December 2014

Free Writing Prospectus

Registration Statement No. 333-180289

Dated December 19, 2014

Filed Pursuant to Rule 433

·      If, on any determination date, the determination closing price or the final share price, as applicable, is greater than or equal to the downside threshold level, we will pay a contingent quarterly payment at an annual rate of at least 15.35% of the stated principal amount per security (corresponding to $0.38375 (or 3.8375%) per quarter per security) on the related contingent payment date. The actual contingent quarterly payment will be determined on the pricing date.

·      If, on any determination date, the determination closing price or the final share price, as applicable, is less than the downside threshold level, no contingent quarterly payment will be made with respect to that determination date.

$0.125⁽¹⁾

$0.05⁽²⁾

On any of the first three determination dates, the determination closing price is greater than or equal to the initial share price.

§      The securities will be automatically redeemed for (i) the stated principal amount plus (ii) the contingent quarterly payment with respect to the related determination date.

§      Investors will not participate in any appreciation of the underlying shares from the initial share price.

The securities are not automatically redeemed prior to maturity and the final share price is greater than or equal to the downside threshold level.

§      The payment due at maturity will be (i) the stated principal amount plus (ii) the contingent quarterly payment with respect to the final determination date.

§      Investors will not participate in any appreciation of the underlying shares from the initial share price.

The securities are not automatically redeemed prior to maturity and the final share price is less than the downside threshold level.

§      The payment due at maturity will be (i) the physical delivery amount in shares, or (ii) at our option, the cash value of those shares as of the final determination date.

§      Investors will lose a significant portion, and may lose all, of their principal in this scenario.

$90.00

Bloomberg Ticker Symbol:

Common Stock of Delta Air Lines, Inc.

CUSIP: 247361702

High

(Intraday)

Low

(Intraday)

Period End

(Closing)

If the securities have become immediately due and payable following an event of default (as defined in the accompanying prospectus) with respect to the securities, the calculation agent will determine the accelerated payment due and payable at maturity in the same general manner as described in “Payment at maturity” in this free writing prospectus except that the accelerated contingent quarterly payment will be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. In that case, the scheduled trading day preceding the date of acceleration will be used as the final determination date for purposes of determining the final share price. If a market disruption event exists with respect to the underlying shares on that scheduled trading day, then the accelerated final determination date for the underlying shares will be postponed for up to five scheduled trading days (in the same manner used for postponing the originally scheduled final determination date). The accelerated maturity date will then be the third business day following the postponed accelerated final determination date.

If the securities have become immediately due and payable following an event of default, you will not be entitled to any additional payments with respect to the securities. For more information, see “Description of Debt Securities—Events of Default” and “Securities—Events of Default; Defaults” in the prospectus.

Prospective investors should note that the discussion under the section called “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus supplement does not apply to the securities issued under this document and is superseded by the following discussion.

The following summary is a general discussion of the material U.S. federal tax consequences of ownership and disposition of the securities. This discussion applies only to initial investors in the securities who:

·     purchase the securities at their “issue price”; and

·     will hold the securities as capital assets, within the meaning of Section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

This discussion does not describe all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to a holder in light of the holder’s particular circumstances or to holders subject to special rules, such as:

·     certain financial institutions;

·     insurance companies;

·     certain dealers and traders in securities, commodities or foreign currencies;

·     investors holding the securities as part of a “straddle,” conversion transaction, integrated transaction or constructive sale transaction;

·     U.S. Holders, as defined below, whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

·     partnerships or other entities classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

·     regulated investment companies;

·     real estate investment trusts;

·     tax-exempt entities, including an “individual retirement account” or “Roth IRA”, as defined in

Section 408 or 408A of the Code, respectively; or

·     persons subject to the alternative minimum tax.

As the law applicable to the U.S. federal income taxation of instruments such as the securities is technical and complex, the discussion below necessarily represents only a general summary. Moreover, the effect of any applicable state, local or foreign tax laws is not discussed. In addition, this summary does not address the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership or disposition of the underlying shares should an investor receive the underlying shares at maturity. Investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the potential U.S. federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of the underlying shares.

This discussion is based on the Code, administrative pronouncements, judicial decisions and final, temporary and proposed U.S. Treasury Department regulations, all as of the date hereof, changes to any of which subsequent to the date of this document may affect the tax consequences described herein. Persons considering the purchase of the securities should consult their tax advisers with regard to the application of the U.S. federal income tax laws to their particular situations as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction.

General

There is no direct legal authority as to the proper tax treatment of the securities, and therefore significant aspects of the tax treatment of the securities are uncertain as to both the timing and character of any inclusion in income in respect of the securities. Under one approach, a security could be treated as a single financial contract that provides for a contingent quarterly payment. Pursuant to the terms of the securities, you agree to treat a security for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a single financial contract that provides for a contingent quarterly payment that will be treated as gross income to you at the time received or accrued in accordance with your regular method of tax accounting. Subject to the limitations described herein, and based on certain factual representations received from us, in the opinion of our special U.S. tax counsel, Morrison & Foerster LLP, it is reasonable to treat a security as a single financial contract that provides for a contingent quarterly payment.

Due to the absence of statutory, judicial or administrative authorities that directly address the treatment of the securities or instruments that are similar to the securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes, no assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or the courts will agree with the tax treatment described herein. Accordingly, you should consult your tax adviser regarding all aspects of the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the securities (including possible alternative treatments of the securities) and with respect to any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction. Unless otherwise stated, the following discussion is based on the treatment of each security as described in the previous paragraph.

We will not attempt to ascertain whether the issuer of the underlying shares would be treated as a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) or United States real property holding corporation (“USRPHC”), both as defined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the issuer of the underlying shares were so treated, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences might apply. You should refer to information filed with the SEC and other authorities by the issuer of the underlying shares, and consult your tax adviser regarding the possible consequences to you if the issuer of the underlying shares is or becomes a PFIC or a USRPHC.

Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders

This section applies to you only if you are a U.S. Holder. As used herein, the term “U.S. Holder” means a beneficial owner of a security that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

·     an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

·     a corporation, or other entity taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any political subdivision thereof; or

·     an estate or trust, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.

The term “U.S. Holder” also includes certain former citizens and residents of the United States.

Tax Treatment of the Securities

Assuming the treatment of the securities as set forth above is respected, the following U.S. federal income tax consequences should result.

Tax Basis. A U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the securities should equal the amount paid by the U.S. Holder

to acquire the securities.

Tax Treatment of Contingent Quarterly Payment. Any contingent quarterly payment on the securities should be taxable as ordinary income to a U.S. Holder at the time received or accrued in accordance with the U.S. Holder’s regular method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Sale, Exchange, Early Redemption or Settlement of the Securities. Upon a sale, exchange, early redemption or settlement of the securities for cash at maturity, a U.S. Holder should recognize short-term capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized (other than with respect to cash attributable to the contingent quarterly payment, which should be treated as discussed above) on the sale, exchange, early redemption or settlement and the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the securities sold, exchanged, redeemed or settled. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations. A U.S. Holder that, upon maturity of the securities, receives the underlying shares and cash in lieu of any fractional share should generally be treated as recognizing capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount of cash received in lieu of any fractional share and the pro rata portion of the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the securities that is allocable to such fractional share, based on the amount of cash received and the fair market value of the underlying shares received, as of the final determination date of the securities. Although no assurances can be provided in this regard, the U.S. Holder may generally expect not to recognize any gain or loss with respect to any underlying shares received. The U.S. Holder should generally have a basis in the underlying shares equal to the U.S. Holder’s tax basis in the securities, other than any amount allocated to a fractional share. The holding period for such underlying shares should start on the day after receipt.

Possible Alternative Tax Treatments of an Investment in the Securities

Due to the absence of authorities that directly address the proper tax treatment of the securities, no assurance can be given that the IRS will accept, or that a court will uphold, the tax treatment described above. In particular, the IRS could seek to treat a security as a single debt instrument. If a security were treated as a single debt instrument, the security would be treated as a single contingent short-term debt instrument, which would result in tax consequences that are different from those described above. Because of the absence of authority regarding the appropriate tax characterization of the securities, it is also possible that the IRS could seek to characterize the securities in a manner that results in other tax consequences that are different from those described above. For example, the IRS could assert that any gain or loss that a U.S. Holder may recognize upon the sale, exchange or maturity of the securities should be treated as ordinary gain or loss.

Other alternative federal income tax treatments of the securities are also possible, which if applied could also affect the timing and character of the income or loss with respect to the securities. On December 7, 2007, the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS released a notice requesting comments on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar instruments. The notice focuses on whether to require holders of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar instruments to accrue income over the term of their investment. It also asks for comments on a number of related topics, including the character of income or loss with respect to these instruments; whether short-term instruments should be subject to any such accrual regime; the relevance of factors such as the exchange–traded status of the instruments and the nature of the underlying property to which the instruments are linked; whether these instruments are or should be subject to the “constructive ownership” regime, which very generally can operate to recharacterize certain long-term capital gain as ordinary income and impose an interest charge; and appropriate transition rules and effective dates. While it is not clear whether instruments such as the securities would be viewed as similar to the prepaid forward contracts described in the notice, any U.S. Treasury Department 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. U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the securities, including possible alternative treatments and the issues presented by this notice.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Backup withholding may apply in respect of the amounts paid to a U.S. Holder, unless such U.S. Holder provides proof of an applicable exemption or a correct taxpayer identification number, or otherwise complies with applicable requirements of the backup withholding rules. The amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules are not an additional tax and may be refunded, or credited against the U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS.  In addition, information returns may be filed with the IRS in connection with payments on the securities and the proceeds from a sale, exchange, early redemption or other disposition of the securities, unless the U.S. Holder provides proof of an applicable exemption from the information reporting rules.

Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders

This section applies to you only if you are a Non-U.S. Holder. As used herein, the term “Non-U.S.

Holder” means a beneficial owner of a security that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

·     an individual who is classified as a nonresident alien;

·     a foreign corporation; or

·     a foreign trust or estate.

The term “Non-U.S. Holder” does not include any of the following holders:

·     a holder who is an individual present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of disposition and who is not otherwise a resident of the United States for U.S. federal income tax purposes;

·     certain former citizens or residents of the United States; or

·     a holder for whom income or gain in respect of the securities is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States.

Such holders should consult their tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the securities.

Because the U.S. federal income tax treatment (including the applicability of withholding) of contingent quarterly payments on the securities is uncertain, the entire amount of the contingent quarterly payments will be subject to U.S. federal income tax withholding at a 30% rate (or at a lower rate under an applicable income tax treaty). We will not pay any additional amounts in respect of such withholding. In order to claim an exemption from or a reduction in the 30% withholding tax, a Non-U.S. Holder of the securities must comply with certification requirements to establish that it is not a U.S. person and is eligible for a reduction of, or an exemption from withholding under, an applicable tax treaty. If you are a Non-U.S. Holder, you should consult your tax advisers regarding the tax treatment of the securities, including the possibility of obtaining a refund of any withholding tax and the certification requirement described above.

A “dividend equivalent” payment is treated as a dividend from sources within the U.S. and such payments generally would be subject to a 30% (or a lower rate under an applicable treaty) U.S. withholding tax if paid to a Non-U.S. Holder. Under proposed Treasury regulations, payments (including deemed payments) that are contingent upon or determined by reference to actual or estimated U.S. source dividends with respect to certain equity-linked instruments, whether explicitly stated or implicitly taken into account in computing one or more of the terms of such instrument, may be treated as dividend equivalents. If enacted in their current form, the regulations will impose a withholding tax on payments made on the securities on or after January 1, 2016 that are treated as dividend equivalents. However, the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service have announced that they intend to limit this withholding to equity-linked instruments issued on or after the date that is 90 days after the date of publication in the U.S. Federal Register of final regulations addressing dividend equivalent withholding. If any payments are treated as dividend equivalents subject to withholding, we (or the applicable paying agent) would be entitled to withhold taxes in addition to the withholding tax described above without being required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld.

U.S. Federal Estate Tax

Individual Non-U.S. Holders and entities 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), should note that, absent an applicable treaty benefit, the securities may be treated as U.S. situs property subject to U.S. federal estate tax. Prospective investors that are non-U.S. individuals, or are entities of the type described above, should consult their tax advisers regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of an investment in the securities.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting

Information returns may be filed with the IRS in connection with payments on the securities and the proceeds from a sale, exchange, early redemption or other disposition. A Non-U.S. Holder may be subject to backup withholding in respect of amounts paid to the Non-U.S. Holder, unless such Non-U.S. Holder complies with certification procedures to establish that it is not a U.S. person for U.S. federal income tax purposes or otherwise establishes an exemption. The amount of any backup withholding from a payment to a Non-U.S. Holder will be allowed as a credit against the Non-U.S. Holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability and may entitle the Non-U.S. Holder to a refund, provided that the required information is furnished to the IRS.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act was enacted on March 18, 2010 and will impose a 30% U.S. withholding tax on certain U.S. source payments, including interest (and original issue discount),

dividends, other fixed or determinable annual or periodical gain, profits, and income, and on the gross proceeds from a disposition of property of a type which can produce U.S. source interest or dividends (“Withholdable Payments”), if paid to a foreign financial institution (including amounts paid to a foreign financial institution on behalf of a holder), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the U.S. Treasury Department to collect and provide to the U.S. Treasury Department substantial information regarding U.S. account holders, including certain account holders that are foreign entities with U.S. owners or otherwise establishes an exemption. The legislation also generally imposes a withholding tax of 30% on Withholdable Payments made to a non-financial foreign entity unless such entity provides the withholding agent with a certification that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or a certification identifying the direct and indirect substantial U.S. owners of the entity or otherwise establishes an exemption.

These withholding and reporting requirements generally apply to payments made after June 30, 2014. Holders are urged to consult with their own tax advisers regarding the possible implications of this legislation on their investment in the securities.

Pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., an affiliate of HSBC, will purchase the securities from HSBC for distribution to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. will act as agent for the securities and will receive a fee of up to $0.175 per $10 stated principal amount and will pay Morgan Stanley Wealth Management a fixed sales commission of up to $0.125 for each security they sell. Of the $0.175 per $10 stated principal amount received by HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., acting as agent for HSBC, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. will pay Morgan Stanley Wealth Management a structuring fee of $0.05 for each security.

In addition, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. or another of its affiliates or agents may use the pricing supplement to which this free writing prospectus relates in market-making transactions after the initial sale of the securities, but is under no obligation to do so and may discontinue any market-making activities at any time without notice.

See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” on page S-52 in the prospectus supplement.

This free writing prospectus relates to an offering of securities linked to the underlying shares. The purchaser of a security will acquire a senior unsecured debt security of HSBC USA Inc. We reserve the right to withdraw, cancel or modify this offering and to reject orders in whole or in part. Although the offering of the securities relates to the underlying shares, you should not construe that fact as a recommendation as to the merits of acquiring an investment linked to the underlying shares or any security comprising the underlying shares or as to the suitability of an investment in the securities.

HSBC has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus, a prospectus supplement and Stock-Linked Underlying Supplement) with the SEC for the offering to which this free writing prospectus relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus, prospectus supplement and Stock-Linked Underlying Supplement in that registration statement and other documents HSBC has filed with the SEC for more complete information about HSBC and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. or any dealer participating in this offering will arrange to send you the prospectus, prospectus supplement and Stock-Linked Underlying Supplement if you request them by calling toll-free 1-866-811-8049.

You should read this document together with the prospectus dated March 22, 2012, the prospectus supplement dated March 22, 2012 and the Stock-Linked Underlying Supplement dated March 22, 2012. If the terms of the securities offered hereby are inconsistent with those described in the accompanying prospectus supplement, prospectus, or Stock-Linked Underlying Supplement, the terms described in this free writing prospectus shall control. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth in “Risk Factors” herein, on page S-1 of the accompanying Stock-Linked Underlying Supplement and page S-3 of the accompanying prospectus supplement, as the securities involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisors before you invest in the securities. As used herein, references to the “Issuer”, “HSBC”, “we”, “us” and “our” are to HSBC USA Inc.

 You may access these documents on the SEC web site at www.sec.gov as follows:

 The Stock-Linked Underlying Supplement at: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/83246/000114420412016685/v306693_424b2.htm

 The prospectus supplement at: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/83246/000104746912003151/a2208335z424b2.htm

 The prospectus at: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/83246/000104746912003148/a2208395z424b2.htm