payments, in conjunction with the capital loss treatment of any loss recognized upon the sale, exchange or settlement of the securities, could result in adverse tax consequences to holders of the securities because the deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. We do not plan to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) regarding the tax treatment of the securities, and the IRS or a court may not agree with the tax treatment described herein. If the IRS were successful in asserting an alternative treatment for the securities, the timing and character of income or loss on the securities might differ significantly from the tax treatment described herein. For example, under one possible treatment, the IRS could seek to recharacterize the securities as debt instruments. In that event, U.S. Holders (as defined below) would be required to accrue into income original issue discount on the securities every year at a “comparable yield” determined at the time of issuance (as adjusted based on the difference, if any, between the actual and the projected amount of any contingent payments on the securities) and recognize all income and gain in respect of the securities as ordinary income. The risk that financial instruments providing for buffers, triggers or similar downside protection features, such as the securities, would be recharacterized as debt is greater than the risk of recharacterization for comparable financial instruments that do not have such features. Moreover, future legislation, Treasury regulations or IRS guidance could adversely affect the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the securities, possibly retroactively.
Non-U.S. Holders (as defined below) should note that we currently intend to withhold on any coupon paid to Non-U.S. Holders generally at a rate of 30%, or at a reduced rate specified by an applicable income tax treaty under an “other income” or similar provision, and will not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts withheld.
Both U.S. and Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the securities, including possible alternative treatments, as well as tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.
Risks Relating to the Underlying Stocks
■You are exposed to the price risk of all of the underlying stocks, with respect to both the contingent semi-annual coupons, if any, and the payment at maturity, if any. Your return on the securities is not linked to a basket consisting of the underlying stocks. Rather, it will be contingent upon the independent performance of each underlying stock. Unlike an instrument with a return linked to a basket of underlying assets, in which risk is mitigated and diversified among all the components of the basket, you will be exposed to the risks related to each of the underlying stocks. Poor performance by any underlying stock over the term of the securities may negatively affect your return and will not be offset or mitigated by any positive performance by the other underlying stocks. To receive any contingent semi-annual coupons, all of the underlying stocks must close at or above the respective downside threshold levels on the applicable observation date. In addition, if any underlying stock has declined to below the respective downside threshold level as of the final observation date, you will be fully exposed to the decline in the worst performing underlying stock over the term of the securities on a 1-to-1 basis, even if the other underlying stocks have appreciated or have not declined as much. Under this scenario, the value of any such payment will be less than 50% of the stated principal amount and could be zero. Accordingly, your investment is subject to the price risk of all of the underlying stocks.
■Investing in the securities is not equivalent to investing in the common stock of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., the common stock of NVIDIA Corporation or the class A common stock of Alphabet Inc. Investors in the securities will not participate in any appreciation in the underlying stocks, and will not have voting rights or rights to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the underlying stocks. As a result, any return on the securities will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned shares of the underlying stocks and received the dividends paid or distributions made on them.
■No affiliation with Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., NVIDIA Corporation or Alphabet Inc. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., NVIDIA Corporation and Alphabet Inc. are not affiliates of ours, are not involved with this offering in any way, and have no obligation to consider your interests in taking any corporate actions that might affect the value of the securities. We have not made any due diligence inquiry with respect to Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., NVIDIA Corporation or Alphabet Inc. in connection with this offering.
■We may engage in business with or involving Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., NVIDIA Corporation or Alphabet Inc. without regard to your interests. We or our affiliates may presently or from time to time engage in business with Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., NVIDIA Corporation or Alphabet Inc. without regard to your interests and thus may acquire non-public information about Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., NVIDIA Corporation or Alphabet Inc. Neither we nor any of our affiliates undertakes to disclose any such information to you. In addition, we or our affiliates from time to time have published and in the future may publish research reports with respect to Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., NVIDIA Corporation or Alphabet Inc., which may or may not recommend that investors buy or hold the underlying stock(s).
■Governmental regulatory actions, such as sanctions, could adversely affect your investment in the securities. Governmental regulatory actions, including, without limitation, sanctions-related actions by the U.S. or a foreign government, could prohibit or otherwise restrict persons from holding the securities or the underlying stock, or engaging in transactions therein, and any such action could adversely affect the value of the underlying stock or the securities. These regulatory actions could result in