The information in this preliminary
pricing supplement is not complete and may be changed. A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. This preliminary pricing supplement and the accompanying product supplement, underlying supplement, prospectus
supplement and prospectus are not an offer to sell these securities, nor are they soliciting an offer to buy these securities, in any
state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED APRIL 21,
2021
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Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
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April-----,
2021
Medium-Term Senior Notes,
Series N
Pricing Supplement No. 2021-USNCH7431
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration Statement Nos.
333-224495 and 333-224495-03
|
Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco
QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 Due April , 2022
|
§
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The securities offered by this pricing supplement are unsecured
senior debt securities issued by Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc. and guaranteed by Citigroup Inc. The securities offer periodic
coupon payments at an annualized rate that is generally higher than the yield on our conventional debt securities of the same maturity.
In exchange, you must be willing to accept the risks that (i) the securities may be automatically redeemed prior to maturity and (ii)
if the securities are not automatically redeemed prior to maturity, you may receive significantly less than the stated principal amount
of your securities at maturity. Each of these risks will depend on the performance of the shares of Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series
1 (the “underlying shares”), as described below. Although you will be exposed to downside risk with respect to the underlying
shares, you will not participate in any appreciation of the underlying shares or receive any dividends paid on the underlying shares.
If the final share price is less than the final barrier price, you will lose more than 1% of the stated principal amount of your securities
for every 1% by which the final share price has declined beyond the buffer amount specified below. Accordingly, the lower the final share
price, the less benefit you will receive from the buffer. There is no minimum payment at maturity.
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|
§
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Investors in the securities must be willing to accept (i) an
investment that may have limited or no liquidity and (ii) the risk of not receiving any payments due under the securities if we and Citigroup
Inc. default on our obligations. All payments on the securities are subject to the credit risk of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings
Inc. and Citigroup Inc.
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KEY TERMS
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Issuer:
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Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Citigroup Inc.
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Guarantee:
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All payments due on the securities are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Citigroup Inc.
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Underlying shares:
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Shares of Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 (ticker symbol: “QQQ”) (the “underlying share issuer” or “ETF”)
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Aggregate stated principal amount:
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$
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Stated principal amount:
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$1,000 per security
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Strike date:
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April 20, 2021
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Pricing date:
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April , 2021 (expected to be April 21, 2021)
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Issue date:
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April , 2021 (three business days after the pricing date)
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Potential autocall dates:
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Expected to be May 21, 2021, June 21, 2021, July 21, 2021, August 23, 2021, September 21, 2021, October 21, 2021, November 22, 2021, December 21, 2021, January 21, 2022, February 22, 2022 and March 21, 2022, each subject to postponement if such date is not a scheduled trading day or if certain market disruption events occur as if such date were the valuation date
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Valuation date:
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Expected to be April 21, 2022, subject to postponement if such date is not a scheduled trading day or if certain market disruption events occur
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Maturity date:
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Unless earlier redeemed, April , 2022 (expected to be April 26, 2022)
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Coupon payment dates:
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May 26, 2021, June 24, 2021, July 26, 2021, August 26, 2021, September 24, 2021, October 26, 2021, November 26, 2021, December 27, 2021, January 26, 2022, February 25, 2022, March 24, 2022 and the maturity date. If the potential redemption date immediately preceding any coupon payment date is postponed, such coupon payment date will be postponed by an equal number of business days. No interest will accrue as a result of delayed payment.
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Coupon payments:
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On each coupon payment date, unless previously redeemed, the securities will pay a coupon equal to 0.6667% of the stated principal amount of the securities
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Automatic early redemption:
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If, on any potential autocall date, the closing price of the underlying shares is greater than or equal to the initial share price, each security you then hold will be automatically redeemed on the immediately following coupon payment date for an amount in cash equal to $1,000 plus the related coupon payment.
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Payment at maturity:
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If the securities are not automatically redeemed prior to maturity,
you will be entitled to receive at maturity, for each $1,000 stated principal amount security you then hold (in addition to the final
coupon payment):
▪ If
the final share price is greater than or equal to the final barrier price: $1,000
▪ If
the final share price is less than the final barrier price: $1,000 + [$1,000 × buffer rate × (share return + buffer
amount)]
If the final share price is less than the final barrier price, you
will receive less than the stated principal amount of your securities at maturity.
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Initial share price:
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$336.41, the closing price of the underlying shares on the strike date
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Final share price:
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The closing price of the underlying shares on the valuation date
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Final barrier price:
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$302.769, 90.00% of the initial share price
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Share return:
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(i) The final share price minus the initial share price, divided by (ii) the initial share price
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Buffer amount:
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10.00%
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Buffer rate:
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The initial share price divided by the final barrier price, which is approximately 111.111%
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Listing:
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The securities will not be listed on any securities exchange
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CUSIP / ISIN:
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17329FES9 / US17329FES92
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Underwriter:
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Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (“CGMI”), an affiliate of the issuer, acting as principal
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Underwriting fee and issue price:
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Issue price(1) (2)
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Underwriting fee(3)
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Proceeds to issuer(3)
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Per security:
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$1,000
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$2.50
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$997.50
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Total:
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$
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$
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$
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(1) Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc. currently expects that the
estimated value of the securities on the pricing date will be at least $943.00 per security, which will be less than the issue price.
The estimated value of the securities is based on CGMI’s proprietary pricing models and our internal funding rate. It is not an
indication of actual profit to CGMI or other of our affiliates, nor is it an indication of the price, if any, at which CGMI or any other
person may be willing to buy the securities from you at any time after issuance. See “Valuation of the Securities” in this
pricing supplement.
(2) The issue price for investors purchasing the securities in fiduciary
accounts is $997.50 per security.
(3) CGMI will receive an underwriting fee of $2.50 for each security
sold in this offering. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. will act as placement agents for the securities and, from
the underwriting fee to CGMI, will receive a placement fee of $2.50 for each security they sell in this offering to accounts other than
fiduciary accounts. CGMI and the placement agents will forgo an underwriting fee and placement fee for sales to fiduciary accounts.
The total underwriting fees and proceeds to issuer in the table above give effect to the actual total underwriting fee. For more information
on the distribution of the securities, see “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” in this pricing supplement. In addition
to the underwriting fee, CGMI and its affiliates may profit from expected hedging activity related to this offering, even if the value
of the securities declines. See “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” in the accompanying prospectus.
Investing in the securities involves risks not associated with an
investment in conventional debt securities. See “Summary Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-5.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”)
nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the securities or determined that this pricing supplement and the
accompanying product supplement, underlying supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus are truthful or complete. Any representation
to the contrary is a criminal offense.
You should read this pricing supplement
together with the accompanying product supplement, underlying supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus, each of which can be
accessed via the hyperlinks below:
Underlying Supplement No. 9 dated October 30, 2020
The securities are not bank deposits and are
not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, nor are they obligations of,
or guaranteed by, a bank.
Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
|
Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
|
Additional Information
General. The terms of the
securities are set forth in the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus, as supplemented by this pricing
supplement. The accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus contain important disclosures that are not repeated
in this pricing supplement. For example, certain events may occur that could affect whether the securities are automatically redeemed
as well as your payment at maturity or, in the case of a delisting of the underlying shares, could give us the right to call the securities
prior to maturity for an amount that may be less than the stated principal amount. These events, including market disruption events and
other events affecting the underlying shares, and their consequences are described in the accompanying product supplement in the sections
“Description of the Securities—Consequences of a Market Disruption Event; Postponement of a Valuation Date,” “Description
of the Securities—Certain Additional Terms for Securities Linked to an Underlying Company or an Underlying ETF—Dilution and
Reorganization Adjustments” and “—Delisting, Liquidation or Termination of an Underlying ETF,” and not in this
pricing supplement. It is important that you read the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus together with
this pricing supplement before deciding whether to invest in the securities. Certain terms used but not defined in this pricing supplement
are defined in the accompanying product supplement.
Dilution and Reorganization
Adjustments. The initial share price and the final barrier price are each a “Relevant Value” for purposes of the section
“Description of the Securities—Certain Additional Terms for Securities Linked to an Underlying Company or an Underlying ETF—Dilution
and Reorganization Adjustments” in the accompanying product supplement. Accordingly, the initial share price and the final barrier
price are each subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of any of the events described in that section.
Prospectus. The first sentence of “Description of Debt
Securities— Events of Default and Defaults” in the accompanying prospectus shall be amended to read in its entirety as follows:
Events of default under the indenture are:
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•
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failure of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings or Citigroup to pay required interest on any debt security of such series for 30 days;
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|
•
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failure of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings or Citigroup to pay principal, other than a scheduled installment payment to a sinking fund, on any debt security of such series for 30 days;
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•
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failure of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings or Citigroup to make any required scheduled installment payment to a sinking fund for 30 days on debt securities of such series;
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•
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failure of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings to perform for 90 days after notice any other covenant in the indenture applicable to it other than a covenant included in the indenture solely for the benefit of a series of debt securities other than such series; and
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|
•
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certain events of bankruptcy or insolvency of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings, whether voluntary or not (Section 6.01).
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Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
|
Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
|
Hypothetical Examples
The table below illustrates various hypothetical payments on the securities
at maturity for a range of hypothetical final share prices of the underlying shares, assuming the securities are not automatically redeemed
prior to maturity. The outcomes illustrated in the table are not exhaustive, and the actual payment at maturity you receive on the securities
may differ from any example illustrated below.
The table and examples that follow are based on the following hypothetical
values and assumptions in order to illustrate how the securities work and do not reflect the actual initial share price or final barrier
price.
Initial share price:
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$100.00 (the hypothetical closing price of the underlying shares on the pricing date)
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Final barrier price:
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$90.00 (90.00% of the hypothetical initial share price)
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For ease
of analysis, figures in the table and examples below have been rounded.
Maturity Date
|
Hypothetical final share price(1)
|
Hypothetical percentage change from initial share price to final share price
|
Hypothetical cash amount you receive at maturity per security (excluding final coupon payment)
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$150.00
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50.00%
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$1,000.00
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$140.00
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40.00%
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$1,000.00
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$130.00
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30.00%
|
$1,000.00
|
$120.00
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20.00%
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$1,000.00
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$110.00
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10.00%
|
$1,000.00
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$100.00
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0.00%
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$1,000.00
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$90.00
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-10.00%
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$1,000.00
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$89.99
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-10.01%
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$999.89
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$80.00
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-20.00%
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$888.89
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$70.00
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-30.00%
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$777.78
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$60.00
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-40.00%
|
$666.67
|
$50.00
|
-50.00%
|
$555.56
|
$40.00
|
-60.00%
|
$444.45
|
$30.00
|
-70.00%
|
$333.33
|
$20.00
|
-80.00%
|
$222.22
|
$10.00
|
-90.00%
|
$111.11
|
$0.00
|
-100.00%
|
$0.00
|
|
(1)
|
The final share price is equal to the closing price of the underlying shares on the valuation date. You will be repaid the stated
principal amount of your securities if, and only if, the final share price is greater than or equal to the final barrier price.
|
The examples below illustrate various possible outcomes under the securities.
The examples do not illustrate all possible outcomes, and the return you actually receive on an investment in the securities may differ
from any example shown below. References below to the total return on an investment in the securities take into account all coupon payments
received (if any) on or prior to the date of redemption or maturity.
Examples
assuming the securities are automatically redeemed prior to maturity:
Example 1: The hypothetical closing price of the underlying shares
on the first potential autocall date is $110.00, which is greater than the hypothetical initial share price. Because the hypothetical
closing price of the underlying shares is greater than the hypothetical initial share price on the first potential autocall date, the
securities would be automatically redeemed on the first coupon payment date for $1,006.667 per security, consisting of the stated principal
amount of $1,000 plus the related coupon payment of $6.667. In this scenario, the term of the securities would be approximately
one month and you would receive a total return of 0.6667% on your investment in the securities.
Example 2: The hypothetical closing price of the underlying shares
on the first potential autocall date is $50.00, which is less than the initial share price. As a result, the securities are not
automatically redeemed and you would receive a coupon payment of $6.667 per security on the first coupon payment date. On the second potential
autocall date, the hypothetical closing price of the underlying shares is $90.00, which is less than the hypothetical initial share
price. As a result, on the second coupon payment date, the securities are not automatically redeemed and you would receive a coupon payment
of $6.667 per security. On the third potential autocall date, the hypothetical closing price of the underlying shares is $130.00, which
is greater than the hypothetical initial share price. Because the hypothetical closing price of the underlying shares on the third
potential autocall date is greater than the hypothetical initial share price, the securities would be automatically redeemed on the third
coupon payment date for $1,006.667 per security, consisting of the stated principal amount of $1,000 plus the related coupon payment
of $6.667. In this scenario, the term of the securities would be approximately three months and you would receive a total return of 2.0001%
on your investment in the securities.
In each of the previous examples, the automatic early redemption feature
of the securities would limit the term of the securities to less than the full term to maturity, and possibly to as short as one month.
If the securities are automatically redeemed early, you will not receive any additional coupon payments after the redemption, and you
may not be able to reinvest in other investments that offer
Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
|
Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
|
comparable terms or returns. Although in each of these examples the
hypothetical closing price of the underlying shares on the potential autocall date immediately before redemption is greater than the hypothetical
initial share price, investors in the securities will not share in any appreciation of the underlying shares.
Examples
assuming the securities are not automatically redeemed prior to maturity:
Example 3: The hypothetical closing price of the underlying shares
on each of the potential autocall dates is less than the hypothetical initial share price and the hypothetical final share price
is $120.00, which is greater than the hypothetical final barrier price. In this scenario, you would receive a coupon payment of
$6.667 per security on each coupon payment date prior to maturity and, on the maturity date, would receive $1,006.667 per security, consisting
of the stated principal amount of $1,000 plus the coupon payment of $6.667 due at maturity. The total return on your investment
in the securities in this example is 8.0004%, which is the maximum return you may receive on an investment in the securities. As this
example illustrates, the return you receive on an investment in the securities may be less than the return you could have received on
a direct investment in the underlying shares.
Example 4: The hypothetical
closing price of the underlying shares on each of the potential autocall dates is less than the hypothetical initial share price
and the hypothetical final share price is $50.00, which is less than the hypothetical final barrier price. In this scenario, you
would receive the coupon payment of $6.667 per security on each coupon payment date prior
to the maturity date. On the maturity date, because the final share price is less than the final barrier price, you would receive $555.56
per security plus the coupon payment of $6.667 due at maturity, calculated as follows:
Payment at maturity = $1,000 +
[$1,000 × the buffer rate × (the share return + the buffer amount)] + coupon payment
= $1,000 + [$1,000 × 1.11111
× (-50% + 10%)] + $6.667
= $1,000 + [$1,000 × 1.11111
× (-40%)] +$6.667
= $1,000 + -$444.44 + $6.667
= $562.227
In this scenario, you would receive
significantly less than the stated principal amount of your securities at maturity. Because the final share price is less than its final
barrier price, you will lose more than 1% of the stated principal amount of your securities for every 1% by which the final share price
has declined beyond the buffer amount. In this scenario, your total return on your investment in the securities would be -36.4436%.
Example 5: The hypothetical
closing price of the underlying shares on each of the potential autocall dates is less than the hypothetical initial share price
and the hypothetical final share price is $20.00, which is less than the hypothetical
final barrier price. In this scenario, you would receive the coupon payment of $6.667 per
security on each coupon payment date prior to the maturity date. On the maturity date, because the final share price is less than the
final barrier price, you would receive $222.23 per security plus the coupon payment of $6.667 due at maturity, calculated as follows:
Payment at maturity = $1,000 +
[$1,000 × the buffer rate × (the share return + the buffer amount)] + coupon payment
= $1,000 + [$1,000 × 1.11111
× (-80% + 10%)] + $6.667
= $1,000 + [$1,000 × 1.11111
× (-70%)] + $6.667
= $1,000 + -$777.77 + $6.667
= $228.897
In this scenario, you would receive
significantly less than the stated principal amount of your securities at maturity. Because the final share price is less than its final
barrier price, you will lose more than 1% of the stated principal amount of your securities for every 1% by which the final share price
has declined beyond the buffer amount. A comparison of this example with the previous example illustrates the diminishing benefit
of the buffer the greater the depreciation of the underlying shares. In this scenario, your total
return on your investment in the securities would be -69.7766%.
Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
|
Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
|
Summary Risk Factors
An investment in the securities is significantly riskier than an investment
in conventional debt securities. The securities are subject to all of the risks associated with an investment in our conventional debt
securities (guaranteed by Citigroup Inc.), including the risk that we and Citigroup Inc. may default on our obligations under the securities,
and are also subject to risks associated with the underlying shares. Accordingly, the securities are suitable only for investors who are
capable of understanding the complexities and risks of the securities. You should consult your own financial, tax and legal advisors as
to the risks of an investment in the securities and the suitability of the securities in light of your particular circumstances.
The following is a summary of certain key risk factors for investors
in the securities. You should read this summary together with the more detailed description of risks relating to an investment in the
securities contained in the section “Risk Factors Relating to the Securities” beginning on page EA-7 in the accompanying product
supplement. You should also carefully read the risk factors included in the accompanying prospectus supplement and in the documents incorporated
by reference in the accompanying prospectus, including Citigroup Inc.’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which describe risks relating to the business of Citigroup Inc. more generally.
|
§
|
You may lose some or all of your investment. Unlike conventional debt securities, the
securities do not provide for the repayment of the stated principal amount at maturity in all circumstances. If the securities are not
automatically redeemed prior to maturity and the final share price is less than the final barrier price, you will lose more than 1% of
the stated principal amount of the securities for every 1% by which the final share price has declined from the initial share price beyond
the buffer amount. You should understand that any decline in the final share price beyond the buffer amount will result in a magnified
loss to your investment by the buffer rate, which will progressively offset any protection that the buffer amount would offer. The lower
the final share price, the less benefit you will receive from the buffer. There is no minimum payment at maturity on the securities, and
you may lose up to all of your investment.
|
|
§
|
The initial share price, which was set on the strike date, may be higher than the closing price of the underlying shares on the
pricing date. If the closing price of the underlying shares on the pricing date is less than the initial share price that was set
on the strike date, the terms of the securities may be less favorable to you than the terms of an alternative investment that may be available
to you that offers a similar payout as the securities but with the initial share price set on the pricing date.
|
|
§
|
Higher coupon rates are associated with greater risk. The securities offer coupon payments at an annualized rate that is generally
higher than the yield on our conventional debt securities of the same maturity. This higher yield is associated with greater levels of
expected risk as of the pricing date for the securities, including the risks that the securities will not be automatically redeemed and
the amount you receive at maturity may be significantly less than the stated principal amount of your securities and may be zero. The
volatility of the underlying shares is an important factor affecting these risks. Greater expected volatility of the underlying shares
as of the pricing date may result in a higher coupon rate, but it also represents a greater expected likelihood as of the pricing date
that (i) the closing price of the underlying shares will be less than the initial share price on each potential autocall date, such that
the securities are not automatically redeemed and (ii) the final share price will be less than the final barrier price, such that you
will not be repaid the stated principal amount of your securities at maturity.
|
|
§
|
The securities may be automatically redeemed prior to maturity, limiting your opportunity to receive coupon payments. The securities
will be automatically redeemed prior to maturity if the closing price of the underlying shares on any potential autocall date is greater
than or equal to the initial share price. Thus, the term of the securities may be limited to as short as approximately one month. If the
securities are automatically redeemed prior to maturity, you will not receive any additional coupon payments. Moreover, you may not be
able to reinvest your funds in another investment that provides a similar yield with a similar level of risk.
|
|
§
|
The securities offer downside exposure to the underlying shares, but no upside exposure to the underlying shares. You will
not participate in any appreciation in the price of the underlying shares over the term of the securities. Consequently, your return on
the securities will be limited to the coupon payments you receive and may be significantly less than the return on the underlying shares
over the term of the securities. In addition, you will not receive any dividends or other distributions or have any other rights with
respect to the underlying shares over the term of the securities.
|
|
§
|
You will have no rights and will not receive dividends with respect to the underlying shares. As
a holder of the securities, you will not have any ownership interest or rights in the underlying shares, such as voting rights or dividend
payments. The payment scenarios described in this pricing supplement do not show any effect of lost dividend yield over the term of the
securities. Additionally, if any change to the underlying shares is proposed, such as an amendment to the underlying share issuer’s
organizational documents, you will not have the right to vote on such change. Any such change may adversely affect the market price of
the underlying shares.
|
|
§
|
What you receive at maturity depends on the closing price of the underlying shares on a single day. Because what you receive
at maturity (if the securities are not automatically redeemed prior to maturity) depends on the closing price of the underlying shares
solely on the valuation date, you are subject to the risk that the closing price of the underlying shares on that day may be lower, and
possibly significantly lower, than on one or more other dates during the term of the securities. If you had invested directly in the underlying
shares or in another instrument linked to the underlying shares that you could sell for full value at a time selected by you, or if the
payment at maturity were based on an average of closing prices of the underlying shares, you might have achieved better returns.
|
Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
|
Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
|
|
§
|
The securities are subject to the credit risk of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc. and Citigroup Inc. If we default on
our obligations under the securities and Citigroup Inc. defaults on its guarantee obligations, you may not receive anything owed to you
under the securities.
|
|
§
|
The securities will not be listed on any securities exchange and you may not be able to sell them prior to maturity. The securities
will not be listed on any securities exchange. Therefore, there may be little or no secondary market for the securities. CGMI currently
intends to make a secondary market in relation to the securities and to provide an indicative bid price for the securities on a daily
basis. Any indicative bid price for the securities provided by CGMI will be determined in CGMI’s sole discretion, taking into account
prevailing market conditions and other relevant factors, and will not be a representation by CGMI that the securities can be sold at that
price, or at all. CGMI may suspend or terminate making a market and providing indicative bid prices without notice, at any time and for
any reason. If CGMI suspends or terminates making a market, there may be no secondary market at all for the securities because it is likely
that CGMI will be the only broker-dealer that is willing to buy your securities prior to maturity. Accordingly, an investor must be prepared
to hold the securities until maturity.
|
|
§
|
The estimated value of the securities on the pricing date, based on CGMI’s proprietary pricing models and our internal funding
rate, will be less than the issue price. The difference is attributable to certain costs associated with selling, structuring and
hedging the securities that are included in the issue price. These costs include (i) the placement fees paid in connection with the offering
of the securities, (ii) hedging and other costs incurred by us and our affiliates in connection with the offering of the securities and
(iii) the expected profit (which may be more or less than actual profit) to CGMI or other of our affiliates in connection with hedging
our obligations under the securities. These costs adversely affect the economic terms of the securities because, if they were lower, the
economic terms of the securities would be more favorable to you. The economic terms of the securities are also likely to be adversely
affected by the use of our internal funding rate, rather than our secondary market rate, to price the securities. See “The estimated
value of the securities would be lower if it were calculated based on our secondary market rate” below.
|
|
§
|
The estimated value of the securities was determined for us by our affiliate using proprietary pricing models. CGMI derived
the estimated value disclosed on the cover page of this pricing supplement from its proprietary pricing models. In doing so, it may have
made discretionary judgments about the inputs to its models, such as the volatility of the underlying shares, the dividend yield on the
underlying shares and the securities held by the underlying share issuer and interest rates. CGMI’s views on these inputs may differ
from your or others’ views, and as an underwriter in this offering, CGMI’s interests may conflict with yours. Both the models
and the inputs to the models may prove to be wrong and therefore not an accurate reflection of the value of the securities. Moreover,
the estimated value of the securities set forth on the cover page of this pricing supplement may differ from the value that we or our
affiliates may determine for the securities for other purposes, including for accounting purposes. You should not invest in the securities
because of the estimated value of the securities. Instead, you should be willing to hold the securities to maturity irrespective of the
initial estimated value.
|
|
§
|
The estimated value of the securities would be lower if it were calculated based on our secondary market rate. The estimated
value of the securities included in this pricing supplement is calculated based on our internal funding rate, which is the rate at which
we are willing to borrow funds through the issuance of the securities. Our internal funding rate is generally lower than our secondary
market rate, which is the rate that CGMI will use in determining the value of the securities for purposes of any purchases of the securities
from you in the secondary market. If the estimated value included in this pricing supplement were based on our secondary market rate,
rather than our internal funding rate, it would likely be lower. We determine our internal funding rate based on factors such as the costs
associated with the securities, which are generally higher than the costs associated with conventional debt securities, and our liquidity
needs and preferences. Our internal funding rate is not the same as the coupon that is payable on the securities.
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Because there is not an active market for
traded instruments referencing our outstanding debt obligations, CGMI determines our secondary market rate based on the market price of
traded instruments referencing the debt obligations of Citigroup Inc., our parent company and the guarantor of all payments due on the
securities, but subject to adjustments that CGMI makes in its sole discretion. As a result, our secondary market rate is not a market-determined
measure of our creditworthiness, but rather reflects the market’s perception of our parent company’s creditworthiness as adjusted
for discretionary factors such as CGMI’s preferences with respect to purchasing the securities prior to maturity.
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The estimated value of the securities is not an indication of the price, if any, at which CGMI or any other person may be willing
to buy the securities from you in the secondary market. Any such secondary market price will fluctuate over the term of the securities
based on the market and other factors described in the next risk factor. Moreover, unlike the estimated value included in this pricing
supplement, any value of the securities determined for purposes of a secondary market transaction will be based on our secondary market
rate, which will likely result in a lower value for the securities than if our internal funding rate were used. In addition, any secondary
market price for the securities will be reduced by a bid-ask spread, which may vary depending on the aggregate stated principal amount
of the securities to be purchased in the secondary market transaction, and the expected cost of unwinding related hedging transactions.
As a result, it is likely that any secondary market price for the securities will be less than the issue price.
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The value of the securities prior to maturity will fluctuate based on many unpredictable factors. The
value of your securities prior to maturity will fluctuate based on the price and volatility of the underlying shares and a number of other
factors, including the price and volatility of the securities held by the underlying share issuer, the dividend yields on the underlying
shares and the securities held by the underlying share issuer, interest rates generally, the time remaining to maturity and our and Citigroup
Inc.’s
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Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
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Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
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creditworthiness,
as reflected in our secondary market rate. Changes in the price of the underlying shares may not result in a comparable change in the
value of your securities. You should understand that the value of your securities at any time prior to maturity may be significantly less
than the issue price.
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Immediately following issuance, any secondary market bid price provided by CGMI, and the value that will be indicated on any brokerage
account statements prepared by CGMI or its affiliates, will reflect a temporary upward adjustment. The amount of this temporary upward
adjustment will steadily decline to zero over the temporary adjustment period. See “Valuation of the Securities” in this pricing
supplement.
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Our offering of the securities does not constitute a recommendation of the underlying shares by CGMI or its affiliates or by the
placement agents or their affiliates. The fact that we are offering the securities does not
mean that we believe, or that the placement agents or their affiliates believe, that investing in an instrument linked to the underlying
shares is likely to achieve favorable returns. In fact, as we and the placement agents are part of global financial institutions, our
affiliates and the placement agents and their affiliates may have positions (including short positions) in the underlying shares or the
securities held by the underlying share issuer or in instruments related to the underlying shares or such securities, and may publish
research or express opinions, that in each case are inconsistent with an investment linked to the underlying shares. These and other activities
of our affiliates or the placement agents or their affiliates may affect the price of the underlying shares in a way that has a negative
impact on your interests as a holder of the securities.
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The price of the underlying shares may be adversely affected by our or our affiliates’ hedging and other trading activities.
We expect to hedge our obligations under the securities through CGMI or other of our affiliates, who may take positions directly in the
underlying shares and other financial instruments related to the underlying shares and may adjust such positions during the term of the
securities. Our affiliates and the placement agents and their affiliates also trade the underlying shares and other financial instruments
related to the underlying shares on a regular basis (taking long or short positions or both), for their accounts, for other accounts under
their management or to facilitate transactions on behalf of customers. These activities could affect the price of the underlying shares
in a way that negatively affects the value of the securities. They could also result in substantial returns for us or our affiliates or
the placement agents or their affiliates while the value of the securities declines.
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We and our affiliates or the placement agents or their affiliates may have economic interests that are adverse to yours as a result
of our affiliates’ or their business activities. Our affiliates or the placement agents or their affiliates may currently or
from time to time engage in business with the underlying share issuer, including extending loans to, making equity investments in or providing
advisory services to the underlying share issuer. In the course of this business, we or our affiliates or the placement agents or their
affiliates may acquire non-public information about the underlying share issuer, which we and they will not disclose to you. Moreover,
if any of our affiliates or the placement agents or their affiliates is or becomes a creditor of the underlying share issuer, they may
exercise any remedies against the underlying share issuer that are available to them without regard to your interests.
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Even if the underlying share issuer pays a dividend that it identifies as special or extraordinary, no adjustment will be required
under the securities for that dividend unless it meets the criteria specified in the accompanying product supplement. In general,
an adjustment will not be made under the terms of the securities for any cash dividend paid on the underlying shares unless the amount
of the dividend per underlying share, together with any other dividends paid in the same fiscal quarter, exceeds the dividend paid per
underlying share in the most recent fiscal quarter by an amount equal to at least 10% of the closing price of the underlying shares on
the date of declaration of the dividend. Any dividend will reduce the closing price of the underlying shares by the amount of the dividend
per underlying share. If the underlying share issuer pays any dividend for which an adjustment is not made under the terms of the securities,
holders of the securities will be adversely affected. See “Description of the Securities—
Certain Additional Terms for Securities Linked to an Underlying Company or an Underlying ETF—Dilution and Reorganization Adjustments—Certain
Extraordinary Cash Dividends” in the accompanying product supplement.
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The securities will not be adjusted for all events that could affect the price of the underlying shares. For example, we will
not make any adjustment for ordinary dividends or extraordinary dividends that do not meet the criteria described above. Moreover, the
adjustments we do make may not fully offset the dilutive or adverse effect of the particular event. Investors in the securities may be
adversely affected by such an event in a circumstance in which a direct holder of the underlying shares would not.
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The securities may become linked to shares of an issuer other than the original underlying share issuer upon the occurrence of
a reorganization event or upon the delisting of the underlying shares. For example, if the underlying
share issuer enters into a merger agreement that provides for holders of the underlying shares to receive shares of another entity, the
shares of such other entity will become the underlying shares for all purposes of the securities upon consummation of the merger. Additionally,
if the underlying shares are delisted and or the underlying share issuer is otherwise terminated, the calculation agent may, in its sole
discretion, select shares of another ETF to be the underlying shares. See “Description of the Securities— Certain Additional
Terms for Securities Linked to an Underlying Company or an Underlying ETF—Dilution and Reorganization Adjustments—Certain
Extraordinary Cash Dividends” in the accompanying product supplement.
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The price and performance of the underlying share issuer may not completely track the performance
of its underlying index or its net asset value per share. The underlying share issuer does not fully replicate the underlying index
that it seeks to track (the “ETF underlying index”) and may hold securities different from those included in the ETF underlying
index. In addition, the performance of the underlying share issuer reflect additional transaction costs and fees that are not included
in the calculation of its ETF underlying index. All of these factors may lead to a lack of correlation between the performance of the
underlying share
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Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
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Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
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issuer
and its ETF underlying index. In addition, corporate actions with respect to the equity securities constituting the underlying share issuer’s
ETF underlying index or held by the underlying share issuer (such as mergers and spin-offs) may impact the variance between the performance
of the underlying share issuer and its ETF underlying index. Finally, because the underlying shares are traded on an exchange and are
subject to market supply and investor demand, the market value of the underlying share issuer may differ from its net asset value per
share.
During periods of market
volatility, securities underlying the underlying share issuer may be unavailable in the secondary market, market participants may be unable
to calculate accurately the net asset value per share of the underlying share issuer and the liquidity of the underlying share issuer
may be adversely affected. This kind of market volatility may also disrupt the ability of market participants to create and redeem shares
of the underlying share issuer. Further, market volatility may adversely affect, sometimes materially, the price at which market participants
are willing to buy and sell the underlying share issuer. As a result, under these circumstances, the market value of the underlying share
issuer may vary substantially from its net asset value per share. For all of the foregoing reasons, the performance of the underlying
share issuer might not correlate with the performance of its ETF underlying index and/or its net asset value per share, which could materially
and adversely affect the value of the securities in the secondary market and/or reduce your return on the securities.
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The calculation agent, which is an affiliate of ours, will make important determinations with respect to the securities. If
certain events occur, such as market disruption events, events with respect to the underlying share issuer that may require a dilution
adjustment or the delisting of the underlying shares, CGMI, as calculation agent, will be required to make discretionary judgments that
could significantly affect your return on the securities. In making these judgments, the calculation agent’s interests as an affiliate
of ours could be adverse to your interests as a holder of the securities.
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Changes made by the investment adviser to the underlying share issuer or by the sponsor of
the ETF underlying index may adversely affect the underlying shares. We are not affiliated with the investment adviser to the underlying
share issuer or with the sponsor of the ETF underlying index. Accordingly, we have no control over any changes such investment adviser
or sponsor may make to the underlying share issuer or the ETF underlying index. Such changes could be made at any time and could adversely
affect the performance of the underlying shares.
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The U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the securities are unclear. There is no direct legal authority as to
the proper U.S. federal tax treatment of the securities, and we do not intend to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (the
“IRS”). Consequently, significant aspects of the tax treatment of the securities are uncertain, and the IRS or a court might
not agree with the treatment described herein. If the IRS were successful in asserting an alternative treatment, the tax consequences
of ownership and disposition of the securities might be materially and adversely affected. As described below under “United States
Federal Tax Considerations,” the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS have requested comments on various issues regarding the U.S.
federal income tax treatment of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar financial instruments and have indicated that such
transactions may be the subject of future regulations or other guidance. In addition, members of Congress have proposed legislative changes
to the tax treatment of derivative contracts. Any legislation, Treasury regulations or other guidance promulgated after consideration
of these issues could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the securities, possibly with retroactive
effect.
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As described below under “United
States Federal Tax Considerations,” in connection with any information reporting requirements we may have in respect of the securities
under applicable law, we intend to treat a portion of each coupon payment as attributable to interest and the remainder to option premium.
However, in light of the uncertain treatment of the securities, it is possible that other persons having withholding or information reporting
responsibility in respect of the securities may treat a security differently, for instance, by treating the entire coupon payment as ordinary
income at the time received or accrued by a holder and/or treating some or all of each coupon payment made to a non-U.S. investor on a
security as subject to withholding tax at a rate of 30%. Moreover, it is possible that in the future we may determine that we should withhold
at a rate of 30% on coupon payments made to a non-U.S. investor on the securities. If withholding applies to the securities, we will not
be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld.
Non-U.S. Holders should also review the section entitled
“United States Federal Tax Considerations—Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders—Possible Withholding Under Section 871(m)
of the Code” regarding the risk of withholding in respect of “dividend equivalents” on the securities.
You should review carefully the section of this pricing supplement
entitled “United States Federal Tax Considerations.” You should also consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal tax
consequences of an investment in the securities, as well as tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing
jurisdiction.
Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
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Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
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Information About the Invesco QQQ
TrustSM, Series 1
The Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 is an exchange-traded fund
that seeks to provide investment results that, before expenses, generally correspond to the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index®.
The NASDAQ-100 Index® is a modified market capitalization-weighted index of stocks of the 100 largest non-financial companies
listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization. The Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 is a registered investment
company. Information provided to or filed with the SEC by Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, can be located by reference to SEC file numbers 333-61001 and 811-08947,
respectively, through the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, information may be obtained from other sources including,
but not limited to, press releases, newspaper articles and other publicly disseminated documents. The underlying shares of the Invesco
QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “QQQ.”
Please refer to the section “Fund
Descriptions—Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1” in the accompanying underlying
supplement for additional information.
This pricing supplement relates
only to the securities offered hereby and does not relate to the shares of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1. We have derived
all disclosures contained in this pricing supplement regarding the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 from the publicly available
documents described above. In connection with the offering of the securities, none of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc., Citigroup
Inc. or CGMI has participated in the preparation of such documents or made any due diligence inquiry with respect to the Invesco QQQ TrustSM,
Series 1.
The securities represent obligations
of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc. (guaranteed by Citigroup Inc.) only. The sponsor of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series
1 is not involved in any way in this offering and has no obligation relating to the securities or to holders of the securities.
Neither we nor any of our affiliates
make any representation to you as to the performance of the shares of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1.
Historical Information
The graph below shows the closing
price of the shares of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 for each day such price was available from January 3, 2011 to April
20, 2021. The table that follows shows the high and low closing prices of the shares of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 for
each quarter in that same period. We obtained the closing prices from Bloomberg L.P., without independent verification. You should
not take the historical prices of the shares of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 as an indication of future performance.
Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1 – Historical Closing Prices
January 3, 2011 to April 20, 2021
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* The red line indicates the final
barrier price of $302.769, equal to 90.00% of the closing price on April 20, 2021.
Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
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Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
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Underlying Shares of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM, Series 1
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High
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Low
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2011
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First Quarter
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$58.89
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$54.17
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Second Quarter
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$59.23
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$53.79
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Third Quarter
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$59.60
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$50.03
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Fourth Quarter
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$58.94
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$51.14
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2012
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First Quarter
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$68.22
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$56.90
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Second Quarter
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$68.25
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$60.41
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Third Quarter
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$70.40
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$62.42
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Fourth Quarter
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$69.35
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$62.03
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2013
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First Quarter
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$68.97
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$66.31
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Second Quarter
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$74.30
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$67.14
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Third Quarter
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$79.50
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$71.73
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Fourth Quarter
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$87.96
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$76.96
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2014
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First Quarter
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$91.06
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$84.29
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Second Quarter
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$93.91
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$84.11
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Third Quarter
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$100.28
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$94.22
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Fourth Quarter
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$106.01
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$91.79
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2015
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First Quarter
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$109.38
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$99.65
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Second Quarter
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$110.96
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$105.05
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Third Quarter
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$113.98
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$98.09
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Fourth Quarter
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$115.16
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$102.22
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2016
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First Quarter
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$109.50
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$96.32
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Second Quarter
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$111.23
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$102.22
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Third Quarter
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$119.09
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$107.42
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Fourth Quarter
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$120.82
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$113.65
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2017
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First Quarter
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$132.47
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$119.54
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Second Quarter
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$143.57
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$130.40
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Third Quarter
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$146.42
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$136.19
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Fourth Quarter
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$158.64
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$145.58
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2018
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First Quarter
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$174.08
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$153.45
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Second Quarter
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$177.60
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$155.51
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Third Quarter
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$186.74
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$170.80
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Fourth Quarter
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$186.17
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$143.50
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2019
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First Quarter
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$182.57
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$149.82
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Second Quarter
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$191.11
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$170.12
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Third Quarter
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$195.29
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$180.73
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Fourth Quarter
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$213.79
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$184.05
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2020
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First Quarter
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$236.98
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$169.30
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Second Quarter
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$248.84
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$182.31
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Third Quarter
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$302.76
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$250.49
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Fourth Quarter
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$313.74
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$269.38
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2021
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First Quarter
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$336.45
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$299.94
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Second Quarter (through April 20, 2021)
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$342.01
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$324.57
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The closing price of the shares of the Invesco QQQ TrustSM,
Series 1 on April 20, 2021 was $336.41.
Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
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Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
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United States Federal Tax Considerations
You should note that, other than the discussion
under “United States Federal Tax Considerations—Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders—Possible Taxable Event” regarding
the possible assumption of the securities by Citigroup Inc., the discussion under the section called “United States Federal Tax
Considerations” in the accompanying product supplement generally does not apply to the securities issued under this pricing supplement
and is superseded by the following discussion.
The following is a discussion of the material U.S.
federal income and certain estate tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of the securities. It applies to you only if you are
an initial holder of a security that purchases the security for cash at its stated principal amount, and holds the security as a capital
asset within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Code.
This discussion does not address all of the tax consequences
that may be relevant to you in light of your particular circumstances or if you are a holder subject to special rules, such as:
· a
financial institution;
· a
dealer or trader subject to a mark-to-market method of tax accounting with respect to the securities;
· a
person holding the securities as part of a “straddle” or conversion transaction or one who enters into a “constructive
sale” with respect to a security;
· a
U.S. Holder (as defined below) whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;
· an
entity classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
· a
regulated investment company;
· a
tax-exempt entity, including an “individual retirement account” or “Roth IRA”; or
· an
investor subject to special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b) of the Code.
If an entity that is classified as a partnership for
U.S. federal income tax purposes holds the securities, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner will generally depend on the
status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. If you are a partnership holding the securities or a partner in such a partnership,
you should consult your tax adviser as to the particular U.S. federal tax consequences of holding and disposing of the securities to you.
This discussion is based on the Code, administrative
pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed Treasury regulations, all as of the date of this pricing supplement,
changes to any of which may affect the tax consequences described herein, possibly with retroactive effect. This discussion does not address
the effects of any applicable state, local or non-U.S. tax laws or the potential application of the Medicare contribution tax. You
should consult your tax adviser about the application of U.S. federal tax laws to your particular situation (including the possibility
of alternative treatments of the securities), as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. jurisdiction.
Tax Treatment of the Securities
Due to the absence of statutory, judicial or administrative
authorities that directly address the U.S. federal tax treatment of the securities or similar instruments, there is substantial uncertainty
regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the securities. In connection with any information reporting requirements
we may have in respect of the securities under applicable law, we intend (in the absence of an administrative determination or judicial
ruling to the contrary) to treat each security for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a unit comprising (i) an option written by you
that, if exercised, requires you to pay us an amount equal to the Deposit (as defined below) in exchange for a cash payment from us based
on the underlying return of the least performing underlying (the “Put Option”) and (ii) a deposit with us of a fixed amount
of cash equal to the stated principal amount of the security to secure your potential obligation under the Put Option (the “Deposit”).
In the opinion of our counsel, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, this treatment of the securities is reasonable under current law; however,
our counsel has advised us that due to the lack of any controlling legal authority it is unable to conclude affirmatively that this treatment
is more likely than not to be upheld, and that alternative treatments are possible. Moreover, our counsel’s opinion is based on
market conditions as of the date of this preliminary pricing supplement and is subject to confirmation on the pricing date. Under this
treatment:
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·
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a portion
of each coupon payment made with respect to a security will be attributable to interest on the Deposit; and
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·
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the
remainder will represent option premium attributable to your grant of the Put Option (with respect to each coupon payment received
and, collectively, all coupon payments received, “Put Premium”).
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Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
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Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
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We will specify in the final pricing supplement the
portion of each coupon payment that we will allocate to interest on the Deposit and to Put Premium, respectively.
We do not plan to request a ruling from the IRS,
and the IRS or a court might not agree with this treatment. Accordingly, you should consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal
tax consequences of an investment in the securities. Unless otherwise stated, the following discussion is based on the treatment of each
security as a Put Option and a Deposit.
Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders
This section applies only to U.S. Holders. You are
a “U.S. Holder” if for U.S. federal income tax purposes you are a beneficial owner of a security that is:
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·
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a citizen
or individual resident of the United States;
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·
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a corporation,
or other entity taxable as a corporation, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the
District of Columbia; or
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·
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an estate
or trust the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.
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Coupon Payments. We intend to treat interest
paid with respect to the Deposit as ordinary interest income that is taxable to you at the time it accrues or is received, in accordance
with your method of tax accounting. The Put Premium should not be taken into account until retirement or earlier sale or exchange of the
security.
Sale or Exchange Prior to Retirement. Upon
a sale or exchange of a security prior to retirement, you should apportion the amount realized between the Deposit and the Put Option
based on their respective values on the date of sale or exchange. If the value of the Put Option is negative, you should be treated as
having made a payment of such negative value to the purchaser in exchange for the purchaser’s assumption of the Put Option, in which
case a corresponding amount should be added to the amount realized in respect of the Deposit.
You should recognize gain or loss with respect to the Deposit in an
amount equal to the difference between (i) the amount realized that is apportioned to the Deposit and (ii) your basis in the Deposit (i.e.,
the price you paid to acquire the security plus any amounts previously accrued into income but not yet paid). Any loss should be treated
as short-term capital loss. Any gain should be treated as ordinary interest income to the extent of the amount of any accrued but unpaid
discount on the Deposit not yet taken into income and any remaining gain should be treated as short-term capital gain.
You should recognize gain or loss in respect of the
Put Option in an amount equal to the total Put Premium you previously received, decreased by the amount deemed to be paid by you, or increased
by the amount deemed to be paid to you, in exchange for the purchaser’s assumption of the Put Option. This gain or loss should be
short-term capital gain or loss.
Tax Treatment at Retirement. The coupon payment
received upon retirement will be treated as described above under “Coupon Payments.”
If a security is retired for its stated principal
amount (without taking into account any coupon payment), the Put Option should be deemed to have expired unexercised, in which case you
should recognize short-term capital gain in an amount equal to the sum of all payments of Put Premium received, including the Put Premium
received upon retirement.
At maturity, if you receive an amount of cash, not
counting the final coupon payment, that is different from the stated principal amount, the Put Option should be deemed to have been exercised
and you should be deemed to have applied the Deposit toward the cash settlement of the Put Option. In that case, you should recognise
short-term capital gain or loss with respect to the Put Option in an amount equal to the difference between (i) the sum of the total Put
Premium received (including the Put Premium received at maturity) and the cash you receive at maturity, excluding the final coupon payment,
and (ii) the Deposit.
Possible Taxable Event. In the event
of a designation of a successor underlying, it is possible that the securities could be treated, in whole or part, as terminated and reissued
for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In such a case, you might be required to recognize gain or loss (subject to the possible application
of the wash sale rules) with respect to the securities.
Possible Alternative Tax Treatments of an Investment
in the Securities
Alternative U.S. federal income tax treatments of
the securities are possible that, if applied, could materially and adversely affect the timing and/or character of income, gain or loss
with respect to the securities. A security could be treated as a debt instrument issued by us, in which case the timing and character
of taxable income with respect to coupon payments on the securities would differ from that described herein and all or a portion of any
gain you realize would generally be treated as ordinary income. In addition, you could be subject to special reporting requirements if
any loss exceeded certain thresholds. Under other possible treatments, the entire coupon on the securities might either be (i) treated
as income to you at the time received or accrued or (ii) not accounted for separately as
Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
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Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
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giving rise to income to you until the sale, exchange
or retirement of the securities. You should consult your tax adviser regarding these issues.
Other possible U.S. federal income tax treatments of the securities
are possible that could also affect the timing and character of income or loss with respect to the securities. In addition, the U.S. Treasury
Department and the IRS have requested comments on various issues regarding the U.S. federal income tax treatment of “prepaid forward
contracts” and similar financial instruments and have indicated that such transactions may be the subject of future regulations
or other guidance. In addition, members of Congress have proposed legislative changes to the tax treatment of derivative contracts. Any
legislation, Treasury regulations or other guidance promulgated after consideration of these issues could materially and adversely affect
the tax consequences of an investment in the securities, possibly with retroactive effect. You should consult your tax adviser regarding
the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the securities.
Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders
This section applies only to Non-U.S. Holders. You
are a “Non-U.S. Holder” if you are a beneficial owner of a security that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
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an individual
who is classified as a nonresident alien;
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a foreign
corporation; or
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a foreign
trust or estate.
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You are not a Non-U.S. Holder for the purposes of
this discussion if you are (i) an individual who is present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition
or (ii) a former citizen or resident of the United States. If you are or may become such a person during the period in which you hold
a security, you should consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the securities to you.
Subject to the discussions below regarding Section
871(m) and “FATCA,” under current law, you generally should not be subject to U.S. federal withholding or income tax in respect
of payments on the securities or amounts received on the sale, exchange or retirement of the securities, provided that (i) income in respect
of the securities is not effectively connected with your conduct of a trade or business in the United States, and (ii) you provide to
the applicable withholding agent an appropriate IRS Form W-8 certifying under penalties of perjury that you are not a U.S. person.
If you are engaged in a U.S. trade or business, and
if income from the securities is effectively connected with the conduct of that trade or business, you generally will be subject to regular
U.S. federal income tax with respect to that income in the same manner as if you were a U.S. Holder, unless an applicable income tax treaty
provides otherwise. If you are a Non-U.S. Holder to which this paragraph may apply, you should consult your tax adviser regarding other
U.S. tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of the securities. If you are a corporation, you should also consider the potential
application of a 30% (or lower treaty rate) branch profits tax.
As described above under “—Tax Consequences
to U.S. Holders—Possible Alternative Tax Treatments of an Investment in the Securities” alternative tax treatments could apply
to the securities, in which case the tax consequences to you could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, potential legislative
or regulatory changes to the tax treatment of the securities could adversely impact your consequences of an investment in the securities.
Possible Withholding Under Section 871(m) of the
Code. Section 871(m) of the Code and Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (“Section
871(m)”) generally impose a 30% withholding tax on dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid to Non-U.S. Holders with respect to
certain financial instruments linked to U.S. equities (“U.S. Underlying Equities”) or indices that include U.S. Underlying
Equities. Section 871(m) generally applies to instruments that substantially replicate the economic performance of one or more U.S. Underlying
Equities, as determined based on tests set forth in the applicable Treasury regulations. However, the regulations, as modified by an IRS
notice, exempt financial instruments issued prior to January 1, 2023 that do not have a “delta” of one. Based on the terms
of the securities and representations provided by us as of the date of this preliminary pricing supplement, our counsel is of the opinion
that the securities should not be treated as transactions that have a “delta” of one within the meaning of the regulations
with respect to any U.S. Underlying Equity and, therefore, should not be subject to withholding tax under Section 871(m). However, the
final determination regarding the treatment of the securities under Section 871(m) will be made as of the pricing date for the securities,
and it is possible that the securities will be subject to withholding under Section 871(m) based on the circumstances of that date.
A determination that the securities are not subject to Section 871(m)
is not binding on the IRS, and the IRS may disagree with this treatment. Moreover, Section 871(m) is complex and its application may depend
on your particular circumstances, including your other transactions. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the potential application
of Section 871(m) to the securities.
While we currently do not intend to withhold on
payments on the securities to Non-U.S. Holders (subject to the certification requirement described above, the discussion above regarding
Section 871(m) and the discussion below regarding “FATCA”),
Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
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Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
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in light of the uncertain treatment of the securities
other persons having withholding or information reporting responsibility in respect of the securities may treat some or all of each coupon
payment on a security as subject to withholding tax at a rate of 30%. Moreover, it is possible that in the future we may determine that
we should withhold at a rate of 30% on coupon payments on the securities. We will not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect
to amounts withheld.
U.S. Federal Estate Tax
If you are an individual Non-U.S. Holder, or an entity
the property of which is potentially includible in such an individual’s gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes (for example,
a trust funded by such an individual and with respect to which the individual has retained certain interests or powers), you should note
that, absent an applicable treaty exemption, a security may be treated as U.S.-situs property subject to U.S. federal estate tax. If you
are such an individual or entity, you should consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of an investment
in the securities.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
Amounts paid on the securities, and payment of the
proceeds of a sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of the securities, may be subject to information reporting and, if you fail
to provide certain identifying information (such as an accurate taxpayer identification number if you are a U.S. Holder) or meet certain
other conditions, may also be subject to backup withholding at the rate specified in the Code. If you are a Non-U.S. Holder that provides
the applicable withholding agent with an appropriate IRS Form W-8, you will generally establish an exemption from backup withholding.
Amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules are not additional taxes and may be refunded or credited against your U.S. federal
income tax liability, provided the relevant information is timely furnished to the IRS.
FATCA
Legislation commonly referred to as “FATCA”
generally imposes a withholding tax of 30% on payments to certain non-U.S. entities (including financial intermediaries) with respect
to certain financial instruments, unless various U.S. information reporting and due diligence requirements have been satisfied. An intergovernmental
agreement between the United States and the non-U.S. entity’s jurisdiction may modify these requirements. This legislation generally
applies to certain financial instruments that are treated as paying U.S.-source interest, dividend equivalents or other U.S.-source “fixed
or determinable annual or periodical” income (“FDAP income”). Withholding (if applicable) applies to payments of U.S.-source
FDAP income. While existing Treasury regulations would also require withholding on payments of gross proceeds of the disposition (including
upon retirement) of certain financial instruments treated as providing for U.S.-source interest or dividends, the U.S. Treasury Department
has indicated in subsequent proposed regulations its intent to eliminate this requirement. The U.S. Treasury Department has indicated
that taxpayers may rely on these proposed regulations pending their finalization. Although the application of the FATCA rules to the securities
is not entirely clear because the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the securities is unclear, it would be prudent to assume that a
withholding agent will treat the securities as subject to the withholding rules under FATCA. If withholding applies to the securities,
we will not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts withheld. You should consult your tax adviser regarding
the potential application of FATCA to the securities.
The preceding discussion, when read in conjunction
with “United States Federal Tax Considerations—Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders—Possible Taxable Event” in the
accompanying product supplement, constitutes the full opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP regarding the material U.S. federal tax
consequences of owning and disposing of the securities.
You should consult your tax adviser regarding
all aspects of the U.S. federal income and estate tax consequences of an investment in the securities, and any tax consequences arising
under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction.
Supplemental Plan of Distribution
CGMI, an affiliate of Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc. and the
underwriter of the sale of the securities, is acting as principal and will receive an underwriting fee of $2.50 for each security sold
in this offering. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. will act as placement agents for the securities and,
from the underwriting fee to CGMI, will receive a placement fee of $2.50 for each security they sell in this offering to accounts other
than fiduciary accounts. The amount of the underwriting fee to CGMI will be equal to the placement fee paid to the placement agents.
CGMI and the placement agents will forgo an underwriting fee and placement fee for sales to fiduciary accounts. In addition to the
underwriting fee, CGMI and its affiliates may profit from expected hedging activity related to this offering, even if the value of the
securities declines. See “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” in the accompanying prospectus. For the avoidance of doubt, the
fees and commissions described on the cover of this pricing supplement will not be rebated or subject to amortization if the securities
are automatically redeemed.
See “Plan of Distribution; Conflicts of Interest” in the
accompanying product supplement and “Plan of Distribution” in each of the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus
for additional information.
Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc.
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Autocallable Equity Linked Securities Based on the Invesco QQQ TrustSM Due April , 2022
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Valuation of the Securities
CGMI calculated the estimated value of the securities set forth on the
cover page of this pricing supplement based on proprietary pricing models. CGMI’s proprietary pricing models generated an estimated
value for the securities by estimating the value of a hypothetical package of financial instruments that would replicate the payout on
the securities, which consists of a fixed-income bond (the “bond component”) and one or more derivative instruments underlying
the economic terms of the securities (the “derivative component”). CGMI calculated the estimated value of the bond component
using a discount rate based on our internal funding rate. CGMI calculated the estimated value of the derivative component based on a proprietary
derivative-pricing model, which generated a theoretical price for the instruments that constitute the derivative component based on various
inputs, including the factors described under “Summary Risk Factors—The value of the securities prior to maturity will fluctuate
based on many unpredictable factors” in this pricing supplement, but not including our or Citigroup Inc.’s creditworthiness.
These inputs may be market-observable or may be based on assumptions made by CGMI in its discretionary judgment.
The estimated value of the securities is a function of the terms of
the securities and the inputs to CGMI’s proprietary pricing models. As of the date of this preliminary pricing supplement, it is
uncertain what the estimated value of the securities will be on the pricing date because it is uncertain what the values of the inputs
to CGMI’s proprietary pricing models will be on the pricing date.
For a period of approximately six months following issuance of the securities,
the price, if any, at which CGMI would be willing to buy the securities from investors, and the value that will be indicated for the securities
on any brokerage account statements prepared by CGMI or its affiliates (which value CGMI may also publish through one or more financial
information vendors), will reflect a temporary upward adjustment from the price or value that would otherwise be determined. This temporary
upward adjustment represents a portion of the hedging profit expected to be realized by CGMI or its affiliates over the term of the securities.
The amount of this temporary upward adjustment will decline to zero on a straight-line basis over the six-month temporary adjustment period.
However, CGMI is not obligated to buy the securities from investors at any time. See “Summary Risk Factors—The securities
will not be listed on any securities exchange and you may not be able to sell them prior to maturity.”
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