market factors, such as general stock market volatility and levels, interest rates and economic and political conditions. In addition, the Warrants have an increased sensitivity to market risk. Because your investment in the Warrants provides for leveraged exposure to the index, changes in the level of the index (both positive and negative) will have a greater impact on the value of the Warrants prior to the expiration date, and the cash settlement amount, if any, on your Warrants.
UBS and its affiliates have no affiliation with the index sponsor and are not responsible for their public disclosure of information.
We and our affiliates are not affiliated with index sponsor (except for licensing arrangements discussed herein) and have no ability to control or predict their actions, including any errors in or discontinuation of public disclosure regarding methods or policies relating to the calculation of the index. If the index sponsor discontinues or suspends the calculation of the index, it may become difficult to determine the market value of the Warrants and the cash settlement amount. The calculation agent may designate a successor index. If the calculation agent determines that no successor index comparable to the index exists, the payment you receive on the cash settlement payment date will be determined by the calculation agent. See “General Terms of the Warrants - Market Disruption Event” beginning on page S-18 and “General Terms of the Warrants - Role of Calculation Agent” beginning on page S-20. The index sponsor is not involved in the offer of the Warrants in any way. The index sponsor does not have any obligation to consider your interests as an owner of the Warrants in taking any actions that might affect the market value of your Warrants or the cash settlement amount.
We have derived the information about the index sponsor and the index from publicly available information, without independent verification. UBS has not conducted any independent review or due diligence of any publicly available information with respect to the index sponsor or the index. You, as an investor in the Warrants, should make your own independent investigation into the index sponsor and the index for your Warrants.
Changes affecting the index, including regulatory changes, could have an adverse effect on the market value of, and return on, your Warrants.
The policies of the index sponsor as specified under “Information About the Index” (the “index sponsor”), concerning additions, deletions and substitutions of the index constituent stocks and the manner in which the index sponsor takes account of certain changes affecting those index constituent stocks may adversely affect the level of the index. The policies of an index sponsor with respect to the calculation of the index could also adversely affect the level of the index. An index sponsor may discontinue or suspend calculation or dissemination of the index. Further, indices like the index have been, and continue to be, the subject of regulatory guidance and proposal for reform, including the European Union’s Regulation (EU) 2016/1011. The occurrence of a benchmark event (as defined below under “General Terms of the Warrants - Discontinuance of, Adjustments to, or Benchmark Event or Change in Law Affecting, the Index; Alteration of Method of Calculation”), such as the failure of a benchmark (the index) or the administrator (its index sponsor) or user of a benchmark (such as UBS), to comply with the authorization, equivalence or other requirements of the benchmarks regulation, may result in the discontinuation of the relevant benchmark or a prohibition on its use. If these or other events occur, then the calculation agent may select a successor index, reference a replacement basket or use an alternative method of calculation, in each case, in a manner it considers appropriate, or, if it determines that no successor index, replacement basket or alternative method of calculation would be comparable to the original index, it may deem the closing level of the original index on the trading day immediately prior to the date of such event to be its closing level on each applicable date. Such events and the potential adjustments are described further below under “General Terms of the Warrants - Discontinuance of, Adjustments to, or Benchmark Event or Change in Law Affecting, the Index; Alteration of Method of Calculation”. Notwithstanding the ability of the calculation agent to make any of the foregoing adjustments, any such change or event could adversely affect the market value of, and return on, the Warrants.
Historical performance of the index should not be taken as an indication of the future performance of the index during the term of the Warrants.
The market prices of the index constituent stocks will determine the level of the index. The historical performance of the index should not be taken as an indication of the future performance of the index. As a result, it is impossible to predict whether the level of the index will rise or fall. Market prices of the index constituent stocks will be influenced by complex and interrelated political, economic, financial, judicial, force majeure and other factors that can affect the market prices of such index constituent stocks.
The index reflects price return, not total return.
The return on your Warrants is based on the performance of the index, which reflects the changes in the market prices of the index constituent stocks. It is not, however, linked to a “total return” index or strategy, which, in addition to reflecting those price returns, would also reflect dividends paid on the index constituent stocks. The return on your Warrants will not include such a total return feature or dividend component.
RISKS RELATING TO LIQUIDITY AND SECONDARY MARKET ISSUES
There may not be an active trading market in the Warrants-Sales in the secondary market may result in significant losses.
You should be willing to hold your Warrants until the expiration date. There may be little or no secondary market for the Warrants. The Warrants will not be listed or displayed on any securities exchange or any electronic communications network. UBS Securities LLC and other affiliates of UBS may make a market for the Warrants, although they are not required to do so. UBS Securities LLC or any other affiliate of UBS may stop any such market-making activities at any time.
Furthermore, even if there is a secondary market for the Warrants, there may be times when Warrant prices will not maintain their customary or anticipated relationships to the index constituent stocks. Changes in volatility, or other factors or conditions might adversely affect the liquidity, efficiency, continuity or even the orderliness of any secondary market for particular Warrants. Unusual events-such as market disruption events, including computer malfunction, fire or natural disaster or even extraordinary trading volume-may affect normal market operations. If trading is halted or suspended in one or more of the exchanges for index constituent stocks (or listed options thereof), any secondary market making of the Warrants on that index may also be halted.
If you sell your Warrants prior to the expiration date, you may have to do so at a substantial discount from the premium, and as a result, you may suffer substantial losses, even in cases where the level of the index has declined favorably to you since the strike date. The potential returns described herein are possible only in the case that you hold your Warrants until the expiration date.
The market value of the Warrants may be influenced by unpredictable factors.
The market value of your Warrants may fluctuate between the date you purchase them and the expiration date, when the calculation agent will determine your cash settlement amount. Several factors, many of which are beyond our control, will influence the market value of the Warrants. We expect that generally