| Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2) Registration Statement No. 333-262557 |
The information in this pricing supplement is not complete and may be changed. This pricing supplement is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these Notes in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion. Dated December 20, 2024.
Pricing Supplement dated ,2024 to the
Product Supplement MLN-EI-1 dated March 4, 2022 and
Prospectus dated March 4, 2022
The Toronto-Dominion Bank $[●] Capped Contingent Absolute Return Buffered Notes Linked to the S&P 500® Index Due on or about December 31, 2026 |
The Toronto-Dominion Bank (“TD” or “we”) is offering the Capped Contingent Absolute Return Buffered Notes (the “Notes”) linked to the S&P 500® Index (the “Reference Asset”).
The Notes provide unleveraged participation in any percentage increase in the Reference Asset from the Initial Level to the Final Level, subject to the Maximum Upside Redemption Amount of $1,210.00, and also provide unleveraged inverse participation in any percentage decrease from the Initial Level to the Final Level but only if the Final Level is greater than or equal to 85.00% of the Initial Level (the “Buffer Level”).
The “Percentage Change” for the Reference Asset is the quotient, expressed as a percentage, of (i) the Final Level minus the Initial Level divided by (ii) the Initial Level. If the Percentage Change is positive (meaning that the Final Level is greater than the Initial Level), then the percentage return on the Notes will be positive and equal to the Percentage Change, subject to the Maximum Upside Redemption Amount.
If the Percentage Change is between 0% and -15.00%, inclusive (meaning that the Final Level is less than or equal to the Initial Level but greater than or equal to the Buffer Level), then the percentage return on the Notes will be positive and equal to the absolute value of the Percentage Change (the “Contingent Absolute Return”).
If, however, the Percentage Change is less than -15.00% (meaning that the Final Level is less than the Buffer Level), investors will lose will lose 1% of the Principal Amount of the Notes for each 1% decrease from the Initial Level to the Final Level of more than 15.00%, and may lose up to 85.00% of their investment in the Notes.
In this scenario, investors will suffer a loss on their initial investment that is equal to the percentage decline of the Final Level relative to the Initial Level in excess of, and subject to, the Buffer Percentage. Specifically, investors will lose 1% of the Principal Amount of the Notes for each 1% that the Final Level is less than the Initial Level in excess of the Buffer Percentage, and may lose up to 85.00% of their Principal Amount. Any payments on the Notes are subject to our credit risk.
| The Notes do not guarantee the return of the Principal Amount and investors may lose up to 85.00% of their investment in the Notes if the Final Level is less than the Buffer Level. Any payments on the Notes are subject to our credit risk. |
|
The Notes are unsecured and are not savings accounts or insured deposits of a bank. The Notes are not insured or guaranteed by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “CDIC”), the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency or instrumentality of Canada or the United States. The Notes will not be listed or displayed on any securities exchange or any electronic communications network.
The Notes have complex features and investing in the Notes involves a number of risks. See “Additional Risk Factors” beginning on page P-6 of this pricing supplement, “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” beginning on page PS-7 in the product supplement MLN-EI-1 dated March 4, 2022 (the “product supplement”) and “Risk Factors” on page 1 of the prospectus dated March 4, 2022 (the “prospectus”).
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these Notes or determined that this pricing supplement, the product supplement or the prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
We will deliver the Notes in book-entry only form through the facilities of The Depository Trust Company on the Issue Date against payment in immediately available funds.
The estimated value of your Notes at the time the terms of your Notes are set on the Pricing Date is expected to be between $955.00 and $985.00 per Note, as discussed further under “Additional Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Estimated Value and Liquidity” beginning on page P-7 and “Additional Information Regarding the Estimated Value of the Notes” on page P-23 of this pricing supplement. The estimated value is expected to be less than the public offering price of the Notes.
| Public Offering Price1 | Underwriting Discount1 2 | Proceeds to TD2 |
Per Note | $1,000.00 | Up to $10.00 | At least $990.00 |
Total | $• | $• | $• |
1 Certain dealers who purchase the Notes for sale to certain fee-based advisory accounts may forgo some or all of their selling concessions, fees or commissions. The public offering price for investors purchasing the Notes in these accounts may be as low as $990.00 (99.00%) per Note.
2 TD Securities (USA) LLC (“TDS”) will receive a commission of up to $10.00 (1.00%) per Note and may use all or a portion of that commission to allow selling concessions to other dealers in connection with the distribution of the Notes. Such other dealers may resell the Notes to other securities dealers at the Principal Amount less a concession not in excess of $10.00 per Note. The total “Underwriting Discount” and “Proceeds to TD” to be specified above will reflect the aggregate of the underwriting discount at the time TD established any hedge positions on or prior to the Pricing Date, which may be variable and fluctuate depending on market conditions at such times. TDS may also pay another unaffiliated dealer a marketing fee of up to $7.50 per Note with respect to some or all of the Notes in connection with its marketing efforts. The marketing fee will be deducted from amounts remitted to TD. TD will reimburse TDS for certain expenses in connection with its role in the offer and sale of the Notes, and TD will pay TDS a fee in connection with its role in the offer and sale of the Notes. See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” herein.
The public offering price, underwriting discount and proceeds to TD listed above relate to the Notes we issue initially. We may decide to sell additional Notes after the date of the final pricing supplement, at public offering prices and with underwriting discounts and proceeds to TD that differ from the amounts set forth above. The return (whether positive or negative) on your investment in the Notes will depend in part on the public offering price you pay for such Notes.
| Capped Contingent Absolute Return Buffered Notes linked to the S&P 500® Index Due on or about December 31, 2026 |
Summary
The information in this “Summary” section is qualified by the more detailed information set forth in this pricing supplement, the product supplement and the prospectus.
Issuer: | TD |
Issue: | Senior Debt Securities, Series E |
Type of Note: | Capped Contingent Absolute Return Buffered Notes |
Term: | Approximately 24 months |
Reference Asset: | The S&P 500® Index (Bloomberg ticker: SPX) |
CUSIP / ISIN: | 89115GNJ4 / US89115GNJ49 |
Agent: | TDS |
Currency: | U.S. Dollars |
Minimum Investment: | $1,000 and minimum denominations of $1,000 in excess thereof |
Principal Amount: | $1,000 per Note |
Pricing Date: | December 26, 2024 |
Issue Date: | December 31, 2024, which is three DTC settlement days following the Pricing Date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in one DTC settlement day (“T+1”), unless the parties to a trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the Notes in the secondary market on any date prior to one DTC settlement day before delivery of the Notes will be required, by virtue of the fact that each Note initially will settle in three DTC settlement days (“T+3”), to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement of the secondary market trade. |
Valuation Date: | December 28, 2026, subject to postponement as specified under “General Terms of the Notes—Market Disruption Events” in the product supplement, or if such day is not a Trading Day, the Valuation Date will be the next succeeding Trading Day. |
Maturity Date: | December 31, 2026, subject to postponement as specified under “General Terms of the Notes—Market Disruption Events” in the product supplement, or if such day is not a Business Day, the next following Business Day. |
Payment at Maturity: | For each $1,000 Principal Amount of the Notes, we will pay you on the Maturity Date an amount in cash equal to: • If the Final Level is greater than the Initial Level: The lesser of: (i) Principal Amount + (Principal Amount × Percentage Change) and (ii) the Maximum Upside Redemption Amount. In this scenario, due to the Maximum Upside Redemption Amount, the return on the Notes will not exceed 21.00%. |
| • If the Final Level is equal to or less than the Initial Level, but greater than or equal to the Buffer Level: Principal Amount + (Principal Amount × Contingent Absolute Return). In this scenario, due to the Buffer Level, the return on the Notes will not exceed 15.00%. • If the Final Level is less than the Buffer Level: Principal Amount + [Principal Amount × (Percentage Change + Buffer Percentage)]. In this scenario, investors will receive less than the Principal Amount of the Notes at maturity and may lose up to 85.00% of their investment in the Notes. Specifically, investors will lose 1% of the Principal Amount of the Notes for each 1% that the Final Level is less than the Initial Level in excess of the Buffer Percentage, and may lose up to 85.00% of their Principal Amount. Any payments on the Notes are subject to our credit risk. All amounts used in or resulting from any calculation relating to the Payment at Maturity will be rounded upward or downward, as appropriate, to the nearest cent. |
Percentage Change: | The quotient, expressed as a percentage, of the following formula: Final Level – Initial Level Initial Level |
Maximum Upside Redemption Amount: | $1,210.00 per Principal Amount of the Notes (121.00% of the Principal Amount of the Notes). As a result of the Maximum Upside Redemption Amount, the maximum return at maturity of the Notes from any appreciation of the Reference Asset will be 21.00% per Principal Amount of the Notes. |
Initial Level: | The Closing Level of the Reference Asset on the Pricing Date, as determined by the Calculation Agent. |
Final Level: | The Closing Level of the Reference Asset on the Valuation Date |
Closing Level: | For the Reference Asset (or any “successor index” thereto, as defined in the product supplement) on any Trading Day, the Closing Level will be its closing level published by its sponsor (its “Index Sponsor”) as displayed on the relevant Bloomberg Professional® service (“Bloomberg”) page or any successor page or service. |
Buffer Percentage: | 15.00%, which is equal to the amount, expressed in percentage terms, by which the Buffer Level of the Reference Asset is less than its Initial Level. |
Buffer Level: | 85.00% of the Initial Level |
Contingent Absolute Return: | The absolute value of the Percentage Change (e.g., a -5.00% Percentage Change will equal a 5.00% Contingent Absolute Return). |
Monitoring Period: | Valuation Date Monitoring |
Trading Day: | A day on which the NYSE and the Nasdaq Stock Market, or their successors, are scheduled to be open for trading, as determined by the Calculation Agent. |
Business Day: | Any day that is a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law to close in New York City. |
U.S. Tax Treatment: | By purchasing the Notes, each holder agrees, in the absence of a statutory or regulatory change or an administrative determination or judicial ruling to the contrary, to characterize the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes as prepaid derivative contracts with respect to the Reference Asset. Based on certain factual representations received from us, our special U.S. tax counsel, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, is of the opinion that it would be reasonable to treat the Notes in the manner described above. However, because there is no authority that specifically addresses the tax treatment of the Notes, it is possible that your Notes could alternatively be treated for tax purposes |
| as a single contingent payment debt instrument, or pursuant to some other characterization, and the timing and character of your income from the Notes could differ materially and adversely from the treatment described above, as discussed further under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” herein and in the product supplement. |
Canadian Tax Treatment: | Please see the discussion in the product supplement under “Supplemental Discussion of Canadian Tax Consequences”, which applies to the Notes. In addition to the assumptions, limitations and conditions described therein, such discussion assumes that no amount paid or payable to a Non-resident Holder in respect of the Notes will be the deduction component of a “hybrid mismatch arrangement” under which the payment arises within the meaning of paragraph 18.4(3)(b) of the Canadian Tax Act (as defined in the prospectus) contained in rules governing hybrid mismatch arrangements (the “Hybrid Mismatch Rules”). We will not pay any additional amounts as a result of any withholding required by reason of the Hybrid Mismatch Rules. |
Calculation Agent: | TD |
Listing: | The Notes will not be listed or displayed on any securities exchange or any electronic communications network. |
Canadian Bail-in: | The Notes are not bail-inable debt securities (as defined in the prospectus) under the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act. |
Change in Law Event: | Not applicable, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the product supplement. |
The Pricing Date, the Issue Date, and all other dates listed above are subject to change. These dates will be set forth in the final pricing supplement that will be made available in connection with sales of the Notes.
Additional Terms of Your Notes
You should read this pricing supplement together with the prospectus, as supplemented by the product supplement MLN-EI-1 (the “product supplement”), relating to our Senior Debt Securities, Series E, of which these Notes are a part. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this pricing supplement will have the meanings given to them in the product supplement. In the event of any conflict the following hierarchy will govern: first, this pricing supplement; second, the product supplement; and last, the prospectus. The Notes vary from the terms described in the product supplement in several important ways. You should read this pricing supplement carefully.
This pricing supplement, together with the documents listed below, contains the terms of the Notes and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous oral statements as well as any other written materials including preliminary or indicative pricing terms, correspondence, trade ideas, structures for implementation, sample structures, brochures or other educational materials of ours. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth under “Additional Risk Factors” herein, “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” in the product supplement and “Risk Factors” in the prospectus, as the Notes involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisors concerning an investment in the Notes. You may access these documents on the SEC website at www.sec.gov as follows (or if that address has changed, by reviewing our filings for the relevant date on the SEC website):
◾ | Prospectus dated March 4, 2022: |
◾ | Product Supplement MLN-EI-1 dated March 4, 2022: |
Our Central Index Key, or CIK, on the SEC website is 0000947263. As used in this pricing supplement, the “Bank,” “we,” “us,” or “our” refers to The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its subsidiaries.
We reserve the right to change the terms of, or reject any offer to purchase, the Notes prior to their issuance. In the event of any changes to the terms of the Notes, we will notify you and you will be asked to accept such changes in connection with your purchase. You may also choose to reject such changes, in which case we may reject your offer to purchase.
Additional Risk Factors
The Notes involve risks not associated with an investment in conventional debt securities. This section describes the most significant risks relating to the terms of the Notes. For additional information as to these and other risks, please see “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” in the product supplement and “Risk Factors” in the prospectus.
Investors should consult their investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisors as to the risks concerning an investment in the Notes and the suitability of the Notes in light of their particular circumstances.
Risks Relating to Return Characteristics
Principal at Risk.
The Notes do not guarantee the return of the Principal Amount and investors could lose up to 85.00% of their investment in the Notes if the Final Level of the Reference Asset is less than the Buffer Level. Specifically, if the Final Level is less than the Buffer Level, investors will lose 1% of the Principal Amount of the Notes for each 1% that the Final Level is less than the Initial Level in excess of the Buffer Percentage and may lose up to 85.00% of their Principal Amount.
Your Potential Return From Any Potential Increase in the Level of the Reference Asset Will Be Limited By The Maximum Upside Redemption Amount And May Be Less Than The Return On A Hypothetical Direct Investment In The Reference Asset.
In no event will your return from any increase in the level of the Reference Asset exceed the return represented by the Maximum Upside Redemption Amount. As a result, the opportunity to participate in the potential increase in the level of the Reference Asset through an investment in the Notes is limited and in no event will any increase in the level of the Reference Asset result in a Payment at Maturity that exceeds the Maximum Upside Redemption Amount. Accordingly, your return on the Notes may be less than the that of an investment directly linked to the performance of the Reference Asset or that of a hypothetical direct investment in the Reference Asset or in the stocks comprising the Reference Asset (the “Reference Asset Constituents”).
Owning the Notes is Not the Same as Owning the Reference Asset Constituents and the Contingent Absolute Return feature is Not the Same as Taking a Short Position Directly in the Reference Asset Constituents.
The return on your Notes may not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the Reference Asset Constituents. For example, any positive return on the Notes from any increase in the level of the Reference Asset will be limited by the Maximum Upside Redemption Amount. Furthermore, you will not receive or be entitled to receive any dividend payments or other distributions paid on the Reference Asset Constituents during the term of the Notes, and any such dividends or distributions will not be factored into the calculation of the Payment at Maturity on your Notes. In addition, as an owner of the Notes, you will not have voting rights or any other rights that a holder of the Reference Asset Constituents may have.
Further, the Contingent Absolute Return feature will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually took a short position directly in the Reference Asset Constituents. For example, because of the Buffer Level, any positive return on the Notes from any percentage decline in the level of the Reference Asset will not exceed 15.00%. In addition, to maintain a short position in a Reference Asset Constituent, you would have to pay dividend payments (if any) to the entity that lends you the Reference Asset Constituent for your short sale, and you could receive certain interest payments (the short interest rebate) from the lender.
The Notes Do Not Pay Interest and Your Return on the Notes May Be Less than the Return on a Conventional Debt Security of Comparable Maturity.
There will be no periodic interest payments on the Notes as there would be on a conventional, fixed-rate or floating-rate debt security having a comparable maturity. The return that you will receive on the Notes may be less than the return you could earn on other investments. Even if your return is positive, your return may be less than the return you would earn if you bought a conventional, interest-bearing senior debt security of TD of comparable maturity.
The Payment at Maturity Is Not Linked to the Closing Level of the Reference Asset at Any Time Other than on the Valuation Date.
The Final Level will be based on the Closing Level of the Reference Asset on the Valuation Date. Therefore, if the Closing Level of the Reference Asset dropped precipitously on the Valuation Date, the Payment at Maturity for your Notes may be significantly less than it would have been had the Payment at Maturity been linked to the Closing Level of the Reference Asset prior to such drop. Although the actual Closing Level of the Reference Asset on the Maturity Date or at other times during the term of your Notes may be higher than its Closing Level on the Valuation Date, you will not benefit from the Closing Level of the Reference Asset at any time other than the Valuation Date.
The Return on the Notes May Change Significantly Despite Only a Small Difference in the Percentage Change
Your return on the Notes may change significantly despite only a small change in the Percentage Change of the Reference Asset. For example, if the Final Level is equal to the Buffer Level, you would receive a positive return on the Notes equal to the Contingent Absolute Return, whereas a decline in the level of the Reference Asset to a Final Level that is only slightly lower than the Buffer Level would instead result in a loss of 1% of the Principal Amount of the Notes for each 1% that the Final Level is less than the Initial Level in excess of the Buffer Percentage. The return on an investment in the Notes in these two scenarios is significantly different despite only a small relative difference in the Percentage Change of the Reference Asset.
Risks Relating to Characteristics of the Reference Asset
There Are Market Risks Associated with the Reference Asset.
The level of the Reference Asset can rise or fall sharply due to factors specific to the Reference Asset, the Reference Asset Constituents and their issuers (the “Reference Asset Constituent Issuers”), such as stock price volatility, earnings, financial conditions, corporate, industry and regulatory developments, management changes and decisions and other events, as well as general market factors, such as general stock and commodity market volatility and levels, interest rates and economic and political conditions. You, as an investor in the Notes, should make your own investigation into the Reference Asset. For additional information, see “Information Regarding the Reference Asset” herein.
We Have No Affiliation with the Index Sponsor and Will Not Be Responsible for Any Actions Taken by the Index Sponsor.
The sponsor of the Reference Asset (the “Index Sponsor”) is not an affiliate of ours and will not be involved in the offering of the Notes in any way. Consequently, we have no control over the actions of the Index Sponsor, including any actions of the type that would require the Calculation Agent to adjust any amount payable on the Notes. The Index Sponsor has no obligation of any sort with respect to the Notes. Thus, the Index Sponsor has no obligation to take your interests into consideration for any reason, including in taking any actions that might affect the level of the Reference Asset and, therefore, the market value of, and any amounts payable on, the Notes. Except pursuant to any license agreement with the Index Sponsor as specified under “Information Regarding the Reference Asset” below, none of the proceeds from the issuance of the Notes will be delivered to the Index Sponsor.
The Reference Asset Reflects Price Return, not Total Return.
The return on your Notes is based on the performance of the Reference Asset, which reflects the changes in the market prices of its Reference Asset Constituents. It is not, however, linked to a “total return” index or strategy, which, in addition to reflecting those price returns, would also reflect dividends paid on the Reference Asset Constituents. The return on your Notes will not include such a total return feature or dividend component.
Changes that Affect the Reference Asset May Adversely Affect the Market Value of, and Return on, the Notes.
The policies of the Index Sponsor concerning the calculation of the Reference Asset, additions, deletions or substitutions of the Reference Asset Constituents and the manner in which changes affecting those Reference Asset Constituents, such as stock dividends, reorganizations or mergers, may be reflected in the Reference Asset and could adversely affect the market value of, and return on, the Notes. The market value of, and return on, the Notes could also be affected if the Index Sponsor changes these policies, for example, by changing the manner in which it calculates the Reference Asset, or if the Index Sponsor discontinues or suspends calculation or publication of the Reference Asset. If events such as these occur, the Calculation Agent may select a successor index or take other actions as discussed in the product supplement and, notwithstanding these adjustments, the market value of, and return on, the Notes may be adversely affected.
Risks Relating to Estimated Value and Liquidity
The Estimated Value of Your Notes Is Expected To Be Less Than the Public Offering Price of Your Notes.
The estimated value of your Notes on the Pricing Date is expected to be less than the public offering price of your Notes. The difference between the public offering price of your Notes and the estimated value of the Notes reflects costs and expected profits associated with selling and structuring the Notes, as well as hedging our obligations under the Notes. Because hedging our obligations entails risks and may be influenced by market forces beyond our control, this hedging may result in a profit that is more or less than expected, or a loss.
The Estimated Value of Your Notes Is Based on Our Internal Funding Rate.
The estimated value of your Notes on the Pricing Date is determined by reference to our internal funding rate. The internal funding rate used in the determination of the estimated value of the Notes generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional, fixed-rate debt securities and the borrowing rate we would pay for our conventional, fixed-rate debt securities. This discount is based on, among other things, our view of the funding value of the Notes as well as the higher issuance, operational and ongoing liability management costs of the Notes in comparison to those costs for our conventional, fixed-rate debt, as well as estimated financing costs of any hedge positions, taking into account regulatory and internal requirements. If the interest rate implied by the credit spreads for our conventional, fixed-rate debt securities, or the borrowing rate we would pay for our conventional, fixed-rate debt securities were to be used, we would expect the economic terms of the Notes to be more favorable to you. Additionally, assuming all other economic terms are held constant, the use of an internal funding rate for the Notes is expected to increase the estimated value of the Notes at any time.
The Estimated Value of the Notes Is Based on Our Internal Pricing Models, Which May Prove to Be Inaccurate and May Be Different from the Pricing Models of Other Financial Institutions.
The estimated value of your Notes on the Pricing Date is based on our internal pricing models when the terms of the Notes are set, which take into account a number of variables, such as our internal funding rate on the Pricing Date, and are based on a number of subjective assumptions, which are not evaluated or verified on an independent basis and may or may not materialize. Further, our pricing models may be different from other financial institutions’ pricing models and the methodologies used by us to estimate the value of the Notes
may not be consistent with those of other financial institutions that may be purchasers or sellers of Notes in the secondary market. As a result, the secondary market price of your Notes may be materially less than the estimated value of the Notes determined by reference to our internal pricing models. In addition, market conditions and other relevant factors in the future may change, and any assumptions may prove to be incorrect.
The Estimated Value of Your Notes Is Not a Prediction of the Prices at Which You May Sell Your Notes in the Secondary Market, If Any, and Such Secondary Market Prices, If Any, Will Likely be Less Than the Public Offering Price of Your Notes and May Be Less Than the Estimated Value of Your Notes.
The estimated value of the Notes is not a prediction of the prices at which the Agent, other affiliates of ours or third parties may be willing to purchase the Notes from you in secondary market transactions (if they are willing to purchase, which they are not obligated to do). The price at which you may be able to sell your Notes in the secondary market at any time, if any, will be influenced by many factors that cannot be predicted, such as market conditions, and any bid and ask spread for similar sized trades, and may be substantially less than the estimated value of the Notes. Further, as secondary market prices of your Notes take into account the levels at which our debt securities trade in the secondary market, and do not take into account our various costs and expected profits associated with selling and structuring the Notes, as well as hedging our obligations under the Notes, secondary market prices of your Notes will likely be less than the public offering price of your Notes. As a result, the price at which the Agent, other affiliates of ours or third parties may be willing to purchase the Notes from you in secondary market transactions, if any, will likely be less than the price you paid for your Notes, and any sale prior to the Maturity Date could result in a substantial loss to you.
The Temporary Price at Which the Agent May Initially Buy the Notes in the Secondary Market May Not Be Indicative of Future Prices of Your Notes.
Assuming that all relevant factors remain constant after the Pricing Date, the price at which the Agent may initially buy or sell the Notes in the secondary market (if the Agent makes a market in the Notes, which it is not obligated to do) may exceed the estimated value of the Notes on the Pricing Date, as well as the secondary market value of the Notes, for a temporary period after the Issue Date of the Notes, as discussed further under “Additional Information Regarding the Estimated Value of the Notes.” The price at which the Agent may initially buy or sell the Notes in the secondary market may not be indicative of future prices of your Notes.
There May Not Be an Active Trading Market for the Notes — Sales in the Secondary Market May Result in Significant Losses.
There may be little or no secondary market for the Notes. The Notes will not be listed or displayed on any securities exchange or any electronic communications network. The Agent or another of our affiliates may make a market for the Notes; however, they are not required to do so and may stop any market-making activities at any time. Even if a secondary market for the Notes develops, it may not provide significant liquidity or trade at prices advantageous to you. We expect that transaction costs in any secondary market would be high. As a result, the difference between bid and ask prices for your Notes in any secondary market could be substantial.
If you sell your Notes before the Maturity Date, you may have to do so at a substantial discount from the Principal Amount irrespective of the then-current value of the Reference Asset, and as a result, you may suffer substantial losses.
The Underwriting Discount, if any, Offering Expenses and Certain Hedging Costs Are Likely to Adversely Affect Secondary Market Prices.
Assuming no changes in market conditions or any other relevant factors, the price, if any, at which you may be able to sell the Notes will likely be less than the public offering price. The public offering price includes, and any price quoted to you is likely to exclude, any underwriting discount paid in connection with the initial distribution, offering expenses as well as the cost of hedging our obligations under the Notes. In addition, any such price is also likely to reflect any dealer discounts, mark-ups and other transaction costs, such as a discount to account for costs associated with establishing or unwinding any related hedge transaction.
If the Level of the Reference Asset Changes, the Market Value of Your Notes May Not Change in the Same Manner.
Your Notes may trade quite differently from the performance of the Reference Asset. Changes in the level of the Reference Asset may not result in a comparable change in the market value of your Notes. Even if the level of the Reference Asset increases above the Initial Level during the term of the Notes, the market value of your Notes may not increase by the same amount and could decline.
Risks Relating to Hedging Activities and Conflicts of Interest
There Are Potential Conflicts of Interest Between You and the Calculation Agent.
The Calculation Agent will, among other things, determine the amounts payable on the Notes. We will serve as the Calculation Agent and may appoint a different Calculation Agent after the Issue Date without notice to you. The Calculation Agent will exercise its judgment when performing its functions. For example, the Calculation Agent may have to determine whether a market disruption event affecting the Reference Asset has occurred, which may, in turn, depend on the Calculation Agent’s judgment as to whether the event has materially interfered with our ability or the ability of one of our affiliates to unwind our hedge positions. Because this determination by the Calculation Agent may affect the amounts payable on the Notes, the Calculation Agent may have a conflict of interest if it needs to make a determination of this kind. For additional information on the Calculation Agent’s role, see “General Terms of the Notes—Role of Calculation Agent” in the product supplement.
Market Disruption Events and Postponements.
The Valuation Date, and therefore the Maturity Date, are subject to postponement as described in the product supplement due to the occurrence of one or more market disruption events. For a description of what constitutes a market disruption event as well as the consequences of a market disruption event, see “General Terms of the Notes—Market Disruption Events” in the product supplement.
Trading and Business Activities by TD or its Affiliates May Adversely Affect the Market Value of, and Any Amount Payable on, the Notes.
We, the Agent and our other affiliates may hedge our obligations under the Notes by purchasing securities, futures, options or other derivative instruments with returns linked or related to changes in the levels of the Reference Asset or one or more Reference Asset Constituents, and we may adjust these hedges by, among other things, purchasing or selling at any time any of the foregoing assets. It is possible that we or one or more of our affiliates could receive substantial returns from these hedging activities while the market value of the Notes declines. We and/or one or more of our affiliates may also issue or underwrite other securities or financial or derivative instruments with returns linked or related to changes in the levels of the Reference Asset or one or more Reference Asset Constituents.
These trading activities may present a conflict between the holders’ interest in the Notes and the interests we and/or our affiliates will have in our or their proprietary accounts, in facilitating transactions, including options and other derivatives transactions, for our or their customers’ accounts and in accounts under our or their management. These trading activities could be adverse to the interests of the holders of the Notes.
We, the Agent and our other affiliates may, at present or in the future, engage in business with the Reference Asset Constituent Issuers, including making loans to or providing advisory services to those companies. These services could include investment banking and merger and acquisition advisory services. These business activities may present a conflict between our, the Agent’s and our affiliates’ obligations, and your interests as a holder of the Notes. Moreover, we, the Agent or our other affiliates may have published, and in the future expect to publish, research reports with respect to the Reference Asset or one or more Reference Asset Constituents. This research is modified from time to time without notice and may express opinions or provide recommendations that are inconsistent with purchasing or holding the Notes. Any of these activities by us, the Agent or our other affiliates may affect the level of a Reference Asset or one or more Reference Asset Constituents and, therefore, the market value of the Notes and the Payment at Maturity.
Risks Relating to General Credit Characteristics
Investors Are Subject to TD’s Credit Risk, and TD’s Credit Ratings and Credit Spreads May Adversely Affect the Market Value of the Notes.
Although the return on the Notes will be based on the performance of the Reference Asset, the payment of any amount due on the Notes is subject to TD’s credit risk. The Notes are TD’s senior unsecured debt obligations. Investors are dependent on TD’s ability to pay all amounts due on the Notes and, therefore, investors are subject to the credit risk of TD and to changes in the market’s view of TD’s creditworthiness. Any decrease in TD’s credit ratings or increase in the credit spreads charged by the market for taking TD’s credit risk is likely to adversely affect the market value of the Notes. If TD becomes unable to meet its financial obligations as they become due, investors may not receive any amounts due under the terms of the Notes.
Risks Relating to Canadian and U.S. Federal Income Taxation
Significant Aspects of the Tax Treatment of the Notes Are Uncertain.
The U.S. tax treatment of the Notes is uncertain. Please read carefully the section entitled “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” herein and in the product supplement. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of your investment in the Notes.
For a discussion of the Canadian federal income tax consequences of investing in the Notes, please see the discussion in the product supplement under “Supplemental Discussion of Canadian Tax Consequences” and the further discussion herein under “Summary”. If you are not a Non-resident Holder (as that term is defined in the prospectus) for Canadian federal income tax purposes or if you acquire the Notes in the secondary market, you should consult your tax advisors as to the consequences of acquiring, holding and disposing of the Notes and receiving the payments that might be due under the Notes.
Hypothetical Returns
The examples and table set out below are included for illustration purposes only and are hypothetical examples only: amounts below may have been rounded for ease of analysis. The hypothetical Percentage Changes of the Reference Asset used to illustrate the calculation of the Payment at Maturity are not estimates or forecasts of the actual Initial Level, the Final Level or the level of the Reference Asset on any Trading Day prior to the Maturity Date. All examples assume an Initial Level of 1,000.00, a Buffer Percentage of 15.00%, (which corresponds to a Buffer Level that is 85.00% of the Initial Level), a Maximum Upside Redemption Amount of $1,210.00, that a holder purchased Notes with an aggregate Principal Amount of $1,000 and that no Market Disruption Event occurs on the Valuation Date. The actual terms of the Notes will be set forth in the final pricing supplement.
Example 1 — | Calculation of the Payment at Maturity where the Final Level is Greater Than the Initial Level. |
| Final Level: | 1,050.00 |
| Percentage Change: | 5.00% |
| Payment at Maturity: | The lesser of (i) $1,000.00 + ($1,000.00 × 5.00%) and (ii) Maximum Upside Redemption Amount = the lesser of (i) $1,000.00 + $50.00 and (ii) $1,210.00 = the lesser of (i) $1,050.00 and (ii) $1,210.00. = $1,050.00. |
| On a $1,000.00 investment, a 5.00% Percentage Change results in a Payment at Maturity of $1,050.00, a return of 5.00% on the Notes. |
Example 2 — | Calculation of the Payment at Maturity where the Final Level is Greater Than the Initial Level and the Payment at Maturity is subject to the Maximum Upside Redemption Amount. |
| Final Level: | 1,500.00 |
| Percentage Change: | 50.00% |
| Payment at Maturity: | The lesser of (i) $1,000.00 + ($1,000.00 × 50.00%) and (ii) Maximum Upside Redemption Amount = the lesser of (i) $1,000.00 + $500.00 and (ii) $1,210.00 = the lesser of (i) $1,500.00 and (ii) $1,210.00. = $1,210.00. |
| On a $1,000.00 investment, a 50.00% Percentage Change results in a Payment at Maturity equal to the Maximum Upside Redemption Amount of $1,210.00, a return of 21.00% on the Notes. |
Example 3 — | Calculation of the Payment at Maturity where the Final Level is Equal to or Less Than the Initial Level and Greater Than or Equal to the Buffer Level. |
| Final Level: | 1,000.00 |
| Percentage Change: | 0.00% |
| Payment at Maturity: | At maturity, if the Percentage Change is zero, then the Payment at Maturity will equal the Principal Amount. |
| On a $1,000.00 investment, a 0.00% Percentage Change results in a Payment at Maturity of $1,000.00, a return of 0.00% on the Notes. |
Example 4 — | Calculation of the Payment at Maturity where the Final Level is Equal to or Less Than the Initial Level and Greater Than or Equal to the Buffer Level. |
| Final Level: | 900.00 |
| Percentage Change: | -10.00% |
| Payment at Maturity: | = $1,000 + ($1,000 × |-10.00%|) = $1,000 + $100.00 = $1,100.00. |
| On a $1,000.00 investment, a -10.00% Percentage Change results in a Payment at Maturity of $1,100.00, a return of 10.00% on the Notes. |
Example 5 — Calculation of the Payment at Maturity where the Final Level is Less Than the Buffer Level. |
| Final Level: | 400.00 |
| Percentage Change: | -60.00% |
| Payment at Maturity: | $1,000.00 + [$1,000.00 × (-60.00% + 15.00%)] = $1,000.00 - $450.00 = $550.00 |
| On a $1,000.00 investment, a -55.00% Percentage Change results in a Payment at Maturity of $550.00, a return of -40.00% per Note. If the Final Level is less than the Buffer Level, investors will lose 1% of the Principal Amount of the Notes for each 1% that the Final Level is less than the Initial Level in excess of the Buffer Percentage and may lose up to 85.00% of their Principal Amount. Any payment on the Notes is subject to our credit risk. |
The following table shows the hypothetical return profile for the Notes on the Maturity Date, assuming that the investor purchased the Notes with an aggregate Principal Amount of $1,000 and held the Notes until the Maturity Date. The returns and losses illustrated in the following table are not estimates or forecasts of the Percentage Change or the return or loss on the Notes. Neither TD nor the Agent is predicting or guaranteeing any gain or particular return on the Notes.
Hypothetical Percentage Change | Hypothetical Payment at Maturity ($) | Hypothetical Return on Notes (%) |
50.00% | $1,210.00 | 21.00% |
30.00% | $1,210.00 | 21.00% |
25.00% | $1,210.00 | 21.00% |
21.00% | $1,210.00 | 21.00% |
20.00% | $1,200.00 | 20.00% |
15.00% | $1,150.00 | 15.00% |
10.00% | $1,100.00 | 10.00% |
5.00% | $1,050.00 | 5.00% |
0.00% | $1,000.00 | 0.00% |
-5.00% | $1,050.00 | 5.00% |
-10.00% | $1,100.00 | 10.00% |
-15.00% | $1,150.00 | 15.00% |
-20.00% | $950.00 | -5.00% |
-30.00% | $850.00 | -15.00% |
-40.00% | $750.00 | -25.00% |
-50.00% | $650.00 | -35.00% |
-60.00% | $550.00 | -45.00% |
-70.00% | $450.00 | -55.00% |
-80.00% | $350.00 | -65.00% |
-90.00% | $250.00 | -75.00% |
-100.00% | $150.00 | -85.00% |
Information Regarding the Reference Asset
All disclosures contained in this document regarding the Reference Asset, including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation, and changes in any Reference Asset Constituents, have been derived from publicly available sources. The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, the Index Sponsor. The Index Sponsor owns the copyright and all other rights to the Reference Asset and has no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication of, the Reference Asset. None of the websites referenced in the Reference Asset description below, or any materials included in those websites, are incorporated by reference into this document or any document incorporated herein by reference.
The graph below sets forth the information relating to historical performance of the Reference Asset. The graph below shows the daily historical Closing Levels of the Reference Asset for the period specified. We obtained the information regarding the historical performance of the Reference Asset in the graph below from Bloomberg Professional® service (“Bloomberg”).
We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg. The historical performance of the Reference Asset should not be taken as an indication of its future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the Final Level of the Reference Asset. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the Reference Asset will result in any positive return on your initial investment.
The S&P 500® Index (the “SPX”) includes a representative sample of 500 companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy. The 500 companies are not the 500 largest companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) and not all 500 companies are listed on the NYSE. The Index Sponsor, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, chooses companies for inclusion in the SPX with an aim of achieving a distribution by broad industry groupings that approximates the distribution of these groupings in the common stock population of the U.S. domiciled equity market. Although the SPX contains 500 constituent companies, at any one time it may contain greater than 500 constituent trading lines since some companies included in the SPX prior to July 31, 2017 may be represented by multiple share class lines in the SPX. The SPX is calculated, maintained and published by the Index Sponsor and is part of the S&P Dow Jones Indices family of indices. Additional information (including sectors and sector weights and top constituents) is available on the following website: spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/sp-500. We are not incorporating by reference the websites or any material they include in this document or any document incorporated herein by reference.
The Index Sponsor intends for the SPX to provide a performance benchmark for the large-cap U.S. domiciled equity markets. Constituent changes are made on an as-needed basis and there is no schedule for constituent reviews. Index additions and deletions are announced with at least three business days advance notice. Less than three business days’ notice may be given at the discretion of the S&P Index Committee. Relevant criteria for additions to the SPX that are employed by the Index Sponsor include: the company proposed for addition should have an unadjusted company market capitalization of $18.0 billion or more and a security level float-adjusted market capitalization of at least 50% of such threshold (for spin-offs, eligibility is determined using when-issued prices, if available); the float-adjusted liquidity ratio of the stock (defined as the annual dollar value traded divided by the float-adjusted market capitalization) should be greater than or equal to 0.75 at the time of the addition to the SPX and the stock should trade a minimum of 250,000 shares in each of the six months leading up to the evaluation date (current constituents have no minimum requirement), where the annual dollar value traded is calculated as the average closing price multiplied by the historical volume over the 365 calendar days prior to the evaluation date (reduced to the available trading period for IPOs, spinoffs or public companies considered to be U.S. domiciled for index purposes that do not have 365 calendar days of trading history on a U.S. exchange); the company must be a U.S.-domiciled company (characterized as a company that satisfies U.S. Securities Exchange Act’s periodic reporting obligations by filing certain required forms for domestic issuers (e.g., Form 10-K annual reports, Form 10-Q quarterly reports and Form 8-K current reports, among others) and with a primary listing of the common stock on the NYSE, NYSE Arca, NYSE American (formerly NYSE MKT), Nasdaq Global Select Market, Nasdaq Global Market, Nasdaq Capital Market, Cboe BZX (formerly Bats BZX), Cboe BYX (formerly Bats BYX), Cboe EDGA (formerly Bats EDGA) or Cboe EDGX (formerly Bats EDGX) (each, an “eligible exchange”)); the proposed constituent has an investable weight factor (“IWF”) of 10% or more; the inclusion of the company will contribute to sector balance in the SPX relative to sector balance in the market in the relevant market capitalization range; financial viability (the sum of the most recent four consecutive quarters’ Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) earnings (net income excluding discontinued operations) should be positive as should the most recent quarter); and, for IPOs, the company must be traded on an eligible exchange for at least twelve months (for former SPACs, S&P considers the de-SPAC transaction to be an event equivalent to an IPO, and 12 months of trading post the de-SPAC event are required before a former SPAC can be considered for inclusion in the SPX; spin-offs or in-specie distributions from existing constituents do not need to be traded on an eligible exchange for twelve months prior to their inclusion in the SPX). In addition, constituents of the S&P MidCap 400® Index and the S&P SmallCap 600® Index can be added to the SPX provided they meet the unadjusted company level market capitalization eligibility criteria for the SPX. Migrations from the S&P MidCap 400® Index or the S&P SmallCap 600® Index do not need to meet the financial viability, liquidity, or 50% of the SPX’s unadjusted company level minimum market capitalization threshold criteria. Further, constituents of the S&P Total Market Index Ex S&P Composite 1500 (which includes all eligible U.S. common equities except for those included in the SPX, the S&P MidCap 400® Index and the S&P SmallCap 600® Index) that acquire a constituent of the SPX, the S&P MidCap 400® Index or the S&P SmallCap 600® Index that do not fully meet all of the eligibility criteria may still be added to the SPX at the discretion of the S&P Index Committee if the merger consideration includes the acquiring company issuing stock to target company shareholders, and the S&P Index Committee determines that the addition could minimize turnover and enhance the representativeness of the SPX as a market benchmark. Certain types of organizational structures and securities are always excluded, including, but not limited to, business development companies (BDCs), limited partnerships, master limited partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), OTC bulletin board
issues, closed-end funds, ETFs, ETNs, royalty trusts, tracking stocks, special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), preferred stock and convertible preferred stock, unit trusts, equity warrants, convertible bonds, investment trusts, rights and American depositary receipts. SPX constituents are deleted from the SPX when they are involved in mergers, acquisitions or significant restructurings such that they no longer meet the inclusion criteria, and when they substantially violate one or more of the addition criteria. SPX constituents that are delisted or moved to the pink sheets or the bulletin board are removed, and those that experience a trading halt may be retained or removed in the Index Sponsor’s discretion. The Index Sponsor evaluates additions and deletions with a view to maintaining SPX continuity.
For constituents included in the SPX prior to July 31, 2017, all publicly listed multiple share class lines are included separately in the SPX, subject to, in the case of any such share class line, that share class line satisfying the liquidity and float criteria discussed above and subject to certain exceptions. It is possible that one listed share class line of a company may be included in the SPX while a second listed share class line of the same company is excluded. For companies that issue a second publicly traded share class to SPX share class holders, the newly issued share class line is considered for inclusion if the event is mandatory and the market capitalization of the distributed class is not considered to be de minimis.
As of July 31, 2017, companies with multiple share class lines are no longer eligible for inclusion in the SPX. Only common shares are considered when determining whether a company has a multiple share class structure. Constituents of the SPX prior to July 31, 2017 with multiple share class lines will be grandfathered in and continue to be included in the SPX. If a SPX constituent reorganizes into a multiple share class line structure, that company will be reviewed for continued inclusion in the SPX at the discretion of the S&P Index Committee.
Calculation of the SPX
The SPX is calculated using a base-weighted aggregative methodology. The level of the SPX on any day for which a level is published is determined by a fraction, the numerator of which is the aggregate of the market price of each SPX constituent times the number of shares of such SPX constituent, and the denominator of which is the divisor, which is described more fully below. The “market value” of any SPX constituent is the product of the market price per share of that SPX constituent times the number of the then-outstanding shares of such SPX constituent that are then included in the SPX.
The SPX is also sometimes called a “base-weighted aggregative index” because of its use of a divisor. The “divisor” is a value calculated by the Index Sponsor that is intended to maintain conformity in SPX levels over time and is adjusted for all changes in the SPX constituents’ share capital after the “base date” as described below. The level of the SPX reflects the total market value of all SPX constituents relative to the SPX’s base date of 1941-43.
In addition, the SPX is float-adjusted, meaning that the share counts used in calculating the SPX reflect only those shares available to investors rather than all of a company’s outstanding shares. The Index Sponsor seeks to exclude shares held by long-term, strategic shareholders concerned with the control of a company, a group that generally includes the following: officers and directors and related individuals whose holdings are publicly disclosed, private equity, venture capital, special equity firms, asset managers and insurance companies with board of director representation, publicly traded companies that hold shares in another company, holders of restricted shares (except for shares held as part of a lock-up agreement), company-sponsored employee share plans/trusts, defined contribution plans/savings, investment plans, foundations or family trusts associated with the company, government entities at all levels (except government retirement or pension funds), sovereign wealth funds and any individual person listed as a 5% or greater stakeholder in a company as reported in regulatory filings (collectively, “strategic holders”). To this end, the Index Sponsor excludes all share-holdings (other than depositary banks, pension funds (including government pension and retirement funds), mutual funds, ETF providers, investment funds, asset managers that do not have direct board of director representation (including stakeholders who may have the right to appoint a board of director member but choose not to do so, stakeholders who have exercised a right to appoint a board of director “observer” even if that observer is employed by the stakeholder and stakeholders who have exercised a right to appoint an independent director who is not employed by the stakeholder), investment funds of insurance companies and independent foundations not associated with the company) with a position greater than 5% of the outstanding shares of a company from the float-adjusted share count to be used in SPX calculations.
The exclusion is accomplished by calculating an IWF for each SPX constituent that is part of the numerator of the float-adjusted index fraction described above:
IWF = (available float shares)/(total shares outstanding)
where available float shares is defined as total shares outstanding less shares held by strategic holders. In most cases, an IWF is reported to the nearest one percentage point. For companies with multiple share class lines, a separate IWF is calculated for each share class line.
Maintenance of the SPX
In order to keep the SPX comparable over time the Index Sponsor engages in an index maintenance process. The SPX maintenance process involves changing the constituents as discussed above, and also involves maintaining quality assurance processes and procedures, adjusting the number of shares used to calculate the SPX, monitoring and completing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, adjusting for stock splits and stock dividends and adjusting for other corporate actions. In addition to its daily governance of indices and maintenance of the SPX methodology, at least once within any 12-month period, the S&P Index Committee reviews the SPX methodology to ensure the SPX continues to achieve the stated objective, and that the data and methodology remain effective. The
S&P Index Committee may at times consult with investors, market participants, security issuers included in or potentially included in the SPX, or investment and financial experts.
Divisor Adjustments
The two types of adjustments primarily used by the Index Sponsor are divisor adjustments and adjustments to the number of shares (including float adjustments) used to calculate the SPX. Set forth below under “Adjustments for Corporate Actions” is a table of certain corporate events and their resulting effect on the divisor and the share count. If a corporate event requires an adjustment to the divisor, that event has the effect of altering the market value of the affected SPX constituent and consequently of altering the aggregate market value of the SPX constituents following the event. In order that the level of the SPX not be affected by the altered market value (which could be an increase or decrease) of the affected SPX constituent, the Index Sponsor generally derives a new divisor by dividing the post-event market value of the SPX constituents by the pre-event SPX level, which has the effect of reducing the SPX’s post-event level to the pre-event level.
Changes to the Number of Shares of a Constituent
The index maintenance process also involves tracking the changes in the number of shares included for each of the index companies. Changes as a result of mandatory events, such as mergers or acquisition driven share/IWF changes, stock splits and mandatory distributions are not subject to a minimum threshold for implementation and are implemented when the transaction occurs. At the Index Sponsor’s discretion, however, de minimis merger and acquisition changes may be accumulated and implemented with the updates made with the quarterly share updates as described below. Material share/IWF changes resulting from certain non-mandatory corporate actions follow the accelerated implementation rule. Non-material share/IWF changes are implemented quarterly.
Accelerated Implementation Rule
1. Public offerings. Public offerings of new company-issued shares and/or existing shares offered by selling shareholders, including block sales and spot secondaries, will be eligible for accelerated implementation treatment if the size of the event meets the materiality threshold criteria:
(a) | at least US $150 million, and |
(b) | at least 5% of the pre-event total shares. |
In addition to the materiality threshold, public offerings must satisfy the following conditions:
| • | have a publicly available prospectus, offering document, or prospectus summary filed with the relevant authorities. |
| • | have a publicly available confirmation from an official source that the offering has been completed. |
For public offerings that involve a concurrent combination of new company shares and existing shares offered by selling shareholders, both events are implemented if either of the public offerings represent at least 5% of total shares and $150 million. Any concurrent share repurchase by the affected company will also be included in the implementation.
2. Dutch Auctions, self-tender offer buybacks, and split-off exchange offers. These nonmandatory corporate action types will be eligible for accelerated implementation treatment regardless of size once the final results are publicly announced and verified by S&P.
For companies with multiple share class lines, the criteria specified above apply to each individual multiple share class line rather than total company shares.
Exception to the Accelerated Implementation Rule
For non-mandatory corporate actions subject to the accelerated implementation rule with a size of at least US $1 billion, S&P will apply the share change, and any resulting IWF change, using the latest share and ownership information publicly available at the time of the announcement, even if the offering size is below the 5% threshold. This exception ensures that very large events are recognized in a timely manner using the latest available information.
Any non-fully paid or non-fully settled offering such as forward sales agreements are not eligible for accelerated implementation. Share updates resulting from completion of subscription receipts terms or the settlement of forward sale agreements are updated at a future quarterly share rebalancing.
All non-mandatory events not covered by the accelerated implementation rule (including but not limited to private placements, acquisition of private companies, and conversion of non-index share lines) will be implemented quarterly coinciding with the third Friday of the third month in each calendar quarter. In addition, events that were not implemented under the accelerated implementation rule but were found to have been eligible, (e.g. due to lack of publicly available information at the time of the event) are implemented as part of a quarterly rebalancing.
Announcement Policy
For accelerated implementation, the Index Sponsor will generally provide two (2) business days’ notice for all non-U.S. listed stocks and U.S. listed depositary receipts, and one (1) business days’ notice for all non-depositary receipt U.S. listed stocks.
IWF Updates
Accelerated implementation for events less than $1 billion will include an adjustment to the company’s IWF only to the extent that such an IWF change helps the new float share total mimic the shares available in the offering. To minimize unnecessary turnover, these IWF changes do not need to meet any minimum threshold requirement for implementation. Any IWF change resulting in an IWF of 0.96 or greater is rounded up to 1.00 at the next annual IWF review.
IWF changes will only be made at the quarterly review if the change represents at least 5% of total current shares outstanding and is related to a single corporate action that did not qualify for the accelerated implementation rule, regardless of whether there is an associated share change.
Quarterly share change events resulting from the conversion of derivative securities, acquisitions of private companies, or acquisitions of non-index companies that do not trade on a major exchange are considered to be available to investors unless there is explicit information stating that the new owner is a strategic holder.
Other than the situations described above, please note that IWF changes are only made at the annual IWF review.
Rebalancing Guidelines – Share/IWF Reference Date & Freeze Period
A reference date, after the market close five weeks prior to the third Friday in March, June, September, and December, is the cutoff for publicly available information used for quarterly shares outstanding and IWF changes. All shares outstanding and ownership information contained in public filings and/or official sources dated on or before the reference date are included in that quarter’s update. In addition, there is a freeze period on a quarterly basis for any changes that result from the accelerated implementation rules.
Pro-forma files for float-adjusted market capitalization indices are generally released after the market close on the first Friday, two weeks prior to the rebalancing effective date. Pro-forma files for capped and alternatively weighted indices are generally released after the market close on the second Friday, one week prior to the rebalancing effective date. For illustration purposes, if rebalancing pro-forma files are scheduled to be released on Friday, March 5, the share/IWF freeze period will begin after the close of trading on Tuesday, March 9 and will end after the close of trading the following Friday, March 19 (i.e. the third Friday of the rebalancing month).
During the share/IWF freeze period, shares and IWFs are not changed and the accelerated implementation rule is suspended, except for mandatory corporate action events (such as merger activity, stock splits, and rights offerings). The suspension includes all changes that qualify for accelerated implementation and would typically be announced or effective during the share/IWF freeze period. At the end of the freeze period all suspended changes will be announced on the third Friday of the rebalancing month and implemented five business days after the quarterly rebalancing effective date.
Adjustments for Corporate Actions
There is a large range of corporate actions that may affect companies included in the SPX. Certain corporate actions require the Index Sponsor to recalculate the share count or the float adjustment or to make an adjustment to the divisor to prevent the level of the SPX from changing as a result of the corporate action. This helps ensure that the movement of the SPX does not reflect the corporate actions of individual companies in the SPX.
Spin-Offs
As a general policy, a spin-off security is added to the SPX on the ex-date at a price of zero (with no divisor adjustment) and will remain in the SPX for at least one trading day. The spin-off security will remain in the SPX if it meets all eligibility criteria. If the spin-off security is determined ineligible to remain in the SPX, it will generally be removed after at least one day of regular way trading (with a divisor adjustment). The weight of the spin-off being deleted is reinvested across all the SPX constituents proportionately such that the relative weights of all SPX constituents are unchanged. The net change in SPX market capitalization will cause a divisor change.
Companies that are spun off from a SPX constituent do not need to meet the eligibility criteria for new constituents, but they should be considered U.S. domiciled for SPX purposes. At the discretion of the S&P Index Committee, a spin-off company may be retained in the SPX if the S&P Index Committee determines it has a total market capitalization representative of the SPX. If the spin-off company’s estimated market capitalization is below the minimum unadjusted company market capitalization for the SPX but there are other SPX constituents that have a significantly lower total market capitalization than the spin-off company, the S&P Index Committee may decide to retain the spin-off company in the SPX.
Several additional types of corporate actions, and their related treatment, are listed in the table below.
| Corporate Action | | Treatment | |
| SPX constituent addition/deletion | | Addition SPX constituents are added at the float market capitalization weight. The net change to the SPX market capitalization causes a divisor adjustment. Deletion The weights of all SPX constituents in the SPX will proportionally change. Relative weights will stay the same. The divisor will change due to the net change in the SPX market capitalization. | |
| Change in shares outstanding | | Increasing (decreasing) the shares outstanding increases (decreases) the market capitalization of the SPX. The change to the SPX market capitalization causes a divisor adjustment. | |
| Split/reverse split | | Shares outstanding are adjusted by split ratio. Stock price is adjusted by split ratio. There is no change to the SPX market capitalization and no divisor adjustment. | |
| Change in IWF | | Increasing (decreasing) the IWF increases (decreases) the market capitalization of the index. A net change to the SPX market capitalization causes a divisor adjustment. | |
| Ordinary dividend | | When a company pays an ordinary cash dividend, the SPX does not make any adjustments to the price or shares of the stock. As a result, there are no divisor adjustments to the SPX. | |
| Special dividend | | The stock price is adjusted by the amount of the special dividend. The net change to the SPX market capitalization causes a divisor adjustment. | |
| Rights offering | | All rights offerings that are in-the-money on the ex-date are applied under the assumption the rights are fully subscribed. The stock price is adjusted by the value of the rights and the shares outstanding are increased by the rights ratio. The net change in market capitalization causes a divisor adjustment. | |
Any company that is removed from the SPX, the S&P MidCap 400® Index or the S&P SmallCap 600® Index must wait a minimum of one year from its removal date before being reconsidered as a replacement candidate for the SPX.
Recalculation Policy
The Index Sponsor reserves the right to recalculate and republish the SPX at its discretion in the event one of the following issues has occurred: (1) incorrect or revised closing price of one or more constituent securities; (2) missed or misapplied corporate action; (3) incorrect application of SPX methodology; (4) late announcement of a corporate action; or (5) incorrect calculation or data entry error. The decision to recalculate the SPX is made at the discretion of the index manager and/or index committee, as further discussed below. The potential market impact or disruption resulting from a recalculation is considered when making any such decision. In the event of an incorrect closing price, a missed or misapplied corporate action, a late announcement of a corporate action, or an incorrect calculation or data entry error that is discovered within two trading days of its occurrence, generally the SPX is recalculated. In the event any such event is discovered beyond the two trading day period, the index committee shall decide whether the SPX should be recalculated. In the event of an incorrect application of the methodology that results in the incorrect composition and/or weighting of SPX constituents, the index committee shall determine whether or not to recalculate the SPX following specified guidelines. In the event that the SPX is recalculated, it shall be done within a reasonable timeframe following the detection and review of the issue.
Calculations and Pricing Disruptions
Closing levels for the SPX are calculated by the Index Sponsor based on the closing price of the individual constituents of the SPX as set by their primary exchange. Closing prices are received by the Index Sponsor from one of its third-party vendors and verified by comparing them with prices from an alternative vendor. The vendors receive the closing price from the primary exchanges. Real-time intraday prices are calculated similarly without a second verification. Official end-of-day calculations are based on each stock’s primary market closing price. Prices used for the calculation of real time SPX levels are based on the “Consolidated Tape”. The Consolidated Tape is an aggregation of trades for each constituent over all regional exchanges and trading venues and includes the primary exchange. If there is a failure or interruption on one or more exchanges, real-time calculations will continue as long as the “Consolidated Tape” is operational.
If an interruption is not resolved prior to the market close, official closing prices will be determined by following the hierarchy set out in NYSE Rule 123C. A notice is published on the Index Sponsor website at spglobal.com indicating any changes to the prices used in SPX calculations. In extreme circumstances, the Index Sponsor may decide to delay SPX adjustments or not publish the SPX. Real-time indices are not restated.
Unexpected Exchange Closures
An unexpected market/exchange closure occurs when a market/exchange fully or partially fails to open or trading is temporarily halted. This can apply to a single exchange or to a market as a whole, when all of the primary exchanges are closed and/or not trading. Unexpected market/exchange closures are usually due to unforeseen circumstances, such as natural disasters, inclement weather, outages, or other events.
To a large degree, the Index Sponsor is dependent on the exchanges to provide guidance in the event of an unexpected exchange closure. The Index Sponsor’s decision making is dependent on exchange guidance regarding pricing and mandatory corporate actions.
NYSE Rule 123C provides closing contingency procedures for determining an official closing price for listed securities if the exchange is unable to conduct a closing transaction in one or more securities due to a system or technical issue.
3:00 PM ET is the deadline for an exchange to determine its plan of action regarding an outage scenario. As such, the Index Sponsor also uses 3:00 PM ET as the cutoff.
If all major exchanges fail to open or unexpectedly halt trading intraday due to unforeseen circumstances, the Index Sponsor will take the following actions:
Market Disruption Prior to Open of Trading:
(i) If all exchanges indicate that trading will not open for a given day, the Index Sponsor will treat the day as an unscheduled market holiday. The decision will be communicated to clients as soon as possible through the normal channels. Indices containing multiple markets will be calculated as normal, provided that at least one market is open that day. Indices which only contain closed markets will not be calculated.
(ii) If exchanges indicate that trading, although delayed, will open for a given day, the Index Sponsor will begin index calculation when the exchanges open.
Market Disruption Intraday:
(i) If exchanges indicate that trading will not resume for a given day, the SPX level will be calculated using prices determined by the exchanges based on NYSE Rule 123C. Intraday SPX levels will continue to use the last traded composite price until the primary exchange publishes official closing prices.
License Agreement
S&P® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”). These trademarks have been licensed for use by the Index Sponsor. “Standard & Poor’s®,” “S&P 500®” and “S&P®” are trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC. These trademarks have been sublicensed for certain purposes by us. The S&P 500® Index is a product of the Index Sponsor and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by us.
The Notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Index Sponsor, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the holders of the Notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Notes particularly or the ability of the S&P 500® Index to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to us with respect to the S&P 500® Index is the licensing of the S&P 500® Index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its third-party licensors. The S&P 500® Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to us or the Notes. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation to take our needs or the needs of holders of the Notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S&P 500® Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of the Notes or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Notes or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Notes are to be converted into cash. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Notes. There is no assurance that investment products based on the S&P 500® Index will accurately track S&P 500® Index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P and its subsidiaries are not investment advisors. Inclusion of a security or futures contract within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security or futures contract, nor is it considered to be investment advice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the Notes currently being issued by us, but which may be similar to and competitive with the Notes. In addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the S&P 500® Index. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the Notes.
S&P DOW JONES INDICES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE S&P 500® INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY US, HOLDERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE S&P 500® INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND US, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.
Historical Information
The graph below illustrates the performance of the Reference Asset from December 19, 2014 through December 19, 2024.
We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg. The historical performance of the Reference Asset should not be taken as an indication of its future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the Final Level of the Reference Asset. We cannot give you any assurance that the performance of the Reference Asset will result in any positive return on your initial investment.
S&P 500® Index (SPX)
PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS.
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences
The U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the Notes are uncertain. No statutory, regulatory, judicial or administrative authority directly discusses how the Notes should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Some of these tax consequences are summarized below, but we urge you to read the more detailed discussion under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” in the product supplement and discuss the tax consequences of your particular situation with your tax advisor. This discussion is based upon the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), final, temporary and proposed U.S. Department of the Treasury (the “Treasury”) regulations, rulings and decisions, in each case, as available and in effect as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. Tax consequences under state, local and non-U.S. laws are not addressed herein. No ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) has been sought as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the Notes, and the following discussion is not binding on the IRS.
U.S. Tax Treatment. Pursuant to the terms of the Notes, TD and you agree, in the absence of a statutory or regulatory change or an administrative determination or judicial ruling to the contrary, to characterize your Notes as prepaid derivative contracts with respect to the Reference Asset. If your Notes are so treated, you should generally recognize gain or loss upon the taxable disposition (including cash settlement) of your Notes in an amount equal to the difference between the amount you receive at such time and the amount you paid for your Notes. Such gain or loss should generally be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your Notes for more than one year (otherwise such gain or loss should be short-term capital gain or loss if held for one year or less). The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Based on certain factual representations received from us, our special U.S. tax counsel, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, is of the opinion that it would be reasonable to treat your Notes in the manner described above. However, because there is no authority that specifically addresses the tax treatment of the Notes, it is possible that your Notes could alternatively be treated for tax purposes as a single contingent payment debt instrument, or pursuant to some other characterization, such that the timing and character of your income from the Notes could differ materially and adversely from the treatment described above, as described further under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences – Alternative Treatments” in the product supplement. There may also be a risk that the IRS could assert that the Notes should not give rise to long-term capital gain or loss because the Notes offer, at least in part, short exposure to the Reference Asset.
Except to the extent otherwise required by law, TD intends to treat your Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described above and under “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” of the product supplement, unless and until such time as the Treasury and the IRS determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.
Notice 2008-2. In 2007, the IRS released a notice that may affect the taxation of holders of the Notes. According to Notice 2008-2, the IRS and the Treasury are actively considering whether a holder of an instrument such as the Notes should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis. 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 IRS and the Treasury are also considering other relevant issues, including whether additional gain or loss from such instruments should be treated as ordinary or capital, whether non-U.S. 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 Code should be applied to such instruments. Both U.S. and non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the significance, and the potential impact, of the above considerations on their investments in the Notes.
Medicare Tax on Net Investment Income. U.S. holders that are individuals, estates or certain trusts are subject to an additional 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income” or “undistributed net investment income” in the case of an estate or trust, which may include any income or gain realized with respect to the Notes, to the extent of their net investment income or undistributed net investment income (as the case may be) that, when added to their other modified adjusted gross income, exceeds $200,000 for an unmarried individual, $250,000 for a married taxpayer filing a joint return (or a surviving spouse), $125,000 for a married individual filing a separate return or the dollar amount at which the highest tax bracket begins for an estate or trust. The 3.8% Medicare tax is determined in a different manner than the regular income tax. U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors as to the consequences of the 3.8% Medicare tax.
Specified Foreign Financial Assets. Certain U.S. holders that own “specified foreign financial assets” in excess of an applicable threshold may be subject to reporting obligations with respect to such assets with their tax returns, especially if such assets are held outside the custody of a U.S. financial institution. U.S. holders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the application of this legislation to their ownership of the Notes.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting. The proceeds received from a taxable disposition of the Notes will be subject to information reporting unless you are an “exempt recipient” and may also be subject to backup withholding at the rate specified in the Code if you fail to provide certain identifying information (such as an accurate taxpayer number, if you are a U.S. holder) or meet certain other conditions.
Non-U.S. Holders. If you are a non-U.S. holder, subject to Section 871(m) of the Code and FATCA, as discussed below, you should generally not be subject to U.S. withholding tax with respect to payments on your Notes or to generally applicable information reporting and backup withholding requirements with respect to payments on your Notes if you comply with certain certification and identification requirements as to your non-U.S. status including providing us (and/or the applicable withholding agent) a properly executed and fully completed applicable IRS Form W-8. Subject to Section 897 of the Code and Section 871(m) of the Code, as discussed below, gain realized from the taxable disposition of the Notes generally should not be subject to U.S. tax unless (i) such gain is effectively connected with a trade or business conducted by you in the U.S., (ii) you are a non-resident alien individual and are present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year of such taxable disposition and certain other conditions are satisfied or (iii) you have certain other present or former connections with the U.S.
Section 897. We will not attempt to ascertain whether any Reference Asset Constituent Issuer would be treated as a “United States real property holding corporation” (a “USRPHC”) within the meaning of Section 897 of the Code. We also have not attempted to determine whether the Notes should be treated as “United States real property interests” (“USRPI”) as defined in Section 897 of the Code. If any such entity and the Notes were so treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could possibly apply, including subjecting any gain to a non-U.S. holder in respect of a Note upon a taxable disposition of the Note to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis, and the proceeds from such a taxable disposition to a 15% withholding tax. Non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential treatment of any such entity as a USRPHC and the Notes as USRPI.
Section 871(m). A 30% withholding tax (which may be reduced by an applicable income tax treaty) is imposed under Section 871(m) of the Code on certain “dividend equivalents” paid or deemed paid to a non-U.S. holder with respect to a “specified equity-linked instrument” that references one or more dividend-paying U.S. equity securities or indices containing U.S. equity securities. The withholding tax can apply even if the instrument does not provide for payments that reference dividends. Treasury regulations provide that the withholding tax applies to all dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid on specified equity-linked instruments that have a delta of one (“delta-one specified equity-linked instruments”) issued after 2016 and to all dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid on all other specified equity-linked instruments issued after 2017. However, the IRS has issued guidance that states that the Treasury and the IRS intend to amend the effective dates of the Treasury regulations to provide that withholding on dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid will not apply to specified equity-linked instruments that are not delta-one specified equity-linked instruments and are issued before January 1, 2027.
Based on the nature of the Reference Asset and our determination that the Notes are not “delta-one” with respect to the Reference Asset or any Reference Asset Constituent, our special U.S. tax counsel is of the opinion that the Notes should not be delta-one specified equity-linked instruments and thus should not be subject to withholding on dividend equivalents. Our determination is not binding on the IRS, and the IRS may disagree with this determination. Furthermore, the application of Section 871(m) of the Code will depend on our determinations on the date the terms of the Notes are set. If withholding is required, we will not make payments of any additional amounts.
Nevertheless, after the date the terms are set, it is possible that your Notes could be deemed to be reissued for tax purposes upon the occurrence of certain events affecting any Reference Asset, any Reference Asset Constituent or your Notes, and following such occurrence your Notes could be treated as delta-one specified equity-linked instruments that are subject to withholding on dividend equivalents. It is also possible that withholding tax or other tax under Section 871(m) of the Code could apply to the Notes under these rules if you enter, or have entered, into certain other transactions in respect of any Reference Asset, any Reference Asset Constituent or the Notes. If you enter, or have entered, into other transactions in respect of any Reference Asset, any Reference Asset Constituent or the Notes, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the application of Section 871(m) of the Code to your Notes in the context of your other transactions.
Because of the uncertainty regarding the application of the 30% withholding tax on dividend equivalents to the Notes, you are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the potential application of Section 871(m) of the Code and the 30% withholding tax to an investment in the Notes.
U.S. Federal Estate Tax Treatment of Non-U.S. Holders. A Note may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax if an individual non-U.S. holder holds the Note at the time of his or her death. The gross estate of a non-U.S. holder domiciled outside the U.S. includes only property situated in the U.S. Individual non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of holding the Notes at death.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) was enacted on March 18, 2010, and imposes a 30% U.S. withholding tax on “withholdable payments” (i.e., certain U.S.-source payments, including interest (and original issue discount), dividends, other fixed or determinable annual or periodical income, and the gross proceeds from a disposition of property of a type that can produce U.S.-source interest or dividends) and “passthru payments” (i.e., certain payments attributable to withholdable payments) made to certain foreign financial institutions (and certain of their affiliates) unless the payee foreign financial institution agrees (or is required), among other things, to disclose the identity of any U.S. individual with an account at the institution (or the relevant affiliate) and to annually report certain information about such account. FATCA also requires withholding agents making withholdable payments to certain foreign entities that do not disclose the name, address, and taxpayer identification number of any substantial U.S. owners (or do not certify that they do not have any substantial U.S. owners) to withhold tax at a rate of 30%. Under certain circumstances, a holder may be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes.
Pursuant to final and temporary Treasury regulations and other IRS guidance, the withholding and reporting requirements under FATCA will generally apply to certain “withholdable payments”, will not apply to gross proceeds on a sale or disposition, and will apply to certain
foreign passthru payments only to the extent that such payments are made after the date that is two years after final regulations defining the term “foreign passthru payment” are published. If withholding is required, we (or the applicable paying agent) will not be required to pay additional amounts with respect to the amounts so withheld. Foreign financial institutions and non-financial foreign entities located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. governing FATCA may be subject to different rules.
Investors should consult their tax advisors about the application of FATCA, in particular if they may be classified as financial institutions (or if they hold their Notes through a foreign entity) under the FATCA rules.
Proposed Legislation. In 2007, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if it had been enacted, would have required holders of Notes purchased after the bill was enacted to accrue interest income over the term of the Notes despite the fact that there will be no interest payments over the term of the Notes.
Furthermore, in 2013, the House Ways and Means Committee released in draft form certain proposed legislation relating to financial instruments. If it had been enacted, the effect of this legislation generally would have been to require instruments such as the Notes to be marked to market on an annual basis with all gains and losses to be treated as ordinary, subject to certain exceptions.
It is impossible to predict whether any similar or identical bills will be enacted in the future, or whether any such bill would affect the tax treatment of your Notes. You are urged to consult your tax advisor regarding the possible changes in law and their possible impact on the tax treatment of your Notes.
Both U.S. and non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the application of U.S. federal income tax laws to an investment in the Notes, as well as any tax consequences of the purchase, beneficial ownership and disposition of the Notes arising under the laws of any state, local, non- U.S. or other taxing jurisdiction (including that of TD).
Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)
We have appointed TDS, an affiliate of TD, as the Agent for the sale of the Notes. Pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement, TDS will purchase the Notes from TD at the public offering price less an underwriting discount of up to the underwriting discount specified on the cover page hereof and may use all or a portion of that commission to allow selling concessions to other registered broker-dealers in connection with the distribution of the Notes. The underwriting discount represents the selling concessions for other dealers in connection with the distribution of the Notes. The total “Underwriting Discount” and “Proceeds to TD” to be specified on the cover hereof will reflect the aggregate of the underwriting discount at the time TD established any hedge positions on or prior to the Pricing Date, which may be variable and fluctuate depending on market conditions at such times. The Notes will generally be offered to the public at the public offering price, provided that certain fee based advisory accounts may purchase the Notes for as low as the price specified on the cover hereof and such registered broker-dealers may forgo, in their sole discretion, some or all of their selling concessions in connection with such sales. TDS may also pay another unaffiliated dealer a per Note marketing fee of the amount indicated on the cover hereof with respect to some or all of the Notes in connection with its marketing efforts. The marketing fee will be deducted from amounts remitted to TD. We or one of our affiliates may also pay a fee to iCapital Markets LLC, who is acting as a dealer in connection with the distribution of the Notes. TD will reimburse TDS for certain expenses in connection with its role in the offer and sale of the Notes, and TD will pay TDS a fee in connection with its role in the offer and sale of the Notes.
Conflicts of Interest. TDS is an affiliate of TD and, as such, has a “conflict of interest” in this offering within the meaning of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”) Rule 5121. If any other affiliate of TD, including but not limited to TD Ameritrade, Inc., participates in this offering, that affiliate will also have a “conflict of interest” within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121. In addition, TD will receive the net proceeds from the initial public offering of the Notes, thus creating an additional conflict of interest within the meaning of FINRA Rule 5121. This offering of the Notes will be conducted in compliance with the provisions of FINRA Rule 5121. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5121, neither TDS nor any other affiliate of ours is permitted to sell the Notes in this offering to an account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of the account holder.
We, TDS, another of our affiliates or third parties may use this pricing supplement in the initial sale of the Notes. In addition, we, TDS, another of our affiliates or third parties may use this pricing supplement in a market-making transaction in the Notes after their initial sale. If a purchaser buys the Notes from us, TDS, another of our affiliates or third parties, this pricing supplement is being used in a market-making transaction unless we, TDS, another of our affiliates or third parties informs such purchaser otherwise in the confirmation of sale.
Prohibition of Sales to EEA and United Kingdom Retail Investors
The Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area (“EEA”). For these purposes, a retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU, as amended (“MiFID II”); (ii) a customer within the meaning of Directive 2002/92/EC, as amended, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended. Consequently, no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the “EU PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the EU PRIIPs Regulation.
The Notes are not intended to be offered, sold or otherwise made available to and should not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom (the “UK”). For these purposes, a retail investor in the UK means a person who is one (or more) of: (i) a retail client as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, subject to amendments made by the Markets in Financial Instruments (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/1403), as may be amended or superseded from time to time (the “EUWA”); (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the “FSMA”) and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (“UK Prospectus Regulation”). Consequently, no key information document required by the PRIIPs Regulation as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the “UK PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the UK has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the UK may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation
Additional Information Regarding the Estimated Value of the Notes
The final terms for the Notes will be determined on the date the Notes are initially priced for sale to the public, which we refer to as the Pricing Date, based on prevailing market conditions, and will be communicated to investors in the final pricing supplement.
The economic terms of the Notes are based on our internal funding rate (which is our internal borrowing rate based on variables such as market benchmarks and our appetite for borrowing), and several factors, including any sales commissions expected to be paid to TDS or another affiliate of ours, any selling concessions, discounts, commissions or fees expected to be allowed or paid to non-affiliated intermediaries, the estimated profit that we or any of our affiliates expect to earn in connection with structuring the Notes, estimated costs which we may incur in connection with the Notes and the estimated cost which we may incur in hedging our obligations under the Notes. Because our internal funding rate generally represents a discount from the levels at which our benchmark debt securities trade in the secondary market, the use of an internal funding rate for the Notes rather than the levels at which our benchmark debt securities trade in the secondary market is expected to have an adverse effect on the economic terms of the Notes.
On the cover page of this pricing supplement, we have provided the estimated value range for the Notes. The estimated value range was determined by reference to our internal pricing models which take into account a number of variables and are based on a number of assumptions, which may or may not materialize, typically including volatility, interest rates (forecasted, current and historical rates), price-sensitivity analysis, time to maturity of the Notes, and our internal funding rate. For more information about the estimated value, see “Additional Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Estimated Value and Liquidity” herein. Because our internal funding rate generally represents a discount from the levels at which our benchmark debt securities trade in the secondary market, the use of an internal funding rate for the Notes rather than the levels at which our benchmark debt securities trade in the secondary market is expected, assuming all other economic terms are held constant, to increase the estimated value of the Notes. For more information see the discussion under “Additional Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Estimated Value and Liquidity — The Estimated Value of Your Notes Is Based on Our Internal Funding Rate.”
Our estimated value on the Pricing Date is not a prediction of the price at which the Notes may trade in the secondary market, nor will it be the price at which the Agent may buy or sell the Notes in the secondary market. Subject to normal market and funding conditions, the Agent or another affiliate of ours intends to offer to purchase the Notes in the secondary market but it is not obligated to do so.
Assuming that all relevant factors remain constant after the Pricing Date, the price at which the Agent may initially buy or sell the Notes in the secondary market, if any, may exceed our estimated value on the Pricing Date for a temporary period expected to be approximately 3 months after the Issue Date because, in our discretion, we may elect to effectively reimburse to investors a portion of the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the Notes and other costs in connection with the Notes which we will no longer expect to incur over the term of the Notes. We made such discretionary election and determined this temporary reimbursement period on the basis of a number of factors, including the tenor of the Notes and any agreement we may have with the distributors of the Notes. The amount of our estimated costs which we effectively reimburse to investors in this way may not be allocated ratably throughout the reimbursement period, and we may discontinue such reimbursement at any time or revise the duration of the reimbursement period after the Issue Date of the Notes based on changes in market conditions and other factors that cannot be predicted.
We urge you to read the “Additional Risk Factors” herein.