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Final Terms of the Notes1

 

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¹ Terms used in this pricing supplement, but not defined herein, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the prospectus or the prospectus supplement.

Payment at Maturity:		If the Notes are not called and the closing levels of both Underlying Indices are equal to or greater than their respective Downside Thresholds, we will pay you a cash payment per Note on the Maturity Date equal to $10.00 plus the Contingent Coupon otherwise due on the Maturity Date. If the Notes are not called and the Final Level of the Least Performing Underlying Index is less than its Downside Threshold, we will pay you a cash payment on the Maturity Date of less than the principal amount, if anything, resulting in a loss on your initial investment that is proportionate to the negative Underlying Index Return of the Least Performing Underlying Index, equal to: $10.00 + ($10.00 × Underlying Index Return of the Least Performing Underlying Index)
Least Performing Underlying Index:		The Underlying Index with the lowest Underlying Index Return.
Underlying Index Returns:		With respect to each Underlying Index, Final Level – Initial Level Initial Level
Downside Thresholds:		With respect to each Underlying Index, 70.00% of its Initial Level, as specified on the cover page of this pricing supplement.
Coupon Barriers:		With respect to each Underlying Index, 70.00% of its Initial Level, as specified on the cover page of this pricing supplement.
Initial Levels:		With respect to each Underlying Index, its closing level on the trade date, as specified on the cover page of this pricing supplement.
Final Levels:		With respect to each Underlying Index, its closing level on the Final Valuation Date, as determined by the calculation agent.

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Investment Timeline

	Trade Date:		The Initial Level, Downside Threshold and Coupon Barrier of each Underlying Index were determined. The Contingent Coupon Rate was set.
	Quarterly (beginning after six months):		If the closing levels of both Underlying Indices are equal to or greater than their respective Coupon Barriers on any Coupon Observation Date, we will pay you a Contingent Coupon payment on the applicable Coupon Payment Date. The Notes will be called if the closing levels of both Underlying Indices on any quarterly Call Observation Date (beginning after six months) are equal to or greater than their respective Initial Levels. If the Notes are called, we will pay you a cash payment per Note equal to $10.00 plus the Contingent Coupon otherwise due on that date.
	Maturity Date:		The Final Level of each Underlying Index is observed on the Final Valuation Date. If the Notes have not been called and the Final Levels of both Underlying Indices are equal to or greater than their respective Downside Thresholds (and their respective Coupon Barriers), we will repay the principal amount equal to $10.00 per Note plus the Contingent Coupon otherwise due on the Maturity Date. If the Notes have not been called and the Final Level of the Least Performing Underlying Index is less than its Downside Threshold, we will pay less than the principal amount, if anything, resulting in a loss on your initial investment proportionate to the decline of the Least Performing Underlying Index, for an amount equal to: $10.00 + ($10.00 × Underlying Index Return of the Least Performing Underlying Index) per Note

 

INVESTING IN THE NOTES INVOLVES SIGNIFICANT RISKS. YOU MAY LOSE SOME OR ALL OF YOUR PRINCIPAL AMOUNT. YOU WILL BE EXPOSED TO THE MARKET RISK OF EACH UNDERLYING INDEX ON EACH COUPON OBSERVATION DATE AND ON THE FINAL VALUATION DATE, AND ANY DECLINE IN THE LEVEL OF ONE UNDERLYING INDEX MAY NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR RETURN AND WILL NOT BE OFFSET OR MITIGATED BY A LESSER DECLINE OR ANY POTENTIAL INCREASE IN THE LEVEL OF THE OTHER UNDERLYING INDEX. ANY PAYMENT ON THE NOTES, INCLUDING ANY REPAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL, IS SUBJECT TO OUR CREDITWORTHINESS. IF WE WERE TO DEFAULT ON OUR PAYMENT OBLIGATIONS, YOU MAY NOT RECEIVE ANY AMOUNTS OWED TO YOU UNDER THE NOTES AND YOU COULD LOSE YOUR ENTIRE INVESTMENT.

 

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Non-U.S. Holders. The following discussion applies to non-U.S. holders of the Notes. A non-U.S. holder is a beneficial owner of the Notes that, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is a non-resident alien individual, a foreign corporation, or a foreign estate or trust.

While the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Notes (including proper characterization of the Contingent Coupons for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is uncertain, U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate (or at a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty) will be withheld in respect of the Contingent Coupons paid to a non-U.S. holder unless such payments are effectively connected with the conduct by the non-U.S. holder of a trade or business in the U.S. (in which case, to avoid withholding, the non-U.S. holder will be required to provide a Form W-8ECI). We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of such withholding. To claim benefits under an income tax treaty, a non-U.S. holder must obtain a taxpayer identification number and certify as to its eligibility under the appropriate treaty’s limitations on benefits article, if applicable (which certification may generally be made on a Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E, or a substitute or successor form). In addition, special rules may apply to claims for treaty benefits made by corporate non-U.S. holders. A non-U.S. holder that is eligible for a reduced rate of U.S. federal withholding tax pursuant to an income tax treaty may obtain a refund of any excess amounts withheld by filing an appropriate claim for refund with the Internal Revenue Service. The availability of a lower rate of withholding or an exemption from withholding under an applicable income tax treaty will depend on the proper characterization of the Contingent Coupons under U.S. federal income tax laws and whether such treaty rate or exemption applies to such Contingent Coupon payments. No assurance can be provided on the proper characterization of the Contingent Coupons for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, accordingly, no assurance can be provided on the availability of benefits under any income tax treaty. Non-U.S. holders must consult their tax advisors in this regard.

Except as discussed below, a non-U.S. holder will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax on any gain (not including for the avoidance of doubt any amounts properly attributable to any Contingent Coupon which would be subject to the rules discussed in the previous paragraph) upon the call, sale or maturity of the Notes, provided that (i) the holder complies with any applicable certification requirements (which certification may generally be made on a Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E, or a substitute or successor form), (ii) the payment is not effectively connected with the conduct by the holder of a U.S. trade or business, and (iii) if the holder is a non-resident alien individual, such holder is not present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the call, sale or maturity of the Notes. In the case of (ii) above, the holder generally would be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to any income or gain in the same manner as if the holder were a U.S. holder and, in the case of a holder that is a corporation, the holder may also be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30% (or such lower rate provided by an applicable U.S. income tax treaty) of a portion of its earnings and profits for the taxable year that are effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the U.S., subject to certain adjustments. Payments made to a non-U.S. holder may be subject to information reporting and to backup withholding unless the holder complies with applicable certification and identification requirements as to its foreign status.

As discussed above, alternative characterizations of the Notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes are possible. Should an alternative characterization, by reason of change or clarification of the law, by regulation or otherwise, cause payments as to the Notes to become subject to withholding tax in addition to the withholding tax described above, we will withhold tax at the applicable statutory rate. The Internal Revenue Service has also indicated that it is considering whether income in respect of instruments such as the Notes should be subject to withholding tax. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors in this regard.

Under Section 871(m) of the Code, a “dividend equivalent” payment is treated as a dividend from sources within the United States. Such payments generally would be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax if paid to a non-U.S. holder. Under U.S. Treasury Department regulations, payments (including deemed payments) with respect to equity-linked instruments (“ELIs”) that are “specified ELIs” may be treated as dividend equivalents if such specified ELIs reference an interest in an “underlying security,” which is generally any interest in an entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes if a payment with respect to such interest could give rise to a U.S. source dividend. However, U.S. Treasury Department regulations provide that withholding on dividend equivalent payments will not apply to specified ELIs that are not delta-one instruments and that are issued before January 1, 2018. Based on our determination that the Notes are not delta-one instruments, non-U.S. holders should not be subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments, if any, under the Notes. However, it is possible that the Notes could be treated as deemed reissued for U.S. federal income tax purposes upon the occurrence of certain events affecting the Underlying Indices or the Notes (for example, upon an Underlying Index rebalancing), and following such occurrence the Notes could be treated as subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments. Non-U.S. holders that enter, or have entered, into other transactions in respect of the Underlying Indices or the Notes should consult their tax advisors as to the application of the dividend equivalent withholding tax in the context of the Notes and their other transactions. If any payments are treated as dividend equivalents subject to withholding, we (or the applicable withholding agent) would be entitled to withhold taxes without being required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld.

Individual holders that own “specified foreign financial assets” may be required to include certain information with respect to such assets with their U.S. federal income tax return. You are urged to consult your own tax advisor regarding such requirements with respect to the Notes.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”) imposes a 30% U.S. withholding tax on certain U.S. source payments of interest (and OID), dividends, or other fixed or determinable annual or periodical gain, profits, and income, and on the gross proceeds from a disposition of property of a type which can produce U.S. source interest or dividends (“Withholdable Payments”), if paid to a foreign financial institution (including amounts paid to a foreign financial institution on behalf of a holder), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury Department to collect and provide to the U.S. Treasury Department certain information regarding U.S. financial account holders, including certain account holders that are foreign entities with U.S. owners, with such institution, or otherwise complies with the legislation. In addition, the Notes may constitute a “financial account” for these purposes and, thus, be subject to information reporting requirements pursuant to FATCA. FATCA also generally imposes a withholding tax of 30% on Withholdable Payments made to a non-financial foreign entity unless such entity provides the withholding agent with a certification that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or a certification identifying the direct and indirect substantial U.S. owners of the entity. Under certain circumstances, a holder may be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes.

The U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS have announced that withholding on payments of gross proceeds from a sale or redemption of the Notes will only apply to payments made after December 31, 2018. If we determine withholding is appropriate with respect to the Notes, we will withhold tax at the applicable statutory rate, and we will not pay any additional amounts in respect of such withholding. Therefore, if such withholding applies, any payments on the Notes will be significantly less than what you would have otherwise received. Foreign financial institutions and non-financial foreign entities located in jurisdictions that have an intergovernmental agreement with the United States governing FATCA may be subject to different rules. Prospective investors are urged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the possible implications of FATCA on their investment in the Notes.

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 accompanying prospectus, which you should carefully review prior to investing in the Notes.

 

We have derived all information contained in this document regarding each of the Underlying Indices, including, without limitation, its make up, method of calculation, and changes in its components, from publicly available sources. The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, the applicable index sponsor. Each index sponsor, which owns the copyright and all other rights to the applicable Underlying Index, has no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication of, that Underlying Index. The consequences of an index sponsor discontinuing publication of the applicable Underlying Index are discussed below under the heading “General Terms of the Notes—Discontinuation of an Underlying Index; Alteration of Method of Calculation.” None of us, UBS or RBCCM accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of any Underlying Index or any successor index.

The SPX is intended to provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price movement in the large capitalization segment of the U.S. equity market. The calculation of the level of the SPX is based on the relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average market value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943.

S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“SPDJI” or the “index sponsor”) chooses companies for inclusion in the SPX with the aim of achieving a distribution by broad industry groupings that approximates the distribution of these groupings in the common stock population of its Stock Guide Database of over 10,000 companies, which the index sponsor uses as an assumed model for the composition of the total market. Relevant criteria employed by the index sponsor include the viability of the particular company, the extent to which that company represents the industry group to which it is assigned, the extent to which the market price of that company’s common stock generally is responsive to changes in the affairs of the respective industry, and the market value and trading activity of the common stock of that company. SPDJI from time to time, in its sole discretion, may add companies to, or delete companies from, the SPX to achieve the objectives stated above.

The index sponsor calculates the SPX by reference to the prices of the constituent stocks of the SPX without taking account of the value of dividends paid on those stocks. As a result, the return on the Notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the SPX constituent stocks and received the dividends paid on those stocks.

Computation of the SPX

While SPDJI currently employs the following methodology to calculate the SPX, no assurance can be given that SPDJI will not modify or change this methodology in a manner that may affect the Payment at Maturity.

Historically, the market value of any component stock of the SPX was calculated as the product of the market price per share and the number of then outstanding shares of such component stock. In March 2005, SPDJI began shifting the SPX halfway from a market capitalization weighted formula to a float-adjusted formula, before moving the SPX to full float adjustment on September 16, 2005. SPDJI’s criteria for selecting stocks for the SPX did not change with the shift to float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects each company’s weight in the SPX.

Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the SPX reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not all of a company’s outstanding shares. Float adjustment excludes shares that are closely held by control groups, other publicly traded companies or government agencies.

In September 2012, all shareholdings representing more than 5% of a stock’s outstanding shares, other than holdings by “block owners,” were removed from the float for purposes of calculating the SPX. Generally, these “control holders” will include officers and directors, private equity, venture capital and special equity firms, other publicly traded companies that hold shares for control, strategic partners, holders of restricted shares, ESOPs, employee and family trusts, foundations associated with the company, holders of unlisted share classes of stock, government entities at all levels (other than government retirement/pension funds) and any individual person who controls a 5% or greater stake in a company as reported in regulatory filings. However, holdings by block owners, such as depositary banks, pension funds, mutual funds and ETF providers, 401(k) plans of the company, government retirement/pension funds, investment funds of insurance companies, asset managers and investment funds, independent foundations and savings and investment plans, will ordinarily be considered part of the float.

Treasury stock, stock options, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock, and rights are not part of the float. Shares held in a trust to allow investors in countries outside the country of domicile, such as depositary shares and Canadian exchangeable shares are normally part of the float unless those shares form a control block. If a company has multiple classes of stock outstanding, shares in an unlisted or non-traded class are treated as a control block.

For each stock, an investable weight factor (“IWF”) is calculated by dividing the available float shares by the total shares outstanding. As of September 21, 2012, available float shares are defined as the total shares outstanding less shares held by control holders. This calculation is subject to a 5% minimum threshold for control blocks. For example, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares, and no other control group holds 5% of the company’s shares, SPDJI would assign that company an IWF of 1.00, as no control group meets the 5% threshold. However, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares and another control group holds 20% of the company’s shares, SPDJI would assign an IWF of 0.77, reflecting the fact that 23% of the company’s outstanding shares are considered to be held for control. For companies with multiple classes of stock, SPDJI calculates the weighted average IWF for each stock using the proportion of the total company market capitalization of each share class as weights.

The SPX is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology. The level of the SPX reflects the total market value of all 500 component stocks relative to the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. An indexed number is used to represent the results of this calculation in order to make the level easier to use and track over time. The actual total market value of the component stocks during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 has been set to an indexed level of 10. This is often indicated by the notation 1941-43 = 10. In practice, the daily calculation of the SPX is computed by dividing the total market value of the component stocks by the “index divisor.” By itself, the index divisor is an arbitrary number. However, in the context of the calculation of the SPX, it serves as a link to the original base period level of the SPX. The index divisor keeps the SPX comparable over time and is the manipulation point for all adjustments to the SPX, which is index maintenance.

 

Index Maintenance

Index maintenance includes monitoring and completing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, share changes, stock splits, stock dividends, and stock price adjustments due to company restructuring or spinoffs. Some corporate actions, such as stock splits and stock dividends, require changes in the common shares outstanding and the stock prices of the companies in the SPX, and do not require index divisor adjustments.

To prevent the level of the SPX from changing due to corporate actions, corporate actions which affect the total market value of the SPX require an index divisor adjustment. By adjusting the index divisor for the change in market value, the level of the SPX remains constant and does not reflect the corporate actions of individual companies in the SPX. Index divisor adjustments are made after the close of trading and after the calculation of the SPX closing level.

Changes in a company’s shares outstanding of 5.00% or more due to mergers, acquisitions, public offerings, tender offers, Dutch auctions, or exchange offers are made as soon as reasonably possible. Share changes due to mergers or acquisitions of publicly held companies that trade on a major exchange are implemented when the transaction occurs, even if both of the companies are not in the same headline index, and regardless of the size of the change. All other changes of 5.00% or more (due to, for example, company stock repurchases, private placements, redemptions, exercise of options, warrants, conversion of preferred stock, notes, debt, equity participation units, at the market offerings, or other recapitalizations) are made weekly and are announced on Fridays for implementation after the close of trading on the following Friday. Changes of less than 5.00% are accumulated and made quarterly on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December, and are usually announced two to five days prior.

If a change in a company’s shares outstanding of 5.00% or more causes a company’s IWF to change by five percentage points or more, the IWF is updated at the same time as the share change. IWF changes resulting from partial tender offers are considered on a case-by-case basis.

License Agreement

S&P^® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”) and Dow Jones^® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”). These trademarks have been licensed for use by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC. “Standard & Poor’s^®,” “S&P 500^®” and “S&P^®” are trademarks of S&P. These trademarks have been sublicensed for certain purposes by us. The SPX is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and/or its affiliates and has been licensed for use by us.

The Notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, S&P or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the holders of the Notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Notes particularly or the ability of the SPX to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to us with respect to the SPX is the licensing of the SPX and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its third party licensors. The SPX is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to us or the Notes. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation to take our needs or the needs of holders of the Notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the SPX. S&P Dow Jones Indices are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of the Notes or the timing of the issuance or sale of the Notes or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Notes are to be converted into cash. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Notes. There is no assurance that investment products based on the SPX will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and its subsidiaries are not investment advisors. Inclusion of a security or futures contract within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security or futures contract, nor is it considered to be investment advice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the Notes currently being issued by us, but which may be similar to and competitive with the Notes. In addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the SPX. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the Notes.

S&P DOW JONES INDICES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE SPX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY US, HOLDERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE SPX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND US, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.

 

The following table sets forth the quarterly high, low and period-end closing levels of the SPX, as reported by Bloomberg L.P. The historical performance of the SPX should not be taken as an indication of future performance. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the SPX will result in the return of any of your initial investment.

* This pricing supplement includes information for the third calendar quarter of 2017 for the period from July 1, 2017 through July 27, 2017. Accordingly, the “Quarterly Closing High,” “Quarterly Closing Low” and “Quarterly Period-End Close” data indicated are for this shortened period only and do not reflect complete data for the third calendar quarter of 2017.

 

The graph below illustrates the performance of this Underlying Index from January 1, 2008 to July 27, 2017, based on the Initial Level of 2,475.72, which was its closing level on July 27, 2017. The solid line represents the Coupon Barrier and Downside Threshold of 1,732.79, which is equal to 70.00% of its Initial Level (rounded to two decimal places).

 

n Coupon Barrier / Downside Threshold = 70% of its Initial Level

HISTORIC PERFORMANCE IS NOT AN INDICATION OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE

Source: Bloomberg L.P.  We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg L.P.

 

We have derived all information contained in this document regarding the RTY, including, without limitation, its make up, method of calculation, and changes in its components, from publicly available sources. The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, the index sponsor. The index sponsor, which owns the copyright and all other rights to the RTY, has no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication of the RTY. None of us, UBS or RBCCM accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of the RTY or any successor index.

The Russell 2000^® Index

The RTY was developed by Russell Investments (“Russell”) before FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”) and Russell combined in 2015 to create FTSE Russell, which is wholly owned by London Stock Exchange Group. Russell began dissemination of the RTY (Bloomberg L.P. index symbol “RTY”) on January 1, 1984. The RTY was set to 135 as of the close of business on December 31, 1986. FTSE Russell (the “index sponsor”) calculates and publishes the RTY. The RTY is designed to track the performance of the small capitalization segment of the U.S. equity market. As a subset of the Russell 3000^® Index, the RTY consists of the smallest 2,000 companies included in the Russell 3000^® Index. The Russell 3000^® Index measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies, representing approximately 98% of the investable U.S. equity market. The RTY is determined, comprised, and calculated by the index sponsor without regard to the Notes.

Selection of Stocks Underlying the RTY

All companies eligible for inclusion in the RTY must be classified as a U.S. company under the index sponsor’s country-assignment methodology. If a company is incorporated, has a stated headquarters location, and trades in the same country (American Depositary Receipts and American Depositary Shares are not eligible), then the company is assigned to its country of incorporation. If any of the three factors are not the same, the index sponsor defines three Home Country Indicators (“HCIs”): country of incorporation, country of headquarters, and country of the most liquid exchange (as defined by a two-year average daily dollar trading volume) (“ADDTV”) from all exchanges within a country. Using the HCIs, the index sponsor compares the primary location of the company’s assets with the three HCIs. If the primary location of its assets matches any of the HCIs, then the company is assigned to the primary location of its assets. If there is insufficient information to determine the country in which the company’s assets are primarily located, the index sponsor will use the primary country from which the company’s revenues are primarily derived for the comparison with the three HCIs in a similar manner. The index sponsor uses the average of two years of assets or revenues data to reduce potential turnover. If conclusive country details cannot be derived from assets or revenues data, the index sponsor will assign the company to the country of its headquarters, which is defined as the address of the company’s principal executive offices, unless that country is a Benefit Driven Incorporation “BDI” country, in which case the company will be assigned to the country of its most liquid stock exchange. BDI countries include: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Cook Islands, Curacao, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Panama, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Turks and Caicos Islands. For any companies incorporated or headquartered in a U.S. territory, including countries such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands, a U.S. HCI is assigned.

All securities eligible for inclusion in the RTY must trade on a major U.S. exchange. Stocks must have a closing price at or above $1.00 on their primary exchange on the last trading day in May to be eligible for inclusion during annual reconstitution. However, in order to reduce unnecessary turnover, if an existing member’s closing price is less than $1.00 on the last day of May, it will be considered eligible if the average of the daily closing prices (from its primary exchange) during the month of May is equal to or greater than $1.00. Initial public offerings are added each quarter and must have a closing price at or above $1.00 on the last day of their eligibility period in order to qualify for index inclusion. If an existing stock does not trade on the “rank day” (typically the last trading day in May, but a confirmed timetable is announced each Spring) but does have a closing price at or above $1.00 on another eligible U.S. exchange, that stock will be eligible for inclusion.

An important criterion used to determine the list of securities eligible for the RTY is total market capitalization, which is defined as the market price as of the last trading day in May for those securities being considered at annual reconstitution times the total number of shares outstanding. Where applicable, common stock, non-restricted exchangeable shares and partnership units/membership interests are used to determine market capitalization. Any other form of shares such as preferred stock, convertible preferred stock, redeemable shares, participating preferred stock, warrants and rights, installment receipts or trust receipts, are excluded from the calculation. If multiple share classes of common stock exist, they are combined. In cases where the common stock share classes act independently of each other (e.g., tracking stocks), each class is considered for inclusion separately. If multiple share classes exist, the pricing vehicle will be designated as the share class with the highest two-year trading volume as of the rank day in May.

Companies with a total market capitalization of less than $30 million are not eligible for the RTY. Similarly, companies with only 5% or less of their shares available in the marketplace are not eligible for the RTY. Royalty trusts, limited liability companies, closed-end investment companies (companies that are required to report Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, as defined by the SEC, including business development companies), blank check companies, special-purpose acquisition companies, and limited partnerships are also not eligible for inclusion in the Russell U.S. Indices. Exchange traded funds and mutual funds are also excluded. Bulletin board, pink-sheets, and over-the-counter (“OTC”) traded securities are not eligible for inclusion.

Annual reconstitution is a process by which the RTY is completely rebuilt. On the rank last trading day of May, all eligible securities are ranked by their total market capitalization. The largest 4,000 become the Russell 3000E Index, and the other of the index sponsor’s indexes are determined from that set of securities. Reconstitution of the RTY occurs on the last Friday in June or, when the last Friday in June is the 29th or 30th, reconstitution occurs on the prior Friday. In addition, the index sponsor adds initial public offerings to the RTY on a quarterly basis based on total market capitalization guidelines ranking within the market-adjusted capitalization breaks established during the most recent reconstitution.

After membership is determined, a security’s shares are adjusted to include only those shares available to the public. This is often referred to as “free float.” The purpose of the adjustment is to exclude from market calculations the capitalization that is not available for purchase and is not part of the investable opportunity set.

 

License Agreement

FTSE Russell and Royal Bank of Canada have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement providing for the license to Royal Bank of Canada, and certain of its affiliates, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use indices owned and published by FTSE Russell in connection with some securities, including the Notes.

FTSE Russell does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the RTY or any data included in the RTY and has no liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions in the RTY. FTSE Russell makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the calculation agent, holders of the Notes, or any other person or entity from the use of the RTY or any data included in the RTY in connection with the rights licensed under the license agreement described in this document or for any other use. FTSE Russell makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the RTY or any data included in the RTY. Without limiting any of the above information, in no event will FTSE Russell have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect or consequential damages, including lost profits, even if notified of the possibility of these damages.

The Notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FTSE Russell. FTSE Russell makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the Notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Notes particularly or the ability of the RTY to track general stock market performance or a segment of the same. FTSE Russell’s publication of the RTY in no way suggests or implies an opinion by FTSE Russell as to the advisability of investment in any or all of the stocks upon which the RTY is based. FTSE Russell's only relationship to Royal Bank of Canada is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of FTSE Russell and of the RTY, which is determined, composed and calculated by FTSE Russell without regard to Royal Bank of Canada or the Notes. FTSE Russell is not responsible for and has not reviewed the Notes nor any associated literature or publications and FTSE Russell makes no representation or warranty express or implied as to their accuracy or completeness, or otherwise. FTSE Russell reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate or in any way change the RTY. FTSE Russell has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Notes.

“Russell 2000^®” and “Russell 3000^®” are registered trademarks of FTSE Russell in the U.S. and other countries.

 

The following table sets forth the quarterly high, low and period-end closing levels of the RTY, as reported by Bloomberg L.P. The historical performance of the RTY should not be taken as an indication of future performance. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the RTY will result in the return of any of your initial investment.

* This pricing supplement includes information for the third calendar quarter of 2017 for the period from July 1, 2017 through July 27, 2017. Accordingly, the “Quarterly Closing High,” “Quarterly Closing Low” and “Quarterly Period-End Close” data indicated are for this shortened period only and do not reflect complete data for the third calendar quarter of 2017.

 

The graph below illustrates the performance of this Underlying Index from January 1, 2008 to July 27, 2017, based on the Initial Level of 1,433.624, which was its closing level on July 27, 2017. The solid line represents the Coupon Barrier and Downside Threshold of 1,003.537, which is equal to 70.00% of its Initial Level (rounded to three decimal places).

n Coupon Barrier / Downside Threshold = 70.00% of its Initial Level

HISTORIC PERFORMANCE IS NOT AN INDICATION OF FUTURE PERFORMANCE

Source: Bloomberg L.P. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg L.P.

 

The graph below illustrates the daily performance of the Underlying Indices from January 1, 2008 through July 27, 2017. For comparison purposes, each Underlying Index has been normalized to have a closing level of 100.00 on January 1, 2008 by dividing the closing level of that Underlying Index on each day by the closing level of that Underlying Index on January 1, 2008 and multiplying by 100.00. We obtained the closing levels used to determine the normalized closing levels set forth below from Bloomberg L.P., without independent verification.

Past performance of the Underlying Indices is not indicative of their future performance.

The correlation of a pair of indices represents a statistical measurement of the degree to which the returns of those indices were similar to each other over a given period in terms of timing and direction (i.e., positive or negative). The closer the relationship of the daily returns of the Underlying Indices over a given period, the more positively correlated those Underlying Indices are. The graph above illustrates the historical performance of the indices relative to one another over the time period shown and provides an indication of how close the relative performance of the daily returns of one Underlying Index has historically been to the other. The lower (or more negative) the correlation between two Underlying Indices, the less likely it is that those indices will move in the same direction and, therefore, the greater the potential for one of those indices to close below its Coupon Barrier or Downside Threshold on any Coupon Observation Date or the Final Valuation Date, respectively. This is because the less positively correlated a pair of Underlying Indices are, the greater the likelihood that at least one of those indices will decrease in value. This results in a greater potential for a Contingent Coupon not to be paid during the term of the Notes and for a loss of principal at maturity. However, even if the two Underlying Indices have a higher positive correlation, one or both of those indices might close below its Coupon Barrier or Downside Threshold on a Coupon Observation Date or the Final Valuation Date, as both of those Underlying Indices may decrease in value together.

The lower the correlation between two Underlying Indices, the greater the potential for one of those indices to close below its Coupon Barrier or its Downside Threshold on any Coupon Observation Date or the Final Valuation Date, respectively. Therefore, the greater the number of Underlying Indices, the greater the potential for missed Contingent Coupons and for a loss of principal at maturity. We determine the Contingent Coupons for the Notes based, in part, on the correlation among the Underlying Indices, calculated using internal models at the time the terms of the Notes are set. As discussed above, increased risk resulting from lower correlation or from a greater number of Underlying Indices will be reflected in a higher Contingent Coupon than would be payable on securities linked to fewer Underlying Indices or that have a higher degree of correlation.

 

The following description of the terms of the Notes supplements the description of the general terms of the debt securities set forth under the headings “Description of the Notes We May Offer” in the accompanying prospectus supplement and “Description of Debt Securities” in the accompanying prospectus. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this pricing supplement have the meanings assigned in the accompanying prospectus supplement, prospectus. The term “Note” refers to $10 in principal amount of the Notes.

General

The Notes are senior unsecured debt obligations of Royal Bank of Canada that are linked to the Underlying Indices. The Notes will be issued under an indenture dated October 23, 2003, as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, between us and The Bank of New York Mellon (as successor to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.), as trustee.

The Notes are unsecured debt obligations and are not savings accounts or deposits of a bank. The Notes are not insured or guaranteed 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 our unsecured and unsubordinated obligations and will rank pari passu with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations.

The Notes will be issued in denominations of $10 and integral multiples thereof. The principal amount of each Note is $10. The Notes will be represented by one or more permanent global securities registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, or its nominee, as described under “Description of Debt Securities—Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance” and “—Considerations Relating to DTC” in the prospectus.

All references to the “debt securities” in the accompanying prospectus and all references to the “notes” in the accompanying prospectus supplement shall be read as and shall apply to the “Notes” for the purpose of this pricing supplement. Unless the context otherwise requires, references to the “debt securities,” “notes” and the “Notes” in the prospectus, prospectus supplement and this document can be read interchangeably and are synonymous.

If any required payment on the Notes is due on a day that is not a business day, the payment will be paid on the next business day, and no interest will accrue in respect of that postponement.

A “closing level” will be the official closing level of the applicable Underlying Index on the applicable trading day, as determined by the calculation agent.

A “trading day” is a day, as determined by the calculation agent, on which trading is generally conducted on (i) the relevant exchanges (as defined below) for the applicable Underlying Index or the successor index and (ii) the exchanges on which futures or options contracts related to that Underlying Index or the successor index are traded, other than a day on which trading on such relevant exchange or exchange on which such futures or options contracts are traded is scheduled to close prior to its regular weekday closing time.

If any Coupon Observation Date or Call Observation Date (each, an “Observation Date”) is not a trading day or if there is a market disruption event on that day, the applicable Observation Date will be postponed to the immediately succeeding trading day during which no market disruption event shall have occurred or be continuing. In no event, however, will an Observation Date be postponed more than ten business days following the date originally scheduled. If the tenth business day following the date originally scheduled to be the applicable Observation Date is not a trading day, or if there is a market disruption event on that date, the calculation agent will determine the closing level for the applicable Underlying Index in accordance with the formula for and method of calculating that Underlying Index last in effect prior to commencement of the market disruption event (or prior to the non-trading day), using the closing price (or, if trading in the relevant securities has been materially suspended or materially limited, the calculation agent’s good faith estimate of the closing price that would have prevailed but for such suspension or limitation or non-trading day) on that tenth scheduled business day of each security most recently constituting that Underlying Index.

For the avoidance of doubt, if an Underlying Index is subject to a non-trading day or market disruption event only the closing level of that Underlying Index shall be postponed; the closing level of any Underlying Index that is not so affected shall be determined on the scheduled Observation Date.

If, due to a market disruption event or otherwise, an Observation Date is postponed, the applicable Call Settlement Date or Coupon Payment Date will be postponed by the same number of business days. However, if the Final Valuation Date is postponed so that it falls less than three business days prior to the scheduled Maturity Date, the Maturity Date will be the third business day following the Final Valuation Date, as so postponed.

If a Coupon Payment Date or the Maturity Date is not a business day, then such date will be postponed to the next succeeding business day following the scheduled Coupon Payment Date or Maturity Date.

A “business day” is any day other than a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close or a day on which transactions in dollars are not conducted.

Subject to the foregoing and to applicable law (including, without limitation, U.S. federal laws), we or our affiliates may, at any time and from time to time, purchase outstanding Notes by tender, in the open market or by private agreement.

Calculation Agent

RBC Capital Markets, LLC will act as the calculation agent. The calculation agent determined the level of each Underlying Index on the trade date and will determine, among other things, the level of each Underlying Index and on each Observation Date, and the payments to be made, if any, on the Notes. In addition, the calculation agent will determine whether there has been a market disruption event or a discontinuation of either Underlying Index and whether there has been a material change in the method of calculating an Underlying Index. All determinations made by the calculation agent will be at the sole discretion of the calculation agent and will, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive for all

 

purposes and binding on you and on us. We may appoint a different calculation agent from time to time after the date of this document without your consent and without notifying you.

All calculations with respect to the level of each Underlying Index will be rounded to the nearest one hundred-thousandth, with five one-millionths rounded upward (e.g., .876545 would be rounded to .87655); all dollar amounts related to determination of the payment per $10 in principal amount of the Notes, if any, will be rounded to the nearest one ten-thousandth, with five one hundred-thousandths rounded upward (e.g., .87645 would be rounded up to .8765); and all dollar amounts paid, if any, on the aggregate principal amount of Notes per holder will be rounded to the nearest cent, with one-half cent rounded upward.

Market Disruption Events

Certain events may prevent the calculation agent from determining the closing level of each Underlying Index, and consequently, the amount, if any, that we will pay to you on the Notes. These events may include disruptions or suspensions of trading on the markets as a whole. We refer to each of these events individually as a “market disruption event.”

With respect to either Underlying Index and any relevant successor index, a “market disruption event,” means:

¨

a suspension, absence or material limitation of trading of equity securities then constituting 20% or more of the level of the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index) on the relevant exchanges (as defined below) for such securities for more than two hours of trading during, or during the one hour period preceding the close of, the principal trading session on such relevant exchange; or

¨

a breakdown or failure in the price and trade reporting systems of any relevant exchange as a result of which the reported trading prices for equity securities then constituting 20% or more of the level of the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index) during the one hour preceding the close of the principal trading session on such relevant exchange are materially inaccurate; or

¨

a suspension, absence or material limitation of trading on the primary exchange or market for trading in futures or options contracts related to the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index) for more than two hours of trading during, or during the one hour period preceding the close of, the principal trading session on such exchange or market; or

¨

a decision to permanently discontinue trading in the relevant futures or options contracts;

in each case as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion; and

¨

a determination by the calculation agent in its sole discretion that the event described above materially interfered with our ability or the ability of any of our affiliates to adjust or unwind all or a material portion of any hedge with respect to the Notes.

For purposes of determining whether a market disruption event with respect to either Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index) exists at any time, if trading in a security included in the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index) is materially suspended or materially limited at that time, then the relevant percentage contribution of that security to the level of the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index) will be based on a comparison of:

¨

the portion of the level of the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index) attributable to that security relative to

¨

the overall level of the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index),

in each case immediately before that suspension or limitation.

For purposes of determining whether a market disruption event with respect to any Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index) has occurred:

¨

a limitation on the hours or number of days of trading will not constitute a market disruption event if it results from an announced change in the regular business hours of the relevant exchange, or the primary exchange or market for trading in futures or options contracts related to the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index);

¨

limitations pursuant to the rules of any relevant exchange similar to NYSE Rule 80B (or any applicable rule or regulation enacted or promulgated by any other self-regulatory organization or any government agency of scope similar to NYSE Rule 80B as determined by the calculation agent) on trading during significant market fluctuations will constitute a suspension, absence or material limitation of trading;

¨

a suspension of trading in futures or options contracts on the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index) by the primary exchange or market trading in such contracts by reason of

·

a price change exceeding limits set by such exchange or market,

·

an imbalance of orders relating to such contracts, or

·

a disparity in bid and ask quotes relating to such contracts

will, in each such case, constitute a suspension, absence or material limitation of trading in futures or options contracts related to the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index); and

¨

a “suspension, absence or material limitation of trading” on any relevant exchange or on the primary exchange or market on which futures or options contracts related to the Underlying Index (or the relevant successor index) are traded will not include any time when such exchange or market is itself closed for trading under ordinary circumstances.

“Relevant exchange” means, with respect to any Underlying Index or any relevant successor index, the primary exchange or market of trading for any security (or any combination thereof) then included in that Underlying Index or such successor index, as applicable.

 

Discontinuation of an Underlying Index; Alteration of Method of Calculation

If the index sponsor of an Underlying Index discontinues publication of that Underlying Index and the index sponsor or another entity publishes a successor or substitute index that the calculation agent determines, in its sole discretion, to be comparable to the discontinued Underlying Index (such index being referred to herein as a “successor index”), then the closing levels of that Underlying Index will be determined by reference to the level of such successor index at the close of trading on the relevant exchange for the successor index on such day.

Upon any selection by the calculation agent of a successor index, the calculation agent will cause written notice to be promptly furnished to the trustee, to us and to the holders of the Notes.

If an index sponsor discontinues publication of an Underlying Index prior to, and that discontinuation is continuing on or prior to the Final Valuation Date, and the calculation agent determines, in its sole discretion, that no successor index is available at that time or the calculation agent has previously selected a successor index and publication of that successor index is discontinued prior to, and that discontinuation is continuing on, the applicable trading day, then the calculation agent will determine the closing level of that Underlying Index for that date. The closing level will be computed by the calculation agent in accordance with the formula for and method of calculating that Underlying Index or successor index, as applicable, last in effect prior to the discontinuation, using the closing price (or, if trading in the relevant securities has been materially suspended or materially limited, the calculation agent’s good faith estimate of the closing price that would have prevailed but for the suspension or limitation) at the close of the principal trading session on that date of each security most recently included in the Underlying Index or successor index, as applicable. Notwithstanding these alternative arrangements, discontinuation of the publication of the Underlying Index or successor index, as applicable, may adversely affect the value of the Notes.

If at any time the method of calculating an Underlying Index or a successor index, or the level thereof, is changed in a material respect, or if an Underlying Index or a successor index is in any other way modified so that the Underlying Index or successor index does not, in the opinion of the calculation agent, fairly represent the level of the Underlying Index or successor index had those changes or modifications not been made, then the calculation agent will, at the close of business in New York City on the date on any date on which the closing level of the Underlying Index is to be determined, make any calculations and adjustments as, in the good faith judgment of the calculation agent, may be necessary in order to arrive at a level of a stock index comparable to the Underlying Index or successor index, as the case may be, as if those changes or modifications had not been made, and calculate the closing level with reference to the Underlying Index or such successor index, as adjusted. Accordingly, if the method of calculating an Underlying Index or a successor index is modified so that the level of the Underlying Index or such successor index is a fraction of what it would have been if there had been no such modification (e.g., due to a split in the Underlying Index), then the calculation agent will adjust its calculation of the Underlying Index or such successor index in order to arrive at a level of the Underlying Index or such successor index as if there had been no such modification (e.g., as if such split had not occurred).

Payment of Additional Amounts

We will pay any amounts to be paid by us on the Notes without deduction or withholding for, or on account of, any and all present or future income, stamp and other taxes, levies, imposts, duties, charges, fees, deductions or withholdings (taxes) now or hereafter imposed, levied, collected, withheld or assessed by or on behalf of Canada or any Canadian political subdivision or authority that has the power to tax, unless the deduction or withholding is required by law or by the interpretation or administration thereof by the relevant governmental authority. At any time a Canadian taxing jurisdiction requires us to deduct or withhold for or on account of taxes from any payment made under or in respect of the Notes, we will pay such additional amounts (“Additional Amounts”) as may be necessary so that the net amounts received by each holder (including Additional Amounts), after such deduction or withholding, shall not be less than the amount the holder would have received had no such deduction or withholding been required.

However, no Additional Amounts will be payable with respect to a payment made to a holder of a Note or of a right to receive payments in respect thereto (a “Payment Recipient”), which we refer to as an “Excluded Holder,” in respect of a beneficial owner or Payment Recipient:

(i)

with whom we do not deal at arm’s length (within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) at the time of making such payment;

(ii)

who is subject to such taxes by reason of the holder being connected presently or formerly with Canada or any province or territory thereof otherwise than by reason of the holder’s activity in connection with purchasing the Notes, the holding of Notes or the receipt of payments thereunder;

(iii)

who is, or who does not deal at arm’s length with a person who is, a “specified shareholder” (within the meaning of subsection 18(5) of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) of Royal Bank of Canada (generally a person will be a “specified shareholder” for this purpose if that person, either alone or together with persons with whom the person does not deal at arm’s length, owns 25% or more of (a) our voting shares, or (b) the fair market value of all of our issued and outstanding shares);

(iv)

who presents such Note for payment (where presentation is required, such as if a Note is issued in definitive form) more than 30 days after the relevant date; for this purpose, the “relevant date” in relation to any payments on any Note means:

a.   the due date for payment thereof (whether at maturity or upon an earlier acceleration), or

b.   if the full amount of the monies payable on such date has not been received by the trustee on or prior to such due date, the date on which the full amount of such monies has been received and notice to that effect is given to holders of the Notes in accordance with the indenture;

(v)

who could lawfully avoid (but has not so avoided) such withholding or deduction by complying, or procuring that any third party comply with, any statutory requirements necessary to establish qualification for an exemption from withholding or by making, or procuring that any third party make, a declaration of non-residence or other similar claim for exemption to any relevant tax authority; or

(vi)

who is subject to deduction or withholding on account of any tax, assessment, or other governmental charge that is imposed or withheld by reason of the application of Section 1471 through 1474 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) (or any successor provisions), any regulation, pronouncement, or agreement thereunder, official interpretations thereof,

 

or any law implementing an intergovernmental approach thereto, whether currently in effect or as published and amended from time to time.

For the purposes of clause (iii) above, if a Note is presented for payment more than 30 days after the relevant date, we shall only be required to pay such Additional Amounts as shall have accrued as of such 30th day, and no further Additional Amounts shall accrue or become payable after such date.

For the avoidance of doubt, we will not have any obligation to pay any holders Additional Amounts on any tax which is payable otherwise than by deduction or withholding from payments made under or in respect of the Notes.

We will also make such withholding or deduction and remit the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant authority in accordance with applicable law. We will furnish to the trustee, within 30 days after the date the payment of any taxes is due pursuant to applicable law, certified copies of tax receipts evidencing that such payment has been made or other evidence of such payment satisfactory to the trustee. We will indemnify and hold harmless each holder of Notes (other than an Excluded Holder) and upon written request reimburse each such holder for the amount of (x) any taxes so levied or imposed and paid by such holder as a result of payments made under or with respect to the Notes, and (y) any taxes levied or imposed and paid by such holder with respect to any reimbursement under (x) above, but excluding any such taxes on such holder’s net income or capital.

For additional information, see the section entitled “Canadian Taxation” in the accompanying prospectus.

Events of Default

Under the heading “Description of Debt Securities—Events of Default” in the accompanying prospectus is a description of events of default relating to debt securities including the Notes.

Payment upon an Event of Default

If an event of default with respect to the Notes shall have occurred and be continuing, the amount declared due and payable per $10 in principal amount of the Notes upon any acceleration of the Notes will be determined by the calculation agent and will be an amount in cash equal to the amount payable at maturity per $10 in principal amount of the Notes as described above, calculated as if the date of acceleration were the Final Valuation Date. The calculation agent will also determine if the final Contingent Coupon is payable, calculated on a 30/360 day basis.

If the maturity of the Notes is accelerated because of an event of default as described above, we will, or will cause the calculation agent to, provide written notice to the trustee at its New York office, on which notice the trustee may conclusively rely, and to DTC of the cash amount due with respect to the Notes as promptly as possible and in no event later than two business days after the date of acceleration.

Defeasance

The provisions described in the accompanying prospectus under the heading “Description of Debt Securities—Defeasance” are not applicable to the Notes.

Registrar, Transfer Agent and Paying Agent

Payment of amounts due at maturity on the Notes will be payable and the transfer of the Notes will be registrable at the principal corporate trust office of The Bank of New York Mellon in The City of New York.

The Bank of New York Mellon or one of its affiliates will act as registrar and transfer agent for the Notes. The Bank of New York Mellon will also act as paying agent and may designate additional paying agents.

Registration of transfers of the Notes will be effected without charge by or on behalf of The Bank of New York Mellon, but upon payment (with the giving of such indemnity as The Bank of New York Mellon may require) in respect of any tax or other governmental charges that may be imposed in relation to it.

Governing Law

The Notes will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.

 

We have agreed to indemnify UBS and RBCCM against liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or to contribute payments that UBS and RBCCM may be required to make relating to these liabilities as described in the prospectus supplement and the prospectus.

All sales of the Notes will be made to certain fee-based advisory accounts for which UBS is an investment advisor and UBS will act as placement agent. The purchase price will be $10.00 per Note and UBS will forgo any commissions related to these sales. Investors that purchase and hold the Notes in fee-based advisory accounts will pay advisory fees to UBS based on the amount of assets held in those accounts.

Subject to regulatory constraints and market conditions, RBCCM intends to offer to purchase the Notes in the secondary market, but it is not required to do so.

We or our affiliates may enter into swap agreements or related hedge transactions with one of our other affiliates or unaffiliated counterparties in connection with the sale of the Notes and RBCCM and/or an affiliate may earn additional income as a result of payments pursuant to the swap or related hedge transactions. See “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” on page 11 of this pricing supplement.

The value of the Notes shown on your account statement may be based on RBCCM’s estimate of the value of the Notes if RBCCM or another of our 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 RBCCM may pay for the Notes in light of then prevailing market conditions, our creditworthiness and transaction costs. For a period of approximately two months after the issue date of the Notes, the value of the Notes that may be shown on your account statement may be higher than RBCCM’s estimated value of the Notes at that time. This is because the estimated value of the Notes will not include our hedging costs and profits; however, the value of the Notes shown on your account statement during that period may be a higher amount, potentially reflecting the addition of our estimated costs and profits from hedging the Notes. Any such excess is expected to decrease over time until the end of this period. After this period, if RBCCM repurchases your Notes, it expects to do so at prices that reflect their estimated value. This period may be reduced at RBCCM’s discretion based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, the amount of the Notes that we repurchase and our negotiated arrangements from time to time with UBS.

For additional information as to the relationship between us and RBCCM, please see the section “Plan of Distribution—Conflicts of Interest” in the prospectus dated January 8, 2016.

No action has been or will be taken by us, RBCCM, UBS or any other dealer that would permit a public offering of the Notes or possession or distribution of this document or the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus, other than in the United States, where action for that purpose is required. No offers, sales or deliveries of the Notes, or distribution of this document, or the accompanying prospectus supplement, prospectus or any other offering material relating to the Notes, may be made in or from any jurisdiction except in circumstances which will result in compliance with any applicable laws and regulations and will not impose any obligations on us, UBS or any dealer.

Each of RBCCM and UBS has represented and agreed, and each dealer through which we may offer the Notes has represented and agreed, that it (i) will comply with all applicable laws and regulations in force in each non-U.S. jurisdiction in which it purchases, offers, sells or delivers the Notes or possesses or distributes this document and the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus and (ii) will obtain any consent, approval or permission required by it for the purchase, offer or sale by it of the Notes under the laws and regulations in force in each non-U.S. jurisdiction to which it is subject or in which it makes purchases, offers or sales of the Notes. We shall not have responsibility for any broker-dealer’s compliance with the applicable laws and regulations or obtaining any required consent, approval or permission.

The Notes are our debt securities, the return on which is linked to the performance of the Underlying Indices. As is the case for all of our debt securities, including our structured notes, the economic terms of the Notes reflect our actual or perceived creditworthiness at the time of pricing. In addition, because structured notes result in increased operational, funding and liability management costs to us, we typically borrow the funds under these Notes at a rate that is more favorable to us than the rate that we might pay for a conventional fixed or floating rate debt security of comparable maturity. Using this relatively lower implied borrowing rate rather than the secondary market rate is a factor that resulted in a higher initial estimated value of the Notes at the time their terms are set than if the secondary market rate was used. Unlike the estimated value included on the cover of this document, any value of the Notes determined for purposes of a secondary market transaction may be based on a different borrowing rate, which may result in a lower value for the Notes than if our initial internal borrowing rate were used.

In order to satisfy our payment obligations under the Notes, we may choose to enter into certain hedging arrangements (which may include call options, put options or other derivatives) on the issue date with RBCCM or one of our other subsidiaries. The terms of these hedging arrangements take into account a number of factors, including our creditworthiness, interest rate movements, the volatility of the Underlying Indices, and the tenor of the Notes. The economic terms of the Notes and their initial estimated value depend in part on the terms of these hedging arrangements.

The lower implied borrowing rate is a factor that reduces the economic terms of the Notes to you. The initial offering price of the Notes also reflects our estimated hedging costs. These factors resulted in the initial estimated value for the Notes on the trade date being less than their public offering price. See “Key Risks—The Initial Estimated Value of the Notes Is Less than the Price to the Public” above.

 

This section is only relevant to you if you are an insurance company or the fiduciary of a pension plan or an employee benefit plan (including a governmental plan, an IRA or a Keogh Plan) proposing to invest in the Notes.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), imposes certain requirements on “employee benefit plans” (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) subject to ERISA, including entities such as collective investment funds and separate accounts whose underlying assets include the assets of such plans (collectively, “ERISA Plans”) and on those persons who are fiduciaries with respect to ERISA Plans. Each fiduciary of an ERISA Plan should consider the fiduciary standards of ERISA in the context of the ERISA Plan’s particular circumstances before authorizing an investment in the covered bonds. Accordingly, among other factors, the fiduciary should consider whether the investment would satisfy the prudence and diversification requirements of ERISA and would be consistent with the documents and instruments governing the ERISA Plan.

In addition, Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code prohibit certain transactions involving the assets of an ERISA Plan, as well as those plans that are not subject to ERISA but which are subject to Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code, such as individual retirement accounts, including entities whose underlying assets include the assets of such plans (together with ERISA Plans, “Plans”) and certain persons (referred to as “parties in interest” or “disqualified persons”) having certain relationships to such Plans, unless a statutory or administrative exemption is applicable to the transaction. Governmental plans may be subject to similar prohibitions. Therefore, a plan fiduciary considering purchasing Notes should consider whether the purchase or holding of such instruments might constitute a “prohibited transaction.”

Royal Bank of Canada and certain of its affiliates each may be considered a “party in interest” or a “disqualified person” with respect to many employee benefit plans by reason of, for example, Royal Bank (or its affiliate) providing services to such plans. Prohibited transactions within the meaning of ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code may arise, for example, if Notes are acquired by or with the assets of a Plan, and with respect to which Royal Bank or any of its affiliates is a “party in interest” or a “disqualified person,” unless those Notes are acquired under an exemption for transactions effected on behalf of that Plan by a “qualified professional asset manager” or an “in-house asset manager,” for transactions involving insurance company general accounts, for transactions involving insurance company pooled separate accounts, for transactions involving bank collective investment funds, or under another available exemption. Section 408(b)(17) provides an additional exemption for the purchase and sale of Notes and related lending transactions where neither the issuer of the Notes nor any of its affiliates have or exercise any discretionary authority or control or render any investment advice with respect to the assets of any Plan involved in the transaction and the Plan pays no more than “adequate consideration” in connection with the transaction. The person making the decision on behalf of a Plan or a governmental plan shall be deemed, on behalf of itself and any such plan, by purchasing and holding the Notes, or exercising any rights related thereto, to represent that (a) such purchase, holding and exercise of the Notes will not result in a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Internal Revenue Code (or, with respect to a governmental plan, under any similar applicable law or regulation) and (b) neither Royal Bank nor any of its affiliates is a “fiduciary” (within the meaning of Section 3(21) of ERISA) with respect to the purchaser or holder in connection with such person’s acquisition, disposition or holding of the Notes, or any exercise related thereto or as a result of any exercise by Royal Bank or any of its affiliates of any rights in connection with the Notes, and no advice provided by Royal Bank or any of its affiliates has formed a primary basis for any investment decision by or on behalf of such purchaser or holder in connection with the Notes and the transactions contemplated with respect to the Notes.

If you are an insurance company or the fiduciary of a pension plan or an employee benefit plan, and propose to invest in the Notes, you should consult your legal counsel.

The terms appearing above under the captions “Final Terms of the Notes” and “General Terms of the Notes” are incorporated into the master note issued to DTC, the registered holder of the Notes.

In the opinion of Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, the issue and sale of the Notes has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Bank in conformity with the Indenture, and when the Notes have been duly executed, authenticated and issued in accordance with the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor, the Notes will be validly issued and, to the extent validity of the Notes is a matter governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario or Québec, or the laws of Canada applicable therein, and will be valid obligations of the Bank, subject to equitable remedies which may only be granted at the discretion of a court of competent authority, subject to applicable bankruptcy, to rights to indemnity and contribution under the Notes or the Indenture which may be limited by applicable law; to insolvency and other laws of general application affecting creditors’ rights, to limitations under applicable limitations statutes, and to limitations as to the currency in which judgments in Canada may be rendered, as prescribed by the Currency Act (Canada).  This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the Provinces of Ontario and Québec and the federal laws of Canada applicable thereto. In addition, this opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the Trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture and the genuineness of signatures and certain factual matters, all as stated in the letter of such counsel dated January 8, 2016, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.1 to Royal Bank’s Form 6-K filed with the SEC dated January 8, 2016.

In the opinion of Morrison & Foerster LLP, when the Notes have been duly completed in accordance with the Indenture and issued and sold as contemplated by the prospectus supplement and the prospectus, the Notes will be valid, binding and enforceable obligations of Royal Bank, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability (including, without limitation, concepts of good faith, fair dealing and the lack of bad faith).  This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the State of New York.  This opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the Trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture and the genuineness of signatures and to such counsel’s reliance on the Bank and other sources as to certain factual matters, all as stated in the legal opinion dated January 8, 2016, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.2 to the Bank’s Form 6-K dated January 8, 2016.

 

 

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