$
Jefferies
Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
Senior Buffered Leveraged Notes due November 21, 2029
Linked to the Worst-Performing of the VanEck® Semiconductor ETF and the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1
The Senior Buffered Leveraged Notes due November 21, 2029 Linked to the Worst-Performing of the VanEck® Semiconductor ETF and the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 (the “Notes”) are senior unsecured
obligations of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. The Notes will pay no interest and have the terms described in the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus, as supplemented or modified by this pricing supplement. At
maturity, if the Worst-Performing Underlying has appreciated in value, investors will receive the Stated Principal Amount of their investment plus 155.00% of the upside performance of the Worst-Performing
Underlying. If the Worst-Performing Underlying has depreciated in value, but the Worst-Performing Underlying has not declined below its Buffer Value, investors will receive the Stated Principal Amount.
However, if the Worst-Performing Underlying has declined below its Buffer Value, investors will lose 1% of the Stated Principal Amount for every 1% decline (as compared to the Initial Value of the Worst-Performing Underlying) in the Final Value of
the Worst-Performing Underlying below its Buffer Value. Investors may lose up to 80% of the Stated Principal Amount of the Notes. The Notes are issued as part of our Series A Global Medium-Term Notes program.
All payments are subject to our credit risk. If we default on our obligations, you could lose some or a significant portion of your investment. These Notes are not secured obligations and you will
not have any security interest in, or otherwise have any access to, any Underlying or the securities represented by any Underlying.
SUMMARY OF TERMS
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Issuer:
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Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
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Title of the Notes:
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Senior Buffered Leveraged Notes due November 21, 2029 Linked to the Worst-Performing of the VanEck® Semiconductor ETF and the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1
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Aggregate Principal Amount:
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$ . We may increase the Aggregate Principal Amount prior to the Original Issue Date but are not required to do so.
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Issue Price:
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$1,000 per Note
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Stated Principal Amount
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$1,000 per Note
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Strike Date:
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November 15, 2024
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Pricing Date:
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November 18, 2024
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Original Issue Date:
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November 21, 2024 (3 Business Days after the Pricing Date)
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Valuation Date:
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November 16, 2029, subject to postponement as described in the accompanying product supplement. For purposes of the accompanying product supplement, the occurrence of a Market Disruption Event or non-Trading
Day as to any Underlying will not impact any other Underlying that is not so affected.
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Maturity Date:
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November 21, 2029, which may be postponed if the Valuation Date is postponed as described in the accompanying product supplement.
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Underlying:
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The worst-performing of the VanEck® Semiconductor ETF (the “SMH”) and the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 (the “QQQ”). Please see “The Underlyings” below.
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Worst-Performing Underlying:
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The Underlying with the lowest Underlying Return.
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Payment at Maturity:
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If the Final Value of the Worst-Performing Underlying is greater than its Initial Value, you will receive for each Note that you hold a Payment at
Maturity equal to: Stated Principal Amount × (1+ Participation Rate × Underlying Return of the Worst-Performing Underlying).
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If the Final Value of the Worst-Performing Underlying is less than or equal to its Initial Value but greater than or equal to its Buffer Value, you
will receive for each Note that you hold a Payment at Maturity that is equal to the Stated Principal Amount
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If the Final Value of the Worst-Performing Underlying is less than its Buffer Value, you will receive for each Note that you hold a Payment at
Maturity that is less than the Stated Principal Amount of each Note that will equal:
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Stated Principal Amount × (1+ (Underlying Return of the Worst-Performing Underlying + Buffer Amount)).
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In this scenario the Payment at Maturity will be less than the Stated Principal Amount you could lose a significant portion of your investment.
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Participation Rate:
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155.00%
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Underlying Return:
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With respect to each Underlying,  |
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Initial Value:
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With respect the SMH, $239.95; with respect to the QQQ, $496.57.
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Final Value:
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With respect to each Underlying, its ETF Closing Price times the Adjustment Factor on the Valuation Date.
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Buffer Value:
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With respect to the SMH, $191.96 (80% of its Initial Value); with respect to the QQQ, $397.26 (80% of its Initial Value, rounded to two decimal places).
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Buffer Amount:
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20%
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Redemption:
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Not applicable
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Adjustment Factor:
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Initially 1.0 with respect to each Underlying, subject to adjustment for certain events affecting such Underlying. See “—Antidilution Adjustments for Notes with an Underlying or Basket Component that is an
ETF” in the accompanying product supplement.
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Specified Currency:
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U.S. dollars
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CUSIP/ISIN:
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47233YCR4 / US47233YCR45
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Book-entry or Certificated Note:
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Book-entry
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Business Day
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New York
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Agent:
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Jefferies LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution.”
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Calculation Agent:
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Jefferies Financial Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
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Trustee:
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The Bank of New York Mellon
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Estimated value on the Pricing Date:
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Approximately $983.80 per Note, or within $30.00 of that estimate. Please see “The Notes” below.
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Use of Proceeds:
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General corporate purposes
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Listing:
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None
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Conflict of Interest:
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Jefferies LLC, the broker-dealer subsidiary of Jefferies Financial Group Inc., is a member of FINRA and will participate in the distribution of the notes being offered hereby. Accordingly, the offering is
subject to the provisions of FINRA Rule 5121 relating to conflicts of interest and will be conducted in accordance with the requirements of Rule 5121. See “Conflict of Interest.”
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The Notes will be our senior unsecured obligations and will rank equally with our other senior unsecured indebtedness.
Investing in the Notes involves risks that are described in the “
Risk Factors”
section beginning on page PS-4 of this pricing supplement.
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PER NOTE
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TOTAL
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Public Offering Price
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100.00%
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$
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Underwriting Discounts and Commissions
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%1
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$
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Proceeds to Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (Before Expenses)
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%
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$
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1 We or Jefferies LLC will pay various discounts and commissions to dealers of up to 0.60% per Note depending on market conditions. See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” on page PS-25 of this document.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this pricing supplement or the accompanying product
supplement, prospectus or prospectus supplement is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
As used in this pricing supplement, “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Jefferies Financial Group Inc., unless the context requires otherwise.
We will deliver the Notes in book-entry form only through The Depository Trust Company on or about November 21, 2024 against payment in immediately available funds.
Jefferies
Pricing supplement dated , 2024.
You should read this pricing supplement together with the related product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement, each of which can be accessed via the hyperlinks below,
before you decide to invest.
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PAGE |
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PRICING SUPPLEMENT
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PS-ii
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PS-1
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PS-3
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PS-4
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PS-10
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PS-20
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PS-21
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PS-25
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PS-28
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PS-29
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PS-30
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You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone
to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this pricing supplement or the accompanying product
supplement, prospectus or prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date later than the date on the front of this pricing supplement.
SPECIAL NOTE ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement contain or incorporate by reference “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and represent only our belief as of the date such statements are made.
There are a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control, which affect our operations, performance, business strategy and results and could cause actual reported results and performance to differ materially from the performance and
expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, financial market volatility, actions and initiatives by current and future competitors, general economic conditions, controls and procedures
relating to the close of the quarter, the effects of current, pending and future legislation or rulemaking by regulatory or self-regulatory bodies, regulatory actions, and the other risks and uncertainties that are outlined in our Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2023 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, on January 26, 2024 (the “Annual Report on Form 10-K”) and in our Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended February 29, 2024, May 31, 2024 and August 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on April 5, 2024, July 9, 2024 and October 9, 2024, respectively. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date of the forward-looking statements.
The Notes are senior unsecured obligations of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. The Aggregate Principal Amount of the Notes is $ . The Notes will mature on November 21, 2029. The Notes will pay no interest and
have the terms described in the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus, as supplemented or modified by this pricing supplement. At maturity, if the Worst-Performing Underlying has appreciated
in value, investors will receive the Stated Principal Amount of their investment plus 155.00% of the upside performance of the Worst-Performing Underlying. If the Worst-Performing Underlying has depreciated
in value, but the Worst-Performing Underlying has not declined below its Buffer Value, investors will receive the Stated Principal Amount. However, if the Worst-Performing Underlying has declined below its Buffer Value, investors will lose
1% of the Stated Principal Amount for every 1% decline (as compared to the Initial Value of the Worst-Performing Underlying) in the Final Value of the Worst-Performing Underlying below its Buffer Value. For more information on the Payment at
Maturity please see “Summary of Terms” on the cover page of this pricing supplement. Investors may lose up to 100% of the Stated Principal Amount of the Notes. All payments on the Notes are subject to our credit risk. The Notes are issued as
part of our Series A Global Medium-Term Notes program.
The Stated Principal Amount of each Note is $1,000. The Issue Price will equal 100% of the Stated Principal Amount per Note. This price includes costs associated with issuing, selling, structuring and hedging the
Notes, which are borne by you, and, consequently, the estimated value of the Notes on the Pricing Date will be less than the Issue Price. We estimate that the value of each Note on the Pricing Date will be approximately $983.80, or within $30.00
of that estimate. Our estimate of the value of the Notes as determined on the Pricing Date will be set forth in the final pricing supplement.
If the Maturity Date occurs on a day that is not a Business Day, then the payment owed on such date will be postponed until the next succeeding Business Day, and no interest will accrue as a result of such delay.
Capitalized terms used but not defined in this pricing supplement have the meanings set forth in the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement or prospectus, as applicable. If the terms described herein
are inconsistent with those described in the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement or prospectus, the terms described herein shall control.
Valuation of the Notes
Jefferies LLC calculated the estimated value of the Notes set forth on the cover page of this pricing supplement based on its proprietary pricing models at that time. Jefferies LLC’s proprietary pricing models
generated an estimated value for the Notes by estimating the value of a hypothetical package of financial instruments that would replicate the payout on the Notes, which consists of a fixed-income bond (the “bond component”) and one or more
derivative instruments underlying the economic terms of the Notes (the “derivative component”). In calculating the estimated value of the derivative component, Jefferies LLC estimated future cash flows based on a proprietary derivative-pricing
model that is in turn based on various inputs, including the factors described under “Risk Factors—The estimated value of the Notes was determined for us by our subsidiary using proprietary pricing models” below. These inputs may be
market-observable or may be based on assumptions made by Jefferies LLC in its discretionary judgment. Estimated cash flows on the bond and derivative components were discounted using a discount rate based on our internal funding rate.
The estimated value of the Notes is a function of the terms of the Notes and the inputs to Jefferies LLC’s proprietary pricing models. The range for the estimated value of the Notes set forth on the cover page of
this preliminary pricing supplement reflects uncertainty on the date of this preliminary pricing supplement about the inputs to Jefferies LLC’s proprietary pricing models on the Pricing Date.
Since the estimated value of the Notes is a function of the underlying assumptions and construction of Jefferies LLC’s proprietary derivative-pricing model, modification to this model will impact the estimated value
calculation. Jefferies LLC’s proprietary models are subject to ongoing review and modification, and Jefferies LLC may change them at any time and for a variety of reasons. In the event of a model change, prior descriptions of the model and
computations based on the older model will be superseded, and calculations of estimated value under the new model may differ significantly from those under the older model. Further, model changes may cause a larger impact on the estimated value of
a note with a particular return formula than on a similar note with a different return formula. For example, to the extent a return formula contains leverage, model changes may cause a larger impact on the estimated value of that note than on a
similar note without such leverage.
For an initial period following the issuance of the Notes (the “Temporary Adjustment Period”), the value that will be indicated for the Notes on any brokerage account statements prepared by Jefferies LLC or its affiliates (which value Jefferies
LLC may also publish through one or more financial information vendors) will reflect a temporary upward adjustment from the price or value that would otherwise be determined. This temporary upward adjustment
represents amounts which may include, but are not limited to, profits, fees, underwriting discounts and commissions and hedging and other costs expected to be paid or realized by Jefferies LLC or its affiliates, or
other unaffiliated brokers or dealers, over the term of the Notes. The amount of this temporary upward adjustment will decline to zero on a straight-line basis over the Temporary Adjustment Period.
The relationship between the estimated value on the Pricing Date and the secondary market price of the Notes
The price at which Jefferies LLC purchases the Notes in the secondary market, absent changes in market conditions, including those related to interest rates and the Underlyings, may vary from, and be lower than, the
estimated value on the Pricing Date, because the secondary market price takes into account our secondary market credit spread as well as the bid-offer spread that Jefferies LLC would charge in a secondary market transaction of this type, the costs
of unwinding the related hedging transactions and other factors.
Jefferies LLC may, but is not obligated to, make a market in the Notes and, if it once chooses to make a market, may cease doing so at any time.
The table below presents examples of hypothetical Payments at Maturity on the Notes over a range of hypothetical Underlying Returns of the Worst-Performing Underlying. The examples below are for purposes of
illustration only and do not take into account any tax consequences from investing in the Notes. The actual Payment at Maturity will depend on the actual Underlying Return of the Worst-Performing Underlying determined on the Valuation Date. For
recent historical performance of the Underlyings, please see “The Underlyings” section below. The Final Value of each Underlying will not include any income generated by dividends paid on the Underlying or the stocks included in such Underlying,
which you would otherwise be entitled to receive if you invested in those stocks directly. In addition, the Payment at Maturity is subject to our credit risk.
The table below is based on the following terms:
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Stated Principal Amount:
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$1,000 per Note.
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Upside Participation Rate:
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155.00%
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Buffer Value:
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With respect to each Underlying, 80% of its Initial Value
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Buffer Amount:
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20%
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Underlying Return of the Worst-
Performing Underlying
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Payment at
Maturity per
Note(1)
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Return on the Notes(2)
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-100.000%
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$200.00
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-80.000%
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-50.000%
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$700.00
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-30.000%
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-25.000%
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$950.00
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-5.000%
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-20.000%(3)
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$1,000.00
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0.000%
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-10.000%
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$1,000.00
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0.000%
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0.000%
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$1,000.00
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0.000%
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2.000%
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$1,031.00
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3.100%
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5.000%
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$1,077.50
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7.750%
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10.000%
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$1,155.00
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15.500%
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25.000%
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$1,387.50
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38.750%
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50.000%
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$1,775.00
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77.500%
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100.000%
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$2,550.00
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155.000%
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(1) The Payment at Maturity per Note shown in the table above is rounded to two decimal places for ease of display.
(2) The “Return on the Notes” shown in the table above is rounded to three decimal places for ease of display.
(3) This hypothetical Underlying Return of the Worst-Performing Underlying corresponds to its Buffer Value.
In addition to the other information contained and incorporated by reference in this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement,
including the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10‑K, you should consider carefully the following factors before deciding to purchase
the Notes.
Structure-related Risks
The Notes do not pay interest and provide for a minimum Payment at Maturity of only 20% of the Stated Principal Amount.
The terms of the Notes differ from those of ordinary debt securities in that the Notes do not pay interest and provide for a minimum Payment at Maturity of only 20% of the Stated Principal Amount. If the Final Value
of the Worst-Performing Underlying is less than its Buffer Value, you will receive for each Note that you hold a Payment at Maturity that is less than the Stated Principal Amount of each Note. In this case investors will lose 1% of the Stated
Principal Amount for every 1% decline (as compared to the Initial Value of the Worst-Performing Underlying) in the Final Value of the Worst-Performing Underlying below its Buffer Value, subject to the Minimum Payment at Maturity. Investors may lose up to 80% of the Stated Principal Amount of the Notes.
The Notes are subject to the risks of each Underlying, not a basket composed of the Underlyings, and will be negatively affected if the Final Value of any Underlying decreases
below its Buffer Value on the Valuation Date, even if Final Value of the Underlying does not.
The Notes are linked to the worst-performing of the Underlyings and you are subject to the risks associated with each Underlying. The Notes are not linked to a basket composed of the Underlyings, where the
depreciation in the value of one Underlying could be offset to some extent by the appreciation in the value of the other Underlying. The individual performance of each Underlying will not be combined, and the depreciation in the value of one
Underlying will not be offset by any appreciation in the value of the other Underlying. Even if the Final Value of an Underlying is at or above its Buffer Value, you will lose a portion of your principal if the Final Value of the Worst-Performing
Underlying is below its Buffer Value.
The amount payable on the Notes is not linked to the value of the Underlyings at any time other than the Valuation Date.
The Final Value of each Underlying will be based on its ETF Closing Price on the Valuation Date, subject to postponement for non-Trading Days and Certain Market Disruption Events as described in the accompanying
product supplement. Even if the value of the Worst-Performing Underlying appreciates prior to the Valuation Date but then drops by the Valuation Date by more than 20% of its Initial Value, the Payment at Maturity will be less, and may be
significantly less, than it would have been had the Payment at Maturity been linked to the value of the Worst-Performing Underlying prior to such drop. Although the actual value of an Underlying on the Maturity Date or at other times during the
term of the Notes may be higher than its ETF Closing Price on the Valuation Date, the Payment at Maturity will be based solely on the ETF Closing Price of the Worst-Performing Underlying on the Valuation Date.
You will not benefit in any way from the performance of the better performing Underlying.
The return on the Notes will depend solely on the performance of the Worst-Performing Underlying, and you will not benefit in any way from the performance of the better performing Underlying. The Notes may
underperform a similar investment in each of the Underlyings or a similar alternative investment linked to a basket composed of the Underlyings. In either such case, the performance of the better performing Underlying would be blended with the
performance of the Worst-Performing Underlying, resulting in a potentially better return than what you would receive on the Notes.
The Notes are subject to our credit risk, and any actual or anticipated changes to our credit ratings or credit spreads may adversely affect the market value of the Notes.
You are dependent on our ability to pay all amounts due on the Notes at maturity and therefore you are subject to our credit risk. If we default on our obligations under the Notes, your investment would be at risk and you could lose some or all
of your investment. As a result, the market value of the Notes prior to maturity will be affected by changes in the market’s view of our creditworthiness. Any actual or anticipated decline in our credit ratings or increase in the credit spreads
charged by the market for taking our credit risk is likely to adversely affect the market value of the Notes.
Valuation- and Market-related Risks
The market price of the Notes will be influenced by many unpredictable factors.
Several factors, many of which are beyond our control, will influence the value of the Notes in the secondary market and the price at which Jefferies LLC may be willing to purchase or sell the Notes in the secondary
market, including the value, volatility (frequency and magnitude of changes in value) and dividend yield of the Underlyings, interest and yield rates in the market, time remaining until the Notes mature, geopolitical conditions and economic,
financial, political, regulatory or judicial events that affect the Underlyings or equities markets generally and which may affect the Final Value of the Underlyings and any actual or anticipated changes in our credit ratings or credit spreads.
The value of the Underlyings may be, and has recently been, volatile, and we can give you no assurance that the volatility will lessen. See “The Underlyings” below. You may receive less, and possibly significantly less, than the Stated Principal
Amount per Note if you try to sell your Notes prior to maturity.
The estimated value of the Notes on the Pricing Date, based on Jefferies LLC proprietary pricing models at that time and our internal funding rate, will be less than the Issue
Price.
The difference is attributable to certain costs associated with selling, structuring and hedging the Notes that are included in the Issue Price. These costs include (i) the selling concessions paid in connection
with the offering of the Notes, (ii) hedging and other costs incurred by us and our affiliates in connection with the offering of the Notes and (iii) the expected profit (which may be more or less than actual profit) to Jefferies LLC or other of
our affiliates in connection with hedging our obligations under the Notes. These costs adversely affect the economic terms of the Notes because, if they were lower, the economic terms of the Notes would be more favorable to you. The economic
terms of the Notes are also likely to be adversely affected by the use of our internal funding rate, rather than our secondary market rate, to price the Notes. See “The estimated value of the Notes would be lower if it were calculated based on our
secondary market rate” below.
The estimated value of the Notes was determined for us by our subsidiary using proprietary pricing models.
Jefferies LLC derived the estimated value disclosed on the cover page of this pricing supplement from its proprietary pricing models at that time. In doing so, it may have made discretionary judgments about the
inputs to its models, such as the volatility of the Underlyings. Jefferies LLC’s views on these inputs and assumptions may differ from your or others’ views, and as an agent in this offering, Jefferies LLC’s interests may conflict with yours.
Both the models and the inputs to the models may prove to be wrong and therefore not an accurate reflection of the value of the Notes. Moreover, the estimated value of the Notes set forth on the cover page of this pricing supplement may differ
from the value that we or our affiliates may determine for the Notes for other purposes, including for accounting purposes. You should not invest in the Notes because of the estimated value of the Notes. Instead, you should be willing to hold the
Notes to maturity irrespective of the initial estimated value.
Since the estimated value of the Notes is a function of the underlying assumptions and construction of Jefferies LLC’s proprietary derivative-pricing model, modifications to this model will impact the estimated value
calculation. Jefferies LLC’s proprietary models are subject to ongoing review and modification, and Jefferies LLC may change them at any time and for a variety of reasons. In the event of a model change, prior descriptions of the model and
computations based on the older model will be superseded, and calculations of estimated value under the new model may differ significantly from those under the older model. Further, model changes may cause a larger impact on the estimated value of
a note with a particular return formula than on a similar note with a different return formula. For example, to the extent a return formula contains a Participation Rate of greater than 100%, model changes may cause a larger impact on the
estimated value of that note than on a similar note without such Participation Rate.
The estimated value of the Notes would be lower if it were calculated based on our secondary market rate.
The estimated value of the Notes included in this pricing supplement is calculated based on our internal funding rate, which is the rate at which we are willing to borrow funds through the issuance of the Notes. Our internal funding rate is
generally lower than our secondary market rate, which is the rate that Jefferies LLC will use in determining the value of the Notes for purposes of any purchases of the Notes from you in the secondary market. If the estimated value included in
this pricing supplement were based on our secondary market rate, rather than our internal funding rate, it would likely be lower. We determine our internal funding rate based on factors such as the costs associated with the Notes, which are
generally higher than the costs associated with conventional debt securities, and our liquidity needs and preferences. Our internal funding rate is not the same as the interest that is payable on the Notes.
Because there is not an active market for traded instruments referencing our outstanding debt obligations, Jefferies LLC determines our secondary market rate based on the market price of traded instruments
referencing our debt obligations, but subject to adjustments that Jefferies LLC makes in its sole discretion. As a result, our secondary market rate is not a market-determined measure of our creditworthiness, but rather reflects the market’s
perception of our creditworthiness as adjusted for discretionary factors such as Jefferies LLC’s preferences with respect to purchasing the Notes prior to maturity.
The estimated value of the Notes is not an indication of the price, if any, at which Jefferies LLC or any other person may be willing to buy the Notes from you in the secondary
market.
Any such secondary market price will fluctuate over the term of the Notes based on the market and other factors described in the next risk factor. Moreover, unlike the estimated value included in this pricing
supplement, any value of the Notes determined for purposes of a secondary market transaction will be based on our secondary market rate, which will likely result in a lower value for the Notes than if our internal funding rate were used. In
addition, any secondary market price for the Notes will be reduced by a bid-ask spread, which may vary depending on the aggregate stated principal amount of the Notes to be purchased in the secondary market transaction, and the expected cost of
unwinding related hedging transactions. As a result, it is likely that any secondary market price for the Notes will be less than the Issue Price.
The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange and secondary trading may be limited.
The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. Therefore, there may be little or no secondary market for the Notes. Jefferies LLC may, but is not obligated to, make a market in the Notes and, if it once
chooses to make a market, may cease doing so at any time. When it does make a market, it will generally do so for transactions of routine secondary market size at prices based on its estimate of the current value of the Notes, taking into account
its bid/offer spread, our credit spreads, market volatility, the notional size of the proposed sale, the cost of unwinding any related hedging positions, the time remaining to maturity and the likelihood that it will be able to resell the Notes.
Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to trade or sell the Notes easily. Since other broker-dealers may not participate significantly in the secondary market for the Notes, the price at which you may
be able to trade your Notes is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which Jefferies LLC is willing to transact. If, at any time, Jefferies LLC were to cease making a market in the Notes, it is likely that there would be no secondary market
for the Notes. Accordingly, you should be willing to hold your Notes to maturity.
Conflict-related Risks
The Calculation Agent, which is a subsidiary of ours, will make determinations with respect to the Notes.
As Calculation Agent, Jefferies Financial Services, Inc. will determine the Initial Value of each Underlying, will determine the Final Value of each Underlying and will calculate the amount of cash you receive at
maturity. Moreover, certain determinations made by Jefferies Financial Services, Inc., in its capacity as Calculation Agent, may require it to exercise discretion and make subjective judgments, such as with respect to the occurrence or
non-occurrence of Market Disruption Events, changes to the adjustment factor and the selection of a successor underlying or calculation of the Final Value in the event of a Market Disruption Event or discontinuance of an Underlying. These
potentially subjective determinations may adversely affect the payout to you at maturity. For further information regarding these types of determinations, see “Description of Notes—Postponement of a Valuation Date” and “—Calculation Agent” and
related definitions in the accompanying product supplement.
Our trading and hedging activities may create conflicts of interest with you.
We or one or more of our subsidiaries, including Jefferies LLC, may engage in trading activities related to the Notes that are not for your account or on your behalf. We expect to enter into arrangements to hedge the market risks associated
with our obligation to pay the amounts due under the Notes. We may seek competitive terms in entering into the hedging arrangements for the Notes, but are not required to do so, and we may enter into such hedging arrangements with one of our
subsidiaries or affiliates. This hedging activity is expected to result in a profit to those engaging in the hedging activity, which could be more or less than initially expected, but which could also result in a loss for the hedging
counterparty. These trading and hedging activities may present a conflict of interest between your interest as a holder of the Notes and the interests we and our subsidiaries may have in our proprietary accounts, in facilitating transactions for
our customers, and in accounts under our management.
Underlying-related Risks
Investing in the Notes is not equivalent to investing in any Underlying.
Investing in the Notes is not equivalent to investing in any Underlying or the securities represented by or included in any Underlying. As an investor in the Notes, you will not have voting rights or rights to
receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights with respect to the Underlyings or the securities represented by or included in any Underlying.
Historical performance of the Underlyings should not be taken as an indication of the future performance of the Underlyings during the term of the Notes.
The actual performance over the term of the Notes of the Underlyings as well as any payment on the Notes may bear little relation to the historical performance of the Underlyings. The future performance of the
Underlyings may differ significantly from their historical performance, and no assurance can be given as to the value of the Underlyings during the term of the Notes. It is impossible to predict whether the value of the Underlyings will rise or
fall. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the Underlyings will not adversely affect any payment on the Notes.
You must rely on your own evaluation of the merits of an investment linked to the Underlyings.
In the ordinary course of their businesses, we or our subsidiaries may have expressed views on expected movements in the Underlyings or the securities represented by or included in the Underlyings, and may do so in
the future. These views or reports may be communicated to our clients and clients of our subsidiaries. However, these views are subject to change from time to time. Moreover, other professionals who deal in markets relating to the Underlyings
may at any time have views that are significantly different from ours or those of our subsidiaries. For these reasons, you should consult information about the Underlyings or the securities represented by or included in the Underlyings from
multiple sources, and you should not rely on the views expressed by us or our subsidiaries.
Neither the offering of the Notes nor any views which we or our subsidiaries from time to time may express in the ordinary course of their businesses constitutes a recommendation as to the merits of an investment in
the Notes.
Adjustments to an Underlying or its Underlying Index could adversely affect the value of the Notes.
The investment advisor or index publisher of an Underlying or its Underlying Index may add, delete or substitute the securities included in that Underlying or Underlying Index or make other methodological changes that could change the value of
that Underlying or Underlying Index. An investment advisor or index publisher may discontinue or suspend calculation or publication of the applicable Underlying or Underlying Index at any time. In these circumstances, the Calculation Agent will
have the sole discretion to calculate the value of an Underlying by reference to its Underlying Index or substitute a successor index that is comparable to the discontinued Underlying or Underlying Index and is not precluded from considering
indices that are calculated and published by the Calculation Agent or any of its affiliates. If the Calculation Agent determines that there is no appropriate successor index, the Payment at Maturity will be an amount based on the closing prices at
maturity of the securities included in the Underlying at the time of such discontinuance, without rebalancing or substitution, computed by the Calculation Agent in accordance with the formula for calculating the Underlying last in effect prior to
discontinuance of the Underlying.
The performance and market price of the Underlyings, particularly during periods of market volatility, may not correlate with the performance of its Underlying Index, the
performance of the component securities of its Underlying Index or the net asset value per share of the Underlying.
ETFs generally do not fully replicate their applicable Underlying Index and may hold securities that are different than those included in their applicable Underlying Index. In addition, the performance of an ETF will reflect additional
transaction costs and fees that are not included in the calculation of its Underlying Index. All of these factors may lead to a lack of correlation between the performance of an ETF and its Underlying Index. In addition, corporate actions (such as
mergers and spin-offs) with respect to the equity securities underlying an ETF may impact the variance between the performance of such ETF and its Underlying Index. Finally, because the shares of an ETF are traded on an exchange and are subject to
market supply and investor demand, the market price of one share of an ETF may differ from the net asset value per share of such ETF.
In particular, during periods of market volatility, or unusual trading activity, trading in the securities underlying an ETF may be disrupted or limited, or such securities may be unavailable in the secondary market. Under these circumstances,
the liquidity of an ETF may be adversely affected, market participants may be unable to calculate accurately the net asset value per share of such ETF, and their ability to create and redeem shares of such ETF may
be disrupted. Under these circumstances, the market price of an ETF may vary substantially from the net asset value per share of such ETF or the level of its Underlying Index.
For all of the foregoing reasons, the performance of the Underlyings may not correlate with the performance of its Underlying Index, the performance of the component securities of its Underlying Index or the net asset value per share of the
Underlying. Any of these events could materially and adversely affect the price of the Underlyings and, by extension, adversely affect the value of the Notes. Additionally, if market volatility or these events were to occur on the Valuation Date
with respect to an Underlying, the Calculation Agent would maintain discretion to determine whether such market volatility or events have caused a Market Disruption Event to occur, and such determination would affect payments on the Notes. If the
Calculation Agent determines that no Market Disruption Event has taken place, payments on the Notes would be based solely on the ETF Closing Price per share of the Underlying on the Valuation Date, even if the Underlying is underperforming its
Underlying Index or the component securities of its Underlying Index and/or trading below the net asset value per share of the Underlying.
The antidilution adjustments the Calculation Agent is required to make do not cover every event that could affect the Underlyings.
The Calculation Agent will adjust the amount payable on the Notes for certain events affecting the Underlyings. However, the Calculation Agent will not make an adjustment for every event that could affect the Underlyings. If an event occurs that
does not require the Calculation Agent to adjust the amount payable on the Notes, the market price of the Notes may be materially and adversely affected.
Adverse conditions in the semiconductor production and equipment sector may reduce your return on the Notes.
All or substantially all of the stocks held by the SMH are issued by companies whose primary line of business is directly associated with the semiconductor production and equipment sector. The SMH is subject to the
risk that companies that are in the semiconductor production and equipment sector may be similarly affected by particular economic or market events. As product cycles shorten and manufacturing capacity increases, these companies may become
increasingly subject to aggressive pricing, which hampers profitability. Semiconductor companies are vulnerable to wide fluctuations in securities prices due to rapid product obsolescence. Many semiconductor companies may not successfully introduce
new products, develop and maintain a loyal customer base or achieve general market acceptance for their products, and failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on their business, results of operations and financial condition. Reduced
demand for end-user products, underutilization of manufacturing capacity, and other factors could adversely impact the operating results of companies in the semiconductor production and equipment sector. Semiconductor companies typically face high
capital costs and such companies may need additional financing, which may be difficult to obtain. They also may be subject to risks relating to research and development costs and the availability and price of components. Moreover, they may be
heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. Some of the companies involved in the semiconductor production and equipment sector are also engaged in other lines of business
unrelated to the semiconductor business, and they may experience problems with these lines of business, which could adversely affect their operating results. The international operations of many semiconductor companies expose them to risks
associated with instability and changes in economic and political conditions, foreign currency fluctuations, changes in foreign regulations, tariffs and trade disputes, competition from subsidized foreign competitors with lower production costs and
other risks inherent to international business. The semiconductor production and equipment sector is highly cyclical, which may cause the operating results of many semiconductor companies to vary significantly. Companies in the semiconductor
production and equipment sector also may be subject to competition from new market entrants. The stock prices of companies in the semiconductor production and equipment sector have been and will likely continue to be extremely volatile compared to
the overall market. These factors could affect the semiconductor production and equipment sector and could affect the value of the equity securities held by the SMH and the price of the SMH during the term of the Notes, which may adversely affect
the value of your Notes.
The stocks held by or included in the SMH are concentrated in one sectors.
The SMH holds securities issued by companies in the semiconductor production and equipment sector. As a result, some of the stocks that will determine the performance of the Notes are concentrated in one sector. Although an investment in the
Notes will not give holders any ownership or other direct interests in the securities held by or included in the SMH, the return on the investment in the Notes will be subject to certain risks associated with a direct equity investment in companies
in this sector. Accordingly, by investing in the Notes, you will not benefit from the diversification which could result from an investment linked to companies that operate in multiple sectors.
The Notes are subject to risks associated with foreign securities markets.
The QQQ includes certain foreign equity securities. You should be aware that investments in securities linked to the value of foreign equity securities involve particular risks. The foreign securities markets comprising the QQQ may have less
liquidity and may be more volatile than U.S. or other securities markets and market developments may affect foreign markets differently from U.S. or other securities markets. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize these foreign
securities markets, as well as cross-shareholdings in foreign companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in these markets. Also, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than about those U.S. companies
that are subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC, and foreign companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies. Prices of
securities in foreign countries are subject to political, economic, financial and social factors that apply in those geographical regions. These factors, which could negatively affect those securities markets, include the possibility of recent or
future changes in a foreign government’s economic and fiscal policies, the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other laws or restrictions applicable to foreign companies or investments in foreign equity securities and
the possibility of fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies, the possibility of outbreaks of hostility and political instability and the possibility of natural disaster or adverse public health developments in the region. Moreover,
foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in important respects such as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency.
Tax-related Risks
The tax consequences of an investment in your Notes are uncertain
The tax consequences of an investment in your Notes are uncertain, both as to the timing and character of any inclusion in income in respect of your Notes.
The Internal Revenue Service announced on December 7, 2007 that it is considering issuing guidance regarding the tax treatment of an instrument such as your Notes, and any such guidance could adversely affect the value and the tax treatment of
your Notes. Among other things, the Internal Revenue Service may decide to require the holders to accrue ordinary income on a current basis and recognize ordinary income on payment at maturity, and could subject non-U.S. investors to withholding
tax. Furthermore, in 2007, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if enacted, would have required holders that acquired instruments such as your Notes after the bill was enacted to accrue interest income over the term of such instruments even
though there will be no interest payments over the term of such instruments. It is not possible to predict whether a similar or identical bill will be enacted in the future, or whether any such bill would affect the tax treatment of your Notes. We
describe these developments in more detail under “Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences – U.S. Holders – Possible Change in Law” below. You should consult your tax advisor about this matter. Except to the extent otherwise
provided by law, we intend to continue treating the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described under “Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” below unless and until such time as
Congress, the Treasury Department or the Internal Revenue Service determine that some other treatment is more appropriate. Please also consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax and any other applicable tax consequences to you
of owning your Notes in your particular circumstances.
Your Notes may be subject to the constructive ownership rules
There exists a risk that the constructive ownership rules of Section 1260 of the Internal Revenue Code could apply to your Notes. If your Notes were subject to the constructive ownership rules, then any long-term capital gain that you realize
upon the sale, exchange, or maturity of your Notes would be re-characterized as ordinary income (and you would be subject to an interest charge on deferred tax liability with respect to such re-characterized capital gain) to the extent that such
capital gain exceeds the amount of “net underlying long-term capital gain” (as defined in Section 1260 of the Internal Revenue Code). Because the application of the constructive ownership rules is unclear you are strongly urged to consult your tax
advisor with respect to the possible application of the constructive ownership rules to your investment in the Notes.
All disclosures contained in this pricing supplement regarding the Underlyings, including, without limitation, their make-up, method of calculation, and changes in their components, have been derived from publicly
available sources. The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, Van Eck Associates Corporation, the Investment Advisor of the VanEck® Semiconductor ETF, and the Bank of New York Mellon, the Investment Advisor of the
Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1. The Investment Advisors, which license the copyright and all other rights to the Underlyings, have no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication of, the Underlyings. The consequences of the
Investment Advisors discontinuing publication of the Underlyings are discussed in “Description of the Notes—Discontinuance of any Underlying or Basket Component; Alteration of Method of Calculation” in the accompanying product supplement. None of
us, the Calculation Agent, or Jefferies LLC accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of the Underlyings or any successor underlying. None of us, the Calculation Agent, Jefferies LLC or any of our other affiliates
makes any representation to you as to the future performance of the Underlyings. You should make your own investigation into the Underlyings.
The VanEck® Semiconductor ETF
The SMH is an exchange-traded fund that trades on the NYSE Arca, Inc. under the ticker symbol “SMH.” The SMH seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield
performance of the MVIS® US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index (“MVSMH”). For more information about the MVSMH, please see “The MVIS® US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index” below.
The SMH, using a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of the MVSMH by investing in a portfolio of securities that generally replicates the
MVSMH.
The SMH’s return may not match the return of the MVSMH for a number of reasons. For example, the SMH incurs a number of operating expenses not applicable to the MVSMH and incurs costs associated with
buying and selling securities, especially when rebalancing the SMH’s securities holdings to reflect changes in the composition of the MVSMH, which are not factored into the return of the MVSMH. Transaction costs, including brokerage costs, will
decrease the SMH’s net asset value to the extent not offset by the transaction fee payable by an authorized participant. Market disruptions and regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on the SMH’s ability to adjust its exposure to the
required levels in order to track the MVSMH. Errors in the MVSMH data, the MVSMH computations and/or the construction of the MVSMH in accordance with its methodology may occur from time to time and may not be identified and corrected by the MVSMH
provider for a period of time or at all, which may have an adverse impact on the SMH and its shareholders. In addition, the SMH may not invest in certain securities included in the MVSMH, or invest in them in the exact proportions in which they are
represented in the MVSMH. The SMH’s performance may also deviate from the return of the MVSMH due to legal restrictions or limitations imposed by the governments of certain countries, certain listing standards of the SMH’s listing exchange, a lack
of liquidity on stock exchanges in which the securities trade, potential adverse tax consequences or other regulatory reasons (such as diversification requirements). The SMH may value certain of its investments and/or other assets based on fair
value prices. To the extent the SMH calculates its net asset value based on fair value prices and the value of the MVSMH is based on securities’ closing prices (i.e., the value of the MVSMH is not based on fair value prices), the SMH’s ability to
track the MVSMH may be adversely affected. In addition, any issues the SMH encounters with regard to currency convertibility (including the cost of borrowing funds, if any) and repatriation may also increase tracking risk. In light of the factors
discussed above, the SMH’s return may deviate significantly from the return of the MVSMH. Changes to the composition of the MVSMH in connection with a rebalancing or reconstitution of the MVSMH may cause the SMH to experience increased volatility,
during which time the SMH’s index tracking risk may be heightened.
The MVIS® US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index
All information contained in this pricing supplement regarding the MVSMH, including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation and changes in its components, from publicly available
information, without independent verification. This information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, MV Index Solutions GmbH (“MVIS”). The MVSMH was developed by MVIS and is maintained and published by MVIS. The MVSMH is
calculated by Solactive AG. MVIS has no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue the publication of, the MVSMH.
The MVSMH is reported by Bloomberg L.P. under the ticker symbol “MVSMH.”
The MVSMH is designed to track the performance of the largest and most liquid U.S.-listed companies that derive at least 50% (25% for current components) of their revenues from semiconductors. This includes companies
engaged primarily in the production of semiconductors and semiconductor equipment. The MVSMH was launched on August 12, 2011 with a base index value of 1,000 as of September 29, 2000.
Index Composition and Maintenance
The Index Universe
The index universe includes only common stocks and stocks with similar characteristics from financial markets that are freely investable for foreign investors and that provide real-time and historical
component and currency pricing. Limited partnerships are excluded. Companies from financial markets that are not freely investable for foreign investors or that do not provide real-time and historical component and currency pricing may still be
eligible if they have a listing on an eligible exchange and if they meet all the size and liquidity requirements on that exchange.
Only stocks that have a full market capitalization exceeding US$50 million are eligible for the index universe.
Investable Index Universe
Companies with a free-float (or shares available to foreign investors) of less than 5% for existing index components or less than 10% for new components are ineligible for inclusion.
In addition to the above, stocks that are currently not in the MVSMH must meet the following size and liquidity requirements:
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a full market capitalization exceeding US$150 million;
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a three-month average-daily-trading volume of at least US$1 million at the current review and also at the previous two reviews; and
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at least 250,000 shares traded per month over the last six months at the current review and also at the previous two reviews.
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For stocks already in the MVSMH the following applies:
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a full market capitalization exceeding US$75 million; and
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a three-month average-daily-trading volume of at least US$0.2 million in at least two of the latest three quarters (current review and also at previous two reviews)
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In addition, a three-month average-daily-trading volume of at least US$0.6 million at current review or at one of the previous two reviews; or
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at least 200,000 shares traded per month over the last six months at the current review or at one of the previous two reviews.
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In case the number of investable stocks drops below the minimum component number for the respective index, current components remain investable.
Only one share line of each company is eligible. In case more than one share line fulfills the above size and liquidity rules, only the largest share line by free-float market capitalization is
eligible. MVIS can, in exceptional cases (e.g., significantly higher liquidity), decide for a different share line.
In case the free-float market capitalization of a non-component share line:
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exceeds the free-float market capitalization of a share line of the same company which is an index component by at least 25%; and
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fulfills all size and liquidity eligibility criteria for non-components,
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the current component share line will be replaced by the larger one. MVIS can, in exceptional cases (e.g., significantly higher liquidity), decide to keep the current share line instead.
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Index Constituent Selection
The MVSMH is reviewed on a semi-annual basis in March and September.
The target coverage of the MVSMH is 25 companies from the investable universe. MVSMH constituents are selected using the following procedure:
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The largest 50 stocks (by full market capitalization) from the investable universe qualify.
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The 50 stocks are ranked in two different ways — by free-float market capitalization in descending order (the largest company receives rank “1”) and then by three-month average-daily-trading volume in descending order (the most liquid
company receives rank “1”). These two ranks are added up.
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The 50 stocks are then ranked by the sum of their two ranks in Step 2 in ascending order. If two companies have the same sum of ranks, the larger company is placed on top.
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Initially, the highest ranked 25 companies made up the MVSMH.
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On-going, a 10-40 buffer is applied: the highest ranked 10 companies qualify. The remaining 15 companies are selected from the highest ranked remaining current MVSMH components ranked between 11 and 40. If the number of selected
companies is still below 25, then the highest ranked remaining stocks are selected until 25 companies have been selected.
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Review Schedule
The reviews for the MVSMH are based on the closing data on the last business day in February and August. If a company does not trade on the last business day in February or August, the last available
price for this company will be used.
The underlying index data (e.g., new number of shares, new free-float factors and new weighting cap factors) is announced on the second Friday in March or September. The weighting cap factors are
based on closing data of the Wednesday prior to the second Friday in March or September. Changes to the MVSMH are implemented and based on the closing prices of the third Friday in March or September. If the third Friday is not a business day, then
the review will take place on the last business day before the third Friday. If a constituent of the MVSMH does not trade on the third Friday in March or September, then the last available price for that index constituent will be used. Changes
become effective on the next business day. The component changes to the MVSMH are announced on the second Friday in March or September.
Ongoing Maintenance
In addition to the periodic reviews, the MVSMH is continually reviewed for corporate events (e.g., mergers, takeovers, spin-offs, delistings and bankruptcies) that affect the MVSMH components.
Deletions. For all corporate events that result in a stock deletion from the MVSMH, the deleted stock will be replaced with the highest ranked non-component on
the most recent selection list immediately only if the number of components in the MVSMH would drop below 20. The replacement stock will be added at the same weight as the deleted stock. Only in case the number of components drop below its minimum
due to a merger of two or more index components, the replacement stock will be added with its free-float market capitalization, weighted with the capping factor of the uncapped components in the small-weight group of the weighting scheme. In all
other cases (i.e., there is not replacement), the additional weight resulting from the deletion will be redistributed proportionally across all other components of the MVSMH.
Changes to Free-Float Factor and Number of Shares. Changes to the number of shares or the free-float factors due to corporate actions like stock dividends,
splits, rights issues, etc. are implemented immediately and will be effective the next trading day (i.e., the ex-date). Simple share/float changes are implemented after a 3-day notice period.
Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and Spin-Offs. An IPO stock is eligible for fast-track addition to the index universe for the MVSMH once; either at the next
semi-annual review if it has been trading since at least the last trading day of the month prior to the review snapshot dates (i.e., the last trading day in February or August) or else at the then-following semi-annual review. In order to be added
to the MVSMH the IPO stock has to meet the size and liquidity requirements:
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the IPO must have a full market capitalization exceeding US$150 million;
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the IPO must have a free-float factor of at least 10%;
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the IPO must have an average-daily-trading volume of at least US$1 million; and
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the IPO must have traded at least 250,000 shares per month (or per 22 days).
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This rule is applicable for newly spun-off companies as well.
Changes due to Mergers & Takeovers. A merger or takeover is deemed successful if it has been declared wholly unconditional and has received approval of all
regulatory agencies with jurisdiction over the transaction. The result of a merger or takeover is typically one surviving stock and one or more non-surviving stocks that may not necessarily be de-listed from the respective trading system(s).
If a MVSMH component merges with or takes over another MVSMH component: The surviving stock remains in the MVSMH and the other stock is deleted immediately from the MVSMH. Its shares and float are
adjusted according to the terms of the merger/takeover. The index market capitalization of the merged company corresponds to the market capitalization of the two separate companies.
If a MVSMH component merges with or takes over a non-MVSMH component: If the surviving stock meets the
MVSMH requirements, then it remains in the MVSMH and its shares (if the share change is greater than 10%) and float are adjusted according to the terms of the merger/takeover. If the surviving stock
does not meet the MVSMH requirements, then it is deleted immediately from the MVSMH.
If a non-MVSMH component merges with or takes over a MVSMH component: If the surviving stock meets the MVSMH requirements, then it will be added to the MVSMH (shares (if the share change is greater
than 10%) and float adjusted according to the terms of the merger/takeover) and will replace the current MVSMH component. If the surviving stock does not meet the MVSMH requirements, then it will not be added to the MVSMH and the current MVSMH
component is deleted immediately from the MVSMH.
Changes due to Spin-Offs. Each spin-off stock is immediately added to the MVSMH for at least two trading days. If a spin-off company does not qualify for the
MVSMH, it will be deleted based on its closing price. Shares and floats of the surviving companies are adjusted according to the terms of the spin-off. In case the number of MVSMH components drops below the minimum component number and no
non-component stock is eligible as a replacement, the determination of the addition is subject to MVIS’s decision.
Index Calculation
The value of the MVSMH is calculated using the Laspeyres’ formula, rounded to two decimal places, with stock prices converted to U.S. dollars:
where (for all stocks (i) in the MVSMH):
• pi = stock price (rounded to four decimal places);
• qi = number of shares;
• ffi = free-float factor (rounded to two decimal places);
• fxi = exchange rate (local currency to U.S. Dollar) (rounded to 12 decimal places);
• cfi = sector-weighting cap factor (if applicable, otherwise set to 1) (rounded to 16 decimal places);
• M = free-float market capitalization of the MVSMH; and
• D = divisor (rounded to six decimal places).
Free-Float
The MVSMH is free-float adjusted — that is, the number of shares outstanding is reduced to exclude closely held shares (amount larger than 5% of the company’s full market capitalization) from the
index calculation. At times, other adjustments are made to the share count to reflect foreign ownership limits. These are combined with the block-ownership adjustments into a single factor. To avoid unwanted double counting, either the
block-ownership adjustment or the restricted stocks adjustment is applied, whichever produces the higher result. Free-float factors are reviewed quarterly.
Company-Weighting Cap Factors
Companies in the MVSMH are weighted according to their free-float market capitalization, as modified by the company-weighting cap factors. The MVSMH used the company-weighting cap factors to ensure
diversification to avoid overweighting. The company-weighting cap factors are reviewed quarterly and applied, if necessary. The following weighting scheme applies to the MVSMH:
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All MVSMH components are weighted by their free-float market capitalization.
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All companies exceeding 4.5% but at least the largest five and at the maximum the largest 10 companies are grouped together (so called “Large-Weights”). All other companies are grouped together as well (so called “Small-Weights“).
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The aggregated weighting of the Large-Weights is capped at 50%:
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Large-Weights: If the aggregated weighting of all companies in Large-Weight exceeds 50%, then a capping factor is calculated to bring the weighting down to 50%; at the same time, a second capping factor for the Small-Weights is
calculated to increase the aggregated weight to 50%. These two factors are then applied to all companies in the Large-Weights or the Small-Weights respectively.
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Large-Weights: The maximum weight for any single stock is 20% and the minimum weighting is 5%. If a stock is above the maximum or below the minimum weight, then the weight will be reduced to the maximum weight or increased to the minimum
weight and the excess weight will be re-distributed proportionally across all other remaining MVSMH constituents in the Large-Weights.
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Small-Weights: The maximum weight for any single stock is 4.5%. If a stock is above the maximum
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weight, then the weight will be reduced to the maximum weight and the excess weight will be re-distributed proportionally across all other remaining MVSMH constituents in the Small-Weights.
Divisor Adjustments
Index maintenance (reflecting changes in, e.g., shares outstanding, capital actions, addition or deletion of stocks to the MVSMH) should not change the level of the MVSMH. This is accomplished with an
adjustment to the divisor. Any change to the stocks in the MVSMH that alters the total market value of the MVSMH while holding stock prices constant will require a divisor adjustment.
where ∆MC is the difference between closing market capitalization and adjusted closing market capitalization of the MVSMH.
Data Correction
Incorrect or missing input data will be corrected immediately.
Corporate Action Related Adjustments
Corporate actions range widely from routine share issuances or buy backs to unusual events like spin-offs or mergers. These are listed on the table below with notes about the necessary changes and
whether the divisor will be adjusted. Implementation takes place on the ex-date.
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Special cash dividend
pi, adjusted = pi – (Dividend x (1 – Withholding Tax))
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Divisor change: Yes
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Split
Shareholders receive “B” new shares for every “A” share held.
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Divisor change: No
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Rights offering
Shareholders receive “B” new shares for every “A” share held.
If the subscription-price is either not available or not smaller than the closing price, then no adjustment will be done.
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Divisor change: No
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Stock dividend
Shareholders receive “B” new shares for every “A” share held.
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Divisor change: No
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Stock dividend from treasury
Stock dividends from treasury are adjusted as ordinary cash dividends. Shareholders receive ‘B’ new shares for every ‘A’ share held.
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Divisor change: Yes
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Stock dividend of a different company security
Shareholders receive “B” shares of a different company for every “A” share held.
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Divisor change: Yes
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Spin-offs
Shareholders receive “B” shares of a different company for every “A” share held.
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Divisor change: Yes
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Addition/deletion of a company
Net change in market value determines the divisor adjustment.
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Divisor change: Yes
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Changes in shares outstanding/free-float
Any secondary issuance, share repurchase, buy back, tender offer, Dutch auction, exchange offer, bought deal equity offering or prospectus offering will be updated at the semi-annual
review if the change is smaller than 10%. Changes larger than 10% will be pre-announced (3 trading days’ notice) and implemented on a best efforts basis. If necessary and information is available, resulting float changes are taken into
consideration. Share changes will not be implemented in the week between review announcement and implementation.
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Divisor change: Yes
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Changes due to a merger/takeover/spin-off
Net change in free-float market value determines the divisor adjustment. In case of no change, the divisor change is 0.
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Divisor change: Yes
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With corporate actions where cash dividends or other corporate assets are distributed to shareholders, the price of the stock will drop on the ex-dividend day (the first day when a new shareholder is
eligible to receive the distribution). The effect of the divisor adjustment is to prevent this price drop from causing a corresponding drop in the MVSMH.
Corporate actions are announced at least four days prior to implementation.
Historical Performance of the VanEck® Semiconductor ETF
The following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of the VanEck® Semiconductor ETF in the period from January 1, 2017 through the Strike Date. We obtained this historical data from Bloomberg L.P. We
have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg L.P.
This historical data on the Underlying is not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the Underlying or what the value of the Notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the price of the
Underlying during any period set forth above is not an indication that the price of the Underlying is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time over the term of the Notes.
Before investing in the Notes, you should consult publicly available sources for the prices and trading pattern of the VanEck® Semiconductor ETF.
The Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1
The Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 is a unit investment trust that issues securities called “trust units” or “units.” The QQQ is organized under New York law and is governed by a standard
terms and conditions of trust between The Bank of New York Mellon and NASDAQ Global Funds, the predecessor sponsor to Invesco Capital Management, dated and executed as of March 1, 1999, as amended. The Trustee and the Sponsor are also sponsors to a
trust indenture agreement of the Trust dated as of March 4, 1999, as amended. The QQQ is an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The QQQ commenced operations on March 4, 1999. The units of the Invesco
QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 trade on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “QQQ.”
A trust unit represents an undivided ownership interest in a portfolio consisting of all of the common stocks of its underlying index, the Nasdaq-100® Index. The QQQ intends to provide
investment results that, before fees and expenses, generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the Nasdaq-100® Index. The expenses of the QQQ are accrued daily and reflected in the net asset value of the QQQ. After
reflecting waivers (including earnings credits as a result of uninvested cash balances of the QQQ), the QQQ currently is accruing ordinary operating expenses at an annual rate of 0.20%.
The units of the QQQ are registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Accordingly, information filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)
relating to the QQQ, including its periodic financial reports, may be found on the SEC website.
The Nasdaq-100® Index
The Nasdaq-100® Index (the “NDX”) is intended to measure the performance of the 100 largest domestic and international non-financial securities listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market ("NASDAQ") based on market
capitalization. The NDX reflects companies across major industry groups including computer hardware and software, telecommunications, retail/wholesale trade and biotechnology. It does not contain securities of financial companies including
investment companies.
The NDX began trading on January 31, 1985 at a base value of 125.00. The NDX is calculated and published by Nasdaq, Inc. In administering the NDX, Nasdaq, Inc. will exercise reasonable discretion as it deems
appropriate.
Underlying Stock Eligibility Criteria
NDX eligibility is limited to specific security types only. The security types eligible for the NDX include foreign or domestic common stocks, ordinary shares, ADRs and tracking stocks. Security types
not included in the NDX are closed-end funds, convertible debt securities, exchange traded funds, limited liability companies, limited partnership interests, preferred stocks, rights, shares or units of beneficial interest, warrants, units, and
other derivative securities. The NDX does not contain securities of investment companies. For purposes of the NDX eligibility criteria, if the security is a depositary receipt representing a security of a non-U.S. issuer, then references to the
“issuer” are references to the issuer of the underlying security.
Initial Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for initial inclusion in the NDX, a security must be listed on NASDAQ and meet the following criteria:
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the security’s U.S. listing must be exclusively on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market (unless the security was dually listed on another U.S. market prior to January 1, 2004 and has continuously maintained such
listing);
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the security must be of a non-financial company;
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the security may not be issued by an issuer currently in bankruptcy proceedings;
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the security must have a minimum three-month average daily trading volume of at least 200,000 shares;
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if the issuer of the security is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the U.S., then such security must have listed options on a recognized options market in the U.S. or be eligible for listed-options trading on a
recognized options market in the U.S.;
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the issuer of the security may not have entered into a definitive agreement or other arrangement which would likely result in the security no longer being eligible for inclusion in the NDX;
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the issuer of the security may not have annual financial statements with an audit opinion that is currently withdrawn; and
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the issuer of the security must have “seasoned” on NASDAQ, the New York Stock Exchange or NYSE Amex. Generally, a company is considered to be seasoned if it has been listed on a market for at least three full months (excluding the
first month of initial listing).
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Continued Eligibility Criteria
In addition, to be eligible for continued inclusion in the NDX, the following criteria apply:
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the security’s U.S. listing must be exclusively on the Nasdaq Global Select Market or the Nasdaq Global Market;
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the security must be of a non-financial company;
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the security may not be issued by an issuer currently in bankruptcy proceedings;
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the security must have a minimum three-month average daily trading volume of at least 200,000 shares;
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if the issuer of the security is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction outside the U.S., then such security must have listed options on a recognized options market in the U.S. or be eligible for listed-options trading on a
recognized options market in the U.S. (measured annually during the ranking review process);
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the security must have an adjusted market capitalization equal to or exceeding 0.10% of the aggregate adjusted market capitalization of the NDX at each month-end. In the event a company does not meet this criterion for two consecutive
month-ends, it will be removed from the NDX effective after the close of trading on the third Friday of the following month; and
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the issuer of the security may not have annual financial statements with an audit opinion that is currently withdrawn.
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Computation of the NDX
The value of the NDX equals the aggregate value of the NDX share weights (the “NDX Shares”) of each of the NDX securities multiplied by each such security’s last sale price (last sale price refers to the last sale
price on NASDAQ), and divided by the divisor of the NDX. If trading in an NDX security is halted while the market is open, the last traded price for that security is used for all NDX computations until trading resumes. If trading is halted before
the market is open, the previous day’s last sale price is used. The formula for determining the NDX value is as follows:
The NDX is ordinarily calculated without regard to cash dividends on NDX securities. The NDX is calculated during the trading day and is disseminated once per second from 09:30:01 to 17:16:00 ET. The
closing level of the NDX may change up until 17:15:00 ET due to corrections to the last sale price of the NDX securities. The official closing value of the NDX is ordinarily disseminated at 17:16:00 ET.
NDX Maintenance
Changes to NDX Constituents
Changes to the NDX constituents may be made during the annual ranking review. In addition, if at any time during the year other than the annual review, it is determined that an NDX security issuer no
longer meets the criteria for continued inclusion in the NDX, or is otherwise determined to have become ineligible for continued inclusion in the NDX, it is replaced with the largest market capitalization issuer not currently in the NDX that meets
the applicable eligibility criteria for initial inclusion in the NDX.
Ordinarily, a security will be removed from the NDX at its last sale price. However, if at the time of its removal the NDX security is halted from trading on its primary listing market and an official
closing price cannot readily be determined, the NDX security may, in Nasdaq, Inc.’s discretion, be removed at a price of $0.00000001 (“zero price”). This zero price will be applied to the NDX security after the close of the market but prior to the
time the official closing value of the NDX is disseminated.
Divisor Adjustments
The divisor is adjusted to ensure that changes in the NDX constituents either by corporate actions (that adjust either the price or shares of an NDX security) or NDX participation outside of trading
hours do not affect the value of the NDX. All divisor changes occur after the close of the applicable index security markets.
Quarterly NDX Rebalancing
The NDX will be rebalanced on a quarterly basis if it is determined that (1) the current weight of the single NDX security with the largest market capitalization is greater than 24.0% of the NDX or
(2) the collective weight of those securities whose individual current weights are in excess of 4.5% exceeds 48.0% of the NDX. In addition, a “special rebalancing” of the NDX may be conducted at any time if Nasdaq, Inc. determines it necessary to
maintain the integrity and continuity of the NDX. If either one or both of the above weight distribution conditions are met upon quarterly review, or Nasdaq, Inc. determines that a special rebalancing is necessary, a weight rebalancing will be
performed.
If the first weight distribution condition is met and the current weight of the single NDX security with the largest market capitalization is greater than 24.0%, then the weights of all securities
with current weights greater than 1.0% (“large securities”) will be scaled down proportionately toward 1.0% until the adjusted weight of the single largest NDX security reaches 20.0%.
If the second weight distribution condition is met and the collective weight of those securities whose individual current weights are in excess of 4.5% (or adjusted weights in accordance with the
previous step, if applicable) exceeds 48.0% of the NDX, then the weights of all such large securities in that group will be scaled down proportionately toward 1.0% until their collective weight, so adjusted, is equal to 40.0%.
The aggregate weight reduction among the large securities resulting from either or both of the rebalancing steps above will then be redistributed to those securities with weightings of less than 1.0%
(“small securities”) in the following manner. In the first iteration, the weight of the largest small security will be scaled upwards by a factor which sets it equal to the average NDX weight of 1.0%. The weights of each of the smaller remaining
small securities will be scaled up by the same factor reduced in relation to each security’s relative ranking among the small securities such that the smaller the NDX security in the ranking, the less its weight will be scaled upward. This is
intended to reduce the market impact of the weight rebalancing on the smallest component securities in the NDX.
In the second iteration of the small security rebalancing, the weight of the second largest small security, already adjusted in the first iteration, will be scaled upwards by a factor which sets it equal to the
average NDX weight of 1.0%. The weights of each of the smaller remaining small securities will be scaled up by this same factor reduced in relation to each security’s relative ranking among the small securities such that, once again, the smaller
the security in the ranking, the less its weight will be scaled upward. Additional iterations will be performed until the accumulated
increase in weight among the small securities equals the aggregate weight reduction among the large securities that resulted from the rebalancing in accordance with the two weight distribution
conditions discussed above.
Finally, to complete the rebalancing process, once the final weighting percentages for each NDX security have been set, the NDX Shares will be determined anew based upon the last sale prices and
aggregate capitalization of the NDX at the close of trading on the last calendar day in February, May, August and November. Changes to the NDX Shares will be made effective after the close of trading on the third Friday in March, June, September
and December, and an adjustment to the divisor is made to ensure continuity of the NDX. Ordinarily, new rebalanced NDX Shares will be determined by applying the above procedures to the current NDX Shares. However, Nasdaq, Inc. may, from time to
time, determine rebalanced weights, if necessary, by applying the above procedure to the actual current market capitalization of the NDX components. In such instances, Nasdaq, Inc. would announce the different basis for rebalancing prior to its
implementation.
During the quarterly rebalancing, data is cutoff as of the previous month end and no changes are made to the NDX from that cutoff until the quarterly index share change effective date, except in the
case of changes due to corporate actions with an ex-date.
Adjustments for Corporate Actions
Changes in the price and/or NDX Shares driven by corporate events such as stock dividends, splits, and certain spin-offs and rights issuances will be adjusted on the ex-date. If the change in total
shares outstanding arising from other corporate actions is greater than or equal to 10.0%, the change will be made as soon as practicable. Otherwise, if the change in total shares outstanding is less than 10.0%, then all such changes are
accumulated and made effective at one time on a quarterly basis after the close of trading on the third Friday in each of March, June, September, and December. The NDX Shares are derived from the security’s total shares outstanding. The NDX Shares
are adjusted by the same percentage amount by which the total shares outstanding have changed.
Historical Performance of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1
The following graph sets forth the daily historical performance of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 in the period from January 1, 2017 through the Strike Date. We obtained this historical data from Bloomberg L.P.
We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg L.P.
This historical data on the Underlying is not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the Underlying or what the value of the Notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the price of the
Underlying during any period set forth above is not an indication that the price of the Underlying is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time over the term of the Notes.
Before investing in the Notes, you should consult publicly available sources for the prices and trading pattern of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1.
In order to meet our payment obligations on the Notes, at the time we issue the Notes, we may choose to enter into certain hedging arrangements (which may include call options, put options or other derivatives) with
one or more of our subsidiaries. The terms of these hedging arrangements are determined based upon terms provided by our subsidiaries, and take into account a number of factors, including our creditworthiness, interest rate movements, the
volatility of the Underlyings, the tenor of the Notes and the hedging arrangements. The economic terms of the Notes depend in part on the terms of these hedging arrangements.
The hedging arrangements may include hedging related charges, reflecting the costs associated with, and our subsidiaries’ profit earned from, these hedging arrangements. Since hedging entails risk and may be
influenced by unpredictable market forces, actual profits or losses from these hedging transactions may be more or less than this amount.
For further information, see “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-4 of this pricing supplement.
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCUSSION OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES
The following section supplements the discussion of U.S. federal income taxation in the accompanying product supplement.
The following section is the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP, our counsel. In addition, it is the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP that the characterization of the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes that will be
required under the terms of the Notes, as discussed below, is a reasonable interpretation of current law.
This section does not apply to you if you are a member of a class of holders subject to special rules, such as:
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a dealer in securities or currencies;
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a trader in securities that elects to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for your securities holdings;
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a life insurance company;
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a tax exempt organization;
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a regulated investment company;
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an accrual method taxpayer subject to special tax accounting rules as a result of its use of financial statements;
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a person that owns a Note as a hedge or that is hedged against interest rate risks;
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a person that owns a Note as part of a straddle or conversion transaction for tax purposes; or
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a U.S. holder (as defined below) whose functional currency for tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar.
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Although this section is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), its legislative history, existing and proposed regulations under the Code, published rulings and court decisions,
all as currently in effect, no statutory, judicial or administrative authority directly addresses how your Notes should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and as a result, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in
your Notes are uncertain. Moreover, these laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis.
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You should consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax and any other applicable tax consequences of your investments in the Notes, including the application of state, local or other
tax laws and the possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws.
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U.S. Holders
This section applies to you only if you are a U.S. Holder that holds your Notes as a capital asset for tax purposes. You are a “U.S. Holder” if you are a beneficial owner of each of your Notes and you are:
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a citizen or resident of the United States;
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a domestic corporation;
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an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or
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a trust if a United States court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more United States persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust.
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Tax Treatment
You will be obligated pursuant to the terms of the Notes — in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary — to characterize your Notes for all tax purposes as
pre-paid derivative contracts in respect of the Underlyings. Except as otherwise stated below, the discussion herein assumes that the Notes will be so treated.
Upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your Notes, you should recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash you receive at such time and your tax basis in your Notes.
Your tax basis in the Notes will generally be equal to the amount that you paid for the Notes. If you hold your Notes for more than one year, the gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss. If you hold your Notes for one year or
less, the gain or loss generally will be short-term capital gain or loss. Short-term capital gains are generally subject to tax at the marginal tax rates applicable to ordinary income.
In addition, the constructive ownership rules of Section 1260 of the Internal Revenue Code could apply to your Notes. If your Notes were subject to the constructive ownership rules, then any long-term capital gain that you realize upon the sale,
exchange, or maturity of your Notes would be re-characterized as ordinary income (and you would be subject to an interest charge on deferred tax liability with respect to such re-characterized capital gain) to the extent that such capital gain
exceeds the amount of “net underlying long-term capital gain” (as defined in Section 1260 of the Internal Revenue Code). Because the application of the constructive ownership rules is unclear you are strongly
urged to consult your tax advisor with respect to the possible application of the constructive ownership rules to your investment in the Notes.
We will not attempt to ascertain whether an Underlying would be treated as a “passive foreign investment company” (“PFIC”), within the meaning of Section 1297 of the Code. If an Underlying were so treated, certain
adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could possibly apply to a U.S. Holder of the Notes. You should refer to information filed with the SEC by an Underlying and consult your tax advisor regarding the possible consequences to you, if any, if
an Underlying is or becomes a PFIC.
No statutory, judicial or administrative authority directly discusses how your Notes should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the U.S. federal income tax consequences
of your investment in the Notes are uncertain and alternative characterizations are possible. Accordingly, we urge you to consult your tax advisor in determining the tax consequences of an investment in your Notes in your particular circumstances,
including the application of state, local or other tax laws and the possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws.
Alternative Treatments
There is no judicial or administrative authority discussing how your Notes should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Therefore, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) might assert that a treatment other
than that described above is more appropriate. For example, the IRS could treat your Notes as a single debt instrument subject to special rules governing contingent payment debt instruments. Under those rules, the amount of interest you are
required to take into account for each accrual period would be determined by constructing a projected payment schedule for the Notes and applying rules similar to those for accruing original issue discount on a hypothetical noncontingent debt
instrument with that projected payment schedule. This method is applied by first determining the comparable yield – i.e., the yield at which we would issue a noncontingent fixed rate debt instrument with terms and conditions similar to your Notes –
and then determining a payment schedule as of the issue date that would produce the comparable yield. These rules may have the effect of requiring you to include interest in income in respect of your Notes prior to your receipt of cash attributable
to that income.
If the rules governing contingent payment debt instruments apply, any gain you recognize upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your Notes would be treated as ordinary interest income. Any loss you recognize at that
time would be ordinary loss to the extent of interest you included as income in the current or previous taxable years in respect of your Notes, and, thereafter, capital loss.
If the rules governing contingent payment debt instruments apply, special rules would apply to a person who purchases Notes at a price other than the adjusted issue price as determined for tax purposes.
It is also possible that your Notes could be treated in the manner described above, except that any gain or loss that you recognize at maturity would be treated as ordinary income or loss. You should consult your
tax advisor as to the tax consequences of such characterization and any possible alternative characterizations of your Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
It is possible that the IRS could seek to characterize your Notes in a manner that results in tax consequences to you that are different from those described above. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax
consequences of any possible alternative characterizations of your Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Possible Change in Law
On December 7, 2007, the IRS released a notice stating that the IRS and the Treasury Department are actively considering issuing guidance regarding the proper U.S. federal income tax treatment of an instrument such
as the Notes, including whether holders should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis and whether gain or loss should be ordinary or capital. It is not possible to determine what guidance they will ultimately issue, if any. It is
possible, however, that under such guidance, holders of the Notes will ultimately be required to accrue income currently and this could be applied on a retroactive basis. The IRS and the Treasury Department are also considering other relevant
issues, including whether foreign holders of such instruments should be subject to withholding tax on any deemed income accruals and whether the special “constructive ownership rules” of Section 1260 of the Code might be applied to such
instruments. Except to the extent otherwise provided by law, we intend to continue treating the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described above under “Tax Treatment” unless and until such time as
Congress, the Treasury Department or the IRS determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.
Furthermore, in 2007, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if enacted, would have required holders that acquired instruments such as your Notes after the bill was enacted to accrue interest income over the term of such
instruments even though there will be no interest payments over the term of such instruments. It is not possible to predict whether a similar or identical bill will be enacted in the future, or whether any such bill
would affect the tax treatment of your Notes.
It is impossible to predict what any such legislation or administrative or regulatory guidance might provide, and whether the effective date of any legislation or guidance will affect Notes that were issued before
the date that such legislation or guidance is issued. You are urged to consult your tax advisor as to the possibility that any legislative or administrative action may adversely affect the tax treatment of your Notes.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
You will be subject to generally applicable information reporting and backup withholding requirements as discussed in the accompanying prospectus supplement under “United States Federal Taxation — U.S. Holders —
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” with respect to payments on your Notes and, notwithstanding that we do not intend to treat the Notes as debt for tax purposes, we intend to backup withhold on such payments with respect to your Notes
unless you comply with the requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding on debt instruments (in which case you will not be subject to such backup withholding) as set forth under “United States Federal Taxation — U.S. Holders — Backup
Withholding and Information Reporting” in the accompanying prospectus supplement. Please see the discussion under “United States Federal Taxation — U.S. Holders — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” in the accompanying prospectus
supplement for a description of the applicability of the backup withholding and information reporting rules to payments made on your Notes.
Non-U.S. Holders
This section applies to you only if you are a Non-U.S. Holder. You are a “Non-U.S. Holder” if you are the beneficial owner of Notes and are, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
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a nonresident alien individual;
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a foreign corporation; or
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an estate or trust that in either case is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis on income or gain from the Notes.
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The term “Non-U.S. Holder” does not include any of the following holders:
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a holder who is an individual present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and who is not otherwise a resident of the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
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certain former citizens or residents of the United States; or
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a holder for whom income or gain in respect of the notes is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States.
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Such holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the Notes.
We will not attempt to ascertain whether an Underlying would be treated as a “United States real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”), within the meaning of Section 897 of the Code. If an Underlying were so
treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could possibly apply to a Non-U.S. Holder of the Notes. You should refer to information filed with the SEC by an Underlying and consult your tax advisor regarding the possible
consequences to you, if any, if an Underlying is or becomes a USRPHC.
You will be subject to generally applicable information reporting and backup withholding requirements as discussed in the accompanying prospectus supplement under “United States Federal Taxation — Non-U.S. Holders —
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” with respect to payments on your Notes at maturity and, notwithstanding that we do not intend to treat the Notes as debt for tax purposes, we intend to backup withhold on such payments with respect to
your Notes unless you comply with the requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding on debt instruments (in which case you will not be subject to such backup withholding) as set forth under “United States Federal Taxation — Non-U.S. Holders —
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
As discussed above, alternative characterizations of the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes are possible. Should an alternative characterization of the Notes, by reason of a change or clarification of the
law, by regulation or otherwise, cause payments at maturity with respect to the Notes to become subject to withholding tax, we will withhold tax at the applicable statutory rate and we will not make payments of any additional amounts. Prospective
Non-U.S. Holders of the Notes should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
Furthermore, on December 7, 2007, the IRS released Notice 2008-2 soliciting comments from the public on various issues, including whether instruments such as your Notes should be subject to withholding. It is therefore possible
that rules will be issued in the future, possibly with retroactive effect, that would cause payments on your Notes at maturity to be subject to withholding, even if you comply with certification requirements as to
your foreign status.
In addition, the Treasury Department has issued regulations under which amounts paid or deemed paid on certain financial instruments (“871(m) financial instruments”) that are treated as attributable to U.S.-source
dividends could be treated, in whole or in part depending on the circumstances, as a “dividend equivalent” payment that is subject to tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower rate under an applicable treaty), which in the case of amounts you receive upon
sale, exchange or maturity of your Notes, could be collected via withholding. If these regulations were to apply to the Notes, we may be required to withhold such taxes if any U.S.-source dividends are paid on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 or
the VanEck® Semiconductor ETF during the term of the Notes. We could also require you to make certifications (e.g., an applicable IRS Form W-8) prior to the maturity of the Notes in order to avoid or minimize withholding obligations, and we could
withhold accordingly (subject to your potential right to claim a refund from the IRS) if such certifications were not received or were not satisfactory. If withholding was required, we would not be required to pay any additional amounts with
respect to amounts so withheld. These regulations generally will apply to 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other) issued (or significantly modified
and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2027, but will also apply to certain 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other) that have a
delta (as defined in the applicable Treasury regulations) of one and are issued (or significantly modified and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2017. In addition, these regulations will not apply to financial instruments that
reference a “qualified index” (as defined in the regulations). We have determined that, as of the issue date of your Notes, your Notes will not be subject to withholding under these rules. In certain limited circumstances, however, you should be
aware that it is possible for Non-U.S. Holders to be liable for tax under these rules with respect to a combination of transactions treated as having been entered into in connection with each other even when no withholding is required. You should
consult your tax advisor concerning these regulations, subsequent official guidance and regarding any other possible alternative characterizations of your Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act
Legislation commonly referred to as “FATCA” generally imposes a gross-basis withholding tax of 30% on payments to certain non-U.S. entities (including financial intermediaries) with respect to certain financial instruments, unless various U.S.
information reporting and due diligence requirements have been satisfied. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and the non-U.S. entity’s jurisdiction may modify or supplement these requirements. This legislation generally
applies to certain financial instruments that are treated as paying U.S.-source interest or other U.S.-source “fixed or determinable annual or periodical” (“FDAP”) income. Current provisions of the Code and Treasury regulations that govern FATCA
treat gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of obligations that can produce U.S.-source interest or FDAP income as subject to FATCA withholding. However, under recently proposed Treasury regulations, such gross proceeds would not be
subject to FATCA withholding. In its preamble to such proposed regulations, the Treasury Department and the IRS have stated that taxpayers may generally rely on the proposed Treasury regulations until final Treasury regulations are issued. We will
not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts withheld. Both U.S. and Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential application of FATCA to the Notes.
SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
Jefferies LLC, the broker-dealer subsidiary of Jefferies Financial Group Inc., will act as our Agent in connection with the offering of the Notes. Subject to the terms and conditions contained in a distribution
agreement between us and Jefferies LLC, the Agent has agreed to use its reasonable efforts to solicit purchases of the Notes. We have the right to accept offers to purchase Notes and may reject any proposed purchase of the Notes. We or Jefferies
LLC will pay various discounts and commissions to dealers of up to $6.00 per Note depending on market conditions. The Agent may also reject any offer to purchase Notes.
We may also sell Notes to the Agent who will purchase the Notes as principal for its own account. In that case, the Agent will purchase the Notes at a price equal to the issue price specified on the cover page of
this pricing supplement, less a discount. The discount will equal the applicable commission on an agency sale of the Notes.
The Agent may resell any Notes it purchases as principal to other brokers or dealers at a discount, which may include all or part of the discount the Agent received from us. If all the Notes are not sold at the
initial offering price, the Agent may change the offering price and the other selling terms.
The Agent will sell any unsold allotment pursuant to this pricing supplement from time to time in one or more transactions in the over-the-counter market, through negotiated transactions or otherwise at market prices
prevailing at the time of time of sale, prices relating to the prevailing market prices or negotiated prices.
We may also sell Notes directly to investors. We will not pay commissions on Notes we sell directly.
The Agent, whether acting as agent or principal, may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act. We have agreed to indemnify the Agent against certain liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act.
If the Agent sells Notes to dealers who resell to investors and the Agent pays the dealers all or part of the discount or commission it receives from us, those dealers may also be deemed to be “underwriters” within
the meaning of the Securities Act.
The Agent is offering the Notes, subject to prior sale, when, as and if issued to and accepted by it, subject to approval of legal matters by its counsel, including the validity of the Notes, and other conditions
contained in the distribution agreement, such as the receipt by the Agent of officers’ certificates and legal opinions. The Agent reserves the right to withdraw, cancel or modify offers to the public and to reject orders in whole or in part.
The Agent is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). Accordingly, the offering of the notes will conform to the requirements of FINRA Rule 5121. See “Conflict of Interest” below.
The Agent is not acting as your fiduciary or advisor solely as a result of the offering of the Notes, and you should not rely upon any communication from the Agent in connection with the Notes as investment advice or
a recommendation to purchase the Notes. You should make your own investment decision regarding the Notes after consulting with your legal, tax, and other advisors.
We expect to deliver the Notes against payment therefor in New York, New York on November 21, 2024, which will be the third scheduled business day following the initial pricing date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in one business day, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, if the initial settlement of the Notes occurs more
than one business day from a pricing date, purchasers who wish to trade the Notes more than one business day prior to the Original Issue Date will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.
Jefferies LLC and any of our other broker-dealer subsidiaries may use this pricing supplement, the prospectus and the prospectus supplements for offers and sales in secondary market transactions and market-making
transactions in the Notes. However, they are not obligated to engage in such secondary market transactions and/or market-making transactions. Our subsidiaries may act as principal or agent in these transactions, and any such sales will be made at
prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of the sale.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the European Economic Area
This pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement is not a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the “Prospectus Regulation”). This pricing supplement and the accompanying
product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement have been prepared on the basis that any offer of Notes in any Member State of the European Economic Area (the “EEA”) will only be made to a legal entity which is a qualified investor under
the Prospectus Regulation (“EEA Qualified Investors”). Accordingly any
person making or intending to make an offer in that Member State of Notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated in this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus and
prospectus supplement may only do so with respect to EEA Qualified Investors. Neither the Issuer nor the Agent have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of Notes other than to EEA Qualified Investors.
PROHIBITION OF SALES TO EEA 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 EEA. For these purposes, (a) 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 (EU) 2016/97 (as amended, the “Insurance Distribution Directive”), 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 the Prospectus Regulation and (b) the expression “offer” includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Notes to be offered so as to enable an
investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the Notes. Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (as amended, the “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 PRIIPs Regulation.
Notice to Prospective Investors in the United Kingdom
This pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement is not a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law in the United
Kingdom by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, as amended by the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 (the “EUWA”) (the "UK Prospectus Regulation"). This pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement,
prospectus and prospectus supplement have been prepared on the basis that any offer of Notes in the United Kingdom will only be made to a legal entity which is a qualified investor under the UK Prospectus Regulation (“UK Qualified Investors”).
Accordingly any person making or intending to make an offer in the United Kingdom of Notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated in this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement
may only do so with respect to UK Qualified Investors. Neither the Issuer nor the Agent have authorized, nor do they authorize, the making of any offer of Notes other than to UK Qualified Investors.
PROHIBITION OF SALES TO UK 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 United Kingdom. For these purposes, (a) a retail investor 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 in the United Kingdom by virtue of the EUWA; or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the United Kingdom’s Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the “FSMA”) and any rules or regulations made under the
FSMA to implement the Insurance Distribution Directive, 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 domestic law in the United Kingdom by
virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the EUWA and (b) the expression “offer” includes the communication in any
form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the Notes. Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU)
No 1286/2014 as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom has been prepared
and therefore offering or selling the Notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the United Kingdom may be unlawful under the UK PRIIPs Regulation.
The communication of this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement relating to the issue of the Notes offered hereby is not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been
approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of Section 21 of the FSMA. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of
such documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being made to those persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters relating to investments and who fall within the definition of investment professionals
(as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Financial Promotion Order”)) or who fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Financial Promotion Order, or who are any
other persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be made under the Financial Promotion Order (all such persons together being referred to as “relevant persons”). In the United Kingdom the Notes offered hereby are only available to, and any
investment or investment activity to which this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement relates will be engaged in only with, relevant persons. Any person in the United Kingdom that
is not a relevant person should not act or rely on this pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, prospectus and prospectus supplement or any of their contents.
Other Regulatory Restrictions in the United Kingdom
Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) in connection with the issue or sale of the Notes may only be communicated or caused to be communicated in
circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to the Issuer.
All applicable provisions of the FSMA must be complied with in respect to anything done by any person in relation to the Notes in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.
Jefferies LLC, the broker-dealer subsidiary of Jefferies Financial Group Inc., is a member of FINRA and will participate in the distribution of the Notes. Accordingly, the offering is subject to the provisions of FINRA Rule 5121 relating to
conflicts of interests and will be conducted in accordance with the requirements of Rule 5121. Jefferies LLC will not confirm sales of the Notes to any account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior written specific
approval of the customer.
The validity of the Notes is being passed on for us by Sidley Austin LLP, New York, New York.
The financial statements of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. as of November 30, 2023 and 2022, and for each of the three years in the period ended November 30, 2023, incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement from Jefferies Financial
Group Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the effectiveness of the Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as
stated in their reports. Such financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
$
Jefferies
Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
Senior Buffered Leveraged Notes due November 21, 2029
Linked to the Worst-Performing of the VanEck® Semiconductor ETF and
the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1
PRICING SUPPLEMENT
, 2024