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Term Sheet No. 2332B
To underlying supplement No. 1 dated October 1, 2012,
product supplement B dated September 28, 2012,
prospectus supplement dated September 28, 2012,
prospectus dated September 28, 2012 and
prospectus addendum dated December 24, 2014
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Registration Statement No. 333-184193
Dated January 22, 2015; Rule 433
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$ Capped Accelerated Return Securities Linked to the S&P GSCI® Crude Oil Index — Excess Return due January 26, 2017
The securities are designed for investors who seek a return at maturity of 150.00% of any increase in the level of the S&P GSCI® Crude Oil Index — Excess Return (the “Underlying”), up to the Maximum Return of 55.50%. If the Final Level is less than the Initial Level but greater than or equal to the Trigger Level, which is equal to 80.00% of the Initial Level, you will receive at maturity the Face Amount per $1,000 Face Amount of securities. However, if the Final Level is less than the Trigger Level, for each $1,000 Face Amount of securities, you will lose 1.00% of the Face Amount for every 1.00% by which the Final Level is less than the Initial Level. The securities do not pay any coupons and investors should be willing to lose a significant portion or all of their investment if the Final Level is less than the Trigger Level. Any payment on the securities is subject to the credit of the Issuer.
The securities are senior, unsecured obligations of the Issuer, Deutsche Bank AG and are not, either directly or indirectly, an obligation of any third party. Any payment to be made on the securities depends on the ability of Deutsche Bank AG to satisfy its obligations as they come due and is not guaranteed by any third party. In the event Deutsche Bank AG were to default on its obligations or become subject to a Resolution Measure (as defined below), you might not receive any amounts owed to you under the terms of the securities.
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Terms and Conditions
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Payoff Diagram
 The Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date is approximately $960.00 to $980.00 per $1,000 Face Amount of securities, which is less than the Issue Price. Please see “Issuer’s Estimated Value of the Securities” on page TS-1 of this term sheet for additional information.
By acquiring the securities, you will be bound by, and deemed to consent to, the imposition of any Resolution Measure by our competent resolution authority, which may include the write down of all, or a portion, of any payment on the securities. If any Resolution Measure becomes applicable to us, you may lose some or all of your investment in the securities. Please see “Resolution Measures” on page TS-2 of this term sheet for more information.
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Issuer
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Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch
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Trade Date
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January 23, 2015
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Issue Date
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January 28, 2015
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Final Valuation Date
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January 23, 2017
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Maturity Date1
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January 26, 2017
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Denominations
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$1,000 (the “Face Amount”) and integral multiples in excess thereof
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Underlying
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S&P GSCI® Crude Oil Index — Excess Return (Ticker: SPGCCLP)
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Issue Price
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100% of the Face Amount
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Maximum Return
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55.50%
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Upside Leverage Factor
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150.00%
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Trigger Level
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80.00% of the Initial Level
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Underlying Return
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Final Level – Initial Level
Initial Level
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Initial Level
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[ ]
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Final Level2
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The closing level of the Underlying on the Final Valuation Date
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Listing
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The securities will not be listed on any securities exchange.
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CUSIP
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25152RUH4
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ISIN
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US25152RUH47
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Investing in the securities involves a number of risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 7 of the accompanying product supplement and “Selected Risk Considerations” beginning on page TS-5 of this term sheet.
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Key Terms
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Issuer:
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Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch
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Underlying:
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S&P GSCI® Crude Oil Index — Excess Return (Ticker: SPGCCLP)
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Issue Price:
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100% of the Face Amount
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Payment at Maturity:
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• If the Final Level is greater than or equal to the Initial Level, you will receive a cash payment at maturity per $1,000 Face Amount of securities calculated as follows:
$1,000 + ($1,000 x the lesser of (i) Underlying Return x Upside Leverage Factor and (ii) Maximum Return)
• If the Final Level is less than the Initial Level but greater than or equal to the Trigger Level, you will receive a cash payment at maturity equal to $1,000 per $1,000 Face Amount of securities.
• If the Final Level is less than the Trigger Level, you will receive a cash payment at maturity per $1,000 Face Amount of securities calculated as follows:
$1,000 + ($1,000 x Underlying Return)
If the Final Level is less than the Trigger Level, for each $1,000 Face Amount of securities, you will lose 1.00% of the Face Amount for every 1.00% by which the Final Level is less than the Initial Level. In this circumstance, you will lose a significant portion or all of your investment in the securities. Any payment at maturity is subject to the credit of the Issuer.
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Maximum Return:
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55.50%
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Upside Leverage Factor:
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150.00%
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Trigger Level:
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80.00% of the Initial Level
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Underlying Return:
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Final Level – Initial Level
Initial Level
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Initial Level:
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[ ]
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Final Level2:
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The closing level of the Underlying on the Final Valuation Date
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Trade Date:
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January 23, 2015
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Issue Date:
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January 28, 2015
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Final Valuation Date:
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January 23, 2017
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Maturity Date1:
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January 26, 2017
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Listing:
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The securities will not be listed on any securities exchange.
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CUSIP:
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25152RUH4
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ISIN:
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US25152RUH47
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1 Subject to postponement as described under “Description of Securities — Adjustments to Valuation Dates and Payment Dates” and acceleration as described under “Description of Securities — Adjustments to Valuation Dates and Payment Dates — Commodity Hedging Disruption Events for Commodity Based Underlyings or Basket Components” in the accompanying product supplement.
2 Subject to adjustment as described under “Description of Securities — Adjustments to Valuation Dates and Payment Dates” in the accompanying product supplement.
Investing in the securities involves a number of risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 7 of the accompanying product supplement and “Selected Risk Considerations” beginning on page TS-6 of this term sheet.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities or passed upon the accuracy or the adequacy of this term sheet or the accompanying underlying supplement, product supplement, prospectus supplement, prospectus or prospectus addendum. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
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Price to Public
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Total Discounts, Commissions and Fees(1)
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Proceeds to Us
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Per Security
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$1,000.00
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$17.50
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$982.50
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Total
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$
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$
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$
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(1) For more detailed information about discounts and commissions, please see “Supplemental Underwriting Information (Conflicts of Interest)” in this term sheet.
The agent for this offering is our affiliate. For more information see “Supplemental Underwriting Information (Conflicts of Interest)” in this term sheet.
The securities are not bank deposits and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency.
January 22, 2015
Issuer’s Estimated Value of the Securities
The Issuer’s estimated value of the securities is equal to the sum of our valuations of the following two components of the securities: (i) a bond and (ii) an embedded derivative(s). The value of the bond component of the securities is calculated based on the present value of the stream of cash payments associated with a conventional bond with a principal amount equal to the Face Amount of securities, discounted at an internal funding rate, which is determined primarily based on our market-based yield curve, adjusted to account for our funding needs and objectives for the period matching the term of the securities. The internal funding rate is typically lower than the rate we would pay when we issue conventional debt securities on equivalent terms. This difference in funding rate, as well as the agent’s commissions, if any, and the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the securities, reduces the economic terms of the securities to you and is expected to adversely affect the price at which you may be able to sell the securities in any secondary market. The value of the embedded derivative(s) is calculated based on our internal pricing models using relevant parameter inputs such as expected interest rates and mid-market levels of price and volatility of the assets underlying the securities or any futures, options or swaps related to such underlying assets. Our internal pricing models are proprietary and rely in part on certain assumptions about future events, which may prove to be incorrect.
The Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date (as disclosed on the cover of this term sheet) is less than the Issue Price of the securities. The difference between the Issue Price and the Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date is due to the inclusion in the Issue Price of the agent’s commissions, if any, and the cost of hedging our obligations under the securities through one or more of our affiliates. Such hedging cost includes our or our affiliates’ expected cost of providing such hedge, as well as the profit we or our affiliates expect to realize in consideration for assuming the risks inherent in providing such hedge.
The Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date does not represent the price at which we or any of our affiliates would be willing to purchase your securities in the secondary market at any time. Assuming no changes in market conditions or our creditworthiness and other relevant factors, the price, if any, at which we or our affiliates would be willing to purchase the securities from you in secondary market transactions, if at all, would generally be lower than both the Issue Price and the Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date. Our purchase price, if any, in secondary market transactions will be based on the estimated value of the securities determined by reference to (i) the then-prevailing internal funding rate (adjusted by a spread) or another appropriate measure of our cost of funds and (ii) our pricing models at that time, less a bid spread determined after taking into account the size of the repurchase, the nature of the assets underlying the securities and then-prevailing market conditions. The price we report to financial reporting services and to distributors of our securities for use on customer account statements would generally be determined on the same basis. However, during the period of approximately two months beginning from the Trade Date, we or our affiliates may, in our sole discretion, increase the purchase price determined as described above by an amount equal to the declining differential between (a) the Issue Price minus the discounts and commissions and (b) the Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date, prorated over such period on a straight-line basis, for transactions that are individually and in the aggregate of the expected size for ordinary secondary market repurchases.
TS-1
Resolution Measures
On May 15, 2014, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union published a directive for establishing a framework for the recovery and resolution of credit institutions and investment firms (commonly referred to as the “Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive”). The Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive requires each member state of the European Union to adopt and publish by December 31, 2014 the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive. Germany has adopted the Recovery and Resolution Act (Sanierungs- und Abwicklungsgesetz, or “SAG”), which went into effect on January 1, 2015. SAG may result in the securities being subject to any Resolution Measure by our competent resolution authority if we become, or are deemed by our competent supervisory authority to have become, “non-viable” (as defined under the then applicable law) and are unable to continue our regulated banking activities without a Resolution Measure becoming applicable to us. By acquiring the securities, you will be bound by and deemed to consent to the provisions set forth in the accompanying prospectus addendum, which we have summarized below.
By acquiring the securities, you will be bound by and will be deemed to consent to the imposition of any Resolution Measure by our competent resolution authority. Under the relevant resolution laws and regulations as applicable to us from time to time, the securities may be subject to the powers exercised by our competent resolution authority to: (i) write down, including to zero, any payment (or delivery obligations) on the securities; (ii) convert the securities into ordinary shares or other instruments qualifying as core equity tier 1 capital; and/or (iii) apply any other resolution measure, including (but not limited to) any transfer of the securities to another entity, the amendment of the terms and conditions of the securities or the cancellation of the securities. We refer to each of these measures as a “Resolution Measure.”
Furthermore, by acquiring the securities, you:
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are deemed irrevocably to have agreed, and you will agree: (i) to be bound by any Resolution Measure; (ii) that you will have no claim or other right against us arising out of any Resolution Measure; (iii) and that the imposition of any Resolution Measure will not constitute a default or an event of default under the securities, under the senior indenture dated November 22, 2006 among us, Law Debenture Trust Company of New York, as trustee, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as issuing agent, paying agent, authenticating agent and registrar, as amended and supplemented from time to time (the “Indenture”), or for the purpose of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”);
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waive, to the fullest extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act and applicable law, any and all claims against the trustee and the paying agent for, agree not to initiate a suit against the trustee and the paying agent in respect of, and agree that neither the trustee nor the paying agent will be liable for, any action that the trustee or the paying agent takes, or abstains from taking, in either case in accordance with the imposition of a Resolution Measure by our competent resolution authority with respect to the securities; and
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will be deemed irrevocably to have (i) consented to the imposition of any Resolution Measure as it may be imposed without any prior notice by the competent resolution authority of its decision to exercise such power with respect to the securities and (ii) authorized, directed and requested The Depositary Trust Company (the “Depositary”) and any participant in the Depositary or other intermediary through which you hold such securities to take any and all necessary action, if required, to implement the imposition of any Resolution Measure with respect to the securities as it may be imposed, without any further action or direction on your part or on the part of the trustee, paying agent, issuing agent, authenticating agent, registrar or calculation agent.
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This is only a summary, for more information please see the accompanying prospectus addendum dated December 24, 2014, including the risk factor “The securities may be written down, be converted or become subject to other resolution measures. You may lose part or all of your investment if any such measure becomes applicable to us” on page 2 of the prospectus addendum.
TS-2
Additional Terms Specific to the Securities
You should read this term sheet together with underlying supplement No. 1 dated October 1, 2012, product supplement B dated September 28, 2012, the prospectus supplement dated September 28, 2012 relating to our Series A global notes of which these securities are a part, the prospectus dated September 28, 2012 and the prospectus addendum dated December 24, 2014. You may access these documents on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) at.www.sec.gov as follows (or if such address has changed, by reviewing our filings for the relevant date on the SEC website):
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Underlying supplement No. 1 dated October 1, 2012:
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Product supplement B dated September 28, 2012:
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Prospectus supplement dated September 28, 2012:
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Prospectus dated September 28, 2012:
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Prospectus addendum dated December 24, 2014:
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Our Central Index Key, or CIK, on the SEC website is 0001159508. As used in this term sheet, “we,” “us” or “our” refers to Deutsche Bank AG, including, as the context requires, acting through one of its branches.
The trustee has appointed Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas as its authenticating agent with respect to our Series A global notes.
This term sheet, together with the documents listed above, contains the terms of the securities and supersedes all other prior or contemporaneous oral statements as well as any other written materials including preliminary or indicative pricing terms, correspondence, trade ideas, structures for implementation, sample structures, brochures or other educational materials of ours. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth in this term sheet and in “Risk Factors” in the accompanying product supplement and prospectus addendum, as the securities involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisers before deciding to invest in the securities.
Deutsche Bank AG has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the offering to which this term sheet relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and the other documents relating to this offering that Deutsche Bank AG has filed with the SEC for more complete information about Deutsche Bank AG and this offering. You may obtain these documents without cost by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at.www.sec.gov. Alternatively, Deutsche Bank AG, any agent or any dealer participating in this offering will arrange to send you the prospectus, prospectus addendum, prospectus supplement, product supplement, underlying supplement and this term sheet if you so request by calling toll-free 1-800-311-4409.
You may revoke your offer to purchase the securities at any time prior to the time at which we accept such offer by notifying the applicable agent. We reserve the right to change the terms of, or reject any offer to purchase, the securities prior to their issuance. We will notify you in the event of any changes to the terms of the securities, and you will be asked to accept such changes in connection with your purchase of any securities. You may also choose to reject such changes, in which case we may reject your offer to purchase the securities.
TS-3
What Are the Possible Payments on the Securities, Assuming a Range of Hypothetical Performances for the Underlying?
The table below illustrates the Payment at Maturity per $1,000 Face Amount of securities for a hypothetical range of performances for the Underlying from -100.00% to +100.00% and reflects the Upside Leverage Factor of 150.00%, the Maximum Return of 55.50% and the Trigger Level equal to 80.00% of the Initial Level. The actual Initial Level and Trigger Level will be determined on the Trade Date. The following results are based solely on the hypothetical examples cited. You should consider carefully whether the securities are suitable to your investment goals. The numbers appearing in the table and examples below may have been rounded for ease of analysis.
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Hypothetical
Underlying Return (%)
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Hypothetical
Payment at Maturity ($)
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Hypothetical
Return on Securities (%)
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100.00%
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$1,555.00
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55.50%
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90.00%
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$1,555.00
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55.50%
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80.00%
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$1,555.00
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55.50%
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70.00%
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$1,555.00
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55.50%
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60.00%
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$1,555.00
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55.50%
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50.00%
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$1,555.00
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55.50%
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40.00%
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$1,555.00
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55.50%
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37.00%
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$1,555.00
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55.50%
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30.00%
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$1,450.00
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45.00%
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20.00%
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$1,300.00
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30.00%
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15.00%
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$1,225.00
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22.50%
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10.00%
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$1,150.00
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15.00%
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5.00%
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$1,075.00
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7.50%
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2.50%
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$1,037.50
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3.75%
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0.00%
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$1,000.00
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0.00%
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-2.50%
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$1,000.00
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0.00%
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-5.00%
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$1,000.00
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0.00%
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-10.00%
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$1,000.00
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0.00%
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-20.00%
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$1,000.00
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0.00%
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-30.00%
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$700.00
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-30.00%
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-40.00%
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$600.00
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-40.00%
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-50.00%
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$500.00
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-50.00%
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-60.00%
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$400.00
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-60.00%
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-70.00%
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$300.00
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-70.00%
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-80.00%
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$200.00
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-80.00%
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-90.00%
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$100.00
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-90.00%
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-100.00%
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$0.00
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-100.00%
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Hypothetical Examples of Amounts Payable at Maturity
The following hypothetical examples illustrate how the Payments at Maturity set forth in the table above are calculated.
Example 1: The Final Level is greater than the Initial Level, resulting in an Underlying Return of 60.00%. Because the Final Level is greater than the Initial Level and the Underlying Return of 60.00% multiplied by the Upside Leverage Factor is greater than the Maximum Return, the investor receives a Payment at Maturity of $1,555.00 per $1,000 Face Amount of securities, the maximum payment on the securities, calculated as follows:
$1,000 + ($1,000 x the lesser of (i) Underlying Return x Upside Leverage Factor and (ii) Maximum Return)
$1,000 + ($1,000 x 55.50%) = $1,555.00
Example 2: The Final Level is greater than the Initial Level, resulting in an Underlying Return of 10.00%. Because the Final Level is greater than the Initial Level and the Underlying Return of 10.00% multiplied by the Upside Leverage Factor is less than the Maximum Return, the investor receives a Payment at Maturity of $1,150.00 per $1,000 Face Amount of securities, calculated as follows:
$1,000 + ($1,000 x the lesser of (i) Underlying Return x Upside Leverage Factor and (ii) Maximum Return)
$1,000 + ($1,000 x 10.00% x 150.00%) = $1,150.00
TS-4
Example 3: The Final Level is less than the Initial Level but greater than the Trigger Level, resulting in an Underlying Return of -5.00%. Because the Final Level is less than the Initial Level but greater than the Trigger Level, the investor receives a Payment at Maturity of $1,000.00 per $1,000 Face Amount of securities.
Example 4: The Final Level is less than the Trigger Level, resulting in an Underlying Return of -50.00%. Because the Final Level is less than the Trigger Level, the investor receives a Payment at Maturity of $500.00 per $1,000 Face Amount of securities, calculated as follows:
$1,000 + ($1,000 x Underlying Return)
$1,000 +($1,000 x -50.00%) = $500.00
Selected Purchase Considerations
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CAPPED APPRECIATION POTENTIAL — The securities provide leveraged upside exposure to any increase in the level of the Underlying, up to the Maximum Return of 55.50%. Consequently, the maximum Payment at Maturity will be $1,555.00 for each $1,000 Face Amount of securities you hold. Any payment on the securities is subject to our ability to satisfy our obligations as they become due.
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LIMITED PROTECTION AGAINST LOSS — The payment of the Face Amount of securities at maturity is protected against a percentage decline of up to 20.00% in the Final Level as measured from the Initial Level to the Final Level, subject to our ability to satisfy our obligations as they become due. If the Final Level declines by more than 20.00% from the Initial Level and as a result, the Final Level is less than the Trigger Level, for each $1,000 Face Amount of securities, you will lose 1.00% of the Face Amount for every 1.00% by which the Final Level is less than the Initial Level. In this circumstance, you will lose a significant portion or all of your investment in the securities.
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A COMMODITY HEDGING DISRUPTION EVENT MAY RESULT IN ACCELERATION OF THE SECURITIES — If a Commodity Hedging Disruption Event (as defined under “Description of Securities — Adjustments to Valuation Dates and Payment Dates — Commodity Hedging Disruption Events for Commodity Based Underlyings or Basket Components” in the accompanying product supplement) occurs, we will have the right, but not the obligation, to accelerate the payment on the securities. The amount due and payable per $1,000 Face Amount of securities upon such early acceleration will be determined by the calculation agent in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner on the date on which we deliver notice of such acceleration and will be payable on the fifth business day following the day on which the calculation agent delivers notice of such acceleration. Please see the risk factors entitled “A Commodity Hedging Disruption Event May Result in Acceleration of the Securities” and “Commodity Futures Contracts are Subject to Uncertain Legal and Regulatory Regimes, Which May Adversely Affect the Level of the Underlying and the Value of the Securities” in this term sheet for more information.
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RETURN LINKED TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE S&P GSCI® CRUDE OIL INDEX — EXCESS RETURN — The return on the securities, which may be positive, zero or negative, is linked to the performance of the S&P GSCI® Crude Oil Index — Excess Return as described herein. The S&P GSCI® Crude Oil Index — Excess Return is a sub-index of the S&P GSCI® – Excess Return (the “S&P GSCI® – ER”). It is composed entirely of WTI crude oil futures contracts (the “Index Constituents”), and excludes all other futures contracts included in the S&P GSCI® – ER. The Underlying provides investors with a publicly available benchmark for investment performance in the WTI crude oil markets. The Underlying is calculated on an excess return basis using the same methodology as the S&P GSCI® – ER, except that: (i) the daily contract reference prices, contract production weights and contract roll weights used in performing such calculations are limited to the Index Constituents included in the Underlying; and (ii) the Underlying has a separate normalizing constant. The S&P GSCI® – ER is composed of futures contracts on 24 physical commodities and is designed as a benchmark for investment in the commodity markets and as a measure of commodity market performance over time. The futures contracts on such commodities are weighted, on a production basis, to reflect the relative significance of such commodities to the world economy. Because futures contracts specify a certain date for delivery of the underlying commodity, the futures contracts composing the Underlying will change over time, as expiring contracts are replaced by contracts with later expiration dates. Consequently, the Underlying reflects the return of the futures contracts included in the Underlying and also the positive or negative impact of “rolling” hypothetical positions in such contracts forward as they approach delivery.
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For more information on the S&P GSCI® Crude Oil Index — Excess Return, including information concerning its composition, calculation methodology and adjustment policy, please see the section entitled “The S&P Dow Jones Indices – The S&P GSCI® Commodity Indices” in the accompanying underlying supplement No. 1 dated October 1, 2012.
TS-5
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TAX CONSEQUENCES — In the opinion of our special tax counsel, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, which is based on prevailing market conditions, it is more likely than not that the securities will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as prepaid financial contracts that are not debt. Generally, if this treatment is respected, (i) you should not recognize taxable income or loss prior to the taxable disposition of your securities (including at maturity) and (ii) the gain or loss on your securities should be capital gain or loss and should be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held the securities for more than one year. The Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or a court might not agree with this treatment, however, in which case the timing and character of income or loss on your securities could be materially and adversely affected.
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In 2007, the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS released a notice requesting comments on various issues regarding the U.S. federal income tax treatment of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar instruments. The notice focuses in particular on whether beneficial owners of these instruments should be required to accrue income over the term of their investment. It also asks for comments on a number of related topics, including the character of income or loss with respect to these instruments; the relevance of factors such as the nature of the underlying property to which the instruments are linked; the degree, if any, to which income (including any mandated accruals) realized by non-U.S. persons should be subject to withholding tax; and whether these instruments are or should be subject to the “constructive ownership” regime, which very generally can operate to recharacterize certain long-term capital gain as ordinary income and impose a notional interest charge. While the notice requests comments on appropriate transition rules and effective dates, any Treasury regulations or other guidance promulgated after consideration of these issues could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the securities, possibly with retroactive effect.
You should review carefully the section of the accompanying product supplement entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences.” The preceding discussion, when read in combination with that section, constitutes the full opinion of our special tax counsel regarding the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of the securities.
Under current law, the United Kingdom will not impose withholding tax on payments made with respect to the securities.
For a discussion of certain German tax considerations relating to the securities, you should refer to the section in the accompanying prospectus supplement entitled “Taxation by Germany of Non-Resident Holders.”
You should consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the securities (including possible alternative treatments and the issues presented by the 2007 notice), as well as tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.
Selected Risk Considerations
An investment in the securities involves significant risks. Investing in the securities is not equivalent to investing directly in the futures contracts composing the Underlying. In addition to these selected risk considerations, you should review the “Risk Factors” section of the accompanying product supplement and prospectus addendum.
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YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES MAY RESULT IN A LOSS — The securities do not pay any coupons and do not guarantee any return of your investment. The return on the securities at maturity is linked to the performance of the Underlying and will depend on whether, and the extent to which, the Underlying Return is positive, zero or negative, and if the Underlying Return is negative, whether the Final Level is less than the Trigger Level. If the Final Level is less than the Trigger Level, for each $1,000 Face Amount of securities, you will lose 1.00% of the Face Amount for every 1.00% by which the Final Level is less than the Initial Level. In this circumstance, you will lose a significant portion or all of your investment in the securities. Any payment on the securities is subject to our ability to satisfy our obligations as they become due.
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THE RETURN ON YOUR SECURITIES IS LIMITED BY THE MAXIMUM RETURN — If the Final Level is greater than or equal to the Initial Level, for each $1,000 Face Amount of securities, you will receive at maturity $1,000 plus an amount equal to $1,000 multiplied by the lesser of (i) the Underlying Return times the Upside Leverage Factor and (ii) the Maximum Return. Consequently, the maximum Payment at Maturity will be $1,555.00 for each $1,000 Face Amount of securities you hold, regardless of any further increase in the level of the Underlying, which may be significant.
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THE SECURITIES DO NOT PAY ANY COUPONS — Unlike ordinary debt securities, the securities do not pay any coupons and do not guarantee any return of your investment at maturity.
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TS-6
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THE SECURITIES ARE SUBJECT TO THE CREDIT OF DEUTSCHE BANK AG — The securities are senior unsecured obligations of Deutsche Bank AG and are not, either directly or indirectly, an obligation of any third party. Any payment(s) to be made on the securities depends on the ability of Deutsche Bank AG to satisfy its obligations as they come due. An actual or anticipated downgrade in Deutsche Bank AG’s credit rating or increase in the credit spreads charged by the market for taking the credit risk of Deutsche Bank AG will likely have an adverse effect on the value of the securities. As a result, the actual and perceived creditworthiness of Deutsche Bank AG will affect the value of the securities and in the event Deutsche Bank AG were to default on its obligations or become subject to a Resolution Measure, you might not receive any amount(s) owed to you under the terms of the securities and you could lose your entire investment.
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THE ISSUER’S ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE SECURITIES ON THE TRADE DATE WILL BE LESS THAN THE ISSUE PRICE OF THE SECURITIES — The Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date (as disclosed on the cover of this term sheet) is less than the Issue Price of the securities. The difference between the Issue Price and the Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date is due to the inclusion in the Issue Price of the agent’s commissions, if any, and the cost of hedging our obligations under the securities through one or more of our affiliates. Such hedging cost includes our or our affiliates’ expected cost of providing such hedge, as well as the profit we or our affiliates expect to realize in consideration for assuming the risks inherent in providing such hedge. The Issuer’s estimated value of the securities is determined by reference to an internal funding rate and our pricing models. The internal funding rate is typically lower than the rate we would pay when we issue conventional debt securities on equivalent terms. This difference in funding rate, as well as the agent’s commissions, if any, and the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the securities, reduces the economic terms of the securities to you and is expected to adversely affect the price at which you may be able to sell the securities in any secondary market. In addition, our internal pricing models are proprietary and rely in part on certain assumptions about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. If at any time a third party dealer were to quote a price to purchase your securities or otherwise value your securities, that price or value may differ materially from the estimated value of the securities determined by reference to our internal funding rate and pricing models. This difference is due to, among other things, any difference in funding rates, pricing models or assumptions used by any dealer who may purchase the securities in the secondary market.
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THE SECURITIES MAY BE WRITTEN DOWN, BE CONVERTED OR BECOME SUBJECT TO OTHER RESOLUTION MEASURES. YOU MAY LOSE SOME OR ALL OF YOUR INVESTMENT IF ANY SUCH MEASURE BECOMES APPLICABLE TO US — On May 15, 2014, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union published the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive for establishing a framework for the recovery and resolution of credit institutions and investment firms. The Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive requires each member state of the European Union to adopt and publish by December 31, 2014 the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive. Germany has adopted the Recovery and Resolution Act (or SAG), which went into effect on January 1, 2015. SAG may result in the securities being subject to the powers exercised by our competent resolution authority to impose a Resolution Measure on us, which may include: writing down, including to zero, any payment on the securities; converting the securities into ordinary shares or other instruments qualifying as core equity tier 1 capital; or applying any other resolution measure, including (but not limited to) transferring the securities to another entity, amending the terms and conditions of the securities or cancelling of the securities.
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By acquiring the securities, you would have no claim or other right against us arising out of any Resolution Measure, and we would have no obligation to make payments under the securities following the imposition of a Resolution Measure. In particular, the imposition of any Resolution Measure will not constitute a default or an event of default under the securities, under the Indenture or for the purpose of the Trust Indenture Act. Imposition of a Resolution Measure would likely occur if we become, or are deemed by our competent supervisory authority to have become, “non-viable” (as defined under the then applicable law) and are unable to continue our regulated banking activities without a Resolution Measure becoming applicable to us. You may lose some or all of your investment in the securities if a Resolution Measure becomes applicable to us. Furthermore, because the securities are subject to any Resolution Measure, secondary market trading in the securities may not follow the trading behavior associated with similar types of securities issued by other financial institutions which may be or have been subject to a Resolution Measure.
In addition, by your acquisition of the securities, you waive, to the fullest extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act and applicable law, any and all claims against the trustee and the paying agent for, agree not to initiate a suit against the trustee and the paying agent in respect of, and agree that neither the trustee nor the paying agent will be liable for, any action that the trustee or the paying agent takes, or abstains from taking, in either case in accordance with the imposition of a Resolution Measure by our competent resolution authority with respect to the securities.
Accordingly, you may have limited or circumscribed rights to challenge any decision of our competent resolution authority to impose any Resolution Measure.
TS-7
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INVESTING IN THE SECURITIES IS NOT THE SAME AS INVESTING IN THE FUTURES CONTRACTS COMPOSING THE UNDERLYING — The return on your securities may not reflect the return you would have realized if you had directly invested in the futures contracts composing the Underlying. For instance, your return on the securities will be limited to the Maximum Return regardless of any increase in the level of the Underlying, which could be significant.
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IF THE LEVEL OF THE UNDERLYING CHANGES, THE VALUE OF YOUR SECURITIES MAY NOT CHANGE IN THE SAME MANNER — Your securities may trade quite differently from the level of the Underlying. Changes in the level of the Underlying may not result in comparable changes in the value of your securities.
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YOU WILL HAVE NO RIGHTS IN EXCHANGE-TRADED FUTURES CONTRACTS COMPOSING THE UNDERLYING — As a holder of the securities, you will not have any rights that holders of exchange-traded futures contracts composing the Underlying may have.
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A COMMODITY HEDGING DISRUPTION EVENT MAY RESULT IN ACCELERATION OF THE SECURITIES — If a Commodity Hedging Disruption Event occurs, we will have the right to accelerate the payment on your securities prior to maturity. The amount due and payable on the securities upon such early acceleration will be determined in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner by the calculation agent. If the payment on your securities is accelerated, your investment may result in a loss and you may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in a comparable investment.
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COMMODITY FUTURES CONTRACTS ARE SUBJECT TO UNCERTAIN LEGAL AND REGULATORY REGIMES, WHICH MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT THE LEVEL OF THE UNDERLYING AND THE VALUE OF THE SECURITIES — Commodity futures contracts that may compose the Underlying are subject to legal and regulatory regimes in the United States and, in some cases, in other countries that may change in ways that could adversely affect our ability to hedge our obligations under the securities and affect the level of the Underlying. The effect on the value of the securities of any future regulatory change is impossible to predict, but could be substantial and adverse to your interest. For example, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which was enacted on July 21, 2010, provided the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) with additional authority to establish limits on the amount of positions that may be held by any person in commodity futures contracts, options on such futures contracts and swaps that are economically equivalent to such contracts. Such rules may cause a Commodity Hedging Disruption Event to occur or may increase the likelihood that a Commodity Hedging Disruption Event will occur during the term of the securities. If a Commodity Hedging Disruption Event does occur, we may, in our sole and absolute discretion, accelerate the payment on your securities early and pay you an amount determined in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner by the calculation agent. If the payment on your securities is accelerated, your investment may result in a loss and you may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in a comparable investment. We may also decide, or be forced, to sell a portion, possibly a substantial portion, of our hedge position in the futures contracts composing the Underlying. Additionally, other market participants are subject to the same regulatory issues and may decide, or be required, to sell their positions in such futures contracts composing the Underlying. While the effect of these or other regulatory developments are difficult to predict, if such broad market selling were to occur, it would likely lead to declines, possibly significant declines, in the prices of such futures contracts composing the Underlying and, therefore, the level of the Underlying and the value of the securities.
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S&P DOW JONES MAY BE REQUIRED TO REPLACE A DESIGNATED CONTRACT IF THE EXISTING FUTURES CONTRACT IS TERMINATED OR REPLACED — One or more futures contracts known as designated contracts have been selected as the reference contract for WTI crude oil. See “The S&P Dow Jones Indices – The S&P GSCI® Commodity Indices—Composition of the S&P GSCI” in the accompanying underlying supplement No. 1 dated October 1, 2012. Data concerning each designated contract will be used to calculate the Underlying. The termination or replacement of a futures contract on an established exchange occurs infrequently; if a designated contract were to be terminated or replaced by an exchange, a comparable futures contract, if available, would be selected by S&P Dow Jones to replace that designated contract. The termination or replacement of any designated contract may have an adverse impact on the level of the Underlying.
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CHANGES THAT AFFECT THE CALCULATION OF THE UNDERLYING MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE SECURITIES AND THE AMOUNT YOU WILL RECEIVE AT MATURITY — The policies of S&P Dow Jones concerning the methodology and calculation of the Underlying, additions, deletions or
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TS-8
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substitutions of the commodities included in the Underlying or exchange-traded futures contracts on the commodities included in the Underlying could affect the level of the Underlying, which could adversely affect the amount payable on the securities at maturity and the value of the securities prior to maturity. The amount payable on the securities and their value could also be adversely affected if S&P Dow Jones, in its sole discretion, changes these policies, for example, by changing the methodology for compiling and calculating the Underlying, or if S&P Dow Jones discontinues or suspends calculation or publication of the Underlying, in which case it may become difficult to determine the value of the securities. If events such as these occur, or if the level of the Underlying is not available because of a market disruption event or for any other reason, the calculation agent will make a good faith estimate in its sole discretion of the level of the Underlying that would have prevailed in the absence of the market disruption event.
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THE ABSENCE OF BACKWARDATION OR PRESENCE OF CONTANGO IN THE MARKETS FOR FUTURES CONTRACTS INCLUDED IN THE UNDERLYING WILL ADVERSELY AFFECT THE LEVEL OF THE UNDERLYING — As the futures contracts included in the Underlying near expiration, they are replaced by contracts that have a later expiration. Thus, for example, a contract purchased and held in December may specify a January expiration. As that contract nears expiration, it may be replaced by selling the January contract and purchasing the contract expiring in March. This process is referred to as “rolling.” Historically, with respect to some futures contracts, the prices have frequently been higher for contracts with shorter-term expirations than for contracts with longer-term expirations, which is referred to as “backwardation.” In these circumstances, absent other factors, the sale of the January contract would take place at a price that is higher than the price at which the March contract is purchased, thereby creating a gain in connection with rolling. While certain futures contracts included in the Underlying have historically exhibited consistent periods of backwardation, backwardation will likely not exist in these markets at all times. The absence of backwardation in the markets for these futures contracts will adversely affect the level of the Underlying and, accordingly, decrease the value of your securities. Conversely, some futures contracts included in the Underlying have historically exhibited “contango” markets rather than backwardation. Contango markets are those in which the prices of contracts are higher in the distant delivery months than in the nearer delivery months due to the costs of long-term storage of a physical commodity prior to delivery or other factors. The presence of contango in the markets for these futures contracts will adversely affect the level of the Underlying and, accordingly, decrease the value of your securities.
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THE UNDERLYING MAY BE MORE VOLATILE AND SUSCEPTIBLE TO PRICE FLUCTUATIONS OF COMMODITIES THAN A BROADER COMMODITIES INDEX — The Underlying may be more volatile and susceptible to price fluctuations than a broader commodities index. In contrast to the S&P GSCI® – ER, which, as of the Trade Date, includes futures contracts on 24 physical commodities, the Underlying is composed of futures contracts on a single commodity. As a result, price volatility in the futures contracts included in the Underlying will likely have a greater impact on the level of the Underlying than it would on the broader S&P GSCI® – ER.
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PRICES OF COMMODITIES AND COMMODITY FUTURES CONTRACTS ARE HIGHLY VOLATILE AND MAY CHANGE UNPREDICTABLY — Commodity prices are highly volatile and, in many sectors, have experienced unprecedented historical volatility in the past few years. Commodity prices are affected by numerous factors including: changes in supply and demand relationships (whether actual, perceived, anticipated, unanticipated or unrealized); weather; agriculture; trade; fiscal, monetary and exchange control programs; domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies; disease; pestilence; technological developments; changes in interest rates, whether through governmental action or market movements; monetary and other governmental policies, action and inaction; macroeconomic or geopolitical and military events, including political instability in some oil-producing countries; and natural or nuclear disasters. Those events tend to affect commodities prices worldwide, regardless of the location of the event. Market expectations about these events and speculative activity also cause commodities prices to fluctuate. These factors may have a greater impact on commodities prices and commodity futures contracts than on more conventional securities and may adversely affect the performance of the Underlying and, as a result, the market value of the securities, and any payments you may receive in respect of the securities. It is possible that lower prices or increased volatility of commodities will adversely affect the performance of Underlying and, as a result, the market value of the securities.
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IF THE LIQUIDITY OF THE INDEX CONSTITUENTS IS LIMITED, THE VALUE OF THE SECURITIES WILL LIKELY BE IMPAIRED — Commodities and derivatives contracts on commodities may be difficult to buy or sell, particularly during adverse market conditions. Reduced liquidity of the Index Constituents on the Final Valuation Date would likely have an adverse effect on the level of the Underlying and, therefore, on the return on your securities. Limited liquidity relating to the Index Constituents may also result in the publisher of the Underlying being unable to determine the level of the Underlying using its normal means. Any resulting discretion by the calculation agent in determining the Final Level of the Underlying could adversely affect the value of the securities.
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TS-9
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SUSPENSION OR DISRUPTIONS OF MARKET TRADING IN COMMODITIES AND RELATED FUTURES MAY ADVERSELY AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE SECURITIES — The commodity futures markets are subject to temporary distortions or other disruptions due to various factors, including the lack of liquidity in the markets, the participation of speculators and government regulation and intervention. In addition, U.S. futures exchanges and some foreign exchanges have regulations that limit the amount of fluctuation in some futures contract prices that may occur during a single business day. These limits are generally referred to as “daily price fluctuation limits” and the maximum or minimum price of a contract on any given day as a result of these limits is referred to as a “limit price.” Once the limit price has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made at a price beyond the limit, or trading may be limited for a set period of time. Limit prices have the effect of precluding trading in a particular contract or forcing the liquidation of contracts at potentially disadvantageous times or prices. These circumstances could adversely affect the level of the Underlying and, therefore, the value of the securities.
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THE SECURITIES MAY BE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN RISKS SPECIFIC TO WTI CRUDE OIL AS A COMMODITY —The Underlying is composed of futures contracts on WTI crude oil, which is an energy-related commodity. Consequently, in addition to factors affecting commodities generally, the securities may be subject to a number of additional factors specific to energy-related commodities that might cause price volatility. These may include:
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changes in the level of industrial and commercial activity with high levels of energy demand;
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disruptions in the supply chain or in the production or supply of other energy sources;
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price changes in alternative sources of energy;
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adjustments to inventory;
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variations in production and shipping costs;
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costs associated with regulatory compliance, including environmental regulations; and
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changes in industrial, government and consumer demand, both in individual consuming nations and internationally.
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These factors interrelate in complex ways, and the effect of one factor on the level of the Underlying, and the market value of the securities linked to the Underlying, may offset or enhance the effect of another factor.
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A DECISION BY NYMEX TO INCREASE MARGIN REQUIREMENTS FOR WTI CRUDE OIL FUTURES CONTRACTS MAY AFFECT THE LEVEL OF THE UNDERLYING — If NYMEX increases the amount of collateral required to be posted to hold positions in the futures contracts composing the Underlying (i.e. the margin requirements), market participants who are unwilling or unable to post additional collateral may liquidate their positions, which may cause the level of the Underlying to decline significantly.
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PAST PERFORMANCE OF THE UNDERLYING IS NO GUIDE TO FUTURE PERFORMANCE — The actual performance of the Underlying over the term of the securities, as well as any amount payable on the securities, may bear little relation to the historical closing levels of the Underlying and may bear little relation to the hypothetical return examples set forth elsewhere in this term sheet. We cannot predict the future performance of the Underlying or whether the performance of the Underlying will result in the return of any of your investment.
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ASSUMING NO CHANGES IN MARKET CONDITIONS AND OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS, THE PRICE YOU MAY RECEIVE FOR YOUR SECURITIES IN SECONDARY MARKET TRANSACTIONS WOULD GENERALLY BE LOWER THAN BOTH THE ISSUE PRICE AND THE ISSUER’S ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE SECURITIES ON THE TRADE DATE — While the payment(s) on the securities described in this term sheet is based on the full Face Amount of your securities, the Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date (as disclosed on the cover of this term sheet) is less than the Issue Price of the securities. The Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date does not represent the price at which we or any of our affiliates would be willing to purchase your securities in the secondary market at any time. Assuming no changes in market conditions or our creditworthiness and other relevant factors, the price, if any, at which we or our affiliates would be willing to purchase the securities from you in secondary market transactions, if at all, would generally be lower than both the Issue Price and the Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date. Our purchase price, if any, in secondary market transactions would be based on the estimated value of the securities determined by reference to (i) the then-prevailing internal funding rate (adjusted by a spread) or another appropriate measure of our cost of funds and (ii) our pricing models at that time, less a bid spread
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TS-10
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determined after taking into account the size of the repurchase, the nature of the assets underlying the securities and then-prevailing market conditions. The price we report to financial reporting services and to distributors of our securities for use on customer account statements would generally be determined on the same basis. However, during the period of approximately two months beginning from the Trade Date, we or our affiliates may, in our sole discretion, increase the purchase price determined as described above by an amount equal to the declining differential between (a) the Issue Price minus the discounts and commissions and (b) the Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date, prorated over such period on a straight-line basis, for transactions that are individually and in the aggregate of the expected size for ordinary secondary market repurchases.
In addition to the factors discussed above, the value of the securities and our purchase price in secondary market transactions after the Trade Date, if any, will vary based on many economic and market factors, including our creditworthiness, and cannot be predicted with accuracy. These changes may adversely affect the value of your securities, including the price you may receive in any secondary market transactions. Any sale prior to the Maturity Date could result in a substantial loss to you. The securities are not designed to be short-term trading instruments. Accordingly, you should be able and willing to hold your securities to maturity.
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THE SECURITIES WILL NOT BE LISTED AND THERE WILL LIKELY BE LIMITED LIQUIDITY — The securities will not be listed on any securities exchange. There may be little or no secondary market for the securities. We or our affiliates intend to act as market makers for the securities but are not required to do so and may cease such market making activities at any time. Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to sell the securities when you wish to do so or at a price advantageous to you. Because we do not expect other dealers to make a secondary market for the securities, the price at which you may be able to sell your securities is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which we or our affiliates are willing to buy the securities. If, at any time, we or our affiliates do not act as market makers, it is likely that there would be little or no secondary market in the securities. If you have to sell your securities prior to maturity, you may not be able to do so or you may have to sell them at a substantial loss, even in cases where the level of the Underlying has increased since the Trade Date.
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MANY ECONOMIC AND MARKET FACTORS WILL AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE SECURITIES — While we expect that, generally, the level of the Underlying will affect the value of the securities more than any other single factor, the value of the securities prior to maturity will also be affected by a number of other factors that may either offset or magnify each other, including:
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the expected volatility of the price of WTI crude oil, the prices of WTI crude oil futures contracts and the level of the Underlying;
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the time remaining to the maturity of the securities;
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trends of supply and demand for WTI crude oil and WTI crude oil futures contracts;
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interest rates and yields then prevailing in the market;
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geopolitical conditions and a variety of economic, financial, political, regulatory or judicial events that affect WTI crude oil or commodities markets generally;
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supply and demand for the securities; and
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our creditworthiness, including actual or anticipated downgrades in our credit ratings.
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TRADING AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS BY US OR OUR AFFILIATES IN THE COMMODITIES AND COMMODITY DERIVATIVE MARKETS MAY IMPAIR THE VALUE OF THE SECURITIES — We or our affiliates expect to hedge our exposure from the securities by entering into commodity derivative transactions, such as over-the-counter options, futures or exchange-traded instruments. We or our affiliates may also engage in trading in instruments linked or related to the Underlying on a regular basis as part of our general broker-dealer and other businesses, for proprietary accounts, for other accounts under management or to facilitate transactions for customers, including block transactions. Such trading and hedging activities may affect the level of the Underlying and make it less likely that you will receive a positive return on your investment in the securities. It is possible that we or our affiliates could receive substantial returns from these hedging and trading activities while the value of the securities declines. We or our affiliates may also issue or underwrite other securities or financial or derivative instruments with returns linked or related to commodity prices. Introducing competing products into the marketplace in this manner could adversely affect the value of the securities. Any of the foregoing activities described in this paragraph may reflect trading strategies that differ from, or are in direct opposition to, investors’ trading and investment strategies related to the securities.
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TS-11
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WE, OUR AGENTS OR OUR AFFILIATES MAY PUBLISH RESEARCH, EXPRESS OPINIONS OR PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE INCONSISTENT WITH INVESTING IN OR HOLDING THE SECURITIES. ANY SUCH RESEARCH, OPINIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE LEVEL OF THE UNDERLYING OR THE VALUE OF THE SECURITIES — We, our agents or our affiliates may publish research from time to time on financial markets and other matters that could adversely affect the value of the securities, or express opinions or provide recommendations that are inconsistent with purchasing or holding the securities. Any research, opinions or recommendations expressed by us, our agents or our affiliates may not be consistent with each other and may be modified from time to time without notice. You should make your own independent investigation of the merits of investing in the securities and the Underlying.
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POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST — We and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the issuance of the securities, including acting as calculation agent, hedging our obligations under the securities and determining the Issuer’s estimated value of the securities on the Trade Date and the price, if any, at which we or our affiliates would be willing to purchase the securities from you in secondary market transactions. In performing these roles, our economic interests and those of our affiliates are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the securities. The calculation agent will determine, among other things, all values, prices and levels required to be determined for the purposes of the securities on any relevant date or time. The calculation agent will also be responsible for determining whether a Commodity Hedging Disruption Event and/or a market disruption event has occurred. Any determination by the calculation agent could adversely affect the return on the securities.
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THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES ARE UNCERTAIN — There is no direct legal authority regarding the proper U.S. federal income tax treatment of the securities, and we do not plan to request a ruling from the IRS. Consequently, significant aspects of the tax treatment of the securities are uncertain, and the IRS or a court might not agree with the treatment of the securities as prepaid financial contracts that are not debt. If the IRS were successful in asserting an alternative treatment for the securities, the tax consequences of ownership and disposition of the securities could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, as described above under “Tax Consequences,” in 2007 the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS released a notice requesting comments on various issues regarding the U.S. federal income tax treatment of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar instruments. Any Treasury regulations or other guidance promulgated after consideration of these issues could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the securities, possibly with retroactive effect. You should review carefully the section of the accompanying product supplement entitled “U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences,” and consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the securities (including possible alternative treatments and the issues presented by the 2007 notice), as well as tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.
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TS-12
Historical Information
The following graph sets forth the historical performance of the Underlying based on the daily closing levels of the Underlying from January 21, 2010 through January 21, 2015. The closing level of the S&P GSCI® Crude Oil Index — Excess Return on January 21, 2015 was [ ]. The graph below shows a hypothetical Trigger Level equal to 80.00% of [ ], which was the closing level of the S&P GSCI® Crude Oil Index on January 21, 2015. We obtained the historical closing levels of the Underlying below from Bloomberg L.P., and we have not participated in the preparation of, or verified, such information. The historical closing levels of the Underlying should not be taken as an indication of future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the closing level of the Underlying on the Final Valuation Date. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the Underlying will result in the return of any of your initial investment.
Supplemental Underwriting Information (Conflicts of Interest)
Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“DBSI”), acting as agent for Deutsche Bank AG, will receive or allow as a concession or reallowance to other dealers discounts and commissions of 1.75% or $17.50 per $1,000 Face Amount of securities. DBSI may sell all or a part of the securities that it purchases from us to its affiliates or certain dealers at the price to the public indicated on the cover of the pricing supplement, minus a concession not to exceed the discounts and commissions indicated on the cover. DBSI, the agent for this offering, is our affiliate. Because DBSI is both our affiliate and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), the underwriting arrangement for this offering must comply with the requirements of FINRA Rule 5121 regarding a FINRA member firm’s distribution of the securities of an affiliate and related conflicts of interest. In accordance with FINRA Rule 5121, DBSI may not make sales in offerings of the securities to any of its discretionary accounts without the prior written approval of the customer. See “Underwriting (Conflicts of Interest)” in the accompanying product supplement.
Settlement
We expect to deliver the securities against payment for the securities on the Settlement Date indicated above, which may be a date that is greater than three business days following the Trade Date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in three business days, unless the parties to a trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, if the Settlement Date is more than three business days after the Trade Date, purchasers who wish to transact in the securities more than three business days prior to the Settlement Date will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.
TS-13