WFC Wells Fargo and Company

 

Market Linked Securities

Leveraged Upside Participation to a

Cap and Contingent Downside

 

 

This material was prepared by Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, a registered broker-dealer and separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. This material is not a product of Wells Fargo & Company research departments. Please see the relevant offering materials for complete product descriptions, including related risk and tax disclosure. Filed by Wells Fargo & Company pursuant to Rule 433(d)(1)(i).

Distributed by Wells Fargo Securities, LLC

MARKET LINKED SECURITIES WITH LEVERAGED UPSIDE PARTICIPATION TO A CAP AND CONTINGENT DOWNSIDE ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS OF A DEPOSITORY INSTITUTION AND ARE NOT INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE DEPOSIT INSURANCE FUND OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY OF THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION.

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Market Linked Securities with Leveraged Upside Participation to a Cap and Contingent Downside have complex features and are not suitable for all investors. Before deciding to make an investment, you should read and understand the applicable preliminary pricing supplement and other related offering documents provided by the applicable issuer.

 

Market Linked Securities with Leveraged Upside Participation to a Cap and Contingent Downside

Market Linked Securities with Leveraged Upside Participation to a Cap and Contingent Downside (“these Market Linked Securities”) offer a return linked to the performance of a market measure, such as an index, exchange-traded fund or a basket of indices or exchange-traded funds (the “underlying”). In contrast to a direct investment in the underlying, these Market Linked Securities provide contingent protection against a moderate decline of the underlying that is applicable if, and only if, the underlying has not declined below a specified threshold level, and the potential to achieve a leveraged return in certain market scenarios, subject to a specified capped value. However, if the underlying has declined below the threshold level, the contingent downside protection no longer applies and you will be fully exposed to the decline of the underlying and will lose a substantial portion, and possibly all, of your investment. If the issuer defaults on its payment obligations, you could lose your entire investment.

These Market Linked Securities are designed for investors who seek leveraged exposure to any positive performance of an underlying and a contingent measure of market risk reduction that is applicable if the underlying declines but not below the threshold level. In exchange for these features, you must be willing to forgo interest payments, dividends (in the case of equity underlyings) and participation in any appreciation of the underlying beyond the capped value. You must also be willing to accept the possibility of full downside exposure to the decline of the underlying if the underlying declines below the threshold level. The contingent protection applies only if you hold these Market Linked Securities at maturity.

These Market Linked Securities are unsecured debt obligations of the issuer. You will have no ability to pursue the underlying or any assets included in the underlying for payment.

 

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The charts in this section do not reflect forgone

dividend payments.

 

 

Market Linked Securities with Leveraged Upside Participation to a Cap and Contingent Downside

These Market Linked Securities offer a return at maturity that is based on the performance of an underlying as measured from a specified starting level to the closing level of the underlying on a calculation day shortly before maturity (the ending level ).

To understand how these Market Linked Securities would perform under varying market conditions, consider a hypothetical Market Linked Security with the following terms:

 

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Participation rate: 150%. A participation rate determines how much of the appreciation of the underlying (if any) will be reflected in the payment at maturity on these Market Linked Securities, subject to the capped value described below. A participation rate of 150% means that if the underlying appreciates from its starting level to its ending level, you will receive a total return at maturity equal to 150% of that appreciation, subject to the capped value described below. For example, if the underlying appreciates by 8%, you would receive a total return at maturity of 12% (which is 150% of 8%).

 

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Capped value: 130%. A capped value effectively sets a ceiling above which you will not participate in further appreciation of the underlying. A capped value of 130% means that you will not receive more than 130% of the original offering price of these Market Linked Securities at maturity. This results in a maximum total return at maturity of 30%, even if the underlying appreciates by more than 30%. Note that the capped value effectively reduces the participation rate in scenarios where the participation rate multiplied by the appreciation of the underlying would exceed the maximum total return at maturity.

 

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Contingent Protection: 30%. The contingent protection offers a contingent measure of downside market risk reduction at maturity as compared to a direct investment in the underlying. Contingent protection of 30% means that you will be repaid the original offering price at maturity if the underlying declines by 30% or less from the starting level to the ending level —- in other words, if the ending level is greater than or equal to a threshold level that is equal to 70% of the starting level. However, if the underlying declines by more than 30%, so that the ending level is less than the threshold level, you will have full downside exposure to the decrease in the level of the underlying from the starting level, and you will lose more than 30%, and possibly all, of the original offering price at maturity. For example, if the underlying declines by 30.1% from the starting level to the ending level, you will not receive any benefit of the contingent protection feature and you will lose 30.1% of the original offering price at maturity.

 

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This hypothetical Market Linked Security could outperform the underlying if the ending level of the underlying has declined from the starting level but is greater than or equal to the threshold level or has increased from the starting level by less than 30%. Note that, because the value of the underlying does not incorporate dividends paid on the underlying, the return on these Market Linked Securities does not compensate you for any dividends paid on the underlying. All payments on these Market Linked Securities are subject to the ability of the issuer to make such payments to you when they are due, and you will have no ability to pursue the underlying or any assets included in the underlying for payment. If the issuer defaults on its payment obligations, you could lose your entire investment.

 

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Determining payment at maturity

The diagram below illustrates how the cash payment on the stated maturity date for this hypothetical Market Linked Security would be calculated. The diagram below assumes an original offering price of $1,000 per security.

 

 

 

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Estimated value of Market Linked Securities with Leveraged Upside Participation to a Cap and Contingent Downside

The original offering price of these Market Linked Securities will include certain costs that are borne by you. Because of these costs, the estimated value of these Market Linked Securities on the pricing date will be less than the original offering price. If specified in the applicable pricing supplement, these costs may include the underwriting discount or commission, the hedging profits of the issuer’s hedging counterparty (which may be an affiliate of the issuer), and hedging and other costs associated with the offering and costs relating to the issuer’s funding considerations for debt of this type. See “General risks and investment considerations” herein and the applicable pricing supplement for more information.

The issuer will disclose the estimated value of these Market Linked Securities in the applicable pricing supplement. The estimated value of these Market Linked Securities will be determined by estimating the value of the combination of hypothetical financial instruments that would replicate the payout on these Market Linked Securities, which combination consists of a non-interest bearing, fixed-income bond and one or more derivative instruments underlying the economic terms of these Market Linked Securities. You should read the applicable pricing supplement for more information about the estimated value of these Market Linked Securities and how it is determined.

 

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Which investments are right for you?

It is important to read and understand the applicable preliminary pricing supplement and other related offering documents and consider several factors before making an investment decision.

An investment in these Market Linked Securities may help you modify your portfolio’s risk-return profile to more closely reflect your market views. However, at maturity you may incur a loss on your investment, and you will forgo interest payments, dividend payments (in the case of equity underlyings), and any return in excess of the applicable maximum return cap (capped value).

These Market Linked Securities are not suitable for all investors, but may be suitable for investors aiming to:

 

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Supplement their existing investments with the return profile provided by these Market Linked Securities

 

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Receive contingent protection against a moderate decline in the underlying

 

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Obtain exposure to an underlying with a different risk/return profile than a direct investment in that underlying

 

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Seek the potential to outperform the underlying in a moderately declining or a low to moderately appreciating market

You can find a discussion of risks and investment considerations on the next page and in the preliminary pricing supplement and other related offering documents for these Market Linked Securities. The following questions, which you should review with your financial advisor, are intended to initiate a conversation about whether these Market Linked Securities are right for you.

 

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Are you comfortable with the potential loss of a significant portion, and possibly all, of your initial investment as a result of a percentage decline of the underlying that exceeds the amount of contingent protection?

 

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What is your time horizon? Do you foresee liquidity needs? Will you be able to hold these investments until maturity?

 

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Does contingent protection against moderate market declines take precedence for you over uncapped returns, dividend payments, or fixed returns?

 

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What is your outlook on the market? How confident are you in your portfolio’s ability to weather a market decline?

 

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What is your sensitivity to the tax treatment for your investments?

 

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Are you dependent on your investments for current income?

 

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Are you willing to accept the credit risk of the applicable issuer in order to obtain the exposure to the underlying that these Market Linked Securities provide?

Before making an investment decision, please work with your financial advisor to determine which investment products may be appropriate given your financial situation, investment goals, and risk profile.

 

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General risks and investment considerations

These Market Linked Securities have complex features and are not suitable for all investors. They involve a variety of risks and may be linked to a variety of different underlyings. Each of these Market Linked Securities and each underlying will have its own unique set of risks and investment considerations. Before you invest in these Market Linked Securities, you should thoroughly review the relevant preliminary pricing supplement and other related offering documents for a comprehensive discussion of the risks associated with the investment. The following are general risks and investment considerations applicable to these Market Linked Securities:

 

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Principal and performance risk . These Market Linked Securities are not structured to repay your full original offering price on the stated maturity date. If the ending level is less than the threshold level, you will be fully exposed to the decline of the underlying from the starting level to the ending level and the payment you receive at maturity will be less than the original offering price of these Market Linked Securities. Under these circumstances, you will lose a substantial portion, and possibly all, of your investment.

 

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Limited upside . These Market Linked Securities are subject to a capped value, which will limit your return potential. Because of the capped value, the return you receive at maturity on these Market Linked Securities may be lower than the return you could have achieved on a direct investment in the underlying. Furthermore, the effect of the participation rate will be progressively reduced for all ending levels exceeding the ending level at which the capped value is reached.

 

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Liquidity risk . These Market Linked Securities are not appropriate for investors who may have liquidity needs prior to maturity. These Market Linked Securities are not listed on any securities exchange and are generally illiquid instruments. Neither Wells Fargo Securities nor any other person is required to maintain a secondary market for these Market Linked Securities. Accordingly, you may be unable to sell your Market Linked Securities prior to their maturity date. If you choose to sell these Market Linked Securities prior to maturity, assuming a buyer is available, you may receive less in sale proceeds than the original offering price.

 

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Market value uncertain . These Market Linked Securities are not appropriate for investors who need their investments to maintain a stable value during their term. The value of your Market Linked Securities prior to maturity will be affected by numerous factors, such as performance, volatility and dividend rate, if applicable, of the underlying; interest rates; the time remaining to maturity; the correlation among basket components, if applicable; and the applicable issuer’s creditworthiness. Wells Fargo Securities anticipates that the value of these Market Linked Securities will always be at a discount to the capped value.

 

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Costs to investors . The original offering price of these Market Linked Securities will include certain costs that are borne by you. These costs will adversely affect the economic terms of these Market Linked Securities and will cause their estimated value on the pricing date to be less than the original offering price. If specified in the applicable pricing supplement, these costs may include the underwriting discount or commission, the hedging profits of the issuer’s hedging counterparty (which may be an affiliate of the issuer), hedging and other costs associated with the offering and costs relating to the issuer’s funding considerations for debt of this type. These costs will adversely affect any secondary market price for these Market Linked Securities, which may be further reduced by a bid-offer spread. As a result, unless market conditions and other relevant factors change significantly in your favor following the pricing date, any secondary market price for these Market Linked Securities is likely to be less than the original offering price.

 

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Credit risk . Any investment in these Market Linked Securities is subject to the ability of the applicable issuer to make payments to you when they are due, and you will have no ability to pursue the underlying or any assets included in the underlying for payment. If the issuer defaults on its payment obligations, you could lose your entire investment. In addition, the actual or perceived creditworthiness of the issuer may affect the value of these Market Linked Securities prior to maturity.

 

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No periodic interest or dividend payments . These Market Linked Securities do not typically provide periodic interest. These Market Linked Securities linked to equity underlyings do not provide for a pass through of any dividend paid on the equity underlyings.

 

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Estimated value considerations . The estimated value of these Market Linked Securities that is disclosed in the applicable pricing supplement will be determined by the issuer or an underwriter of the offering, which underwriter may be an affiliate of the issuer and may be Wells Fargo Securities. The estimated value will be based on the issuer’s or the underwriter’s proprietary pricing models and assumptions and certain inputs that may be determined by the issuer or underwriter in its discretion. Because other dealers may have different views on these inputs, the estimated value that is disclosed in the applicable pricing supplement may be higher, and perhaps materially higher, than the estimated value that would be determined by other dealers in the market. Moreover, you should understand that the estimated value that is disclosed in the applicable pricing supplement will not be an indication of the price, if any, at which Wells Fargo Securities or any other person may be willing to buy these Market Linked Securities from you at any time after issuance.

 

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Conflicts of interest . Potential conflicts of interest may exist between you and the applicable issuer and/or Wells Fargo Securities. For example, the applicable issuer, Wells Fargo Securities or one of their respective affiliates may engage in business with companies whose securities are included in the underlying, or may publish research on such companies or the underlying. In addition, the applicable issuer, Wells Fargo Securities or one of their respective affiliates may be the calculation agent for the purposes of making important determinations that affect the payments on these Market Linked Securities. Finally, the estimated value of these Market Linked Securities may be determined by the issuer or an underwriter of the offering, which underwriter may be an affiliate of the issuer and may be Wells Fargo Securities.

 

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Effects of trading and other transactions . Trading and other transactions by the applicable issuer, Wells Fargo Securities or one of their respective affiliates could affect the underlying or the value of these Market Linked Securities.

 

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Basket risk . If the underlying is a basket, the basket components may offset each other. Any appreciation of one or more basket components may be moderated, wholly offset, or more than offset, by depreciation of one or more other basket components.

 

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ETF risk . If the underlying is an exchange-traded fund (ETF), it may underperform the index it is designed to track as a result of costs and fees of the ETF and differences between the constituents of the index and the actual assets held by the ETF. In addition, an investment in these Market Linked Securities linked to an ETF involves risks related to the index underlying the ETF, as discussed in the next risk consideration.

 

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Index risk . If the underlying is an index, or an ETF that tracks an index, your return on these Market Linked Securities may be adversely affected by changes that the index publisher may make to the manner in which the index is constituted or calculated. Furthermore, if the index represents foreign securities markets, you should understand that foreign securities markets tend to be less liquid and more volatile than U.S. markets and that there is generally less information available about foreign companies than about companies that file reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Moreover, if the index represents emerging foreign securities markets, these Market Linked Securities will be subject to the heightened political and economic risks associated with emerging markets. If the index includes foreign securities and the level of the index is based on the U.S. dollar value of those foreign securities, these Market Linked Securities will be subject to currency exchange rate risk in addition to the other risks described above, as the level of the index will be adversely affected if the currencies in which the foreign securities trade depreciate against the U.S. dollar.

 

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Commodity risk . These Market Linked Securities linked to commodities will be subject to a number of significant risks associated with commodities. Commodity prices tend to be volatile and may fluctuate in ways that are unpredictable and adverse to you. Commodity markets are frequently subject to disruptions, distortions, and changes due to various factors, including the lack of liquidity in the markets, the participation of speculators, and government regulation and intervention. Moreover, commodity indices may be adversely affected by a phenomenon known as “negative roll yield,” which occurs when future prices of the commodity futures contracts underlying the index are higher than current prices. Negative roll yield can have a significant negative effect on the performance of a commodity index. Furthermore, for commodities that are traded in U.S. dollars but for which market prices are driven by global demand, any strengthening of the U.S. dollar against relevant other currencies may adversely affect the demand for, and therefore the price of, those commodities.

 

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Currency risk . These Market Linked Securities linked to currencies will be subject to a number of significant risks associated with currencies. Currency exchange rates are frequently subject to intervention by governments, which can be difficult to predict and can have a significant impact on exchange rates. Moreover, currency exchange rates are driven by complex factors relating to the economies of the relevant countries that can be difficult to understand and predict. Currencies issued by emerging market governments may be particularly volatile and will be subject to heightened risks.

 

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Bond risk . These Market Linked Securities linked to bond indices or exchange-traded funds that are comprised of specific types of bonds with different maturities and qualities will be subject to a number of significant risks associated with bonds. In general, if market interest rates rise, the value of bonds will decline. In addition, if the market perception of the creditworthiness of the relevant bond issuers falls, the value of bonds will generally decline.

 

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Tax considerations . You should review carefully the relevant preliminary pricing supplement and other related offering documents and consult your tax advisors regarding the application of the U.S. federal tax laws to your particular circumstances, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local, or non-U.S. jurisdiction.

 

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Always read the preliminary pricing supplement and other related offering documents.

These Market Linked Securities are offered with a preliminary pricing supplement and other related offering documents. Investors should read and consider these documents carefully before investing. Prior to investing, always consult your financial advisor to understand the investment structure in detail.

For more information about these Market Linked Securities and the structures currently available for investment, contact your financial advisor, who can advise you of whether or not a particular offering may meet your individual needs and investment requirements.

 

Each issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the offerings to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in the applicable registration statement and other documents the applicable issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and the offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov . Alternatively, the applicable issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the applicable prospectus if you request it by calling your financial advisor or by calling Wells Fargo Securities at 866-346-7732.

 

Wells Fargo Securities is the trade name for the capital markets and investment banking services of Wells Fargo & Company and its subsidiaries, including Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, a member of FINRA, NYSE, and SIPC, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.   © 2016 Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. All rights reserved. WCS-2597601