Registration Statement No.333-264388
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)


Pricing Supplement dated November 20, 2024 to the Prospectus dated May 26, 2022,
the Prospectus Supplement dated May 26, 2022 and the Product Supplement dated September 22, 2022

US$855,000
Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series I
Digital Return Barrier Notes due December 26, 2025
Linked to the Least Performing of the shares of the iShares® MSCI Japan ETF and the shares of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF

The notes are designed for investors who are seeking a potential 9.50% digital return (the "Digital Return”) based on the performance of the least performing of the shares of the iShares® MSCI Japan ETF and the shares of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF (each, a "Reference Asset" and, the least performing, the "Least Performing Reference Asset"). The Digital Return will be paid if the Final Level (as defined below) of the Least Performing Reference Asset is greater than or equal to 70.00% of its level on the Pricing Date (the “Initial Level”).

If the Least Performing Reference Asset decreases by more than 30.00% from its Initial Level, investors will lose 1% of the principal amount for each 1% decrease in the level of the Least Performing Reference Asset from its Initial Level to its Final Level. In such a case, you will receive a cash amount at maturity that is less than the principal amount, and may lose up to 100% of your principal amount at maturity.

Investing in the notes is not equivalent to a direct investment in the Reference Assets.

The notes do not bear interest. The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.

All payments on the notes are subject to the credit risk of Bank of Montreal.

The notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.

The CUSIP number of the notes is 06376CBN5.

Our subsidiary, BMO Capital Markets Corp. (“BMOCM”), is the agent for this offering. See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” below.

The notes will not be subject to conversion into our common shares or the common shares of any of our affiliates under subsection 39.2(2.3) of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act (the “CDIC Act”).

Terms of the Notes:

Pricing Date:

November 20, 2024

 

Valuation Date:

December 22, 2025

Settlement Date:

November 25, 2024

 

Maturity Date:

December 26, 2025

 

Price to Public1

Agent’s Commission1

Proceeds to Bank of Montreal1

Per Note

Total

100%

$855,000.00

1.875%

$16,031.25

98.125%

$838,968.75

1 The total “Agent’s Commission” and “Proceeds to Bank of Montreal” specified above reflect the aggregate amounts at the time Bank of Montreal established its hedge positions on or prior to the Pricing Date, which may have been variable and fluctuated depending on market conditions at such times. Certain dealers who purchased the notes for sale to certain fee-based advisory accounts may have foregone some or all of their selling concessions, fees or commissions. The public offering price for investors purchasing the notes in these accounts was between $981.25 and $1,000 per $1,000 in principal amount. We or one of our affiliates will also pay a referral fee to certain dealers of 0.35% of the principal amount in connection with the distribution of the notes.

Investing in the notes involves risks, including those described in the “Selected Risk Considerations” section beginning on page P-5 hereof, the “Additional Risk Factors Relating to the Notes” section beginning on page PS-5 of the product supplement, and the “Risk Factors” section beginning on page S-1 of the prospectus supplement and on page 8 of the prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these notes or passed upon the accuracy of this document, the product supplement, the prospectus supplement or the prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The notes will be our unsecured obligations and will not be savings accounts or deposits that are insured by the United States Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Deposit Insurance Fund, the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency or instrumentality or other entity.

On the date hereof, based on the terms set forth above, the estimated initial value of the notes is $976.68 per $1,000 in principal amount. However, as discussed in more detail below, the actual value of the notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted with accuracy.

BMO CAPITAL MARKETS

Key Terms of the Notes:

Reference Assets:

The shares of the iShares® MSCI Japan ETF (ticker symbol "EWJ") and the shares of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF (ticker symbol "EWY"). See "The Reference Assets" below for additional information.

Underlying Index:

With respect to the shares of the iShares® MSCI Japan ETF, the MSCI Japan Index, and with respect to the shares of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF, the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index.

Payment at Maturity:

If the Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset is greater than or equal to its Digital Barrier Level, then the amount that investors will receive at maturity for each $1,000 in principal amount of the notes will equal:

$1,000 + ($1,000 x Digital Return)

If the Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset is less than its Barrier Level, then the amount that investors will receive at maturity for each $1,000 in principal amount of the notes will equal:

$1,000 + ($1,000 x Percentage Change of the Least Performing Reference Asset)

In this case, investors will lose 1% of their principal for each 1% that the Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset declines from its Initial Level. You may lose all of the principal amount of your notes.

Digital Return:

9.50%

Least Performing Reference Asset:

The Reference Asset with the lowest Percentage Change.

Percentage Change:

With respect to each Reference Asset, the quotient, expressed as a percentage, of the following formula:

(Final Level - Initial Level)
Initial Level

Initial Level:2

$67.28 with respect to EWJ, and $57.39 with respect to EWY, each of which was the respective closing level of that Reference Asset on the Pricing Date.

Digital Barrier Level:

$47.10 with respect to EWJ, and $40.17 with respect to EWY, each of which is 70.00% of the respective Initial Level (rounded to two decimal places).

Barrier Level:2

$47.10 with respect to EWJ, and $40.17 with respect to EWY , each of which is 70.00% of the respective Initial Level (rounded to two decimal places).

Final Level:

With respect to each Reference Asset, the closing level of that Reference Asset on the Valuation Date.

Pricing Date:

November 20, 2024

Settlement Date:

November 25, 2024

Valuation Date:1

December 22, 2025

Maturity Date:1

December 26, 2025

Physical Delivery Amount:

We will only pay cash on the Maturity Date, and you will have no right to receive any shares of any Reference Asset.

Calculation Agent:

BMOCM

Selling Agent:

BMOCM

1 Subject to the occurrence of a market disruption event, as described in the accompanying product supplement.

2 As determined by the calculation agent and subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. See “General Terms of the Notes — Anti-dilution Adjustments to a Reference Asset that Is an Equity Security (Including Any ETF)” and “— Adjustments to a Reference Asset that Is an ETF” in the product supplement for additional information.

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Payoff Example

The following table shows the hypothetical payout profile of an investment in the notes based on various hypothetical Final Levels (and the corresponding Percentage Change) of the Least Performing Reference Asset, reflecting the 9.50% Digital Return, Digital Barrier Level of 70.00% of the Initial Level and Barrier Level of 70.00% of the Initial Level. Please see “Examples of the Hypothetical Payment at Maturity for a $1,000 Investment in the Notes” below for more detailed examples.

Hypothetical Percentage Change of the Least Performing Reference Asset

Participation in Percentage Change

Hypothetical Return of the Notes

10%

 

5%

 

-30%

9.50% Digital Return

 

9.50%

 

9.50%

 

9.50%

-40%

 

-50%

1x Loss Beyond Barrier Level

 

-40%

 

-50%

 

 

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Additional Terms of the Notes

You should read this document together with the product supplement dated September 22, 2022, the prospectus supplement dated May 26, 2022 and the prospectus dated May 26, 2022. This document, together with the documents listed below, contains the terms of the notes and supersedes all other prior or contemporaneous oral statements as well as any other written materials including preliminary or indicative pricing terms, correspondence, trade ideas, structures for implementation, sample structures, fact sheets, brochures or other educational materials of ours or the agent. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth in Additional Risk Factors Relating to the Notes in the product supplement, as the notes involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisers before you invest in the notes.

You may access these documents on the SEC website at www.sec.gov as follows (or if such address has changed, by reviewing our filings for the relevant date on the SEC website):

Product supplement dated September 22, 2022:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/927971/000121465922011396/j922220424b2.htm

Prospectus supplement and prospectus dated May 26, 2022:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000927971/000119312522160519/d269549d424b5.htm

Our Central Index Key, or CIK, on the SEC website is 927971. As used in this document, "we", "us" or "our" refers to Bank of Montreal.

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Selected Risk Considerations

An investment in the notes involves significant risks. Investing in the notes is not equivalent to investing directly in the Reference Assets. These risks are explained in more detail in the “Additional Risk Factors Relating to the Notes” section of the product supplement.

Risks Related to the Structure or Features of the Notes

Your investment in the notes may result in a loss. — The notes do not guarantee any return of principal. If the Final Level of each Reference Asset of any Reference Asset is less than its Barrier Level, you will lose 1% of the principal amount for each 1% that the Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset is less than its Initial Level. In such a case, you will receive at maturity a cash payment that is less than the principal amount of the notes and may be zero. Accordingly, you could lose your entire investment in the notes.

Your return on the notes is limited to the Digital Return, regardless of any appreciation in the levels of the Reference Assets. — The return on your notes will not be greater than the Digital Return. This will be the case even if the Percentage Change of each Reference Asset, which reflects the increase or decrease in the level of the applicable Reference Asset over the term of the notes, is significantly greater than the Digital Return. You will only receive the Digital Return if the Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset is greater than or equal to the Digital Barrier Level.

Your return on the notes will be determined solely by reference to the Least Performing Reference Asset, even if any other Reference Assets perform better. — Your payment at maturity will be determined by reference to the performance of the Least Performing Reference Asset. Even if the levels of any other Reference Assets have performed more favorably (either by increasing by a greater amount over the term of the notes if the Percentage Change of the Least Performing Reference Asset is positive or by increasing or experiencing a decline that is less than that of the Least Performing Reference Asset if the Percentage Change of the Least Performing Reference Asset is negative), your return at maturity will only be determined by reference to the performance of the Least Performing Reference Asset.

The payments on the notes will be determined by reference to each Reference Asset individually, not to a basket, and the payments on the notes will be based on the performance of the least performing Reference Asset. - The notes are not linked to a weighted basket, in which the risk may be mitigated and diversified among each of the basket components. For example, in the case of notes linked to a weighted basket, the return would depend on the weighted aggregate performance of the basket components reflected as the basket return. As a result, the depreciation of one basket component could be mitigated by the appreciation of the other basket components, as scaled by the weighting of that basket component. However, in the case of the notes, the individual performance of each Reference Asset will not be combined, and the depreciation of one Reference Asset will not be mitigated by any appreciation of any other Reference Assets. Instead, your return at maturity will depend solely on the Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset.

Your return on the notes may be lower than the return on a conventional debt security of comparable maturity. — The return that you will receive on your notes, which could be negative, may be less than the return you could earn on other investments. The notes do not provide for interest payments and the payment you receive at maturity, if any, may be less than the principal amount of the notes. Even if your return on the notes is positive, your return may be less than the return you would earn if you bought a conventional senior interest bearing debt security of ours with the same maturity or if you invested directly in the Reference Assets. Your investment may not reflect the full opportunity cost to you when you take into account factors that affect the time value of money.

Risks Related to the Reference Assets

Owning the notes is not the same as owning shares of the Reference Assets or a security directly linked to the Reference Assets. — The return on your notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned shares of the Reference Assets or a security directly linked to the performance of the Reference Assets and held that investment for a similar period. Your notes may trade quite differently from the Reference Assets. Changes in the level of a Reference Asset may not result in comparable changes in the market value of your notes. Even if the levels of the Reference Assets increase during the term of the notes, the market value of the notes prior to maturity may not increase to the same extent. It is also possible for the market value of the notes to decrease while the levels of the Reference Assets increase. In addition, any dividends or other distributions paid on a Reference Asset will not be reflected in the amount payable on the notes.

You will not have any shareholder rights and will have no right to receive any shares of the Reference Assets (or any company included in a Reference Asset) at maturity. — Investing in your notes will not make you a holder of any shares of the Reference Assets or any securities held by the Reference Assets. Neither you nor any other holder or owner of the notes will have any voting rights, any right to receive dividends or other distributions, or any other rights with respect to the Reference Assets or such underlying securities.

No delivery of shares of the Reference Assets. — The notes will be payable only in cash. You should not invest in the notes if you seek to have the shares of a Reference Asset delivered to you at maturity.

Changes that affect an Underlying Index will affect the market value of the notes, whether the notes will be automatically redeemed, and the amount you will receive at maturity. — With respect to each Reference Asset, the policies of the applicable index sponsor concerning the calculation of the applicable Underlying Index, additions, deletions or substitutions of the components of the applicable Underlying Index and the manner in which changes affecting those components, such as stock dividends, reorganizations or mergers, may be reflected in the applicable Reference Asset and, therefore, could affect the share price of the Reference Asset, the amounts payable on the notes, whether the notes are automatically redeemed, and the market value of the notes prior to maturity. The amount payable on the notes and their market value could also be affected if the applicable index sponsor changes these policies, for example, by changing the manner in which it calculates the applicable Underlying Index, or if the applicable index sponsor discontinues or suspends the calculation or publication of the applicable Underlying Index.

We have no affiliation with any index sponsor of any Underlying Index and will not be responsible for any index sponsor's actions. — The sponsors of the Underlying Indices are not our affiliates and will not be involved in the offering of the notes in any way. Consequently, we have no control over the actions of any index sponsor, including any actions of the type that would require the calculation agent to adjust the payment to you at maturity. The index sponsors have no obligation of any sort with respect to the notes. Thus, the index sponsors have no obligation to take your interests into consideration for any reason, including in taking any actions that might affect the value of the notes. None of our proceeds from the issuance of the notes will be delivered to any index sponsor of any Underlying Index.

Adjustments to a Reference Asset could adversely affect the notes. — The sponsor and advisor of each Reference Asset is responsible for calculating and maintaining that Reference Asset. The sponsor and advisor of each Reference Asset can add, delete or substitute the stocks

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comprising that Reference Asset or make other methodological changes that could change the share price of the applicable Reference Asset at any time. If one or more of these events occurs, the calculation of the amount payable at maturity may be adjusted to reflect such event or events. Consequently, any of these actions could adversely affect the amount payable at maturity and/or the market value of the notes.

We and our affiliates do not have any affiliation with any applicable investment advisor or any Reference Asset Issuer and are not responsible for their public disclosure of information. — The investment advisor of each Reference Asset advises the issuer of the applicable Reference Asset (each, a “Reference Asset Issuer” and, collectively, the “Reference Asset Issuers”) on various matters, including matters relating to the policies, maintenance and calculation of the applicable Reference Asset. We and our affiliates are not affiliated with the investment advisor of any Reference Asset or any Reference Asset Issuer in any way and have no ability to control or predict their actions, including any errors in or discontinuance of disclosure regarding the methods or policies relating to a Reference Asset. No investment advisor of a Reference Asset nor any Reference Asset Issuer is involved in the offerings of the notes in any way and has no obligation to consider your interests as an owner of the notes in taking any actions relating to a Reference Asset that might affect the value of the notes. Neither we nor any of our affiliates has independently verified the adequacy or accuracy of the information about any investment advisor or any Reference Asset Issuer contained in any public disclosure of information. You, as an investor in the notes, should make your own investigation into the Reference Asset Issuers.

The correlation between the performance of a Reference Asset and the performance of the applicable Underlying Index may be imperfect. — The performance of each Reference Asset is linked principally to the performance of the applicable Underlying Index. However, because of the potential discrepancies identified in more detail in the product supplement, the return on a Reference Asset may correlate imperfectly with the return on the applicable Underlying Index.

The Reference Assets are subject to management risks. — The Reference Assets are subject to management risk, which is the risk that the applicable investment advisor’s investment strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results. For example, the applicable investment advisor may invest a portion of a Reference Asset Issuer’s assets in securities not included in the relevant industry or sector but which the applicable investment advisor believes will help the applicable Reference Asset track the relevant industry or sector.

You must rely on your own evaluation of the merits of an investment linked to the Reference Assets. — In the ordinary course of their businesses, our affiliates from time to time may express views on expected movements in the prices of the Reference Assets or the prices of the securities held by the Reference Assets. One or more of our affiliates have published, and in the future may publish, research reports that express views on the Reference Assets or these securities. However, these views are subject to change from time to time. Moreover, other professionals who deal in the markets relating to the Reference Assets at any time may have significantly different views from those of our affiliates. You are encouraged to derive information concerning the Reference Assets from multiple sources, and you should not rely on the views expressed by our affiliates.
Neither the offering of the notes nor any views which our affiliates from time to time may express in the ordinary course of their businesses constitutes a recommendation as to the merits of an investment in the notes.

Risks Relating to iShares® MSCI Japan ETF

An investment in the notes is subject to foreign currency exchange rate risk. — The share price of the iShares® MSCI Japan ETF will fluctuate based upon its net asset value, which will in turn depend in part upon changes in the value of the currencies in which the stocks held by the iShares® MSCI Japan ETF are traded. Accordingly, investors in the notes will be exposed to currency exchange rate risk with respect to each of these currencies. An investor’s net exposure will depend on the extent to which these currencies strengthen or weaken against the U.S. dollar. If the dollar strengthens against these currencies, the net asset value of the iShares® MSCI Japan ETF will be adversely affected and the price of its shares may decrease.

An investment in the notes, is subject to risks associated with Japanese securities markets.  The Underlying Index of the iShares® MSCI Japan ETF tracks the value of certain Japanese equity securities. You should be aware that investments in securities linked to the value of Japanese equity securities involve particular risks. The Japanese securities markets may have less liquidity and may be more volatile than U.S. or other securities markets and market developments may affect Japanese markets differently from U.S. or other securities markets. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize the Japanese securities markets, as well as cross-shareholdings in Japanese companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in these markets. Also, there is generally less publicly available information about Japanese companies than about those U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Japanese companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies.

Additionally, securities prices in Japan are subject to political, economic, financial and social factors that apply in Japan. These factors, which could negatively affect the Japanese securities markets, include the possibility of recent or future changes in the Japanese government's economic and fiscal policies, the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other laws or restrictions applicable to Japanese companies or investments in Japanese equity securities and the possibility of fluctuations in the rate of exchange between the Japanese yen and the U.S. dollar, the possibility of outbreaks of hostility and political instability and the possibility of natural disasters or adverse public health developments in Japan or Asia. Moreover, the Japanese economy may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in important respects such as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency.

Risks Relating to iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF

An investment in the notes is subject to foreign currency exchange rate risk. — The share price of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF will fluctuate based upon its net asset value, which will in turn depend in part upon changes in the value of the currencies in which the stocks held by the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF are traded. Accordingly, investors in the notes will be exposed to currency exchange rate risk with respect to each of these currencies. An investor’s net exposure will depend on the extent to which these currencies strengthen or weaken against the U.S. dollar. If the dollar strengthens against these currencies, the net asset value of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF will be adversely affected and the price of its shares may decrease.

An investment in the notes is subject to risks associated with Korean securities markets. — The Underlying Index of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF tracks the value of certain Korean equity securities. You should be aware that investments in securities linked to the value of Korean equity securities involve particular risks. The Korean securities markets may have less liquidity and may be more volatile than U.S. or other

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securities markets and market developments may affect Korean markets differently from U.S. or other securities markets. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize the Korean securities markets, as well as cross-shareholdings in Korean companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in these markets. Also, there is generally less publicly available information about Korean companies than about those U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Korean companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies.

Additionally, securities prices in Korea are subject to political, economic, financial and social factors that apply in Korea. These factors, which could negatively affect the Korean securities markets, include the possibility of recent or future changes in the Korean government's economic and fiscal policies, the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other laws or restrictions applicable to Korean companies or investments in Korean equity securities and the possibility of fluctuations in the rate of exchange between the South Korean won and the U.S. dollar, the possibility of outbreaks of hostility and political instability and the possibility of natural disasters or adverse public health developments in Korea or Asia. Moreover, the Korean economy may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in important respects such as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency.

An investment in the notes is subject to risks associated with emerging markets. — The Underlying Index of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF consists of stocks issued by companies in countries with emerging markets. Countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions (due to economic dependence upon commodity prices and international trade), and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens, currency devaluations or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times.
The shares tracked by the Underlying Index of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF may be listed on a foreign stock exchange. A foreign stock exchange may impose trading limitations intended to prevent extreme fluctuations in individual security prices and may suspend trading in certain circumstances. These actions could limit variations in the levels of the of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF, which could, in turn, adversely affect the value of, and amount payable on, the notes.

General Risk Factors

Your investment is subject to the credit risk of Bank of Montreal. — Our credit ratings and credit spreads may adversely affect the market value of the notes. Investors are dependent on our ability to pay any amounts due on the notes, and therefore investors are subject to our credit risk and to changes in the market’s view of our creditworthiness. Any decline in our credit ratings or increase in the credit spreads charged by the market for taking our credit risk is likely to adversely affect the value of the notes.

Potential conflicts. — We and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the issuance of the notes, including acting as calculation agent. In performing these duties, the economic interests of the calculation agent and other affiliates of ours are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the notes. We or one or more of our affiliates may also engage in trading of shares of the Reference Assets or the securities held by a Reference Asset on a regular basis as part of our general broker-dealer and other businesses, for proprietary accounts, for other accounts under management or to facilitate transactions for our customers. Any of these activities could adversely affect the level of the Reference Assets and, therefore, the market value of, and the payments on, the notes. We or one or more of our affiliates may also issue or underwrite other securities or financial or derivative instruments with returns linked or related to changes in the performance of the Reference Assets. By introducing competing products into the marketplace in this manner, we or one or more of our affiliates could adversely affect the market value of the notes.

Our initial estimated value of the notes is lower than the price to public. — Our initial estimated value of the notes is only an estimate, and is based on a number of factors. The price to public of the notes exceeds our initial estimated value, because costs associated with offering, structuring and hedging the notes are included in the price to public, but are not included in the estimated value. These costs includeany underwriting discount and selling concessions, the profits that we and our affiliates expect to realize for assuming the risks in hedging our obligations under the notes and the estimated cost of hedging these obligations.

Our initial estimated value does not represent any future value of the notes, and may also differ from the estimated value of any other party. — Our initial estimated value of the notes as of the date hereof is derived using our internal pricing models. This value is based on market conditions and other relevant factors, which include volatility of the Reference Assets, dividend rates and interest rates. Different pricing models and assumptions could provide values for the notes that are greater than or less than our initial estimated value. In addition, market conditions and other relevant factors after the Pricing Date are expected to change, possibly rapidly, and our assumptions may prove to be incorrect. After the Pricing Date, the value of the notes could change dramatically due to changes in market conditions, our creditworthiness, and the other factors set forth herein and in the product supplement. These changes are likely to impact the price, if any, at which we or BMOCM would be willing to purchase the notes from you in any secondary market transactions. Our initial estimated value does not represent a minimum price at which we or our affiliates would be willing to buy your notes in any secondary market at any time.

The terms of the notes were not determined by reference to the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. — To determine the terms of the notes, we used an internal funding rate that represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. As a result, the terms of the notes are less favorable to you than if we had used a higher funding rate.

Certain costs are likely to adversely affect the value of the notes. — Absent any changes in market conditions, any secondary market prices of the notes will likely be lower than the price to public. This is because any secondary market prices will likely take into account our then-current market credit spreads, and because any secondary market prices are likely to exclude all or a portion of any underwriting discount and selling concessions, and the hedging profits and estimated hedging costs that are included in the price to public of the notes and that may be reflected on your account statements. In addition, any such price is also likely to reflect a discount to account for costs associated with establishing or unwinding any related hedge transaction, such as dealer discounts, mark-ups and other transaction costs. As a result, the price, if any, at which BMOCM or any other party may be willing to purchase the notes from you in secondary market transactions, if at all, will likely be lower than the price to public. Any sale that you make prior to the Maturity Date could result in a substantial loss to you.

Lack of liquidity. — The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. BMOCM may offer to purchase the notes in the secondary market, but is not required to do so. Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to trade or sell the notes easily. Because other dealers are not likely to make a secondary market for the notes, the price at which you may be able to trade the notes is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which BMOCM is willing to buy the notes.

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Hedging and trading activities. — We or any of our affiliates have carried out or may carry out hedging activities related to the notes, including purchasing or selling shares of the Reference Assets or securities held by the Reference Assets, futures or options relating to the Reference Assets or securities held by the Reference Assets or other derivative instruments with returns linked or related to changes in the performance on the Reference Assets or securities held by the Reference Assets. We or our affiliates may also trade in the Reference Assets, such securities, or instruments related to the Reference Assets or such securities from time to time. Any of these hedging or trading activities on or prior to the Pricing Date and during the term of the notes could adversely affect the payments on the notes.

Many economic and market factors will influence the value of the notes. — In addition to the levels of the Reference Assets and interest rates on any trading day, the value of the notes will be affected by a number of economic and market factors that may either offset or magnify each other, and which are described in more detail in the product supplement.

Significant aspects of the tax treatment of the notes are uncertain. — The tax treatment of the notes is uncertain. We do not plan to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or from any Canadian authorities regarding the tax treatment of the notes, and the Internal Revenue Service or a court may not agree with the tax treatment described herein.
The Internal Revenue Service has released a notice that may affect the taxation of holders of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar instruments. According to the notice, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury are actively considering whether the holder of such instruments should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis. While it is not clear whether the notes would be viewed as similar to such instruments, it is possible that any future guidance could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the notes, possibly with retroactive effect.
Please read carefully the section entitled "U.S. Federal Tax Information" herein, the section entitled "Supplemental Tax Considerations–Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations" in the accompanying product supplement, the section entitled "United States Federal Income Taxation" in the accompanying prospectus and the section entitled "Certain Income Tax Consequences" in the accompanying prospectus supplement. You should consult your tax advisor about your own tax situation.

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Examples of the Hypothetical Payment at Maturity for a $1,000 Investment in the Notes

The following table illustrates the hypothetical payments on a note at maturity. The hypothetical payments are based on a $1,000 investment in the note, a hypothetical Initial Level of 100.00, a hypothetical Digital Return of 9.50%, a hypothetical Digital Barrier Level of 70.00 (70.00% of the hypothetical Initial Level), a hypothetical Barrier Level of 70.00 (70.00% of the hypothetical Initial Level), a range of hypothetical Final Levels and the effect on the payment at maturity.

The hypothetical examples shown below are intended to help you understand the terms of the notes. The actual cash amount that you will receive at maturity will depend upon the Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset. You may lose some or all of the principal amount at maturity.

 

Hypothetical Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset

Hypothetical Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset Expressed as a Percentage of its Initial Level

Hypothetical Payment at Maturity

Hypothetical Return on the Notes

200.00

200.00%

$1,095.00

9.50%

180.00

180.00%

$1,095.00

9.50%

160.00

160.00%

$1,095.00

9.50%

140.00

140.00%

$1,095.00

9.50%

120.00

120.00%

$1,095.00

9.50%

100.00

100.00%

$1,095.00

9.50%

90.00

90.00%

$1,095.00

9.50%

80.00

80.00%

$1,095.00

9.50%

70.00

70.00%

$1,095.00

9.50%

69.99

69.99%

$699.90

-30.01%

60.00

60.00%

$600.00

-40.00%

40.00

40.00%

$400.00

-60.00%

20.00

20.00%

$200.00

-80.00%

0.00

0.00%

$0.00

-100.00%

The following examples illustrate how the returns set forth in the table above are calculated.

Example 1: The level of the Least Performing Reference Asset decreases from the hypothetical Initial Level of 100.00 to a hypothetical Final Level of 60.00, representing a Percentage Change of –40.00%. Because the Percentage Change of the Least Performing Reference Asset is negative and its hypothetical Final Level is less than its Barrier Level, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $600.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, calculated as follows:

$1,000 + ($1,000 x –40.00%) = $600.00

Example 2: The level of the Least Performing Reference Asset decreases from the hypothetical Initial Level of 100.00 to a hypothetical Final Level of 90.00, representing a Percentage Change of -10.00%. Although the Percentage Change of the Least Performing Reference Asset is negative, because its hypothetical Final Level is greater than its Digital Barrier Level, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $1,095.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, calculated as follows:

$1,000 + ($1,000 x 9.50%) = $1,095.00

Example 3: The level of the Least Performing Reference Asset increases from the hypothetical Initial Level of 100.00 to a hypothetical Final Level of 140.00, representing a Percentage Change of 40.00%. Because the hypothetical Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset is greater than its Digital Barrier Level, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $1,095.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, calculated as follows:

$1,000 + ($1,000 x 9.50%) = $1,095.00

If the Final Level of the Least Performing Reference Asset is greater than or equal to its Digital Barrier Level, you will receive a return equal to the Digital Return. Your potential return is limited to the Digital Return regardless of any potential positive performance of the Reference Assets.

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U.S. Federal Tax Information

By purchasing the notes, each holder agrees (in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary) to treat each note as a pre-paid derivative contract for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the opinion of our counsel, Mayer Brown LLP, it would generally be reasonable to treat the notes as pre-paid derivative contracts in respect of the Reference Assets for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the notes are uncertain and the Internal Revenue Service could assert that the notes should be taxed in a manner that is different from that described in the preceding sentence. Please see the discussion in the product supplement dated September 22, 2022 under “Supplemental Tax Considerations—Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Notes Treated as Pre-Paid Derivative Contracts,” which applies to the notes.

Under current Internal Revenue Service guidance, withholding on "dividend equivalent" payments (as discussed in the product supplement), if any, will not apply to notes that are issued as of the date of this pricing supplement unless such notes are "delta-one" instruments. Based on our determination that the notes are not delta-one instruments, non-United States holders (as defined in the product supplement) should not generally be subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments, if any, under the notes.

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Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)

 BMOCM will purchase the notes from us at a purchase price reflecting the commission set forth on the cover hereof. BMOCM has informed us that, as part of its distribution of the notes, it will reoffer the notes to other dealers who will sell them. Each such dealer, or each additional dealer engaged by a dealer to whom BMOCM reoffers the notes, will receive a commission from BMOCM, which will not exceed the commission set forth on the cover page. We or one of our affiliates will also pay a referral fee to certain dealers of 0.35% of the principal amount in connection with the distribution of the notes. 

 Certain dealers who purchase the notes for sale to certain fee-based advisory accounts may forego some or all of their selling concessions, fees or commissions. The public offering price for investors purchasing the notes in these accounts may be less than 100% of the principal amount, as set forth on the cover page of this document. Investors that hold their notes in these accounts may be charged fees by the investment advisor or manager of that account based on the amount of assets held in those accounts, including the notes. 

We will deliver the notes on a date that is greater than one business day following the pricing date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in one business day, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the notes more than one business day prior to the issue date will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement. 

 We own, directly or indirectly, all of the outstanding equity securities of BMOCM, the agent for this offering. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5121, BMOCM may not make sales in this offering to any of its discretionary accounts without the prior written approval of the customer. 

 You should not construe the offering of the notes as a recommendation of the merits of acquiring an investment linked to the Reference Assets or as to the suitability of an investment in the notes. 

 BMOCM may, but is not obligated to, make a market in the notes. BMOCM will determine any secondary market prices that it is prepared to offer in its sole discretion. 

We may use this pricing supplement in the initial sale of the notes. In addition, BMOCM or another of our affiliates may use this pricing supplement in market-making transactions in any notes after their initial sale. Unless BMOCM or we inform you otherwise in the confirmation of sale, this pricing supplement is being used by BMOCM in a market-making transaction.

 For a period of approximately three months following issuance of the notes, the price, if any, at which we or our affiliates would be willing to buy the notes from investors, and the value that BMOCM may also publish for the notes through one or more financial information vendors and which could be indicated for the notes on any brokerage account statements, will reflect a temporary upward adjustment from our estimated value of the notes that would otherwise be determined and applicable at that time. This temporary upward adjustment represents a portion of (a) the hedging profit that we or our affiliates expect to realize over the term of the notes and (b) any underwriting discount and the selling concessions paid in connection with this offering. The amount of this temporary upward adjustment will decline to zero on a straight-line basis over the three-month period. 

The notes and the related offer to purchase notes and sale of notes under the terms and conditions provided herein do not constitute a public offering in any non-U.S. jurisdiction, and are being made available only to individually identified investors pursuant to a private offering as permitted in the relevant jurisdiction. The notes are not, and will not be, registered with any securities exchange or registry located outside of the United States and have not been registered with any non-U.S. securities or banking regulatory authority. The contents of this document have not been reviewed or approved by any non-U.S. securities or banking regulatory authority. Any person who wishes to acquire the notes from outside the United States should seek the advice or legal counsel as to the relevant requirements to acquire these notes.

British Virgin Islands. The notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the laws and regulations of the British Virgin Islands, nor has any regulatory authority in the British Virgin Islands passed comment upon or approved the accuracy or adequacy of this document. This pricing supplement and the related documents shall not constitute an offer, invitation or solicitation to any member of the public in the British Virgin Islands for the purposes of the Securities and Investment Business Act, 2010, of the British Virgin Islands.

Cayman Islands. Pursuant to the Companies Law (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, no invitation may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for the notes by or on behalf of the issuer unless at the time of such invitation the issuer is listed on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange. The issuer is not presently listed on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange and, accordingly, no invitation to the public in the Cayman Islands is to be made by the issuer (or by any dealer on its behalf). No such invitation is made to the public in the Cayman Islands hereby.

Dominican Republic. Nothing in this pricing supplement constitutes an offer of securities for sale in the Dominican Republic. The notes have not been, and will not be, registered with the Superintendence of Securities Market of the Dominican Republic (Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores), under Dominican Securities Market Law No. 249-17 (“Securities Law 249-17”), and the notes may not be offered or sold within the Dominican Republic or to, or for the account or benefit of, Dominican persons (as defined under Securities Law 249-17 and its regulations). Failure to comply with these directives may result in a violation of Securities Law 249-17 and its regulations.

Israel. This pricing supplement is intended solely for investors listed in the First Supplement of the Israeli Securities Law of 1968, as amended. A prospectus has not been prepared or filed, and will not be prepared or filed, in Israel relating to the notes offered hereunder. The notes cannot be resold in Israel other than to investors listed in the First Supplement of the Israeli Securities Law of 1968, as amended.

No action will be taken in Israel that would permit an offering of the notes or the distribution of any offering document or any other material to the public in Israel. In particular, no offering document or other material has been reviewed or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. Any material provided to an offeree in Israel may not be reproduced or used for any other purpose, nor be furnished to any other person other than those to whom copies have been provided directly by us or the selling agents.

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Nothing in this pricing supplement or any other offering material relating to the notes, should be considered as the rendering of a recommendation or advice, including investment advice or investment marketing under the Law For Regulation of Investment Advice, Investment Marketing and Investment Portfolio Management, 1995, to purchase any note. The purchase of any note will be based on an investor’s own understanding, for the investor’s own benefit and for the investor’s own account and not with the aim or intention of distributing or offering to other parties. In purchasing the notes, each investor declares that it has the knowledge, expertise and experience in financial and business matters so as to be capable of evaluating the risks and merits of an investment in the notes, without relying on any of the materials provided.

Mexico. The notes have not been registered with the National Registry of Securities maintained by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission and may not be offered or sold publicly in Mexico. This pricing supplement and the related documents may not be publicly distributed in Mexico. The notes may only be offered in a private offering pursuant to Article 8 of the Securities Market Law.

Switzerland. This pricing supplement is not intended to constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase or invest in any notes. Neither this pricing supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the notes constitutes a prospectus compliant with the requirements of articles 35 et seq. of the Swiss Financial Services Act ("FinSA")) for a public offering of the notes in Switzerland and no such prospectus has been or will be prepared for or in connection with the offering of the notes in Switzerland.

Neither this pricing supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the notes has been or will be filed with or approved by a Swiss review body (Prüfstelle). No application has been or is intended to be made to admit the notes to trading on any trading venue (SIX Swiss Exchange or on any other exchange or any multilateral trading facility) in Switzerland. Neither this pricing supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the notes may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

The notes may not be publicly offered, directly or indirectly, in Switzerland within the meaning of FinSA except (i) in any circumstances falling within the exemptions to prepare a prospectus listed in article 36 para. 1 FinSA or (ii) where such offer does not qualify as a public offer in Switzerland, provided always that no offer of notes shall require the Issuer or any offeror to publish a prospectus pursuant to article 35 FinSA in respect to such offer and that such offer shall comply with the additional restrictions set out below (if applicable). The Issuer has not authorised and does not authorise any offer of notes which would require the Issuer or any offeror to publish a prospectus pursuant to article 35 FinSA in respect of such offer. For purposes of this provision "public offer" shall have the meaning as such term is understood pursuant to article 3 lit. g and h FinSA and the Swiss Financial Services Ordinance ("FinSO").

The notes do not constitute participations in a collective investment scheme within the meaning of the Swiss Collective Investment Schemes Act. They are not subject to the approval of, or supervision by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority ("FINMA"), and investors in the notes will not benefit from protection under CISA or supervision by FINMA.

Prohibition of Offer to Private Clients in Switzerland - No Key Information Document pursuant to article 58 FinSA (Basisinformationsblatt für Finanzinstrumente) or equivalent document under foreign law pursuant to article 59 para. 2 FinSA has been or will be prepared in relation to the notes. Therefore, the following additional restriction applies: Notes qualifying as "debt securities with a derivative character" pursuant to article 86 para. 2 FinSO may not be offered within the meaning of article 58 para. 1 FinSA, and neither this pricing supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to such notes may be made available, to any retail client (Privatkunde) within the meaning of FinSA in Switzerland.

The notes may also be sold in the following jurisdictions, provided, in each case, any sales are made in accordance with all applicable laws in such jurisdiction:

Barbados

Bermuda

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Additional Information Relating to the Estimated Initial Value of the Notes

 Our estimated initial value of the notes on the date hereof that is set forth on the cover hereof, equals the sum of the values of the following hypothetical components:

a fixed-income debt component with the same tenor as the notes, valued using our internal funding rate for structured notes; and 

one or more derivative transactions relating to the economic terms of the notes. 

 The internal funding rate used in the determination of the initial estimated value generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. The value of these derivative transactions is derived from our internal pricing models. These models are based on factors such as the traded market prices of comparable derivative instruments and on other inputs, which include volatility, dividend rates, interest rates and other factors. As a result, the estimated initial value of the notes on the Pricing Date was determined based on the market conditions on the Pricing Date. 

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The Reference Assets

We have derived the following information from publicly available documents. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the following information. We are not affiliated with any Reference Asset Issuer and the Reference Asset Issuers will have no obligations with respect to the notes. This document relates only to the notes and does not relate to the shares of the Reference Assets or any securities included in any Underlying Index. Neither we nor any of our affiliates participates in the preparation of the publicly available documents described below. Neither we nor any of our affiliates has made any due diligence inquiry with respect to the Reference Assets in connection with the offering of the notes. There can be no assurance that all events occurring prior to the date hereof, including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described below and that would affect the trading price of the shares of the Reference Assets, have been or will be publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any events or the disclosure of or failure to disclose material future events concerning the Reference Assets could affect the price of the shares of the Reference Assets on the Valuation Date, and therefore could affect the payments on the notes.

The selection of a Reference Asset is not a recommendation to buy or sell the shares of that Reference Asset. Neither we nor any of our affiliates make any representation to you as to the performance of the shares of the Reference Assets. Information provided to or filed with the SEC under the Exchange Act and the Investment Company Act of 1940 relating to the Reference Assets may be obtained through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov.

We encourage you to review recent levels of the Reference Assets prior to making an investment decision with respect to the notes.

iShares® MSCI Japan ETF (“EWJ”)

The iShares® MSCI Japan ETF is an investment portfolio maintained and managed by iShares, Inc. and advised by BlackRock Fund Advisors. iShares is a registered investment company that consists of numerous separate investment portfolios, including the EWJ. The EWJ seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI® Japan Index. Information about the EWJ filed with the SEC can be found by reference to its SEC file numbers: 033-97598 and 811-09102 or its CIK Code: 0000930667. Shares of the EWJ are listed on the NYSE Arca under ticker symbol "EWJ."

The MSCI Japan Index

All information in this document regarding the MSCI Japan Index, including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation and changes in its components, is derived from publicly available information. Such information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, MSCI Inc. (“MSCI”). Neither we nor any of our affiliates has undertaken any independent review or due diligence of such information. MSCI owns the copyright and all other rights to the MSCI Japan Index. MSCI has no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication of, the MSCI Japan Index.

The MSCI Japan Index is published by MSCI and is designed to measure the performance of the large and mid-cap segments of the Japanese market. The MSCI Japan Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization equity index with a launch date of March 12, 1996.  The MSCI Japan Index currently consists of 235 constituents and covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in Japan.

The MSCI Global Investable Market Indices

The MSCI Japan Index is an MSCI Global Investable Market Index.

Constructing the MSCI Global Investable Market Indices.

MSCI undertakes an index construction process, which involves:

defining the equity universe for each market;

determining the market investable equity universe for each market;

determining market capitalization size segments for each market;

applying index continuity rules for the MSCI Standard Index;

classifying securities under the Global Industry Classification Standard (the “GICS”); and

using a building block approach, regional and composite indexes can be created from the individual market indexes for each size-segment

Defining the Equity Universe.

The equity universe is defined by:

Identifying Eligible Equity Securities: the equity universe initially looks at securities listed in any of the countries in the MSCI Global Index Series, which will be classified as either Developed Markets (“DM”), Emerging Markets (“EM”) or Frontier Markets (“FM”). All listed equity securities, or listed securities that exhibit characteristics of equity securities, except mutual funds, exchange traded funds, equity derivatives, limited partnerships, and most investment trusts, are eligible for inclusion in the equity universe. Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) in some countries and certain income trusts in Canada are also eligible for inclusion.

Classifying Eligible Securities into the Appropriate Country: each company and its securities (i.e., share classes) are classified in only one country.

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Determining the Market Investable Equity Universes.

A market investable equity universe for a market is derived by (i) identifying eligible listings for each security in the equity universe; and (ii) applying investability screens to individual companies and securities in the equity universe that are classified in that market. A market is generally equivalent to a single country.

A security may have a listing in the country where it is classified (a “local listing”) and/or in a different country (a “foreign listing”). A security may be represented by either a local listing or a foreign listing (including a depositary receipt) in the global investable equity universe. A security may be represented by a foreign listing only if the security is classified in a country that meets the foreign listing materiality requirement (as described below), and the security’s foreign listing is traded on an eligible stock exchange of a developed market country if the security is classified in a developed market country; or, if the security is classified in an emerging market country, an eligible stock exchange of a developed market country or an emerging market country; or, if the security is classified in a frontier market country, an eligible stock exchange of a developed market country, an emerging market country or a frontier market country.

In order for a country to meet the foreign listing materiality requirement, MSCI determines all securities represented by a foreign listing that would be included in the country’s MSCI Country Investable Market Index if foreign listings were eligible from that country. The aggregate free-float adjusted market capitalization for all such securities should represent at least (i) 5% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization of the relevant MSCI Country Investable Market Index and (ii) 0.05% of the free-float adjusted market capitalization of the MSCI ACWI Investable Market Index. If a country does not meet the foreign listing materiality requirement, then securities in that country may not be represented by a foreign listing in the global investable equity universe.

The investability screens used to determine the investable equity universe in each market are as follows:

Equity Universe Minimum Size Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the company level. In order to be included in a market investable equity universe, a company must have the required minimum full market capitalization.

Equity Universe Minimum Free Float-Adjusted Market Capitalization Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the individual security level. To be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe, a security must have a free float-adjusted market capitalization equal to or higher than 50% of the equity universe minimum size requirement.

DM and EM Minimum Liquidity Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the individual security level. To be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe, a security must have at least one eligible listing with adequate liquidity. The twelve-month and three-month Annual Traded Value Ratio (“ATVR”), a measure that screens out extreme daily trading volumes and takes into account the free float-adjusted market capitalization size of securities, together with the three-month frequency of trading are used to measure liquidity. A minimum liquidity level of 20% of three-month ATVR and 90% of three-month frequency of trading over the last four consecutive quarters, as well as 20% of 12-month ATVR are required for inclusion of a security in a market investable equity universe of a DM, and a minimum liquidity level of 15% of three-month ATVR and 80% of three-month frequency of trading over the last four consecutive quarters, as well as 15% of 12-month ATVR are required for inclusion of a security in a market investable equity universe of an EM.

Global Minimum Foreign Inclusion Factor Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the individual security level. To be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe, a security’s Foreign Inclusion Factor (“FIF”) must reach a certain threshold. The FIF of a security is defined as the proportion of shares outstanding that is available for purchase in the public equity markets by international investors. This proportion accounts for the available free float of and/or the foreign ownership limits applicable to a specific security (or company). In general, a security must have an FIF equal to or larger than 0.15 to be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe.

Minimum Length of Trading Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the individual security level. For an initial public offering (“IPO”) to be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe, the new issue must have started trading at least three months before the implementation of a Quarterly Index Review (as described below). This requirement is applicable to small new issues in all markets. Large IPOs are not subject to the minimum length of trading requirement and may be included in a market investable equity universe and the Standard Index outside of a Quarterly Index Review.

Minimum Foreign Room Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the individual security level. For a security that is subject to a foreign ownership limit to be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe, the proportion of shares still available to foreign investors relative to the maximum allowed (referred to as “foreign room”) must be at least 15%.

Defining Market Capitalization Size Segments for Each Market. Once a market investable equity universe is defined, it is segmented into the following size−based indices:

Investable Market Index (Large + Mid + Small);

Standard Index (Large + Mid);

Large Cap Index;

Mid Cap Index; or

Small Cap Index.

Creating the size segment indices in each market involves the following steps:

defining the market coverage target range for each size segment;

15

 

determining the global minimum size range for each size segment;

determining the market size−segment cutoffs and associated segment number of companies;

assigning companies to the size segments; and

applying final size−segment investability requirements.

Index Continuity Rules for the Standard Indices.

In order to achieve index continuity, as well as to provide some basic level of diversification within a market index, and notwithstanding the effect of other index construction rules described in this section, a minimum number of five constituents will be maintained for a DM Standard Index, a minimum number of three constituents will be maintained for an EM Standard Index and a minimum number of one constituent will be maintained for an FM Standard Index.

Classifying Securities under the Global Industry Classification Standard.

All securities in the global investable equity universe are assigned to the industry that best describes their business activities. To this end, MSCI has designed, in conjunction with S&P Dow Jones Indices, the GICS. The GICS currently consists of 11 Sectors, 24 Industry Groups, 69 Industries and 158 Sub-Industries. Under the GICS, each company is assigned to one Sub−Industry according to its principal business activity. Therefore, a company can belong to only one grouping at each of the four levels of the GICS.

Calculation Methodology for the MSCI® Japan Index.

The performance of the underlying index is a free-float weighted average of the U.S. dollar values of its component securities.

Prices used to calculate the component securities are the official exchange closing prices or prices accepted as such in the relevant market. In the case of a market closure, or if a security does not trade on a specific day or during a specific period, MSCI carries forward the previous day’s price (or latest available closing price). In the event of a market outage resulting in any component security price to be unavailable, MSCI will generally use the last reported price for such component security for the purpose of performance calculation unless MSCI determines that another price is more appropriate based on the circumstances. Closing prices are converted into U.S. dollars, as applicable, using the closing exchange rates calculated by WM/Reuters at 4:00PM London Time.

Index Maintenance

The MSCI Global Investable Market Indices are maintained with the objective of reflecting the evolution of the underlying equity markets and segments on a timely basis, while seeking to achieve index continuity, continuous investability of constituents and replicability of the indices, and index stability and low index turnover. In particular, index maintenance involves:

Quarterly Index Reviews in February, May, August and November of the Size Segment Indices which include:

updating the indices on the basis of a fully refreshed equity universe;

taking buffer rules into consideration for migration of securities across size and style segments; and

updating FIFs and Number of Shares (“NOS”).

Ongoing Event−Related Changes: changes of this type are generally implemented in the indices as they occur. Significantly large IPOs are included in the indices after the close of the company’s tenth day of trading.

MSCI’s quarterly index review is designed to systematically reassess the component securities of the index. During each quarterly index review, the universe of component securities is updated and the global minimum size range for the index is recalculated. Then, the following index maintenance activities, among others, are undertaken: the eligible equity securities are reviewed, minimum size requirements are reevaluated, and size-segment requirements are reassessed. The results of the quarterly index reviews are announced at least two weeks in advance of their effective implementation date as of the close of the last business day of February, May, August and November.

These guidelines and the policies implementing the guidelines are the responsibility of, and, ultimately, subject to adjustment by, MSCI. Neither we nor any of our affiliates, including BMOCM, accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance, or publication of, or for any error, omission, or disruption in the MSCI® Japan Index, or any successor to the index. MSCI does not guarantee the accuracy or the completeness of the MSCI® Japan Index, or any data included in the index. MSCI assumes no liability for any errors, omissions, or disruption in the calculation and dissemination of the MSCI® Japan Index. MSCI disclaims all responsibility for any errors or omissions in the calculation and dissemination of the MSCI® Japan Index, or the manner in which the index is applied in determining the amount payable on the notes at maturity.

iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF (“EWY”)

The iShares® South Korea ETF is an investment portfolio maintained and managed by iShares, Inc. and advised by BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”). iShares, Inc. is a registered investment company that consists of numerous separate investment portfolios, including the EWY. The EWY seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index. The MSCI Korea 25/50 Index was developed by MSCI as an equity benchmark for Korean stock performance, and is designed to measure equity market performance in Korea. Information about the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF filed with the SEC can be found by reference to its SEC file numbers: 033-97598 and 811-09102 or its CIK Code: 0000930667.Shares of the iShares® MSCI South Korea ETF are listed on the NYSE Arca under ticker symbol “EWY.”

The MSCI Korea 25/50 Index

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The MSCI Korea 25/50 Index is published by MSCI and is intended to measure the performance of large and mid-cap segments of the equity market in Korea. It applies certain investment limits that are imposed on regulated investment companies, or RICs, under the current US Internal Revenue Code. With 98 constituents, the index covers approximately 85% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in Korea. Component companies must meet objective criteria for inclusion in the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index, taking into consideration unavailable strategic shareholdings and limitations to foreign ownership. The MSCI Korea 25/50 Index is calculated daily in U.S. Dollars. The MSCI Korea 25/50 Index is published by Bloomberg L.P. (“Bloomberg”) under the index symbol “M1KR2550.” MSCI Korea 25/50 Index is part of a group of indices referred to as the MSCI 25/50 Indices.

Calculation Methodology for the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index

The performance of the underlying index is a free-float weighted average of the U.S. dollar values of its component securities.

Prices used to calculate the component securities are the official exchange closing prices or prices accepted as such in the relevant market. In the case of a market closure, or if a security does not trade on a specific day or during a specific period, MSCI carries forward the previous day’s price (or latest available closing price). In the event of a market outage resulting in any component security price to be unavailable, MSCI will generally use the last reported price for such component security for the purpose of performance calculation unless MSCI determines that another price is more appropriate based on the circumstances. Closing prices are converted into U.S. dollars, as applicable, using the closing exchange rates calculated by WM/Reuters at 4:00PM London Time.

Objectives and Guiding Principles Underlying the MSCI 25/50 Indices

Under current regulations, a fund needs to satisfy certain tests, such as those relating to asset diversification and sources of income, for qualification as a “regulated investment company” or “RIC.” More specifically, one requirement of a RIC is that, at the end of each quarter of a RIC’s tax year, no more than 25% of the value of the RIC’s assets may be invested in a single issuer and the sum of the weights of all issuers representing more than 5% of the fund should not exceed 50% of the fund’s total assets. The MSCI 25/50 Indices take into account these investments limits, offering a benchmarking alternative for RIC compliant funds.

The following principles have guided MSCI in designing a methodology for constructing the MSCI 25/50 Indices:

the MSCI 25/50 Indices are rebalanced in February, May, August and November to ensure timely and on-going reflection of the 25% and 50% concentration constraints; and

this rebalancing is achieved by using an optimization process that aims to minimize the constituent weight differences between the MSCI 25/50 Index and the relevant parent index. The active risk or the tracking error of an MSCI 25/50 Index versus the relevant parent index is measured as the distance between the constituent weights of that MSCI 25/50 Index and the relevant parent index.

Construction and Management of the MSCI 25/50 Indices

Constructing and Rebalancing the MSCI 25/50 Indices

The MSCI 25/50 Indices methodology follows a portfolio optimization framework. The Barra Optimizer is utilized to perform the optimization function, which is aimed at minimizing index turnover, tracking error and extreme deviation from the relevant parent index. The Barra Optimizer is an algorithm designed to facilitate the portfolio construction process.

Each MSCI 25/50 Index is subject to the following constraints:

no issuer may exceed 25% of index weight; and

all issuers with weight above 5% may not exceed 50% of the index weight.

The MSCI 25/50 Indices methodology aims at minimizing the tracking error from the relevant pro forma parent index. The tracking error of an MSCI 25/50 Index versus the relevant parent index is measured as the sum of the squared weight differences between the constituent weights of that MSCI 25/50 Index and the relevant parent index.

A transaction cost is applied as a proxy for index turnover on rebalancing from the current MSCI 25/50 Index to the relevant pro forma MSCI 25/50 Index.

The minimum weight of any MSCI 25/50 Index constituent is equal to the weight of the smallest constituent in the relevant pro forma parent index.

In order to avoid excess weight allocation to the smaller securities relative to their market cap weight, the maximum weight of any MSCI 25/50 Index constituent is capped at four times its weight in the relevant pro forma parent index. The constraint is relaxed in steps of one in case of infeasibilities. For certain narrow parent indices, the standard maximum weight constraint parameters might lead to an infeasible solution. In such cases, MSCI may apply relaxed constraints relative to the standard set of constraints.

Buffer Rules

A buffer of 10% of the value of each constraint is used in order to reduce the risk of non-compliance due to short-term market movements between two quarterly rebalancings. As a result, at the point of constructing or rebalancing an MSCI 25/50 Index, the weight of any single issuer cannot exceed 22.5% of the index weight and all issuers with weight above 4.5% cannot exceed 45% of the index weight.

Maintenance Rules

The MSCI 25/50 Indices are rebalanced quarterly and the changes resulting from the rebalancing are made as of the close of the last business day of each February, May, August and November, to coincide with the quarterly index reviews of their parent indices.

17

 

The MSCI 25/50 Indices are in general rebalanced nine business days before the effective date. The changes resulting from the rebalancing are announced on the same day.

In case a pro forma MSCI 25/50 Index violates the 25/50 constraints between the announcement date and the effective date, the previously announced results will be discarded and a newly rebalanced MSCI 25/50 Index will be announced. There is no index rebalancing due to non-compliance between quarterly index reviews.

At each rebalancing, a constraint factor is calculated for each constituent of an MSCI 25/50 Index. The constraint factor is defined as the weight in the relevant MSCI 25/50 Index at the time of the rebalancing divided by the weight in the relevant parent index. The constraint factor as well as the constituents of the relevant MSCI 25/50 Index remain constant between index reviews except in case of corporate events.

A security added to a parent index following a corporate event is added to the relevant MSCI 25/50 Index with an estimated capped weight, without rebalancing of that MSCI 25/50 Index.

In the event of a merger or an acquisition where an index constituent acquires another index constituent or merges with another index constituent, the remaining company is maintained in the relevant MSCI 25/50 Index with a constraint factor calculated as the weighted average of the constraint factors before the corporate event.

If a spun-off security of an index constituent is added to a parent index, it will be added to the relevant MSCI 25/50 Index with the same constraint factor as the parent security.

The deletion of a constituent from a parent index following a corporate event triggers its deletion from the relevant MSCI 25/50 Index without rebalancing of that MSCI 25/50 Index.

The addition of a newly eligible security in a parent index — for example, an early inclusion of a large initial public offering, or a security migrating to that parent index from another size segment — will result in the inclusion of that security in the relevant MSCI 25/50 Index and consequently trigger the full rebalancing of that MSCI 25/50 Index.

Issuer Concentration Issues

A minimum of 15 issuers in the relevant parent index is required at any point in time for the relevant MSCI 25/50 Index to be rebalanced as described above. In the event the number of issuers drops below 15 but remains above 11 following a corporate event or a regular index review, MSCI will apply the following adjustments:

Number of issuers drops to 14: the buffer mentioned above will be reduced from 10% to 9%. Thus, the weight of any single issuer cannot exceed 22.75% of the index weight and all issuers with weight above 4.55% cannot exceed 45.5% of the index weight.

Number of issuers drops to 13: the buffer mentioned above will be reduced from 10% to 4%. Thus, the weight of any single issuer cannot exceed 24% of the index weight and all issuers with weight above 4.8% cannot exceed 48% of the index weight.

Number of issuers drops to 12: the buffer mentioned above will be reduced from 10% to 0%. Thus, the weight of any single issuer cannot exceed 25% of the index weight and all issuers with weight above 5% cannot exceed 50% of the index weight.

An MSCI 25/50 Index will need to be discontinued if the number of issuers drops below 12 as mathematically no solution can satisfy the 25% and 50% constraints. MSCI will however temporarily maintain the relevant MSCI 25/50 Index for a minimum of two months before discontinuation by adding the necessary number of securities to that MSCI 25/50 Index. The index discontinuation will coincide with one of the subsequent regular index reviews. The securities to be added will be chosen in the following order of priority:

Securities deleted from that MSCI 25/50 Index, provided they exhibit required liquidity and were not deleted due to financial difficulties, etc.

Eligible securities of relevant size not included in the relevant parent index (e.g., largest small cap size-segment securities).

In the event that no securities are eligible for temporary addition to the relevant MSCI 25/50 Index, MSCI will provide an index, as close as possible to the 25/50 constraints, for a minimum of two months before discontinuation. The index discontinuation will coincide with one of the subsequent regular index reviews.

 

18

 

Validity of the Notes

In the opinion of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, the issue and sale of the notes has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Bank in conformity with the Senior Indenture, and when this pricing supplement has been attached to, and duly notated on, the master note that represents the notes, the notes will have been validly executed and issued and, to the extent validity of the notes is a matter governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, or the laws of Canada applicable therein, and will be valid obligations of the Bank, subject to the following limitations (i) the enforceability of the Senior Indenture may be limited by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act (Canada), the Winding-up and Restructuring Act (Canada) and bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium, arrangement or winding-up laws or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally; (ii) the enforceability of the Senior Indenture may be limited by equitable principles, including the principle that equitable remedies such as specific performance and injunction may only be granted in the discretion of a court of competent jurisdiction; (iii) pursuant to the Currency Act (Canada) a judgment by a Canadian court must be awarded in Canadian currency and that such judgment may be based on a rate of exchange in existence on a day other than the day of payment; and (iv) the enforceability of the Senior Indenture will be subject to the limitations contained in the Limitations Act, 2002 (Ontario), and such counsel expresses no opinion as to whether a court may find any provision of the Senior Debt Indenture to be unenforceable as an attempt to vary or exclude a limitation period under that Act. This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the Provinces of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable thereto. In addition, this opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture and the genuineness of signatures and certain factual matters, all as stated in the letter of such counsel dated May 26, 2022, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.3 to Bank of Montreal’s Form 6-K filed with the SEC and dated May 26, 2022.

In the opinion of Mayer Brown LLP, when this pricing supplement has been attached to, and duly notated on, the master note that represents the notes, and the notes have been issued and sold as contemplated herein, the notes will be valid, binding and enforceable obligations of Bank of Montreal, entitled to the benefits of the Senior Indenture, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability (including, without limitation, concepts of good faith, fair dealing and the lack of bad faith). This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the State of New York. Insofar as this opinion involves matters governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, or the laws of Canada applicable therein, Mayer Brown LLP has assumed, without independent inquiry or investigation, the validity of the matters opined on by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Canadian legal counsel for the issuer, in its opinion expressed above. This opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Senior Indenture and the genuineness of signatures and to such counsel’s reliance on the Bank of Montreal and other sources as to certain factual matters, all as stated in the legal opinion of Mayer Brown LLP dated May 26, 2022, which has been filed with the SEC as an exhibit to a report on Form 6-K by the Bank of Montreal on May 26, 2022.

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0000927971 0000927971 2024-11-22 2024-11-22 iso4217:USD xbrli:shares iso4217:USD xbrli:shares xbrli:pure

EX-FILING FEES

CALCULATION OF FILING FEE TABLES

F-3

BANK OF MONTREAL /CAN/

Narrative Disclosure

The maximum aggregate offering price of the securities to which the prospectus relates is $855,000. The prospectus is a final prospectus for the related offering.

 

Submission Type:

SEC File No.

Final Prospectus:

 

v3.24.3
Submission
Nov. 22, 2024
Submission [Line Items]  
Central Index Key 0000927971
Registrant Name BANK OF MONTREAL /CAN/
Registration File Number 333-264388
Form Type F-3
Submission Type 424B2
Fee Exhibit Type EX-FILING FEES
v3.24.3
Fees Summary
Nov. 22, 2024
USD ($)
Fees Summary [Line Items]  
Narrative Disclosure The prospectus is a final prospectus for the related offering.
Narrative - Max Aggregate Offering Price $ 855,000
Final Prospectus true

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