RY Royal Bank of Canada

 

Subject to Completion Preliminary Term Sheet dated December 27, 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 EURO STOXX 50® Index
§	Maturity of approximately 14 months
§	3-to-1 upside exposure to increases in the EURO STOXX 50® Index (the “Market Measure”), subject to a capped return of [17.00% to 21.00%]
§	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” 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 $9.12 and $9.62 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 EURO STOXX 50^® Index, 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 EURO STOXX 50^® Index (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 $11.90 per unit (the midpoint of the Capped Value range of [$11.70 to $12.10]). The green line reflects the returns on the notes, while the dotted gray line reflects the returns of a direct investment in the securities included 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 $11.90 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 levels of the Market Measure, see “The Market Measure” section below. The Market Measure is a price return index and as such the Ending Value will not include any income generated by dividends paid on the securities included in the Market Measure, which you would otherwise be entitled to receive if you invested in those securities 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%
105.00		5.00%		$11.50		15.00%
106.34		6.34%		$11.90(2)		19.00%
110.00		10.00%		$11.90		19.00%
120.00		20.00%		$11.90		19.00%
150.00		50.00%		$11.90		19.00%
200.00		100.00%		$11.90		19.00%

 

(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 $11.90 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 the securities included in 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 level 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 the securities included in 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 Market Measure sponsor may adjust the Market Measure in a way that affects its level, and has no obligation to consider your interests.

 

§

You will have no rights of a holder of the securities included in 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 the securities included in the Market Measure, we, MLPF&S, BofAS and our respective affiliates do not control the issuers of those securities, and have not verified any disclosure made by any other company.

 

§

Your return on the notes and the value of the notes may be affected by exchange rate movements and factors affecting the international securities markets, specifically changes within the Eurozone. The Eurozone is and has been undergoing severe financial stress, and the political, legal and regulatory ramifications are impossible to predict. Changes within the Eurozone could adversely affect the performance of the Market Measure and, consequently, the value of the notes. In addition, you will not obtain the benefit of any increase in the value of the euro against the U.S. dollar, which you would have received if you had

 

owned the securities included in the Market Measure during the term of your notes, although the level of the Market Measure may be adversely affected by general exchange rate movements in the market.

 

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. 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.

 

Other Terms of the Notes

 

Market Measure Business Day

 

The following definition supersedes and replaces the definition of “Market Measure Business Day” set forth in product supplement EQUITY ARN-1.

 

A “Market Measure Business Day” means a day on which:

 

(A)

the Eurex (or any successor) is open for trading; and

 

(A)

the Market Measure or any successor thereto is calculated and published.

 

The Market Measure

 

All information contained in this term sheet regarding the EURO STOXX 50^® Index (“SX5E”), 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, STOXX Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Börse AG, the index sponsor. The SX5E is calculated, maintained and published by STOXX Limited. STOXX Limited has no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication of the SX5E at any time. The consequences of STOXX Limited discontinuing publication of the SX5E are discussed in the section entitled “Description of ARNs—Discontinuance of an Index” 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 SX5E or any successor. Neither we nor any agent has independently verified the accuracy or completeness of any information with respect to the SX5E in connection with the offer and sale of the notes.

 

The EURO STOXX 50^® Index

 

The SX5E is a free-float market capitalization weighted index composed of 50 of the largest stocks in terms of free-float market capitalization traded on the major exchanges of 9 Eurozone countries: Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain. At any given time, some eligible countries may not be represented in the SX5E. The euro price return version of the SX5E is reported by Bloomberg L.P. under the ticker symbol “SX5E.”

 

The selection list for the SX5E is composed of the components of the EURO STOXX^® Index. In addition, the selection list for the SX5E includes the top 60% of the free-float market capitalization of each of the 20 EURO STOXX^® Supersector indices and all current SX5E component stocks. All the stocks on the selection list are ranked in terms of free-float market capitalization. The largest 40 stocks on the selection list are selected for inclusion in the SX5E; the remaining 10 stocks are selected from the largest remaining current stocks ranked between 41 and 60. If the number of stocks selected is still below 50, then the largest remaining stocks are selected until there are 50 stocks.

 

The weighting cap factor limits the weight of each component stock within the SX5E to a maximum of 10% of the SX5E at the time of each review.

 

Each of the SX5E, the EURO STOXX^® Index and each EURO STOXX^® Supersector Index is referred to individually as a “STOXX Benchmark Index” and, collectively, as the “STOXX Benchmark Indices.”

 

STOXX Benchmark Index Maintenance

 

The composition of each of the EURO STOXX^® Index and the EURO STOXX^® Supersector Indices is reviewed quarterly in March, June, September and December. The review cut-off date is the last trading day of the month preceding the review month.

 

The composition of the SX5E is reviewed annually in September. The review cut-off date is the last trading day of August. The composition of the SX5E is also reviewed monthly and components that rank 75 or below are replaced and non-component stocks that rank 25 or above are added.

 

In addition, changes to country classification and listing are effective as of the next quarterly review. At that time, the relevant STOXX Benchmark Index is adjusted accordingly to remain consistent with its country membership rules by deleting the company where necessary.

 

The STOXX Benchmark Indices are also reviewed on an ongoing basis. Corporate actions (including initial public offerings, mergers and takeovers, spin-offs, delistings, bankruptcy, and price and share adjustments) that affect a STOXX Benchmark Index composition are immediately reviewed. Any changes are announced, implemented and effective in line with the type of corporate action and the magnitude of the effect.

 

With respect to the EURO STOXX^® Index, the EURO STOXX^® Supersector Indices and the EURO STOXX 50^® Index, to maintain the number of components constant, a removed company is replaced by the highest-ranked non-component on the relevant selection list. The selection list is updated on a monthly basis according to the review component selection process.

 

The free-float factors for each component stock used to calculate each STOXX Benchmark Index are reviewed, calculated and implemented on a quarterly basis and are fixed until the next quarterly review.

 

STOXX Benchmark Index Calculation

 

Each STOXX Benchmark Index is calculated with the “Laspeyres formula,” which measures the aggregate price changes in the component stocks against a fixed base quantity weight. The formula for calculating the value of a STOXX Benchmark Index can be expressed as follows:

 

Index =	free-float market capitalization of the relevant STOXX Benchmark Index
	divisor

 

The “free-float market capitalization of the relevant STOXX Benchmark Index” is equal to the sum of the products, for each component stock, of the price, number of shares, free-float factor, weighting cap factor and, if applicable, the exchange rate from the local currency into the index currency of the relevant STOXX Benchmark Index as of the time that STOXX Benchmark Index is being calculated.

 

The free-float factor of each component stock is intended to reduce the number of shares to the actual amount available on the market. All fractions of the total number of shares that are larger than or equal to 5% and whose holding is of a long-term nature are excluded from the calculation of the STOXX Benchmark Indices, including: cross-ownership (stock owned either by the company itself, in the form of treasury shares, or owned by other companies); government ownership (stock owned by either governments or their agencies); private ownership (stock owned by either individuals or families); and restricted shares that cannot be traded during a certain period or have a foreign ownership restriction. Block ownership is not applied for holdings of custodian nominees, trustee companies, mutual funds, investment companies with short-term investment strategies, pension funds and similar entities.

 

Each STOXX Benchmark Index is also subject to a divisor, which is adjusted to maintain the continuity of the values of that STOXX Benchmark Index despite changes due to corporate actions. The following is a summary of the adjustments to any component stock of a STOXX Benchmark Index made for corporate actions and the effect of such adjustment on the divisor of that STOXX Benchmark Index, where shareholders of the component stock will receive “B” number of shares for every “A” share held (where applicable).

 

𝜏	=	withholding tax
Divt	=	dividend amount announced by company
pt-1	=	closing price on the day before the ex-date
padj	=	new adjusted price
wft-1	=	weighting factor on the day before the ex-date
wfadj	=	new adjusted weighing factor
st-1	=	number of shares on the day before the ex-date
sadj	=	new adjusted number of shares
SP	=	subscription price

 

Special Cash Dividend	Divisor
Cash distributions that are outside the scope of the regular dividend policy or that the company defines as an extraordinary distribution.	decreases
padj = pt-1 - Divt × (1 – 𝜏*)

 

* If a withholding tax (𝜏) applies then 𝜏 > 0, else 𝜏 = 0.

 

Split and Reverse Split	Divisor
padj = pt-1 × A / B	unchanged
sadj = st-1 × B / A
Rights Offering
If the subscription price is not available or equal to or greater than the closing price on the day before the ex-date (out-of-the-money), then no adjustment is made.   If the subscription price is available as a price range and not as a fixed price, the price and share adjustment is performed only if both lower and upper range are in the money. The average value between lower and upper range will be used as a subscription price.

If the subscription price is not available or equal to or greater than the closing price on the day before the ex-date (out-of-the-money), then no adjustment is made.

If the subscription price is available as a price range and not as a fixed price, the price and share adjustment is performed only if both lower and upper range are in the money. The average value between lower and upper range will be used as a subscription price.

Standard Rights Issue	Divisor
padj = (pt-1 × A + SP × B) / (A + B)	increases
sadj = st-1 × (A + B) / A
Highly Dilutive Rights Issue	Divisor
A rights offering is considered as Highly Dilutive Rights Issue (HDRI) when the share ratio is larger or equal to 200% but smaller than 2000% (20 > B/A ≥ 2).
Scenario 1: If the rights are tradable on ex-date on the same eligible stock exchange as the parent company:
The rights will be included into the indices with a theoretical price on the ex-date with the same parameters as the parent company.	unchanged on ex-date
The rights will be removed at the close of the day they start to trade based on its closing price.	decreases after deletion of rights
If the rights issue results into listing of new shares and satisfy certain criteria relating to free float factors and share adjustments under STOXX methodology, then the number of shares will be increased after the new shares have been listed.	increases on the day of the share increase
Scenario 2: If the rights are not tradable on ex-date or not tradable on the ex-date on the same eligible stock exchange as the parent company:	decreases on ex-date
Only a price adjustment will be applied.
If the rights issue results into listing of new shares and satisfy certain criteria relating to free float factors and share adjustments under STOXX methodology, then the number of shares will be increased after the new shares have been listed.	increases on the day of the share increase
Extremely Dilutive Rights Issue	Divisor
A rights offering is considered as Extremely Dilutive Rights Issue (EDRI) when the share ratio is larger or equal to 2000% (B/A ≥ 20).
Extremely dilutive rights issues with sufficient notice period* are treated as following: STOXX will announce the deletion of the company from all indices following the standard rules for index replacements. The company may enter the indices again at the next periodic index review, but only after the new shares have been listed.	Decreases
Extremely dilutive rights issues without sufficient notice period are treated as highly dilutive rights issues.

* Sufficient notice period means that STOXX is able to announce index changes with two trading days’ notice.

 

Ordinary Stock Dividend	Divisor
padj  = pt-1 × A / (A + B)	unchanged
sadj = st-1 × (A + B) / A
Stock Dividend From Treasury Stock (only if treated as a special cash dividend)	Divisor

Stock dividends from treasury stocks will be adjusted as cash dividends.	decreases
padj = pt-1 - pt-1 × B / (A + B)
Stock Dividend From Redeemable Shares (only if treated as a special cash dividend)	Divisor
Stock dividends from redeemable shares will be adjusted as cash dividends. In such a case, redeemable shares are considered as:	decreases
A separated share line with a fixed price.
Ordinary shares that are self-tendered on the same ex-date.
padj = pt-1 - pt-1 × B / (A + B)
Stock Dividend of Another Company	Divisor
padj = [(pt-1 × A) – [(1 – 𝜏*) × price of the other company × B]] / A	decreases

___

 

* If a withholding tax (𝜏) applies then 𝜏 > 0, else 𝜏 = 0.

 

Return of Capital and Share Consolidation	Divisor
The event will be applied as a combination of cash/special dividend together with a reverse split.
· If the return of capital is considered as regular cash dividend, then the treatment under “Split and Reverse Split” above applies.	decreases
· If the return of capital is considered as special cash dividend, then the treatment under “Special Cash Dividend” and “Split and Reverse Split” above apply accordingly.	decreases
padj = [pt-1 - capital return announced by company × (1 – 𝜏*)] × A / B
* If a withholding tax (𝜏) applies then 𝜏 > 0, else 𝜏 = 0.
sadj = st-1 × B / A
Repurchase of Shares/Self-Tender	Divisor
padj = [(pt-1 × st-1) – (tender price × number of tendered shares)] / sadj	decreases
sadj = st-1 - number of tendered shares
Spin-off	Divisor
The adjusted price (padj), the number of shares before the ex-date (st-1) and the weighting factor on the day before the ex-date (wft-1) refer to the parent company.	unchanged on ex-date
padj = (pt-1 × A – price of spun-off shares × B) / A
New number of shares for the spun-off company = st-1 × B
Combination of Stock Distribution (Dividend or Split) and Rights Offering	Divisor
For the below corporate actions, the following additional assumptions apply:
Shareholders receive ‘B’ new shares from the distribution and ‘C’ new shares from the rights offering for every ‘A’ share held.

 

If ‘A’ is not equal to one, all the following ‘new number of shares’ formulas need to be divided by ‘A’:
If rights are applicable after stock distribution (one action applicable to another)	increases
padj = [pt-1 × A + SP × C × (1 + B / A)] / [(A + B) × (1 + C / A)]
sadj = st-1 × [(A + B) × (1 + C / A)] / A	increases
If stock distribution is applicable after rights (one action applicable to another)
padj = (pt-1 × A + SP × C) / [(A + C) × (1 + B / A)]	increases
sadj = st-1 × (A + C) × (1 + B / A)
Stock distribution and rights (neither action is applicable to the other)
padj = (pt-1 × A + SP × C) / (A + B + C)
sadj = st-1 × (A + B + C) / A
Addition/Deletion of A Company
No price adjustments are made. The change in market capitalization determines the divisor adjustment. If the change in market capitalization between added and deleted companies of an index increases (decreases), then the divisor increases (decreases). If the change is null, then the divisor remains unchanged.
Free Float and Shares Changes
No price adjustments are made. The change in market capitalization determines the divisor adjustment. If the change in market capitalization of an index increases (decreases), then the divisor increases (decreases). If the change is null, then the divisor remains unchanged.

The following graph shows the daily historical performance of the SX5E in the period from January 1, 2014 through December 23, 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 23, 2024, the closing level of the SX5E was 4,852.93.

 

Historical Performance of the SX5E

 

 

This historical data on the SX5E is not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the SX5E or what the value of the notes may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the SX5E during any period set forth above is not an indication that the level of the SX5E 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 levels of the SX5E.

 

License Agreement

 

We have entered into or expect to enter into a non-exclusive license agreement with STOXX providing for the license to us and certain of our affiliated or subsidiary companies, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use indices owned and published by STOXX in connection with certain securities, including the notes offered hereby.

 

The license agreement between us and STOXX requires or is expected to require that the following language be stated in this term sheet:

 

STOXX has no relationship to us, other than the licensing of the STOXX Benchmark Indices and the related trademarks for use in connection with the notes. STOXX does not:

 

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sponsor, endorse, sell, or promote the notes;

 

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recommend that any person invest in the notes offered hereby or any other securities;

 

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have any responsibility or liability for or make any decisions about the timing, amount, or pricing of the notes;

 

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have any responsibility or liability for the administration, management, or marketing of the notes; or

 

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consider the needs of the notes or the holders of the notes in determining, composing, or calculating the STOXX Benchmark Indices, or have any obligation to do so.

 

STOXX will not have any liability in connection with the notes. Specifically:

 

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STOXX does not make any warranty, express or implied, and disclaims any and all warranty concerning:

 

o

the results to be obtained by the notes, the holders of the notes or any other person in connection with the use of the STOXX Benchmark Indices and the data included in the STOXX Benchmark Indices;

 

 

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the accuracy or completeness of the STOXX Benchmark Indices and their data;

 

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the merchantability and the fitness for a particular purpose or use of the STOXX Benchmark Indices and their data;

 

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STOXX will have no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions in the STOXX Benchmark Indices or their data; and

 

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Under no circumstances will STOXX be liable for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special, or consequential damages or losses, even if STOXX knows that they might occur.

 

The licensing agreement between us and STOXX is solely for their benefit and our benefit, and not for the benefit of the holders of the notes or any other third parties.

 

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:

 

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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;

 

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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

 

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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, (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.

 

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, 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:

 

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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;

 

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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;

 

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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;

 

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

 

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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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