ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING OUR ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE NOTES
The range of the estimated values of the Notes referenced above may not correlate on a linear basis with the range of any other term of the Notes as may be set forth in this pricing supplement. We determined the size of such range based on prevailing market conditions, as well as the anticipated duration of the marketing period for the Notes. The final terms for the Notes will be determined on the date the Notes are initially priced for sale to the public, which we refer to as the Initial Valuation Date, based on prevailing market conditions on or prior to the Initial Valuation Date, and will be communicated to investors either orally or in a final pricing supplement.
Our internal pricing models take into account a number of variables and are based on a number of subjective assumptions, which may or may not materialize, typically including volatility, interest rates, and our internal funding rates. Our internal funding rates (which are our internally published borrowing rates based on variables such as market benchmarks, our appetite for borrowing, and our existing obligations coming to maturity) may vary from the levels at which our benchmark debt securities trade in the secondary market. Our estimated value on the Initial Valuation Date is based on our internal funding rates. Our estimated value of the Notes may be lower if such valuation were based on the levels at which our benchmark debt securities trade in the secondary market.
Our estimated value of the Notes on the Initial Valuation Date is expected to be less than the initial issue price of the Notes. The difference between the initial issue price of the Notes and our estimated value of the Notes is expected to result from several factors, including any sales commissions expected to be paid to Barclays Capital Inc. or another affiliate of ours, any selling concessions, discounts, commissions or fees expected to be allowed or paid to non-affiliated intermediaries, the estimated profit that we or any of our affiliates expect to earn in connection with structuring the Notes, the estimated cost which we may incur in hedging our obligations under the Notes, and estimated development and other costs which we may incur in connection with the Notes.
Our estimated value on the Initial Valuation Date is not a prediction of the price at which the Notes may trade in the secondary market, nor will it be the price at which Barclays Capital Inc. may buy or sell the Notes in the secondary market. Subject to normal market and funding conditions, Barclays Capital Inc. or another affiliate of ours intends to offer to purchase the Notes in the secondary market but it is not obligated to do so.
Assuming that all relevant factors remain constant after the Initial Valuation Date, the price at which Barclays Capital Inc. may initially buy or sell the Notes in the secondary market, if any, and the value that we may initially use for customer account statements, if we provide any customer account statements at all, may exceed our estimated value on the Initial Valuation Date for a temporary period expected to be approximately three months after the Issue Date because, in our discretion, we may elect to effectively reimburse to investors a portion of the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the Notes and other costs in connection with the Notes which we will no longer expect to incur over the term of the Notes. We made such discretionary election and determined this temporary reimbursement period on the basis of a number of factors, which may include the tenor of the Notes and/or any agreement we may have with the distributors of the Notes. The amount of our estimated costs which we effectively reimburse to investors in this way may not be allocated ratably throughout the reimbursement period, and we may discontinue such reimbursement at any time or revise the duration of the reimbursement period after the initial Issue Date of the Notes based on changes in market conditions and other factors that cannot be predicted.
We urge you to read the Selected Risk Considerations beginning on page PS8 of this pricing supplement.
You may revoke your offer to purchase the Notes at any time prior to the Initial Valuation Date. We reserve the right to change the terms of, or reject any offer to purchase, the Notes prior to the Initial Valuation Date. In the event of any changes to the terms of the Notes, we will notify you and you will be asked to accept such changes in connection with your purchase. You may also choose to reject such changes in which case we may reject your offer to purchase.
PS-3
SELECTED PURCHASE CONSIDERATIONS
The Notes are not suitable for all investors. The Notes may be a suitable investment for you if all of the following statements are true:
· You do not seek an investment that produces periodic interest or coupon payments or other sources of current income.
· You do not anticipate that the Closing Value of the Reference Asset on any Observation Date, including the Final Valuation Date, will be greater than the Upper Barrier Value or less than the Lower Barrier Value, such that a Knock-Out Event would occur.
· You are willing and able to accept that, if a Knock-Out Event does not occur, any return potential of the Notes is limited to 20.30%.
· You understand and accept that you will not participate in any appreciation of the Reference Asset beyond the Upper Barrier Value, which may be significant.
· You do not anticipate that a Knock-Out Event will occur and you understand and accept that, if one does occur, you will only receive $1,020 per $1,000 principal amount Note that you hold.
· You understand and are willing and able to accept the risks associated with an investment linked to the performance of the Reference Asset.
· You understand and accept that you will not be entitled to receive dividends or distributions that may be paid to holders of a Reference Asset or any securities to which a Reference Asset provides exposure, nor will you have any voting rights with respect to a Reference Asset or any securities to which a Reference Asset provides exposure.
· You can tolerate fluctuations in the price of the Notes prior to scheduled maturity that may be similar to or exceed the fluctuations in the value of the Reference Asset.
· You do not seek an investment for which there will be an active secondary market, and you are willing and able to hold the Notes to maturity.
· You are willing and able to assume our credit risk for all payments on the Notes.
· You are willing and able to consent to the exercise of any U.K. Bail-in Power by any relevant U.K. resolution authority.
The Notes may not be a suitable investment for you if any of the following statements are true:
· You seek an investment that produces periodic interest or coupon payments or other sources of current income.
· You anticipate that the Closing Value of the Reference Asset on any Observation Date, including the Final Valuation Date, will be greater than the Upper Barrier Value or less than the Lower Barrier Value, such that a Knock-Out Event would occur.
· You are unwilling or unable to accept that, if a Knock-Out Event does not occur, any return potential of the Notes is limited to 20.30%.
· You do not understand or accept that you will not participate in any appreciation of the Reference Asset beyond the Upper Barrier Value, which may be significant.
· You anticipate that a Knock-Out Event will occur, and/or you do not understand or accept that, if one does occur, you will only receive $1,020 per $1,000 principal amount Note that you hold.
· You seek an investment that entitles you to dividends or distributions on, or voting rights related to a Reference Asset or any securities to which a Reference Asset provides exposure.
· You do not understand and/or are unwilling or unable to accept the risks associated with an investment linked to the performance of the Reference Asset.
· You cannot tolerate fluctuations in the price of the Notes prior to scheduled maturity that may be similar to or exceed the fluctuations in the value of the Reference Asset.
· You seek an investment for which there will be an active secondary market, and/or you are unwilling or unable to hold the Notes to maturity.
· You prefer the lower risk, and therefore accept the potentially lower returns, of fixed income investments with comparable maturities and credit ratings.
· You are unwilling or unable to assume our credit risk for all payments on the Notes.
· You are unwilling or unable to consent to the exercise of any U.K. Bail-in Power by any relevant U.K. resolution authority.
You must rely on your own evaluation of the merits of an investment in the Notes. You should reach a decision whether to invest in the Notes after carefully considering, with your advisors, the suitability of the Notes in light of your investment objectives and the specific information set out in this pricing supplement and the documents referenced under Additional Documents Related to the Offering of the Notes in this pricing supplement. Neither the Issuer nor Barclays Capital Inc. makes any recommendation as to the suitability of the Notes for investment.
PS-4
ADDITIONAL TERMS OF THE NOTES
The Observation Dates, the Final Valuation Date and the Maturity Date are subject to postponement in certain circumstances, as described under Reference AssetsIndicesMarket Disruption Events for Securities with an Index of Equity Securities as a Reference Asset, and Terms of the NotesPayment Dates in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
In addition, the Reference Asset and the Notes are subject to adjustment by the Calculation Agent under certain circumstances, as described under Reference AssetsIndicesAdjustments Relating to Securities with an Index as a Reference Asset in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
PS-5
HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLES OF AMOUNTS PAYABLE AT MATURITY
The following table illustrates the hypothetical payment at maturity on the Notes under various circumstances. The total return as used in this pricing supplement is the number, expressed as a percentage, that results from comparing the payment at maturity per $1,000 principal amount Note to $1,000. The examples set forth below are purely hypothetical and are provided for illustrative purposes only and may not be the actual total returns applicable to a purchaser of the Notes. The numbers appearing in the following table and examples have been rounded for ease of analysis. The hypothetical examples below do not take into account any tax consequences from investing in the Notes and make the following key assumptions:
§ Hypothetical Initial Value of the Reference Asset: 100.00*
§ A Knock-Out Event has not occurred prior to the Final Valuation Date. If a Knock-Out Event has occurred, regardless of whether the Final Value is greater than, less than or equal to the Initial Value, Upper Barrier Value or Lower Barrier Value, you will receive a cash payment per $1,000 principal amount Note of $1,020.00.
* The hypothetical Initial Value of 100.00 has been chosen for illustrative purposes only and does not represent a likely Initial Value. The actual Initial Value will be equal to the Closing Value of the Reference Asset on the Initial Valuation Date.
For information regarding recent values of the Reference Asset, please see Information Regarding the Reference Asset in this pricing supplement.
Final Value
|
Reference
Asset
Return
|
|
Payment at Maturity**
|
|
Total Return on Notes
|
|
A Knock-Out Event Has
Not Occurred
|
A Knock-Out Event
Occurs on the Final
Valuation Date***
|
|
A Knock-Out
Event Has Not
Occurred
|
A Knock-Out Event
Occurs on the Final
Valuation Date***
|
200.00
|
100.00%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
175.00
|
75.00%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
150.00
|
50.00%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
140.00
|
40.00%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
130.00
|
30.00%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
120.31
|
20.31%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
120.30
|
20.30%
|
|
$1,203.00
|
N/A
|
|
20.30%
|
N/A
|
120.00
|
20.00%
|
|
$1,200.00
|
N/A
|
|
20.00%
|
N/A
|
110.00
|
10.00%
|
|
$1,100.00
|
N/A
|
|
10.00%
|
N/A
|
105.00
|
5.00%
|
|
$1,050.00
|
N/A
|
|
5.00%
|
N/A
|
100.00
|
0.00%
|
|
$1,000.00
|
N/A
|
|
0.00%
|
N/A
|
95.00
|
-5.00%
|
|
$1,050.00
|
N/A
|
|
5.00%
|
N/A
|
90.00
|
-10.00%
|
|
$1,100.00
|
N/A
|
|
10.00%
|
N/A
|
80.00
|
-20.00%
|
|
$1,200.00
|
N/A
|
|
20.00%
|
N/A
|
79.70
|
-20.30%
|
|
$1,203.00
|
N/A
|
|
20.30%
|
N/A
|
79.69
|
-20.31%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
70.00
|
-30.00%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
60.00
|
-40.00%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
50.00
|
-50.00%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
25.00
|
-75.00%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
0.00
|
-100.00%
|
|
|
$1,020.00
|
|
|
2.00%
|
** per $1,000 principal amount Note
The following examples illustrate how the payments at maturity set forth in the table above are calculated:
Example 1: The Final Value of the Reference Asset is 150.00 and a Knock-Out Event occurs on the Final Valuation Date.
Because the Final Value of the Reference Asset is greater than the Upper Barrier Value, a Knock-Out Event has occurred on the Final Valuation Date, you will receive a payment at maturity of $1,020.00 per $1,000 principal amount Note that you hold.
The total return on investment of the Notes is 2.00%.
Example 2: The Final Value of the Reference Asset is 110.00 and a Knock-Out Event HAS NOT occurred.
Because the Final Value of the Reference Asset is less than or equal to the Upper Barrier Value but greater than or equal to the Initial Value and a Knock-Out Event has not occurred, you will receive a payment at maturity of $1,100.00 per $1,000 principal amount Note that you hold, calculated as follows:
$1,000 + [$1,000 × Reference Asset Return]
$1,000 + [$1,000 × -10.00%] = $1,100.00
The total return on investment of the Notes is 10.00%.
PS-6
Example 3: The Final Value of the Reference Asset is 95.00 and a Knock-Out Event HAS NOT occurred.
Because the Final Value of the Reference Asset is less than the Initial Value but greater than or equal to the Lower Barrier Value and a Knock-Out Event has not occurred, you will receive a payment at maturity of $1,050.00 per $1,000 principal amount Note that you hold, calculated as follows:
$1,000 + [$1,000 × Reference Asset Return × -1]
$1,000 + [$1,000 × -5.00% × -1] = $1,050.00
The total return on investment of the Notes is 5.00%.
Example 4: The Final Value of the Reference Asset is 60.00 and a Knock-Out Event occurs on the Final Valuation Date.
Because the Final Value of the Reference Asset is lower than the Lower Barrier Value, a Knock-Out Event has occurred on the Final Valuation Date, you will receive a payment at maturity of $1,020.00 per $1,000 principal amount Note that you hold.
The total return on investment of the Notes is 2.00%.
PS-7
SELECTED RISK CONSIDERATIONS
An investment in the Notes involves significant risks. Investing in the Notes is not equivalent to investing directly in the Reference Asset or its components. Some of the risks that apply to an investment in the Notes are summarized below, but we urge you to read the more detailed explanation of risks relating to the Notes generally in the Risk Factors section of the prospectus supplement. You should not purchase the Notes unless you understand and can bear the risks of investing in the Notes.
· You Will Not Receive Any Payments on the Notes Other than the Payment at MaturityYou will not receive any interest or coupon payments on the Notes or any other payments other than the payment at maturity. If the Closing Value of the Reference Asset on any Observation Date, including the Final Valuation Date, is greater than the Upper Barrier Value or less than the Lower Barrier Value, a Knock-Out Event will occur and your payment at maturity on the Notes will be limited to $1,020.00 per $1,000 principal amount Note that you hold. The return at maturity of the principal amount of your Notes plus any amount in excess thereof may not compensate you for any loss in value due to inflation and other factors relating to the value of money over time.
· Potential Return is LimitedIf a Knock-Out Event occurs during the term of the Notes, you will receive a payment at maturity of $1,020.00 per $1,000 principal amount Note that you hold, regardless of any positive or negative performance of the Reference Asset over the term of the Notes. However, if a Knock-Out Event does not occur and the Reference Asset Return is greater than or equal to 0.00%, you will receive a positive return at maturity, provided that the Final Value is less than the Upper Barrier Value. If a Knock-Out Event does not occur and the Reference Asset Return is less than 0.00%, you also have an opportunity to earn a positive return equal to -1 times the Reference Asset Return (as described on the cover of this pricing supplement), provided that the Final Value is not less than the Lower Barrier Value. Accordingly, (i) the maximum payment that you may receive at maturity if the Reference Asset Return is greater than, less than or equal to 0.00% is $1,203.00 per $1,000 principal amount Note that your hold. As a result, you will not benefit from any appreciation of the Reference Asset beyond a Reference Asset Return of 20.30% or any depreciation of the Reference Asset beyond a Reference Asset Return of -20.30%, which may be significant.
· Credit of IssuerThe Notes are unsecured and unsubordinated debt obligations of the Issuer, Barclays Bank PLC, and are not, either directly or indirectly, an obligation of any third party. Any payment to be made on the Notes is subject to the ability of Barclays Bank PLC to satisfy its obligations as they come due and is not guaranteed by any third party. As a result, the actual and perceived creditworthiness of Barclays Bank PLC may affect the market value of the Notes, and in the event Barclays Bank PLC were to default on its obligations, you may not receive any amounts owed to you under the terms of the Notes.
· You May Lose Some or All of Your Investment If Any U.K. Bail-in Power Is Exercised by the Relevant U.K. Resolution AuthorityNotwithstanding any other agreements, arrangements or understandings between Barclays Bank PLC and any holder or beneficial owner of the Notes, by acquiring the Notes, each holder and beneficial owner of the Notes acknowledges, accepts, agrees to be bound by, and consents to the exercise of, any U.K. Bail-in Power by the relevant U.K. resolution authority as set forth under Consent to U.K. Bail-in Power in this pricing supplement. Accordingly, any U.K. Bail-in Power may be exercised in such a manner as to result in you and other holders and beneficial owners of the Notes losing all or a part of the value of your investment in the Notes or receiving a different security from the Notes, which may be worth significantly less than the Notes and which may have significantly fewer protections than those typically afforded to debt securities. Moreover, the relevant U.K. resolution authority may exercise the U.K. Bail-in Power without providing any advance notice to, or requiring the consent of, the holders and the beneficial owners of the Notes. The exercise of any U.K. Bail-in Power by the relevant U.K. resolution authority with respect to the Notes will not be a default or an Event of Default (as each term is defined in the senior debt securities indenture) and the trustee will not be liable for any action that the trustee takes, or abstains from taking, in either case, in accordance with the exercise of the U.K. Bail-in Power by the relevant U.K. resolution authority with respect to the Notes. See Consent to U.K. Bail-in Power in this pricing supplement as well as U.K. Bail-in Power, Risk FactorsRisks Relating to the Securities GenerallyRegulatory action in the event a bank or investment firm in the Group is failing or likely to fail could materially adversely affect the value of the securities and Risk FactorsRisks Relating to the Securities GenerallyUnder the terms of the securities, you have agreed to be bound by the exercise of any U.K. Bail-in Power by the relevant U.K. resolution authority in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
· Owning the Notes is Not the Same as Owning A Reference Asset or Any Securities to which A Reference Asset Provides ExposureThe return on the Notes may not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned a Reference Asset or any securities to which a Reference Asset provides exposure. As a holder of the Notes, you will not have voting rights or rights to receive dividends or other distributions or any other rights that holders of a Reference Asset or any securities to which a Reference Asset provides exposure may have.
· Historical Performance of the Reference Asset Should Not Be Taken as Any Indication of the Future Performance of the Reference Asset Over the Term of the NotesThe value of the Reference Asset has fluctuated in the past and may, in the future, experience significant fluctuations. The historical performance of the Reference Asset is not an indication of the future performance of the Reference Asset over the term of the Notes. Therefore, the performance of the Reference Asset over the term of the Notes may bear no relation or resemblance to the historical performance of the Reference Asset.
· The Reference Asset Reflects the Price Return of the Securities Composing the Reference Asset, Not the Total ReturnThe return on the Notes is based on the performance of the Reference Asset, which reflects changes in the market prices of the securities composing the Reference Asset. The Reference Asset is not a total return index that, in addition to reflecting those price returns, would also reflect dividends paid on the securities composing the Reference Asset. Accordingly, the return on the Notes will not include such a total return feature.
PS-8
· Adjustments to the Reference Asset Could Adversely Affect the Value of the NotesThe sponsor of the Reference Asset may add, delete, substitute or adjust the securities composing the Reference Asset or make other methodological changes to the Reference Asset that could affect its value. The Calculation Agent will calculate the value to be used as the Closing Value of the Reference Asset in the event of certain material changes in or modifications to the Reference Asset. In addition, the sponsor of the Reference Asset may also discontinue or suspend calculation or publication of the Reference Asset at any time. Under these circumstances, the Calculation Agent may select a successor index that the Calculation Agent determines to be comparable to the Reference Asset or, if no successor index is available, the Calculation Agent will determine the value to be used as the Closing Value of the Reference Asset. Any of these actions could adversely affect the value of the Reference Asset and, consequently, the value of the Notes. See Reference AssetsIndicesAdjustments Relating to Securities with an Index as a Reference Asset in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
· The Estimated Value of Your Notes is Expected to be Lower Than the Initial Issue Price of Your NotesThe estimated value of your Notes on the Initial Valuation Date is expected to be lower, and may be significantly lower, than the initial issue price of your Notes. The difference between the initial issue price of your Notes and the estimated value of the Notes is a result of certain factors, such as any sales commissions to be paid to Barclays Capital Inc. or another affiliate of ours, any selling concessions, discounts, commissions or fees (including any structuring or other distribution related fees) to be allowed or paid to non-affiliated intermediaries, the estimated profit that we or any of our affiliates expect to earn in connection with structuring the Notes, the estimated cost which we may incur in hedging our obligations under the Notes, and estimated development and other costs which we may incur in connection with the Notes.
· The Estimated Value of Your Notes Might be Lower if Such Estimated Value Were Based on the Levels at Which Our Debt Securities Trade in the Secondary MarketThe estimated value of your Notes on the Initial Valuation Date is based on a number of variables, including our internal funding rates. Our internal funding rates may vary from the levels at which our benchmark debt securities trade in the secondary market. As a result of this difference, the estimated value referenced above might be lower if such estimated value were based on the levels at which our benchmark debt securities trade in the secondary market.
· The Estimated Value of the Notes is Based on Our Internal Pricing Models, Which May Prove to be Inaccurate and May be Different from the Pricing Models of Other Financial InstitutionsThe estimated value of your Notes on the Initial Valuation Date is based on our internal pricing models, which take into account a number of variables and are based on a number of subjective assumptions, which may or may not materialize. These variables and assumptions are not evaluated or verified on an independent basis. Further, our pricing models may be different from other financial institutions pricing models and the methodologies used by us to estimate the value of the Notes may not be consistent with those of other financial institutions which may be purchasers or sellers of Notes in the secondary market. As a result, the secondary market price of your Notes may be materially different from the estimated value of the Notes determined by reference to our internal pricing models.
· The Estimated Value of Your Notes Is Not a Prediction of the Prices at Which You May Sell Your Notes in the Secondary Market, if any, and Such Secondary Market Prices, If Any, Will Likely be Lower Than the Initial Issue Price of Your Notes and May be Lower Than the Estimated Value of Your NotesThe estimated value of the Notes will not be a prediction of the prices at which Barclays Capital Inc., other affiliates of ours or third parties may be willing to purchase the Notes from you in secondary market transactions (if they are willing to purchase, which they are not obligated to do). The price at which you may be able to sell your Notes in the secondary market at any time will be influenced by many factors that cannot be predicted, such as market conditions, and any bid and ask spread for similar sized trades, and may be substantially less than our estimated value of the Notes. Further, as secondary market prices of your Notes take into account the levels at which our debt securities trade in the secondary market, and do not take into account our various costs related to the Notes such as fees, commissions, discounts, and the costs of hedging our obligations under the Notes, secondary market prices of your Notes will likely be lower than the initial issue price of your Notes. As a result, the price at which Barclays Capital Inc., other affiliates of ours or third parties may be willing to purchase the Notes from you in secondary market transactions, if any, will likely be lower than the price you paid for your Notes, and any sale prior to the Maturity Date could result in a substantial loss to you.
· The Temporary Price at Which We May Initially Buy The Notes in the Secondary Market And the Value We May Initially Use for Customer Account Statements, If We Provide Any Customer Account Statements At All, May Not Be Indicative of Future Prices of Your NotesAssuming that all relevant factors remain constant after the Initial Valuation Date, the price at which Barclays Capital Inc. may initially buy or sell the Notes in the secondary market (if Barclays Capital Inc. makes a market in the Notes, which it is not obligated to do) and the value that we may initially use for customer account statements, if we provide any customer account statements at all, may exceed our estimated value of the Notes on the Initial Valuation Date, as well as the secondary market value of the Notes, for a temporary period after the initial Issue Date of the Notes. The price at which Barclays Capital Inc. may initially buy or sell the Notes in the secondary market and the value that we may initially use for customer account statements may not be indicative of future prices of your Notes.
PS-9
· We and Our Affiliates May Engage in Various Activities or Make Determinations That Could Materially Affect the Notes in Various Ways and Create Conflicts of InterestWe and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the issuance of the Notes, as described below. In performing these roles, our and our affiliates economic interests are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the Notes.
In connection with our normal business activities and in connection with hedging our obligations under the Notes, we and our affiliates make markets in and trade various financial instruments or products for our accounts and for the account of our clients and otherwise provide investment banking and other financial services with respect to these financial instruments and products. These financial instruments and products may include securities, derivative instruments or assets that may relate to the Reference Asset or its components. In any such market making, trading and hedging activity, and other financial services, we or our affiliates may take positions or take actions that are inconsistent with, or adverse to, the investment objectives of the holders of the Notes. We and our affiliates have no obligation to take the needs of any buyer, seller or holder of the Notes into account in conducting these activities. Such market making, trading and hedging activity, investment banking and other financial services may negatively impact the value of the Notes.
In addition, the role played by Barclays Capital Inc., as the agent for the Notes, could present significant conflicts of interest with the role of Barclays Bank PLC, as issuer of the Notes. For example, Barclays Capital Inc. or its representatives may derive compensation or financial benefit from the distribution of the Notes and such compensation or financial benefit may serve as incentive to sell the Notes instead of other investments. Furthermore, we and our affiliates establish the offering price of the Notes for initial sale to the public, and the offering price is not based upon any independent verification or valuation.
In addition to the activities described above, we will also act as the Calculation Agent for the Notes. As Calculation Agent, we will determine any values of the Reference Asset and make any other determinations necessary to calculate any payments on the Notes. In making these determinations, the Calculation Agent may be required to make discretionary judgements relating to the Reference Asset, including determining whether a market disruption event has occurred or whether certain adjustments to the Reference Asset or other terms of the Notes are necessary, as further described in the accompanying prospectus supplement. In making these discretionary judgments, our economic interests are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the Notes, and any of these determinations may adversely affect any payments on the Notes.
· Lack of LiquidityThe Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. Barclays Capital Inc. and other affiliates of Barclays Bank PLC intend to make a secondary market for the Notes but are not required to do so, and may discontinue any such secondary market making at any time, without notice. Barclays Capital Inc. may at any time hold unsold inventory, which may inhibit the development of a secondary market for the Notes. Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to trade or sell the Notes easily. Because other dealers are not likely to make a secondary market for the Notes, the price at which you may be able to trade your Notes is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which Barclays Capital Inc. and other affiliates of Barclays Bank PLC are willing to buy the Notes. The Notes are not designed to be short-term trading instruments. Accordingly, you should be able and willing to hold your Notes to maturity.
· Tax TreatmentAs discussed further below under Tax Considerations and in the accompanying prospectus supplement, if you are a U.S. individual or taxable entity, you should be required to accrue interest on a current basis in respect of the Notes over their term based on the comparable yield for the Notes and pay tax accordingly, even though you will not receive any payments from us until maturity. This comparable yield is determined solely to calculate the amount on which you will be taxed prior to maturity and is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of what the actual yield will be.
· Many Economic and Market Factors Will Impact the Value of the NotesThe value of the Notes will be affected by a number of economic and market factors that interact in complex and unpredictable ways and that may either offset or magnify each other, including:
o the market price of, dividend rate on and expected volatility of the Reference Asset and the components of the Reference Asset;
o the time to maturity of the Notes;
o interest and yield rates in the market generally;
o a variety of economic, financial, political, regulatory or judicial events;
o supply and demand for the Notes; and
o our creditworthiness, including actual or anticipated downgrades in our credit ratings.
PS-10
INFORMATION REGARDING THE REFERENCE ASSET
The Reference Asset consists of stocks of 500 companies selected to provide a performance benchmark for the U.S. equity markets. For more information about the Reference Asset, please see IndicesThe S&P U.S. Indices in the accompanying underlying supplement.
Historical Performance of the Reference Asset
The graph below sets forth the historical performance of the Reference Asset based on the daily Closing Value from January 2, 2014 through November 5, 2019. We obtained the Closing Values shown in the graph below from Bloomberg Professional® service (Bloomberg). We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg.
Historical Performance of the S&P 500® Index
PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS
PS-11
TAX CONSIDERATIONS
You should review carefully the sections entitled Material U.S. Federal Income Tax ConsequencesTax Consequences to U.S. HoldersNotes Treated as Indebtedness for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes and, if you are a non-U.S. holder, Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders, in the accompanying prospectus supplement. The discussion below applies to you only if you are an initial purchaser of the Notes; if you are a secondary purchaser of the Notes, the tax consequences to you may be different. In the opinion of our special tax counsel, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, the Notes should be treated as debt instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The remainder of this discussion assumes that this treatment is correct.
Assuming the treatment described above is correct, and based on current market conditions, in the opinion of our special tax counsel, it is reasonable to treat the Notes as contingent payment debt instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as described under Contingent Payment Debt Instruments in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
Regardless of your method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes, you generally will be required to accrue taxable interest income in each year on a constant yield to maturity basis at the comparable yield, as determined by us, even though we will not be required to make any payment with respect to the Notes prior to maturity. Upon a sale or exchange (including redemption at maturity), you generally will recognize taxable income or loss equal to the difference between the amount received from the sale or exchange and your adjusted tax basis in the Notes. You generally must treat any income as interest income and any loss as ordinary loss to the extent of previous interest inclusions, and the balance as capital loss. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Special rules may apply if all the remaining payments on a Note become fixed substantially contemporaneously. For this purpose, payments will be treated as fixed if the remaining contingencies with respect to them are remote or incidental. Under these rules, you would be required to account for the differences between the originally projected payments and the fixed payments in a reasonable manner over the periods to which the differences relate. In addition, you would be required to make adjustments to, among other things, your accrual periods and your basis in the Note. The character of any gain or loss on a taxable disposition of your Note also could be affected.
The discussions herein and in the accompanying prospectus supplement do not address the consequences to taxpayers subject to special tax accounting rules under Section 451(b).
After the original issue date, you may obtain the comparable yield and the projected payment schedule by requesting them from Barclays Cross Asset Sales Americas, at (212) 528-7198. Neither the comparable yield nor the projected payment schedule constitutes a representation by us regarding the actual amount that we will pay on the Notes.
You should consult your tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the Notes, as well as tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.
Non-U.S. Holders. We do not believe that non-U.S. holders should be required to provide a Form W-8 in order to avoid 30% U.S. withholding tax with respect to the excess (if any) of the Payment at Maturity over the face amount of the Notes, although the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) could challenge this position. However, non-U.S. holders should in any event expect to be required to provide appropriate Forms W-8 or other documentation in order to establish an exemption from backup withholding, as described under the heading Information Reporting and Backup Withholding in the accompanying prospectus supplement. If any withholding is required, we will not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts withheld.
Treasury regulations under Section 871(m) generally impose a withholding tax on certain dividend equivalents under certain equity linked instruments. A recent IRS notice excludes from the scope of Section 871(m) instruments issued prior to January 1, 2021 that do not have a delta of one with respect to underlying securities that could pay U.S.-source dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes (each an Underlying Security). Based on our determination that the Notes do not have a delta of one within the meaning of the regulations, we expect that these regulations will not apply to the Notes with regard to non-U.S. holders. Our determination is not binding on the IRS, and the IRS may disagree with this determination. Section 871(m) is complex and its application may depend on your particular circumstances, including whether you enter into other transactions with respect to an Underlying Security. If necessary, further information regarding the potential application of Section 871(m) will be provided in the pricing supplement for the Notes. You should consult your tax advisor regarding the potential application of Section 871(m) to the Notes.
PS-12