RY Royal Bank of Canada

 

Subject to Completion Preliminary Term Sheet dated December 26, 2024

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2) Registration Statement No. 333-275898 (To Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement, each dated December 20, 2023, and Product Supplement EQUITY ARN-1 dated December 27, 2023)

Units  $10 principal amount per unit CUSIP No.

Pricing Date*  Settlement Date*  Maturity Date*

January    , 2025 February    , 2025 March    , 2026

*Subject to change based on the actual date the notes are priced for initial sale to the public (the “pricing date”)

Accelerated Return Notes® Linked to the iShares® U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF
§	Maturity of approximately 14 months
§	3-to-1 upside exposure to increases in the iShares® U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (the “Market Measure”), subject to a capped return of [10.00% to 14.00%]
§	1-to-1 downside exposure to decreases in the Market Measure, with 100% of your principal at risk
§	All payments occur at maturity and are subject to the credit risk of Royal Bank of Canada.
§	No periodic interest payments
§	In addition to the underwriting discount set forth below, the notes include a hedging-related charge of $0.05 per unit. See “Structuring the Notes.”
§	Limited secondary market liquidity, with no exchange listing
§	The notes are unsecured debt securities and are not savings accounts or insured deposits of a bank. The notes are not insured by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or any other governmental agency of Canada or the United States.

 

The notes are being issued by Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”). There are important differences between the notes and a conventional debt security, including different investment risks and certain additional costs. See “Risk Factors” and “Additional Risk Factors” beginning on page TS-6 of this term sheet and “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-7 of product supplement EQUITY ARN-1.

 

The initial estimated value of the notes as of the pricing date is expected to be between $9.06 and $9.56 per unit, which is less than the public offering price listed below. See “Summary” on the following page, “Risk Factors” beginning on page TS-6 of this term sheet and “Structuring the Notes” below for additional information. The actual value of your notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted with accuracy.

_

 

None of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), any state securities commission, or any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this Note Prospectus (as defined below) is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

_

 

	Per Unit	Total
Public offering price(1)	$  10.000	$
Underwriting discount(1)	$   0.175	$
Proceeds, before expenses, to RBC	$   9.825	$

  

(1)

For any purchase of 300,000 units or more in a single transaction by an individual investor or in combined transactions with the investor’s household in this offering, the public offering price and the underwriting discount will be $9.950 per unit and $0.125 per unit, respectively. See “Supplement to the Plan of Distribution” below.

 

The notes:

 

Are Not FDIC Insured

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

May Lose Value

 

 

BofA Securities

January    , 2025

  

Summary

 

The Accelerated Return Notes^® Linked to the iShares^® U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF, due March , 2026 (the “notes”) are our senior unsecured debt securities. The notes are not insured by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or secured by collateral. The notes will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated debt. Any payments due on the notes, including any repayment of principal, will be subject to the credit risk of RBC.

 

The notes are not bail-inable notes (as defined in the prospectus supplement). The notes provide you a leveraged return, subject to a cap, if the Ending Value of the Market Measure, which is the iShares^® U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (the “Market Measure”), is greater than the Starting Value. If the Ending Value is less than the Starting Value, you will lose all or a portion of the principal amount of your notes. Any payments on the notes will be calculated based on the $10 principal amount per unit and will depend on the performance of the Market Measure, subject to our credit risk. See “Terms of the Notes” below.

 

The economic terms of the notes (including the Capped Value) are based on our internal funding rate, which is the rate we pay to borrow funds through the issuance of market-linked notes, and the economic terms of certain related hedging arrangements. Our internal funding rate is typically lower than the rate we would pay when we issue conventional fixed or floating rate debt securities. This difference in funding rate, as well as the underwriting discount and the hedging-related charge described below, reduce the economic terms of the notes to you and the price at which you may be able to sell the notes in any secondary market. Due to these factors, the public offering price you pay to purchase the notes will be greater than the initial estimated value of the notes.

 

On the cover page of this term sheet, we have provided the initial estimated value range for the notes. This initial estimated value range was determined based on our and our affiliates’ pricing models, which take into consideration our internal funding rate and the market prices for the hedging arrangements related to the notes. The initial estimated value of the notes calculated on the pricing date will be set forth in the final term sheet made available to investors in the notes. For more information about the initial estimated value and the structuring of the notes, see “Structuring the Notes” below.

 

Terms of the Notes

Redemption Amount Determination

 

 

 

 

The terms and risks of the notes are contained in this term sheet and in the following:

 

§

Product supplement EQUITY ARN-1 dated December 27, 2023: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1000275/000114036123059840/ef20017521_424b5.htm

 

§

Series J MTN prospectus supplement dated December 20, 2023: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1000275/000119312523299523/d638227d424b3.htm

 

§

Prospectus dated December 20, 2023: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1000275/000119312523299520/d645671d424b3.htm

 

These documents (together, the “Note Prospectus”) have been filed as part of a registration statement with the SEC, which may, without cost, be accessed on the SEC website as indicated above or obtained from us, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (“MLPF&S”) or BofAS by calling 1-800-294-1322. Before you invest, you should read the Note Prospectus, including this term sheet, and the other documents that we have filed with the SEC for information about us and this offering. Any prior or contemporaneous oral statements and any other written materials you may have received are superseded by the Note Prospectus. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this term sheet have the meanings set forth in product supplement EQUITY ARN-1. Unless otherwise indicated or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this term sheet to “Royal Bank of Canada,” the “Bank,” “we,” “us,” “our” or similar references mean only RBC.

 

“Accelerated Return Notes^®” and “ARNs^®” are the registered service marks of Bank of America Corporation, the parent company of MLPF&S and BofAS.

 

Investor Considerations

 

You may wish to consider an investment in the notes if:

The notes may not be an appropriate investment for you if:

 

We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisors before you invest in the notes.

 

Hypothetical Payout Profile and Examples of Payments at Maturity

 

The graph below is based on hypothetical numbers and values.

 

Accelerated Return Notes®

This graph reflects the returns on the notes, based on the Participation Rate of 300% and a hypothetical Capped Value of $11.20 per unit (the midpoint of the Capped Value range of [$11.00 to $11.40]). The green line reflects the returns on the notes, while the dotted gray line reflects the returns of a direct investment in the Market Measure, excluding dividends.   This graph has been prepared for purposes of illustration only.

The following table and examples are for purposes of illustration only. They are based on hypothetical values and show hypothetical returns on the notes. They illustrate the calculation of the Redemption Amount and total rate of return based on a hypothetical Starting Value of 100.00, the Participation Rate of 300%, a hypothetical Capped Value of $11.20 per unit and a range of hypothetical Ending Values. The actual amount you receive and the resulting total rate of return will depend on the actual Starting Value, Ending Value and Capped Value, and whether you hold the notes to maturity. The following examples do not take into account any tax consequences from investing in the notes.

 

For recent actual prices of the Market Measure, see “The Market Measure” section below. The Ending Value will not include any income generated by dividends paid on the Market Measure, which you would otherwise be entitled to receive if you invested in the Market Measure directly. In addition, all payments on the notes are subject to issuer credit risk.

 

Ending Value		Percentage Change from the Starting Value to the Ending Value		Redemption Amount per Unit		Total Rate of Return on the Notes
0.00		-100.00%		$0.00		-100.00%
50.00		-50.00%		$5.00		-50.00%
80.00		-20.00%		$8.00		-20.00%
90.00		-10.00%		$9.00		-10.00%
94.00		-6.00%		$9.40		-6.00%
97.00		-3.00%		$9.70		-3.00%
100.00(1)		0.00%		$10.00		0.00%
102.00		2.00%		$10.60		6.00%
103.00		3.00%		$10.90		9.00%
104.00		4.00%		$11.20(2)		12.00%
105.00		5.00%		$11.20		12.00%
110.00		10.00%		$11.20		12.00%
120.00		20.00%		$11.20		12.00%
150.00		50.00%		$11.20		12.00%
200.00		100.00%		$11.20		12.00%

 

(1)

The hypothetical Starting Value of 100.00 used in these examples has been chosen for illustrative purposes only, and does not represent a likely actual Starting Value for the Market Measure.

(2)

The Redemption Amount per unit cannot exceed the hypothetical Capped Value.

 

Redemption Amount Calculation Examples:

 

Example 1
The Ending Value is 50.00, or 50.00% of the Starting Value:
Starting Value: 100.00
Ending Value: 50.00
	= $5.00  Redemption Amount per unit

 

Example 2
The Ending Value is 102.00, or 102.00% of the Starting Value:
Starting Value: 100.00
Ending Value: 102.00
	= $10.60  Redemption Amount per unit

 

Example 3
The Ending Value is 130.00, or 130.00% of the Starting Value:
Starting Value: 100.00
Ending Value: 130.00
	= $19.00, however, because the Redemption Amount for the notes cannot exceed the hypothetical Capped Value, the Redemption Amount will be $11.20 per unit

Risk Factors

 

There are important differences between the notes and a conventional debt security. An investment in the notes involves significant risks, including those listed below. You should carefully review the more detailed explanation of risks relating to the notes in the “Risk Factors” sections beginning on page PS-7 of product supplement EQUITY ARN-1, page S-3 of the MTN prospectus supplement and page 1 of the prospectus identified above. We also urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting, and other advisors before you invest in the notes.

 

Structure-related Risks

 

§

Depending on the performance of the Market Measure as measured shortly before the maturity date, your investment may result in a loss; there is no guaranteed return of principal.

 

§

Your return on the notes may be less than the yield you could earn by owning a conventional fixed or floating rate debt security of comparable maturity.

 

§

Payments on the notes are subject to our credit risk, and actual or perceived changes in our creditworthiness are expected to affect the value of the notes. If we become insolvent or are unable to pay our obligations, you may lose your entire investment.

 

§

Your investment return is limited to the return represented by the Capped Value and may be less than a comparable investment directly in shares of the Market Measure or the securities held by the Market Measure.

 

Valuation- and Market-related Risks

 

§

The initial estimated value of the notes is only an estimate, determined as of a particular point in time by reference to our and our affiliates’ pricing models. These pricing models consider certain assumptions and variables, including our credit spreads, our internal funding rate, mid-market terms on hedging transactions, expectations on dividends, interest rates and volatility, price-sensitivity analysis and the expected term of the notes. These pricing models rely in part on certain forecasts about future events, which may prove to be incorrect.

 

§

The public offering price you pay for the notes will exceed the initial estimated value. If you attempt to sell the notes prior to maturity, their market value may be lower than the price you paid for them and lower than the initial estimated value. This is due to, among other things, changes in the value of the Market Measure, our internal funding rate and the inclusion in the public offering price of the underwriting discount and the hedging-related charge, all as further described in “Structuring the Notes” below. These factors, together with various credit, market and economic factors over the term of the notes, are expected to reduce the price at which you may be able to sell the notes in any secondary market and will affect the value of the notes in complex and unpredictable ways.

 

§

The initial estimated value does not represent a minimum or maximum price at which we, MLPF&S, BofAS or any of our affiliates would be willing to purchase your notes in any secondary market (if any exists) at any time. The value of your notes at any time after issuance will vary based on many factors that cannot be predicted with accuracy, including the performance of the Market Measure, our creditworthiness and changes in market conditions.

 

§

A trading market is not expected to develop for the notes. None of us, MLPF&S or BofAS is obligated to make a market for, or to repurchase, the notes. There is no assurance that any party will be willing to purchase your notes at any price in any secondary market.

 

Conflict-related Risks

 

§

Our business, hedging and trading activities, and those of MLPF&S, BofAS and our respective affiliates (including trades in shares of the Market Measure or the securities held by the Market Measure), and any hedging and trading activities we, MLPF&S, BofAS or our respective affiliates engage in for our clients’ accounts, may affect the market value and return of the notes and may create conflicts of interest with you.

 

§

There may be potential conflicts of interest involving the calculation agent, which is BofAS. We have the right to appoint and remove the calculation agent.

 

Market Measure-related Risks

 

§

The sponsor and advisor of the Market Measure may adjust the Market Measure in a way that could adversely affect the value of the notes and the amount payable on the notes, and these entities have no obligation to consider your interests.

 

§

You will have no rights of a holder of shares of the Market Measure or the securities held by the Market Measure, and you will not be entitled to receive securities or dividends or other distributions by the issuers of those securities.

 

§

While we, MLPF&S, BofAS or our respective affiliates may from time to time own shares of the Market Measure or the securities held by the Market Measure, we, MLPF&S, BofAS and our respective affiliates do not control the Market Measure or the issuers of those securities, and have not verified any disclosure made by any other company.

 

§

There are liquidity and management risks associated with the Market Measure.

 

§

The performance of the Market Measure may not correlate with the performance of the securities held by the Market Measure as well as the net asset value per share of the Market Measure, especially during periods of market volatility when the liquidity and the market price of shares of the Market Measure and/or the securities held by the Market Measure may be adversely affected, sometimes materially.

 

§

The payments on the notes will not be adjusted for all corporate events that could affect the Market Measure. See “Description of ARNs—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds” in product supplement EQUITY ARN-1.

 

Tax-related Risks

 

§

The U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes are uncertain. There is no direct legal authority regarding the proper U.S. federal income tax treatment of the notes, and significant aspects of the tax treatment of the notes are uncertain. Moreover, the notes may be subject to the “constructive ownership” regime, in which case certain adverse tax consequences may apply upon your disposition of a note. You should review carefully the section entitled “United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” herein, in combination with the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary” in the accompanying product supplement, and consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes.

 

Additional Risk Factors

 

The securities held by the Market Measure are concentrated in one sector. As a result, the securities that will determine the performance of the notes are concentrated in one sector. Although an investment in the notes will not give holders any ownership or other direct interests in the securities held by the Market Measure, the return on the notes will be subject to certain risks similar to those associated with direct equity investments in the aerospace and defense sector. Accordingly, by investing in the notes, you will not benefit from the diversification which could result from an investment linked to companies that operate in multiple sectors.

 

A limited number of stocks held by the Market Measure may affect its price, and the stocks held by the Market Measure are not necessarily representative of the aerospace and defense sector. While the securities held by the Market Measure are common stocks of companies generally considered to be involved in various segments of the aerospace and defense sector, the securities held by the Market Measure may not follow the price movements of the entire aerospace and defense sector generally. As of the date of this term sheet, a small number of securities accounted for more than half of the Market Measure’s holdings. If these securities decline in value, the Market Measure will likely decline in value even if security prices in the aerospace and defense sector generally increase in value.

 

Adverse conditions in the aerospace and defense sector may reduce your return on the notes. All of the stocks held by the Market Measure are issued by companies whose primary lines of business are directly associated with the aerospace and defense sector. The aerospace and defense sector may be significantly affected by changes in government regulations and spending policies, changes in economic conditions and industry consolidation as well as geopolitical events, international conflicts and other factors that interact in complex and unpredictable ways. The financial condition of these companies is heavily influenced by government defense spending, which may be reduced in efforts to control government budgets. The aerospace industry in particular has recently been affected by adverse economic conditions and consolidation within the industry. Any adverse developments affecting the aerospace and defense sector could adversely affect the price of the Market Measure and the value of the notes.

 

The Market Measure

 

All information contained in this term sheet regarding the iShares^® U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (the “ITA”) has been derived from publicly available information, without independent verification. This information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, the fund manager of the ITA and BlackRock Fund Advisors (“BFA”). ITA is currently an investment portfolio of iShares^® Trust and is managed and maintained by its fund manager. BFA is currently the investment adviser to ITA. The consequences of any discontinuance of the ITA are discussed in the section entitled “Description of ARNs—Anti-Dilution and Discontinuance Adjustments Relating to Underlying Funds” in product supplement EQUITY ARN-1. None of us, the calculation agent, MLPF&S, or BofAS accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of the ITA or any successor. Neither we nor any agent has independently verified the accuracy or completeness of any information with respect to the ITA in connection with the offer and sale of the notes. The ITA is an exchange-traded fund that trades on NYSE Arca, Inc. under the ticker symbol “ITA.”

 

The ITA seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of an index composed of U.S. equities in the aerospace and defense sector, which is currently the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. For more information about the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index, please see “The Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index” below. The ITA trades on the CBOE BZX under the ticker symbol “ITA.”

 

BFA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the ITA. “Representative sampling” is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to that of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. The ITA may or may not hold all of the securities in the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index.

 

The Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index is a financial calculation, based on a grouping of financial instruments, and is not an investment product, while the ITA is an actual investment portfolio. The performance of the ITA and the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index may vary for a number of reasons, including transaction costs, non-U.S. currency valuations, asset valuations, corporate actions (such as mergers and spin-offs), timing variances and differences between the ITA’s portfolio and the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index resulting from the ITA’s use of representative sampling or from legal restrictions (such as diversification requirements) that apply to the ITA but not to the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. “Tracking error” is the divergence of the performance (return) of the ITA’s portfolio from that of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. Because the ITA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy, it can be expected to have a larger tracking error than if it used a replication indexing strategy. “Replication” is an indexing strategy in which a fund invests in substantially all of the securities in its underlying index in approximately the same proportions as in the underlying index.

 

iShares^® Trust is a registered investment company that consists of numerous separate investment portfolios, including the ITA. Information provided to or filed with the SEC by iShares^® Trust pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, can be located by reference to SEC file numbers 333-92935 and 811-09729, respectively, for iShares^® Trust through the SEC’s website at https://www.sec.gov.

 

The Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index

 

All information contained in this term sheet regarding the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index (the “Aerospace & Defense Index”), including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation and changes in its components, has been derived from publicly available information, without independent verification. This information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“S&P Dow Jones”). The Aerospace & Defense Index is calculated, maintained and published by S&P Dow Jones. S&P Dow Jones has no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication of, the Aerospace & Defense Index.

 

The Aerospace & Defense Index is a capped float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index that measures the performance of the aerospace and defense sub-sectors, as defined by S&P Dow Jones’ proprietary classification system, of the U.S. equity market. These sub-sectors include manufacturers, assemblers and distributors of aircraft and aircraft parts primarily used in commercial or private air transport and producers of components and equipment for the defense industry, including military aircraft, radar equipment and weapons. S&P Dow Jones began calculating the Aerospace & Defense Index on a live basis on April 28, 2006. The level of the Aerospace & Defense Index was set equal to 1000 on December 31, 1991, the base date of the Aerospace & Defense Index. The level of the Aerospace & Defense Index is reported by Bloomberg L.P. under the ticker symbol “DJSASD.”

 

Constituent Selection

 

Constituent Eligibility. The eligible index universe includes all common stocks of companies included in the Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index that are categorized into the aerospace and defense sub-sectors, based on a proprietary classification system used by S&P Dow Jones. The Dow Jones U.S. Broad Stock Market Index is designed to measure the performance of large-, mid- and small-cap U.S. equity securities. Limited partnerships are not eligible for index membership.

 

Multiple Classes of Stocks. All publicly listed multiple share class lines are eligible for index inclusion, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria.

 

Market Capitalization. On the last business day of the month prior to the quarterly rebalancing, a non-constituent company must have float-adjusted market capitalization of at least $500 million to become a constituent. If a company is already an index constituent, its float-adjusted market capitalization must be at least $250 million to remain a constituent.

 

Minimum Component Count. At each quarterly rebalancing, if the component count is less than 22 after applying the rules set forth above, the market capitalization requirement is relaxed so that the next largest non-component in the eligible universe is added until the component count reaches 22.

 

Constituent Weightings

 

At each rebalancing, the Aerospace & Defense Index is float-adjusted market capitalization weighted, subject to the following constraints:

 

·

The weight of any individual company is capped at 22.50%.

 

·

If any company’s weight exceeds 22.50%, that company’s weight is capped at 22.50% and all excess weight is proportionally redistributed to all uncapped companies within the Aerospace & Defense Index. If after this redistribution, any company breaches the 22.50% weight cap, the process is repeated iteratively until no company breaches the 22.50% weight cap.

 

·

Then, the aggregate weight of the companies in the Aerospace & Defense Index with a weight greater than 4.50% is capped at 45%.

 

These caps are set to allow for a buffer below the 25%, 5% and 50% limits, respectively.

 

Index Calculation

 

The Aerospace & Defense Index is a capped float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index. The index value of the Aerospace & Defense Index is the market value of the Aerospace & Defense Index divided by the index divisor:

 

 

 

where: is the number of stocks in the index, is the price of stock , is total shares outstanding of stock , is the float factor of stock (as defined in “— Float Adjustment” below), and is the adjustment factor of stock assigned at each index rebalancing date, , which adjusts the market capitalization for all index constituents to achieve the user-defined weight, while maintaining the total market value of the overall index. The AWF for each index constituent, i, at rebalancing date, t, is calculated by:

 

 

where: is the uncapped weight of stock on rebalancing date based on the float-adjusted market capitalization of all index constituents and is the capped weight of stock on rebalancing date as determined by the capping rule and the process for determining capped weights, as described under “— Constituent Weightings” above.

 

Float Adjustment. Float adjustment means that the number of shares outstanding is reduced to exclude closely held shares from the calculation of the index value because such shares are not available to investors. The goal of float adjustment is to adjust each company’s total shares outstanding for long-term strategic shareholders, who often have interests such as maintaining control rather than the shorter-term economic fortunes of the company. Generally, these long-term strategic shareholders include, but are not limited to, officers and directors, private equity, venture capital and special equity firms, asset managers and insurance companies with direct board of director representation, other publicly traded companies that hold shares, holders of restricted shares, company-sponsored employee share plans/trusts, defined contribution plans/savings, and investment plans, foundations or family trusts associated with the company, government entities at all levels (other than government retirement/pension funds), sovereign wealth funds and any individual person who controls a 5% or greater stake in a company as reported in regulatory filings. Restricted shares are generally not included in total shares outstanding except for shares held as part of a lock-up agreement. Shares that are not considered outstanding are also not included in the available float. These generally include treasury stock, stock options, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock and rights.

 

For each constituent, S&P Dow Jones calculates an Investable Weight Factor (“IWF”), which represents the portion of the total shares outstanding that are considered part of the public float for purposes of the Aerospace & Defense Index.

 

Divisor. Continuity in index values of the Aerospace & Defense Index is maintained by adjusting its divisor for all changes in its constituents’ share capital after its base date. This includes additions and deletions to the Aerospace & Defense Index, rights issues, share buybacks and issuances and non-zero price spin-offs. The value of the Aerospace & Defense Index’s divisor over time is, in effect, a chronological summary of all changes affecting the base capital of the Aerospace & Defense Index. The divisor of the Aerospace & Defense Index is adjusted such that the index value of the Aerospace & Defense Index at an instant just prior to a change in base capital equals the index value of the Aerospace & Defense at an instant immediately following that change.

 

Index Maintenance

 

Rebalancing. The Aerospace & Defense Index is rebalanced quarterly, effective at the open of trading on the Monday following the third Friday of March, June, September, and December. Component eligibility is determined as of the last trading day of the month prior to rebalancing. The reference date used for a company’s sub-sector classification is the Aerospace & Defense Index’s rebalancing effective date. As part of the rebalancing process, the Aerospace & Defense Index’s composition, shares and weight caps are adjusted, if necessary.

 

Stocks are assigned index shares using the closing prices as of seven business days prior to the rebalancing effective date as the reference price. For index selection purposes, the Aerospace & Defense Index uses shares outstanding and IWF figures as of the rebalancing effective date.

 

Additions. Except for spin-offs, no additions are made to the Aerospace & Defense Index between quarterly rebalancings.

 

Deletions. Between rebalancings, a company can be deleted from the Aerospace & Defense Index due to corporate events such as mergers, acquisitions, takeovers, delistings or bankruptcies. Deleted constituents are not replaced between rebalancings. If, during the course of the regular review of company classifications, a constituent’s sub-sector classification changes to no longer include the aerospace or defense sub-sector classifications, it is removed from the Aerospace & Defense Index at the next rebalancing. If a constituent’s sector classification changes due to a corporate action such as a merger or spin-off, it is evaluated and may be removed from the Aerospace & Defense Index at that time.

 

The following graph shows the daily historical performance of the ITA on its primary exchange in the period from January 1, 2014 through December 19, 2024. We obtained this historical data from Bloomberg L.P. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg L.P. On December 19, 2024, the Closing Market Price of the ITA was $144.31. The graph below may have been adjusted to reflect certain actions, such as stock splits and reverse stock splits.

 

Historical Performance of the ITA

 

 

This historical data on the ITA is not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the ITA or what the value of the notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the price per share of the ITA during any period set forth above is not an indication that the price per share of the ITA is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time over the term of the notes.

 

Before investing in the notes, you should consult publicly available sources for the prices of the ITA.

 

Supplement to the Plan of Distribution

 

Under our distribution agreement with BofAS, BofAS will purchase the notes from us as principal at the public offering price indicated on the cover of this term sheet, less the indicated underwriting discount.

 

MLPF&S will purchase the notes from BofAS for resale, and will receive a selling concession in connection with the sale of the notes in an amount up to the full amount of underwriting discount set forth on the cover of this term sheet.

 

We will pay a fee to LFT Securities, LLC for providing certain electronic platform services with respect to this offering, which reduces the economic terms of the notes to you. An affiliate of BofAS has an ownership interest in LFT Securities, LLC.

 

We may deliver the notes against payment therefor in New York, New York on a date that is greater than one business day following the pricing date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in one business day, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, if the initial settlement of the notes occurs more than one business day from the pricing date, purchasers who wish to trade the notes more than one business day prior to the original issue date will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

 

The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. In the original offering of the notes, the notes will be sold in minimum investment amounts of 100 units. If you place an order to purchase the notes, you are consenting to MLPF&S and/or one of its affiliates acting as a principal in effecting the transaction for your account.

 

MLPF&S and BofAS may repurchase and resell the notes, with repurchases and resales being made at prices related to then-prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices, and these prices will include MLPF&S’s and BofAS’s trading commissions and mark-ups or mark-downs. MLPF&S and BofAS may act as principal or agent in these market-making transactions; however, neither is obligated to engage in any such transactions. At their discretion, for a short, undetermined initial period after the issuance of the notes, MLPF&S and BofAS may offer to buy the notes in the secondary market at a price that may exceed the initial estimated value of the notes. Any price offered by MLPF&S or BofAS for the notes will be based on then-prevailing market conditions and other considerations, including the performance of the Market Measure and the remaining term of the notes. However, none of us, MLPF&S, BofAS or any of our respective affiliates is obligated to purchase your notes at any price or at any time, and we cannot assure you that we, MLPF&S, BofAS or any of our respective affiliates will purchase your notes at a price that equals or exceeds the initial estimated value of the notes.

 

The value of the notes shown on your account statement will be based on BofAS’s estimate of the value of the notes if BofAS or another of its affiliates were to make a market in the notes, which it is not obligated to do. That estimate will be based upon the price that BofAS may pay for the notes in light of then-prevailing market conditions and other considerations, as mentioned above, and will include transaction costs. At certain times, this price may be higher than or lower than the initial estimated value of the notes.

 

The distribution of the Note Prospectus in connection with these offers or sales will be solely for the purpose of providing investors with the description of the terms of the notes that was made available to investors in connection with their initial offering. Secondary market investors should not, and will not be authorized to, rely on the Note Prospectus for information regarding RBC or for any purpose other than that described in the immediately preceding sentence.

 

An investor’s household, as referenced on the cover of this term sheet, will generally include accounts held by any of the following, as determined by MLPF&S in its discretion and acting in good faith based upon information then available to MLPF&S:

 

·

the investor’s spouse (including a domestic partner), siblings, parents, grandparents, spouse’s parents, children and grandchildren, but excluding accounts held by aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews or any other family relationship not directly above or below the individual investor;

 

·

a family investment vehicle, including foundations, limited partnerships and personal holding companies, but only if the beneficial owners of the vehicle consist solely of the investor or members of the investor’s household as described above; and

 

·

a trust where the grantors and/or beneficiaries of the trust consist solely of the investor or members of the investor’s household as described above; provided that, purchases of the notes by a trust generally cannot be aggregated together with any purchases made by a trustee’s personal account.

 

Purchases in retirement accounts will not be considered part of the same household as an individual investor’s personal or other non-retirement account, except for individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”), simplified employee pension plans (“SEPs”), savings incentive match plan for employees (“SIMPLEs”) and single-participant or owners only accounts (i.e., retirement accounts held by self-employed individuals, business owners or partners with no employees other than their spouses).

 

Please contact your MLPF&S financial advisor if you have any questions about the application of these provisions to your specific circumstances or think you are eligible.

 

Structuring the Notes

 

The notes are our debt securities. As is the case for all of our debt securities, including our market-linked notes, the economic terms of the notes reflect our actual or perceived creditworthiness. In addition, because market-linked notes result in increased operational, funding and liability management costs to us, we typically borrow the funds under market-linked notes at a rate that is lower than the rate that we might pay for a conventional fixed or floating rate debt security of comparable maturity, which we refer to as our internal funding rate. The lower internal funding rate, along with the fees and charges associated with market-linked notes, reduce the economic terms of the notes to you and result in the initial estimated value of the notes on the pricing date being less than their public offering price. Unlike the initial estimated value, any value of the notes determined for purposes of a secondary market transaction may be based on a secondary market rate, which may result in a lower value for the notes than if our initial internal funding rate were used.

 

At maturity, we are required to pay the Redemption Amount to holders of the notes, which will be calculated based on the $10 per unit principal amount and will depend on the performance of the Market Measure. In order to meet these payment obligations, at the time we issue the notes, we may choose to enter into certain hedging arrangements (which may include call options, put options or other derivatives) with BofAS or one of its affiliates. The terms of these hedging arrangements are determined by seeking bids from market participants, including MLPF&S, BofAS and their affiliates, and take into account a number of factors, including our creditworthiness, interest rate movements, the volatility of the Market Measure, the tenor of the notes and the tenor of the hedging arrangements. The economic terms of the notes and their initial estimated value depend in part on the terms of these hedging arrangements.

 

BofAS has advised us that the hedging arrangements will include a hedging-related charge of approximately $0.05 per unit, reflecting an estimated profit to be credited to BofAS from these transactions. Since hedging entails risk and may be influenced by unpredictable market forces, additional profits and losses from these hedging arrangements may be realized by BofAS or any third party hedge providers.

 

For further information, see “Risk Factors—Valuation- and Market-related Risks” beginning on page PS-8 and “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” on page PS-20 of product supplement EQUITY ARN-1.

 

Summary of Canadian Federal Income Tax Consequences

 

For a discussion of the material Canadian federal income tax consequences relating to an investment in the notes, please see the section entitled “Tax Consequences—Canadian Taxation” in the prospectus dated December 20, 2023.

 

United States Federal Income Tax Considerations

 

You should review carefully the section in the accompanying product supplement entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary.” The following discussion, when read in combination with that section, constitutes the full opinion of our counsel, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, regarding the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of the notes.

 

Generally, this discussion assumes that you purchased the notes for cash in the original issuance at the stated issue price and does not address other circumstances specific to you, including consequences that may arise due to any other investments relating to the Market Measure. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the effect any such circumstances may have on the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your ownership of a note.

 

In the opinion of our counsel, which is based on current market conditions, it is reasonable to treat the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes as pre-paid cash settled derivative contracts, as described in the section entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary—U.S. Holders” in the accompanying product supplement. There is uncertainty regarding this treatment, and the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or a court might not agree with it. Moreover, because this treatment of the notes and our counsel’s opinion are based on market conditions as of the date of this preliminary term sheet, each is subject to confirmation on the pricing date. A different tax treatment could be adverse to you. Generally, if this treatment is respected, subject to the potential application of the “constructive ownership” regime discussed below, (i) you should not recognize taxable income or loss prior to the taxable disposition of your notes (including upon maturity or an earlier redemption, if applicable) and (ii) the gain or loss on your notes should be treated as short-term capital gain or loss unless you have held the notes for more than one year, in which case your gain or loss should be treated as long-term capital gain or loss.

 

Even if the treatment of the notes as pre-paid cash settled derivative contracts is respected, purchasing a note could be treated as entering into a “constructive ownership transaction” within the meaning of Section 1260 of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 1260”). In that case, all or a portion of any long-term capital gain you would otherwise recognize upon the taxable disposition of the note would be recharacterized as ordinary income to the extent such gain exceeded the “net underlying long-term capital gain” as defined in Section 1260. Any long-term capital gain recharacterized as ordinary income would be treated as accruing at a constant rate over the period you held the note, and you would be subject to a notional interest charge in respect of the deemed tax liability on the income treated as accruing in prior tax years. Due to the lack of direct legal authority, our counsel is unable to opine as to whether or how Section 1260 applies to the notes.

 

We do not plan to request a ruling from the IRS regarding the treatment of the notes. An alternative characterization of the notes could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of ownership and disposition of the notes, including the timing and character of income recognized. In addition, the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS have requested comments on various issues regarding the U.S. federal income tax treatment of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar financial instruments and have indicated that such transactions may be the subject of future regulations or other guidance. Furthermore, members of Congress have proposed legislative changes to the tax treatment of derivative contracts. Any legislation, Treasury regulations or other guidance promulgated after consideration of these issues could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the notes, possibly with retroactive effect.

 

Non-U.S. holders. As discussed under “U.S. Federal Income Tax Summary—Non-U.S. Holders” in the accompanying product supplement, Section 871(m) of the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (“Section 871(m)”) generally impose a 30% withholding tax on dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid to non-U.S. holders with respect to certain financial instruments linked to U.S. equities or indices that include U.S. equities. The Treasury regulations, as modified by an IRS notice, exempt financial instruments issued prior to January 1, 2027 that do not have a “delta” of one. Based on certain determinations made by us, we expect that Section 871(m) will not apply to the notes with regard to non-U.S. holders. Our determination is not binding on the IRS, and the IRS may disagree with this determination. If necessary, further information regarding the potential application of Section 871(m) will be provided in the final term sheet for the notes.

 

We will not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to U.S. federal withholding taxes.

 

You should consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes, including possible alternative treatments and the potential application of the “constructive ownership” regime, as well as tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.

 

Supplemental Benefit Plan Investor Considerations

 

The notes are contractual financial instruments. The financial exposure provided by the notes is not a substitute or proxy for, and is not intended as a substitute or proxy for, individualized investment management or advice for the benefit of any purchaser or holder of the notes. The notes have not been designed and will not be administered in a manner intended to reflect the individualized needs and objectives of any purchaser or holder of the notes.

 

Each purchaser or holder of any notes acknowledges and agrees that:

 

·

the purchaser or holder or its fiduciary has made and shall make all investment decisions for the purchaser or holder and the purchaser or holder has not relied and shall not rely in any way upon us or any of our affiliates to act as a fiduciary or adviser of the purchaser or holder with respect to (i) the design and terms of the notes, (ii) the purchaser or holder’s investment in the notes, (iii) the holding of the notes or (iv) the exercise of or failure to exercise any rights we or any of our affiliates, or the purchaser or holder, has under or with respect to the notes;

 

·

we and our affiliates have acted and will act solely for our own account in connection with (i) all transactions relating to the notes and (ii) all hedging transactions in connection with our or our affiliates’ obligations under the notes;

 

·

any and all assets and positions relating to hedging transactions by us or any of our affiliates are assets and positions of those entities and are not assets and positions held for the benefit of the purchaser or holder;

 

·

our interests and the interests of our affiliates are adverse to the interests of the purchaser or holder; and

 

·

neither we nor any of our affiliates is a fiduciary or adviser of the purchaser or holder in connection with any such assets, positions or transactions, and any information that we or any of our affiliates may provide is not intended to be impartial investment advice.

 

See “Benefit Plan Investor Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus.

 

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