Buffered Jump Securities with Auto-Callable Feature due December 24, 2029, with 1-Year Initial Non-Call Period
All Payments on the Securities Based on the Performance of the S&P® U.S. Equity Momentum 40% VT 4% Decrement Index
Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed by Morgan Stanley
Principal at Risk Securities
The securities are unsecured obligations of Morgan Stanley Finance LLC (“MSFL”) and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Morgan Stanley. The securities do not provide for the regular payment of interest, will provide a minimum payment at maturity of only 20% of the stated principal amount and have the terms described in the accompanying product supplement, index supplement and prospectus, as supplemented or modified by this document. Beginning after one year, the securities will be automatically redeemed if the index closing value on any of the monthly determination dates is greater than or equal to 100% of the initial index value, which we refer to as the call threshold level, for an early redemption payment that will increase over the term of the securities and that will correspond to a return of approximately 19.00% per annum, as described below. No further payments will be made on the securities once they have been redeemed. At maturity, if the securities have not previously been redeemed and the final index value is greater than or equal to the call threshold level, investors will receive a fixed positive return that will also correspond to a return of approximately 19.00% per annum, as set forth below. If the securities are not automatically redeemed prior to maturity and the final index value is less than the call threshold level but has not decreased from the initial index value by an amount greater than the specified buffer amount, investors will receive the stated principal amount of their investment. However, if the securities are not automatically redeemed prior to maturity and the final index value is less than the initial index value by an amount greater than the buffer amount, investors will lose 1% for every 1% decline beyond the specified buffer amount, subject to the minimum payment at maturity of 20% of the stated principal amount. Accordingly, investors may lose up to 80% of the stated principal amount of the securities. These long-dated securities are for investors who are willing to risk their principal and forego current income and participation in the appreciation of the underlying index in exchange for the possibility of receiving an early redemption payment or payment at maturity greater than the stated principal amount if the underlying index closes at or above the call threshold level on a monthly determination date or the final determination date, respectively, with no possibility of an early redemption until after the one-year non-call period and the buffer feature that applies only to a limited range of performance of the underlying index. Investors will not participate in any appreciation of the S&P® U.S. Equity Momentum 40% VT 4% Decrement Index. The securities are notes issued as part of MSFL’s Series A Global Medium-Term Notes program.
The S&P® U.S. Equity Momentum 40% VT 4% Decrement Index (the “Index” or the “underlying index”) is a rules-based, long-only index that was developed by S&P® Dow Jones Indices LLC (“S&P®”), in coordination with Morgan Stanley, and was established on March 14, 2022. The underlying index employs a rules-based quantitative strategy that consists of a risk-adjusted, momentum-based, or trend following, approach to construct a portfolio composed of equity futures contracts. In addition, the strategy applies an overall volatility-targeting feature upon the resulting portfolio and is subject to a 4.0% per annum daily decrement.
The goal of the underlying index is to provide rules-based exposure to unfunded, rolling positions in equity futures contracts, with a maximum exposure to the futures contracts of 400%. The index components are selected from a universe of three equity futures contracts – the E-Mini Nasdaq-100 Futures (“NQ”), which reference the Nasdaq-100 Index®, the E-Mini S&P 500 Futures (“ES”), which reference the S&P 500® Index, and the E-Mini Russell 2000 Futures (“QR”), which reference the Russell 2000® Index. We refer to the E-Mini Nasdaq-100 Futures, the E-Mini S&P 500 Futures and the E-Mini Russell 2000 Futures as the Index Components.
There are seven discrete steps in calculating the underlying index level: (1) a risk-adjusted momentum signal is calculated for each Index Component; (2) the index composition (the “Base Index”) is calculated using the risk-adjusted momentum signals; (3) the realized volatility level of the Base Index (the “Base Volatility”) is calculated; (4) theoretical leverage is calculated based on the Base Volatility and the underlying index’s targeted volatility; (5) the theoretical leverage is compared to the actual leverage; (6) if necessary, the actual leverage is adjusted; and (7) a 4.0% per annum daily decrement is applied.
For more information see “Annex A—S&P® U.S. Equity Momentum 40% VT 4% Decrement Index” below and “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to the Underlying Index” below.
All payments are subject to our credit risk. If we default on our obligations, you could lose some or all of your investment. These securities are not secured obligations and you will not have any security interest in, or otherwise have any access to, any underlying reference asset or assets.
| | | | |
FINAL TERMS |
Issuer: | Morgan Stanley Finance LLC |
Guarantor: | Morgan Stanley |
Underlying index: | S&P® U.S. Equity Momentum 40% VT 4% Decrement Index |
Aggregate principal amount: | $624,000 |
Stated principal amount: | $1,000 per security |
Issue price: | $1,000 per security |
Pricing date: | December 19, 2024 |
Original issue date: | December 24, 2024 (3 business days after the pricing date) |
Maturity date: | December 24, 2029 |
Payment at maturity: | If the securities have not previously been redeemed, you will receive at maturity a cash payment per security as follows: ●If the final index value is greater than or equal to the call threshold level: $1,950.00 ●If the final index value is less than the call threshold but has decreased from the initial index value by an amount less than or equal to the buffer amount of 20%: $1,000 ●If the final index value is less than the call threshold level and has decreased from the initial index value by an amount greater than the buffer amount of 20%: $1,000 + [$1,000 × (index return + 20%)] Under these circumstances, the payment at maturity will be less than the stated principal amount of $1,000. However, under no circumstances will the securities pay less than the minimum payment at maturity of $200 per security. |
Buffer amount: | 20%. As a result of the buffer amount of 20%, the value at or above which the underlying index must close on the final determination date so that investors do not suffer a loss on their initial investment in the securities is 859.512, which is 80% of the initial index value. |
Minimum payment at maturity: | $200 per security (20% of the stated principal amount) |
Index return: | (Final index value – initial index value) / initial index value |
Agent: | Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“MS & Co.”), an affiliate of MSFL and a wholly owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley. See “Supplemental information regarding plan of distribution; conflicts of interest.” |
Estimated value on the pricing date: | $919.20 per security. See “Investment Summary” beginning on page 4. |
Commissions and issue price: | Price to public(1) | Agent’s commissions and fees(2) | Proceeds to us(3) |
Per security | $1,000 | $7.50 | $992.50 |
Total | $624,000 | $4,680 | $619,320 |
(1)The securities will be sold only to investors purchasing the securities in fee-based advisory accounts.
(2)MS & Co. expects to sell all of the securities that it purchases from us to an unaffiliated dealer at a price of $992.50 per security, for further sale to certain fee-based advisory accounts at the price to public of $1,000 per security. In addition, selected dealers and their financial advisors may receive a structuring fee of up to $6.25 for each security from the agent or its affiliates. MS & Co. will not receive a sales commission with respect to the securities. See “Supplemental information regarding plan of distribution; conflicts of interest.” For additional information, see “Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” in the accompanying product supplement.
(3)See “Use of proceeds and hedging” on page 23.
The securities involve risks not associated with an investment in ordinary debt securities. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13.
The Securities and Exchange Commission and state securities regulators have not approved or disapproved these securities, or determined if this document or the accompanying product supplement, index supplement and prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The securities are not deposits or savings accounts and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency or instrumentality, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank.
You should read this document together with the related product supplement, index supplement and prospectus, each of which can be accessed via the hyperlinks below. When you read the accompanying product supplement and index supplement, please note that all references in such supplements to the prospectus dated November 16, 2023, or to any sections therein, should refer instead to the accompanying prospectus dated April 12, 2024 or to the corresponding sections of such prospectus, as applicable. Please also see “Additional Terms of the Securities” and “Additional Information About the Securities” at the end of this document.
As used in this document, “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Morgan Stanley or MSFL, or Morgan Stanley and MSFL collectively, as the context requires.
Product Supplement for Auto-Callable Securities dated November 16, 2023 Index Supplement dated November 16, 2023 Prospectus dated April 12, 2024