10/31/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/31/2024 11:15
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.
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The Contingent Income Issuer Callable Yield Notes Linked to the Least Performing of the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR® Fund, the Nasdaq-100® Index and the Russell 2000® Index, due November 26, 2027 (the "Notes") are expected to price on November 21, 2024 and expected to issue on November 26, 2024.
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Approximate 3 year term if not called prior to maturity.
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Payments on the Notes will depend on the individual performance of the Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR® Fund, the Nasdaq-100® Index and the Russell 2000® Index (each an "Underlying").
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Contingent coupon rate of 7.75% per annum (0.6459% per month) payable monthly if the Observation Value of each Underlying on the applicable Observation Date is greater than or equal to 70.00% of its Starting Value, assuming the Notes have not been called.
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Beginning on May 27, 2025, callable monthly at our option for an amount equal to the principal amount plus the relevant Contingent Coupon Payment, if otherwise payable.
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Assuming the Notes are not called prior to maturity, if any Underlying declines by more than 30% from its Starting Value, at maturity your investment will be subject to 1:1 downside exposure to decreases in the value of the Least Performing Underlying, with up to 100% of the principal at risk; otherwise, at maturity, you will receive the principal amount. At maturity you will also receive a final Contingent Coupon Payment if the Observation Value of each Underlying on the final Observation Date is greater than or equal to 70.00% of its Starting Value.
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All payments on the Notes are subject to the credit risk of BofA Finance LLC ("BofA Finance" or the "Issuer"), as issuer of the Notes, and Bank of America Corporation ("BAC" or the "Guarantor"), as guarantor of the Notes.
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The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.
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CUSIP No. 09711FTS6.
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Public offering price(1)
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Underwriting discount(1)(2)
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Proceeds, before expenses, to BofA Finance(2)
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Per Note
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$1,000.00
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$28.75
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$971.25
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Total
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(1)
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Certain dealers who purchase the Notes for sale to certain fee-based advisory accounts may forgo some or all of their selling concessions, fees or commissions. The public offering price for investors purchasing the Notes in these fee-based advisory accounts may be as low as $971.25 per $1,000.00 in principal amount of Notes.
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(2)
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The underwriting discount per $1,000.00 in principal amount of Notes may be as high as $28.75, resulting in proceeds, before expenses, to BofA Finance of as low as $971.25 per $1,000.00 in principal amount of Notes.
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Are Not FDIC Insured
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Are Not Bank Guaranteed
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May Lose Value
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Selling Agent
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Issuer:
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BofA Finance
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Guarantor:
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BAC
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Denominations:
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The Notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000.00 and whole multiples of $1,000.00 in excess thereof.
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Term:
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Approximately 3 years, unless previously called.
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Underlyings:
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The Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR® Fund (Bloomberg symbol: "XLY"), the Nasdaq-100® Index (Bloomberg symbol: "NDX"), a price return index and the Russell 2000® Index (Bloomberg symbol: "RTY"), a price return index.
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Pricing Date*:
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November 21, 2024
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Issue Date*:
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November 26, 2024
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Valuation Date*:
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November 22, 2027, subject to postponement as described under "Description of the Notes-Certain Terms of the Notes-Events Relating to Observation Dates" in the accompanying product supplement.
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Maturity Date*:
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November 26, 2027
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Starting Value:
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With respect to the XLY, its Closing Market Price on the pricing date.
With respect to the NDX, its closing level on the pricing date.
With respect to the RTY, its closing level on the pricing date.
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Observation Value:
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With respect to the XLY, its Closing Market Price on the applicable Observation Date, multiplied by its Price Multiplier.
With respect to the NDX, its closing level on the applicable Observation Date.
With respect to the RTY, its closing level on the applicable Observation Date.
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Ending Value:
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With respect to each Underlying, its Observation Value on the Valuation Date.
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Price Multiplier:
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With respect to the XLY, 1, subject to adjustment for certain events as described in "Description of the Notes - Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to ETFs" beginning on page PS-28 of the accompanying product supplement.
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Coupon Barrier:
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With respect to each Underlying, 70.00% of its Starting Value.
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Threshold Value:
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With respect to each Underlying, 70.00% of its Starting Value.
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Contingent Coupon Payment:
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If, on any monthly Observation Date, the Observation Value of each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Coupon Barrier, we will pay a Contingent Coupon Payment of $6.459 per $1,000.00 in principal amount of Notes (equal to a rate of 0.6459% per month or 7.75% per annum) on the applicable Contingent Payment Date (including the Maturity Date).
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Optional Early Redemption:
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On any monthly Call Payment Date, we have the right to redeem all (but not less than all) of the Notes at the Early Redemption Amount. No further amounts will be payable following an Optional Early Redemption. We will give notice to the trustee at least five business days but not more than 60 calendar days before the applicable Call Payment Date.
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Early Redemption Amount:
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For each $1,000.00 in principal amount of Notes, $1,000.00, plus the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment if the Observation Value of each Underlying on the corresponding Observation Date is greater than or equal to its Coupon Barrier.
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Redemption Amount:
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If the Notes have not been called prior to maturity, the Redemption Amount per $1,000.00 in principal amount of Notes will be:
a) If the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its Threshold Value:
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-2
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b) If the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Threshold Value:
In this case, the Redemption Amount (excluding any final Contingent Coupon Payment) will be less than 70.00% of the principal amount and you could lose up to 100.00% of your investment in the Notes.
The Redemption Amount will also include a final Contingent Coupon Payment if the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its Coupon Barrier.
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Observation Dates*:
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As set forth beginning on page PS-4
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Contingent Payment Dates*:
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As set forth beginning on page PS-4
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Call Payment Dates*:
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As set forth beginning on page PS-6. Each Call Payment Date is also a Contingent Payment Date.
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Calculation Agent:
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BofA Securities, Inc. ("BofAS"), an affiliate of BofA Finance.
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Selling Agent:
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BofAS
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CUSIP:
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09711FTS6
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Underlying Return:
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With respect to each Underlying,
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Least Performing Underlying:
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The Underlying with the lowest Underlying Return.
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Events of Default and Acceleration:
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If an Event of Default, as defined in the senior indenture relating to the Notes and in the section entitled "Description of Debt Securities of BofA Finance LLC-Events of Default and Rights of Acceleration; Covenant Breaches" on page 54 of the accompanying prospectus, with respect to the Notes occurs and is continuing, the amount payable to a holder of the Notes upon any acceleration permitted under the senior indenture will be equal to the amount described under the caption "Redemption Amount" above, calculated as though the date of acceleration were the Maturity Date of the Notes and as though the Valuation Date were the third Trading Day prior to the date of acceleration. We will also determine whether a final Contingent Coupon Payment is payable based upon the values of the Underlyings on the deemed Valuation Date; any such final Contingent Coupon Payment will be prorated by the calculation agent to reflect the length of the final contingent payment period. In case of a default in the payment of the Notes, whether at their maturity or upon acceleration, the Notes will not bear a default interest rate.
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-3
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Observation Dates*
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Contingent Payment Dates
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December 23, 2024
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December 27, 2024
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January 21, 2025
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January 24, 2025
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February 21, 2025
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February 26, 2025
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March 21, 2025
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March 26, 2025
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April 21, 2025
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April 24, 2025
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May 21, 2025
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May 27, 2025
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June 23, 2025
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June 26, 2025
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July 21, 2025
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July 24, 2025
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August 21, 2025
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August 26, 2025
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September 22, 2025
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September 25, 2025
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October 21, 2025
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October 24, 2025
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November 21, 2025
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November 26, 2025
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December 22, 2025
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December 26, 2025
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January 21, 2026
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January 26, 2026
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February 23, 2026
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February 26, 2026
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March 23, 2026
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March 26, 2026
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April 21, 2026
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April 24, 2026
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May 21, 2026
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May 27, 2026
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June 22, 2026
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June 25, 2026
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July 21, 2026
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July 24, 2026
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August 21, 2026
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August 26, 2026
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September 21, 2026
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September 24, 2026
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October 21, 2026
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October 26, 2026
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November 23, 2026
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November 27, 2026
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December 21, 2026
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December 24, 2026
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January 21, 2027
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January 26, 2027
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February 22, 2027
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February 25, 2027
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March 22, 2027
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March 25, 2027
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April 21, 2027
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April 26, 2027
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May 21, 2027
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May 26, 2027
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June 21, 2027
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June 24, 2027
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July 21, 2027
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July 26, 2027
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August 23, 2027
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August 26, 2027
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-4
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Observation Dates*
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Contingent Payment Dates
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September 21, 2027
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September 24, 2027
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October 21, 2027
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October 26, 2027
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November 22, 2027 (the "Valuation Date")
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November 26, 2027 (the "Maturity Date")
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-5
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Call Payment Dates
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May 27, 2025
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June 26, 2025
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July 24, 2025
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August 26, 2025
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September 25, 2025
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October 24, 2025
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November 26, 2025
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December 26, 2025
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January 26, 2026
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February 26, 2026
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March 26, 2026
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April 24, 2026
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May 27, 2026
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June 25, 2026
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July 24, 2026
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August 26, 2026
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September 24, 2026
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October 26, 2026
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November 27, 2026
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December 24, 2026
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January 26, 2027
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February 25, 2027
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March 25, 2027
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April 26, 2027
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May 26, 2027
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June 24, 2027
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July 26, 2027
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August 26, 2027
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September 24, 2027
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October 26, 2027
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-6
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-7
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-8
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Number of Contingent Coupon Payments
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Total Contingent Coupon Payments
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0
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$0.000
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2
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$12.918
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4
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$25.836
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6
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$38.754
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8
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$51.672
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10
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$64.590
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12
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$77.508
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14
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$90.426
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16
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$103.344
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18
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$116.262
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20
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$129.180
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22
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$142.098
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24
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$155.016
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26
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$167.934
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28
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$180.852
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30
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$193.770
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32
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$206.688
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34
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$219.606
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36
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$232.524
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-9
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Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying
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Underlying Return of the Least Performing Underlying
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Redemption Amount per Note (including any final Contingent Coupon Payment)
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Return on the Notes(1)
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160.00
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60.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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150.00
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50.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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140.00
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40.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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130.00
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30.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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120.00
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20.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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110.00
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10.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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105.00
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5.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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102.00
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2.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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100.00(2)
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0.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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90.00
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-10.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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80.00
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-20.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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70.00(3)
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-30.00%
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$1,006.459
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0.6459%
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69.99
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-30.01%
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$699.900
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-30.0100%
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60.00
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-40.00%
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$600.000
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-40.0000%
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50.00
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-50.00%
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$500.000
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-50.0000%
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0.00
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-100.00%
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$0.000
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-100.0000%
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(1)
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The "Return on the Notes" is calculated based on the Redemption Amount and potential final Contingent Coupon Payment, not including any Contingent Coupon Payments paid prior to maturity.
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(2)
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The hypothetical Starting Value of 100 used in the table above has been chosen for illustrative purposes only and does not represent a likely Starting Value of any Underlying.
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(3)
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This is the hypothetical Coupon Barrier and Threshold Value of the Least Performing Underlying.
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-10
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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 called prior to maturity and the Ending Value of any Underlying is less than its Threshold Value, at maturity, your investment will be subject to 1:1 downside exposure to decreases in the value of the Least Performing Underlying and you will lose 1% of the principal amount for each 1% that the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Starting Value. In that case, you will lose a significant portion or all of your investment in the Notes.
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Your return on the Notes is limited to the return represented by the Contingent Coupon Payments, if any, over the term of the Notes. Your return on the Notes is limited to the Contingent Coupon Payments paid over the term of the Notes, regardless of the extent to which the Observation Value or Ending Value of any Underlying exceeds its Coupon Barrier or Starting Value, as applicable. Similarly, the amount payable at maturity or upon an Optional Early Redemption will never exceed the sum of the principal amount and the applicable Contingent Coupon Payment, regardless of the extent to which the Observation Value or Ending Value of any Underlying exceeds its Starting Value. In contrast, a direct investment in an Underlying or in the securities held by or included in one or more of the Underlyings would allow you to receive the benefit of any appreciation in their values. Any return on the Notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned those securities and received the dividends paid or distributions made on them.
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The Notes are subject to Optional Early Redemption, which would limit your ability to receive the Contingent Coupon Payments over the full term of the Notes. On each Call Payment Date, at our option, we may call your Notes in whole, but not in part. If the Notes are called prior to the Maturity Date, you will be entitled to receive the Early Redemption Amount on the applicable Call Payment Date, and no further amounts will be payable on the Notes. In this case, you will lose the opportunity to continue to receive Contingent Coupon Payments after the date of the Optional Early Redemption. If the Notes are called prior to the Maturity Date, 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. Even if we do not exercise our option to call your Notes, our ability to do so may adversely affect the market value of your Notes. It is our sole option whether to call your Notes prior to maturity on any such Call Payment Date and we may or may not exercise this option for any reason. Because of this Optional Early Redemption potential, the term of your Notes could be anywhere between six and thirty-six months.
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You may not receive any Contingent Coupon Payments. The Notes do not provide for any regular fixed coupon payments. Investors in the Notes will not necessarily receive any Contingent Coupon Payments on the Notes. If the Observation Value of any Underlying is less than its Coupon Barrier on an Observation Date, you will not receive the Contingent Coupon Payment applicable to that Observation Date. If the Observation Value of any Underlying is less than its Coupon Barrier on all the Observation Dates during the term of the Notes, you will not receive any Contingent Coupon Payments during the term of the Notes, and will not receive a positive return on the Notes.
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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 Contingent Coupon Payment (if any) may be less than the yield on a conventional debt security of comparable maturity.
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The Contingent Coupon Payment, Early Redemption Amount or Redemption Amount, as applicable, will not reflect changes in the values of the Underlyings other than on the Observation Dates. The values of the Underlyings during the term of the Notes other than on the Observation Dates will not affect payments on the Notes. 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 each Contingent Coupon Payment is payable and will calculate the Early Redemption Amount or the Redemption Amount, as applicable, by comparing only the Starting Value, the Coupon Barrier or the Threshold Value, as applicable, to the Observation Value or the Ending Value for each Underlying. No other values of the Underlyings will be taken into account. As a result, if the Notes are not called prior to maturity and the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Threshold Value, you will receive less than the principal amount at maturity even if the value of each Underlying was always above its Threshold Value prior to the Valuation Date.
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Because the Notes are linked to the least performing (and not the average performance) of the Underlyings, you may not receive any return on the Notes and may lose a significant portion or all of your investment in the Notes even if the Observation Value or Ending Value of one Underlying is greater than or equal to its Coupon Barrier or Threshold Value, as applicable. Your Notes are linked to the least performing of the Underlyings, and a change in the value of one Underlying may not correlate with changes in the values of the other Underlyings. The Notes are not linked to a basket composed of the Underlyings, where the depreciation in the
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-11
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value of one Underlying could be offset to some extent by the appreciation in the values of the other Underlyings. In the case of the Notes, the individual performance of each Underlying would not be combined, and the depreciation in the value of one Underlying would not be offset by any appreciation in the values of the other Underlyings. Even if the Observation Value of an Underlying is at or above its Coupon Barrier on an Observation Date, you will not receive the Contingent Coupon Payment with respect to that Observation Date if the Observation Value of another Underlying is below its Coupon Barrier on that day. In addition, even if the Ending Value of an Underlying is at or above its Threshold Value, you will lose a significant portion or all of your investment in the Notes if the Ending Value of the Least Performing Underlying is below its Threshold Value.
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Any payments on the Notes are subject to our credit risk and the credit risk of the Guarantor, and any 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 any 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 performance of the Underlyings. No assurance can be given as to what our financial condition or the financial condition of the Guarantor will be at any time after the pricing date of the Notes. If we and the Guarantor become unable to meet our respective financial obligations as they become due, you may not receive the amount(s) payable under the terms of the Notes.
In addition, our credit ratings and the credit ratings of the Guarantor are assessments by ratings agencies of our respective abilities to pay our obligations. Consequently, our or the Guarantor's perceived creditworthiness and actual or anticipated decreases in our or the Guarantor's credit ratings or increases in the spread between the yield on our respective securities and the yield on U.S. Treasury securities (the "credit spread") prior to the Maturity Date may adversely affect the market value of the Notes. However, because your return on the Notes depends upon factors in addition to our ability and the ability of the 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. |
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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.
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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 pricing 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 values of the Underlyings, changes in the Guarantor's internal funding rate, and the inclusion in the public offering price of the underwriting discount, if any, 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.
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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.
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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.
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Trading and hedging activities by us, the Guarantor and any of our other affiliates, including BofAS, 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, may buy or sell shares or units of the Underlyings or the securities held by or included in the Underlyings, as applicable, or futures or options contracts or exchange traded instruments on the Underlyings or those securities, or other instruments whose value is derived from the Underlyings or those securities. While we, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including BofAS, may from time to time own shares or units of the Underlyings or securities represented by the Underlyings, except to the extent that BAC's common stock may be included in the Underlyings, we, the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including BofAS, 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, may execute such purchases or sales for our own or their own accounts, for business
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-12
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reasons, or in connection with hedging our obligations under the Notes. These transactions may present a conflict of interest between your interest in the Notes and the interests we, the Guarantor and our other affiliates, including BofAS, 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. These transactions may adversely affect the values of the Underlyings in a manner that could be adverse to your investment in the Notes. On or before the pricing date, any purchases or sales by us, the Guarantor or our other affiliates, including BofAS or others on our or their behalf (including those for the purpose of hedging some or all of our anticipated exposure in connection with the Notes), may affect the values of the Underlyings. Consequently, the values of the Underlyings may change subsequent to the pricing date, which may adversely affect the market value of the Notes.
We, the Guarantor or one or more of our other affiliates, including BofAS, also expect to engage in hedging activities that could affect the values of the Underlyings on the pricing date. In addition, these hedging activities, including the unwinding of a hedge, 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, 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 values of the Underlyings, the market value of your Notes prior to maturity or the amounts payable on the Notes. |
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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.
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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.
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Adverse conditions in the consumer discretionary sector may reduce your return on the Notes. All or substantially all of the equity securities held by the XLY are issued by companies whose primary line of business is directly associated with the consumer discretionary sector. The success of consumer product manufacturers and retailers is tied closely to the performance of the overall domestic and global economy, interest rates, competition and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable household income and consumer spending. Also, companies in the consumer discretionary sector may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their respective profitability. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can also affect the demand for, and success of, consumer products and services in the marketplace. These factors could affect the consumer discretionary sector and could affect the value of the equity securities held by the XLY and the price of the XLY during the term of the Notes, which may adversely affect the value of your Notes.
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The Notes are subject to risks associated with foreign securities markets. The NDX includes certain foreign equity securities. You should be aware that investments in securities linked to the value of foreign equity securities involve particular risks. The foreign securities markets comprising the NDX may have less liquidity and may be more volatile than U.S. or other securities markets and market developments may affect foreign markets differently from U.S. or other securities markets. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize these foreign securities markets, as well as cross-shareholdings in foreign companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in these markets. Also, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than about those U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC, and foreign companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies.
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The stocks held by the XLY are concentrated in one sector. The XLY holds securities issued by companies in the consumer discretionary sector. As a result, some of the stocks that will determine the performance of the Notes are concentrated in one sector. Although an investment in the Notes will not give holders any ownership or other direct interests in the securities held by the XLY, the return on an investment in the Notes will be subject to certain risks associated with a direct equity investment in companies in this sector. Accordingly, by investing in the Notes, you will not benefit from the diversification which could result from an investment linked to companies that operate in multiple sectors.
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The performance of the XLY may not correlate with the performance of its underlying index as well as the net asset value per
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-13
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share or unit of the XLY, especially during periods of market volatility. The performance of the XLY and that of its underlying index generally will vary due to, for example, transaction costs, management fees, certain corporate actions, and timing variances. Moreover, it is also possible that the performance of the XLY may not fully replicate or may, in certain circumstances, diverge significantly from the performance of its underlying index. This could be due to, for example, the XLY not holding all or substantially all of the underlying assets included in its underlying index and/or holding assets that are not included in its underlying index, the temporary unavailability of certain securities in the secondary market, the performance of any derivative instruments held by the XLY, differences in trading hours between the XLY (or the underlying assets held by the XLY) and its underlying index, or other circumstances. This variation in performance is called the "tracking error," and, at times, the tracking error may be significant. In addition, because the shares or units of the XLY are traded on a securities exchange and are subject to market supply and investor demand, the market price of one share or unit of the XLY may differ from its net asset value per share or unit; shares or units of the XLY may trade at, above, or below its net asset value per share or unit. During periods of market volatility, securities held by the XLY may be unavailable in the secondary market, market participants may be unable to calculate accurately the net asset value per share or unit of the XLY and the liquidity of the XLY may be adversely affected. Market volatility may also disrupt the ability of market participants to trade shares or units of the XLY. Further, market volatility may adversely affect, sometimes materially, the prices at which market participants are willing to buy and sell shares or units of the XLY. As a result, under these circumstances, the market value of shares or units of the XLY may vary substantially from the net asset value per share or unit of the XLY.
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The anti-dilution adjustments will be limited. The calculation agent may adjust the Price Multiplier of the XLY and other terms of the Notes to reflect certain actions by the XLY, as described in the section "Description of the Notes-Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to ETFs" in the accompanying product supplement. The calculation agent will not be required to make an adjustment for every event that may affect the XLY and will have broad discretion to determine whether and to what extent an adjustment is required.
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The publisher or the sponsor or investment advisor of an Underlying may adjust that Underlying in a way that affects its values, and the publisher or the sponsor or investment advisor has no obligation to consider your interests. The publisher or the sponsor or investment advisor of an Underlying can add, delete, or substitute the components included in that Underlying or make other methodological changes that could change its value. Any of these actions could adversely affect the value of your Notes.
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The U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Notes are uncertain, and may be adverse to a holder of the Notes. No statutory, judicial, or administrative authority directly addresses the characterization of the Notes or securities similar to the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, significant aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Notes are not certain. Under the terms of the Notes, you will have agreed with us to treat the Notes as contingent income-bearing single financial contracts, as described 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 income, gain or loss with respect to the Notes may differ. No ruling will be requested from the IRS with respect to the Notes and no assurance can be given that the IRS will agree with the statements made in the section entitled "U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary." You are urged to consult with your own tax advisor regarding all aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of investing in the Notes.
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-14
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Each of the component stocks in a Select Sector Index (the "Component Stocks") is a constituent company of the SPX.
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-15
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The eleven Select Sector Indices together will include all of the companies represented in the SPX and each of the stocks in the SPX will be allocated to at least one of the Select Sector Indices.
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The Index Compilation Agent assigns each constituent stock of the SPX to a Select Sector Index. The Index Compilation Agent assigns a company's stock to a particular Select Sector Index based on S&P Dow Jones Indices's sector classification methodology as set forth in its Global Industry Classification Standard.
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Each Select Sector Index is calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices using a modified "market capitalization" methodology. This design ensures that each of the component stocks within a Select Sector Index is represented in a proportion consistent with its percentage with respect to the total market capitalization of that Select Sector Index.
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(i)
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The indices are first evaluated to ensure none of the indices breach the maximum allowable limits defined in rules (ii) and (v) below. If any of the allowable limits are breached, the component stocks are reweighted based on their float-adjusted market capitalization weights.
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(ii)
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If any component stock has a weight greater than 24%, that component stock has its float-adjusted market capitalization weight capped at 23%. The 23% weight cap creates a 2% buffer to ensure that no component stock exceeds 25% as of the quarter-end diversification requirement date.
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(iii)
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All excess weight is equally redistributed to all uncapped component stocks within the relevant Select Sector Index.
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(iv)
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After this redistribution, if the float-adjusted market capitalization weight of any other component stock(s) then breaches 23%, the process is repeated iteratively until no component stock breaches the 23% weight cap.
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(v)
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The sum of the component stocks with weight greater than 4.8% cannot exceed 50% of the total index weight. These caps are set to allow for a buffer below the 5% limit.
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(vi)
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If the rule in step (v) is breached, all the component stocks are ranked in descending order of their float-adjusted market capitalization weights and the first component stock that causes the 50% limit to be breached has its weight reduced to 4.6%.
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(vii)
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This excess weight is equally redistributed to all component stocks with weights below 4.6%. This process is repeated iteratively until step (v) is satisfied.
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(viii)
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Index share amounts are assigned to each component stock to arrive at the weights calculated above. Since index shares are assigned based on prices one business day prior to rebalancing, the actual weight of each component stock at the rebalancing differs somewhat from these weights due to market movements.
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(ix)
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If necessary, the reweighting process may take place more than once prior to the close on the last business day of March, June, September or December to ensure conformity with all diversification requirements.
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Each Select Sector Index is calculated using the same methodology utilized by S&P Dow Jones Indices in calculating the SPX, using a base-weighted aggregate methodology. The daily calculation of each Select Sector Index is computed by dividing the total market value of the companies in the Select Sector Index by a number called the index divisor.
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The Index Compilation Agent at any time may determine that a Component Stock which has been assigned to one Select Sector Index
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-16
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has undergone such a transformation in the composition of its business, and should be removed from that Select Sector Index and assigned to a different Select Sector Index. In the event that the Index Compilation Agent notifies S&P Dow Jones Indices that a Component Stock's Select Sector Index assignment should be changed, S&P Dow Jones Indices will disseminate notice of the change following its standard procedure for announcing index changes and will implement the change in the affected Select Sector Indices on a date no less than one week after the initial dissemination of information on the sector change to the maximum extent practicable. It is not anticipated that Component Stocks will change sectors frequently.
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Component Stocks removed from and added to the SPX will be deleted from and added to the appropriate Select Sector Index on the same schedule used by S&P Dow Jones Indices for additions and deletions from the SPX insofar as practicable.
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-17
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-18
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-19
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the security's U.S. listing must be exclusively on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market (unless the security was dually listed on another U.S. market prior to January 1, 2004 and has continuously maintained such listing);
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the security must be of a non-financial company;
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the security may not be issued by an issuer currently in bankruptcy proceedings;
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the security must have a minimum three-month average daily trading volume of at least 200,000 shares;
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if the issuer of the security is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the U.S., then such security must have listed options on a recognized options market in the U.S. or be eligible for listed-options trading on a recognized options market in the U.S.;
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the issuer of the security may not have entered into a definitive agreement or other arrangement which would likely result in the security no longer being eligible for inclusion in the NDX;
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the issuer of the security may not have annual financial statements with an audit opinion that is currently withdrawn; and
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the issuer of the security must have "seasoned" on NASDAQ, the New York Stock Exchange or NYSE Amex. Generally, a company is considered to be seasoned if it has been listed on a market for at least three full months (excluding the first month of initial listing).
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the security's U.S. listing must be exclusively on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market;
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the security must be of a non-financial company;
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the security may not be issued by an issuer currently in bankruptcy proceedings;
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the security must have a minimum three-month average daily trading volume of at least 200,000 shares;
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if the issuer of the security is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the U.S., then such security must have listed options on a recognized options market in the U.S. or be eligible for listed-options trading on a recognized options market in the U.S. (measured annually during the ranking review process);
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the security must have an adjusted market capitalization equal to or exceeding 0.10% of the aggregate adjusted market capitalization of the NDX at each month-end. In the event a company does not meet this criterion for two consecutive month-ends, it will be removed from the NDX effective after the close of trading on the third Friday of the following month; and
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the issuer of the security may not have annual financial statements with an audit opinion that is currently withdrawn.
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-20
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-21
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-22
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-23
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-24
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-25
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-26
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-27
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-28
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-29
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-30
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-31
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-32
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CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-33
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Product Supplement EQUITY-1 dated December 30, 2022:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1682472/000119312522315473/d429684d424b2.htm |
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Series A MTN prospectus supplement dated December 30, 2022 and prospectus dated December 30, 2022:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1682472/000119312522315195/d409418d424b3.htm |
CONTINGENT INCOME ISSUER CALLABLE YIELD NOTES | PS-34
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