This
pricing supplement, which is not complete and may be changed,
relates to an effective Registration Statement under the Securities
Act of 1933. This pricing supplement and the accompanying
product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus are not an
offer to sell these notes in any country or jurisdiction where such
an offer would not be permitted.
SUBJECT
TO COMPLETION, DATED May 20, 2022
Preliminary
Pricing Supplement - Subject to Completion
(To
Prospectus dated December 31, 2019,
Prospectus
Supplement dated December 31, 2019 and
Product
Supplement EQUITY-1 dated January 3, 2020)
May ,
2022
|
Filed Pursuant
to Rule 424(b)(2)
Series
A Registration Statement No. 333-234425
|
|
BofA Finance
LLC $---- Step Down Trigger Autocallable
Notes
|
Linked to the
Least Performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the
S&P 500® Index Due May 30,
2025
Fully and
Unconditionally Guaranteed by Bank of America
Corporation
|
Investment
Description
|
The
Step Down Trigger Autocallable Notes linked to the least performing
of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index (each, an
“Underlying”) due
May 30, 2025 (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. If the Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing
Underlying is greater than or equal to its Initial Value on any
quarterly Observation Date prior to the Final Observation Date, or
greater than or equal to its Downside Threshold on the Final
Observation Date, we will automatically call the Notes and pay you
a Call Price equal to the Stated Principal Amount plus a Call
Return based on the Call Return Rate, and no further amounts will
be owed to you. The Call Return increases the longer the Notes are
outstanding, based on a fixed Call Return Rate per annum, as
indicated on page PS-6. However, if by maturity the Notes have not
been automatically called and the Current Underlying Level of the
Least Performing Underlying on the Final Observation Date is less
than its Downside Threshold, you will receive less than the Stated
Principal Amount at maturity, resulting in a loss that is
proportionate to the decline in the closing level of the Least
Performing Underlying from the Trade Date to the Final Observation
Date, up to a 100% loss of your investment. On each Observation
Date, the “Least Performing Underlying” is the Underlying with the
lowest Underlying Return from the Trade Date to that Observation
Date.
Investing in
the Notes involves significant risks. You may lose a substantial
portion or all of your initial investment. All payments on the
Notes will be based solely on the performance of the Least
Performing Underlying. You will not benefit in any way from the
performance of the other Underlying. You will therefore be
adversely affected if either Underlying performs poorly,
regardless of the performance of the other Underlying. You will not
receive dividends or other distributions paid on any stocks
included in the Underlyings or participate in any appreciation of
either Underlying. The contingent repayment of the Stated Principal
Amount applies only if you hold the Notes to maturity or earlier
automatic call. Any payment on the Notes, including any repayment
of the Stated Principal Amount, is subject to the creditworthiness
of BofA Finance and the Guarantor and is not, either directly
or indirectly, an obligation of any third party.
|
Features
|
|
Key
Dates1
|
❑ Automatic
Call Feature with Step Down Call Level— We will automatically
call the Notes for a Call Price equal to the Stated Principal
Amount plus a Call Return based on the Call Return Rate if the
Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing Underlying is
greater than or equal to its Initial Value on any quarterly
Observation Date (beginning approximately one year after issuance)
prior to the Final Observation Date, or greater than or equal to
its Downside Threshold on the Final Observation Date. The Call
Return increases the longer the Notes are outstanding, based on a
fixed Call Return Rate per annum, as indicated on page PS-6. If the
Notes are not automatically called, investors will have full
downside market exposure to the Least Performing Underlying at
maturity.
❑ Contingent
Repayment of Principal at Maturity with Potential for Full Downside
Market Exposure— If you hold the Notes to maturity and the
Notes have not been automatically called on any Observation Date,
including the Final Observation Date, that will necessarily mean
that the Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing
Underlying on the Final Observation Date is less than its Downside
Threshold, and you will receive less than the Stated Principal
Amount of your Notes at maturity, resulting in a loss that is
proportionate to the decline in the closing level of the Least
Performing Underlying from the Trade Date to the Final Observation
Date, up to a 100% loss of your investment.
Any
payment on the Notes is subject to the creditworthiness of BofA
Finance and the Guarantor.
|
|
Trade
Date
Issue
Date
Observation
Dates2
Final
Observation Date2
Maturity
Date
|
May
26, 2022
May
31, 2022
Quarterly,
beginning on May 31, 2023
May
27, 2025
May
30, 2025
|
1 Subject
to change and will be set forth in the final pricing supplement
relating to the Notes.
2 See
page PS-6 for additional details.
|
NOTICE TO
INVESTORS: THE NOTES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY RISKIER THAN CONVENTIONAL
DEBT INSTRUMENTS. BOFA FINANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY OBLIGATED TO
REPAY THE STATED PRINCIPAL AMOUNT AT MATURITY, AND THE NOTES CAN
HAVE DOWNSIDE MARKET RISK SIMILAR TO THE LEAST PERFORMING
UNDERLYING. THIS MARKET RISK IS IN ADDITION TO THE CREDIT RISK
INHERENT IN PURCHASING A DEBT OBLIGATION OF BOFA FINANCE THAT IS
GUARANTEED BY BAC. YOU SHOULD NOT PURCHASE THE NOTES IF YOU
DO NOT UNDERSTAND OR ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SIGNIFICANT RISKS
INVOLVED IN INVESTING IN THE NOTES.
YOU
SHOULD CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE RISKS DESCRIBED UNDER “RISK FACTORS’’
BEGINNING ON PAGE PS-7 OF THIS PRICING SUPPLEMENT, PAGE PS-5 OF THE
ACCOMPANYING PRODUCT SUPPLEMENT, PAGE S-5 OF THE ACCOMPANYING
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND PAGE 7 OF THE ACCOMPANYING PROSPECTUS
BEFORE PURCHASING ANY NOTES. EVENTS RELATING TO ANY OF THOSE RISKS,
OR OTHER RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE MARKET
VALUE OF, AND THE RETURN ON, YOUR NOTES. YOU MAY LOSE SOME OR ALL
OF YOUR INITIAL INVESTMENT IN THE NOTES. THE NOTES WILL NOT BE
LISTED ON ANY SECURITIES EXCHANGE AND MAY HAVE LIMITED OR NO
LIQUIDITY.
|
Notes Offering
|
We are
offering Step Down Trigger Autocallable Notes linked to the least
performing of the Russell 2000® Index and the S&P
500® Index due May 30, 2025. Any payment on the Notes
will be based on the performance of the Least Performing
Underlying. The Call Return Rate, Initial Values and Downside
Thresholds will be determined on the Trade Date. The Notes are our
senior unsecured obligations, guaranteed by BAC, and are offered
for a minimum investment of 100 Notes (each Note corresponding to
$10.00 in Stated Principal Amount) at the Public Offering
Price described below.
|
Underlyings
|
Call
Return Rate
|
Initial
Values
|
Downside
Thresholds
|
CUSIP/ISIN
|
Russell
2000® Index (Ticker: RTY)
|
[8.25%
to 9.25%] per annum
|
|
,
which is 70% of the Initial Value
|
09710G551
/ US09710G5514
|
S&P
500® Index (Ticker: SPX)
|
|
,
which is 70% of the Initial Value
|
|
|
|
|
|
See
“Summary” in this pricing supplement. The Notes will have the terms
specified in the accompanying product supplement, prospectus
supplement and prospectus, as supplemented by this pricing
supplement.
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. 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.
|
Public Offering
Price
|
Underwriting
Discount(1)
|
Proceeds
(before expenses) to BofA Finance
|
Per Note
|
$10.00
|
$0.25
|
$9.75
|
Total
|
$
|
$
|
$
|
(1) The
underwriting discount is $0.25 per Note. BofA Securities, Inc.
(“BofAS”), acting as principal, expects to purchase from BofA
Finance, and BofA Finance expects to sell to BofAS, the aggregate
principal amount of the Notes set forth above for $9.75 per Note.
UBS Financial Services Inc. (“UBS”), acting as a selling agent for
sales of the Notes, expects to purchase from BofAS, and BofAS
expects to sell to UBS, all of the Notes for $9.75 per Note. UBS
will receive an underwriting discount of $0.25 per Note for each
Note it sells in this offering. UBS proposes to offer the Notes to
the public at a price of $10.00 per Note. For additional
information on the distribution of the Notes, see “Supplement to
the Plan of Distribution; Role of BofAS and Conflicts of Interest”
in this pricing supplement.
The
initial estimated value of the Notes will be less than the public
offering price. The initial estimated value of the Notes as of
the Trade Date is expected to be between $9.20 and $9.70 per $10 in
Stated Principal Amount. See “Summary” on page PS-4 of this pricing
supplement, “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-7 of this pricing
supplement and “Structuring the Notes” on page PS-21 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.
UBS
Financial Services Inc.
|
BofA
Securities
|
Additional
Information about BofA Finance LLC, Bank of America
Corporation and the Notes
|
You
should read carefully this entire pricing supplement and the
accompanying 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
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 the “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, BofAS or UBS 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 and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus
supplement, and prospectus is accurate only as of the date on their
respective front covers.
Certain 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-referenced accompanying documents may be accessed at the
following links:
♦
Product supplement
EQUITY-1 dated January 3, 2020:
♦
Series A MTN
prospectus supplement dated December 31, 2019 and prospectus
dated December 31, 2019:
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
in right of payment with all of our other unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations, and the related guarantee will rank
equally in right of payment with all of BAC’s other unsecured and
unsubordinated obligations, in each case, except obligations
that are subject to any priorities or preferences by law. 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.
|
PS-2
The
Notes may be suitable for you if, among other
considerations:
♦
You fully
understand the risks inherent in an investment in the Notes,
including the risk of loss of your
entire investment.
♦
You can tolerate
a loss of all or a substantial portion of your investment and are
willing to make an investment that will have the full downside
market risk of an investment in the Least
Performing Underlying.
♦
You understand
and accept the risks associated with
the Underlyings.
♦
You are willing
to accept the individual market risk of each Underlying and
understand that any decline in the level of one Underlying will not
be offset or mitigated by a lesser decline or any potential
increase in the level of the other Underlying.
♦
You believe the
Current Underlying Level of each Underlying will be greater than or
equal to its Initial Value on any Observation Date prior to the
Final Observation Date, or you believe the Current Underlying Level
of each Underlying will be greater than or equal to its Downside
Threshold on the Final Observation Date.
♦
You can tolerate
fluctuations in the value of the Notes prior to maturity that may
be similar to or exceed the downside fluctuations in the level of
the Least Performing Underlying.
♦
You understand
that your return will be based on the performance of the Least
Performing Underlying and you will not benefit from the performance
of the other Underlying.
♦
You are willing
to hold Notes that will be called on the earliest Observation Date
(beginning approximately one year after issuance) on which the
Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing Underlying is
greater than or equal to its Initial Value or, in the case of
the Final Observation Date, on which the Current Underlying Level
of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its
Downside Threshold.
♦
You are willing
to make an investment whose positive return is limited to the
applicable Call Return, regardless of the potential appreciation of
the Underlyings, which could be significant.
♦
You are willing
and able to hold the Notes to maturity, and accept that there may
be little or no secondary market for the Notes.
♦
You do not seek
current income from your investment and are willing to forgo
dividends or any other distributions paid on the stocks included in
the Underlyings.
♦
You are willing
to invest in the Notes if the Call Return Rate were set equal to
the bottom of the range indicated on the cover page of this pricing
supplement (the actual Call Return Rate will be set on the
Trade Date).
♦
You are willing
to assume the credit risk of BofA Finance and BAC for all payments
under the Notes, and understand that if BofA Finance and BAC
default on their obligations, you might not receive any amounts due
to you, including any repayment of the Stated Principal
Amount.
|
The Notes may
not be suitable for you if, among other
considerations:
♦
You do not fully
understand the risks inherent in an investment in the Notes,
including the risk of loss of your
entire investment.
♦
You cannot
tolerate the loss of all or a substantial portion of your initial
investment, or you are not willing to make an investment that will
have the full downside market risk of an investment in the Least
Performing Underlying.
♦
You require an
investment designed to guarantee a full return of the Stated
Principal Amount at maturity.
♦
You do not
understand or are not willing to accept the risks associated with
each of the Underlyings.
♦
You are
unwilling to accept the individual market risk of each Underlying
or do not understand that any decline in the level of one
Underlying will not be offset or mitigated by a lesser decline or
any potential increase in the level of the
other Underlying.
♦
You do not
believe the Current Underlying Level of each Underlying is likely
to be greater than or equal to its Initial Value on any Observation
Date prior to the Final Observation Date, or greater than or equal
to its Downside Threshold on the Final Observation Date, exposing
you to the full downside performance of the Least
Performing Underlying.
♦
You cannot
tolerate fluctuations in the value of the Notes prior to maturity
that may be similar to or exceed the downside fluctuations in the
level of the Least Performing Underlying.
♦
You are
unwilling to accept that your return will be based on the
performance of the Least Performing Underlying, or you seek an
investment based on the performance of a basket composed of
the Underlyings.
♦
You are
unwilling to hold Notes that will be called on the earliest
Observation Date (beginning approximately one year after issuance)
on which the Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing
Underlying is greater than or equal to its Initial Value or,
in the case of the Final Observation Date, on which the Current
Underlying Level of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than
or equal to its Downside Threshold.
♦
You seek an
investment that participates in the full appreciation of the
Underlyings and whose positive return is not limited to the
applicable Call Return.
♦
You seek an
investment for which there will be an active secondary
market.
♦
You seek current
income from this investment or prefer to receive the dividends and
any other distributions paid on the stocks included in
the Underlyings.
♦
You would be
unwilling to invest in the Notes if the Call Return Rate were set
equal to the bottom of the range indicated on the cover page of
this pricing supplement (the actual Call Return Rate will be
set on the Trade Date).
♦
You prefer the
lower risk of conventional fixed income investments with comparable
maturities and credit ratings.
♦
You are not
willing to assume the credit risk of BofA Finance and BAC for all
payments under the Notes, including any repayment of
the Stated Principal Amount.
|
The
suitability considerations identified above are not exhaustive.
Whether or not the Notes are a suitable investment for you will
depend on your individual circumstances and you should reach an
investment decision only after you and your investment, legal, tax,
accounting and other advisors have carefully considered the
suitability of an investment in the Notes in light of your
particular circumstances. You should review “The Underlyings”
herein for more information on the Underlyings. You should
also review carefully the “Risk Factors” section herein for
risks related to an investment in the Notes.
|
PS-3
Summary
|
Issuer
|
BofA
Finance
|
Guarantor
|
BAC
|
Public Offering
Price
|
100%
of the Stated Principal Amount
|
Stated Principal
Amount
|
$10.00 per
Note
|
Minimum
Investment
|
$1,000 (100
Notes)
|
Term
|
Approximately
three years, unless earlier automatically called
|
Trade
Date1
|
May
26, 2022
|
Issue
Date1
|
May
31, 2022
|
Final
Observation Date1
|
May
27, 2025
|
Maturity
Date1
|
May
30, 2025
|
Underlyings
|
Russell
2000® Index (Ticker: RTY)
S&P
500® Index (Ticker: SPX)
|
Automatic Call
Feature
|
The
Notes will be automatically called if the Current Underlying Level
of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its
Initial Value on any Observation Date prior to the Final
Observation Date, or greater than or equal to its Downside
Threshold on the Final Observation Date.
If
the Notes are automatically called, we will pay you on the
applicable Call Settlement Date a cash payment per $10.00 Stated
Principal Amount equal to the Call Price for the
applicable Observation Date.
If
the Notes are automatically called, no further payments will be
made on the Notes.
|
Observation
Dates1
|
See
“Observation Dates, Call Returns, Call Prices and Call
Settlement Dates” on page PS-6.
|
Call
Settlement Dates1
|
See
“Observation Dates, Call Returns, Call Prices and Call Settlement
Dates” on page PS-6.
|
Call
Price
|
The
Call Price will be calculated based on the following
formula:
$10.00
+ applicable Call Return
See
“Observation Dates, Call Returns, Call Prices and Call Settlement
Dates” on page PS-6.
|
Call
Return/Call Return Rate
|
The
Call Return increases the longer the Notes are outstanding and will
be based on the fixed Call Return Rate of between [8.25% to
9.25%] per annum, as indicated on page PS-6. The actual Call
Returns and Call Return Rate will be determined on the Trade
Date.
|
Payment At
Maturity (per $10.00 Stated Principal Amount)
|
If the Notes
are not automatically called, the Current Underlying Level of the
Least Performing Underlying on the Final Observation Date will
therefore necessarily be less than its Downside Threshold, and
we will pay you a cash payment on the Maturity Date that is less
than the Stated Principal Amount and may be zero, resulting in a
loss that is proportionate to the negative Underlying Return of the
Least Performing Underlying on the Final Observation Date, equal
to:
$10.00
× (1
+ Underlying Return of the Least Performing Underlying on the
Final Observation Date)
Accordingly,you
will lose all ora substantial portion of your Stated
Principal Amountat maturity, depending on how significantly the
Least Performing Underlyingdeclines, even if the
Current Underlying Levelof
theotherUnderlyingon the Final Observation
Date isabove
itsrespective Downside
Threshold.
|
Least
Performing Underlying
|
On
each Observation Date, including the Final Observation Date, the
Underlying with the lowest Underlying Return as of
that Observation Date.
|
Underlying Return
|
For
any Underlying on any Observation Date, calculated as
follows:
Current
Underlying Level — Initial Value
Initial Value
|
Downside
Threshold
|
For
any Underlying, 70% of its Initial Value, as specified on the cover
page of this pricing supplement.
|
Initial
Value
|
For
any Underlying, its closing level on the Trade Date, as specified
on the cover page of this pricing supplement.
|
Current
Underlying Level
|
For
any Underlying and any Observation Date, the closing level of that
Underlying on that Observation Date.
|
Calculation
Agent
|
BofAS, an
affiliate of BofA Finance.
|
Selling
Agents
|
BofAS and
UBS.
|
Events of
Default and Acceleration
|
If
an Event of Default, as defined in the senior indenture relating to
the Notes and in the section entitled “Description of Debt
Securities — Events of Default and Rights of Acceleration”
beginning on page 22 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 “—Payment at Maturity” above, 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, except that if on the deemed Final
Observation Date the Current Underlying Level of the Least
Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its Downside
Threshold, payment will be made as described under the caption
“—Automatic Call Feature” above with reference to the scheduled
Observation Date immediately following the deemed Final Observation
Date. The calculation agent shall prorate the period of time
elapsed between the issue date of the Notes and the date of
acceleration. 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.
|
1 Subject
to change and will be set forth in the final pricing supplement
relating to the Notes.
PS-4
Investment
Timeline
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trade
Date
|
|
The
closing level of each Underlying (its Initial Value) is observed,
the Call Returns/ Call Return Rate are set and the Downside
Threshold for each Underlying is determined.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Quarterly,
beginning May 31, 2023
|
|
The
Current Underlying Level of each Underlying will be determined on
each Observation Date.
The
Notes will be automatically called if the Current Underlying Level
of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its
Initial Value on any Observation Date prior to the Final
Observation Date, or greater than or equal to its Downside
Threshold on the Final Observation Date.
If the
Notes are automatically called on any Observation Date, we will pay
you on the related Call Settlement Date (or the Maturity Date, in
the case of the Final Observation Date) the Call Price for the
applicable Observation Date, equal to the Stated Principal Amount
plus the applicable Call Return (as indicated on page
PS-6).
If the
Notes are automatically called, no further payments will be made on
the Notes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maturity Date
(if not previously automatically called)
|
|
If
the Notes are not automatically called, the Current Underlying
Levelof the Least Performing Underlying on the Final Observation
Date will therefore necessarily be less than its Downside
Threshold, and we will pay you a cash payment on the Maturity
Date that is less than your Stated Principal Amount and may be
zero, resulting in a loss that is proportionate to the negative
Underlying Return of the Least Performing Underlying on the Final
Observation Date, equal to:
$10.00
× (1+ Underlying Return of the Least Performing Underlying on
the Final Observation Date)
|
INVESTING IN
THE NOTES INVOLVES SIGNIFICANT RISKS. YOU MAY LOSE A
SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OR ALL OF YOUR INITIAL INVESTMENT. YOU
WILL BE EXPOSED TO THE MARKET RISK OF EACH UNDERLYING AND ANY
DECLINE IN THE LEVEL OF ONE UNDERLYING MAY NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR
RETURN AND WILL NOT BE OFFSET OR MITIGATED BY A LESSER DECLINE OR
ANY POTENTIAL INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF THE OTHER UNDERLYING. THE
CONTINGENT REPAYMENT OF THE STATED PRINCIPAL AMOUNT APPLIES ONLY IF
YOU HOLD THE NOTES TO AUTOMATIC CALL, IF APPLICABLE. ANY PAYMENT ON
THE NOTES IS SUBJECT TO THE CREDITWORTHINESS OF BOFA
FINANCE AND THE GUARANTOR.
PS-5
Observation Dates, Call Returns, Call Prices and Call
Settlement Dates
|
Observation
Dates1,2
|
Call
Returns3
(Per
$10 Stated Principal Amount, based on a Call Return Rate of between
[8.25% to 9.25%] per annum.)
|
Call
Prices3
(Per
$10 Stated Principal Amount)
|
Call Settlement
Dates1
|
May
31, 2023
|
8.2500% to 9.2500% of the Stated Principal Amount
|
$10.82500
to $10.92500
|
June
2, 2023
|
August
28, 2023
|
10.3125%
to 11.5625% of the Stated Principal Amount
|
$11.03125
to $11.15625
|
August
30, 2023
|
November 27,
2023
|
12.3750% to
13.8750% of the Stated Principal Amount
|
$11.23750
to $11.38750
|
November 29,
2023
|
February 26,
2024
|
14.4375% to
16.1875% of the Stated Principal Amount
|
$11.44375
to $11.61875
|
February 28,
2024
|
May
28, 2024
|
16.5000% to
18.5000% of the Stated Principal Amount
|
$11.65000
to $11.85000
|
May
30, 2024
|
August
26, 2024
|
18.5625%
to 20.8125% of the Stated Principal Amount
|
$11.85625
to $12.08125
|
August
28, 2024
|
November 26,
2024
|
20.6250%
to 23.1250% of the Stated Principal Amount
|
$12.06250
to $12.31250
|
November 29,
2024
|
February 26,
2025
|
22.6875%
to 25.4375% of the Stated Principal Amount
|
$12.26875
to $12.54375
|
February 28,
2025
|
May
27, 2025
|
24.7500%
to 27.7500% of the Stated Principal Amount
|
$12.47500
to $12.77500
|
May
30, 2025
|
1 Subject
to change and will be set forth in the final pricing supplement
relating to the Notes.
2 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” beginning on
page
PS-22 of the accompanying product supplement.
2 The
actual Call Returns and Call Prices will be determined on the Trade
Date.
PS-6
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. You should carefully review the more detailed
explanation of risks relating to the Notes in the “Risk Factors”
sections beginning on page PS-5 of the accompanying product
supplement, page S-5of the accompanying prospectus supplement and
page 7 of the accompanying prospectus identifiedon page
PS-2 above.
Structure-related
Risks
♦
|
The Notes do
not bear interest. Unlike a conventional debt security, no
interest payments will be paid over the term of the Notes,
regardless of the extent to which the Current Underlying Level of
any Underlying exceeds its Initial Value.
|
♦
|
Your investment
may result in a loss; there is no guaranteed return of
principal. There is no fixed principal repayment amount on the
Notes at maturity. If the Notes are not automatically called, which
necessarily means that the Current Underlying Level of the Least
Performing Underlying on the Final Observation Date is less than
its Downside Threshold, at maturity, you will lose 1% of the Stated
Principal Amount for each 1% that the Current Underlying Level of
the Least Performing Underlying on the Final Observation Date is
less than its Initial Value. In that case, you will lose a
significant portion or all of your investment in the
Notes.
|
♦
|
The
appreciation potential of the Notes is limited. Your potential
total return on the Notes is limited to the applicable Call Return,
which will only be received if the Notes are automatically called.
Because the Call Return increases the longer the Notes have been
outstanding and because the Notes could be called as early as
approximately one year after the Issue Date, you may not receive
the higher Call Return associated with a later Observation Date.
You will not participate in any potential appreciation of the
Underlyings even though you may be subject to the full downside
performance of the Least Performing Underlying. As a result, the
return on an investment in the Notes may be significantly less than
the return on a hypothetical direct investment in the stocks
included in the Underlyings. Furthermore, if the Notes are
automatically called, you may be unable to invest in other
securities with a similar level of risk that could provide a return
that is similar to the Notes.
|
♦
|
The
limited downside protection provided by the Downside Threshold
applies only upon an automatic call. You should be willing to
hold your Notes to maturity. If you are able to sell your Notes in
the secondary market prior to an automatic call, you may have to
sell them at a loss relative to your initial investment even if the
level of each Underlying at that time is equal to or greater than
its Downside Threshold. All payments on the Notes are subject to
the credit risk of BofA Finance, as issuer, and BAC, as
guarantor.
|
♦
|
The
Payment at Maturity and the determination as to whether the Notes
will be automatically called will not reflect the levels of the
Underlyings other than on the Observation
Dates. The
levels of the Underlyings during the term of the Notes other than
on the Observation Dates will not affect payments on the Notes or
the determination as to whether the Notes will be automatically
called. Notwithstanding the foregoing, investors should generally
be aware of the performance of the Underlyings while holding the
Notes, as the performance of the Underlyings may influence the
market value of the Notes. The calculation agent will determine
whether the Notes are automatically called or will calculate the
Payment at Maturity, as applicable, by comparing only the Initial
Value or the Downside Threshold, as applicable, to the Current
Underlying Level for each Underlying. No other levels of the
Underlyings will be taken into account. As a result, the Notes will
not be automatically called if the Current Underlying Level of the
Least Performing Underlying is less than its Initial Value or its
Downside Threshold, as applicable, on each Observation Date, even
if the level of each Underlying was always above its Initial Value
on each other day during the term of the Notes. Similarly, if
the Notes are not automatically called, which necessarily means
that the Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing
Underlying on the Final Observation Date is less than its Downside
Threshold, you will receive less than the Stated Principal Amount
at maturity, even if the level of each Underlying was always above
its Downside Threshold prior to the Final Observation
Date.
|
♦
|
Because the
Notes are linked to the performance of the least performing between
the RTY and the SPX, you are exposed to greater risk that the Notes
will not be automatically called and sustaining a significant loss
on your investment than if the Notes were linked to just the RTY or
just the SPX. The
risk that the Notes will not be automatically called and that you
will lose a significant portion or all of your investment in the
Notes is greater if you invest in the Notes as opposed to
substantially similar securities that are linked to the performance
of just the RTY or just the SPX. With two Underlyings, it is more
likely that any Underlying will close below its Initial Value on
the Observation Dates prior to the Final Observation Date or below
its Downside Threshold on the Final Observation Date than if the
Notes were linked to only one of the Underlyings, and therefore it
is more likely that the Notes will not be automatically called and
that you will receive a Payment at Maturity that is significantly
less than the Stated Principal Amount on the Maturity
Date.
|
♦
|
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 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. In addition, if
interest rates increase during the term of the Notes, the Call
Return Rate may be less than the yield on a conventional debt
security of comparable maturity.
|
♦
|
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 respective obligations under the Notes on
the applicable payment date, regardless of the Current Underlying
Level of any Underlying as compared to its Downside Threshold or
Initial Value, as applicable. No assurance can be given as to what
our financial condition or the financial condition of
the
|
PS-7
|
Guarantor will be
on the applicable payment date. 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 and you could lose all of your initial
investment.
|
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 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, have no independent assets,
operations or revenues. We
are a finance subsidiary of the Guarantor, have no operations
other than those related to the issuance, administration and
repayment of our debt securities that are guaranteed by the
Guarantor, and are dependent upon the Guarantor and/or its other
subsidiaries to meet our obligations under the Notes in the
ordinary course. Therefore,
our ability to make payments on the Notes may be
limited.
|
Valuation-
and Market-related Risks
♦
|
The
public offering price you pay for the Notes will exceed
their initial estimated value. The
range of initial estimated values of the Notes that is provided on
the cover page of this preliminary pricing supplement, and the
initial estimated value as of the Trade Date that will be provided
in the final pricing supplement, are each estimates only,
determined as of a particular point in time 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. 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 levels of the Underlyings, changes in 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.
|
♦
|
The
initial estimated value does not represent a minimum or maximum
price at which we, BAC, BofAS 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 issuance
will vary based on many factors that cannot be predicted with
accuracy, including the performance of the Underlyings,
our and BAC’s creditworthiness and changes in market
conditions.
|
♦
|
The
price of the Notes that may be paid by BofAS in any secondary
market (if BofAS makes a market, which it is not required to do),
as well as the price which may be reflected on customer account
statements, will be higher than the then-current estimated value of
the Notes for a limited time period after the Trade Date. As
agreed by BofAS and the UBS, for approximately an eight-month
period after the Trade Date, to the extent BofAS offers to buy the
Notes in the secondary market, it will do so at a price that will
exceed the estimated value of the Notes at that time. The
amount of this excess, which represents a portion of the
hedging-related charges expected to be realized by BofAS and UBS
over the term of the Notes, will decline to zero on a straight line
basis over that eight-month period. Accordingly, the
estimated value of your Notes during this initial eight-month
period may be lower than the value shown on your customer account
statements. Thereafter, if BofAS buys or sells your Notes, it
will do so at prices that reflect the estimated value determined by
reference to its pricing models at that time. Any price at any time
after the Trade Date 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, BofAS or any
other party 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.
|
♦
|
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 levels of the Underlyings. The number of
potential buyers of your Notes in any secondary market may be
limited. We anticipate that BofAS will act as a market-maker for
the Notes, but none of us, the Guarantor or BofAS 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. BofAS may
discontinue its market-making activities as to the Notes at any
time. To the extent that BofAS engages in any market-making
activities, it may bid for or offer the Notes. Any price at which
BofAS 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 BofAS 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.
♦
|
Economic and
market factors have affected the terms of the Notes and may affect
the market value of the Notes prior to maturity or an automatic
call. Because market-linked notes, including the Notes, can be
thought of as having a debt component and a derivative component,
factors that influence the values of debt instruments and options
and other derivatives will also affect the terms and features of
the Notes at issuance and the market price of the Notes prior to
maturity or an automatic call. These factors include the levels of
the Underlyings and the securities included in the Underlyings; the
volatility of the Underlyings and the securities included in the
Underlyings; the correlation among the Underlyings; the dividend
rate paid on the securities included in the Underlyings, if
applicable; the time remaining to the maturity of the Notes;
interest rates in the markets; geopolitical conditions and
economic, financial, political, force majeure and regulatory or
judicial events; whether each of the Underlyings is currently or
has been less than its Downside Threshold; the availability of
comparable instruments; the creditworthiness
|
PS-8
|
of
BofA Finance, as issuer, and BAC, as guarantor; and the then
current bid-ask spread for the Notes and the factors discussed
under “— Trading and hedging activities by us, the Guarantor and
any of our other affiliates, including BofAS, and UBS and its
affiliates, may create conflicts of interest with you and may
affect your return on the Notes and their market value” below.
These factors are unpredictable and interrelated and may offset or
magnify each other.
|
♦
|
Greater
expected volatility generally indicates an increased risk of
loss. Volatility is a measure of the degree of variation in the
levels of the Underlyings over a period of time. The greater the
expected volatilities of the Underlyings at the time the terms of
the Notes are set, the greater the expectation is at that time that
the Notes will not be automatically called and that you may lose a
significant portion or all of the Stated Principal Amount at
maturity. In addition, the economic terms of the Notes, including
the Call Return Rate and the Downside Threshold, are based, in
part, on the expected volatilities of the Underlyings at the time
the terms of the Notes are set, where higher expected volatilities
will generally be reflected in a higher Call Return Rate than the
fixed rate we would pay on conventional debt securities of the same
maturity and/or on otherwise comparable securities and/or a lower
Downside Threshold as compared to otherwise comparable securities.
However, the Underlyings’ volatility can change significantly over
the term of the Notes and a relatively higher Call Return Rate
and/or a lower Downside Threshold may not necessarily indicate that
the Notes have a greater likelihood of being automatically
called. You should be willing to accept the downside market risk of
each Underlying and the potential to lose a significant portion or
all of your initial investment.
|
Conflict-related
Risks
♦
|
Trading and
hedging activities by us, the Guarantor and any of our other
affiliates, including BofAS, and UBS and its affiliates, may create
conflicts of interest with you and may affect your return on the
Notes and their market value. We, the Guarantor or one or more
of our other affiliates, including BofAS, and UBS and its
affiliates, may buy or sell the securities held by or included in
the Underlyings, or futures or options contracts on the Underlyings
or those securities, or other listed or over-the-counter derivative
instruments linked to the Underlyings or those securities. We, the
Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including BofAS,
and UBS and its affiliates also may issue or underwrite other
financial instruments with returns based upon the Underlyings. 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 BofAS, and UBS and its
affiliates 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 or UBS may enter into such hedging arrangements with one of our
or their affiliates. Our affiliates or their 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 and UBS
and its 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, the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including BofAS,
and UBS and its affiliates receive for the sale of the Notes, which
creates an additional incentive to sell the Notes to you. While we,
the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including
BofAS, and UBS and its affiliates may from time to time own
securities represented by the Underlyings, except to the extent
that BAC’s or UBS Group AG’s (the parent company of UBS) common
stock may be included in the Underlyings, as applicable, we, the
Guarantor and our other affiliates, including BofAS, and UBS and
its affiliates do not control any company included in the
Underlyings, and have not verified any disclosure made by any other
company. We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates,
including BofAS, and UBS and its affiliates 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. The transactions described above may present a conflict of
interest between your interest in the Notes and the interests we,
the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including BofAS, and UBS
and its affiliates may have in our or their proprietary accounts,
in facilitating transactions, including block trades, for our or
their other customers, and in accounts under our or their
management.
|
The
transactions described above may affect the value of the
Underlyings in a manner that could be adverse to your investment in
the Notes. On or before the Trade Date, any purchases or sales by
us, the Guarantor or our other affiliates, including BofAS or
others on its behalf, and UBS and its affiliates (including for the
purpose of hedging some or all of our anticipated exposure in
connection with the Notes) may affect the value of the Underlyings.
Consequently, the value of the Underlyings may change subsequent to
the Trade Date, adversely affecting the market value of the Notes.
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 BofAS, and UBS and its affiliates may
purchase or otherwise acquire a long or short position in the Notes
and may hold or resell the Notes. For example, BofAS 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 the Underlyings, the
market value of your Notes prior to maturity or the amounts payable
on the Notes.
♦
|
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.
|
Underlying-related
Risks
♦
|
The
Notes are subject to the market risk of the Underlyings. The
return on the Notes, which may be negative, is directly linked to
the performance of the Underlyings and indirectly linked to the
value of the securities included in the Underlyings. The level of
the Underlyings can rise or fall sharply due to factors specific to
the Underlyings and the securities included in the Underlyings and
the issuers of such securities, such as stock price
volatility, earnings and financial conditions, corporate, industry
and regulatory developments, management changes and decisions and
other events, as well as general market factors, such as general
stock market or commodity market volatility and levels, interest
rates and economic and political conditions.
|
♦
|
The
publisher of an Underlying may adjust that Underlying in a way
that affects its levels, and the publisher has no obligation to
consider your interests. The
publisher of an Underlying can add, delete, or substitute the
components included in that Underlying or make other
methodological changes that could change its level. Any of these
actions could adversely affect the value of your
Notes.
|
PS-9
♦
|
You
are exposed to the market risk of
each Underlying. Your
return on the Notes is not linked to a basket consisting of the
Underlyings. Rather, it will be contingent upon the independent
performance of each of the RTY and the SPX. Unlike an instrument
with a return linked to a basket of underlying assets, in which
risk is mitigated and diversified among all of the components of
the basket, you will be exposed to the risks related to each of the
RTY and the SPX. Poor performance by any of the Underlyings over
the term of the Notes may negatively affect your return and will
not be offset or mitigated by positive performance by any other
Underlying. For the Notes to be automatically called, each
Underlying must close at or above its respective Initial Value or
Downside Threshold on the applicable Observation Date or the Final
Observation Date, as applicable. In addition, if the Notes are not
called, you will incur a loss proportionate to the negative
Underlying Return of the Least Performing Underlying on the Final
Observation Date even if the other Underlying appreciates during
the term of the Notes. Accordingly, your investment is subject to
the market risk of each Underlying. Additionally, movements in the
values of the Underlyings may be correlated or uncorrelated at
different times during the term of the Notes, and such correlation
(or lack thereof) could have an adverse effect on your return on
the Notes. For example, the likelihood that one of the Underlyings
will close below its Initial Value on an Observation Date or below
its Downside Threshold on the Final Observation Date will increase
when the movements in the values of the Underlyings are
uncorrelated. Thus, if the performance of the Underlyings is not
correlated or is negatively correlated, the risk of the Notes not
being automatically called and of incurring a significant loss of
principal at maturity is greater. In addition, correlation
generally decreases for each additional Underlying to which the
Notes are linked, resulting in a greater potential for a
significant loss of principal at maturity. Although the correlation
of the Underlyings’ performance may change over the term of the
Notes, the economic terms of the Notes, including the Call Return
Rate and Downside Thresholds, are determined, in part, based on the
correlation of the Underlyings’ performance calculated using our
and our affiliates' pricing models at the time when the terms of
the Notes are finalized. All other things being equal, a higher
Call Return Rate and lower Downside Threshold is generally
associated with lower correlation of the Underlyings, which may
indicate a greater potential that the Notes will not be
automatically called and a significant loss on your investment at
maturity. See “Correlation of the Underlyings”
below.
|
♦
|
The
Notes are subject to risks associated with small-size
capitalization companies. The stocks comprising the
RTY are issued by companies with small-sized market capitalization.
The stock prices of small-size companies may be more volatile than
stock prices of large capitalization companies. Small-size
capitalization companies may be less able to withstand adverse
economic, market, trade and competitive conditions relative to
larger companies. Small-size capitalization companies may also be
more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products
or services.
|
Tax-related
Risks
♦
|
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 single
financial contracts, as described below 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 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.
|
PS-10
Hypothetical
terms only. Actual terms may vary. See the cover page for actual
offering terms.
The
examples below illustrate the hypothetical payment upon automatic
call or at maturity for a $10.00 Stated Principal Amount Note with
the following assumptions* (the actual terms of the Notes will be
determined on the Trade Date; amounts may have been rounded for
ease of reference and do not take into account any tax consequences
from investing in the Notes.):
♦
|
Stated
Principal Amount: $10
|
♦
|
Term:
3 years, unless earlier automatically called
|
♦
|
Hypothetical Initial
Values:
|
o
|
Russell
2000® Index: 100
|
♦
|
Hypothetical Call
Return Rate: 8.25% per annum (the lower end of the range for
the Call Return Rate)
|
♦
|
Hypothetical Call
Returns/Call Prices: the lower ends of the ranges as set forth
on page PS-6 of this pricing supplement
|
♦
|
Observation Dates:
Quarterly, as set forth on page PS-6 of this pricing
supplement
|
♦
|
Hypothetical
Downside Thresholds:
|
o
|
Russell
2000® Index: 70.00, which is 70% of its
hypothetical Initial Value
|
o
|
S&P
500® Index: 70.00, which is 70% of its hypothetical
Initial Value
|
*The
hypothetical Call Return Rate, Call Returns and Call
Prices may not represent the actual Call Return Rate, Call Returns
and Call Prices, and the hypotheticalInitial Values
and Downside Thresholds donot represent the
actual Initial Values and Downside
Thresholds, respectively, applicable to the
Underlyings. The actualCall Return Rate,
Call Returns, Call Prices,InitialValues and Downside
Thresholds will be determined on the Trade
Date.All payments on the Notes are
subject to issuer and guarantor credit
risk.
Example 1 — The
Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing Underlying is
greater than its Initial Value on the First Observation Date;
the Notes are called
Current Underlying
Levels on first Observation Date:
|
Russell
2000® Index: 110 (greater than
its Initial Value)
|
|
S&P
500® Index: 105 (greater than its Initial
Value)*
|
Call
Price per Note:
|
$10.00
+ applicable Call Return
$10.00
+ $0.825
=$10.825
|
*Denotes Least
Performing Underlying for the applicable Observation
Date
The
Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing Underlying on the
first Observation Date is greater than its Initial Value. The Notes
would be automatically called on the first Observation Date and we
would pay you on the applicable Call Settlement Date a Call Price
of $10.825 per Note (for an 8.25% total return on the
Notes).
Example 2 — The
Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing Underlying is less
than its Initial Value on the first and second Observation Dates,
but is greater than its Initial Value on the third Observation
Date; the Notes are called
Current Underlying
Levels on first Observation Date:
|
Russell
2000® Index: 105 (greater than its Initial
Value)
|
S&P
500® Index: 80 (less than its Initial
Value) *
|
Current Underlying
Levels on second Observation Date:
|
Russell
2000® Index: 70 (less than its Initial
Value)*
|
S&P
500® Index: 80 (less than its Initial
Value)
|
Current Underlying
Levels on third Observation Date:
|
Russell
2000® Index: 115 (greater than its Initial
Value)
|
S&P
500® Index: 105 (greater than its Initial
Value)*
|
Call
Price per Note:
|
$10.00
+ applicable Call Return
$10.00
+ $1.2375
=$11.2375
|
*Denotes Least
Performing Underlying for the applicable Observation
Date
The
Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing Underlying on both
the first and second Observation Dates is less than its Initial
Value, and as a result the Notes are not automatically called
following either the first or second Observation Dates. On the
third Observation Date, the Current Underlying Level of the Least
Performing is greater than its Initial Value. The Notes would be
automatically called on the third Observation Date and we would pay
you on the applicable Call Settlement Date a Call Price of $11.2375
per Note (for a 12.375% total return on the
Notes).
PS-11
Example 3 — The
Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing Underlying is less
than its Initial Value on each Observation Date prior to the Final
Observation Date, but is greater than its Downside Threshold on the
Final Observation Date; the Notes are called
Current Underlying
Levels on first Observation Date:
|
Russell
2000® Index: 90 (less than its Initial
Value)
|
S&P
500® Index: 80 (less than its Initial
Value)*
|
Current Underlying
Levels on second through eighth Observation
Dates:
|
Russell
2000® Index: various, each less than
its Initial Value
|
S&P
500® Index: various, each less than its Initial
Value
|
Current Underlying
Levels on Final Observation Date:
|
Russell
2000® Index: 95 (greater than its Downside
Threshold)
|
S&P
500® Index: 85 (greater than its Downside
Threshold)*
|
Call
Price per Note:
|
$10.00
+ applicable Call Return
$10.00
+ $2.475
=$12.475
|
*Denotes Least
Performing Underlying for the applicable Observation
Date
The
Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing Underlying on each
Observation Date prior to the Final Observation Date is less than
its Initial Value, and as a result the Notes are not automatically
called following any of the Observation Dates prior to the Final
Observation Date. On the Final Observation Date, the Current
Underlying Level of the Least Performing is greater than its
Downside Threshold. The Notes would be automatically called and we
would pay you at maturity a Call Price of $12.475 per Note (for a
24.75% total return on the Notes).
Example 4 —
Notes are NOT automatically called and the Current Underlying Level
of the Least Performing Underlying on the Final Observation Date is
below its Downside Threshold
Current Underlying
Levels on first Observation Date:
|
Russell
2000® Index: 90 (less than its Initial
Value)
|
S&P
500® Index: 80 (less than its Initial
Value)*
|
Current Underlying
Levels on second through eighth Observation
Dates:
|
Russell
2000® Index: various, each less than
its Initial Value
|
S&P
500® Index: various, each less than its Initial
Value
|
Current Underlying
Levels on Final Observation Date:
|
Russell
2000® Index: 50 (less than its Downside
Threshold)
S&P
500® Index: 30 (less than its Downside
Threshold)*
|
Payment At
Maturity (per Note):
|
$10.00
× [1 + Underlying Return of the Least Performing Underlying on
the Final Observation Date]
$10.00
× [ 1 + -70.00%]
=$3.00
|
*Denotes Least
Performing Underlying for the applicable Observation
Date
The
Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing Underlying on each
Observation Date, including the Final Observation Date, is less
than its Initial Value, and as a result the Notes are not
automatically called following any of the Observation Dates.
Because the Notes are not automatically called, which necessarily
means that the Current Underlying Level of the Least Performing
Underlying on the Final Observation Date is less than its Downside
Threshold, at maturity, investors are exposed to the downside
performance of the Least Performing Underlying and you will receive
$3.00 per Note, which reflects the percentage decrease in the level
of the Least Performing Underlying from the Trade Date to the Final
Observation Date (for a -70.00% total return on the
Notes).
PS-12
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 FTSE Russell, the
sponsor of the RTY, and S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI”),
the sponsor of the SPX. We refer to FTSE Russell and SPDJI as the
“Underlying Sponsors.” The Underlying Sponsors, which license the
copyright and all other rights to the respective Underlyings, have
no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue
publication of, the Underlyings. The consequences of any Underlying
Sponsor discontinuing publication of the applicable Underlying are
discussed in “Description of the Notes—Discontinuance of an Index”
in the accompanying product supplement. None of us, the Guarantor,
the calculation agent, or either Selling Agent accepts any
responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of
any Underlying or any successor index.
None
of us, the Guarantor, the Selling Agents or any of our or their
respective affiliates makes any representation to you as to the
future performance of the Underlyings.
You
should make your own investigation into
the Underlyings.
The
Russell 2000® Index
The
RTY was developed by Russell Investments (“Russell”) before FTSE
International Limited and Russell combined in 2015 to create FTSE
Russell, which is wholly owned by London Stock Exchange Group.
Additional information on the RTY is available at the following
website: http://www.ftserussell.com. No information on that website
is deemed to be included or incorporated by reference in this
pricing supplement.
Russell
began dissemination of the RTY (Bloomberg L.P. index symbol “RTY”)
on January 1, 1984. FTSE Russell calculates and publishes the RTY.
The RTY was set to 135 as of the close of business on December 31,
1986. The RTY is designed to track the performance of the small
capitalization segment of the U.S. equity market. As a subset of
the Russell 3000® Index, the RTY consists of the
smallest 2,000 companies included in the Russell 3000®
Index. The Russell 3000® Index measures the
performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies, representing
approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market. The RTY is
determined, comprised, and calculated by FTSE Russell without
regard to the Notes.
Selection
of Stocks Comprising the RTY
All
companies eligible for inclusion in the RTY must be classified as a
U.S. company under FTSE Russell’s country-assignment methodology.
If a company is incorporated, has a stated headquarters location,
and trades in the same country (American Depositary Receipts and
American Depositary Shares are not eligible), then the company is
assigned to its country of incorporation. If any of the three
factors are not the same, FTSE Russell defines three Home Country
Indicators (“HCIs”): country of incorporation, country of
headquarters, and country of the most liquid exchange (as defined
by a two-year average daily dollar trading volume) from all
exchanges within a country. Using the HCIs, FTSE Russell compares
the primary location of the company’s assets with the three HCIs.
If the primary location of its assets matches any of the HCIs, then
the company is assigned to the primary location of its assets. If
there is insufficient information to determine the country in which
the company’s assets are primarily located, FTSE Russell will use
the country from which the company’s revenues are primarily derived
for the comparison with the three HCIs in a similar manner. FTSE
Russell uses the average of two years of assets or revenues data to
reduce potential turnover. If conclusive country details cannot be
derived from assets or revenues data, FTSE Russell will assign the
company to the country of its headquarters, which is defined as the
address of the company’s principal executive offices, unless that
country is a Benefit Driven Incorporation (“BDI”) country, in which
case the company will be assigned to the country of its most liquid
stock exchange. BDI countries include: Anguilla, Antigua and
Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British
Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Cook Islands,
Curacao, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey,
Liberia, Marshall Islands, Panama, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint
Maarten, and Turks and Caicos Islands. For any companies
incorporated or headquartered in a U.S. territory,
including Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands, a U.S.
HCI is assigned.
All
securities eligible for inclusion in the RTY must trade on a major
U.S. exchange. Stocks must have a closing price at or above $1.00
on their primary exchange on the last trading day in May to be
eligible for inclusion during annual reconstitution. However, in
order to reduce unnecessary turnover, if an existing member’s
closing price is less than $1.00 on the last day of May, it will be
considered eligible if the average of the daily closing prices
(from its primary exchange) during the month of May is equal to or
greater than $1.00. Initial public offerings are added each quarter
and must have a closing price at or above $1.00 on the last day of
their eligibility period in order to qualify for index inclusion.
If an existing stock does not trade on the “rank day” (typically
the last trading day in May but a confirmed timetable is announced
each spring) but does have a closing price at or above $1.00 on
another eligible U.S. exchange, that stock will be eligible for
inclusion.
An
important criterion used to determine the list of securities
eligible for the RTY is total market capitalization, which is
defined as the market price as of the last trading day in May for
those securities being considered at annual reconstitution times
the total number of shares outstanding. Where applicable, common
stock, non-restricted exchangeable shares and partnership
units/membership interests are used to determine market
capitalization. Any other form of shares such as preferred stock,
convertible preferred stock, redeemable shares, participating
preferred stock, warrants and rights, installment receipts or trust
receipts, are excluded from the calculation. If multiple share
classes of common stock exist, they are combined. In cases where
the common stock share classes act independently of each other
(e.g., tracking stocks), each class is considered for inclusion
separately. If multiple share classes exist, the pricing vehicle
will be designated as the share class with the highest two-year
trading volume as of the rank day in May.
Companies
with a total market capitalization of less than $30 million are not
eligible for the RTY. Similarly, companies with only 5% or less of
their shares available in the marketplace are not eligible for the
RTY. Royalty trusts, limited liability companies, closed-end
investment companies (companies that are required to report
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, as defined by the SEC, including
business development companies), blank
PS-13
check
companies, special purpose acquisition companies, and limited
partnerships are also ineligible for inclusion. Bulletin board,
pink sheets, and over-the-counter traded securities are not
eligible for inclusion. Exchange traded funds and mutual funds are
also excluded.
Annual
reconstitution is a process by which the RTY is completely rebuilt.
Based on closing levels of the company’s common stock on its
primary exchange on the rank day of May of each year, FTSE Russell
reconstitutes the composition of the RTY using the then existing
market capitalizations of eligible companies. Reconstitution of the
RTY occurs on the last Friday in June or, when the last Friday in
June is the 29th or 30th, reconstitution occurs on the prior
Friday. In addition, FTSE Russell adds initial public offerings to
the RTY on a quarterly basis based on total market capitalization
ranking within the market-adjusted capitalization breaks
established during the most recent reconstitution. After membership
is determined, a security’s shares are adjusted to include only
those shares available to the public. This is often referred to as
“free float.” The purpose of the adjustment is to exclude from
market calculations the capitalization that is not available for
purchase and is not part of the investable opportunity
set.
Historical
Performance of the RTY
The
following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of the
RTY in the period from January 3, 2017 through May 19, 2022. We
obtained this historical data from Bloomberg L.P. We have not
independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the
information obtained from Bloomberg L.P. The horizontal line in the
graph represents the RTY’s hypothetical Downside Threshold of
1,243.356 (rounded to three decimal places), which is 70% of the
RTY’s hypothetical Initial Value of 1,776.223, which was its
closing level on May 19, 2022. The actual Initial Value and
Downside Threshold will be determined on the Trade
Date.
This
historical data on the RTY is not necessarily indicative of the
future performance of the RTY or what the value of the Notes may
be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the RTY
during any period set forth above is not an indication that the
level of the RTY is more or less likely to increase or
decrease at any time over the term of the Notes.
Before
investing in the Notes, you should consult publicly available
sources for the levels of the RTY.
License
Agreement
“Russell 2000®” and “Russell 3000®” are
trademarks of FTSE Russell and have been licensed for use by our
affiliate, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated ("MLPF&S"). The Notes are not sponsored, endorsed,
sold, or promoted by FTSE Russell, and FTSE Russell makes no
representation regarding the advisability of investing in the
Notes.
FTSE
Russell and MLPF&S have entered into a non-exclusive license
agreement providing for the license to MLPF&S and its
affiliates, including us, in exchange for a fee, of the right to
use indices owned and published by FTSE Russell in connection with
some securities, including the Notes. The license agreement
provides that the following language must be stated in this pricing
supplement:
The
Notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by FTSE
Russell. FTSE Russell makes 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 RTY to track
general stock market performance or a segment of the same. FTSE
Russell’s publication of the RTY in no way suggests or implies an
opinion by FTSE Russell as to the advisability of investment in any
or all of the securities upon which the RTY is based. FTSE
Russell’s only relationship to MLPF&S and to us is the
licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of FTSE Russell and
of the RTY, which is determined, composed, and calculated by FTSE
Russell without regard to MLPF&S, us, or the Notes. FTSE
Russell is not responsible for and has not reviewed the Notes nor
any associated literature or publications and FTSE Russell makes no
representation or warranty express or implied as to their accuracy
or completeness, or otherwise. FTSE Russell reserves the right, at
any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate, or in any
way change the RTY. FTSE Russell has no obligation or liability in
connection with the administration, marketing, or trading of the
Notes.
PS-14
FTSE
RUSSELL DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF
THE RTY OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND FTSE RUSSELL SHALL HAVE NO
LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. FTSE
RUSSELL MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE
OBTAINED BY MLPF&S, US, HOLDERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY OTHER
PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE RTY OR ANY DATA INCLUDED
THEREIN. FTSE RUSSELL MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND
EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE RTY OR ANY DATA
INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO
EVENT SHALL FTSE RUSSELL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL,
PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST
PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES.
The
S&P 500® Index
The
SPX includes a representative sample of 500 companies in
leading industries of the U.S. economy. The SPX is intended to
provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price
movement. The calculation of the level of the SPX 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.
The
SPX includes companies from eleven main groups: Communication
Services; Consumer Discretionary; Consumer Staples; Energy;
Financials; Health Care; Industrials; Information Technology; Real
Estate; Materials; and Utilities. SPDJI may from time to time, in
its sole discretion, add companies to, or delete companies from,
the SPX to achieve the objectives stated above.
Company additions
to the SPX must have an unadjusted company market capitalization of
$8.2 billion or more (an increase from the previous requirement of
an unadjusted company market capitalization of $6.1 billion or
more).
SPDJI
calculates the SPX by reference to the prices of the constituent
stocks of the SPX 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 SPX
constituent stocks and received the dividends paid on those
stocks.
Computation
of the SPX
While
SPDJI currently employs the following methodology to calculate the
SPX, no assurance can be given that SPDJI will not modify or change
this methodology in a manner that may affect payment on the
Notes.
Historically, the
market value of any component stock of the SPX 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, SPDJI
began shifting the SPX halfway from a market capitalization
weighted formula to a float-adjusted formula, before moving the SPX
to full float adjustment on September 16, 2005. SPDJI’s criteria
for selecting stocks for the SPX did not change with the shift to
float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects each company’s
weight in the SPX.
Under
float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the SPX
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 SPX.
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. If a company has
multiple classes of stock outstanding, shares in an unlisted or
non-traded class are treated as 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 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, SPDJI 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, SPDJI 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 SPX. Constituents of the SPX
prior to July 31, 2017 with multiple share class lines will be
grandfathered in and continue to be included in the SPX. If a
constituent company of the SPX reorganizes into a multiple share
class line structure, that company will remain in the SPX at the
discretion of the S&P Index Committee in order to minimize
turnover.
The
SPX is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology. The
level of the SPX 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
SPX 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
SPX, it serves as a link to the original base period level of the
SPX. The index divisor keeps the SPX comparable over time and is
the manipulation point for all adjustments to the SPX, which is
index maintenance.
Index
Maintenance
PS-15
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 SPX, and do not require index
divisor adjustments.
To
prevent the level of the SPX from changing due to corporate
actions, corporate actions which affect the total market value of
the SPX require an index divisor adjustment. By adjusting the index
divisor for the change in market value, the level of the SPX
remains constant and does not reflect the corporate actions of
individual companies in the SPX. Index divisor adjustments are made
after the close of trading and after the calculation of the SPX
closing level.
Changes in a
company’s shares outstanding of 5.00% or more due to mergers,
acquisitions, public offerings, tender offers, Dutch auctions, or
exchange offers are made as soon as reasonably possible. Share
changes due to mergers or acquisitions of publicly held companies
that trade on a major exchange are implemented when the transaction
occurs, even if both of the companies are not in the same headline
index, and regardless of the size of the change. All other changes
of 5.00% or more (due to, for example, company stock repurchases,
private placements, redemptions, exercise of options, warrants,
conversion of preferred stock, notes, debt, equity participation
units, at-the-market offerings, or other recapitalizations) are
made weekly and are announced on Fridays for implementation after
the close of trading on the following Friday. Changes of less than
5.00% are accumulated and made quarterly on the third Friday of
March, June, September, and December, and are usually announced two
to five days prior. If a change in a company’s shares outstanding
of 5.00% or more 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.
Historical
Performance of the SPX
The
following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of the
SPX in the period from January 3, 2017 through May 19, 2022. We
obtained this historical data from Bloomberg L.P. We have not
independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the
information obtained from Bloomberg L.P. The horizontal line in the
graph represents the SPX’s hypothetical Downside Threshold of
2,730.55 (rounded to two decimal places), which is 70% of the SPX’s
hypothetical Initial Value of 3,900.79, which was its closing level
on May 19, 2022. The actual Initial Value and Downside Threshold
will be determined on the Trade Date.
This
historical data on the SPX is not necessarily indicative of the
future performance of the SPX or what the value of the Notes may
be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the SPX
during any period set forth above is not an indication that the
level of the SPX is more or less likely to increase or
decrease at any time over the term of the Notes.
Before
investing in the Notes, you should consult publicly available
sources for the levels of the SPX.
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 SPX 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 SPX to track
general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only
relationship to MLPF&S with respect to the SPX is the licensing
of the SPX and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names
of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its third party licensors. The
SPX 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 SPX. 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
PS-16
obligation or
liability in connection with the administration, marketing or
trading of the Notes. There is no assurance that investment
products based on the SPX 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 SPX. 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 SPX 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 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 DISCLAIM 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 SPX 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-17
Correlation of
the Underlyings
The
graph below illustrates the daily performance of the RTY and the
SPX from January 3, 2017 through May 19, 2022. For comparison
purposes, each Underlying has been “normalized” to have a closing
level of 100 on January 3, 2017 by dividing the closing level of
that Underlying on each trading day by the closing level of that
Underlying on January 3, 2017 and multiplying by 100. We obtained
the closing levels used to determine the normalized closing levels
set forth below from Bloomberg L.P., without independent
verification.
The
correlation of a pair of Underlyings represents a statistical
measurement of the degree to which the returns of those Underlyings
were similar to each other over a given period in terms of timing
and direction. The correlation between a pair of Underlyings is
scaled from 1.0 to -1.0, with 1.0 indicating perfect positive
correlation (i.e., the value of each Underlying is
increasing together or decreasing together and the ratio of their
returns has been constant), 0 indicating no correlation
(i.e., there is no statistical relationship between the
returns of that pair of Underlyings) and -1.0 indicating perfect
negative correlation (i.e., as the value of one Underlying
increases, the value of the other Underlying decreases and the
ratio of their returns has been constant).
The
graph below illustrates the historical performance of each
Underlying relative to each other over the time period shown and
provides an indication of how close the relative performance of
each Underlying has historically been to the other Underlying. A
closer relationship between the daily returns of two or more
underlying assets over a given period indicates that such
underlying assets have been more positively correlated. Lower (or
more-negative) correlation among two or more underlying assets over
a given period may indicate that it is less likely that those
underlying assets will subsequently move in the same direction.
Therefore, lower correlation among the Underlyings may indicate a
greater potential for one of the Underlyings to close below its
respective Initial Value or Downside Threshold on an Observation
Date, including the Final Observation Date, as applicable, because
there may be a greater likelihood that at least one of the
Underlyings will decrease in value significantly. However, even if
the Underlyings have a higher positive correlation, one or both of
the Underlyings may close below its respective Initial Value or
Downside Threshold on an Observation Date or the Final Observation
Date, as applicable, as the Underlyings may both decrease in value.
Moreover, the actual correlation among the Underlyings may differ,
perhaps significantly, from their historical correlation. Although
the correlation of the Underlyings’ performance may change over the
term of the Notes, the economic terms of the Notes, including the
Call Return Rate and Downside Thresholds are determined, in part,
based on the correlation of the Underlyings’ performance calculated
using our and our affiliates' pricing models at the time when the
terms of the Notes are finalized. All other things being equal, a
higher Call Return Rate and lower Downside Threshold is generally
associated with lower correlation among the Underlyings, which may
indicate a greater potential that the Notes will not be
automatically called and of a significant loss on your investment
at maturity. See “Risk Factors — You are exposed to the market risk
of each Underlying”, “—Because the Notes are linked to the
performance of the least performing between the RTY and the SPX,
you are exposed to greater risk that the Notes will not be
automatically called and sustaining a significant loss on your
investment than if the Notes were linked to just the RTY or just
the SPX” and “—Greater expected volatility generally indicates
an increased risk of loss” herein.
Past
performance and correlation of the Underlyings are not indicative
of the future performance or correlation of
the Underlyings.
PS-18
Supplement
to the Plan of Distribution; Role of BofAS and Conflicts of
Interest
|
BofAS,
an affiliate of BofA Finance and the lead selling agent for the
sale of the Notes, will receive an underwriting discount of $0.25
for any Note sold in this offering. UBS, as selling agent for sales
of the Notes, expects to purchase from BofAS, and BofAS expects to
sell to UBS, all of the Notes sold in this offering for $9.75 per
Note. UBS proposes to offer the Notes to the public at a price of
$10.00 per Note. UBS will receive an underwriting discount of $0.25
for each Note it sells to the public. The underwriting discount
will be received by UBS and its financial advisors collectively. If
all of the Notes are not sold at the initial offering price,
BofAS may change the public offering price and other selling
terms.
BofAS,
a broker-dealer affiliate of ours, is a member of the Financial
Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) and will participate
as lead selling agent in the distribution of the Notes.
Accordingly, the offering of the Notes will conform to the
requirements of FINRA Rule 5121. BofAS may not make sales in
this offering to any of its discretionary accounts without the
prior written approval of the account holder.
BofAS
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. These broker-dealer
affiliates 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.
As
agreed by BofAS and UBS, for approximately an eight-month period
after the Trade Date, to the extent BofAS offers to buy the Notes
in the secondary market, it will do so at a price that will exceed
the estimated value of the Notes at that time. The amount of this
excess will decline on a straight line basis over that period.
Thereafter, if BofAS buys or sells your Notes, it will do so at
prices that reflect the estimated value determined by reference to
its pricing models at that time. Any price at any time after the
Trade Date 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, BofAS, UBS or any other party 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 BofAS 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.
Sales Outside
of the United States
The
Notes have not been approved for public sale in any jurisdiction
outside of the United States. There has been no registration or
filing as to the Notes with any regulatory, securities, banking, or
local authority outside of the United States and no action has been
taken by BofA Finance, BAC, BofAS or any other affiliate of BAC, or
by UBS or any of its affiliates, to offer the Notes in any
jurisdiction other than the United States. As such, these Notes are
made available to investors outside of the United States only in
jurisdictions where it is lawful to make such offer or sale and
only under circumstances that will result in compliance with
applicable laws and regulations, including private placement
requirements.
Further, no offer
or sale of the Notes is being made to residents
of:
You
are urged to carefully review the selling restrictions that
may be applicable to your jurisdiction beginning on page S-68 of
the accompanying prospectus supplement.
European
Economic Area and United Kingdom
PS-19
None
of this pricing supplement, the accompanying product supplement,
the accompanying prospectus or the accompanying prospectus
supplement is a prospectus for the purposes of the Prospectus
Regulation (as defined below). This pricing supplement, the
accompanying product supplement, the accompanying prospectus and
the accompanying prospectus supplement have been prepared on the
basis that any offer of Notes in any Member State of the European
Economic Area (the “EEA”) or in the United Kingdom (each, a
“Relevant State”) will only be made to a legal entity which is a
qualified investor under the Prospectus Regulation (“Qualified
Investors”). Accordingly any person making or intending to make an
offer in that Relevant State of Notes which are the subject of the
offering contemplated in this pricing supplement, the accompanying
product supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the
accompanying prospectus supplement may only do so with respect to
Qualified Investors. Neither BofA Finance nor BAC has authorized,
nor does it authorize, the making of any offer of Notes other
than to Qualified Investors. The expression “Prospectus Regulation”
means Regulation (EU) 2017/1129.
PROHIBITION
OF SALES TO EEA AND UNITED KINGDOM RETAIL INVESTORS — 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 or in the United
Kingdom. For these purposes: (a) a retail investor means a person
who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point
(11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU, as amended (“MiFID
II”); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU)
2016/97 (the Insurance Distribution Directive), where that customer
would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10)
of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as
defined in the Prospectus Regulation; and (b) 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 for the Notes. 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 or in the United
Kingdom has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the
Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in
the EEA or in the United Kingdom may be unlawful under the PRIIPs
Regulation.
United
Kingdom
The
communication of this pricing supplement, the accompanying product
supplement, the accompanying prospectus supplement, the
accompanying prospectus and any other document or materials
relating to the issue of the Notes offered hereby is not being
made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved,
by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the
United Kingdom’s Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as
amended (the “FSMA”). Accordingly, such documents and/or materials
are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the
general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such
documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being
made to those persons in the United Kingdom who have professional
experience in matters relating to investments and who fall within
the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article
19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial
Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Financial Promotion
Order”)), or who fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the
Financial Promotion Order, or who are any other persons to whom it
may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion Order
(all such persons together being referred to as “relevant
persons”). In the United Kingdom, the Notes offered hereby are only
available to, and any investment or investment activity to which
this pricing supplement, the accompanying product supplement, the
accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus
relates will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person
in the United Kingdom that is not a relevant person should not act
or rely on this pricing supplement, the accompanying product
supplement, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the
accompanying prospectus or any of their contents.
Any
invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within
the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) in connection with the issue
or sale of the Notes may only be communicated or caused to be
communicated in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA
does not apply to the Issuer or the Guarantor.
All
applicable provisions of the FSMA must be complied with in respect
to anything done by any person in relation to the Notes in, from or
otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
PS-20
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. Any payments on the Notes, including any Call Price,
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 reflect our and BAC’s actual or perceived creditworthiness at
the time of pricing and 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 elsewhere in this pricing
supplement, will reduce 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 will be greater
than the initial estimated value of the Notes as of the Trade Date.
On the
cover page of this preliminary pricing supplement, we have provided
the initial estimated value range for the Notes. The final pricing
supplement will set forth the initial estimated value of the Notes
as of the Trade Date.
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 BofAS or one of our other affiliates. The terms
of these hedging arrangements are determined based upon terms
provided by BofAS 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.
BofAS
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-7
above and “Supplemental Use of Proceeds” on page PS-19 of the
accompanying product supplement.
PS-21
U.S.
Federal Income Tax Summary
|
The
following summary of the material U.S. federal income and estate
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. 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
BAC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly throughout
this tax discussion, references to “we,” “our” or “us” are
generally to BAC 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, in the opinion of our
counsel, Sidley Austin LLP, and based on certain factual
representations received from us, the Notes should be treated as
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. This discussion assumes
that the Notes constitute single financial contracts with respect
to the Underlyings for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the
Notes did not constitute single financial contracts, the tax
consequences described below would be materially
different.
This
characterization of the Notesis not binding on the IRS or
the courts. No statutory, judicial, or administrative authority
directly addresses the characterization of the Notesor 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 Notesare 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 a component
stock included in an Underlying 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 meaning of Section 897(c) of the Code. If
the issuer of one or more stocks included in an Underlying 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 each Underlying 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
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 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. 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.
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 income, and any loss
realized at maturity or upon a sale, exchange, or redemption of the
Notes generally 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.
PS-22
The
IRS released Notice 2008-2 (the “Notice”), which sought comments
from the public on the taxation of financial instruments currently
taxed as “prepaid forward contracts.” This Notice addresses
instruments such as the Notes. According to the Notice, the IRS and
Treasury are considering whether a holder of an instrument such as
the Notes 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 each
Underlying is an index that periodically rebalances, it is possible
that the Notes could be treated as a series of 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
Except
as discussed below, a Non-U.S. Holder generally will not be subject
to U.S. federal income or withholding tax for amounts paid in
respect of the Notes 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, redemption, or settlement 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 gain realized on the settlement
at maturity, or upon sale, exchange, or redemption 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 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 Treasury 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, 2023.
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, tax will be withheld at
the applicable statutory rate. As discussed above, the IRS has
indicated in the Notice that it is considering whether income in
respect of instruments such as the Notes should be subject to
withholding tax. Prospective Non-U.S. Holders should consult
their own tax advisors regarding the tax consequences of such
alternative characterizations.
PS-23
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 —
General — 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.
PS-24
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