Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration Statement No. 333-269296
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| GS Finance Corp. $39,000 Leveraged Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index-Linked Notes due 2029 guaranteed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. |
The notes do not bear interest. The amount that you will be paid on your notes on the stated maturity date (November 30, 2029) is based on the performance of the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index as measured from the trade date (November 27, 2024) to and including the determination date (November 27, 2029).
The index tracks the performance of E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contracts, not the Nasdaq-100 Index®. Generally, the return on an investment in a futures contract is correlated with, but not the same as, the return on buying and holding the securities underlying such contract. In addition, limited historical information regarding the performance of the index is available, which may make it difficult for you to make an informed decision with respect to an investment in the notes.
If the final index level on the determination date is greater than the initial index level of 584.36 (which is an intra-day level or the closing level of the index on the trade date), the return on your notes will be positive and will equal the participation rate of 1.96 times the index return. If the final index level declines by up to 30% from the initial index level, you will receive the face amount of your notes.
If the final index level declines by more than 30% from the initial index level, the return on your notes will be negative. You could lose your entire investment in the notes.
To determine your payment at maturity, we will calculate the index return, which is the percentage increase or decrease in the final index level from the initial index level. At maturity, for each $1,000 face amount of your notes, you will receive an amount in cash equal to:
●if the index return is positive (the final index level is greater than the initial index level), the sum of (i) $1,000 plus (ii) the product of (a) $1,000 times (b) the participation rate times (c) the index return;
●if the index return is zero or negative but not below -30% (the final index level is equal to the initial index level or is less than the initial index level, but not by more than 30%), $1,000; or
●if the index return is negative and is below -30% (the final index level is less than the initial index level by more than 30%), the sum of (i) $1,000 plus (ii) the product of (a) $1,000 times (b) the index return.
You should read the disclosure herein to better understand the terms and risks of your investment, including the credit risk of GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. See page PS-9.
The estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date is equal to approximately $945 per $1,000 face amount. For a discussion of the estimated value and the price at which Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC would initially buy or sell your notes, if it makes a market in the notes, see the following page.
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Original issue date: | December 3, 2024 | Original issue price: | 100% of the face amount |
Underwriting discount: | 1.25% of the face amount* | Net proceeds to the issuer: | 98.75% of the face amount |
*See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution; Conflicts of Interest” on page PS-33 for additional information regarding the fees comprising the underwriting discount.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The notes are not bank deposits and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Pricing Supplement No. 16,708 dated November 27, 2024.
The issue price, underwriting discount and net proceeds listed above relate to the notes we sell initially. We may decide to sell additional notes after the date of this pricing supplement, at issue prices and with underwriting discounts and net proceeds that differ from the amounts set forth above. The return (whether positive or negative) on your investment in notes will depend in part on the issue price you pay for such notes.
GS Finance Corp. may use this prospectus in the initial sale of the notes. In addition, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC or any other affiliate of GS Finance Corp. may use this prospectus in a market-making transaction in a note after its initial sale. Unless GS Finance Corp. or its agent informs the purchaser otherwise in the confirmation of sale, this prospectus is being used in a market-making transaction.
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Estimated Value of Your Notes The estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date (as determined by reference to pricing models used by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.) and taking into account our credit spreads) is equal to approximately $945 per $1,000 face amount, which is less than the original issue price. The value of your notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted; however, the price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would initially buy or sell notes (if it makes a market, which it is not obligated to do) and the value that GS&Co. will initially use for account statements and otherwise is equal to approximately the estimated value of your notes at the time of pricing, plus an additional amount (initially equal to $55 per $1,000 face amount). Prior to March 27, 2025, the price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would buy or sell your notes (if it makes a market, which it is not obligated to do) will equal approximately the sum of (a) the then-current estimated value of your notes (as determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models) plus (b) any remaining additional amount (the additional amount will decline to zero on a straight-line basis from the time of pricing through March 26, 2025). On and after March 27, 2025, the price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would buy or sell your notes (if it makes a market) will equal approximately the then-current estimated value of your notes determined by reference to such pricing models. |
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About Your Prospectus The notes are part of the Medium-Term Notes, Series F program of GS Finance Corp. and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. This prospectus includes this pricing supplement and the accompanying documents listed below. This pricing supplement constitutes a supplement to the documents listed below, does not set forth all of the terms of your notes and therefore should be read in conjunction with such documents: The information in this pricing supplement supersedes any conflicting information in the documents listed above. In addition, some of the terms or features described in the listed documents may not apply to your notes. We refer to the notes we are offering by this pricing supplement as the “offered notes” or the “notes”. Each of the offered notes has the terms described below. Please note that in this pricing supplement, references to “GS Finance Corp.”, “we”, “our” and “us” mean only GS Finance Corp. and do not include its subsidiaries or affiliates, references to “The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.”, our parent company, mean only The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and do not include its subsidiaries or affiliates and references to “Goldman Sachs” mean The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates, including us. The notes will be issued under the senior debt indenture, dated as of October 10, 2008, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 20, 2015, each among us, as issuer, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor, and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee. This indenture, as so supplemented and as further supplemented thereafter, is referred to as the “GSFC 2008 indenture” in the accompanying prospectus supplement. The notes will be issued in book-entry form and represented by master note no. 3, dated March 22, 2021. |
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
CUSIP / ISIN: 40058FTC7 / US40058FTC76
Company (Issuer): GS Finance Corp.
Guarantor: The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Underlier: the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index (current Bloomberg symbol: “NDXNQER Index”), or any successor underlier, as it may be modified, replaced or adjusted from time to time as provided herein
Reference equity index: with respect to the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index, the Nasdaq-100 Index®
Face amount: $39,000 in the aggregate on the original issue date; the aggregate face amount may be increased if the company, at its sole option, decides to sell an additional amount on a date subsequent to the trade date.
Authorized denominations: $1,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof
Principal amount: On the stated maturity date, the company will pay, for each $1,000 of the outstanding face amount, an amount, if any, in cash equal to the cash settlement amount.
Cash settlement amount:
●if the final underlier level is greater than the initial underlier level, the sum of (i) $1,000 plus (ii) the product of (a) $1,000 times (b) the upside participation rate times (c) the underlier return;
●if the final underlier level is equal to or less than the initial underlier level but greater than or equal to the trigger buffer level, $1,000; or
●if the final underlier level is less than the trigger buffer level, the sum of (i) $1,000 plus (ii) the product of (a) $1,000 times (b) the underlier return
Initial underlier level: 584.36, which is an intra-day level or the closing level of the underlier on the trade date
Final underlier level: the closing level of the underlier on the determination date, subject to adjustment as provided in “— Consequences of a market disruption event or a non-trading day” and “— Discontinuance or modification of the underlier” below
Upside participation rate: 196%
Underlier return: the quotient of (i) the final underlier level minus the initial underlier level divided by (ii) the initial underlier level, expressed as a percentage
Trigger buffer level: 70% of the initial underlier level
Trade date: November 27, 2024
Original issue date: December 3, 2024
Determination date: November 27, 2029, unless the calculation agent determines that a market disruption event occurs or is continuing on such day or such day is not a trading day. In that event, the determination date will be the first following trading day on which the calculation agent determines that a market disruption event does not occur and is not continuing. However, the determination date will not be postponed to a date later than the originally scheduled stated maturity date or, if the originally scheduled stated maturity date is not a business day, later than the first business day after the originally scheduled stated maturity date. If a market disruption event occurs or is continuing on the day that is the last possible determination date or such last possible day is not a trading day, that day will nevertheless be the determination date.
Stated maturity date: November 30, 2029, unless that day is not a business day, in which case the stated maturity date will be postponed to the next following business day. The stated maturity date will also be postponed if the determination date is postponed as described under “— Determination date” above. In such a case, the stated maturity date will be postponed by the same number of business day(s) from but excluding the originally scheduled determination date to and including the actual determination date.
Closing level: for any given trading day, the official closing level of the underlier or any successor underlier published by the underlier sponsor on such trading day
Trading day: a day on which the underlier sponsor is open for business and the underlier is calculated and published by the underlier sponsor
Successor underlier: any substitute underlier approved by the calculation agent as a successor underlier as provided under “— Discontinuance or modification of the underlier” below
Underlier sponsor: at any time, the person or entity, including any successor sponsor, that determines and publishes the underlier as then in effect. The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the underlier sponsor or any of its affiliates and the underlier sponsor and its affiliates make no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the notes.
Underlier stocks: at any time, the stocks that comprise the reference equity index as then in effect, after giving effect to any additions, deletions or substitutions
Market disruption event: With respect to any given trading day, any of the following will be a market disruption event with respect to the underlier:
•a suspension, absence or material limitation of trading in underlier stocks constituting 20% or more, by weight, of the reference equity index on their respective primary markets, in each case for more than two consecutive hours of trading or during the one-half hour before the close of trading in that market, as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion,
•a suspension, absence or material limitation of trading in option or futures contracts relating to the reference equity index or to underlier stocks constituting 20% or more, by weight, of the reference equity index in the respective primary markets for those contracts, in each case for more than two consecutive hours of trading or during the one-half hour before the close of trading in that market, as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion, or
•underlier stocks constituting 20% or more, by weight, of the reference equity index, or option or futures contracts, if available, relating to the reference equity index or to underlier stocks constituting 20% or more, by weight, of the reference equity index do not trade on what were the respective primary markets for those underlier stocks or contracts, as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion, and, in the case of any of these events, the calculation agent determines in its sole discretion that such event could materially interfere with the ability of the company or any of its affiliates or a similarly situated person to unwind all or a material portion of a hedge that could be effected with respect to this note.
The following events will not be market disruption events:
•a limitation on the hours or numbers of days of trading, but only if the limitation results from an announced change in the regular business hours of the relevant market, and
•a decision to permanently discontinue trading in option or futures contracts relating to the reference equity index or to any underlier stock.
For this purpose, an “absence of trading” in the primary securities market on which an underlier stock is traded, or on which option or futures contracts relating to the reference equity index or an underlier stock are traded, will not include any time when that market is itself closed for trading under ordinary circumstances. In contrast, a suspension or limitation of trading in an underlier stock or in option or futures contracts, if available, relating to the reference equity index or an underlier stock in the primary market for that stock or those contracts, by reason of:
•a price change exceeding limits set by that market,
•an imbalance of orders relating to that underlier stock or those contracts, or
•a disparity in bid and ask quotes relating to that underlier stock or those contracts,
will constitute a suspension or material limitation of trading in that stock or those contracts in that market.
Consequences of a market disruption event or a non-trading day: If a market disruption event occurs or is continuing on a day that would otherwise be the determination date or such day is not a trading day, then the determination date will be postponed as described under “— Determination date” above.
If the calculation agent determines that the closing level of the underlier that must be used to determine the cash settlement amount is not available on the last possible determination date because of a market disruption event, a non-trading day or for any other reason (other than as described under “— Discontinuance or modification of the underlier” below), the calculation agent will nevertheless determine the closing level of the underlier based on its assessment, made in its sole discretion, of the level of the underlier on that day.
Discontinuance or modification of the underlier: If the underlier sponsor discontinues publication of the underlier and the underlier sponsor or any other person or entity publishes a substitute underlier that the calculation agent determines is comparable to the underlier and approves as a successor underlier, or if the
calculation agent designates a substitute underlier, then the calculation agent will determine the amount payable on the stated maturity date by reference to such successor underlier.
If the calculation agent determines that the publication of the underlier is discontinued and there is no successor underlier, the calculation agent will determine the amount payable on the stated maturity date by a computation methodology that the calculation agent determines will as closely as reasonably possible replicate the underlier.
If the calculation agent determines that (i) the underlier, the underlier stocks or the method of calculating the underlier is changed at any time in any respect — including any addition, deletion or substitution and any reweighting or rebalancing of the underlier or the underlier stocks and whether the change is made by the underlier sponsor under its existing policies or following a modification of those policies, is due to the publication of a successor underlier, is due to events affecting one or more of the underlier stocks or their issuers or is due to any other reason — and is not otherwise reflected in the level of the underlier by the underlier sponsor pursuant to the then-current underlier methodology of the underlier or (ii) there has been a split or reverse split of the underlier, then the calculation agent will be permitted (but not required) to make such adjustments in the underlier or the method of its calculation as it believes are appropriate to ensure that the final underlier level, used to determine the amount payable on the stated maturity date, is equitable.
All determinations and adjustments to be made by the calculation agent with respect to the underlier may be made by the calculation agent in its sole discretion. The calculation agent is not obligated to make any such adjustments.
Calculation agent: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“GS&Co.”)
Tax characterization: The holder, on behalf of itself and any other person having a beneficial interest in this note, hereby agrees with the company (in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary) to characterize this note for all U.S. federal income tax purposes as a pre-paid derivative contract in respect of the underlier.
Overdue principal rate: the effective Federal Funds rate
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLES
The following examples are provided for purposes of illustration only. They should not be taken as an indication or prediction of future investment results and merely are intended to illustrate the impact that the various hypothetical underlier levels on the determination date could have on the cash settlement amount at maturity assuming all other variables remain constant.
The examples below are based on a range of final underlier levels that are entirely hypothetical; the underlier level on any day throughout the life of the notes, including the final underlier level on the determination date, cannot be predicted. The underlier has been highly volatile in the past — meaning that the underlier level has changed considerably in relatively short periods — and its performance cannot be predicted for any future period.
The information in the following examples reflects hypothetical rates of return on the offered notes assuming that they are purchased on the original issue date at the face amount and held to the stated maturity date. If you sell your notes in a secondary market prior to the stated maturity date, your return will depend upon the market value of your notes at the time of sale, which may be affected by a number of factors that are not reflected in the examples below, such as interest rates, the volatility of the underlier, the creditworthiness of GS Finance Corp., as issuer, and the creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor. In addition, the estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date (as determined by reference to pricing models used by GS&Co.) is less than the original issue price of your notes. For more information on the estimated value of your notes, see “Additional Risk Factors Specific to Your Notes — The Estimated Value of Your Notes At the Time the Terms of Your Notes Are Set On the Trade Date (as Determined By Reference to Pricing Models Used By GS&Co.) Is Less Than the Original Issue Price Of Your Notes” on page PS-9 of this pricing supplement. The information in the examples also reflects the key terms and assumptions in the box below.
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Key Terms and Assumptions |
Face amount | $1,000 |
Upside participation rate | 196% |
Trigger buffer level | 70% of the initial underlier level |
Neither a market disruption event nor a non-trading day occurs on the originally scheduled determination date |
No change in or affecting any of the underlier stocks or the method by which the underlier sponsor calculates the underlier |
Notes purchased on original issue date at the face amount and held to the stated maturity date |
For these reasons, the actual performance of the underlier over the life of your notes, as well as the amount payable at maturity, if any, may bear little relation to the hypothetical examples shown below or to the historical underlier levels shown elsewhere in this pricing supplement. For information about the historical levels of the underlier during recent periods, see “The Underlier — Historical Closing Levels of the Underlier” below. Before investing in the offered notes, you should consult publicly available information to determine the levels of the underlier between the date of this pricing supplement and the date of your purchase of the offered notes.
Also, the hypothetical examples shown below do not take into account the effects of applicable taxes. Because of the U.S. tax treatment applicable to your notes, tax liabilities could affect the after-tax rate of return on your notes to a comparatively greater extent than the after-tax return on the underlier stocks.
The levels in the left column of the table below represent hypothetical final underlier levels and are expressed as percentages of the initial underlier level. The amounts in the right column represent the hypothetical cash settlement amounts, based on the corresponding hypothetical final underlier level, and are expressed as percentages of the face amount of a note (rounded to the nearest one-thousandth of a percent). Thus, a hypothetical cash settlement amount of 100.000% means that the value of the cash payment that we would deliver for each $1,000 of the outstanding face amount of the offered notes on the stated maturity date would equal 100.000% of the face amount of a note, based on the corresponding hypothetical final underlier level and the assumptions noted above.
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Hypothetical Final Underlier Level (as Percentage of Initial Underlier Level) | Hypothetical Cash Settlement Amount (as Percentage of Face Amount) |
200.000% | 296.000% |
175.000% | 247.000% |
150.000% | 198.000% |
125.000% | 149.000% |
100.000% | 100.000% |
90.000% | 100.000% |
80.000% | 100.000% |
70.000% | 100.000% |
69.999% | 69.999% |
50.000% | 50.000% |
40.000% | 40.000% |
25.000% | 25.000% |
0.000% | 0.000% |
If, for example, the final underlier level were determined to be 25.000% of the initial underlier level, the cash settlement amount that we would deliver on your notes at maturity would be 25.000% of the face amount of your notes, as shown in the table above. As a result, if you purchased your notes on the original issue date at the face amount and held them to the stated maturity date, you would lose 75.000% of your investment (if you purchased your notes at a premium to face amount you would lose a correspondingly higher percentage of your investment).
The following chart shows a graphical illustration of the hypothetical cash settlement amounts that we would pay on your notes on the stated maturity date, if the final underlier level were any of the hypothetical levels shown on the horizontal axis. The hypothetical cash settlement amounts in the chart are expressed as percentages of the face amount of your notes and the hypothetical final underlier levels are expressed as percentages of the initial underlier level. The chart shows that any hypothetical final underlier level of less than 70.000% (the section left of the 70.000% marker on the horizontal axis) would result in a hypothetical cash settlement amount of less than 100.000% of the face amount of your notes (the section below the 100.000% marker on the vertical axis) and, accordingly, in a loss of principal to the holder of the notes.
The cash settlement amounts shown above are entirely hypothetical; they are based on market prices for the underlier stocks that may not be achieved on the determination date and on assumptions that may prove to be erroneous. The actual market value of your notes on the stated maturity date or at any other time, including any time you may wish to sell your notes, may bear little relation to the hypothetical cash settlement amounts shown above, and these amounts should not be viewed as an indication of the financial return on an investment in the offered notes. The hypothetical cash settlement amounts on notes held to the stated maturity date in the examples above assume you purchased your notes at their face amount and have not been adjusted to reflect the actual issue price you pay for your notes. The return on your investment (whether positive or negative) in your notes will be affected by the amount you pay for your notes. If you purchase your notes for a price other than the face amount, the return on your investment will differ from, and may be significantly lower than, the hypothetical returns suggested by the above examples. Please read “Additional Risk Factors Specific to Your Notes — The Market Value of Your Notes May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” on page PS-11.
Payments on the notes are economically equivalent to the amounts that would be paid on a combination of other instruments. For example, payments on the notes are economically equivalent to a combination of an interest-bearing bond bought by the holder and one or more options entered into between the holder and us (with one or more implicit option premiums paid over time). The discussion in this paragraph does not modify or affect the terms of the notes or the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the notes, as described elsewhere in this pricing supplement.
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We cannot predict the actual final underlier level or what the market value of your notes will be on any particular trading day, nor can we predict the relationship between the underlier level and the market value of your notes at any time prior to the stated maturity date. The actual amount that you will receive, if any, at maturity and the rate of return on the offered notes will depend on the actual final underlier level determined by the calculation agent as described above. Moreover, the assumptions on which the hypothetical returns are based may turn out to be inaccurate. Consequently, the amount of cash to be paid in respect of your notes, if any, on the stated maturity date may be very different from the information reflected in the examples above. |
ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS SPECIFIC TO YOUR NOTES
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An investment in your notes is subject to the risks described below, as well as the risks and considerations described in the accompanying prospectus, in the accompanying prospectus supplement and under “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” in the accompanying general terms supplement no. 8,999. You should carefully review these risks and considerations as well as the terms of the notes described herein and in the accompanying prospectus, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying general terms supplement no. 8,999. Your notes are a riskier investment than ordinary debt securities. Also, your notes are not equivalent to investing directly in the underlier stocks, i.e., the stocks comprising the reference equity index. You should carefully consider whether the offered notes are appropriate given your particular circumstances. |
Risks Related to Structure, Valuation and Secondary Market Sales
The Estimated Value of Your Notes At the Time the Terms of Your Notes Are Set On the Trade Date (as Determined By Reference to Pricing Models Used By GS&Co.) Is Less Than the Original Issue Price Of Your Notes
The original issue price for your notes exceeds the estimated value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date, as determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models and taking into account our credit spreads. Such estimated value on the trade date is set forth above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”; after the trade date, the estimated value as determined by reference to these models will be affected by changes in market conditions, the creditworthiness of GS Finance Corp., as issuer, the creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor, and other relevant factors. The price at which GS&Co. would initially buy or sell your notes (if GS&Co. makes a market, which it is not obligated to do), and the value that GS&Co. will initially use for account statements and otherwise, also exceeds the estimated value of your notes as determined by reference to these models. As agreed by GS&Co. and the distribution participants, this excess (i.e., the additional amount described under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”) will decline to zero on a straight line basis over the period from the date hereof through the applicable date set forth above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”. Thereafter, if GS&Co. buys or sells your notes it will do so at prices that reflect the estimated value determined by reference to such pricing models at that time. The price at which GS&Co. will buy or sell your notes at any time also will reflect its then current bid and ask spread for similar sized trades of structured notes.
In estimating the value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date, as disclosed above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”, GS&Co.’s pricing models consider certain variables, including principally our credit spreads, interest rates (forecasted, current and historical rates), volatility, price-sensitivity analysis and the time to maturity of the notes. These pricing models are proprietary and rely in part on certain assumptions about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. As a result, the actual value you would receive if you sold your notes in the secondary market, if any, to others may differ, perhaps materially, from the estimated value of your notes determined by reference to our models due to, among other things, any differences in pricing models or assumptions used by others. See “— The Market Value of Your Notes May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” below.
The difference between the estimated value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date and the original issue price is a result of certain factors, including principally the underwriting discount and commissions, the expenses incurred in creating, documenting and marketing the notes, and an estimate of the difference between the amounts we pay to GS&Co. and the amounts GS&Co. pays to us in connection with your notes. We pay to GS&Co. amounts based on what we would pay to holders of a non-structured note with a similar maturity. In return for such payment, GS&Co. pays to us the amounts we owe under your notes.
In addition to the factors discussed above, the value and quoted price of your notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted. If GS&Co. makes a market in the notes, the price quoted by GS&Co. would reflect any changes in market conditions and other relevant factors, including any deterioration in our creditworthiness or perceived creditworthiness or the creditworthiness or perceived creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. These changes may adversely affect the value of your notes, including the price you may receive for your notes in any market making transaction. To the extent that GS&Co. makes a market in the notes, the quoted price will reflect the estimated value determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models at that time, plus or minus its then current bid and ask spread for similar sized trades of structured notes (and subject to the declining excess amount described above).
Furthermore, if you sell your notes, you will likely be charged a commission for secondary market transactions, or the price will likely reflect a dealer discount. This commission or discount will further reduce the proceeds you would receive for your notes in a secondary market sale.
There is no assurance that GS&Co. or any other party will be willing to purchase your notes at any price and, in this regard, GS&Co. is not obligated to make a market in the notes. See “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes — Your Notes May Not Have an Active Trading Market” on page S-7 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 8,999.
The Notes Are Subject to the Credit Risk of the Issuer and the Guarantor
Although the return on the notes will be based on the performance of the underlier, the payment of any amount due on the notes is subject to the credit risk of GS Finance Corp., as issuer of the notes, and the credit risk of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. as guarantor of the notes. The notes are our unsecured obligations. Investors are dependent on our ability to pay all 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. Similarly, investors are dependent on the ability of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor of the notes, to pay all amounts due on the notes, and therefore are also subject to its credit risk and to changes in the market’s view of its creditworthiness. See “Description of the Notes We May Offer — Information About Our Medium-Term Notes, Series F Program — How the Notes Rank Against Other Debt” on page S-5 of the accompanying prospectus supplement and “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer — Guarantee by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.” on page 67 of the accompanying prospectus.
The Amount Payable on Your Notes Is Not Linked to the Level of the Underlier at Any Time Other Than the Determination Date
The final underlier level will be based on the closing level of the underlier on the determination date (subject to adjustment as described elsewhere in this pricing supplement). Therefore, if the closing level of the underlier dropped precipitously on the determination date, the cash settlement amount for your notes may be significantly less than it would have been had the cash settlement amount been linked to the closing level of the underlier prior to such drop in the level of the underlier. Although the actual level of the underlier on the stated maturity date or at other times during the life of your notes may be higher than the final underlier level, you will not benefit from the closing level of the underlier at any time other than on the determination date.
You May Lose Your Entire Investment in the Notes
You can lose your entire investment in the notes. The cash payment on your notes, if any, on the stated maturity date will be based on the performance of the underlier as measured from the initial underlier level to the closing level on the determination date. If the final underlier level is less than the trigger buffer level, you will have a loss for each $1,000 of the face amount of your notes equal to the product of $1,000 times the underlier return. Thus, you may lose your entire investment in the notes, which would include any premium to face amount you paid when you purchased the notes.
Also, the market price of your notes prior to the stated maturity date may be significantly lower than the purchase price you pay for your notes. Consequently, if you sell your notes before the stated maturity date, you may receive far less than the amount of your investment in the notes.
The Return on Your Notes May Change Significantly Despite Only a Small Change in the Underlier Level
If the final underlier level is less than the trigger buffer level, you will receive less than the face amount of your notes and you could lose all or a substantial portion of your investment in the notes. This means that while a decrease in the final underlier level to the trigger buffer level will not result in a loss of principal on the notes, a decrease in the final underlier level to less than the trigger buffer level will result in a loss of a significant portion of the face amount of the notes despite only a small change in the level of the underlier.
Your Notes Do Not Bear Interest
You will not receive any interest payments on your notes. As a result, even if the cash settlement amount payable for your notes on the stated maturity date exceeds the face amount of your notes, the overall return you earn on your notes may be less than you would have earned by investing in a non-indexed debt security of comparable maturity that bears interest at a prevailing market rate.
You Have No Rights in Any Futures Contract Tracked by the Underlier
Investing in your notes will not make you a holder of any futures contract tracked by the underlier. Neither you nor any other holder or owner of your notes will have any rights with respect to the futures contracts tracked by the underlier, including any rights of a holder of the futures contracts. Your notes will be paid in cash and you will have no right to receive delivery of any futures contract tracked by the underlier.
You Have No Shareholder Rights or Rights to Receive Any Underlier Stock
Investing in your notes will not make you a holder of any of the underlier stocks. Neither you nor any other holder or owner of your notes will have any rights with respect to the underlier stocks, including any voting rights, any rights to receive dividends or other distributions, any rights to make a claim against the underlier stocks or any other rights of a holder of the underlier stocks. Your notes will be paid in cash and you will have no right to receive delivery of any underlier stocks.
We May Sell an Additional Aggregate Face Amount of the Notes at a Different Issue Price
At our sole option, we may decide to sell an additional aggregate face amount of the notes subsequent to the date of this pricing supplement. The issue price of the notes in the subsequent sale may differ substantially (higher or lower) from the original issue price you paid as provided on the cover of this pricing supplement.
The Market Value of Your Notes May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors
When we refer to the market value of your notes, we mean the value that you could receive for your notes if you chose to sell them in the open market before the stated maturity date. A number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, will influence the market value of your notes, including:
•the levelof the underlier;
•the volatility – i.e., the frequency and magnitude of changes – in the closing level of the underlier;
•the dividend rates of the underlier stocks;
•economic, financial, regulatory, political, military, public health and other events that affect stock markets generally and the underlier stocks, and which may affect the closing level of the underlier;
•interest rates and yield rates in the market;
•the time remaining until your notes mature; and
•our creditworthiness and the creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., whether actual or perceived, and including actual or anticipated upgrades or downgrades in our credit ratings or the credit ratings of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. or changes in other credit measures.
Without limiting the foregoing, the market value of your notes may be negatively impacted by increasing interest rates. Such adverse impact of increasing interest rates could be significantly enhanced in notes with longer-dated maturities, the market values of which are generally more sensitive to increasing interest rates.
These factors may influence the market value of your notes if you sell your notes before maturity, including the price you may receive for your notes in any market making transaction. If you sell your notes prior to maturity, you may receive less than the face amount of your notes. You cannot predict the future performance of the underlier based on its historical performance.
If You Purchase Your Notes at a Premium to Face Amount, the Return on Your Investment Will Be Lower Than the Return on Notes Purchased at Face Amount and the Impact of Certain Key Terms of the Notes Will Be Negatively Affected
The cash settlement amount will not be adjusted based on the issue price you pay for the notes. If you purchase notes at a price that differs from the face amount of the notes, then the return on your investment in such notes held to the stated maturity date will differ from, and may be substantially less than, the return on notes purchased at face amount. If you purchase your notes at a premium to face amount and hold them to the stated maturity date, the return on your investment in the notes will be lower than it would have been had you purchased the notes at face amount or a discount to face amount.
Additional Risks Related to the Underlier
The Underlier Has a Limited Operating History
The notes are linked to the performance of the underlier, which was launched on April 1, 2024. Because the underlier has no live underlier level history prior to that date, limited live historical underlier level information will be available for you to consider in making an independent investigation of the underlier performance, which may make it difficult for you to make an informed decision with respect to the notes.
The hypothetical performance data prior to the launch of the underlier on April 1, 2024 refers to simulated performance data created by applying the underlier’s calculation methodology to historical prices of the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract that the underlier tracks. Such simulated hypothetical performance data has been produced by the retroactive application of a back-tested methodology. No future performance of the underlier can be predicted based on the simulated hypothetical performance data or the historical underlier performance information described herein.
Linking to an Equity Futures Contract Is Different From Linking to the Reference Equity Index
The return on your notes will be related to the performance of an equity futures contract and not the reference equity index. On a given day, a “futures price” is the price at which market participants may agree to buy or sell the asset underlying a futures contract in the future, and the “spot price” is the current price of such underlying asset for immediate delivery. A variety of factors can lead to a disparity between the price of a futures contract at a given point in time and the spot price of its underlying asset, such as the expected dividend yields of any stocks that comprise such underlying asset, the implicit financing cost associated with the futures contract and market expectations related to the future price of the futures contract’s underlying asset. Purchasing an equity futures contract is similar to borrowing money to buy the underlying asset of such futures contract because it enables an investor to gain exposure to such underlying asset without having to pay the full cost of such exposure up front, and therefore entails a financing cost. As a result, the underlier is expected to reflect not only the performance of the reference equity index, but also the implicit financing cost in the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract, among other factors. Such implicit financing cost will adversely affect the level of the underlier. Any increase in market interest rates will be expected to further increase this implicit financing cost and will have an adverse effect on the level of the underlier and, therefore, the value of and return on the notes.
The price movement of a futures contract is typically correlated with the movements of the price of its underlying asset, but the correlation is generally imperfect, and price movements in the spot market may not be reflected in the futures market (and vice versa). Accordingly, your notes may underperform a similar investment that more directly reflects the return on the reference equity index.
Negative Roll Yields Will Adversely Affect the Level of the Underlier Over Time and Therefore the Amount Payable on the Notes
The underlier is linked to the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract rather than the reference equity index. Futures contracts normally specify a certain date for cash settlement of a financial future (such as a futures contract on a securities index) or delivery of the underlying physical commodity for a deliverable future. As the exchange-traded futures contract that comprises the underlier approaches expiration, it is replaced by a similar contract that has a later expiration. Thus, for example, a futures contract purchased and held in September may specify a December expiration. As time passes, the contract expiring in December may be replaced by a contract for delivery in March. This process is referred to as “rolling.”
As a futures contract approaches expiration, its value will generally approach the spot price of its underlying asset because by expiration it will closely represent a contract to buy or sell such underlying asset for immediate delivery. If the market for a futures contract is in “contango,” where the price of the futures contract with a later expiration date during a rolling period is higher than the spot price of its underlying asset, then the value of such futures contract would tend to decline over time (assuming the spot price and other relevant factors remain unchanged), because the higher futures price would decline as it approaches the lower spot price by expiration. This negative effect on the futures price is referred to as a negative “carry” or “roll yield” and is realized over the term of such contract. A negative roll yield will adversely affect the level of the underlier over time and therefore the amount payable on the notes. Because of the potential effects of negative roll yields, it is possible for the level of the underlier to decrease significantly over time even when the level of the reference equity index is stable or increasing.
Futures Contracts Are Not Assets with Intrinsic Value
The underlier is linked to the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract currently listed for trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Trading in futures contracts transfers the risk of future price movements from one market participant to another. This means that for every gain, there is an equal and offsetting loss. Futures contracts themselves are not assets with intrinsic value, and simply reflect, in the case of cash-settled contracts, certain rights to payment or obligations to make payments to the other party to the contract. Accordingly, market participants taking the opposite side of the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract trades may believe that the level of the reference equity index will move against the interests of the underlier.
Owning the Notes Is Not the Same as Directly Owning the Securities or Futures Contract Directly or Indirectly Tracked by the Underlier
Your return on the notes will not reflect the return you would have realized on a direct investment in the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract currently listed for trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or any of the underlier stocks comprising the reference equity index. For example, as an investor in the notes, you will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights, including voting rights, with respect to any underlier stocks comprising the reference equity index. The calculation agent for the notes will calculate the amount payable to you at maturity by reference to the level of the underlier on the determination date, and will not include the amount of any of those dividend payments or other distributions. Therefore, the return on your investment will not be the same as the return based on the purchase of any stocks or futures contracts that are tracked directly or indirectly by the underlier.
Suspension or Disruptions of Market Trading in Stocks or Futures Contracts May Adversely Affect the Value of the Notes
Securities markets and futures markets are subject to temporary distortions or other disruptions due to various factors, including the lack of liquidity in the markets, the participation of speculators, and government regulation and intervention. In addition, futures markets typically have regulations that limit the amount of fluctuation in some futures contract prices that may occur during a single business day. These limits are generally referred to as “daily price fluctuation limits,” and the maximum or minimum price of a contract on any given day as a result of these limits is referred to as a “limit price.” Once the limit price has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made at a price beyond the limit, or trading may be limited for a specified period of time. Limit prices have the effect of precluding trading in a particular contract or forcing the liquidation of contracts at potentially disadvantageous times or prices. These circumstances could affect the level of the underlier and, therefore, could adversely affect the payments on the notes.
As Compared to Other Index Sponsors, Nasdaq, Inc. Retains Significant Control and Discretionary Decision-Making Over the Underlier, Which May Have an Adverse Effect on the Level of the Underlier and on Your Notes
Pursuant to the underlier methodology, Nasdaq, Inc. retains the right, from time to time, to exercise reasonable discretion as it deems appropriate in order to ensure underlier integrity, including, but not limited to, changes to quantitative inclusion criteria. Nasdaq, Inc. may also, due to special circumstances, apply discretionary adjustments to ensure and maintain quality of the underlier. Although it is unclear how and to what extent this discretion could or would be exercised, it is possible that it could be exercised by Nasdaq, Inc. in a manner that materially and adversely affects the level of the underlier and therefore your notes. Nasdaq, Inc. is not obligated to, and will not, take account of your interests in exercising the discretion described above.
Except to the Extent That We or Our Affiliates May Currently or in the Future Own Securities of, or Engage in Business With, the Issuers of the Underlier Stocks or Own E-Mini Nasdaq-100 Futures Contracts, There Is No Affiliation Between Us and the Issuers of the Underlier Stocks
The underlier is linked to the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract currently listed for trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. We or our affiliates may currently or from time to time in the future own securities of, or engage in business with, the issuers of the underlier stocks or own E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contracts. We are not otherwise affiliated with the issuers of the underlier stocks or the sponsor of the reference equity index. Neither we nor any of our affiliates have participated in the preparation of any publicly available information or made any “due diligence” investigation or inquiry with respect to the underlier or the reference equity index, any of the other issuers of the underlier stocks or the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract. You, as an investor in your notes, should make your own investigation into the underlier, the reference equity index, the issuers of the
underlier stocks and the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract. See S-17 below for additional information about the underlier, the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract and the reference equity index.
None of the issuers of securities comprising the reference equity index are involved in the offering of your notes in any way and none of them have any obligation of any sort with respect to your notes. Thus, none of the issuers of the underlier stocks have any obligation to take your interests into consideration for any reason, including in taking any corporate actions that might adversely affect the level of the underlier or the reference equity index or making any investment decision for the underlier or the reference equity index.
The Policies of the Underlier Sponsor and Changes That Affect the Underlier or the Underlier Stocks Could Affect the Payment Amount on Your Notes and Their Market Value
The policies of the underlier sponsor concerning the calculation of the level of the underlier, additions, deletions or substitutions of underlier stocks and the manner in which changes affecting the underlier stocks or their issuers, such as stock dividends, reorganizations or mergers, are reflected in the level of the underlier or reference equity index, as applicable, could affect the level of the underlier and, therefore, the cash settlement amount on your notes on the stated maturity date and the market value of your notes before that date. The amount payable on your notes and their market value could also be affected if the underlier sponsor changes these policies, for example, by changing the manner in which it calculates the level of the underlier or if the underlier sponsor discontinues or suspends calculation or publication of the level of the underlier, in which case it may become difficult to determine the market value of your notes. If events such as these occur, or if the closing level of the underlier is not available on the determination date because of a market disruption event or for any other reason, the calculation agent — which initially will be GS&Co., our affiliate — may determine the closing level of the underlier — and thus the amount payable on your notes — in a manner it considers appropriate, in its sole discretion. We describe the discretion that the calculation agent will have in determining the closing level of the underlier on the determination date and the amount payable on your notes more fully under “Terms and Conditions — Discontinuance or modification of the underlier” above.
Risks Related to Tax
The Tax Consequences of an Investment in Your Notes Are Uncertain
The tax consequences of an investment in your notes are uncertain, both as to the timing and character of any inclusion in income in respect of your notes.
The Internal Revenue Service announced on December 7, 2007 that it is considering issuing guidance regarding the tax treatment of an instrument such as your notes, and any such guidance could adversely affect the value and the tax treatment of your notes. Among other things, the Internal Revenue Service may decide to require the holders to accrue ordinary income on a current basis and recognize ordinary income on payment at maturity, and could subject non-U.S. investors to withholding tax. Furthermore, in 2007, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if enacted, would have required holders that acquired instruments such as your notes after the bill was enacted to accrue interest income over the term of such instruments even though there will be no interest payments over the term of such instruments. It is not possible to predict whether a similar or identical bill will be enacted in the future, or whether any such bill would affect the tax treatment of your notes. We describe these developments in more detail under “Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences – United States Holders – Possible Change in Law” below. You should consult your tax advisor about this matter. Except to the extent otherwise provided by law, GS Finance Corp. intends to continue treating the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described under “Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” below unless and until such time as Congress, the Treasury Department or the Internal Revenue Service determine that some other treatment is more appropriate. Please also consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax and any other applicable tax consequences to you of owning your notes in your particular circumstances.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding May Apply to Payments on Your Notes, Including as a Result of the Failure of the Bank or Broker Through Which You Hold the Notes to Provide Information to Tax Authorities
Please see the discussion under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the applicability of FATCA to payments made on your notes.
THE UNDERLIER
The Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index, which we also refer to in this description as the “index”:
•is an equity futures index, and therefore cannot be invested in directly;
•does not file reports with the SEC because it is not an issuer;
•has a launch date of April 1, 2024, with a base value of 100 as of its base date, September 30, 1999; and
•is sponsored by Nasdaq, Inc. (“Nasdaq”).
The Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index is designed to measure the performance of the nearest expiring quarterly E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract (symbol: “NQ”) trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (“CME”). E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contracts are quarterly contracts to buy or sell standardized trading “units”. One trading unit of the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract equals $20 multiplied by the Nasdaq-100 index (price return version). The Nasdaq-100 Index® is designed to measure the performance of 100 of the largest Nasdaq listed non-financial stocks. The index is calculated in U.S. dollars ($) on an excess return basis. The index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® are calculated, maintained and published by Nasdaq. Additional information about the index and the Nasdaq-100 Index® (including sector weights) is available on the following websites: https://indexes.nasdaqomx.com/Index/Overview/NDXNQER and indexes.nasdaqomx.com/Index/Overview/NDX. We are not incorporating by reference the websites or any material they include in this pricing supplement.
Index Construction
The index is constructed from a single E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract with a provision for the replacement of the current E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract as the contract approaches expiration. On each index calculation day (which is each weekday that is not a day when CME is scheduled to be closed) prior to each roll period start date (defined below), the next E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract is determined as the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract that expires in the next calendar quarter (which is approximately three months out). Thus, there will be two E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contracts (collectively, the components) during a roll period (defined below): the current contract approaching expiration and the next contract expiring in the next calendar quarter that is replacing it. At the conclusion of each roll period, the next contract becomes the current contract.
The roll period is the period over which the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index rolls exposure from the current E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract to the next E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract, which is normally the same as the scheduled roll period but may differ due to market disruption events. The scheduled roll period is the period of three index calculation days starting on, and including, each roll period start date. Each roll period start date is the index calculation day that is five index calculation days prior to the third Friday of each March, June, September and December, provided that if such third Friday is a CME holiday, the CME trading day immediately preceding such third Friday.
Index Calculations
On each index calculation day, the index values are calculated as follows: the sum of (i) the index value on the index calculation day immediately preceding such index calculation day plus (ii) the product of (a) the number of units, at the end of the day, after any adjustment due on that day, of the current E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract for the index calculation day immediately preceding such index calculation day times (b) its daily settlement price for such index calculation day minus its daily settlement price for the index calculation day immediately preceding such index calculation day plus (iii) the product of (a) the number of units, at the end of the day, after any adjustment due on that day, of the next E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract for the index calculation day immediately preceding such index calculation day times (b) its daily settlement price for such index calculation day minus its daily settlement price for the index calculation day immediately preceding such index calculation day. For any given index calculation day, if the price of a component is not available, then the last available price for such component shall be used.
For each roll day, subject to the occurrence of a market disruption event described below, new units for each component future of the E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract are determined. A roll day, in respect of an E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract, is an index calculation day in a scheduled roll period that is not an index calculation
day on which there is a market disruption event for a component, if the last day of a scheduled roll period is an index calculation day on which there is a market disruption event for a component, the next index calculation day.
On days other than the last roll day, the units of the current E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract are determined as follows:
the quotient of (i) the index value on such index calculation day divided by (ii) the sum of (a) the settlement price of the current E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract for such index calculation day plus (b) the product of (1) the settlement price of the next E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract for such index calculation day times (2) the quotient of (x) a sequential counter, starting at 1, for each scheduled rolled day in a roll period divided by (y) 3 minus a sequential counter, starting at 1, for each scheduled rolled day in a roll period
On the last roll day, the units of the current E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract are zero.
For the incoming E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract that is entering the index, the units are determined as follows:
the quotient of (i) the index value on such index calculation day divided by (ii) the sum of (a) the product of (1) the settlement price of the current E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract for such index calculation day times (2) the quotient of (x) 3 minus a sequential counter, starting at 1, for each scheduled rolled day in a roll period divided by (y) a sequential counter, starting at 1, for each scheduled rolled day in a roll period plus (b) the settlement price of the next E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract for such index calculation day
On the last roll day, this simplifies to the quotient of (i) the index value on such index calculation day divided by (ii) the settlement price of the next E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract for such index calculation day
After a roll period, the next E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract becomes the current E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contract.
The Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index is calculated Monday through Friday, except on days when the CME is scheduled to be closed, as published by CME and as may be updated from time to time. The Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index is calculated based on the contract settlement price provided by CME at market close.
Market Disruption Event
If a market disruption event occurs on a scheduled roll day for a component, then no change of units of that component shall occur on that day. Instead, the change of units for such index calculation day(s) on which there is a market disruption event for a component will take place, in addition to any scheduled change of units, on the next following index calculation day that such market disruption event is no longer occurring and there is no other market disruption event occurring.
A market disruption event is, in respect of a component, the occurrence of one or more of the following events that affects that component and that the index administrator deems to be material to the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index:
•Trading disruption: Any unscheduled closure of the CME; a material suspension, limitation or disruption of trading on the CME; a failure of the CME to publish the relevant price, level, value or other information; a halt in trading, such as a circuit breaker or other exchange imposed halt; or any other event that materially affects the ability of market participants to trade, effect transactions in, maintain or unwind positions in that component;
•Exchange disruption: Any exchange related event that disrupts or impairs the ability of market participants to effect transactions or obtain market values or price discovery of a component used directly or indirectly in the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index;
•Price failure: Any event that impairs or prevents the ability of the index administrator to obtain a relevant price, level, rate value or any other information from an exchange or other source necessary, on a timely basis and in a manner acceptable to the index administrator, in order to perform the calculation of the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index;
•Inaccurate data: The price or value of a component that has been calculated by reference to data that, in the determination of the index administrator, is inaccurate, incomplete and/or does not adequately reflect the true market price or value of such component;
•Force majeure: Any event or circumstance (including, without limitation, a systems failure, natural man-made disaster, act of God, armed conflict, act of terrorism, riot or labor disruption or any similar intervening circumstance, or restrictions due to emergency powers enforce by federal, state or local government agencies), that is beyond the reasonable control of the index administrator and that the index administrator determines, in its sole discretion, affects the index, a component of the index, any input data required to calculate the index, or that prevents the ability of the index administrator to calculate the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index; and
•General moratorium: The index administrator observes on any day that there has been a declaration of a general moratorium in respect of banking activities in any relevant jurisdiction.
Consequences of a Market Disruption Event
If a market disruption event occurs or is occurring on an index calculation day that the index administrator determines materially affects the index, the index administrator may:
•Delay the calculation of the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index and halt the dissemination of the value of the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index and/or other information relating to the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index until such time, which may be a subsequent index calculation day, that the index administrator determines that such market disruption event is no longer occurring; or
•Determine a good faith estimate of any affected or missing input data required to calculate the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index or the value of the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index for such index calculation day or time for such index calculation day.
Other Adjustments
Nasdaq may make adjustments in circumstances other than those detailed in the index methodology, but not limited to, adjustments necessary to ensure Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index and/or market integrity. Nasdaq may exercise discretion or expert judgement (other than that which is purely mechanical and, where relevant, implemented in accordance with the index methodology) when the situation calls for the interpretation of data in calculating and maintaining the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index, including application of corporate actions. The use of expert judgement is overseen by the index governance process and mandates that the discretion or expert judgement would be exercised (i) in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner and (ii) in such a manner as to ensure, as far as commercially reasonable, consistency in the approach it adopts with regard to the exercise of such discretion or expert judgement.
Index Governance
All Nasdaq indices are managed by the governance committee structure and have transparent governance, oversight, and accountability procedures for the index determination process.
Nasdaq-100 Index®
The Nasdaq-100 Index®, which we also refer to in this description as the “Nasdaq-100 Index®”:
•is an equity index, and therefore cannot be invested in directly;
•does not file reports with the SEC because it is not an issuer;
•has a base date of January 31, 1985, with a base value of 125.00, as adjusted; and
•is calculated, maintained and published by Nasdaq, Inc. (“Nasdaq”).
The Nasdaq-100 Index® is designed to measure the performance of 100 of the largest Nasdaq listed non-financial stocks. The Nasdaq-100 Index® is a “price return” index and is calculated using a modified market capitalization-weighted methodology. We have derived all information contained in this pricing supplement regarding the Nasdaq-100 Index® from publicly available information. Additional information about the Nasdaq-100 Index® (including the top ten constituent stocks and weights and sector weights) is available on the following website: indexes.nasdaqomx.com/Index/Overview/NDX. We are not incorporating by reference the website or any material it includes in this pricing supplement.
Security Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for Nasdaq-100 Index® inclusion, securities must meet the following Security Eligibility Criteria which are applied as of the reconstitution reference date.
Eligible security types include common stocks, tracking stocks, and American depositary receipts, including New York registry shares. Real estate investment trusts, special purpose acquisition companies and “when-issued” securities are not eligible.
Multiple classes of securities issued by the same company are each eligible, subject to meeting all other security eligibility criteria.
For constituent selection and weighting purposes, the market capitalization of each company is the combined market capitalization of all eligible share classes. Unless otherwise noted, unlisted share classes are ineligible and will not be considered in the calculation of a company’s market capitalization. To be eligible for index inclusion, a company’s primary US listing must be listed exclusively on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market. To be eligible, a company must not be classified as being in the financial industry according to the Industry Classification Benchmark, a product of FTSE International Limited that is used under license.
Companies classified as being in the real estate industry, according to the Industry Classification Benchmark, are eligible unless organized as a real estate investment trust.
There is no minimum or maximum market capitalization criterion, although the security selection process is based in part on a ranking of companies by market capitalization. A security must have a three-month average daily traded value of at least $5 million (USD).
To be eligible for initial index inclusion, a security must have been listed and available for trading on an eligible exchange for at least three full calendar months, not including the month of initial listing. For seasoning purposes, eligible exchanges include Nasdaq (Nasdaq Global Select Market, Nasdaq Global Market, or Nasdaq Capital Market), NYSE, NYSE American and CBOE BZX. Seasoning eligibility is determined as of the constituent selection reference date and includes that month, therefore:
•To be considered for inclusion at the annual December reconstitution, a security must have been listed and available for trading on an eligible exchange no later than the last business day of August, with seasoning occurring over the months of September, October, and November.
•To be considered for inclusion as a replacement, a security must be seasoned by the last day of the month preceding the replacement event. For example, if a replacement event were to occur in July, the required seasoning period would include all of April, May, and June.
The trading history of a special purpose acquisition company prior to its combination with an operating company will not count towards satisfying the seasoning requirement, regardless of whether the special purpose acquisition company is determined to be the acquirer or the target in the transaction.
Any security that is already a member of the Nasdaq-100 Index®, including those added as the result of a spin-off event, will be exempt from the seasoning requirement. A security must have a free float of at least 10%.
Companies that have filed for bankruptcy, or equivalent protection from creditors, will not be considered for initial inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 Index®.
A company that has entered into a definitive agreement or other arrangement that is expected to make it ineligible will not be considered for initial inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 Index®. Such agreements and arrangements include, but are not limited to:
•An agreement to be purchased by another entity or to become privately owned.
•A plan to delist or to transfer to an ineligible exchange.
•A plan to reorganize as an ineligible security type.
•A decision to liquidate or otherwise permanently cease operations.
Constituent Selection
A reconstitution is conducted on an annual basis, at which time all eligible companies are ranked based on market capitalization, as of the reconstitution reference date.
The market capitalization of each company is the combined market capitalization of all eligible share classes. For inclusion purposes, the market capitalization of an American depositary receipt will normally be determined based on the depositary shares outstanding, as reported by the depositary banks. This means that a non-US company represented by an American depositary receipt may be considered for inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 Index® at less than its full global market capitalization. Notwithstanding the foregoing, an American depositary receipt that serves as a company’s primary global listing (i.e., the underlying shares are not listed or available for trading elsewhere) will be considered for inclusion based on its full global market capitalization, in the same manner as a direct listing.
1.Once ranked, companies are selected for Nasdaq-100 Index® inclusion based on the following order of criteria: The top 75 ranked companies are selected for inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 Index®.
2.Any other companies that were members of the Nasdaq-100 Index® as of the reconstitution reference date and are ranked within the top 100 ranked companies are also selected for inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 Index®.
3.If fewer than 100 companies are selected based on the first two criteria, then the remaining positions will first be filled, in rank order, by companies currently in the Nasdaq-100 Index® as of the reconstitution reference date, which are ranked in positions 101-125, as long as they were:
a.ranked in the top 100 as of the reference date of the previous reconstitution, or
b.added as a replacement since the previous reconstitution, or
c.added as the result of a spinoff event since the previous reconstitution.
4.If fewer than 100 companies are selected based on the first three criteria, the remaining positions will be filled, in rank order, by any companies ranked in the top 100 that were not already members of the Nasdaq-100 Index® as of the reconstitution reference date.
Constituent Weighting
Constituent Weighting Scheme
The Nasdaq-100 Index® employs a modified capitalization weighting scheme.
Constituent Weighting Process
The quarterly weight process uses company-level weights, which are derived using the price and total shares outstanding (“TSO”) of each security, as of the rebalance reference date. For any company represented by more than one eligible share class, the company weight is the combined weight of the eligible securities representing its share classes. All American depositary receipt securities selected for index inclusion will have their weights assigned according to the market capitalization of the depositary shares outstanding, as reported by the depositary banks.
For quarterly rebalances in March, June, and September, index shares for each security are adjusted by the percentage change in that company’s TSO since the previous TSO update. Following those adjustments, the resulting company weights are evaluated based on two constraints:
•No company’s weight may exceed 24%.
•The aggregate weight of the companies whose weights exceed 4.5% may not exceed 48%.
If neither constraint is violated, then no further adjustments are made, and the quarterly constituent weighting process is complete.
Only in cases where either or both of the constraints above are violated, or when the quarterly rebalance coincides with the annual reconstitution (i.e., December), quarterly weight adjustments are made according to a two-stage adjustment process described below. This process uses the price and TSO of each security, as of the rebalance reference date, to derive the initial company-level weights.
Stage 1 adjustment. If no company’s initial weight exceeds 24% of the Nasdaq-100 Index®, initial weights are used as Stage 1 weights without adjustment. Otherwise, initial weights are adjusted such that no company’s weight may exceed 20% of the Nasdaq-100 Index®.
Stage 2 adjustment. If the aggregate weight of the companies whose Stage 1 weights exceed 4.5% does not exceed 48%, Stage 1 weights are used as the final weights. Otherwise, Stage 1 weights are adjusted such that:
•The aggregate weight of the companies whose Stage 1 weights exceeded 4.5% is set to 40%.
•Companies with Stage 1 weights below 4.5% may also have their weights adjusted to preserve the initial rank order of all companies.
If the two-stage process results in a violation of the weighting constraints as previously detailed in the this section, then the process is repeated until the company weights meet the constraints.
Annual Weight Adjustment
The annual reconstitution employs an additional two-stage weight adjustment using security-level constraints. For any company with more than one eligible share class, the securities representing those share classes are considered separately.
Final security weights from the quarterly weight adjustment are used as the initial security weights for the annual weight adjustment process.
Stage 1 adjustment. If no security’s initial weight exceeds 15%, initial weights are used as Stage 1 weights. Otherwise, initial weights are adjusted such that no security’s weight may exceed 14% of the Nasdaq-100 Index®.
Stage 2 adjustment. If the aggregate weight of the securities with the five largest Stage 1 weights does not exceed 40%, Stage 1 weights are used as final weights. Otherwise, Stage 1 weights are adjusted such that:
•The aggregate weight of the securities with the five largest Stage 1 weights is set to 38.5%.
•In order to preserve the initial rank order of the securities, the final index weight of any security outside the five largest will be capped at the lesser of 4.4% or the weight of the fifth largest security.
If the two-stage process results in a violation of the weighting constraints as previously detailed in the this section, then the process is repeated until the security weights meet the constraints.
Nasdaq-100 Index® Calculation
The discussion below describes the “price return” calculation of the Nasdaq-100 Index®. As compared to the gross total return or net total return versions of the Nasdaq-100 Index®, the price return version is ordinarily calculated without regard to ordinary cash dividends on the Nasdaq-100 Index® stocks. However, all Nasdaq-100 Index® calculations reflect special cash dividends.
The Nasdaq-100 Index® is a modified market capitalization-weighted index. The value of the Nasdaq- 100 Index® equals the Nasdaq-100 Index® market value divided by the Nasdaq-100 Index® divisor. The overall Nasdaq-100 Index® market value is the aggregate of each Nasdaq-100 Index® stock’s market value, as may be adjusted for any corporate actions. A Nasdaq-100 Index® stock’s market value is determined by multiplying the last sale price by the number of shares of the index security included in the Nasdaq-100 Index®. In other words, the value of the Nasdaq-100 Index® is equal to (i) the sum of the products of (a) the index shares of each of the Nasdaq-100 Index® stocks multiplied by (b) each such stock’s last sale price (adjusted for corporate actions, if any), divided by (ii) the divisor of the Nasdaq-100 Index®.
The price return Nasdaq-100 Index® divisor is calculated as the ratio of (i) the start of day market value of the Nasdaq-100 Index® divided by (ii) the previous day Nasdaq-100 Index® value.
If an index security does not trade on the relevant Nasdaq exchange on a given day or the relevant Nasdaq exchange has not opened for trading, the previous index calculation day’s closing price for index security (adjusted for corporate actions occurring prior to market open on the current day, if any) is used. If an index security is halted during the trading day, the most recent last sale price is used until trading resumes. For securities where the Nasdaq Stock Market is the relevant Nasdaq exchange, the last sale price may be the Nasdaq Official Closing Price when it is closed.
Nasdaq-100 Index® Calendar
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Reconstitution Frequency | Annually |
Rebalance Frequency | Quarterly |
Reconstitution Reference Dates | Last trading day of November |
Reconstitution Announcement Dates | After the close on the second Friday in December |
Reconstitution Effective Dates | At market open on the first trading day following the third Friday in December |
Rebalance Reference Dates | Last trading day of February, May, August, and November, respectively |
Rebalance Announcement Dates | After the close on the second Friday in March, June, September, and December |
Rebalance Effective Dates | At market open on the first trading day following the third Friday in March, June, September, and December |
A special rebalance may be triggered, if either of the following weighting restrictions are violated, based on end-of-day values:
•No company’s weight may exceed 24%.
•The aggregate weight of the companies whose weights exceed 4.5% may not exceed 48%.
Notice of a special rebalance, including the effective date and reference date, will be published in advance through the normal channels, and will follow the quarterly update process described in the constituent weighting section.
The Nasdaq-100 Index® is calculated Monday through Friday, except on days when the US markets are closed.
The Nasdaq-100 Index® is calculated during the trading day based on the last sale price and are disseminated once per second from 09:30:01 to 17:16:00 ET. The closing value of the Nasdaq-100 Index® may change up until 17:15:00 ET due to corrections to the last sale price of the index securities.
Nasdaq-100 Index® Maintenance
Deletion Policy
If, at any time, it is determined that an index security is ineligible for continued inclusion, it will be removed as soon as practicable. Advanced notice of an index security deletion, including the effective date, will be announced through the normal channels. Criteria for security removal include, but are not limited to:
•Delisting or transferring to an ineligible exchange.
•Reorganizing as an ineligible security type (e.g., a real estate investment trust).
•Reclassification as a financial company, according to the ICB.
•Involvement in a merger, acquisition, or other major corporate event that would make continued inclusion impossible, impractical, or inappropriate.
•Failure to maintain a weight of at least 0.10% for two consecutive month ends. Any security that fails to maintain a weight of at least 0.10% for two consecutive month-ends will be replaced, subject to the availability of a replacement security with a larger market capitalization. If no such security is available, the incumbent security will remain in the Nasdaq-100 Index® until a suitable replacement can be identified. If its weight increases to above 0.10% before a suitable replacement security is designated, then the incumbent security will not be replaced. This situation will be evaluated at the end of each calendar month.
•For a security added to the Nasdaq-100 Index® as the result of a spin-off event, failure to establish a weight of at least 0.10% at the end of its second day of regular-way trading as an index member.
•Declaring bankruptcy, liquidating, or otherwise permanently ceasing operations.
In circumstances where it is not possible to provide sufficient advanced notification of the removal event and/or the identity of a replacement, the security being removed may be persisted in the Nasdaq-100 Index® at its last sale price, or at an appropriate “deal price”, until the effective date of the replacement company’s entry into the Nasdaq-100 Index®. In such cases, a temporary placeholder security may be utilized, and will be denoted by adding a dollar sign to the beginning and end of the security’s ticker symbol.
Securities that are added to the Nasdaq-100 Index® as the result of a spin-off event are normally maintained in the Nasdaq-100 Index®, subject to the removal criteria specified above. Those that are not immediately removed may be removed at a later date to protect the integrity of the Nasdaq-100 Index®, for example, if a spun-off security demonstrates liquidity characteristics that diverge materially from the security eligibility criteria.
Replacement Policy
Other than at the index reconstitution, except for spin-offs, additions to the Nasdaq-100 Index® occur only when there is a deletion that requires replacement. The company with the largest market capitalization that meets all eligibility criteria as of the prior month-end, and which is not already an index member, will replace the deleted company.
For companies represented by more than one share class, the company will only be considered deleted when all its share classes have been removed from the Nasdaq-100 Index®. If a security is removed, but other securities representing the same company remain in the Nasdaq-100 Index®, a replacement event will not be triggered.
A security that was added to the Nasdaq-100 Index® as the result of a spin-off event, and then removed before the next reconstitution, will not be replaced.
For pending deletions set to occur soon after a reconstitution and/or rebalance effective date, the removal may be accelerated to occur in conjunction with the reconstitution and/or rebalance event.
Corporate Actions
In the periods between scheduled index reconstitution and rebalancing events, individual index securities may be subject to a variety of corporate actions and events that require maintenance and adjustments to the Nasdaq-100 Index®.
At the quarterly rebalancing, no changes are made to the Nasdaq-100 Index® from the previous month end until the quarterly share change effective date, with the exception of corporate actions with an ex-date.
Special Cash Dividends
A special cash dividend is a cash payment by the issuer of the index security to shareholders that the issuer does not consider to be part of its regular dividend paying cycle. A dividend is considered special in the Nasdaq-100 Index® if the information provided by the vendor or the index exchange indicates that the dividend is special. Other nomenclature for a special dividend may include but not be limited to extra, extraordinary, non-recurring, one-time, unusual, etc.
The start of day price of the index security is adjusted downward for the amount of the special cash dividend with no adjustment to the index shares resulting in a change to the divisor.
Return of Capital
A return of capital is a cash distribution paid from the company’s capital surplus rather than its net income or retained earnings. For the purposes of index calculation, Nasdaq will determine the treatment (regular vs. special) of each return of capital event based on whether the payment fits with the company’s regular pattern of dividend payments, or if the payment appears to be extraordinary in nature.
Liquidation Distributions
A liquidation distribution, sometimes referred to as a “liquidating dividend” is a cash distribution made by an issuer in conjunction with the dissolution of its business. Bankruptcy liquidations rarely result in liquidation payments to equity shareholders. Voluntary liquidations, on the other hand, will generally produce one or more liquidation payment events. For the purposes of index calculation, Nasdaq treats liquidation distributions in the same manner as special dividends.
Stock Split / Stock Dividend / Bonus Issue
A stock split, stock dividend and bonus issue are similar transactions which generally result in no change to the market capitalization of the security. They essentially imply the same event and the only difference is in the way the terms are quoted. A stock split or bonus issue is quoted in terms of shares received to shares held and stock dividends are quoted in percentages. This event increases the index shares of the index security based on an adjustment factor, while simultaneously reducing its per share price by applying a corresponding inverse adjustment factor, such that the weight of the index security remains similar before and after the event resulting in no change or a minimal change to the divisor.
Cash and Stock Dividend
An issuer of a security may pay a cash and stock dividend on the same security on the same date. In this case, the cash dividend is processed in the Nasdaq-100 Index® before the stock dividend unless otherwise indicated.
Optional Dividend
An issuer of a security may permit the shareholder to choose between receiving a dividend in cash or stock. In this case, the adjustment is made to the index security in the manner the dividend is announced.
Reverse Stock Split / Consolidation
A reverse split generally results in no change to the market capitalization of the security. Reverse splits are quoted in terms of shares received to shares held. This event decreases the number of index shares of the index security based on an adjustment factor while simultaneously increasing its per share price by applying a corresponding inverse adjustment factor, such that the weight of the index security remains similar before and after the event resulting in no change or a minimal change to the divisor.
Rights Offering / Issue
An issuer may offer to existing shareholders the right to participate in a new issuance of shares in proportion to each shareholder’s existing holdings of the security at a set price (the subscription price) during a subscription period. Shareholders are allotted rights in accordance with the ratio set by the company. The rights may trade for a certain period of time during the subscription period, allowing shareholders the opportunity to sell their rights in the market. Failure to subscribe to the rights prior to the end of the subscription period will result in their expiration and the shareholders forfeiture of the opportunity to purchase new shares under the rights issuance.
Renounceable rights offering: The rights issued to an existing shareholder are transferable in the open market and are able to be sold separately from the shares to other investors during the life of the right. Renounceable rights are referred to as “transferable” or “tradable”.
Non-renounceable rights offering: The rights issued to an existing shareholder cannot be traded. Shareholders must either subscribe to the rights or they lapse upon expiration of the subscription period.
Whether the rights offering is renounceable or non-renounceable, if the distribution is of the same index security, the price and index shares are adjusted if the rights have a subscription price on an equivalent per share basis that is less than its last sale price (in-the money) of the index security. The price is adjusted downward for the value of the right.
The index shares are increased to reflect the full exercise of the rights offering. The number of additional index shares is determined by multiplying the number of rights issued per index security by the current number of index shares, then dividing that product by the number of rights required to purchase one new index security. This results in a divisor adjustment.
If the rights have a subscription price on an equivalent per share basis that is greater than the last sale price (out of the money) of the index security on the day before the ex-distribution date, no adjustment will be made to the price or index shares of the index security, even if the offering is underwritten or otherwise guaranteed in some way. If the distribution is not available to all shareholders, then no adjustment is made to either the price or index shares of the index security.
Stock Distribution of Another Security
An issuer may distribute shares of another pre-existing publicly traded company to its own shareholders. These events are often announced as “in specie”, “in kind”, or “spinoff” distributions. Such events generally do not result in the issuance of new shares or the formation of a new corporate entity, and may not fall within the traditional
definition of a spinoff. Nevertheless, regardless of the terminology used to announce the event, this distribution will be handled as a “spin-off” as described below.
In cases where the distributed security is already a member of the Nasdaq-100 Index®, its index shares will be increased, on the effective date, to reflect the value of the distribution.
Spin-offs
A spin-off (also known as a de-merger) occurs when the issuer of an equity security (the parent) “spins off” a business it owns into a separate new issuer (the spinco). Shares of the spinco are distributed to the shareholders of the parent, on a pro-rata basis, at a ratio established by the parent. Any spinco which does not meet the traditional definition of a security, or is not expected to be publicly listed, may be disregarded by the Nasdaq-100 Index®. Spinco securities will be added to the Nasdaq-100 Index® as their parent security on the effective date. Index shares of the spinco are calculated by multiplying the index shares of the parent times the spinoff ratio. If the parent security’s listing exchange applies a price adjustment to the parent security, the spinco security will be assigned an initial price consistent with that amount, adjusted according to the spinoff ratio. If no price adjustment is applied to the parent, the spinco will be assigned a price of zero. In any case, including events involving multiple spincos, the total value of the parent and spinco(s) reflected within the Nasdaq-100 Index® at the start-of-day on the effective date will be equal to the value of the parent security at the prior end-of-day. Resulting divisor changes, if any, are not expected to be meaningful. Passive investors should not expect to take any action at the time the spinoff event becomes effective.
Once the spinoff event has been completed, the spinco will be evaluated for continued inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 Index®. By default, the security will remain in the Nasdaq-100 Index® until at least the next scheduled reconstitution, unless there is a specific reason for immediate disqualification. Regardless of the reason(s) for disqualification, a disqualified spinco will be held in the Nasdaq-100 Index® until regular-way trading is established, and removed only after sufficient advanced notice is provided through the normal communication channels.
A disqualified spinco is normally removed at the last sale price of the day prior to the announced removal date. There is no adjustment to the index shares of the parent. This will not result in a divisor adjustment.
Tracking Stocks
A separate line of stock which is issued for the purpose of “tracking” the financial performance of a particular business line, division or subsidiary of a company is often referred to as a “tracking stock.” The pro-rata distribution of a newly issued tracking stock to existing shareholders of the “parent” company is handled in accordance with the guidelines for spin-offs. A similar distribution of a pre-existing tracking stock is handled as a stock distribution of another security.
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
A merger/acquisition is the combination of two (or more) companies into one larger company, involving an exchange of stock and/or cash payment to the shareholders of the acquired company.
If the issuer of the index security is the company being acquired, the index security is removed the day following the shareholder vote or the expected expiration of the tender offer, provided the acquisition is not contested. In the event the acquisition is contested, the deletion occurs once results have been received that indicate the acquisition will likely be successful. If the approval is by written consent, then the removal occurs as soon as reasonably practical thereafter.
When the acquiring company is an index security, it may incur an increase in its index shares if the acquisition involves an exchange of stock as payment.
Additions / Deletions
The addition or deletion of a security will generally result in a divisor change. Index securities are added or removed from the Nasdaq-100 Index® at their last sale price on the day prior to the effective date of the change.
Halted Securities
If an index security, at the time of its removal from the Nasdaq-100 Index®, is halted from trading on its index exchange and its current last sale price cannot readily be determined, the index security may, at Nasdaq’s discretion, be removed at a price of 0.00000001 (“zero price”). This price is applied to the index security after the close of all the trading markets in the Nasdaq-100 Index® but prior to the time the official closing value of the Nasdaq-100 Index® is disseminated.
Index Share and TSO Changes
A security’s index shares may change as a result of events other than those corporate actions/events noted above. If a change in TSO arising from other corporate events is greater than or equal to 10%, an adjustment to index shares is made as soon as practicable after being sufficiently verified. If the change in TSO is less than 10%, then all such changes are accumulated and made effective at one time on a quarterly basis after the close of trading on the third Friday in each of March, June, September and December. The index shares are adjusted by the same percentage amount by which the TSO has changed.
Bankruptcy
In the event that an existing index constituent files for bankruptcy or equivalent protection from creditors, affected securities will be removed from their respective indexes, on a best-efforts basis, as soon as practicable after Nasdaq becomes aware of the filing.
If the index constituent is still available for trading on its primary exchange, it is removed from the Nasdaq-100 Index® at the security’s last trading price. If the security is no longer trading per its primary exchange, the constituent may be removed at an OTC price, if judged reliable. When no sufficiently reliable price exists, the security is removed at a price of zero.
Sanctions
Generally, Nasdaq Indices will approach the treatment of sanctions through the lens of United States, United Kingdom, and/or European Union based investors. Most sanctions can be thought of as being either comprehensive or selective:
Comprehensive sanctions programs are geographically oriented, and often apply broad-based financial restrictions on entire countries. Examples include Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Syria. Companies in countries targeted by comprehensive sanctions are not eligible for inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 Index®.
Other sanctions programs are more selective, and target specific companies and individuals regardless of their locations. Nasdaq consults multiple sources in order to identify and interpret relevant sanctions on a best-efforts basis.
Because different sanctions programs include a variety of evolving restrictions and requirements, sanctions generally require a case-by-case review. Any resulting index adjustments, if necessary, will be made at the sole discretion of the Nasdaq Index Management Committee.
Other Adjustments
Nasdaq may make adjustments in circumstances other than those detailed in the index methodology, but not limited to adjustments necessary to ensure Nasdaq-100 Index® and/or market integrity. Nasdaq may exercise discretion or expert judgement (other than that which is purely mechanical and, where relevant, implemented in accordance with the index methodology) when the situation calls for the interpretation of data in calculating and maintaining the Nasdaq-100 Index®, including application of corporate actions. The use of expert judgement is overseen by the index governance process and mandates that the discretion or expert judgement would be exercised (i) in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner and (ii) in such a manner as to ensure, as far as commercially reasonable, consistency in the approach it adopts with regard to the exercise of such discretion or expert judgement.
Index Governance
All Nasdaq Indexes are managed by the governance committee structure and have transparent governance, oversight, and accountability procedures for the index determination process.
License Agreement between Nasdaq and GS Finance Corp.
The Product(s) is not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Nasdaq or its affiliates (Nasdaq, with its affiliates, are referred to as the “Corporations”). The Corporations have not passed on the legality or suitability of, or the accuracy or adequacy of descriptions and disclosures relating to, the Product(s). The Corporations make no representation or warranty, express or implied to the owners of the Product(s) or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Product(s) particularly, or the ability of the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index or the Nasdaq-100 Index® to track general stock market performance. The Corporations' only relationship to GS Finance Corp. (“Licensee”) is in the licensing of the Nasdaq®, the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index or the Nasdaq-100 Index®, and certain trade names of
the Corporations and the use of the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index or the Nasdaq-100 Index® which is determined, composed and calculated by Nasdaq without regard to Licensee or the Product(s). Nasdaq has no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Product(s) into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index or the Nasdaq-100 Index®. The Corporations are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Product(s) to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Product(s) is to be converted into cash. The Corporations have no liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Product(s).
The Corporations do not guarantee the accuracy and/or uninterrupted calculation of the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index or the Nasdaq-100 Index® or any data included therein. The Corporations make no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by Licensee, owners of the product(s), or any other person or entity from the use of the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index or the Nasdaq-100 Index® or any data included therein. The Corporations make no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaim all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Nasdaq-100 Index® or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Corporations have any liability for any lost profits or special, incidental, punitive, indirect, or consequential damages, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.
Historical Closing Levels of the Underlier
The closing level of the underlier has fluctuated in the past and may, in the future, experience significant fluctuations. In particular, the underlier has recently experienced extreme and unusual volatility. Any historical upward or downward trend in the closing level of the underlier during the period shown below is not an indication that the underlier is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time during the life of your notes.
You should not take the historical levels of the underlier as an indication of the future performance of the underlier, including because of the recent volatility described above. We cannot give you any assurance that the future performance of the underlier or the underlier stocks will result in you receiving an amount greater than the outstanding face amount of your notes on the stated maturity date.
Neither we nor any of our affiliates make any representation to you as to the performance of the underlier. Before investing in the offered notes, you should consult publicly available information to determine the levels of the underlier between the date of this pricing supplement and the date of your purchase of the offered notes and, given the recent volatility described above, you should pay particular attention to recent levels of the underlier. The actual performance of the underlier over the life of the offered notes, as well as the cash settlement amount, may bear little relation to the historical closing levels shown below.
The graph below shows the daily closing levels of the underlier from January 1, 2019 through November 27, 2024 (using hypothetical performance data and historical closing levels). As a result, the following graph does not reflect the global financial crisis which began in 2008, which had a materially negative impact on the price of most equity securities and, as a result, the level of most equity indices. Since the underlier was launched on April 1, 2024 and has a limited operating history, the graph includes hypothetical performance data for the underlier prior to its launch on April 1, 2024. The hypothetical performance data prior to April 1, 2024 was obtained from the underlier sponsor’s website, without independent verification.
The historical closing levels from April 1, 2024 to November 27, 2024. were obtained from Bloomberg Financial Services, without independent verification. (In the graph, the hypothetical historical closing levels can be found to the left of the vertical solid line marker and the historical closing levels can be found to the right of the vertical solid line marker.) You should not take the hypothetical performance data or historical levels of the underlier as an indication of the future performance of the underlier.
Historical Performance of the Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index
Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following section supplements the discussion of U.S. federal income taxation in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
The following section is the opinion of Sidley Austin llp, counsel to GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. In addition, it is the opinion of Sidley Austin llp that the characterization of the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes that will be required under the terms of the notes, as discussed below, is a reasonable interpretation of current law.
This section does not apply to you if you are a member of a class of holders subject to special rules, such as:
• a dealer in securities or currencies;
• a trader in securities that elects to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for your securities holdings;
• a bank;
• a life insurance company;
• a tax exempt organization;
• a regulated investment company;
• a partnership;
• an accrual method taxpayer subject to special tax accounting rules as a result of its use of financial statements;
• a person that owns a note as a hedge or that is hedged against interest rate risks;
• a person that owns a note as part of a straddle or conversion transaction for tax purposes; or
• a United States holder (as defined below) whose functional currency for tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar.
Although this section is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, its legislative history, existing and proposed regulations under the Internal Revenue Code, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect, no statutory, judicial or administrative authority directly addresses how your notes should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and as a result, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in your notes are uncertain. Moreover, these laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis.
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You should consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax and any other applicable tax consequences of your investments in the notes, including the application of state, local or other tax laws and the possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws. | |
United States Holders
This section applies to you only if you are a United States holder that holds your notes as a capital asset for tax purposes. You are a United States holder if you are a beneficial owner of each of your notes and you are:
• a citizen or resident of the United States;
• a domestic corporation;
• an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or
• a trust if a United States court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more United States persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust.
Tax Treatment. You will be obligated pursuant to the terms of the notes – in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary – to characterize each note for all tax purposes as a pre-paid derivative contract in respect of the underlier. Except as otherwise stated below, the discussion herein assumes that the notes will be so treated.
Upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your notes, you should recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash you receive at such time and your tax basis in your notes. Your tax basis in the notes will generally be equal to the amount that you paid for the notes. If you hold your notes for more than one year, the gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss. If you hold your notes for one year or less, the gain or loss generally will be short-term capital gain or loss. Short-term capital gains are generally subject to tax at the marginal tax rates applicable to ordinary income.
No statutory, judicial or administrative authority directly discusses how your notes should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the notes are uncertain and alternative characterizations are possible. Accordingly, we urge you to consult your tax advisor in determining the tax consequences of an investment in your notes in your particular circumstances, including the application of state, local or other tax laws and the possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws.
Alternative Treatments. There is no judicial or administrative authority discussing how your notes should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Therefore, the Internal Revenue Service might assert that a treatment other than that described above is more appropriate. For example, the Internal Revenue Service could treat your notes as a single debt instrument subject to special rules governing contingent payment debt instruments. Under those rules, the amount of interest you are required to take into account for each accrual period would be determined by constructing a projected payment schedule for the notes and applying rules similar to those for accruing original issue discount on a hypothetical noncontingent debt instrument with that projected payment schedule. This method is applied by first determining the comparable yield – i.e., the yield at which we would issue a noncontingent fixed rate debt instrument with terms and conditions similar to your notes – and then determining a payment schedule as of the issue date that would produce the comparable yield. These rules may have the effect of requiring you to include interest in income in respect of your notes prior to your receipt of cash attributable to that income.
If the rules governing contingent payment debt instruments apply, any gain you recognize upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your notes would be treated as ordinary interest income. Any loss you recognize at that time would be treated as ordinary loss to the extent of interest you included as income in the current or previous taxable years in respect of your notes, and, thereafter, as capital loss.
If the rules governing contingent payment debt instruments apply, special rules would apply to a person who purchases notes at a price other than the adjusted issue price as determined for tax purposes.
It is also possible that your notes could be treated in the manner described above, except that any gain or loss that you recognize at maturity would be treated as ordinary gain or loss. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of such characterization and any possible alternative characterizations of your notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
It is possible that the Internal Revenue Service could seek to characterize your notes in a manner that results in tax consequences to you different from those described above and you should consult your tax advisor with respect to the tax treatment of the notes.
Possible Change in Law
On December 7, 2007, the Internal Revenue Service released a notice stating that the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department are actively considering issuing guidance regarding the proper U.S. federal income tax treatment of an instrument such as your notes, including whether the holder of an instrument such as your notes should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis and whether gain or loss should be ordinary or capital. It is not possible to determine what guidance they will ultimately issue, if any. It is possible, however, that under such guidance, holders of the notes will ultimately be required to accrue income currently and this could be applied on a retroactive basis. The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department are also considering other relevant issues, including whether foreign holders of such instruments should be subject to withholding tax on any deemed income accruals, and whether the special “constructive ownership rules” of Section 1260 of the Internal Revenue Code might be applied to such instruments. Except to the extent otherwise provided by law, GS Finance Corp. intends to continue treating the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described above unless and until such time as Congress, the Treasury Department or the Internal Revenue Service determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.
Furthermore, in 2007, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if enacted, would have required holders that acquired instruments such as your notes after the bill was enacted to accrue interest income over the term of such instruments even though there will be no interest payments over the term of such instruments. It is not possible to predict whether a similar or identical bill will be enacted in the future, or whether any such bill would affect the tax treatment of your notes.
It is impossible to predict what any such legislation or administrative or regulatory guidance might provide, and whether the effective date of any legislation or guidance will affect notes that were issued before the date that such legislation or guidance is issued. You are urged to consult your tax advisor as to the possibility that any legislative or administrative action may adversely affect the tax treatment of your notes.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
You will be subject to generally applicable information reporting and backup withholding requirements as discussed in the accompanying prospectus under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting — United States Holders” with respect to payments on your notes and, notwithstanding that we do not intend to treat the notes as debt for tax purposes, we intend to backup withhold on such payments with respect to your notes unless you comply with the requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding on debt instruments (in which case you will not be subject to such backup withholding) as set forth under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — United States Holders” in the accompanying prospectus. Please see the discussion under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting—United States Holders” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the applicability of the backup withholding and information reporting rules to payments made on your notes.
Non-United States Holders
This section applies to you only if you are a non-United States holder. You are a non-United States holder if you are the beneficial owner of notes and are, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
• a nonresident alien individual;
• a foreign corporation; or
• an estate or trust that in either case is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis on income or gain from the notes.
You will be subject to generally applicable information reporting and backup withholding requirements as discussed in the accompanying prospectus under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting — Non-United States Holders” with respect to payments on your notes at maturity and, notwithstanding that we do not intend to treat the notes as debt for tax purposes, we intend to backup withhold on such payments with respect to your notes unless you comply with the requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding on debt instruments (in which case you will not be subject to such backup withholding) as set forth under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Non-United States Holders” in the accompanying prospectus.
As discussed above, alternative characterizations of the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes are possible. Should an alternative characterization of the notes, by reason of a change or clarification of the law, by regulation or otherwise, cause payments at maturity with respect to the notes to become subject to withholding tax, we will withhold tax at the applicable statutory rate and we will not make payments of any additional amounts. Prospective non-United States holders of the notes should consult their tax advisor in this regard.
Furthermore, on December 7, 2007, the Internal Revenue Service released Notice 2008-2 soliciting comments from the public on various issues, including whether instruments such as your notes should be subject to withholding. It is therefore possible that rules will be issued in the future, possibly with retroactive effect, that would cause payments on your notes at maturity to be subject to withholding, even if you comply with certification requirements as to your foreign status.
In addition, the Treasury Department has issued regulations under which amounts paid or deemed paid on certain financial instruments (“871(m) financial instruments”) that are treated as attributable to U.S.-source dividends could be treated, in whole or in part depending on the circumstances, as a “dividend equivalent” payment that is subject to tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower rate under an applicable treaty), which in the case of any amounts you receive upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your notes, could be collected via withholding. If these regulations were to apply to the notes, we may be required to withhold such taxes if any U.S.-source dividends are paid on the stocks included in the reference equity index during the term of the notes. We could also require you to make certifications (e.g., an applicable Internal Revenue Service Form W-8) prior to the maturity of the notes in order to avoid or minimize withholding obligations, and we could withhold accordingly (subject to your potential right to claim a refund from the Internal Revenue Service) if such certifications were not received or were not satisfactory. If withholding was required, we would not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld. These regulations generally will apply to 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other) issued (or significantly modified and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2027, but will also apply to certain 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other) that have a delta (as defined in the applicable Treasury regulations) of one and are issued (or significantly modified and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2017. In addition, these regulations will not apply to financial instruments that reference a “qualified index” (as defined in the regulations). We have determined that, as of the issue date of your
notes, your notes will not be subject to withholding under these rules. In certain limited circumstances, however, you should be aware that it is possible for non-United States holders to be liable for tax under these rules with respect to a combination of transactions treated as having been entered into in connection with each other even when no withholding is required. You should consult your tax advisor concerning these regulations, subsequent official guidance and regarding any other possible alternative characterizations of your notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding
Pursuant to Treasury regulations, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) withholding (as described in “United States Taxation—Taxation of Debt Securities—Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding” in the accompanying prospectus) will generally apply to obligations that are issued on or after July 1, 2014; therefore, the notes will generally be subject to the FATCA withholding rules.
SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION; CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” on page S-51 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 8,999 and “Plan of Distribution — Conflicts of Interest” on page 127 of the accompanying prospectus. GS Finance Corp. estimates that its share of the total offering expenses, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $10,000.
GS Finance Corp. will sell to GS&Co., and GS&Co. will purchase from GS Finance Corp., the aggregate face amount of the offered notes specified on the front cover of this pricing supplement. GS&Co. proposes initially to offer the notes to the public at the original issue price set forth on the cover page of this pricing supplement, and to certain securities dealers at such price less a concession not in excess of 1.25% of the face amount. GS&Co. will pay a fee of 0.75% from the concession to Axio Financial LLC in connection with its marketing efforts related to the offered notes. GS&Co. is an affiliate of GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and, as such, will have a “conflict of interest” in this offering of notes within the meaning of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) Rule 5121. Consequently, this offering of notes will be conducted in compliance with the provisions of FINRA Rule 5121. GS&Co. will not be permitted to sell notes in this offering to an account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of the account holder. We have been advised that GS&Co. will also pay a fee to iCapital Markets LLC, a broker-dealer in which an affiliate of GS Finance Corp. holds an indirect minority equity interest, for services it is providing in connection with this offering.
We will deliver the notes against payment therefor in New York, New York on December 3, 2024. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 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 notes on any date prior to one business day before delivery will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.
We have been advised by GS&Co. that it intends to make a market in the notes. However, neither GS&Co. nor any of our other affiliates that makes a market is obligated to do so and any of them may stop doing so at any time without notice. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity or trading market for the notes.
The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange or interdealer quotation system.
VALIDITY OF THE NOTES AND GUARANTEE
In the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP, as counsel to GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., when the notes offered by this pricing supplement have been executed and issued by GS Finance Corp., such notes have been authenticated by the trustee pursuant to the indenture, and such notes have been delivered against payment as contemplated herein, (a) such notes will be valid and binding obligations of GS Finance Corp., enforceable in accordance with their terms, 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), provided that such counsel expresses no opinion as to the effect of fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar provision of applicable law on the conclusions expressed above and (b) the guarantee with respect to such notes will be a valid and binding obligation of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., enforceable in accordance with its terms, 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), provided that such counsel expresses no opinion as to the effect of fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar provision of applicable law on the conclusions expressed above. This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware as in effect on the date hereof. 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 January 18, 2023, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.6 to the registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. on January 18, 2023.
We have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this pricing supplement, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 8,999, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This pricing supplement, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 8,999, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is an offer to sell only the notes offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this pricing supplement, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 8,999, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is current only as of the respective dates of such documents.
$39,000
GS Finance Corp.
Leveraged Nasdaq-100 Futures Excess Return™ Index-Linked Notes due 2029
guaranteed by
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC