for similar sized trades of structured notes (and subject to the declining excess amount described above). Furthermore, if you sell your Notes, you will likely be charged a commission for secondary market transactions, or the price will likely reflect a dealer discount. This commission or discount will further reduce the proceeds you would receive for your Notes in a secondary market sale.
♦The price of the Notes prior to maturity will depend on a number of factors and may be substantially less than the principal amount — Because structured notes, including the Notes, can be thought of as having a debt component and a derivative component, factors that influence the values of debt instruments and options and other derivatives will also affect the terms and features of the Notes at issuance and the market price of the Notes prior to maturity. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to: (i) actual or anticipated changes in the level of the underlying asset over the full term of the Notes, (ii) volatility of the level of the underlying asset and the market’s perception of future volatility of the underlying asset, (iii) changes in interest rates generally, (iv) any actual or anticipated changes in our credit ratings or credit spreads, (v) dividend yields on the underlying asset and (vi) time remaining to maturity. In particular, because the provisions of the Notes relating to the payment at maturity behave like options, the value of the Notes will vary in ways which are non-linear and may not be intuitive.
Depending on the actual or anticipated level of the underlying asset and other relevant factors, the market value of the Notes may decrease and you may receive substantially less than the principal amount if you sell your Notes prior to maturity regardless of the level of the underlying asset at such time.
Risks Relating to Hedging Activities and Conflicts of Interest
♦Hedging activities by BNS and UBS may negatively impact investors in the Notes and cause our respective interests and those of our clients and counterparties to be contrary to those of investors in the Notes — We, or one of our affiliates, and UBS, or one of its affiliates, have hedged or will hedge our obligations under the Notes. Such hedging transactions may include entering into swap or similar agreements, purchasing shares of the underlying asset and/or purchasing futures, options and/or other instruments linked to the underlying asset. We, UBS or one or more of our or their respective affiliates also expects to adjust the hedge by, among other things, purchasing or selling any of the foregoing, and perhaps other instruments linked to the underlying asset, at any time and from time to time, and to unwind the hedge by selling any of the foregoing on or before the final valuation date. We, UBS or one or more of our or their respective affiliates may also enter into, adjust and unwind hedging transactions relating to other basket- or index-linked Notes whose returns are linked to changes in the level of the underlying asset. Any of these hedging activities may adversely affect the level of the underlying asset and therefore the market value of the Notes and the amount you will receive, if any, on the Notes.
Because UBS, or one of its affiliates, is to conduct hedging activities for us in connection with the Notes, UBS, or its affiliate may profit in connection with such hedging activities. Such profit, if any, will be in addition to the compensation that UBS, or its affiliate, receives for the sale of the Notes to you. You should be aware that the potential to earn fees in connection with hedging activities may create a further incentive for UBS to sell the Notes to you in addition to the compensation they would receive for the sale of the Notes.
You should expect that these transactions will cause BNS, and UBS or our or their respective affiliates, or our or their respective clients or counterparties, to have economic interests and incentives that do not align with, and that may be directly contrary to, those of an investor in the Notes. None of BNS, UBS or any of our or their respective affiliates will have any obligation to take, refrain from taking or cease taking any action with respect to these transactions based on the potential effect on an investor in the Notes, and any of the foregoing may receive substantial returns with respect to these hedging activities while the market value of, and return on, the Notes declines.
♦Following certain events, the calculation agent can make adjustments to the underlying asset and the terms of the Notes that may adversely affect the market value of, and return on, the Notes — Following certain events affecting the underlying asset, the calculation agent may make adjustments to the initial level, call threshold level, conversion level and/or final level, as applicable, and any other term of the Notes and, in some instances, may replace such underlying asset. However, the calculation agent will not make an adjustment in response to every event that could affect the underlying asset. If an event occurs that does not require the calculation agent to make an adjustment, the market value of, and return on, the Notes may be materially and adversely affected. In addition, all determinations and calculations concerning any such adjustments will be made by the calculation agent. You should be aware that the calculation agent may make any such adjustment, determination or calculation in a manner that differs from that discussed in the accompanying product supplement or herein as necessary to achieve an equitable result. Following certain events relating to the underlying asset issuer, such as a reorganization event or a delisting or suspension of trading, the determination as to whether the Notes are subject to an automatic call or the amount you receive at maturity may be based on the equity security of a successor to such underlying asset issuer in combination with any cash or any other assets distributed to holders of such underlying asset, if applicable, or on the common stock issued by another company. The occurrence of any such event and the consequent adjustments may materially and adversely affect the value of, and return on, the Notes. For more information, see the sections “Additional Terms of the Notes — Antidilution Adjustments”, “— Reorganization Events” and “— Delisting of, Suspension of Trading in, or Change in Law Affecting, the Underlying Asset” herein.
♦We, the Agents and our or their respective affiliates regularly provide services to, or otherwise have business relationships with, a broad client base, which has included and may include us and the underlying asset issuer and the market activities by us, the Agents or our or their respective affiliates for our or their own respective accounts or for our or their respective clients could negatively impact investors in the Notes — We, the Agents and our or their respective affiliates regularly provide a wide range of financial services, including financial advisory, investment advisory and transactional services to a substantial and diversified client base. As such, we each may act as an investor, investment banker, research provider, investment manager, investment advisor, market maker, trader, prime broker or lender. In those and other capacities, we, the Agents and/or our or their respective affiliates purchase, sell or hold a broad array of investments, actively trade securities (including the Notes or other securities that we have issued), the underlying asset, derivatives, loans, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products for our or their own respective accounts or for the accounts of our or their respective customers, and we will have other direct or indirect interests, in those securities and in other markets that may not be consistent with your interests and may adversely affect the level of the underlying asset and/or the value of the Notes. You should assume that we or they will, at present or in the future, provide such services or otherwise engage in transactions with, among others, us and the underlying asset issuer, or transact in securities or instruments or with parties that are directly or indirectly related to these entities. These services could include making loans to or equity investments in those companies, providing financial advisory or other investment banking services, or issuing research reports. Any of these financial market activities may, individually or in the aggregate, have an adverse effect on the level of the underlying asset and the market for your Notes, and you should expect that our interests and those of the Agents and/or our or their respective affiliates, clients or counterparties, will at times be adverse to those of investors in the Notes.