RBC Capital Markets® |
Filed Pursuant to Rule 433
Registration Statement No. 333-227001
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The information in this preliminary terms supplement is not complete and may be changed.
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Preliminary Terms Supplement
Subject to Completion
Dated September 13, 2018
Pricing Supplement Dated September __, 2018 to the
Product Prospectus Supplement ERN-EI-1, Prospectus Supplement and Prospectus, Each Dated September 7, 2018 |
$ __________
Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index, Due
September 19, 2022
Royal Bank of Canada
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if the Final Level is greater than or equal to 80.00% of the Initial Level (the “Barrier Level”), the Notes will provide a positive return equal to the percentage by which the level of the Reference Asset has decreased as of the Valuation Date; or
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if the Final Level is less than the Barrier Level, the Notes will provide a negative return that is equal to the percentage decrease in the level of the Reference Asset.
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Per Note
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Total
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Price to public(1)
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100.00%
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$
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Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)
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3.25%
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$
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Proceeds to Royal Bank of Canada
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96.75%
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$
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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Issuer:
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Royal Bank of Canada (“Royal Bank”)
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Issue:
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Senior Global Medium-Term Notes, Series H
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Underwriter:
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RBC Capital Markets, LLC (“RBCCM”)
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Reference Asset:
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MSCI World Index
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Bloomberg Ticker:
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MXWO
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Currency:
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U.S. Dollars
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Minimum Investment:
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$1,000 and minimum denominations of $1,000 in excess thereof
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Pricing Date:
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September 14, 2018
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Issue Date:
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September 19, 2018
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CUSIP:
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78013XG51
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Valuation Date:
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September 14, 2022
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Maturity Date:
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September 19, 2022, subject to extension for market and other disruptions, as described in the product prospectus supplement dated September 7, 2018.
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Payment at Maturity (if held to maturity):
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If the Final Level is greater than the Initial Level (that is, the Percentage Change is positive), then the investor will receive an amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note equal to:
Principal Amount + (Principal Amount x Percentage Change x Leverage Factor)
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If the Final Level is less than or equal to the Initial Level, but is greater than or equal to the Barrier Level (that is, the Percentage Change is between zero and -20.00%), then the investor will receive an amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note equal to:
Principal Amount + [-1 x (Principal Amount x Percentage Change)]
In this case, the return on the Notes will be positive, even though the Percentage Change is negative.
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If the Final Level is less than the Barrier Level (that is, the Percentage Change is between -20.01% and -100%), then the investor will receive an amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note equal to:
Principal Amount + (Principal Amount x Percentage Change)
In this case, the payment on the Notes will be less than the principal amount, and you will lose all or a substantial portion of the principal amount.
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Percentage Change:
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The Percentage Change, expressed as a percentage, is calculated using the following formula:
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Initial Level:
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The closing level of the Reference Asset on the Pricing Date.
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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Final Level:
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The closing level of the Reference Asset on the Valuation Date.
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Leverage Factor:
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116.50%
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Barrier Level:
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80.00% of the Initial Level
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Principal at Risk:
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The Notes are NOT principal protected. You will lose all or a substantial portion of your principal amount at maturity if the Final Level is less than the Barrier Level.
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Calculation Agent:
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RBCCM
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U.S. Tax Treatment:
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By purchasing a Note, each holder agrees (in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary) to treat the Note as a pre-paid cash-settled derivative contract for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the Notes are uncertain and the Internal Revenue Service could assert that the Notes should be taxed in a manner that is different from that described in the preceding sentence. Please see the section below, “Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences,” and the discussion (including the opinion of our counsel Morrison & Foerster LLP) in the product prospectus supplement dated September 7, 2018 under “Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences,” which apply to the Notes.
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Secondary Market:
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RBCCM (or one of its affiliates), though not obligated to do so, may maintain a secondary market in the Notes after the Issue Date. The amount that you may receive upon sale of your Notes prior to maturity may be less than the principal amount of your Notes.
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Listing:
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The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.
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Clearance and Settlement:
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DTC global (including through its indirect participants Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg as described under “Description of Debt Securities—Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance” in the prospectus dated September 7, 2018).
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Terms Incorporated in the Master Note:
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All of the terms appearing above the item captioned “Secondary Market” on pages P-2 and P-3 of this terms supplement and the terms appearing under the caption “General Terms of the Notes” in the product prospectus supplement dated September 7, 2018, as modified by this terms supplement.
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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Example 1—
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Calculation of the Payment at Maturity where the Percentage Change is positive.
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Percentage Change:
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10%
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Payment at Maturity:
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$1,000 + ($1,000 x 10% x 116.50%) = $1,000 + $116.50 = $1,116.50
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In this case, on a $1,000 investment, a 10% Percentage Change results in a Payment at Maturity of $1,116.50, an 11.65% return on the Notes.
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Example 2—
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Calculation of the Payment at Maturity where the Percentage Change is negative, but the Final Level is greater than the Barrier Level.
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Percentage Change:
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-10%
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Payment at Maturity:
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$1,000 + [-1 x ($1,000 x -10%)] = $1,000 + $100 = $1,100.00
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In this case, on a $1,000 investment, a -10% Percentage Change results in a Payment at Maturity of $1,100, a 10% return on the Notes.
In this case, even though the Percentage Change is negative, you will receive a positive return equal to the absolute value of the Percentage Change.
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Example 3—
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Calculation of the Payment at Maturity where the Percentage Change is negative, and the Final Level is less than the Barrier Level.
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Percentage Change:
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-40%
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Payment at Maturity:
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$1,000 + ($1,000 x -40%) = $1,000 - $400 = $600
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In this case, on a $1,000 investment, a -40% Percentage Change results in a Payment at Maturity of $600, a -40% return on the Notes.
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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Principal at Risk – Investors in the Notes will lose all or a substantial portion of their principal amount if the Final Level is less than the Barrier Level. In such a case, you will lose 1% of the principal amount of your Notes for each 1% that the Final Level is less than the Initial Level.
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The Notes Do Not Pay Interest and Your Return May Be Lower than the Return on a Conventional Debt Security of Comparable Maturity – There will be no periodic interest payments on the Notes as there would be on a conventional fixed-rate or floating-rate debt security having the same maturity. The return that you will receive on the Notes, which could be negative, may be less than the return you could earn on other investments. Even if your return is positive, your return may be less than the return you would earn if you bought a conventional senior interest bearing debt security of Royal Bank.
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Payments on the Notes Are Subject to Our Credit Risk, and Changes in Our Credit Ratings Are Expected to Affect the Market Value of the Notes – The Notes are Royal Bank’s senior unsecured debt securities. As a result, your receipt of the amount due on the maturity date is dependent upon Royal Bank’s ability to repay its obligations at that time. This will be the case even if the level of the Reference Asset increases after the Pricing Date. No assurance can be given as to what our financial condition will be at the maturity of the Notes.
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There May Not Be an Active Trading Market for the Notes—Sales in the Secondary Market May Result in Significant Losses – There may be little or no secondary market for the Notes. The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. RBCCM and other affiliates of Royal Bank may make a market for the Notes; however, they are not required to do so. RBCCM or any other affiliate of Royal Bank may stop any market-making activities at any time. Even if a secondary market for the Notes develops, it may not provide significant liquidity or trade at prices advantageous to you. We expect that transaction costs in any secondary market would be high. As a result, the difference between bid and asked prices for your Notes in any secondary market could be substantial.
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You Will Not Have Any Rights to the Securities Included in the Reference Asset – As a holder of the Notes, you will not have voting rights or rights to receive cash dividends or other distributions or other rights that holders of securities included in the Reference Asset would have. The Final Level will not reflect any dividends paid on the securities included in the Reference Asset, and accordingly, any positive return on the Notes may be less than the potential positive return on those securities.
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The Initial Estimated Value of the Notes Will Be Less than the Price to the Public. The initial estimated value set forth on the cover page and that will be set forth in the final pricing supplement for the Notes does not represent a minimum price at which we, RBCCM or any of our affiliates would be willing to purchase the Notes in any secondary market (if any exists) at any time. If you attempt to sell the Notes prior to maturity, their market value may be lower than the price you paid for them and the initial estimated value. This is due to, among other things, changes in the level of the Reference Asset, the borrowing rate we pay to issue securities of this kind, and the inclusion in the price to the public of the underwriting discount and the estimated costs relating to our hedging of the Notes. These factors, together with various credit, market and economic factors over the term of the Notes, are expected to reduce the price at which you may be able to sell the Notes in any secondary market and will affect the value of the Notes in complex and unpredictable ways. Assuming no change in market conditions or any other relevant factors, the price, if any, at which you may be able to sell your Notes prior to maturity may be less than your original purchase price, as any such sale price would not be expected to include the underwriting discount and the hedging costs relating to the Notes. In addition to bid-ask spreads, the value of the Notes determined for any secondary market price is expected to be based on the secondary rate rather than the internal funding rate used to price the Notes and determine the initial estimated value. As a result, the secondary price will be less than if the internal funding rate was used. The Notes are not designed to be short-term trading instruments. Accordingly, you should be able and willing to hold your Notes to maturity.
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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The Initial Estimated Value of the Notes on the Cover Page and that We Will Provide in the Final Pricing Supplement Are Estimates Only, Calculated as of the Time the Terms of the Notes Are Set. The initial estimated value of the Notes will be based on the value of our obligation to make the payments on the Notes, together with the mid-market value of the derivative embedded in the terms of the Notes. See “Structuring the Notes” below. Our estimates are based on a variety of assumptions, including our credit spreads, expectations as to dividends, interest rates and volatility, and the expected term of the Notes. These assumptions are based on certain forecasts about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. Other entities may value the Notes or similar securities at a price that is significantly different than we do.
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Inconsistent Research – Royal Bank or its affiliates may issue research reports on securities that are, or may become, components of the Reference Asset. We may also publish research from time to time on financial markets and other matters that may influence the levels of the Reference Asset or the value of the Notes, or express opinions or provide recommendations that may be inconsistent with the purchasing or holding the Notes or with the investment view implicit in the Notes or the Reference Asset. You should make your own independent investigation of the merits of investing in the Notes and the Reference Asset.
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An Investment in the Notes Is Subject to Risks Relating to Non-U.S. Securities Markets – Because foreign companies or foreign equity securities included in the Reference Asset are publicly traded outside of the U.S. and are denominated in different currencies, an investment in the Notes involves particular risks. For example, the non-U.S. securities markets may be more volatile than the U.S. securities markets, and market developments may affect these markets differently from the U.S. or other securities markets. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize the securities markets outside the U.S., as well as cross-shareholdings in certain companies, may affect trading prices and trading volumes in those markets. Also, the public availability of information concerning the foreign issuers may vary depending on their home jurisdiction and the reporting requirements imposed by their respective regulators. In addition, the foreign issuers may be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies. Changes in the values of the relevant currencies may affect the level of the Reference Asset and the payments on the Notes.
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Market Disruption Events and Adjustments – The Payment at Maturity and the Valuation Date are subject to adjustment as described in the product prospectus supplement. For a description of what constitutes a market disruption event as well as the consequences of that market disruption event, see “General Terms of the Notes—Market Disruption Events” in the product prospectus supplement.
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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defining the equity universe;
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determining the market investable equity universe for each market;
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determining market capitalization size segments for each market;
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applying index continuity rules for the MSCI Standard Index;
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creating style segments within each size segment within each market; and
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classifying securities under the Global Industry Classification Standard (the “GICS”).
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Identifying Eligible Equity Securities: the equity universe initially looks at securities listed in any of the countries in the MSCI Global Index Series, which will be classified as either Developed Markets (“DM”) or Emerging Markets (“EM”). All listed equity securities, including Real Estate Investment Trusts and certain income trusts in Canada, are eligible for inclusion in the equity universe. Conversely, mutual funds, ETFs, equity derivatives, and most investment trusts, are not eligible for inclusion in the equity universe. Preferred shares that exhibit characteristics of equity securities are eligible in the equity universe. MSCI will analyze preferred shares on a case-by-case basis. The key criterion for preferred shared eligibility is that the share should not have features that make it resemble, and behave like, a fixed income security.
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Classifying Eligible Securities into the Appropriate Country: each company and its securities (i.e., share classes) are classified in only one country.
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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The security is classified in a country that meets the Foreign Listing Materiality Requirement, and
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The security’s foreign listing is traded on an eligible stock exchange of: a DM country if the security is classified in a DM country, a DM or an EM country if the security is classified in an EM country, or a DM or an EM or a FM country if the security is classified in a FM country. Securities in that country may not be represented by a foreign listing in the global investable equity universe if a country does not meet the requirement.
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Equity Universe Minimum Size Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the company level. In order to be included in a market investable equity universe, a company must have the required minimum full market capitalization.
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Equity Universe Minimum Free Float−Adjusted Market Capitalization Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the individual security level. To be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe, a security must have a free float−adjusted market capitalization equal to or higher than 50% of the equity universe minimum size requirement.
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DM and EM Minimum Liquidity Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the individual security level. To be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe, a security must have adequate liquidity. The twelve-month and three-month Annual Traded Value Ratio (“ATVR”), a measure that screens out extreme daily trading volumes and takes into account the free float−adjusted market capitalization size of securities, together with the three-month frequency of trading are used to measure liquidity. A minimum liquidity level of 20% of three- and twelve-month ATVR and 90% of three-month frequency of trading over the last four consecutive quarters are required for inclusion of a security in a market investable equity universe of a DM, and a minimum liquidity level of 15% of three- and twelve-month ATVR and 80% of three-month frequency of trading over the last four consecutive quarters are required for inclusion of a security in a market investable equity universe of an EM.
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Global Minimum Foreign Inclusion Factor Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the individual security level. To be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe, a security’s Foreign Inclusion Factor (“FIF”) must reach a certain threshold. The FIF of a security is defined as the proportion of shares outstanding that is available for purchase in the public equity markets by international investors. This proportion accounts for the available free float of and/or the foreign ownership limits applicable to a specific security (or company). In general, a security must have an FIF equal to or larger than 0.15 to be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe.
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Minimum Length of Trading Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the individual security level. For an initial public offering (“IPO”) to be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe, the new issue must have started trading at least three months before the implementation of a semi−annual index review (as described below). This requirement is applicable to small new issues in all markets. Large IPOs are not subject to the minimum length of trading requirement and may be included in a market investable equity universe and the Standard Index outside of a Quarterly or Semi−Annual Index Review.
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Minimum Foreign Room Requirement: this investability screen is applied at the individual security level. For a security that is subject to a foreign ownership limit to be eligible for inclusion in a market investable equity universe, the proportion of shares still available to foreign investors relative to the maximum allowed (referred to as “foreign room”) must be at least 15%.
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Investable Market Index (Large + Mid + Small);
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Standard Index (Large + Mid);
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Large Cap Index;
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Mid Cap Index; or
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Small Cap Index.
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defining the market coverage target range for each size segment;
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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· |
determining the global minimum size range for each size segment;
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determining the market size−segment cutoffs and associated segment number of companies;
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assigning companies to the size segments; and
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applying final size−segment investability requirements.
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(i) |
Semi−Annual Index Reviews (“SAIRs”) in May and November of the Size Segment and Global Value and Growth Indices which include:
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updating the indices on the basis of a fully refreshed equity universe;
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taking buffer rules into consideration for migration of securities across size and style segments; and
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updating FIFs and Number of Shares (“NOS”).
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Quarterly Index Reviews (“QIRs”) in February and August of the Size Segment Indices aimed at:
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including significant new eligible securities (such as IPOs that were not eligible for earlier inclusion) in the index;
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allowing for significant moves of companies within the Size Segment Indices, using wider buffers than in the SAIR; and
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reflecting the impact of significant market events on FIFs and updating NOS.
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Ongoing Event−Related Changes: changes of this type are generally implemented in the indices as they occur. Significantly large IPOs are included in the indices after the close of the company’s tenth day of trading.
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
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Period-Start Date
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Period-End Date
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High Intra-Day Level
of the Reference
Asset
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Low Intra-Day Level
of the Reference
Asset
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Period-End Closing
Level of the Reference
Asset
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1/1/2008
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3/31/2008
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1,593.05
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1,356.11
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1,437.40
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4/1/2008
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6/30/2008
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1,567.01
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1,393.54
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1,402.13
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7/1/2008
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9/30/2008
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1,403.20
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1,145.64
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1,182.44
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10/1/2008
|
12/31/2008
|
1,192.91
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759.00
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915.97
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1/1/2009
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3/31/2009
|
958.94
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684.07
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805.22
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4/1/2009
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6/30/2009
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1,005.24
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796.24
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964.05
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7/1/2009
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9/30/2009
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1,150.42
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915.08
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1,126.98
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10/1/2009
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12/31/2009
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1,183.33
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1,083.76
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1,177.97
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1/1/2010
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3/31/2010
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1,210.31
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1,081.50
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1,200.53
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4/1/2010
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6/30/2010
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1,244.12
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1,027.59
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1,041.32
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7/1/2010
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9/30/2010
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1,192.71
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1,026.19
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1,179.19
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10/1/2010
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12/31/2010
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1,283.68
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1,172.38
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1,276.69
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1/1/2011
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3/31/2011
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1,365.07
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1,251.34
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1,334.93
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4/1/2011
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6/30/2011
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1,397.57
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1,267.55
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1,331.18
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7/1/2011
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9/30/2011
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1,354.49
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1,079.62
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1,104.06
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10/1/2011
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12/31/2011
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1,257.55
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1,042.30
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1,182.59
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1/1/2012
|
3/31/2012
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1,331.55
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1,181.28
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1,312.01
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4/1/2012
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6/30/2012
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1,326.96
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1,144.16
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1,235.72
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7/1/2012
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9/30/2012
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1,353.69
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1,197.18
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1,311.50
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10/1/2012
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12/31/2012
|
1,355.34
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1,244.45
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1,338.50
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1/1/2013
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3/31/2013
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1,445.80
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1,338.46
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1,434.62
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4/1/2013
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6/30/2013
|
1,533.35
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1,393.93
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1,433.55
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7/1/2013
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9/30/2013
|
1,579.02
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1,433.15
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1,543.67
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10/1/2013
|
12/31/2013
|
1,661.07
|
1,513.62
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1,661.07
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1/1/2014
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3/31/2014
|
1,690.03
|
1,560.35
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1,673.87
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4/1/2014
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6/30/2014
|
1,749.97
|
1,631.22
|
1,743.42
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||||
7/1/2014
|
9/30/2014
|
1,765.77
|
1,675.51
|
1,698.41
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||||
10/1/2014
|
12/31/2014
|
1,748.00
|
1,571.81
|
1,709.67
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||||
1/1/2015
|
3/31/2015
|
1,783.37
|
1,649.83
|
1,740.81
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||||
4/1/2015
|
6/30/2015
|
1,813.90
|
1,730.61
|
1,735.61
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||||
7/1/2015
|
9/30/2015
|
1,783.61
|
1,545.51
|
1,581.92
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||||
10/1/2015
|
12/31/2015
|
1,723.81
|
1,573.27
|
1,662.79
|
||||
1/1/2016
|
3/31/2016
|
1,663.16
|
1,459.79
|
1,648.12
|
||||
4/1/2016
|
6/30/2016
|
1,700.75
|
1,566.70
|
1,653.23
|
||||
7/1/2016
|
9/30/2016
|
1,750.06
|
1,625.74
|
1,725.67
|
||||
10/1/2016
|
12/31/2016
|
1,776.35
|
1,657.06
|
1,751.22
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||||
1/1/2017
|
3/31/2017
|
1,868.84
|
1,747.94
|
1,853.69
|
||||
4/1/2017
|
6/30/2017
|
1,938.69
|
1,831.31
|
1,916.43
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||||
7/1/2017
|
9/30/2017
|
2,000.59
|
1,905.25
|
2,000.55
|
||||
10/1/2017
|
12/31/2017
|
2,112.42
|
1,997.50
|
2,103.45
|
||||
1/1/2018
|
3/31/2018
|
2,249.69
|
2,009.60
|
2,065.53
|
||||
4/1/2018
|
6/30/2018
|
2,149.03
|
2,026.15
|
2,089.30
|
||||
7/1/2018
|
9/12/2018
|
2,193.24
|
2,069.16
|
2,152.70
|
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
|
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Barrier Absolute Return Notes
Linked to the MSCI World Index
|