Key Risks
An investment in the Securities involves significant risks. Investing in the Securities is not equivalent to a hypothetical investment in the least performing underlying asset. Some of the key risks that apply to the Securities are summarized below, but we urge you to read the more detailed explanation of risks relating to the Securities in the “Risk Factors” section of the accompanying product supplement. We also urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisors concerning an investment in the Securities.
Risks Relating to Return Characteristics
♦Risk of loss at maturity — The Securities differ from ordinary debt securities in that UBS will not necessarily repay the principal amount of the Securities. If the final level of the least performing underlying asset is less than its downside threshold, you will not receive the digital return and you will lose a percentage of your principal amount equal to the least performing underlying return and, in extreme situations, you could lose all of your initial investment.
♦The digital return applies only if you hold your Securities to maturity — You should be willing to hold your Securities to maturity. If you are able to sell your Securities prior to maturity in the secondary market, the price you receive will likely not reflect the full economic value of the digital return, even if the level of the least performing underlying asset at such time is equal to or greater than its digital barrier (which is equal to its downside threshold). You can receive the full benefit of the digital return, only if you hold your Securities to maturity.
♦Your potential return on the Securities is limited to the digital return — The return potential of the Securities is limited to the digital return, regardless of the appreciation of the least performing underlying asset. Therefore, if the least performing underlying return is greater than the digital return, your return on the Securities will be less than the return on a hypothetical direct investment in the least performing underlying asset.
♦Your return on the Securities may change significantly despite only a small difference in the least performing underlying return — Your return on the Securities may change significantly despite only a small percentage change in the least performing underlying return. For example, if the final level of the least performing underlying asset is equal to its downside threshold, you would receive a positive return on your Securities that is equal to the digital return, whereas a decline in the level of the least performing underlying asset to a final level that is only slightly lower than its downside threshold would instead result in a percentage loss of your principal amount equal to the least performing underlying return. The return on an investment in the Securities in these two scenarios is significantly different despite only a small relative difference in the least performing underlying return.
♦No interest payments — UBS will not pay any interest with respect to the Securities.
♦Greater expected volatility generally indicates an increased risk of loss at maturity — “Volatility” refers to the frequency and magnitude of changes in the level of each underlying asset. The greater the expected volatility of each of the underlying assets as of the trade date, the greater the expectation is as of that date that the final level of an underlying asset could be less than its downside threshold and, as a consequence, indicates an increased risk of loss. However, the underlying assets’ volatility can change significantly over the term of the Securities, and relatively lower downside thresholds may not necessarily indicate that the Securities have a greater likelihood of a return of principal at maturity. You should be willing to accept the downside market risk of the least performing underlying asset and the potential to lose a significant portion or all of your initial investment.
♦Owning the Securities is not the same as owning the underlying constituents — The return on your Securities may not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the underlying constituents. Rather, it will be contingent upon the performance of each underlying asset. Unlike an instrument with a return linked to a basket of indices, common stocks or other underlying securities, in which risk is mitigated and diversified among all of the components of the basket, you will be exposed equally to the risks related to each underlying asset. Poor performance by any underlying asset over the term of the Securities will negatively affect your return and will not be offset or mitigated by a positive performance by any other underlying asset. For instance, if the final level of the least performing underlying asset is equal to or greater than its digital barrier, you will receive the digital return regardless of any appreciation of the least performing underlying asset and, therefore, you will not benefit from any positive least performing underlying return in excess of an amount that exceeds the digital return. In addition, as an owner of the Securities, you will not receive or be entitled to receive any dividend payments or other distributions on any underlying constituents during the term of the Securities, and any such dividends or distributions will not be factored into the calculation of the payment at maturity on your Securities. Similarly, you will not have voting rights or any other rights of a holder of any underlying constituents.
Risks Relating to Characteristics of the Underlying Assets
♦You are exposed to the market risk of each underlying asset — Your return on the Securities is not linked to a basket consisting of the underlying assets. Rather, it will be contingent upon the performance of each individual underlying asset. Unlike an instrument with a return linked to a basket of assets, in which risk is mitigated and diversified among all of the components of the basket, you will be exposed equally to the risks related to each underlying asset. Poor performance by any one of the underlying assets over the term of the Securities will negatively affect your return and will not be offset or mitigated by a positive performance by any other underlying asset. For instance, you will receive a negative return on your Securities if the final level of any underlying asset is less than its downside threshold, even if the underlying return of each other underlying asset is positive or has not declined as much. Accordingly, your investment is subject to the market risk of each underlying asset.
♦Because the Securities are linked to the least performing underlying asset, you are exposed to a greater risk of losing a significant portion or all of your initial investment at maturity than if the Securities were linked to a single underlying asset — The risk that you will lose a significant portion or all of your initial investment in the Securities is greater if you invest in the Securities than the risk of investing in substantially similar securities that are linked to the performance of only one underlying asset. With more underlying assets, it is more likely that the final level of an underlying asset will be less than its downside threshold than if the Securities were linked to a single underlying asset. In addition, the lower the correlation between a pair of underlying assets, the greater the likelihood that one of the underlying assets will decline to a final level that is less than its downside threshold. Although the correlation of the underlying assets’ performance may change over the term of the Securities, the economic terms of the Securities, including the digital barriers and downside thresholds, are determined, in part, based on the correlation of the underlying assets’ performance calculated using our internal models at the time when the terms of the Securities are finalized. All things being equal, lower downside thresholds are generally associated with lower correlation of the underlying assets. Therefore, if the performance of a pair of underlying assets is not correlated to each other or is negatively correlated, the risk that the final level of any underlying asset will be less than its downside threshold is even greater despite lower downside thresholds. Therefore, it is more likely that the final level of any underlying asset will be less than its downside threshold and that you will lose a significant portion or all of your initial investment at maturity.
♦Market risk — The return on the Securities, which may be negative, is directly linked to the performance of the underlying assets and indirectly linked to the performance of the underlying constituents and their issuers (the “underlying constituent issuers”). The levels of the underlying assets can rise or fall sharply due to factors specific to each underlying asset or its underlying constituents, such as stock or commodity price volatility, earnings, financial conditions, corporate, industry and regulatory developments, management changes and decisions and other events, as well as general market factors, such as general stock and commodity market volatility and levels, interest rates and economic, political and other conditions. You, as an investor in the Securities, should conduct your own investigation into the underlying assets and underlying constituents.