Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration Statement No. 333-219206
The information in this preliminary pricing supplement is not complete and may be changed. This preliminary pricing supplement is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an
offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
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Subject to Completion. Dated November 12, 2018.
GS Finance Corp.
$
Leveraged Buffered Basket-Linked Notes due
guaranteed by
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
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The notes will not bear interest. The amount that you will be
paid on your notes on the stated maturity date (expected to be May 20, 2020) is based on the performance of a weighted basket comprised of the S&P 500® Index (40% weighting), the EURO STOXX 50® Index (25%
weighting), the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (18% weighting) and the Nikkei 225 (17% weighting) as measured from the trade date (expected to be November 15, 2018) to and including the determination date (expected to be
May 15, 2020).
The return on your notes is linked
in part to the performance of the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (ETF), and
not to that of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (underlying index) on which the ETF is based. The ETF follows a strategy of “representative sampling,” which means the ETF’s holdings are not the same as those of the underlying index. The
performance of the ETF may significantly diverge from that of its underlying index.
The initial basket level is 100 and the final basket level will equal the sum of the products, as calculated for each basket underlier, of: (i) the final underlier level divided by the initial underlier level (set
on the trade date) multiplied by (ii) the applicable initial weighted value for
each basket underlier. If the final basket level on the determination date is greater than the initial basket level, the return on your notes will be positive and will equal 1.5 times the basket return, subject to the maximum settlement amount of $1,210. If
the final basket level declines by up to 15% from the initial basket level, you will receive the face amount of your notes. If the final basket level declines by more
than 15% from the initial basket level, the return on your notes will be negative and will equal the basket return plus 15%. You could lose a significant portion of the face amount of your notes.
To determine your payment at maturity, we will calculate the basket return, which is the percentage increase or decrease in the final basket
level from the initial basket level. At maturity, for each $1,000 face amount of your notes, you will receive an amount in cash equal to:
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if the basket return is positive (the final basket level is greater than
the initial basket level), the sum of (i) $1,000 plus (ii) the product of (a) $1,000 times (b) 1.5 times (c) the basket return, subject to the maximum settlement amount;
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if the basket return is zero or negative but not below -15% (the final basket level is equal to or less than the initial basket level but not by more than 15%), $1,000; or
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if the basket return is negative and is below -15% (the final basket level
is less than the initial basket level by more than 15%), the sum of (i) $1,000 plus
(ii) the product of (a) the sum of the basket return plus 15% times (b)
$1,000. You will receive less than the face amount of your notes.
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Declines in one basket underlier may offset increases in the other basket underliers. Due to the unequal weighting of
each basket underlier, the performance of the S&P 500® Index will have a significantly larger impact on your return on the notes than the performance of the EURO STOXX 50® Index, the iShares® MSCI
Emerging Markets ETF or the Nikkei 225.
You should
read the disclosure herein to better understand the terms and risks of your investment, including the credit risk of GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. See page PS-14.
The estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date is
expected to be between $970 and $999 per $1,000 face amount. For a discussion of the estimated value and the price at which Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC would initially buy or sell your notes, if it makes a market in the notes, see the
following page.
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Original issue date:
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expected to be November 20, 2018
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Original issue price:
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100% of the face amount*
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Underwriting discount:
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% of the face amount*
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Net proceeds to the issuer:
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% of the face amount
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Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities
or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The notes are not bank deposits and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other
governmental agency, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Pricing Supplement No. dated , 2018.
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The issue price, underwriting discount and net proceeds listed above relate to the notes we sell initially. We may decide to sell additional notes
after the date of this pricing supplement, at issue prices and with underwriting discounts and net proceeds that differ from the amounts set forth above. The return (whether positive or negative) on your investment in notes will depend in part on
the issue price you pay for such notes.
GS Finance Corp. may use this prospectus in the initial sale of the notes. In addition, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC or any other
affiliate of GS Finance Corp. may use this prospectus in a market-making transaction in a note after its initial sale. Unless GS Finance Corp. or its agent
informs the purchaser otherwise in the confirmation of sale, this prospectus is being used in a market-making transaction.
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Estimated Value of Your
Notes
The estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date (as determined by reference to pricing models used by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.) and taking into account our credit spreads) is
expected to be between $970 and $999 per $1,000 face amount, which is less than the original issue price. The value of your notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted; however, the price (not including
GS&Co.’s
customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would initially buy or sell notes (if it makes a market, which
it is not obligated to do) and the value that GS&Co. will initially use for account statements and otherwise is equal to approximately the estimated value of your notes at the time of pricing, plus an additional amount
(initially equal to $ per $1,000 face amount).
Prior
to , the price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would buy or sell your notes (if it makes a market, which it is not obligated to do) will equal approximately the sum of (a)
the then-current estimated value of your notes (as determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models) plus (b) any remaining additional amount (the additional amount will decline to zero on a straight-line basis from the time
of pricing through ). On and after , the price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would buy or sell your notes (if it makes a market) will equal approximately
the then-current estimated value of your notes determined by reference to such pricing models.
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About Your Prospectus
The notes are part of the Medium-Term Notes, Series E program of GS Finance Corp. and are fully and unconditionally
guaranteed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. This prospectus includes this pricing supplement and the accompanying documents listed below. This pricing supplement constitutes a supplement to the documents listed below and should be
read in conjunction with such documents:
The information in this pricing supplement supersedes any conflicting information in the documents listed above. In addition, some of the terms or features
described in the listed documents may not apply to your notes.
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We refer to the notes we are offering by this pricing supplement as the “offered notes” or the “notes”. Each of the offered
notes has the terms described below. Please note that in this pricing supplement, references to “GS Finance Corp.”, “we”, “our” and “us” mean only GS Finance Corp. and do not include its subsidiaries or affiliates, references to “The
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.”, our parent company, mean only The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and do not include its subsidiaries or affiliates and references to “Goldman Sachs” mean The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. together with its consolidated
subsidiaries and affiliates, including us. Also, references to the “accompanying prospectus” mean the accompanying prospectus, dated July 10, 2017, references to the “accompanying prospectus supplement” mean the accompanying prospectus
supplement, dated July 10, 2017, for Medium-Term Notes, Series E, references to the “accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734” mean the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734, dated July 10, 2017, and references to the
“accompanying product supplement no. 1,738” mean the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738, dated July 10, 2017, in each case of GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The notes will be issued under the senior debt
indenture, dated as of October 10, 2008, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 20, 2015, each among us, as issuer, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor, and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee.
This indenture, as so supplemented and as further supplemented thereafter, is referred to as the “GSFC 2008 indenture” in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
This section is meant as a summary and should be read in conjunction with the section entitled “General Terms of the
Underlier-Linked Notes” on page S-35 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738 and “Supplemental Terms of the Notes” on page S-16 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734. Please note that certain features, as noted
below, described in the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738 and general terms supplement no. 1,734 are not applicable to the notes. This pricing supplement supersedes any conflicting provisions of the accompanying product supplement
no. 1,738 or the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734.
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Key Terms
Issuer: GS Finance Corp.
Guarantor: The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Basket underliers: the S&P 500® Index (Bloomberg symbol,
“SPX Index”), as published by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC; the EURO STOXX 50® Index (Bloomberg symbol, “SX5E Index”), as sponsored and maintained by STOXX Limited; the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (Bloomberg symbol, “EEM UP Equity”); and the Nikkei 225 (Bloomberg symbol, “NKY Index”), as published by Nikkei Inc.; see “The Basket and the Basket
Underliers” on page PS-23
Basket indices: the S&P 500® Index, the EURO STOXX 50®
Index and the Nikkei 225
Basket fund: the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
Underlying index of the basket fund: the MSCI Emerging Markets Index
Specified currency: U.S. dollars (“$”)
Terms to be specified in accordance with the accompanying product supplement no.
1,738:
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type of notes: notes linked to basket of underliers
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exchange rates: not applicable
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buffer level: yes, as described below
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cap level: yes, as described below
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averaging dates: not applicable
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interest: not applicable
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redemption right or price dependent redemption right: not applicable
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Face amount: each note will have a face amount of $1,000; $ in the aggregate for all the offered notes; the aggregate face amount of the offered notes may be increased if the issuer, at its sole option, decides to sell an
additional amount of the offered notes on a date subsequent to the date of this pricing supplement
Purchase at amount other than face amount: the
amount we will pay you at the stated maturity date for your notes will not be adjusted based on the
issue price you pay for your notes, so if you acquire notes at a premium (or discount) to face amount
and hold them to the stated maturity date, it could affect your investment in a number of
ways. The return on your investment in such notes will be lower (or higher) than it would have been
had you purchased the notes at face amount. Also, the stated buffer level would not offer the same measure of protection to your investment as would be the case if you
had purchased the notes at face amount. Additionally, the cap level would be triggered at a lower (or higher) percentage return than indicated below, relative to your initial investment. See “Additional Risk Factors Specific to Your Notes — If You Purchase Your Notes at a Premium to Face Amount, the Return on Your Investment Will Be Lower Than the Return on Notes Purchased at Face Amount and the Impact of Certain Key Terms of the Notes Will Be Negatively Affected” on page PS-17 of
this pricing supplement
Supplemental discussion of federal income tax consequences:
you will be obligated pursuant to the terms of the notes — in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary — to characterize each note for all tax purposes as a pre-paid derivative contract in
respect of the basket underliers, as described under “Supplemental Discussion of Federal Income Tax Consequences” on page S-41 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738. Pursuant to this approach, it is the opinion of Sidley Austin llp that upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your notes, it would be reasonable for you to 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. Pursuant to Treasury regulations, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) withholding (as described in “United States Taxation—Taxation of Debt Securities—Foreign Account
Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding” in the accompanying prospectus) will generally apply to obligations that are issued on or after July 1, 2014; therefore, the notes will generally be subject to FATCA withholding. However, according to
published guidance, the withholding tax described above will not apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale, exchange or other disposition of the notes made before January 1, 2019.
Cash settlement amount: for each $1,000 face amount of
your notes, we will pay you on the stated maturity date an amount in cash equal to:
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if the final basket level is greater than or equal to the cap level, the maximum settlement amount;
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if the final basket level is greater than the initial basket level but less than the cap level, the sum of (1) $1,000 plus (2) the product of (i) $1,000 times (ii) the upside
participation rate times (iii) the basket return;
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if the final basket level is equal to or less than the initial basket level but greater than or equal to
the buffer level, $1,000; or
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if the final basket level is less than the buffer level, the sum of (1) $1,000 plus (2) the product of (i) $1,000 times (ii) the buffer rate times (iii) the sum of the
basket return plus the buffer amount
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Initial basket level: 100
Initial weighted value: the initial weighted value for each of the
basket underliers is expected to equal the product of the initial weight of such basket underlier times the initial basket level. The initial weight of each basket underlier is shown in the table below:
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Initial Weight in Basket
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Basket Underlier
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S&P 500® Index
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40%
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EURO STOXX 50® Index
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25%
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iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
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18%
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| Nikkei 225 | 17% |
Initial S&P 500® Index level (to be set on
the trade date):
Initial EURO STOXX 50® Index level (to be set on the trade
date):
Initial iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF level (to be set on the trade date):
Initial Nikkei 225 level (to be set on the trade date):
Final S&P 500® Index level: the closing level of such basket underlier on the determination date, except in the limited circumstances described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes —
Consequences of a Market Disruption Event or a Non-Trading Day” on page S-23 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734 and subject to adjustment as provided under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Discontinuance or Modification of an
Underlier” on page S-27 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734
Final EURO STOXX 50® Index level: the
closing level of such basket underlier on the determination date, except in the limited circumstances described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Consequences of a Market Disruption Event or a Non-Trading Day” on page S-23 of the
accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734 and subject to adjustment as provided under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Discontinuance or Modification of an Underlier” on page S-27 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734
Final iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF level: the closing level of such basket underlier on the determination date, except in the limited circumstances described under “Supplemental
Terms of the Notes — Consequences of a Market Disruption Event or a Non-Trading Day” on page S-23 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734, subject to anti-dilution adjustments as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes —
Anti-dilution Adjustments for Exchange-Traded Funds” on page S-28 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734 and subject to adjustment as provided under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Discontinuance or Modification of an Underlier”
on page S-27 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734
Final Nikkei 225 level: the closing level of such basket underlier on
the determination date, except in the limited circumstances described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Consequences of a Market Disruption Event or a Non-Trading Day” on page S-23 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734 and
subject to adjustment as provided under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Discontinuance or Modification of an Underlier” on page S-27 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734
Final basket level: the sum of the following: (1) the final S&P 500® Index level divided by the initial S&P 500® Index level, multiplied by the initial weighted value of the S&P 500® Index
plus (2) the final EURO STOXX 50® Index level divided by the initial EURO STOXX 50® Index level, multiplied by the initial weighted value of the EURO STOXX 50® Index plus (3) the final iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF level divided by the initial iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF level, multiplied by the initial weighted value of the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF plus
(4) the final Nikkei 225 level divided by the initial Nikkei 225 level, multiplied by the
initial weighted value of the Nikkei 225
Basket return: the quotient of (1) the final basket level minus the initial basket level divided by (2) the initial basket level, expressed as a percentage
Upside participation rate: 150%
Cap level: 114% of the initial basket level
Maximum settlement amount: $1,210
Buffer level: 85% of the initial basket level
Buffer amount: 15%
Buffer rate: 100%
Trade date: expected to be November 15, 2018
Original issue date (settlement date) (to be set on the trade date):
expected to be November 20, 2018
Stated maturity date (to be set on the trade date):
expected to be May 20, 2020, subject to adjustment as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Stated Maturity Date” on page S-16 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734
Determination date (to be set on the trade date): expected to be May 15,
2020, subject to adjustment as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Determination Date” on page S-17 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734
No interest: the offered notes will not bear interest
No listing: the offered notes will not be listed on any securities
exchange or interdealer quotation system
No redemption: the offered notes will not be subject to redemption right
or price dependent redemption right
Closing level: as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes —
Special Calculation Provisions — Closing Level” on page S-31 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734.
Business day: as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes —
Special Calculation Provisions — Business Day” on page S-30 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734
Trading day: as described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes ¾ Special Calculation Provisions ¾ Trading Day” on page S-31 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734
Use of proceeds and hedging: as described under “Use of Proceeds” and
“Hedging” on page S-40 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738
ERISA: as described under “Employee Retirement Income Security Act” on
page S-48 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738
Supplemental plan of distribution; conflicts of interest: as described under “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” on page S-49 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738 and “Plan of Distribution – Conflicts of Interest” on page 94 of the
accompanying prospectus; GS Finance Corp. estimates that its share of the total offering expenses, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $ .
GS Finance Corp. expects to agree to sell to Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“GS&Co.”), and GS&Co. expects to agree to purchase
from GS Finance Corp., the aggregate face amount of the offered notes specified on the front cover of this pricing supplement. GS&Co. proposes initially to offer the notes to the public at the original issue prices set forth on the cover page
of this pricing supplement, and to certain securities dealers at such prices less a concession not in excess of % of the face amount. The original issue price for notes purchased by certain retirement accounts and certain fee-based advisory
accounts will be % of the face amount of the notes, which will reduce the underwriting discount specified on the cover of this pricing supplement with respect to such notes to %. GS&Co. is an affiliate of GS Finance Corp.
and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and, as such, will have a “conflict of interest” in this offering of notes within the meaning of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) Rule 5121. Consequently, this offering of notes will be
conducted in compliance with the provisions of FINRA Rule 5121. GS&Co. will not be permitted to sell notes in this offering to an account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of the account
holder.
We expect to deliver the notes against payment therefor in New York, New York on
November 20, 2018. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle
in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade notes on any date prior to two business days before delivery will be required to specify alternative settlement
arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.
We have been advised by GS&Co. that it intends to make a market in the notes. However, neither GS&Co. nor any of our other affiliates that
makes a market is obligated to do so and any of them may stop doing so at any time without notice. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity or trading market for the notes.
Calculation agent: GS&Co.
CUSIP no.: 40056EGL6
ISIN no.: US40056EGL65
FDIC: the notes are not bank deposits and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation or any other governmental agency, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank
The following examples are provided for purposes of illustration only. They should not be taken as an indication
or prediction of future investment results and are intended merely to illustrate the impact that the various hypothetical basket closing levels or hypothetical closing levels of the basket underliers, as applicable, on the determination date could
have on the cash settlement amount at maturity assuming all other variables remain constant.
The examples below are based on a range of final basket levels and closing levels of the basket underliers that are entirely
hypothetical; no one can predict what the level of the basket will be on any day throughout the life of your notes, and no one can predict what the final basket level will be on the determination date. The basket underliers have been highly
volatile in the past — meaning that the levels of the basket underliers have changed considerably in relatively short periods — and their performances cannot be predicted for any future period.
The information in the following examples reflects hypothetical rates of return on the offered notes assuming that
they are purchased on the original issue date at the face amount and held to the stated maturity date. If you sell your notes in a secondary market prior to the stated maturity date, your return will depend upon the market value of your notes at
the time of sale, which may be affected by a number of factors that are not reflected in the examples below such as interest rates, the volatility of the basket underliers, the creditworthiness of GS Finance Corp., as issuer, and the
creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor. In addition, the estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date (as determined by reference to pricing models used by GS & Co.) is
less than the original issue price of your notes. For more information on the estimated value of your notes, see “Additional Risk Factors Specific to Your Notes — The Estimated Value of Your Notes At the Time the Terms of Your Notes Are Set On the
Trade Date (as Determined By Reference to Pricing Models Used By GS & Co.) Is Less Than the Original Issue Price Of Your Notes” on page PS-14 of this pricing supplement. The information in the examples also reflects the key terms and
assumptions in the box below.
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Key Terms and Assumptions
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Face amount
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$1,000
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Upside participation rate
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150%
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Initial basket level
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100
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Cap level
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114% of the initial basket level
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Maximum settlement amount
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$1,210
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Buffer level
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85% of the initial basket level
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Buffer rate
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100%
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Buffer amount
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15%
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Neither a market disruption event nor a non-trading day occurs on the originally scheduled determination date
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No change in or affecting (i) any of the underlier stocks, (ii) the methods by which any underlier sponsor calculates the basket index or the underlying index for
the basket fund or (iii) the policies of the investment advisor of the basket fund
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Notes purchased on original issue date at the face amount and held to the stated maturity date
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Moreover, we have not yet set the initial S&P 500® Index level, the initial EURO STOXX 50® Index level,
the initial iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF level or the initial Nikkei 225 level that will serve as the baselines for determining the basket return and the amount that we will pay on your notes at maturity. We will not do so until
the trade date. As a result, the actual initial S&P 500® Index level, the actual initial EURO
STOXX 50® Index level, the actual initial iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF level and the actual initial
Nikkei 225 level may differ substantially from the current level of such basket underlier prior to the trade date. They may also differ substantially from the level of such basket underlier at the time you purchase your notes.
For these reasons, the actual performance of the basket over the life of your notes, as well as the amount
payable at maturity, may bear little relation to the hypothetical examples shown below or to the historical level of each basket underlier shown elsewhere in this pricing supplement. For information about the historical level of each basket
underlier during recent periods, see “The Basket and the Basket Underliers — Historical Closing Levels of the Basket Underliers” below. Before investing in the offered notes, you should consult publicly available information to determine the level
of the basket underliers between the date of this pricing supplement and the date of your purchase of the offered notes.
Also, the hypothetical examples shown below do not take into account the effects of applicable taxes. Because of the U.S. tax
treatment applicable to your notes, tax liabilities could affect the after-tax rate of return on your notes to a comparatively greater extent than the after-tax return on the basket underliers.
The levels in the left column of the table below represent hypothetical final basket levels and are expressed as percentages of
the initial basket level. The amounts in the right column represent the hypothetical cash settlement amounts, based on the corresponding hypothetical final basket level (expressed as a percentage of the initial basket level), and are expressed as
percentages of the face amount of a note (rounded to the nearest one-thousandth of a percent). Thus, a hypothetical cash settlement amount of 100.000% means that the value of the cash payment that we would deliver for each $1,000 of the
outstanding face amount of the offered notes on the stated maturity date would equal 100.000% of the face amount of a note, based on the corresponding hypothetical final basket level (expressed as a percentage of the initial basket level) and the
assumptions noted above.
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Hypothetical Final Basket Level
(as Percentage of Initial Basket Level)
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Hypothetical Cash Settlement
Amount
(as Percentage of Face Amount)
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200.000%
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121.000%
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175.000%
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121.000%
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150.000%
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121.000%
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140.000%
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121.000%
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130.000%
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121.000%
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114.000%
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121.000%
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112.000%
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118.000%
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110.000%
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115.000%
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100.000%
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100.000%
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95.000%
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100.000%
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85.000%
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100.000%
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65.000%
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80.000%
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50.000%
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65.000%
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25.000%
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40.000%
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0.000%
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15.000%
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If, for example, the final basket level were determined to be 25.000% of the initial basket level, the cash settlement amount that we would deliver on
your notes at maturity would be 40.000% of the face amount of your notes, as shown in the table above. As a result, if you purchased your notes on the original issue date at the face amount and held them to the stated maturity date, you would
lose 60.000% of your investment (if you purchased your notes at a premium to face amount you would lose a correspondingly higher percentage of your investment). In addition, if the final basket level were determined to be 200.000% of the initial
basket level, the cash settlement amount that we would deliver on your notes at maturity would be capped at the maximum settlement amount, or 121.000% of each $1,000 face amount of your notes, as shown in the table above. As a result, if you held your notes to the stated maturity date, you would not benefit from any increase in the final basket level over 114.000% of the initial basket level.
The following chart also shows a graphical illustration of the hypothetical cash settlement amounts (expressed as
a percentage of the face amount of your notes) that we would pay on your notes on the stated maturity date, if the final basket level (expressed as a percentage of the initial basket level) were any of the hypothetical levels shown on the
horizontal axis. The chart shows that any hypothetical final basket level (expressed as a percentage of the initial basket level) of less than 85.000% (the section left of the 85.000% marker on the horizontal axis) would result in a hypothetical
cash settlement amount of less than 100.000% of the face amount of your notes (the section below the 100.000% marker on the vertical axis) and, accordingly, in a loss of principal to the holder of the notes. The chart also shows that any
hypothetical final basket level (expressed as a percentage of the initial basket level) of greater than or equal to 114.000% (the section right of the 114.000% marker on the horizontal axis) would result in a capped return on your investment.
The following examples illustrate the hypothetical cash settlement amount at maturity for each note based on hypothetical final
levels of the basket underliers, calculated based on the key terms and assumptions above. The levels in Column A represent hypothetical initial levels for each basket underlier, and the levels in Column B represent hypothetical final levels for
each basket underlier. The percentages in Column C represent hypothetical final levels for each basket underlier in Column B expressed as percentages of the corresponding hypothetical initial levels in Column A. The amounts in Column D represent
the applicable initial weighted value for each basket underlier, and the amounts in Column E represent the products of the percentages in Column C times the corresponding amounts in Column D. The final basket level for each example is shown beneath each example, and will equal the sum of the products shown in Column E. The basket return for each example is shown beneath the final basket level for such example, and will equal the quotient of (i) the final basket level for such example minus the initial basket level divided by (ii) the initial basket level, expressed as a percentage. The values below have been rounded for ease of analysis.
Example 1: The final basket level is greater than the cap level. The cash settlement amount equals the maximum settlement amount.
|
Column A
|
Column B
|
Column C
|
Column D
|
Column E
|
||||||
|
Basket Underlier
|
Hypothetical
Initial Level
|
Hypothetical
Final Level
|
Column B /
Column A
|
Initial
Weighted
Value
|
Column C x
Column D
|
|||||
|
S&P 500® Index
|
2,800.00
|
4,200.00
|
150.00%
|
40.00
|
60.00
|
|||||
|
EURO STOXX 50® Index
|
3,200.00
|
4,800.00
|
150.00%
|
25.00
|
37.50
|
|||||
|
iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
|
$40.00
|
$60.00
|
150.00%
|
18.00
|
27.00
|
|||||
|
Nikkei 225
|
22,000.00
|
33,000.00
|
150.00%
|
17.00
|
25.50
|
|||||
|
|
Final Basket Level:
|
150.00
|
||||||||
|
|
Basket Return:
|
50.00%
|
In this example, all of the hypothetical final levels for the basket underliers are greater than the applicable hypothetical
initial levels, which results in the hypothetical final basket level being greater than the initial basket level of 100.00. Since the hypothetical final basket level was determined to be 150.00, the hypothetical cash settlement amount that we
would deliver on your notes at maturity would be capped at the maximum settlement amount of $1,210 for each $1,000 face amount of your notes (i.e. 121.000% of each $1,000 face amount of your notes).
Example 2: The final basket level is greater than the initial basket level but less than the cap level.
|
Column A
|
Column B
|
Column C
|
Column D
|
Column E
|
||||||
|
Basket Underlier
|
Hypothetical
Initial Level
|
Hypothetical
Final Level
|
Column B /
Column A
|
Initial Weighted
Value
|
Column C
x
Column D
|
|||||
|
S&P 500® Index
|
2,800.00
|
2,940.00
|
105.00%
|
40.00
|
42.00
|
|||||
|
EURO STOXX 50® Index
|
3,200.00
|
3,360.00
|
105.00%
|
25.00
|
26.25
|
|||||
|
iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
|
$40.00
|
$42.00
|
105.00%
|
18.00
|
18.90
|
|||||
|
Nikkei 225
|
22,000.00
|
23,100.00
|
105.00%
|
17.00
|
17.85
|
|||||
|
Final Basket Level:
|
105.00
|
|||||||||
|
Basket Return:
|
5.00%
|
In this example, all of the hypothetical final levels for the basket underliers are greater than the applicable hypothetical
initial levels, which results in the hypothetical final basket level being greater than the initial basket level of 100.00. Since the hypothetical final basket level was determined to be 105.00, the hypothetical cash settlement amount for each
$1,000 face amount of your notes will equal:
Cash settlement amount = $1,000 + ($1,000 × 150.00% × 5.00%) = $1,075.00
Example 3: The final basket level is less than the initial basket level, but greater than the buffer level. The cash settlement amount equals the $1,000 face amount.
|
Column A
|
Column B
|
Column C
|
Column D
|
Column E
|
||||||
|
Basket Underlier
|
Hypothetical
Initial Level
|
Hypothetical
Final Level
|
Column B /
Column A
|
Initial Weighted
Value
|
Column C
x
Column D
|
|||||
|
S&P 500® Index
|
2,800.00
|
2,660.00
|
95.00%
|
40.00
|
38.00
|
|||||
|
EURO STOXX 50® Index
|
3,200.00
|
3,040.00
|
95.00%
|
25.00
|
23.75
|
|||||
|
iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
|
$40.00
|
$38.00
|
95.00%
|
18.00
|
17.10
|
|||||
|
Nikkei 225
|
22,000.00
|
20,900.00
|
95.00%
|
17.00
|
16.15
|
|||||
|
|
Final Basket Level:
|
95.00
|
||||||||
|
Basket Return:
|
-5.00%
|
|||||||||
In this example, all of the hypothetical final levels for the basket underliers are less than the applicable hypothetical initial
levels, which results in the hypothetical final basket level being less than the initial basket level of 100.00. Since the hypothetical final basket level of 95.00 is greater than the buffer level of 85.00% of the initial basket level but less
than the initial basket level of 100, the hypothetical cash settlement amount for each $1,000 face amount of your notes will equal the face amount of the note, or $1,000.
Example 4: The final basket level is less than the buffer level. The cash settlement amount is less than the $1,000 face amount.
|
Column A
|
Column B
|
Column C
|
Column D
|
Column E
|
||||||
|
Basket Underlier
|
Hypothetical
Initial Level
|
Hypothetical
Final Level
|
Column B /
Column A
|
Initial
Weighted
Value
|
Column C x
Column D
|
|||||
|
S&P 500® Index
|
2,800.00
|
1,400.00
|
50.00%
|
40.00
|
20.00
|
|||||
|
EURO STOXX 50® Index
|
3,200.00
|
3,200.00
|
100.00%
|
25.00
|
25.00
|
|||||
|
iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
|
$40.00
|
$44.00
|
110.00%
|
18.00
|
19.80
|
|||||
|
Nikkei 225
|
22,000.00
|
24,200.00
|
110.00%
|
17.00
|
18.70
|
|||||
|
Final Basket Level:
|
83.50
|
|||||||||
|
Basket Return:
|
-16.50%
|
In this example, the hypothetical final level of the S&P 500® Index is less
than its hypothetical initial level, while the hypothetical final level of EURO STOXX 50® Index is equal to its applicable hypothetical initial level and the hypothetical final levels of the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
and the Nikkei 225 are greater than their applicable initial level.
Because the basket is unequally weighted, increases in the lower weighted basket underliers will be offset by a decrease in the more heavily weighted
basket underlier. In this example, the large decline in the S&P 500® Index results in the hypothetical final basket level being less than the buffer level of 85.00% of the initial basket level even though the EURO STOXX 50®
Index remained flat and the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and the Nikkei 225 increased.
Since the hypothetical final basket level of 83.50 is less than the buffer level of 85.00% of the initial basket level, the
hypothetical cash settlement amount for each $1,000 face amount of your notes will equal:
Cash settlement amount = $1,000 + ($1,000 × 100.00% × (-16.50% + 15.00%)) = $985.00
Example 5: The final basket level is less than the buffer level. The cash settlement amount is less than the $1,000 face amount.
| Column A | Column B | Column C | Column D | Column E | ||||||
|
Basket Underlier
|
Hypothetical
Initial Level
|
Hypothetical
Final Level
|
Column B /
Column A
|
Initial
Weighted
Value
|
Column C x
Column D
|
|||||
|
S&P 500® Index
|
2,800.00
|
1,400.00
|
50.00%
|
40.00
|
20.00
|
|||||
|
EURO STOXX 50® Index
|
3,200.00
|
1,600.00
|
50.00%
|
25.00
|
12.50
|
|||||
|
iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
|
$40.00
|
$20.00
|
50.00%
|
18.00
|
9.00
|
|||||
|
Nikkei 225
|
22,000.00
|
11,000.00
|
50.00%
|
17.00
|
8.50
|
|||||
|
Final Basket Level:
|
50.00
|
|||||||||
|
Basket Return:
|
-50.00%
|
In this example, the hypothetical final levels for all of the basket underliers are less than the applicable hypothetical initial
levels, which results in the hypothetical final basket level being less than the initial basket level of 100.00. Since the hypothetical final basket level of 50.00 is less than the buffer level of 85.00% of the initial basket level, the
hypothetical cash settlement amount for each $1,000 face amount of your notes will equal:
Cash settlement amount = $1,000 + ($1,000 × 100.00% × (-50.00% + 15.00%)) = $650.00
The cash settlement amounts shown above are entirely hypothetical; they are based on levels of the basket
underliers that may not be achieved on the determination date and on assumptions that may prove to be erroneous. The actual market value of your notes on the stated maturity date or at any other time, including any time you may wish to sell your
notes, may bear little relation to the hypothetical cash settlement amounts shown above, and these amounts should not be viewed as an indication of the financial return on an investment in the offered notes. The hypothetical cash settlement
amounts on notes held to the stated maturity date in the examples above assume you purchased your notes at their face amount and have not been adjusted to reflect the actual issue price you pay for your notes. The return on your investment (whether
positive or negative) in your notes will be affected by the amount you pay for your notes. If you purchase your notes for a price other than the face amount, the return on your investment will differ from, and may be significantly lower than, the
hypothetical returns suggested by the above examples. Please read “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes — The Market Value of Your Notes May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” on page S-32 of the accompanying
product supplement no. 1,738.
Payments on the notes are economically equivalent to the amounts that would be paid on a combination of other instruments. For
example, payments on the notes are economically equivalent to a combination of an interest-bearing bond bought by the holder and one or more options entered into between the holder and us (with one or more implicit option premiums paid over time).
The discussion in this paragraph does not modify or affect the terms of the notes or the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the notes, as described elsewhere in this pricing supplement.
|
|
We cannot predict the actual final basket level on the determination date, nor can we predict the relationship
between the level of each basket underlier and the market value of your notes at any time prior to the stated maturity date. The actual amount that a holder of the offered notes will receive on the stated maturity date and the rate of
return on the offered notes will depend on the initial level of each basket underlier, which we will set on the trade date, and the actual basket return determined by the calculation agent as described above. Moreover, the assumptions on
which the hypothetical returns are based may turn out to be inaccurate. Consequently, the amount of cash to be paid in respect of your notes on the stated maturity date may be very different from the hypothetical cash settlement amounts
shown in the examples above.
|
|
|
|
An investment in your notes is subject to the risks described below, as well as the risks and considerations
described in the accompanying prospectus, in the accompanying prospectus supplement, under “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” in the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734 and under “Additional Risk Factors
Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes” in the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738. You should carefully review these risks and considerations as well as the terms of the notes described herein and in the accompanying prospectus,
the accompanying prospectus supplement, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734 and the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738. Your notes are a riskier investment than ordinary debt securities. Also, your notes are not
equivalent to investing directly in the basket underlier stocks, i.e., with respect to a basket underlier to which your notes are linked, the stocks comprising such basket underlier. You should carefully consider whether the offered
notes are suited to your particular circumstances.
|
|
The Estimated Value of Your Notes At the
Time the Terms of Your Notes Are Set On the Trade Date (as Determined By Reference to Pricing Models Used By GS&Co.) Is Less Than the Original Issue Price Of Your Notes
The original issue price
for your notes exceeds the estimated value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date, as determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models and taking into account our credit spreads. Such estimated value
on the trade date is set forth above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”; after the trade date, the estimated value as determined by reference to these models will be affected by changes in market conditions, the creditworthiness of GS Finance Corp., as issuer, and the
creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor, and other relevant factors. The price at which GS&Co. would initially buy or sell your notes (if GS&Co. makes a market, which it is not obligated to do), and the value that
GS&Co. will initially use for account statements and otherwise, also exceeds the estimated value of your notes as determined by reference to these models. As agreed by GS&Co. and the distribution participants, this excess (i.e., the
additional amount described under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”) will decline to zero on a straight line basis over the period from the date hereof through the applicable date set forth above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”. Thereafter,
if GS&Co. buys or sells your notes it will do so at prices that reflect the estimated value determined by reference to such pricing models at that time. The price at which GS&Co. will buy or sell your notes at any time also will reflect
its then current bid and ask spread for similar sized trades of structured notes.
In estimating the value
of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date, as disclosed above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”, GS&Co.’s pricing models consider certain variables, including principally our credit spreads, interest rates (forecasted, current and
historical rates), volatility, price-sensitivity analysis and the time to maturity of the notes. These pricing models are proprietary and rely in part on certain assumptions about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. As a result, the
actual value you would receive if you sold your notes in the secondary market, if any, to others may differ, perhaps materially, from the estimated value of your notes determined by reference to our models due to, among other things, any
differences in pricing models or assumptions used by others. See “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes — The Market Value of Your Notes May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” on page S-32 of the accompanying
product supplement no. 1,738.
The difference between
the estimated value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date and the original issue price is a result of certain factors, including principally the underwriting discount and commissions, the expenses incurred
in creating, documenting and marketing the notes, and an estimate of the difference between the amounts we pay to GS&Co. and the amounts GS&Co. pays to us in connection with your notes. We pay to GS&Co. amounts based on what we would
pay to holders of a non-structured note with a similar maturity. In return for such payment, GS&Co. pays to us the amounts we owe under your notes.
In addition to the factors discussed
above, the value and quoted price of your notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted. If GS&Co. makes a market in the notes, the price quoted by GS&Co. would reflect any changes in market conditions and other
relevant factors, including any
deterioration in our creditworthiness or
perceived creditworthiness or the creditworthiness or perceived creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. These changes may adversely affect the value of your notes, including the price you may receive for your notes in any market making
transaction. To the extent that GS&Co. makes a market in the notes, the quoted price will reflect the estimated value determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models at that time, plus or minus its then current bid and ask spread for
similar sized trades of structured notes (and subject to the declining excess amount described above).
Furthermore, if you sell
your notes, you will likely be charged a commission for secondary market transactions, or the price will likely reflect a dealer discount. This commission or discount will further reduce the proceeds you would receive for your notes in a
secondary market sale.
There is no assurance
that GS&Co. or any other party will be willing to purchase your notes at any price and, in this regard, GS&Co. is not obligated to make a market in the notes. See “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes — Your
Notes May Not Have an Active Trading Market” on page S-31 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738.
The Notes Are Subject to the Credit Risk
of the Issuer and the Guarantor
Although the return on
the notes will be based on the performance of the basket underliers, the payment of any amount due on the notes is subject to the credit risk of GS Finance Corp., as issuer of the notes, and the credit risk of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. as
guarantor of the notes. The notes are our unsecured obligations. Investors are dependent on our ability to pay all amounts due on the notes, and therefore investors are subject to our credit risk and to changes in the market’s view of our
creditworthiness. Similarly, investors are dependent on the ability of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor of the notes, to pay all amounts due on the notes, and therefore are also subject to its credit risk and to changes in the market’s
view of its creditworthiness. See “Description of the Notes We May Offer — Information About Our Medium-Term Notes, Series E Program — How the Notes Rank Against Other Debt” on page S-4 of the accompanying prospectus supplement and “Description
of Debt Securities We May Offer — Guarantee by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.” on page 42 of the accompanying prospectus.
The Amount Payable on Your Notes Is Not Linked to the Level of Each Basket Underlier at Any Time Other than the Determination
Date
The final basket level will be based on the closing levels of the basket underliers on the determination date
(subject to adjustment as described elsewhere in this pricing supplement). Therefore, if the closing levels of the basket underliers dropped precipitously on the determination date, the cash settlement amount for your notes may be significantly
less than it would have been had the cash settlement amount been linked to the closing levels of the basket underliers prior to such drop in the levels of the basket underliers. Although the actual levels of the basket underliers on the stated
maturity date or at other times during the life of your notes may be higher than the closing levels of the basket underliers on the determination date, you will not benefit from the closing levels of the basket underliers at any time other than on
the determination date.
You May Lose a Substantial Portion of Your Investment in the Notes
You can lose a substantial portion of your investment in the notes. The cash payment on your notes on the stated
maturity date will be based on the performance of a weighted basket comprised of the S&P 500® Index, the EURO STOXX 50® Index, the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF and the Nikkei 225 as measured from the
initial basket level of 100 to the final basket level on the determination date. If the final basket level for your notes is less than the buffer level, you will have a
loss for each $1,000 of the face amount of your notes equal to the product of (i) the buffer rate
times (ii) the sum of the basket return plus the buffer amount times (iii) $1,000. Thus, you may lose a substantial portion of your investment in the notes, which would include any premium to face amount you paid when you purchased the
notes.
Also, the market price of your notes prior to the stated maturity date may be significantly lower than the purchase price you pay
for your notes. Consequently, if you sell your notes before the stated maturity date, you may receive far less than the amount of your investment in the notes.
Your Notes Do Not Bear Interest
You will not receive any interest payments on your notes. As a result, even if the cash settlement amount payable for your notes
on the stated maturity date exceeds the face amount of your notes, the overall return you earn on your notes may be less than you would have earned by investing in a non-indexed debt security of comparable maturity that bears interest at a
prevailing market rate.
The Potential for the Value of Your Notes to Increase Will Be Limited
Your ability to participate in any change in the value of the basket over the life of your notes will be limited because of the
cap level, which will be set on the trade date. The maximum settlement amount will limit the amount in cash you may receive for each of your notes at maturity, no matter how much the level of the basket may rise beyond the cap level over the life
of your notes. Accordingly, the amount payable for each of your notes may be significantly less than it would have been had you invested directly in the basket or any of the basket underliers.
The Lower Performance of One Basket Underlier May Offset an Increase in the Other Basket Underliers
Declines in the level of one basket underlier may offset increases in the levels of the other basket underliers. As a result, any
return on the basket — and thus on your notes — may be reduced or eliminated, which will have the effect of reducing the amount payable in respect of your notes at maturity. In addition, because the basket underliers are not equally weighted,
increases in the lower weighted basket underliers may be offset by even small decreases in the more heavily weighted basket underliers. In particular, due to the weighting of the S&P 500® Index in the basket relative to the other
basket underliers, any decrease in the S&P 500® Index will have a significantly larger impact on your return on the notes than any proportional increase in the other basket underliers.
The Return on Your
Notes Will Not Reflect Any Dividends Paid on the Basket Underliers or the Basket Underlier Stocks, as Applicable
The underlier sponsors of the basket
indices calculate the value of applicable basket index by reference to the prices of its basket underlier stocks, without taking account of the value of dividends paid on those stocks. Therefore, the return on your notes will not reflect the
return you would realize if you actually owned the basket underlier stocks and received the dividends paid on those stocks. In addition, the return on your notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the basket fund
and received the dividends paid on the shares of the basket fund. You will not receive any dividends that may be paid on any of the basket underlier stocks by the basket underlier stock issuers or on the shares of the basket fund. See “— You Have
No Shareholder Rights or Rights to Receive Any Shares of a Basket Underlier or Any Basket Underlier Stocks” below for additional information.
You Have No Shareholder Rights or Rights
to Receive Any Shares of a Basket Underlier or Any Basket Underlier Stocks
Investing in your notes
will not make you a holder of any shares of any basket underlier or any basket underlier stocks. Neither you nor any other holder or owner of your notes will have any rights with respect to a basket underlier or its basket underlier stocks,
including any voting rights, any right to receive dividends or other distributions, any rights to make a claim against the basket underlier or its basket underlier stocks or any other rights of a holder of any shares of a basket underlier or its
basket underlier stocks. Your notes will be paid in cash and you will have no right to receive delivery of any basket underlier or any basket underlier stocks.
We May Sell an Additional Aggregate Face Amount of the Notes at a Different Issue Price
At our sole option, we may decide to sell an additional aggregate face amount of the notes subsequent to the date of this pricing
supplement. The issue price of the notes in the subsequent sale may differ substantially (higher or lower) from the issue price you paid as provided on the cover of this pricing supplement.
If You Purchase Your Notes at a Premium to Face Amount, the Return on Your Investment Will Be Lower Than the Return on Notes
Purchased at Face Amount and the Impact of Certain Key Terms of the Notes Will Be Negatively Affected
The cash settlement amount will not be adjusted based on the issue price you pay for the notes. If you purchase
notes at a price that differs from the face amount of the notes, then the return on your investment in such notes held to the stated maturity date will differ from, and may be substantially less than, the return on notes purchased at face amount.
If you purchase your notes at a premium to face amount and hold them to the stated maturity date the return on your investment in the notes will be lower than it would have been had you purchased the notes at face amount or a discount to face
amount. In addition, the impact of the buffer level and the cap level on the return on your investment will depend upon the price you pay for your notes relative to the face amount. For example, if you purchase your notes at a premium to face
amount, the cap level will only permit a lower positive return on your investment in the notes than would have been the case for notes purchased at face amount or a discount to the face amount. Similarly, the buffer level, while still providing
some protection for the return on the notes, will allow a greater percentage decrease in your investment in the notes than would have been the case for notes purchased at face amount or a discount to face amount.
The Policies of an Underlier Sponsor and Changes that Affect a Basket Index or An Underlying Index or the
Underlier Stocks Comprising a Basket Underlier or an Underlying Index, Could Affect the Cash Settlement Amount on the Stated Maturity Date and the Market Value of Your Notes
The policies of an underlier sponsor concerning the calculation of the level of a basket index and each underlying index, additions, deletions or substitutions of the underlier stocks comprising such basket index or the underlying index, and the manner in which changes affecting the underlier stocks
or their issuers, such as stock dividends, reorganizations or mergers, are reflected in the level of a basket index or the underlying index, could affect the level of the applicable basket index or the underlying index and, therefore, the amount
payable on your notes on the stated maturity date and the market value of your notes before that date. The amount payable on your
notes and their market value could also be affected if an underlier sponsor changes these policies, for example, by changing the manner in which it calculates the level of the applicable
basket index or the underlying index, or if any underlier sponsor discontinues or suspends calculation or publication of the level of the applicable basket index or the underlying index, in which case it may become difficult to determine the market
value of your notes. If events such as these occur on the determination date, the calculation agent — which initially will be GS&Co., our affiliate — may determine the closing level of
the applicable basket index or the underlying index on the determination date — and thus the amount payable on the stated maturity date — in a manner it considers appropriate, in its sole discretion. We describe the discretion that the calculation
agent will have in determining the levels of the basket underliers on the determination date and the amount payable on your notes more fully under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Discontinuance or Modification of a Basket Underlier” on page S-27 and “— Role of Calculation Agent” on page S-28 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734.
The Policies of the Investment Advisor of the Basket Fund, Blackrock Fund Advisors, and the Sponsor of the
Underlying Index of the Basket Fund, MSCI, Could Affect the Amount Payable on Your Notes and Their Market Value
The investment advisor of the basket fund, Blackrock Fund Advisors (“BFA”), may from time to time be called upon to make certain
policy decisions or judgments with respect to the implementation of policies concerning the calculation of the net asset value of the basket fund, additions, deletions or substitutions of securities in the basket fund and the manner in which
changes affecting the underlying index for the basket fund are reflected in the basket fund that could affect the market price of the shares of the basket fund, and therefore, the amount payable on your notes on the stated maturity date. The amount
payable on your notes and their market value could also be affected if the investment advisor changes these policies, for example, by changing the manner in which it calculates the net asset value of the basket fund, or if the investment advisor
discontinues or suspends calculation or publication of the net asset value of the basket fund, in which case it may become difficult or inappropriate to determine the market value of your notes.
If events such as these occur, the calculation agent — which initially will be GS&Co. — may determine the closing level of the basket fund on the
determination date — and thus the amount payable on the stated
maturity date — in a manner, in its sole discretion, it considers appropriate. We describe the discretion that the calculation agent will have in
determining the levels of the basket underliers on the determination date and the amount payable on your notes more fully under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Discontinuance or Modification of a Basket Underlier” on page S-27 and “— Role of
Calculation Agent” on page S-28 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734.
In addition, MSCI, the underlier sponsor of the underlying index of the basket fund, owns the underlying index and
is responsible for the design and maintenance of the underlying index. The policies of the underlier sponsor concerning the calculation of the underlying index, including decisions regarding the addition, deletion or substitution of the equity
securities included in the underlying index, could affect the level of the underlying index and, consequently, could affect the market prices of shares of the related basket fund and, therefore, the cash settlement amount payable on your notes and
their market value.
There Are Risks Associated With the
Basket Fund
Although the shares of the basket fund
are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “NYSE Arca”), a number of similar products have been traded on the NYSE Arca or other securities exchanges for varying periods of time, and there is no assurance that an active trading market
will continue for the shares of the basket fund or that there will be liquidity in the trading market.
In
addition, the basket fund is subject to management risk, which is the risk that
the basket fund investment advisor’s investment strategy, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results. For example, the basket fund investment advisor may select a portion of the
basket fund’s assets to be invested in securities that are not included in its underlying index. The basket fund is also not actively managed and may be affected by a general decline in market segments relating to the underlying index. The
basket fund investment advisor invests in securities included in, or representative of, the underlying index regardless of their investment merits. The basket fund investment advisor does not attempt to take defensive positions in declining
markets.
In addition, the basket fund is subject
to custody risk, which refers to the risks in the process of clearing and settling trades and to the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. Low trading volumes and volatile prices in less developed markets make trades
harder to complete and settle, and governments or trade groups may compel local agents to hold securities in designated depositories that are not subject to independent evaluation. The less developed a country’s securities market is, the greater
the likelihood of custody problems.
Further, under continuous listing
standards adopted by the NYSE Arca, the basket fund will be required to confirm on an ongoing basis that the components of its underlying index satisfy the applicable listing requirements. In the event that its underlying index does not comply
with the applicable listing requirements, the basket fund would be required to rectify such non-compliance by requesting that the underlying index sponsor modify such underlying index, adopting a new underlying index or obtaining relief from the
Securities and Exchange Commission. There can be no assurance that the underlying index sponsor would so modify the underlying index or that relief would be obtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission and, therefore, non-compliance with
the continuous listing standards may result in the basket fund being delisted by the NYSE Arca.
The Basket Fund and its Underlying Index
are Different and the Performance of the Basket Fund May Not Correlate With the Performance of its Underlying Index
The basket fund uses a representative sampling strategy (more
fully described under “The Basket Underliers — iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets
ETF”) to attempt to track the performance of its underlying index. The basket fund may not hold all or substantially all of the equity securities included in its underlying index and may hold securities or assets not included in its underlying
index. Therefore, while the performance of the basket fund is generally linked to the performance of its underlying index, the performance of the basket fund is also linked in part to shares of equity securities not included in its underlying
index and to the performance of other assets, such as futures contracts, options and swaps, as well as cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds affiliated with its underlier investment advisor.
Imperfect correlation between the basket
fund’s portfolio securities and those in its underlying index, rounding of prices, changes to its underlying index and regulatory requirements may cause tracking error, which is the divergence of the basket fund’s performance from that of its
underlying index.
In addition, the performance of the
basket fund will reflect additional transaction costs and fees that are not included in the calculation of its underlying index and this may increase the tracking error of the basket fund. Also, corporate actions with respect to the sample of
equity securities (such as mergers and spin-offs) may impact the performance differential between the basket fund and its underlying index. Finally, because the shares of the basket fund are traded on the NYSE Arca and are subject to market
supply and investor demand, the market value of one share of the basket fund may differ from the net asset value per share of the basket fund.
For all of the foregoing reasons, the
performance of the basket fund may not correlate with the performance of its underlying index. Consequently, the cash settlement amount payable on your notes will not be the same as investing directly in the basket fund or in its underlying index
or in any of the underlier stocks or in any of the underlying index stocks, and will not be the same as investing in a debt security with a payment at maturity linked to the performance of the underlying index.
An Investment in the Offered Notes Is Subject to Risks Associated with Foreign Securities
The value of your notes is linked, in part, to the EURO STOXX 50® Index and the Nikkei 225, which are comprised of
stocks from one or more foreign securities markets and, in part, to the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, which holds stocks traded in the equity markets of emerging market countries. Investments linked to the value of foreign equity
securities involve particular risks. Any foreign securities market may be less liquid, more volatile and affected by global or domestic market developments in a different way than are the U.S. securities market or other foreign securities markets.
Both government intervention in a foreign securities market, either directly or indirectly, and cross-shareholdings in foreign companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in that market. 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 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Further, foreign companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial
reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies.
The prices of securities in a foreign country are subject to political, economic, financial and social factors that are unique to
such foreign country’s geographical region. These factors include: recent changes, or the possibility of future changes, in the applicable foreign government’s economic and fiscal policies; the possible implementation of, or changes in, currency
exchange laws or other laws or restrictions applicable to foreign companies or investments in foreign equity securities; fluctuations, or the possibility of fluctuations, in currency exchange rates; and the possibility of outbreaks of hostility,
political instability, natural disaster or adverse public health developments. The United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union (popularly known as “Brexit”). The effect of Brexit is uncertain, and Brexit has and may continue to contribute
to volatility in the prices of securities of companies located in Europe and currency exchange rates, including the valuation of the euro and British pound in particular. Any one of these factors, or the combination of more than one of these
factors, could negatively affect such foreign securities market and the price of securities therein. Further, geographical regions may react to global factors in different ways, which may cause the prices of securities in a foreign securities
market to fluctuate in a way that differs from those of securities in the U.S. securities market or other foreign securities markets. Foreign economies may also differ from the U.S. economy in important respects, including growth of gross national
product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency, which may have a positive or negative effect on foreign securities prices.
Because foreign exchanges may be open on days when the basket fund is not traded, the value of the securities
underlying the basket fund may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell shares of the basket fund.
In addition, the basket fund holds stocks traded in equity markets of emerging market countries. The countries whose markets are
represented by the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF include Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan,
Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
Countries with emerging markets may have relatively unstable governments, may present the risks of nationalization
of businesses, restrictions on foreign ownership and prohibitions on the repatriation of assets, and may have less protection of property rights than more developed countries. The economies of countries with emerging markets may be based on only a
few industries, may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions, and may suffer from extreme and volatile debt burdens or inflation rates. Local securities markets may trade a small number of securities and may be unable to
respond effectively to increases in trading volume, potentially making prompt liquidation of holdings difficult or impossible at times. It will also likely be more costly and difficult for the investment advisor to enforce the laws or regulations
of a foreign country or trading facility, and it is possible that the foreign country or trading facility may not have laws or regulations which adequately protect the rights and interests of investors in the stocks included in the basket fund.
Your Investment in the Notes Will Be Subject to Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk
The basket fund holds assets that are denominated in non-U.S. dollar currencies. The value of the assets held by the basket fund
that are denominated in non-U.S. dollar currencies will be adjusted to reflect their U.S. dollar value by converting the price of such assets from the non-U.S. dollar currency to U.S. dollars. Consequently, if the value of the U.S. dollar
strengthens against the non-U.S. dollar currency in which an asset is denominated, the level of the basket fund may not increase even if the non-dollar value of the asset held by such basket fund increases.
Foreign currency exchange rates vary over time, and may vary considerably during the term of your notes. Changes in a particular
exchange rate result from the interaction of many factors directly or indirectly affecting economic and political conditions. Of particular importance are:
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existing and expected rates of inflation;
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existing and expected interest rate levels;
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the balance of payments among countries;
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| · |
the extent of government surpluses or deficits in the relevant foreign country and the United States; and
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other financial, economic, military and political factors.
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All of these factors are, in turn, sensitive to the monetary, fiscal and trade policies pursued by the governments of the relevant
foreign countries and the United States and other countries important to international trade and finance.
The market price of the notes and level of the basket fund could also be adversely affected by delays in, or refusals to grant, any
required governmental approval for conversions of a local currency and remittances abroad or other de facto restrictions on the repatriation of U.S. dollars.
It has been reported that the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority and regulators from other countries are in the process of investigating the potential
manipulation of published currency exchange rates. If such manipulation has occurred or is continuing, certain published exchange rates may have been, or may be in the future, artificially lower (or higher) than they would otherwise have been.
Any such manipulation could have an adverse impact on any payments on, and the value of, your notes and the trading market for your notes. In addition, we cannot predict whether any changes or reforms affecting the determination or publication of
exchange rates or the supervision of currency trading will be implemented in connection with these investigations. Any such changes or reforms could also adversely impact your notes.
Your Notes Are Linked to the EURO STOXX 50® Index and the Nikkei 225, Which Are Comprised of Underlier Stocks That Are
Traded in a Foreign Currency But Not Adjusted to Reflect Their U.S. Dollar Value, And, Therefore, the Return on Your Notes Will Not Be Adjusted for Changes in the Foreign Currency Exchange Rate
Your notes are linked, in part, to the EURO STOXX 50® Index and the Nikkei 225 whose underlier stocks are traded in a
foreign currency but not adjusted to reflect their U.S. dollar value. The amount payable on your notes will not be adjusted for changes in the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate or the Japanese yen/U.S. dollar exchange rate, respectively. The amount
payable will be based solely upon the overall change in the level of the EURO STOXX 50® Index and the Nikkei 225. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates, however, may reflect changes in the economy of the foreign countries in which
the EURO STOXX 50® Index’s and the Nikkei 225’s component stocks are listed that, in turn, may affect the level of the EURO STOXX 50® Index and the Nikkei 225.
Your Notes May Be Subject to an Adverse Change in Tax Treatment in the Future
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 proper U.S. federal income tax
treatment of an instrument such as your notes, and any such guidance could adversely affect the tax treatment and the value 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 Federal Income Tax Consequences” on
page S-41 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738. You should consult your tax advisor about this matter. Except to the extent otherwise provided by law, GS Finance Corp. intends to continue treating the notes for U.S. federal income tax
purposes in accordance with the treatment described under “Supplemental Discussion of Federal Income Tax Consequences” on page S-41 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738 unless and until such time as Congress, the Treasury Department or
the Internal Revenue Service determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.
United States Alien Holders Should Consider the Withholding Tax Implications of Owning the Notes
The Treasury Department has issued regulations under which amounts paid or deemed paid on certain financial instruments (“871(m)
financial instruments”) that are treated as attributable to U.S.-source dividends could be treated, in whole or in part depending on the circumstances, as a “dividend equivalent” payment that is subject to tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower rate
under an applicable treaty), which in the case of any amounts a United States alien holder receives upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your notes, could be collected via withholding. If these regulations were to apply to the notes, we may be
required to withhold such taxes if any U.S.-source dividends are paid on the basket fund or on the stocks included in the basket indices during the term of the notes. We could also require a United States alien holder to make certifications (e.g.,
an applicable Internal Revenue Service Form W-8) prior to the maturity of the notes in order to avoid or minimize withholding obligations, and we could withhold
accordingly (subject to the United States alien holder’s potential right to claim a refund from the Internal Revenue Service) if such certifications were not received or were not satisfactory. If withholding was required, we would not be required
to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld. These regulations generally will apply to 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other)
issued (or significantly modified and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2021, 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 United States alien 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.
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 all or a
portion of your notes. If all or a portion of your notes were subject to the constructive ownership rules, then all or a portion of 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.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding May Apply to Payments on Your Notes, Including as a Result of the Failure
of the Bank or Broker Through Which You Hold the Notes to Provide Information to Tax Authorities
Please see the discussion under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)
Withholding” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the applicability of FATCA to payments made on your notes.
The Basket
The basket is comprised of the following basket underliers with the following initial weights within the basket: the S&P 500®
Index (40% weighting), the EURO STOXX 50® Index (25% weighting), the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (18% weighting) and the Nikkei 225 (17% weighting).
The S&P 500® Index
The S&P 500® Index includes a representative sample of 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S.
economy. The S&P 500® Index is calculated, maintained and published by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“S&P”).
As of July 31, 2017, companies with multiple share class lines are no longer eligible for inclusion in the S&P 500®
Index. Constituents of the S&P 500® Index prior to July 31, 2017 with multiple share class lines will be grandfathered in and continue to be included in the S&P 500® Index. If an S&P 500® Index
constituent reorganizes into a multiple share class line structure, that company will be reviewed for continued inclusion in the S&P 500® Index at the discretion of the S&P Index Committee. Also as of July 31, 2017, the criteria
employed by S&P for purposes of making additions to the S&P 500® Index were changed as follows:
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with respect to the “U.S. company” criterion, (i) the IEX was added as an “eligible exchange” for the primary listing of the relevant company’s common stock and (ii) the former
“corporate governance structure consistent with U.S. practice” requirement was removed; and
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with respect to constituents of the S&P MidCap 400® Index and the S&P SmallCap 600® Index that are being considered for addition to the S&P 500®
Index, the financial viability, public float and/or liquidity eligibility criteria no longer need to be met if the S&P Index Committee decides that such an addition will enhance the representativeness of the S&P 500®
Index as a market benchmark.
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As of October 25, 2018, the 500 companies included in the S&P 500® Index were divided into eleven Global Industry
Classification Sectors. The Global Industry Classification Sectors include (with the approximate percentage currently included in such sectors indicated in parentheses): Communication Services (10.10%), Consumer Discretionary (10.06%), Consumer
Staples (7.34%), Energy (5.70%), Financials (13.29%), Health Care (15.02%), Industrials (9.32%), Information Technology (20.87%), Materials (2.32%), Real Estate (2.83%) and Utilities (3.15%). (Sector designations are determined by the basket
underlier sponsor using criteria it has selected or developed. Index sponsors may use very different standards for determining sector designations. In addition, many companies operate in a number of sectors, but are listed in only one sector and
the basis on which that sector is selected may also differ. As a result, sector comparisons between indices with different index sponsors may reflect differences in methodology as well as actual differences in the sector composition of the
indices.) As of the close of business on September 21, 2018, S&P and MSCI, Inc. updated the Global Industry Classification Sector structure. Among other things, the update broadened the Telecommunications Services sector and renamed it the
Communication Services sector. The renamed sector includes the previously existing Telecommunication Services Industry group, as well as the Media Industry group, which was moved from the Consumer Discretionary sector and renamed the Media &
Entertainment Industry group. The Media & Entertainment Industry group contains three industries: Media, Entertainment and Interactive Media & Services. The Media industry continues to consist of the Advertising, Broadcasting, Cable &
Satellite and Publishing sub-industries. The Entertainment industry contains the Movies & Entertainment sub-industry (which includes online entertainment streaming companies in addition to companies previously classified in such industry prior
to September 21, 2018) and the Interactive Home Entertainment sub-industry (which includes companies previously classified in the Home Entertainment Software sub-industry prior to September 21, 2018 (when the Home Entertainment Software
sub-industry was a sub-industry in the Information Technology sector)), as well as producers of interactive gaming products, including mobile gaming applications). The Interactive Media & Services industry and sub-industry includes companies
engaged in content and information creation or distribution through proprietary platforms, where revenues are derived primarily through pay-per-click advertisements, and includes search engines, social media and networking platforms, online
classifieds and online review companies. The Global Industry Classification Sector structure changes are effective for the S&P 500® Index as of the open of business on
September 24, 2018 to coincide with the September 2018 quarterly rebalancing.
The above information supplements the description of the S&P 500® Index found in the accompanying general terms
supplement no. 1,734. This information was derived from information prepared by the underlier
The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, and has been licensed for use by
GS Finance Corp. (“Goldman”). Standard & Poor’s® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC; Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC
(“Dow Jones”) and these trademarks have been licensed for use by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and sublicensed for certain purposes by Goldman. Goldman’s notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow
Jones, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC or any of their respective affiliates and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC or any of their respective affiliates make any
representation regarding the advisability of investing in such notes.
The EURO STOXX 50® Index
The EURO STOXX 50® Index is a free-float market capitalization-weighted index of 50 European blue-chip
stocks and was created by and is sponsored and maintained by STOXX Limited. Publication of the EURO STOXX 50® Index began on February 26, 1998, based on an initial index value of 1,000 at December 31, 1991. The level of the EURO STOXX 50®
Index is disseminated on the STOXX Limited website. STOXX Limited is under no obligation to continue to publish the index and may discontinue publication of it at any time. Additional information regarding the EURO STOXX 50® Index may be
obtained from the STOXX Limited website: stoxx.com. We are not incorporating by reference the website or any material it includes in this pricing supplement.
The top ten constituent stocks of the EURO STOXX 50® Index as of October 29, 2018, by weight, are:
Total S.A. (6.11%), SAP SE (4.50%), Siemens AG (3.88%), Sanofi (3.79%), Allianz SE (3.50%), Unilever N.V. (3.23%), LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (3.15%), Banco Santander S.A. (2.99%), Bayer AG (2.85%) and ASML Holding N.V. (2.82%);
constituent weights may be found at stoxx.com/download/indices/factsheets/SX5GT.pdf under “Factsheets and Methodologies” and are updated periodically.
As of October 29, 2018, the sixteen industry sectors which comprise the EURO STOXX 50® Index represent
the following weights in the index: Automobiles & Parts (4.38%), Banks (11.46%), Chemicals (4.79%), Construction & Materials (2.89%), Food & Beverage (4.35%), Health Care (10.27%), Industrial Goods & Services (10.86%), Insurance
(6.82%), Media (0.94%), Oil & Gas (7.87%), Personal & Household Goods (10.11%), Real Estate (0.98%), Retail (3.64%), Technology (9.95%), Telecommunications (4.81%) and Utilities (4.15%); industry weightings may be found at
stoxx.com/download/indices/factsheets/SX5GT.pdf under “Factsheets and Methodologies” and are updated periodically. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Sector designations are determined by the basket underlier sponsor using criteria it
has selected or developed. Index sponsors may use very different standards for determining sector designations. In addition, many companies operate in a number of sectors, but are listed in only one sector and the basis on which that sector is
selected may also differ. As a result, sector comparisons between indices with different index sponsors may reflect differences in methodology as well as actual differences in the sector composition of the indices.
As of October 29, 2018, the eight countries which comprise the EURO STOXX 50® Index represent the following weights in the index: Belgium
(2.55%), Finland (1.24%), France (38.94%), Germany (29.19%), Ireland (2.68%), Italy (4.76%), Netherlands (10.35%) and Spain (10.29%); country weightings may be found at stoxx.com/download/indices/factsheets/SX5GT.pdf under “Factsheets and
Methodologies” and are updated periodically.
The above information supplements the description of the EURO STOXX 50® Index found in the accompanying
general terms supplement no. 1,734. This information was derived from information prepared by the basket underlier sponsor, however, the percentages we have listed above are approximate and may not match the information available on the basket
underlier sponsor’s website due to subsequent corporate actions or other activity relating to a particular stock. For more details about the EURO STOXX 50® Index, the basket
underlier sponsor and license agreement between the basket underlier sponsor and the issuer, see “The Underliers — EURO STOXX 50® Index” on page S-75 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734.
The EURO STOXX 50® is the intellectual property of STOXX Limited, Zurich, Switzerland and/or its
licensors (“Licensors”), which is used under license. The securities or other financial instruments based on the index are in no way sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by STOXX and its Licensors and neither STOXX nor its Licensors shall have any
liability with respect thereto.
The iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
The shares of the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF are issued by
iShares, Inc., a registered investment company. The iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses,
of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF trades on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol “EEM”. BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”) serves as the investment advisor to
the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF.
The following tables display the top holdings and weighting by sector and country of the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF. A list of constituent stocks can be found at us.iShares.com/product_info/fund/overview/EEM.htm. We are not incorporating by reference the website or any material it includes in
this pricing supplement. This information has been obtained from the iShares® website without independent verification.
iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Top Ten Holdings as of November 9, 2018
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ETF Stock Issuer
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Percentage (%)
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TENCENT HOLDINGS LTD
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4.34%
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TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING
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3.85%
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SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS LTD
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3.85%
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ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING ADR REPRESEN
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3.50%
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NASPERS LTD
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1.77%
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CHINA CONSTRUCTION BANK CORP H
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1.63%
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CHINA MOBILE LTD
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1.19%
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BAIDU ADR REPTG INC CLASS A
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1.06%
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PING AN INSURANCE (GROUP) CO OF CH
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1.05%
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CIA VALE DO RIO DOCE SH
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0.98%
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Total
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23.22%
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iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Weighting by Sector as of November 9, 2018*ǂ
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Sector
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Percentage (%)
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Financials
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24.52%
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Information Technology
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14.98%
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Communication
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13.69%
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Consumer Discretionary
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10.15%
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Energy
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8.44%
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Materials
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7.70%
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Consumer Staples
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6.48%
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Industrials
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5.41%
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Health Care
|
2.95%
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Real Estate
|
2.85%
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Utilities
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2.57%
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| Cash and/or Derivatives | 0.24% |
| Other | 0.00% |
| Total | 99.98% |
* Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
ǂ The Global Industry Classification Structure, which MSCI utilizes to classify the constituents of the MSCI Emerging
Markets Index, was updated in September 2018. Please see “ ― The MSCI® Emerging Markets Index” below for additional information about these updates.
iShares®
MSCI Emerging Markets ETF Weighting by Country as of November 9, 2018*
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Country
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Percentage (%)
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China
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30.40%
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Korea (South)
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14.08%
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Taiwan
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11.56%
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India
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8.60%
|
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Brazil
|
7.45%
|
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South Africa
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6.31%
|
|
Russian Federation
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3.89%
|
|
Mexico
|
2.79%
|
|
Thailand
|
2.45%
|
|
Malaysia
|
2.42%
|
|
Indonesia
|
2.15%
|
|
Poland
|
1.24%
|
|
Chile
|
1.12%
|
|
Qatar
|
1.05%
|
|
Cash and/or Derivatives
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0.24%
|
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Other
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4.22%
|
|
Total
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99.97%
|
* Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
As of October 31, 2018, iShares® reported the following average annual returns on the market price of the ETF’s shares
and the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. The market price of the ETF’s shares takes into account distributions on the shares and the returns shown account for changes in the mid-point of the bid and ask prices at 4:00 p.m., Eastern time on the
relevant date. ETF shares: 1 year, -13.51%; 3 years, 6.06%; 5 years, 0.36%; 10 years, 6.45%; since inception, 10.17%; MSCI Emerging Markets Index: 1 year, -12.52%; 3 years, 6.52%; 5 years, 0.78%; 10 years, 7.84%;
since ETF inception,10.67%.
Notwithstanding the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF’s investment objective, the return on your notes
will not reflect any dividends paid on the shares of the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, on the securities purchased by the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF or on the securities that comprise the MSCI Emerging Markets
Index.
As of the close on May 31, 2018, MSCI began a multi-step process to include, in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index,
large cap China A shares that are not in trading suspension. As part of the first step of the inclusion process, which resulted from the May 2018 quarterly index review, MSCI added such large cap China A shares to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index at
2.5% of their foreign inclusion factor-adjusted market capitalization. In connection with the August 2018 quarterly index review, MSCI implemented the second step of the inclusion process by increasing the foreign inclusion factor-adjusted market
capitalization of those existing China A share constituents from 2.5% to 5%. With the implementation of this second step, and the inclusion of additional China A shares in connection with the August 2018 quarterly index review, China A shares were
initially expected to represent approximately 0.75% of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
MSCI has announced that, beginning in June 2019, it expects to include the MSCI Saudi Arabia Index in the MSCI Emerging Markets
Index, representing on a pro forma basis a weight of approximately 2.6% of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index with 32 securities, following a two-step inclusion process. The first inclusion step is expected to coincide with the May 2019 semi-annual
review and the second inclusion step is expected to take place as part of the August 2019 quarterly index review. In addition, MSCI has announced the reclassification of the MSCI Argentina Index from a “frontier market” to an “emerging
market”, and the MSCI Argentina Index is expected to be included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index coinciding with the May 2019
semi-annual index review. MSCI expects to continue to restrict the inclusion in the MSCI Argentina Index to only foreign listings of Argentinian companies, such as American depositary receipts.
As of the close of business on September 21, 2018, MSCI and S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC updated the Global
Industry Classification Sector structure. Among other things, the update broadened the Telecommunications Services sector and renamed it the Communication Services sector. The renamed sector includes the previously existing Telecommunication
Services Industry group, as well as the Media Industry group, which was moved from the Consumer Discretionary sector and renamed the Media & Entertainment Industry group. The Media & Entertainment Industry group contains three industries:
Media, Entertainment and Interactive Media & Services. The Media industry continues to consist of the Advertising, Broadcasting, Cable & Satellite and Publishing sub-industries. The Entertainment industry contains the Movies &
Entertainment sub-industry (which includes online entertainment streaming companies in addition to companies previously classified in such industry prior to September 21, 2018) and the Interactive Home Entertainment sub-industry (which includes
companies previously classified in the Home Entertainment Software sub-industry prior to September 21, 2018 (when the Home Entertainment Software sub-industry was a sub-industry in the Information Technology sector)), as well as producers of
interactive gaming products, including mobile gaming applications). The Interactive Media & Services industry and sub-industry includes companies engaged in content and information creation or distribution through proprietary platforms, where
revenues are derived primarily through pay-per-click advertisements, and includes search engines, social media and networking platforms, online classifieds and online review companies. The Global Classification Sector structure changes will be
implemented in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index in connection with the November 2018 semi-annual index review.
The above information supplements the
description of the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF found in the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734.
This information was derived from information prepared by the investment advisor, however, the percentages we have listed above are approximate and may not match the information available on the investment advisor’s website due to subsequent
corporate actions or other activity relating to a particular stock. For more details about the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, the investment advisor and license agreement between the investment advisor and the issuer, see “The Underliers — The iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF” on page S-91 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734.
iShares® is a registered trademark of BlackRock Institutional Trust Company, N.A. (“BITC”).
The securities are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by BITC. BITC makes no representations or warranties to the owners of the securities or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in the securities. BITC has no
obligation or liability in connection with the operation, marketing, trading or sale of the securities.
The MSCI Indexes are the exclusive
property of MSCI Inc. (“MSCI”). The securities referred to herein are not sponsored, endorsed, or promoted by MSCI, and MSCI bears no liability with respect to any such securities.
The Nikkei 225
The Nikkei Stock Average, more commonly known as the Nikkei 225, is a price-weighted equity index calculated, published and
disseminated daily by Nikkei Inc. The Nikkei 225 is comprised of 225 highly liquid stocks of the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section and aims to maintain long-term continuity and reflect changes in industry structure. The real-time price return
Japanese yen value of the Nikkei 225 is reported by Bloomberg under the ticker symbol “NKY”. Publication of the Nikkei 225 began on September 7, 1950 and was originally calculated by the Tokyo Stock Exchange but has been calculated by Nikkei Inc.
since 1970. According to Nikkei Inc., the Nikkei 225 has been widely followed throughout its history as a barometer of the Japanese equity markets and the Japanese economy following World War II. Additional information about the Nikkei 225 can
be found on Nikkei Inc.’s website at: indexes.nikkei.co.jp/en/nkave. We are not incorporating by reference the website or any material it includes in this document. Nikkei Inc. is under no obligation to continue to publish the Nikkei 225 and may
discontinue the Nikkei 225 at any time as further described below.
Nikkei Inc. maintains an industry classification system of 36 industries, which it reclassifies into six industry sectors for
purposes of the Nikkei 225. The six industry sectors, and the underlying 36 industry classifications, are as follows:
| · |
Technology — Pharmaceuticals, Electric Machinery, Automobiles and Automobile Parts, Precision
Instruments and Communications;
|
| · |
Financials — Banking, Other Financial Services, Securities and Insurance;
|
| · |
Consumer Goods — Fishery, Foods, Retail and Services;
|
| · |
Materials — Mining, Textiles and Apparel, Pulp and Paper, Chemicals, Petroleum, Rubber, Glass and
Ceramics, Steel, Nonferrous Metals and Trading Companies;
|
| · |
Capital Goods/Others — Construction, Machinery, Shipbuilding, Transportation Equipment, Other
Manufacturing and Real Estate; and
|
| · |
Transportation and Utilities — Railway and Bus, Land Transport, Marine Transport, Air Transport,
Warehousing, Electric Power and Gas.
|
As of November 9, 2018, the following sectors had the following weights in the Nikkei 225: Technology (42.40%), Financials
(2.63%), Consumer Goods (26.35%), Materials (15.59%), Capital Goods/Others (10.16%) and Transportation and Utilities (2.88%). Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding. (Sector designations are
determined by the basket underlier sponsor using criteria it has selected or developed. Index sponsors may use very different standards for determining sector designations. In addition, many companies operate in a number of sectors, but are listed
in only one sector and the basis on which that sector is selected may also differ. As a result, sector comparisons between indices with different index sponsors may reflect differences in methodology as well as actual differences in the sector
composition of the indices.)
As of November 9, 2018, the top ten constituents of the Nikkei 225 and their respective weights were:
|
Company
|
Weight (%)
|
|
Fast Retailing Co., Ltd.
|
10.04%
|
|
Softbank Group Corp.
|
4.39%
|
|
Fanuc Corp.
|
3.26%
|
|
Tokyo Electron Ltd.
|
2.52%
|
|
Familymart UNY Holdings Co, Ltd.
|
2.50%
|
|
KDDI Corp.
|
2.43%
|
|
Terumo Corp.
|
2.12%
|
|
Daikin Industries, Ltd.
|
2.12%
|
|
Kyocera Corp.
|
2.02%
|
|
Eisai Corp.
|
1.70%
|
The information in the table and paragraph above was derived from sources we deem reputable but without independent verification
by us. The other information regarding the index methodology described herein was derived from English language documents on Nikkei Inc.’s website but without independent verification. Please note that in any case where differences arise between
the English version of Nikkei Inc.’s index guide and the original Japanese version, the original Japanese document will prevail.
Construction of the Nikkei 225
In order to be eligible for the Nikkei 225, a stock must be an ordinary share of a domestic company listed on the Tokyo Stock
Exchange First Section. Non-ordinary shares such as exchange-traded funds, real estate investment trusts, preferred stock, preferred securities and tracking stocks are not eligible. The constituents of the Nikkei 225 are reviewed once each year
at the beginning of October (the “annual review”) and changes are typically implemented on the first trading day of October. There is no limit to the number of additions or deletions that may result from the annual review. The annual review
focuses on 1) a stock’s liquidity in the market and 2) industry sector balance. The purpose of the annual review is to maintain market representativeness of the constituents.
First, Nikkei Inc. assesses the liquidity of all eligible stocks by considering two factors: trading value of the preceding 5
years and magnitude of price fluctuation by volume of the preceding 5 years. Magnitude of price fluctuation by volume is calculated as the quotient of (1) the quotient of (i) the stock’s high price divided by (ii) such stock’s low price divided
by (2) such stock’s trading volume. After performing the liquidity assessment, the stocks are then ranked in descending order of liquidity and the top 450 stocks constitute the “high liquidity group” and remain eligible for inclusion in the
Nikkei 225. Any current constituents falling outside of the high liquidity group (ranked 451 or lower based on liquidity) are deleted from the Nikkei 225. Of those stocks in the high liquidity group, the top 75 with the highest liquidity and not
already a constituent are added to the Nikkei 225.
Second, the 450 stocks within the high liquidity group are categorized into the six industrial sectors described above:
technology, financials, consumer goods, industrial materials, capital goods/others and transportation/utilities. Once the number of stocks in each sector is determined, such number is divided in half to determine the target number of stocks from
each sector that shall constitute the 225 constituents in the Nikkei 225. If any of the sectors are over-represented at that stage (i.e., there are a greater number of actual constituents in the Nikkei 225 for the sector relative to the target
number of stocks for such sector), current constituents in the Nikkei 225 are deleted in order of ascending liquidity so those constituents with the lowest liquidity are removed from the Nikkei 225 until the overage is corrected. If any of the
sectors are under-represented (i.e., there are a lesser number of actual constituents in the Nikkei 225 for the sector relative to the target number of stocks for such sector), non-constituent stocks within the high liquidity group are added in
order of descending liquidity so those stocks with the highest liquidity are added to the Nikkei 225 until the shortage is corrected. This process is performed to achieve a group of 225 constituents that reflect the intended sector balance.
Calculation of the Nikkei 225
The Nikkei 225 is a weighted price average index in which the level of the Nikkei 225 is calculated as the quotient of (i) the sum of all constituents’ adjusted stock prices divided by (ii) the divisor (as described below). A constituent’s adjusted stock price is its stock price as adjusted by the presumed par value and such adjusted stock price is equal to the quotient of (i) the product of (a) the stock’s price times (b) 50 yen divided by (ii) the presumed par value of such stock (in yen). The Nikkei 225 level is rounded to the
nearest hundredth and is calculated and published every 5 seconds beginning at 9 am (Tokyo time) daily.
The stock price used in the calculation is typically the last traded price of the constituent. In some cases, however, the Tokyo Stock Exchange
publishes a special quote for the constituent, and the special quote price will be used. When this occurs, the special quote tends to be, but is not always, an intraday price. If neither a special quote price nor a traded price is available,
Nikkei Inc. will use the base price, which is usually the price used in calculating the Nikkei 225 on the prior day. In the case of a stock that is
trading ex-rights (e.g., after a stock split) for the first time on that day, however, Nikkei Inc. calculates an ex-rights theoretical price based
on the price used for calculation on the preceding day and the appropriate adjustment to reflect the change in the stock. Nikkei Inc. does not adjust for dividends in calculating the Nikkei 225.
The presumed par value of the constituent is intended to reflect the historical basis on which the stock is traded. Japanese law
abolished the concept of par value for stocks in 2001, but many stock prices reflect the former par value, such as 50, 500 or 50,000 yen. For example, stocks traded in units of 1 share (ex-par value of 50,000 yen) and stocks traded in units of
100 or 1000 shares have different price levels. Therefore, in order to calculate the Nikkei 225 on a consistent basis, Nikkei Inc. adjusts the constituent prices, usually to a presumed par value of 50 yen. Most of the constituents have a
presumed par value of 50 yen, which means their original prices are simply used for purposes of calculating the Nikkei 225. However, not all constituents have a presumed par value of 50 yen – presumed par values of current constituents range from
25 yen to 500 yen. The presumed par value for each constituent is published on Nikkei Inc.’s website.
The presumed par value also may be adjusted to reflect large scale stock splits or reverse splits. In these situations, Nikkei
Inc. believes a divisor adjustment will not ensure continuity of the Nikkei 225. Instead of adjusting the divisor, Nikkei Inc. adjusts the presumed par value or, in some cases, the constituent price. For example, if a stock with a presumed par
value of 50 yen splits 1 to 2, the presumed par value will be changed to 25 yen. In calculating the Nikkei 225, the constituent price will be doubled to reflect the 50 par yen basis for calculating the Nikkei 225. In the case of a small scale
split (such as a split of 1 to 1.1), the divisor will be adjusted instead of the presumed par value.
Divisor Adjustments
As noted above, the Nikkei 225 is calculated as an adjusted price average index, where the weight is based on the presumed par
value. The divisor is intended to maintain continuity of the Nikkei 225 and is the denominator of the fraction used to calculate the average. The divisor was initially the number of constituents, but has been changed over time to reflect stock
splits, reverse splits, paid-in capital increases and other changes in the constituents.
When a stock splits or reverse splits, the level of paid-in capital increases, or there are other non-market corporate events
affecting the constituents, the level of stock price changes. Also, when constituents are changed, the sum of stock prices (the numerator of the fraction prior to adjustment) changes based upon the prices of additions and deletions to the Nikkei
225. Therefore, the divisor is changed except in the case of large scale splits and reverse splits, in which the presumed par value is changed as discussed above.
The divisor for the next index day is calculated as the product
of (i) the current day’s divisor times (ii) the quotient of (a) the sum of the base prices for the next day’s constituents divided by (b) the sum of the closing prices of the current day’s constituents used to calculate the Nikkei 225 level for the current day. For purposes of calculating the divisor, the base
prices for the next day’s constituents are calculated as follows:
| • |
The base price for stocks the prices of which are not changed based on non-market events will be the
same as the current day’s price used in calculating the Nikkei 225.
|
| • |
The base price for stocks the presumed par value of which are changed will be the same as the current day’s price used in calculating the Nikkei 225 (and as a result of the presumed
par value change, no change in the divisor will occur).
|
| • |
The base price for stocks the prices of which will change for non-market corporate events will be a theoretical price calculated based on the current day’s prices and the ex-rights
change in the stock.
|
| • |
The base price for stocks becoming new index constituents on the next day will be the prices calculated for those stocks as if they were current constituents as discussed above.
|
As of January 30, 2018, the divisor of the Nikkei 225 was 27. The divisor is published on Nikkei Inc.’s website on each Tokyo
Stock Exchange trading day and is rounded to the nearest one-thousandth. For additional information about the divisor, as well as calculation examples of divisor changes, please see the index guide on Nikkei Inc.’s website.
Maintenance of the Nikkei 225
Extraordinary Replacement
In addition to additions and deletions of constituents resulting from the annual review, changes to index constituents may also
be made as a result of certain extraordinary events. Stocks delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section as a result of bankruptcy, stocks designated by the Tokyo Stock Exchange as a “security to be delisted,” stocks of companies in
bankruptcy, liquidation and similar events, stocks affected by corporate restructuring (including mergers, share exchanges and share transfers), stocks delisted due to excess debt, or stocks transferred to the Tokyo Stock Exchange Second Section
will be deleted from the Nikkei 225. Constituents that are designated by the Tokyo Stock Exchange as “securities under supervision” become deletion candidates, but deletion is not automatic and the sustainability and probability of delisting from
the exchange will be considered in determining whether to delete the constituent from the Nikkei 225.
If a constituent has been deleted from the Nikkei 225 based on an event described above, a stock will be added to replace the
deleted constituent by selecting the highest liquidity stock in the same sector as the deleted constituent from the high liquidity group determined during the last annual review. However, if a deletion is scheduled close to an annual review,
additional stocks may be selected as part of the applicable annual review process. Additionally, if there are multiple deletions in a short period of time not close to a scheduled annual review, the standard annual review process assessing
liquidity and sector balance will be followed to select new constituents rather than referring to the last annual review list.
Special Rules for Additions Resulting from Other Corporate Actions
Notwithstanding the process above, the following procedures may be applied in certain cases of corporate restructuring.
Application of these special rules is determined for each particular case. Where (i) a constituent is merged and delisted or (ii) a newly established listed parent company receives its shares by transfer or exchange from another constituent, the
delisted stock may be replaced by the successor company’s stock if it is or will be listed within a short period on the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section. In the case of spin-offs where multiple companies remain listed on the Tokyo Stock
Exchange First Section, the stock of the company that succeeds to the major operations of the former company will become a constituent of the Nikkei 225.
Except for constituent changes resulting from the annual review and from the circumstances described above under “Extraordinary
Replacement” and “Special Rules for Additions Resulting from Other Corporate Actions”, there is no process for adding new constituents to the Nikkei 225. After consultation with academics and market professionals, Nikkei Inc. decides and
announces the list of deletions and additions. As discussed above under “Calculation of the Nikkei 225”, the divisor is adjusted accordingly to maintain continuity when constituents are added or deleted from the Nikkei 225. Deletions and
additions to the Nikkei 225 resulting from either the annual review or extraordinary events are generally effective on the same day in an effort to maintain the number of constituents at 225. However, when necessary, additions may be made after
the deletions take effect and during the interim period, the Nikkei 225 may be calculated with less than 225 constituents. For example, in the case of sudden events, such as bankruptcy, there may be a short announcement period before the deletion
is effective or if such constituent is promptly deleted, the new constituent may be added after a short period of notice.
Changes to the Nikkei 225 Methodology
Although the Nikkei 225 is calculated and maintained in accordance with the information provided in the methodology maintained on
Nikkei Inc.’s website, Nikkei Inc. has discretion to take measures it deems appropriate upon the occurrence of events which are not covered in the methodology or in circumstances where it is difficult to continue to calculate the Nikkei 225 using
the rules described in such methodology.
License Agreement between Nikkei Inc. and GS Finance Corp.
Goldman Sachs has entered into a non-exclusive license agreement with Nikkei Inc. (“NKI”) whereby GS Finance Corp., in exchange for a fee, will be
permitted to use the Nikkei 225 in connection with the offer and sale of your security. Any intellectual property rights relating to the Nikkei 225 belong to NKI. Goldman Sachs is not affiliated with NKI; the only relationship between NKI and
Goldman Sachs is the licensing of the use of the Nikkei 225 and trademarks relating to the Nikkei 225.
NKI is under no obligation to continue the calculation and dissemination of the Nikkei 225. Your security is not sponsored,
endorsed, sold or otherwise promoted by NKI. No inference should be drawn from the information contained herein that NKI makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, to us or any holder of your security or any member of the public
regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in your security in particular or the ability of the Nikkei 225 to track generally stock market performance.
NKI determines, composes and calculates the Nikkei 225 without regard to your security. NKI has no obligation to take into
account your interest, or that of anyone else having an interest, in your security in determining, composing or calculating the Nikkei 225 or any successor index. NKI is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the
terms, prices or amount of your security and will not be responsible for or participate in any determination or calculation regarding the principal amount of your security payable at the stated maturity date. NKI has no obligation or liability in
connection with the administration, marketing or trading of your security.
Neither NKI nor any of its affiliates accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of the Nikkei
225. NKI disclaims all responsibility for any errors or omissions in the calculation and dissemination of the Nikkei 225 or the manner in which the Nikkei 225 is applied in determining the level of the Nikkei 225 or any amount payable upon
maturity of your security.
NKI DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE NIKKEI 225 OR ANY DATA INCLUDED IN THE NIKKEI 225. NKI ASSUMES NO
LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS.
Historical Closing Levels of the Basket Underliers
The respective closing level of the basket underliers have fluctuated in the past and may, in the future, experience significant
fluctuations. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of any of the basket underliers during the period shown below is not an indication that the basket underliers are more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time during the
life of your notes.
You should not take the historical levels of the basket or
the basket underliers as an indication of the future performances of the basket underliers. We cannot give you any assurance that the future performance of the basket, basket underliers or the basket underlier stocks will result in your
receiving an amount greater than the outstanding face amount of your notes on the stated maturity date.
Neither we nor any of our affiliates make any representation to you as to the performance of the basket or the basket underliers.
Before investing in the offered notes, you should consult publicly available information to determine the level of the basket underliers between the date of this pricing supplement and the date of your purchase of the offered notes. The actual
performance of the basket and the basket underliers over the life of the offered notes, as well as the cash settlement amount at maturity, may bear little relation to the historical levels shown below.
The graphs below show the daily historical closing levels of each basket underlier from November 8, 2008 through November 8, 2018. We obtained the
closing levels in the graphs below from Bloomberg Financial Services, without independent verification.
Historical Performance of the S&P 500® Index
Historical Performance of the EURO STOXX 50® Index
Historical Performance of the iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets Index
Historical Performance of the Nikkei 225
Historical Basket Levels
The following graph is based on the basket closing level for the period from November 8, 2008 through November 8, 2018 assuming that the basket closing level was 100
on November 8, 2008. We derived the basket closing levels based on the method to calculate the basket closing level as described in this pricing supplement and on actual closing levels of the relevant basket underliers on the relevant date. The
basket closing level has been normalized such that its hypothetical level on November 8, 2008 was 100. As noted in this pricing supplement, the initial basket level will be set at 100 on the trade date. The basket closing level can increase or
decrease due to changes in the levels of the basket underliers.
We have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this pricing supplement, the
accompanying product supplement no. 1,738, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the
reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This pricing supplement, the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the
accompanying prospectus is an offer to sell only the notes offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this pricing supplement, the accompanying product
supplement no. 1,738, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is current only as of the respective dates of such documents.
Pricing Supplement
|
PS-2
|
|
|
PS-7
|
|
|
PS-14
|
|
|
PS-23
|
|
|
Product Supplement No. 1,738 dated July 10, 2017
|
|
|
Summary Information
|
S-1
|
|
Hypothetical Returns on the Underlier-Linked Notes
|
S-10
|
|
Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes
|
S-30
|
|
General Terms of the Underlier-Linked Notes
|
S-35
|
|
Use of Proceeds
|
S-40
|
|
Hedging
|
S-40
|
|
Supplemental Discussion of Federal Income Tax Consequences
|
S-41
|
|
Employee Retirement Income Security Act
|
S-48
|
|
Supplemental Plan of Distribution
|
S-49
|
|
Conflicts of Interest
|
S-52
|
|
General terms supplement no. 1,734 dated July 10, 2017
|
|
|
Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes
|
S-1
|
|
Supplemental Terms of the Notes
|
S-16
|
|
The Underliers
|
S-36
|
|
S&P 500® Index
|
S-40
|
|
MSCI Indices
|
S-46
|
|
Hang Seng China Enterprises Index
|
S-55
|
|
Russell 2000® Index
|
S-61
|
|
FTSE® 100 Index
|
S-69
|
|
EURO STOXX 50® Index
|
S-75
|
|
TOPIX
|
S-82
|
|
The Dow Jones Industrial Average®
|
S-87
|
|
The iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF
|
S-91
|
|
Use of Proceeds
|
S-94
|
|
Hedging
|
S-94
|
|
Employee Retirement Income Security Act
|
S-95
|
|
Supplemental Plan of Distribution
|
S-96
|
|
Conflicts of Interest
|
S-98
|
|
Prospectus Supplement dated July 10, 2017
|
|
|
Use of Proceeds
|
S-2
|
|
Description of Notes We May Offer
|
S-3
|
|
Considerations Relating to Indexed Notes
|
S-15
|
|
United States Taxation
|
S-18
|
|
Employee Retirement Income Security Act
|
S-19
|
|
Supplemental Plan of Distribution
|
S-20
|
|
Validity of the Notes and Guarantees
|
S-21
|
|
Prospectus dated July 10, 2017
|
|
|
Available Information
|
2
|
|
Prospectus Summary
|
4
|
|
Risks Relating to Regulatory Resolution Strategies and Long-Term Debt Requirements
|
8
|
|
Use of Proceeds
|
11
|
|
Description of Debt Securities We May Offer
|
12
|
|
Description of Warrants We May Offer
|
45
|
|
Description of Units We May Offer
|
60
|
|
GS Finance Corp.
|
65
|
|
Legal Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance
|
67
|
|
Considerations Relating to Floating Rate Debt Securities
|
72
|
|
Considerations Relating to Indexed Securities
|
73
|
|
Considerations Relating to Securities Denominated or Payable in or Linked to a Non-U.S. Dollar Currency
|
74
|
|
United States Taxation
|
77
|
|
Plan of Distribution
|
92
|
|
Conflicts of Interest
|
94
|
|
Employee Retirement Income Security Act
|
95
|
|
Validity of the Securities and Guarantees
|
95
|
|
Experts
|
96
|
|
Review of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements by Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
|
96
|
|
Cautionary Statement Pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
|
96
|
$
GS Finance Corp.
Leveraged Buffered Basket-Linked Notes
due
guaranteed by
The Goldman Sachs
Group, Inc.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
|
|
|
|