tax purposes (for example, a trust funded by such an individual and with respect to which the individual has retained certain interests or powers), should note that, absent an applicable treaty benefit, a note is likely to be treated as U.S. situs property, subject to U.S. federal estate tax. These individuals and entities should consult their own tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of investing in a note.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
Please see the discussion under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations — Taxation of Debt Securities — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the applicability of the backup withholding and information reporting rules to payments made on the notes.
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