The inclusion of the costs of
issuing, selling, structuring and hedging the Buffered PLUS in the
original issue price and the lower rate we are willing to pay as
issuer make the economic terms of the Buffered PLUS less favorable
to you than they otherwise would be.
However, because the costs
associated with issuing, selling, structuring and hedging the
Buffered PLUS are not fully deducted upon issuance, for a period of
up to 6 months following the issue date, to the extent that MS
& Co. may buy or sell the Buffered PLUS in the secondary
market, absent changes in market conditions, including those
related to the basket components, and to our secondary market
credit spreads, it would do so based on values higher than the
estimated value, and we expect that those higher values will also
be reflected in your brokerage account
statements.
■The
estimated value of the Buffered PLUS is determined by reference to
our pricing and valuation models, which may differ from those of
other dealers and is not a maximum or minimum secondary market
price. These pricing and valuation models are
proprietary and rely in part on subjective views of certain market
inputs and certain assumptions about future events, which may prove
to be incorrect. As a result, because there is no market-standard
way to value these types of securities, our models may yield a
higher estimated value of the Buffered PLUS than those generated by
others, including other dealers in the market, if they attempted to
value the Buffered PLUS. In addition, the estimated value on the
pricing date does not represent a minimum or maximum price at which
dealers, including MS & Co., would be willing to purchase your
Buffered PLUS in the secondary market (if any exists) at any time.
The value of your Buffered PLUS at any time after the date of this
document will vary based on many factors that cannot be predicted
with accuracy, including our creditworthiness and changes in market
conditions. See also “The market price will be influenced by many
unpredictable factors” above.
■The
Buffered PLUS will not be listed on any securities exchange and
secondary trading may be limited. The Buffered PLUS will not be listed on
any securities exchange. Therefore, there may be little or no
secondary market for the Buffered PLUS. MS & Co. may, but is
not obligated to, make a market in the Buffered PLUS. Even if there
is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow
you to trade or sell the Buffered PLUS easily.
Because we do not expect that
other broker dealers will participate significantly in the
secondary market for the Buffered PLUS, the price at which you may
be able to trade your Buffered PLUS is likely to depend on the
price, if any, at which MS & Co. is willing to transact. If, at
any time, MS & Co. were not to make a market in the Buffered
PLUS, it is likely that there would be no secondary market for the
Buffered PLUS. Accordingly, you should be willing to hold
your Buffered PLUS to maturity.
■The
calculation agent, which is a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley and an
affiliate of MSFL, will make determinations with respect to the
Buffered PLUS. As calculation agent, MS & Co. will
determine the initial basket component values, the multipliers and
the final basket value, and will calculate the basket percent
change or basket performance factor, as applicable, and the amount
of cash you will receive at maturity. Moreover, certain
determinations made by MS & Co., in its capacity as calculation
agent, may require it to exercise discretion and make subjective
judgments, such as with respect to the occurrence or non-occurrence
of market disruption events and the selection of a successor index
or calculation of the basket component closing value in the event
of a market disruption event or discontinuance of an underlying
index. These potentially subjective determinations may adversely
affect the payout to you at maturity. For further information
regarding these types of determinations, see “Description of
PLUS—Postponement of Valuation Date(s)” and “—Calculation Agent and
Calculations” in the accompanying product supplement. In addition,
MS & Co. has determined the estimated value of the Buffered
PLUS on the pricing date.
■Hedging
and trading activity by our affiliates could potentially adversely
affect the value of the Buffered PLUS. One or more of our affiliates and/or
third-party dealers expect to carry out hedging activities related
to the Buffered PLUS (and possibly to other instruments linked to
the basket components or component stocks of
the S&P 500®
Index,
the Russell 2000®
Index or the NASDAQ-100
Index®),
including trading in the stocks that constitute
the S&P 500®
Index,
the Russell 2000®
Index or the NASDAQ-100
Index®
as well as in other instruments related to
the basket components. As a result, these entities may be unwinding
or adjusting hedge positions during the term of the Buffered PLUS,
and the hedging strategy may involve greater and more frequent
dynamic adjustments to the hedge as the valuation date approaches.
Some of our affiliates also trade the stocks that
constitute
the S&P 500®
Index,
the Russell 2000®
Index or the NASDAQ-100
Index®
and other financial instruments related to
the basket components on a regular basis as part of their general
broker-dealer and other businesses. Any of these hedging or trading
activities on or prior to the pricing date could potentially
increase the initial basket component values of the basket
components, and, therefore, could increase the values at or above
which the basket components must close on the valuation date so
that investors do not suffer a loss on their initial investment in
the Buffered PLUS. Additionally, such hedging or trading activities
during the term of the Buffered PLUS, including on the valuation
date, could adversely affect the closing values of the basket
components on the valuation date, and, accordingly, the amount of
cash an investor will receive at maturity.
■The
U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the
Buffered PLUS are uncertain. Please read the discussion under
“Additional Information—Tax considerations” in this document and
the discussion under “United States