Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration No. 333-132911
PRODUCT SUPPLEMENT
(To MTN prospectus supplement,
general prospectus supplement and
prospectus, each dated March 31, 2006)
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
Medium-Term Notes, Series C
Principal Protected Notes
Linked to a Global Equity Index Basket
(the Notes)
General
| Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. may offer and sell its Principal Protected Notes linked to a Global Equity Index Basket from time to time. This product supplement describes terms that will apply generally to the Notes, and supplements the terms described in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus, which (together with this product supplement) are collectively referred to as the Prospectus. A separate term sheet will describe terms that apply specifically to the Notes being offered by such term sheet and accompanying Prospectus. If the terms described in the applicable term sheet are inconsistent with those described herein or in the Prospectus, the terms described in the applicable term sheet shall control. |
| The Notes will be senior unsecured debt securities of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., and will be issued as a part of a series of Notes designated Medium-Term Notes, Series C. |
| Payment on the Notes will be linked to a Global Equity Index Basket, comprised of the S&P 500 Index, the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the Nikkei 225 Index (each initially equally weighted), as described below. |
| Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, full principal protection if the Notes are held to maturity. |
| Cash payment on the maturity date of principal plus the Additional Amount. |
| The Additional Amount will depend on the Basket Return and the specific terms of the Notes as set forth in the applicable term sheet. Unless otherwise specified, the Additional Amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note will equal (A) $1,000 x the Basket Return x the Participation Rate, but will not be less than zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable) or greater than the Maximum Return, if applicable, or (B) if the Notes are subject to a Knock-Out Level, an amount calculated according to the formula in clause A, unless the Basket Closing Level exceeds the Knock-Out Level on one of the trading days specified in the applicable term sheet, in which case the Additional Amount will equal $1,000 x the Knock-Out Rate, or (C) if a Fixed Payment is applicable to the Notes and the Ending Basket Level is greater than or equal to its Initial Basket Level, a fixed amount specified in the applicable term sheet (which amount we refer to as the Fixed Payment) and otherwise zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable). |
| In addition to a cash payment on the maturity date of the applicable principal amount plus the Additional Amount, if any, the Notes may pay interest prior to maturity, as specified in the applicable term sheet. |
| For important information about tax consequences, see United States Federal Income Taxation beginning on page PS-25. |
| Minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples thereof, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet. |
| Investing in the Notes is not equivalent to investing in the S&P 500 Index, the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the Nikkei 225 Index or any of their respective component stocks. |
| The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet. |
Investing in the Principal Protected Notes involves a number of risks. See Risk Factors beginning on page PS-7 and on pages S-3 to S-4 in the MTN prospectus supplement.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the Notes or passed upon the accuracy or the adequacy of this product supplement or the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus, or any related term sheet. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Standard and Poors®, Standard and Poors 500, S&P 500® and S&P® are trademarks of The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. and have been licensed for use by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated and Merrill Lynch and Co., Inc. is an authorized sublicense.
Nikkei 225 is a registered trademark of Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc., and is licensed for use by Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
Dow JonesSM, Dow Jones Industrial AverageSM and DJIASM are service marks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. is a sublicensee. The Notes are not sponsored, sold or promoted by Dow Jones. The Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50SM is proprietary and copyrighted material. The Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50SM and the related trademarks have been licensed for certain purposes by Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc and its subsidiaries. Neither STOXX Limited nor Dow Jones & Company, Inc. sponsors, endorses or promotes the Notes based on the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50SM.
Merrill Lynch & Co.
The date of this product supplement is October 13, 2006
Key Terms
Basket: | A Global Equity Index Basket (the Basket), comprised of the S&P 500 Index, the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the Nikkei 225 Index (each initially equally weighted) (each a Basket Index and together the Basket Indices) | |
Payment at Maturity | Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, on the maturity date you will receive a cash payment for each $1,000 principal amount per Note of $1,000 plus the Additional Amount, which may be zero (or may equal the Minimum Return, if applicable). | |
Additional Amount (Notes with neither a Knock-Out Level nor a Fixed Payment): |
For Notes with neither a Knock-Out Level nor a Fixed Payment, the Additional Amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note paid on the maturity date will equal, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet:
$1,000 x the Basket Return x the Participation Rate;
provided that the Additional Amount will not be less than zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable) or greater than the Maximum Return, if applicable. | |
Additional Amount (Notes with a Knock- Out Level): |
For Notes with a Knock-Out Level, the Additional Amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note paid on the maturity date will equal, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet:
(1) If the Basket Closing Level is less than the Knock-Out Level on each of the trading days specified in the applicable term sheet, $1,000 x the Basket Return x the Participation Rate; provided that the Additional Amount will not be less than zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable) or greater than the Maximum Return, if applicable; or
(2) If the Basket Closing Level is greater than or equal to the Knock-Out Level on any of the trading days specified in the applicable term sheet, which we refer to as a Knock-Out Event, $1,000 x the Knock-Out Rate. | |
Additional Amount (Notes with a Fixed Payment): |
For Notes with a Fixed Payment, the Additional Amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note paid on the maturity date will equal:
(1) If the Ending Basket Level is greater than or equal to its Initial Basket Level, an amount specified in the applicable term sheet; or
(2) If the Ending Basket Level is less than its Initial Basket Level, zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable). | |
Minimum Return: | If applicable, then the Additional Amount will equal at least the amount specified as the Minimum Return in the applicable term sheet. | |
Maximum Return: | If applicable, then the Additional Amount will equal no more than the amount specified as the Maximum Return in the applicable term sheet. | |
Other Terms: | In each case if applicable, the Participation Rate, Knock-Out Level, Knock-Out Rate, Fixed Payment, Interest Rate, Interest Period, Partial Principal Protection Percentage, Interest Determination Dates and/or Interest Payment Date(s) will be set forth in the applicable term sheet. | |
Basket Return: | The performance of the Basket from the Initial Basket Level to the Ending Basket Level, calculated as follows: |
(
|
Ending Basket Level - Initial Basket Level | )
| ||
Initial Basket Level |
Initial Basket Level: | The Initial Basket Level will be set to 100 on the date the Notes are priced for initial sale to the public (the Pricing Date), or such other date or dates as specified in the applicable term sheet. | |
Ending Basket Level: | The Basket Closing Level on the Observation Date, or the arithmetic average of the Basket Closing Levels on each of the Averaging Dates, or such other date or dates as specified in the applicable term sheet. | |
Basket Closing Level: | Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the Basket Closing Level will be calculated as follows:
100x [1 + (S&P Return + Nikkei Return + EURO STOXX Return)/3]
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the S&P Return, Nikkei Return and EURO STOXX Return are the performance of the respective Basket Indices, expressed as a percentage, from the closing level on the Pricing Date or other relevant date or dates specified in the applicable term sheet to the closing level on the Observation Date (or the arithmetic average of the closing levels on each of the Averaging Dates) or on any trading day specified in the applicable term sheet (for Notes with a Knock-Out Level). For additional information, see Description of the NotesPayment at Maturity in the accompanying product supplement. | |
Basket Valuation Dates: | The Basket Closing Level will be calculated on a single date, which we refer to as the Observation Date, or on several dates, each of which we refer to as an Averaging Date, as specified in the applicable term sheet. We refer to such dates generally as Basket Valuation Dates in this product supplement. Any Basket Valuation Date is subject to postponement in the event of certain Market Disruption Events and as described under Description of NotesPayment at Maturity. | |
Knock-Out Event: | For Notes with a Knock-Out Level, the applicable term sheet may specify any trading day(s) during the term of the Notes as the day(s) on which a Knock-Out Event can occur. | |
Maturity Date: | As specified in the applicable term sheet. The maturity date is subject to postponement in the event of certain Market Disruption Events and as described under Description of NotesPayment at Maturity. |
PS-2
Page | ||
PS-4 | ||
PS-7 | ||
PS-12 | ||
PS-18 | ||
PS-25 | ||
PS-29 | ||
PS-30 | ||
PS-30 | ||
PS-30 |
PS-3
This summary includes questions and answers that highlight selected information from this product supplement and the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus (the Prospectus) to help you understand the Merrill Lynch Principal Protected Notes Linked to a Global Equity Basket (the Notes). You should carefully read the Prospectus to fully understand the terms of the Notes, the Basket and the tax and other considerations that are important to you in making a decision about whether to invest in the Notes. You should carefully review the Risk Factors section in this product supplement and the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, which highlights certain risks associated with an investment in the Notes, to determine whether an investment in the Notes is appropriate for you.
References in this product supplement to ML&Co., we, us and our are to Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., and references to MLPF&S are to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated.
What are the Notes?
The Notes will be part of a series of senior debt securities issued by ML&Co. entitled Medium-Term Notes, Series C and will not be secured by collateral. The Notes will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated debt.
Each unit will represent a single Note with a $1,000 principal amount. You may transfer the Notes only in whole units. You will not have the right to receive physical certificates evidencing your ownership except under limited circumstances. Instead, we will issue the Notes in the form of a global certificate, which will be held by The Depository Trust Company, also known as DTC, or its nominee. Direct and indirect participants in DTC will record your ownership of the Notes. You should refer to the section entitled Description of Debt SecuritiesDepositary in the accompanying general prospectus supplement.
Are there any risks associated with my investment?
Yes, an investment in the Notes is subject to risks. Please refer to the sections entitled Risk Factors in this product supplement and the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement.
What is the Basket and who calculates it?
MLPF&S, as calculation agent, will determine the level of the Basket as described in the section entitled The Basket in this product supplement. The Basket is designed to allow investors to participate in the movement of the levels of three equity indices, as reflected by changes in the level of the Basket, over the term of the Notes. The indices that comprise the Basket are the S&P 500 Index, the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the Nikkei 225 Index (each a Basket Index and together the Basket Indices). Each Basket Index will be assigned a weighting so that each Basket Index represents an equal portion of the Basket on the Pricing Date.
A fixed factor (the Multiplier) will be determined for each Basket Index by taking the weighting for that Basket Index, multiplying that weighting (as a percentage) by 100, and then dividing the result by the closing level of that Basket Index on the Pricing Date. The Multipliers can be used to calculate the value of the Basket on any given day by summing the products of each Basket Index and its designated Multiplier, as described in this product supplement. The Multipliers for each Basket Index will be set forth in the applicable term sheets.
An investment in the Notes does not entitle you to any dividends, voting rights or any other ownership interest in the stocks of the companies included in any of the Basket Indices.
What will I receive on the maturity date of the Notes?
On the maturity date you will receive a cash payment per unit equal to:
PS-4
For Notes with neither a Knock-Out Level nor a Fixed Payment, the Additional Amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note paid on the maturity date will equal, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet:
$1,000 x the Basket Return x the Participation Rate;
provided that the Additional Amount will not be less than zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable) or greater than the Maximum Return, if applicable.
The Participation Rate will be a percentage, which may be more or less than 100%, as specified in the applicable term sheet.
For Notes with a Knock-Out Level, the Additional Amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note paid on the maturity date will equal, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet:
(1) | if the Basket Closing Level is less than the Knock-Out Level on each of the trading days specified in the applicable term sheet, $1,000 x the Basket Return x the Participation Rate; provided that the Additional Amount will not be less than zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable) or greater than the Maximum Return, if applicable; or |
(2) | if the Basket Closing Level is greater than or equal to the Knock-Out Level on any of the trading days specified in the applicable term sheet, $1,000 x the Knock-Out Rate. |
For Notes with a Fixed Payment, the Additional Amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note paid on the maturity date will equal:
(1) | if the Ending Basket Level is greater than or equal to its Initial Basket Level, the Fixed Payment; or |
(2) | if the Ending Basket Level is less than its Initial Basket Level, zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable). |
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the Basket Return, as calculated by the calculation agent, is the percentage change in the closing level of the Basket calculated by comparing the Basket Closing Level on the Observation Date, or the arithmetic average of the Basket Closing Levels on each of the Averaging Dates, or such other date or dates as specified in the applicable term sheet (the Ending Basket Level), to the Basket Closing Level on the pricing date or such other date or dates as specified in the applicable term sheet (the Initial Basket Level). The Basket Return, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, is calculated as follows:
Basket Return = | (
|
Ending Basket Level - Initial Basket Level | )
| |||
Initial Basket Level |
For more specific information about the payment on the maturity date, please see the section entitled Description of the Notes in this product supplement.
Will I receive interest payments on the Notes?
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, you will not receive any interest payments on the Notes, but you may receive a payment on the maturity date based on the performance of the Index over the term of the Notes. We have designed the Notes for investors who are willing to forego interest payments on the Notes, such as fixed or floating interest rates paid on traditional interest bearing debt securities.
What about taxes?
PS-5
Each year, you will be required to pay taxes on ordinary income from the Notes over their term based upon an estimated yield for the Notes, even though you will not receive any payments from us until the maturity date. We will have determined this estimated yield, in accordance with regulations issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, solely in order for you to calculate the amount of taxes that you will owe each year as a result of owning a Note. This estimated yield is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of what the actual Additional Amount will be, or that the actual Additional Amount will even exceed zero or the Minimum Return (if applicable).
What price can I expect to receive if I sell the Notes prior to the stated maturity?
In determining the economic terms of the Notes, and consequently the potential return on the Notes to you, a number of factors are taken into account. Among these factors are certain costs associated with creating, hedging and offering the Notes. In structuring the economic terms of the Notes, we seek to provide investors with what we believe to be commercially reasonable terms and to provide MLPF&S with compensation for its services in developing the Notes.
If you sell your Notes prior to the stated maturity date, you will receive a price determined by market conditions for the Notes. This price may be influenced by many factors, such as interest rates, volatility and the current level of the Basket. In addition, the price, if any, at which you could sell your Notes in a secondary market transaction is expected to be affected by the factors that we considered in setting the economic terms of the Notes, namely the underwriting discount paid in respect of the Notes and other costs associated with the Notes, including compensation for developing and hedging the product. Depending on the impact of these factors, you may receive significantly less than the $1,000 principal amount per unit of your Notes if sold before the stated maturity date.
In a situation where there had been no movement in the level of the Basket and no changes in the market conditions from those existing on the date you purchase the Notes, the price, if any, at which you could sell your Notes in a secondary market transaction is expected to be lower than the $1,000 principal amount per unit. This is due to, among other things, our costs of developing, hedging and distributing the Notes. Any potential purchasers for your Notes in the secondary market are unlikely to consider these factors.
What is the role of MLPF&S?
MLPF&S will be our agent for purposes of calculating, among other things, the Basket Closing Level on Basket Valuation Date(s) and on any other dates, including the Ending Basket Level, and the payment on the maturity date. Under certain circumstances, these duties could result in a conflict of interest between MLPF&S as our subsidiary and its responsibilities as calculation agent.
What is ML&Co.?
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. is a holding company with various subsidiaries and affiliated companies that provide investment, financing, insurance and related services on a global basis.
For information about ML&Co., see the section entitled Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. in the accompanying general prospectus supplement. You should also read other documents ML&Co. has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which you can find by referring to the section entitled Where You Can Find More Information in the accompanying general prospectus supplement and prospectus.
PS-6
Your investment in the Notes will involve certain risks. The Notes do not pay interest or guarantee any return of principal at, or prior to, maturity. Investing in the Notes is not equivalent to investing directly in the Basket Indices or any of the component stocks of the Basket Indices. In addition, your investment in the Notes entails other risks not associated with an investment in conventional debt securities. You should consider carefully the following discussion of risks and the discussion of risks included in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement before you decide whether an investment in the Notes is suitable for you.
You may not earn a return on your investment
If the Ending Basket Level is less than or, in certain cases, equal to the Initial Basket Level, and the Basket Closing Level is less than the Knock-Out Level, if any, on all of the trading days specified in the applicable term sheet, then (a) you will receive only the applicable interest payments, if any, set forth in the term sheet and, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, $1,000 (plus the Minimum Return, if any) for each $1,000 principal amount per Note you hold on the maturity date and (b) if there are no interest payments or a Minimum Return, you will only receive $1,000 for each $1,000 principal amount per Note you hold on the maturity date. This will be true even if the level of the Basket was higher than the Initial Basket Level at some time during the life of the Notes but later falls below the Initial Basket Level.
Your yield may be lower than the yield on other debt securities of comparable maturity
The yield that you will receive on your Notes may be less than the return you could earn on other investments. Your yield may be less than the yield you would earn if you bought a traditional interest bearing debt security of ML&Co. with the same stated maturity date. Your investment may not reflect the full opportunity cost to you when you take into account factors that affect the time value of money.
The appreciation potential of the Notes will be limited by the Knock-Out Level, if applicable.
If the Notes have a Knock-Out Level, the appreciation potential of the Notes is limited by the Knock-Out Level and the corresponding Knock-Out Rate. Once the Basket Closing Level equals or exceeds the Knock-Out Level, the appreciation potential of the Notes is limited to the Knock-Out Rate, even if the Basket Return is greater than the Knock-Out Rate. For Notes with a Knock-Out Level, if the Basket Closing Level is greater than or equal to the Knock-Out Level on any trading day specified in the applicable term sheet, the return on the Notes will equal the Knock-Out Rate multiplied by the applicable principal amount of the Notes and will not be determined by reference to the Basket Return. This return may not reflect the full opportunity cost to you when you take into account factors that affect the time value of money. Therefore, your return may be less than the return you would have otherwise received if you had invested directly in the Basket Indices or the stocks underlying the Basket Indices. Under these circumstances, your return will not reflect any potential increase in the Ending Basket Level, as compared to the Initial Basket Level, of greater than the Knock-Out Rate.
The appreciation potential of the Notes will be limited by the Fixed Payment, if applicable.
If the Notes have a Fixed Payment, the appreciation potential of the Notes is limited to the appreciation represented by such Fixed Payment, even if the appreciation in the Basket would, but for the Fixed Payment, result in the payment of a greater Additional Amount on the maturity date. If the Ending Basket Level is greater than or equal to the Initial Basket Level, the return on the Notes will equal the Fixed Payment and will not be determined by reference to the Basket Return. This return will be limited regardless of the appreciation of the Basket, which may be significant. Therefore, under certain circumstances, your return may be less than the return you would have otherwise received if you had invested directly in the Basket Indices individually, the stocks underlying the Basket Indices or contracts relating to the Basket Indices for which there is an active secondary market.
The appreciation potential of the Notes will be limited by the Maximum Return, if applicable.
If the Notes have a Maximum Return, the appreciation potential of the Notes is limited to the fixed dollar amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note specified in the applicable term sheet as the Maximum Return. The Additional
PS-7
Amount will equal no more than the Maximum Return. Accordingly, the appreciation potential of the Notes will be limited to the Maximum Return even if the Additional Amount calculated with reference to the Basket Return and Participation Rate would be greater than the Maximum Return.
Changes in the value of the Basket Indices may offset each other.
The Notes are linked to an equally weighted Basket composed of the S&P 500 Index, the Nikkei 225 Index and the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index. Price movements in the Basket Indices may not correlate with each other. At a time when the value of one or more of the Basket Indices increases, the value of the other Basket Indices may not increase as much or may even decline in value. Therefore, in calculating the Ending Basket Level, increases in the value of one or more of the Basket Indices may be moderated, or more than offset, by lesser increases or declines in the level of the other Basket Indices. There can be no assurance that the Ending Basket Level will be higher than the Initial Basket Level. Unless the applicable term sheet provides for interest payments, a Knock-Out feature and/or a Minimum Return, if the Basket Return is flat or negative, you will only receive the principal amount of your Notes on the maturity date.
If the Participation Rate is less than 100%, the Additional Amount will be limited by the Participation Rate.
If the Participation Rate is less than 100% and the Ending Basket Level exceeds the Initial Basket Level, the Additional Amount you receive on the maturity date will equal only a percentage, as specified in the applicable term sheet, of the Basket performance above the Initial Basket Level. Under these circumstances, the Additional Amount you receive on the maturity date will not fully reflect the performance of the Basket.
Your return on the Notes will not reflect dividends on the common stocks of the companies in the Basket Indices
Your return on the Notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the common stocks of the companies included in the Basket Indices and received the dividends paid on those stocks. This is because the calculation agent will calculate the amount payable to you on the maturity date by reference to the Ending Basket Level. The Ending Basket Level reflects the prices of the common stocks in the Basket Indices without taking into consideration the value of dividends paid on those stocks.
The Notes are not designed to be short-term trading instruments
The price at which you will be able to sell your Notes to us or our affiliates prior to maturity, if at all, may be at a substantial discount from the principal amount of the Notes, even in cases where the Basket has appreciated since the Pricing Date. The potential returns described in the applicable term sheet assume that your Notes, which are not designed to be short-term trading instruments, are held to maturity.
A trading market for the Notes is not expected to develop and if trading does develop, the market price you may receive or be quoted for your Notes on a date prior to the stated maturity date will be affected by this and other important factors including our costs of developing, hedging and distributing the Notes
The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange and we do not expect a trading market for the Notes to develop. Although our affiliate MLPF&S has indicated that it currently expects to bid for Notes offered for sale to it by holders of the Notes, it is not required to do so and may cease making those bids at any time. The limited trading market for your Notes may affect the price that you receive for your Notes if you do not wish to hold your investment until the maturity date.
If MLPF&S makes a market in the Notes, the price it quotes would reflect any changes in market conditions and other relevant factors. In addition, the price, if any, at which you could sell your Notes in a secondary market transaction is expected to be affected by the factors that we considered in setting the economic terms of the Notes, namely the underwriting discount paid in respect of the Notes, and compensation for developing and hedging the product. This quoted price could be higher or lower than the principal amount. Furthermore, there is no assurance that MLPF&S or any other party will be willing to buy the Notes. MLPF&S is not obligated to make a market in the Notes.
PS-8
Assuming there is no change in the level of the Basket and no change in market conditions or any other relevant factors, the price, if any, at which MLPF&S or another purchaser might be willing to purchase your Notes in a secondary market transaction is expected to be lower than the principal amount. This is due to, among other things, the fact that the principal amount included, and secondary market prices are likely to exclude, underwriting discount paid with respect to, and the developing and hedging costs associated with, the Notes.
The Basket Return for the Notes will not be adjusted for changes in exchange rates that might affect the Nikkei 225 Index and the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index
Although the stocks composing the Nikkei 225 Index and the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index are traded in currencies other than U.S. dollars, and the Notes, which are linked to the Basket Indices, are denominated in U.S. dollars, the amount payable on the Notes on the maturity date will not be adjusted for changes in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and each of the currencies in which the stocks composing the Nikkei 225 Index and the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index are denominated. Changes in exchange rates, however, may reflect changes in various non-U.S. economies that in turn may affect the Basket Return for the Notes. The amount we pay in respect of the Notes on the maturity date will be determined solely in accordance with the procedures described in Description of the Notes Payment at Maturity and Description of the Notes Interest Payments, if applicable.
Your return may be affected by factors affecting international securities markets
The Nikkei 225 Index and the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index are computed by reference to the value of the equity securities of companies listed on global exchanges. The return on the Notes will be affected by factors affecting the value of securities in the relevant markets. The relevant foreign securities markets may be more volatile than United States or other securities markets and may be affected by market developments in different ways than United States or other securities markets. Direct or indirect government intervention to stabilize a particular securities market and cross-shareholdings in companies in the relevant foreign markets may affect prices and the volume of trading in those markets. Also, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than about United States companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Additionally, accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements in foreign countries differ from those applicable to United States reporting companies.
The prices and performance of securities of companies in foreign countries may be affected by political, economic, financial and social factors in those regions. In addition, recent or future changes in government, economic and fiscal policies in the relevant jurisdictions, the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other laws or restrictions, and possible fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies, are factors that could negatively affect the relevant securities markets. Moreover, the relevant foreign economies may differ favorably or unfavorably from the United States economy in economic factors such as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency.
Many factors affect the trading value of the Notes; these factors interrelate in complex ways and the effect of any one factor may offset or magnify the effect of another factor
The trading value of the Notes will be affected by factors that interrelate in complex ways. The effect of one factor may offset the increase in the trading value of the Notes caused by another factor and the effect of one factor may exacerbate the decrease in the trading value of the Notes caused by another factor. For example, an increase in United States interest rates may offset some or all of any increase in the trading value of the Notes attributable to another factor, such as an increase in the level of the Basket. The following paragraphs describe the expected impact on the trading value of the Notes given a change in a specific factor, assuming all other conditions remain constant.
The level of the Basket is expected to affect the trading value of the Notes. We expect that the trading value of the Notes will depend substantially on the amount, if any, by which the level of the Basket exceeds or does not exceed the Initial Basket Level. However, if you choose to sell your Notes when the level of the Basket exceeds the Initial Basket Level, you may receive substantially less than the amount that would be payable on the maturity date based on this level because of the expectation that the level of the Basket will continue to fluctuate until the Ending Basket Level is determined.
PS-9
Changes in the levels of interest rates are expected to affect the trading value of the Notes. We expect that changes in interest rates will affect the trading value of the Notes. Generally, if United States interest rates increase, we expect the trading value of the Notes will decrease and, conversely, if United States interest rates decrease, we expect the trading value of the Notes will increase. The level of interest rates in the relevant foreign countries may also affect their economies and in turn the value of the related Basket Index and, thus, the trading value of the Notes.
Changes in the volatility of the Index is expected to affect the trading value of the Notes. Volatility is the term used to describe the size and frequency of price and/or market fluctuations. If the volatility of the Index increases or decreases, the trading value of the Notes may be adversely affected.
Changes in dividend yields on the stocks included in the Basket Indices are expected to affect the trading value of the Notes. In general, if dividend yields on the stocks included in the Basket Indices increase, we expect that the trading value of the Notes will decrease and, conversely, if dividend yields on these stocks decrease, we expect that the trading value of the Notes will increase.
As the time remaining to the stated maturity date of the Notes decreases, the time premium associated with the Notes is expected to decrease. We anticipate that before their stated maturity date, the Notes may trade at a value above that which would be expected based on the level of interest rates and the level of the Basket. This difference will reflect a time premium due to expectations concerning the level of the Basket during the period before the stated maturity date of the Notes. However, as the time remaining to the stated maturity date of the Notes decreases, we expect that this time premium will decrease, lowering the trading value of the Notes.
Changes in our credit ratings may affect the trading value of the Notes. Our credit ratings are an assessment of our ability to pay our obligations. Consequently, real or anticipated changes in our credit ratings may affect the trading value of the Notes. However, because the return on your Notes is dependent upon factors in addition to our ability to pay our obligations under the Notes, such as the percentage increase, if any, in the level of the Basket over the term of the Notes, an improvement in our credit ratings will not reduce the other investment risks related to the Notes.
In general, assuming all relevant factors are held constant, we expect that the effect on the trading value of the Notes of a given change in some of the factors listed above will be less if it occurs later in the term of the Notes than if it occurs earlier in the term of the Notes.
Amounts payable on the Notes may be limited by state law
New York State law governs the 1983 Indenture under which the Notes will be issued. New York has usury laws that limit the amount of interest that can be charged and paid on loans, which includes debt securities like the Notes. Under present New York law, the maximum rate of interest is 25% per annum on a simple interest basis. This limit may not apply to debt securities in which $2,500,000 or more has been invested.
While we believe that New York law would be given effect by a state or federal court sitting outside of New York, many other states also have laws that regulate the amount of interest that may be charged to and paid by a borrower. We will promise, for the benefit of the holders of the Notes, to the extent permitted by law, not to voluntarily claim the benefits of any laws concerning usurious rates of interest.
Purchases and sales by us and our affiliates may affect your return
We and our affiliates may from time to time buy or sell the stocks included in the Basket Indices or futures or options contracts on the Basket Indices for our own accounts for business reasons and expect to enter into these transactions in connection with hedging our obligations under the Notes. These transactions could affect the price of these stocks and, in turn, the level of the Basket in a manner that would be adverse to your investment in the Notes.
Potential conflicts of interest could arise
Our subsidiary MLPF&S is our agent for the purposes of determining the Basket Closing Level, the Ending Basket Level and the payment on the maturity date. Under certain circumstances, MLPF&S as our subsidiary and its responsibilities as calculation agent for the Notes could give rise to conflicts of interest. These conflicts could occur,
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for instance, in connection with its determination as to whether the level of the Basket can be calculated on a particular trading day, or in connection with judgments that it would be required to make in the event of a discontinuance or unavailability of the Index. See the sections entitled Description of the NotesAdjustments to the Index; Market Disruption Events and Discontinuance of the Index in this product supplement. MLPF&S is required to carry out its duties as calculation agent in good faith and using its reasonable judgment. However, because we control MLPF&S, potential conflicts of interest could arise.
We expect to enter into arrangements to hedge the market risks associated with our obligation to pay the payment on the maturity date. We may seek competitive terms in entering into the hedging arrangements for the Notes, but are not required to do so, and we may enter into such hedging arrangements with one of our subsidiaries or affiliated companies. Such hedging activity is expected to result in a profit to those engaging in the hedging activity, which could be more or less than initially expected, but which could also result in a loss for the hedging counterparty.
ML&Co. or its affiliates may presently or from time to time engage in business with one or more of the companies included in the Index including extending loans to, or making equity investments in, those companies or providing advisory services to those companies, including merger and acquisition advisory services. In the course of business, ML&Co. or its affiliates may acquire non-public information relating to those companies and, in addition, one or more affiliates of ML&Co. may publish research reports about those companies. ML&Co. does not make any representation to any purchasers of the Notes regarding any matters whatsoever relating to the companies included in the Index. Any prospective purchaser of the Notes should undertake an independent investigation of the companies included in the Index as in its judgment is appropriate to make an informed decision regarding an investment in the Notes. The composition of those companies does not reflect any investment recommendations of ML&Co. or its affiliates.
Tax consequences
You should consider the tax consequences of investing in the Notes. See the section entitled United States Federal Income Taxation in this product supplement.
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ML&Co. will issue the Notes as part of a series of senior debt securities entitled Medium-Term Notes, Series C under the 1983 Indenture, which is more fully described in the accompanying general prospectus supplement. Information included in this product supplement supersedes information in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus to the extent that it is different from that information.
ML&Co. will issue the Notes in denominations of whole units each with a $1,000 original public offering price per unit. You may transfer the Notes only in whole units. You will not have the right to receive physical certificates evidencing your ownership except under limited circumstances. Instead, we will issue the Notes in the form of a global certificate, which will be held by The Depository Trust Company, also known as DTC, or its nominee. Direct and indirect participants in DTC will record your ownership of the Notes. You should refer to the section entitled Description of Debt SecuritiesDepositary in the accompanying general prospectus supplement.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the Notes will not pay interest. Instead, you will receive a payment in cash, the timing and amount of which will vary depending on the performance of the Basket, calculated in accordance with the formula set forth below.
The Notes are our unsecured and unsubordinated obligations and will rank pari passu with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated obligations.
The specific terms of the Notes will be described in the applicable term sheet, accompanying this product supplement. The terms described in that document supplement those described herein and in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus. If the terms described in the applicable term sheet are inconsistent with those described herein or in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus, the terms described in the applicable term sheet shall control.
Payment at Maturity
The maturity date for the Notes will be set forth in the applicable term sheet. We will specify, in each case if applicable, the Participation Rate, Partial Principal Protection Percentage, Minimum Return, Maximum Return, Knock-Out Level, Knock-Out Rate, Knock-Out Event and Fixed Payment and the applicable terms of any such payment terms in the applicable term sheet.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, on the maturity date you will receive a cash payment for each $1,000 principal amount per Note of $1,000 plus the Additional Amount as described below, which amount may be zero unless a Minimum Return applies. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, you will not receive less than $1,000 for each $1,000 principal amount per Note if you hold the Notes to maturity.
For Notes with neither a Knock-Out Level nor a Fixed Payment, the Additional Amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note paid on the maturity date will equal, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet:
$1,000 x the Basket Return x the Participation Rate;
provided that the Additional Amount will not be less than zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable) or greater than the Maximum Return, if applicable.
The Partial Principal Protection Percentage, if applicable, will be a percentage less than 100%, as specified in the applicable term sheet.
The Participation Rate will be a percentage, which may be more or less than 100%, as specified in the applicable term sheet.
The Minimum Return, if applicable, will be a fixed dollar amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note as specified in the applicable term sheet.
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The Maximum Return, if applicable, will be a fixed dollar amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note as specified in the applicable term sheet.
For Notes with a Knock-Out Level, the Additional Amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note paid on the maturity date will equal, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet:
(1) | if the Basket Closing Level is less than the Knock-Out Level on each of the trading days specified in the applicable term sheet, $1,000 x the Basket Return x the Participation Rate; provided that the Additional Amount will not be less than zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable) or greater than the Maximum Return, if applicable; or |
(2) | if the Basket Closing Level is greater than or equal to the Knock-Out Level on any of the trading days specified in the applicable term sheet, $1,000 x the Knock-Out Rate. |
The Knock-Out Level, if applicable, will be a percentage of the Initial Basket Level of each Index or a fixed level of each Index as specified in the applicable term sheet.
The Knock-Out Rate, if applicable, will be a percentage as specified in the applicable term sheet.
A Knock-Out Event, if applicable, will be deemed to occur when the Basket Closing Level is greater than or equal to the Knock-Out Level on any of the trading days specified in the applicable term sheet. For example, the term sheet may specify a single trading day as the only day on which a Knock-Out Event can occur, or the term sheet may specify that a Knock-Out Event can occur on any trading day during the term of the Notes.
For Notes with a Fixed Payment, the Additional Amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note paid on the maturity date will equal:
(1) | if the Ending Basket Level is greater than or equal to its Initial Basket Level, the Fixed Payment; or |
(2) | if the Ending Basket Level is less than its Initial Basket Level, zero (or the Minimum Return, if applicable). |
The Fixed Payment, if applicable, will be a fixed dollar amount per $1,000 principal amount per Note as specified in the applicable term sheet.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the Basket Return, as calculated by the calculation agent, will equal the percentage change in the closing level of the Basket calculated by comparing the Basket Closing Level on the Observation Date, or the arithmetic average of the Basket Closing Levels on each of the Averaging Dates, or such other date or dates as specified in the applicable term sheet (the Ending Basket Level), to the Basket Closing Level on the Pricing Date or such other date or dates as specified in the applicable term sheet (the Initial Basket Level). The applicable term sheet will specify the Initial Basket Level and the manner in which the Ending Basket Level is determined. The Basket Return, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, will be calculated as follows:
(
|
Ending Basket Level - Initial Basket Level | )
|
||||||||||
Initial Basket Level |
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the Basket Closing Level will be calculated as follows:
100 x [1 + (S&P Return + Nikkei Return + EURO STOXX Return)/3]
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Unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, the S&P Return, Nikkei Return and EURO STOXX Return are the performance of the respective Basket Indices, expressed as a percentage, from the closing level on the Pricing Date to the closing level on the Observation Date (or the arithmetic average of the closing levels on each of the Averaging Dates) or on any trading day specified in the relevant terms supplement.
The S&P Return is calculated as follows, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet:
S&P Return = |
S&P Ending Level S&P Starting Level | |||
S&P Starting Level |
where the S&P Starting Level is the closing level of the S&P 500 Index on the Pricing Date and the S&P Ending Level is the closing level of the S&P 500 Index on the Observation Date (or the arithmetic average of the closing levels of the S&P 500 Index on each of the Averaging Dates) or on any trading day specified in the applicable term sheet.
The Nikkei Return is calculated as follows, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet:
Nikkei Return = |
Nikkei Ending Level Nikkei Starting Level | |||
Nikkei Starting Level |
where the Nikkei Starting Level is the closing level of the Nikkei 225 Index on the Pricing Date and the Nikkei Ending Level is the closing level of the Nikkei 225 Index on the Observation Date (or the arithmetic average of the closing levels of the Nikkei 225 Index on each of the Averaging Dates) or on any trading day specified in the applicable term sheet.
The EURO STOXX Return is calculated as follows, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet:
EURO STOXX Return = |
EURO STOXX Ending Level EURO STOXX Starting Level | |||
EURO STOXX Starting Level |
where the EURO STOXX Starting Level is the closing level of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50® Index on the Pricing Date and the EURO STOXX Ending Level is the closing level of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index on the Observation Date (or the arithmetic average of the closing levels of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index on each of the Averaging Dates) or on any trading day specified in the applicable term sheet.
With respect to the S&P 500 Index, the Index closing level on any trading day for such Index will equal the closing level of the S&P 500 Index or any successor index at the regular official weekday close of the principal trading session of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the American Stock Exchange LLC (the AMEX), the NASDAQ Global Market or the relevant exchange or market for the successor index. With respect to the Nikkei 225 Index or the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index, the closing level on any trading day will equal the official closing level of the Nikkei 225 Index or the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index, respectively, or in each case, any successor index thereto published following the regular official weekday close of trading for each such Basket Index on that trading day. In certain circumstances, the closing level will be based on the alternate calculation of the S&P 500 Index, the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the Nikkei 225 Index described under Adjustments to the Basket Indices; Market Disruption Events and Discontinuation of the Basket Indices.
A trading day is, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, a day, as determined by the calculation agent, on which trading is generally conducted on (i) the relevant exchanges (as defined below) for securities underlying the S&P 500 Index, the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the Nikkei 225 Index, respectively and (ii) the exchanges on which futures or options contracts related to the S&P 500 Index, the Dow
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Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the Nikkei 225 Index, respectively, are traded, other than a day on which trading on such relevant exchanges is scheduled to close prior to its regular weekday closing time.
The Basket Valuation Date(s) will be either a single date, which we refer to as the Observation Date, or several dates, each of which we refer to as an Averaging Date.
The maturity date will be specified in the applicable term sheet. If the scheduled maturity date (as specified in the applicable term sheet) is not a business day, then the amount due on the maturity date will be paid on the next succeeding business day following such scheduled maturity date without any additional amount because of such delay.
We will irrevocably deposit with The Depository Trust Company (DTC) no later than the opening of business on the applicable date or dates funds sufficient to make payments of the amount payable on the maturity date and on the Interest Payment Dates, if any, with respect to the Notes on such date. We will give DTC irrevocable instructions and authority to pay such amount to the holders of the Notes entitled thereto.
A business day is, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet, any day other than a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close or a day on which transactions in dollars are not conducted.
Subject to the foregoing and to applicable law (including, without limitation, United States federal laws), we or our affiliates may, at any time and from time to time, purchase outstanding Notes by tender, in open market or by private agreement.
The Basket Valuation Date(s), which will be either a single date, which we refer to as the Observation Date, or several dates, each of which we refer to as an Averaging Date, will be specified in the applicable term sheet and any such date is subject to adjustment as described below. If a Basket Valuation Date, is not a trading day or if there is a Market Disruption Event on such day, the applicable Basket Valuation Date for such Basket Index or Basket Indices will be postponed to the immediately succeeding trading day during which no Market Disruption Event shall have occurred or is continuing; provided that the Basket Closing Level will be determined (or, if not determinable, estimated by the Calculation Agent in a manner which is considered commercially reasonable under the circumstances) no later than the second scheduled trading day prior to the maturity date, regardless of the occurrence of a Market Disruption Event (as described below under Adjustments to the Basket Indices; Market Disruption Events) on that scheduled trading day.
Interest Payments
If the applicable term sheet specifies that the Notes will bear interest, the Notes will bear interest at the rate per annum, or such other rate or rates, as specified in such term sheet. Under these circumstances, interest will accrue from and including the issuance date of the Notes to but excluding the maturity date. Interest will be paid in arrears on each date specified in the applicable term sheet (each such date an Interest Payment Date) to the holders of record at the close of business on the date 15 calendar days prior to that Interest Payment Date, whether or not such fifteenth calendar day is a business day, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet. Interest on the Notes will be calculated based on a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months, unless otherwise specified in the applicable term sheet. If any day on which a payment of interest or principal is due is not a business day, the payment will be made with the same force and effect on the next succeeding business day, but no additional interest will accrue as a result of the delayed payment, and the next interest payment period will commence as if the payment had not been delayed.
Adjustments to the Basket Indices; Market Disruption Events
If at any time, Standard and Poors (S&P), Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (Dow Jones) and STOXX Limited (STOXX) or Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc. (NKS) (each an Index Publisher) make a material change in the formula for or the method of calculating its respective Basket Index or in any other way materially modifies that Basket Index so that the Basket Index does not, in the opinion of the calculation agent, fairly represent the level of that Basket Index had those changes or modifications not been made, then, from and after that time, the
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calculation agent will, at the close of business in New York, New York, on each date that the closing level of the Basket is to be calculated, make any adjustments as, in the good faith judgment of the calculation agent, may be necessary in order to arrive at a calculation of a level of a stock index comparable to that Basket Index as if those changes or modifications had not been made, and calculate the closing level with reference to the Basket Index, as so adjusted. Accordingly, if the method of calculating a Basket Index is modified so that the level of the Basket Index is a fraction or a multiple of what it would have been if it had not been modified.
Market Disruption Event means either of the following events as determined by the calculation agent:
(A) | the suspension of or material limitation on trading for more than two hours of trading, or during the one-half hour period preceding the close of trading, on the primary exchange where stocks included in a Basket Index trade as determined by the calculation agent (without taking into account any extended or after-hours trading session), in 20% or more of the stocks which then comprise the Basket Index or any successor index; or |
(B) | the suspension of or material limitation on trading for more than two hours of trading, or during the one-half hour period preceding the close of trading, on the primary exchange that trades options contracts or futures contracts related to a Basket Index as determined by the calculation agent (without taking into account any extended or after-hours trading session), whether by reason of movements in price otherwise exceeding levels permitted by the relevant exchange or otherwise, in options contracts or futures contracts related to the Basket Index, or any successor index. |
For the purpose of determining whether a Market Disruption Event has occurred:
(1) | a limitation on the hours in a trading day and/or number of days of trading will not constitute a Market Disruption Event if it results from an announced change in the regular business hours of the relevant exchange; |
(2) | a decision to permanently discontinue trading in the relevant futures or options contracts related to the applicable Basket Index, or any successor index, will not constitute a Market Disruption Event; |
(3) | a suspension in trading in a futures or options contract on the applicable Basket Index, or any successor index, by a major securities market by reason of (a) a price change violating limits set by that securities market, (b) an imbalance of orders relating to those contracts or (c) a disparity in bid and ask quotes relating to those contracts will constitute a suspension of or material limitation on trading in futures or options contracts related to that Basket Index; and |
(4) | a suspension of or material limitation on trading on the relevant exchange will not include any time when that exchange is closed for trading under ordinary circumstances. |
The occurrence of a Market Disruption Event could affect the calculation of the payment you may receive on the maturity date. See the section entitled Payment on the Maturity Date in this pricing supplement.
Discontinuance of the Basket Indices
If an Index Publisher discontinues publication of its respective Basket Index and the Index Publisher or another entity publishes a successor or substitute index that the calculation agent determines, in its sole discretion, to be comparable to that Basket Index (a successor index), then, upon the calculation agents notification of that determination to the trustee and ML&Co., the calculation agent will substitute the successor index as calculated by the relevant Index Publisher or any other entity for the Basket Index and calculate the Ending Basket Level as described above under Payment on the Maturity Date. Upon any selection by the calculation agent of a successor index, ML&Co. will cause notice to be given to holders of the Notes.
In the event that an Index Publisher discontinues publication of its respective Basket Index and:
| the calculation agent does not select a successor index; or |
| the successor index is not published on any of the Basket Valuation Dates, |
the calculation agent will compute a substitute level for that Basket Index in accordance with the procedures last used to calculate that Basket Index before any discontinuance. If a successor index is selected or the
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calculation agent calculates a level as a substitute for a Basket Index as described below, the successor index or level will be used as a substitute for that Basket Index for all purposes, including the purpose of determining whether a Market Disruption Event exists.
If an Index Publisher discontinues publication of its respective Basket Index before the Ending Basket Level is determined and the calculation agent determines that no successor index is available at that time, then on each Business Day until the earlier to occur of:
| the determination of the Ending Basket Level; and |
| a determination by the calculation agent that a successor index is available, |
the calculation agent will determine the value that would be used in computing the amount payable on the maturity date as described in the preceding paragraph as if that day were a Basket Valuation Date. The calculation agent will cause notice of each value to be published not less often than once each month in The Wall Street Journal or another newspaper of general circulation and arrange for information with respect to these values to be made available by telephone.
A Business Day as used in this section only is any day that is either (i) a trading day or (ii) a day on which the applicable exchanges listing the stocks of companies used to calculate a substitute level for a Basket Index following a discontinuance, as discussed above, are open for trading.
Notwithstanding these alternative arrangements, discontinuance of the publication of a Basket Index may adversely affect trading in the Notes.
Events of Default and Acceleration
In case an Event of Default with respect to any Notes has occurred and is continuing, the amount payable to a holder of a Note upon any acceleration permitted by the Notes, with respect to each $1,000 principal amount per unit, will be equal to the payment on the maturity date, calculated as though the date of acceleration were the stated maturity date of the Notes.
In case of default in payment of the Notes, whether on the stated maturity date or upon acceleration, from and after that date the Notes will bear interest, payable upon demand of their holders, at the then current Federal Funds Rate, reset daily, determined as described in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, to the extent that payment of such interest shall be legally enforceable, on the unpaid amount due and payable on that date in accordance with the terms of the Notes to the date payment of that amount has been made or duly provided for.
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The Basket is designed to allow investors to participate in the percentage changes in the level of the S&P 500, the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the Nikkei 225 Index over the term of the Notes. The Basket Indices are described in the sections below. Each Basket Index will be assigned an equal weighting so that each Basket Index represents an equal portion of the level of the Basket on the Pricing Date.
The Index Publishers have no obligations relating to the Notes or amounts to be paid to you, including any obligation to take the needs of ML&Co. or of holders of the Notes into consideration for any reason. The Index Publishers will not receive any of the proceeds of the offering of the Notes and are not responsible for, and have not participated in, the offering of the Notes and are not responsible for, and will not participate in, the determination or calculation of the amount receivable by holders of the Notes.
The Basket Indices
S&P 500 Index
All disclosure contained in this product supplement regarding the S&P 500 Index, including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation and changes in its components has been derived from publicly available information prepared by Standard and Poors. ML&Co. and MLPF&S have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of that information.
The S&P 500 Index is published by Standard & Poors, a division of The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. (Standard & Poors or S&P). The S&P 500 Index is intended to provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price movement in the United States. The calculation of the level of the S&P 500 Index, discussed below in further detail, is based on the relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average market value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. As of August 31, 2006, 424 companies or 86.2% of the market capitalization of the S&P 500 Index traded on the NYSE; 76 companies or 13.8% of the market capitalization of the S&P 500 Index traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market; and no companies traded on the AMEX. As of August 31, 2006, the aggregate market value of the 500 companies included in the S&P 500 Index represented approximately 74% of the aggregate market value of stocks included in the Standard & Poors Stock Guide Database of domestic common stocks traded in the U.S., excluding American depositary receipts, limited partnerships and mutual funds. Standard & Poors chooses companies for inclusion in the S&P 500 Index with the aim of achieving a distribution by broad industry groupings that approximates the distribution of these groupings in the common stock population of the Standard & Poors Stock Guide Database, which Standard & Poors uses as an assumed model for the composition of the total market. Relevant criteria employed by Standard & Poors include the viability of the particular company, the extent to which that company represents the industry group to which it is assigned, the extent to which the market price of that companys common stock is generally responsive to changes in the affairs of the respective industry and the market value and trading activity of the common stock of that company. Ten main groups of companies comprise the S&P 500 Index: Consumer Discretionary; Consumer Staples; Energy; Financials; Health Care; Industrials; Information Technology; Materials; Telecommunication Services; and Utilities. Standard & Poors may from time to time, in its sole discretion, add companies to, or delete companies from, the S&P 500 Index to achieve the objectives stated above.
The S&P 500 Index does not reflect the payment of dividends on the stocks included in the S&P 500 Index. Because of this, the calculation of the Ending Value will not reflect the payment of dividends on these stocks that investors would receive if they were to purchase these stocks and hold them for a period equal to the term of the Notes.
Computation of the S&P 500 Index
While S&P currently employs the following methodology to calculate the S&P 500 Index, no assurance can be given that S&P will not modify or change this methodology in a manner that may affect the Additional Amount.
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Historically, the market value of any underlying stocks included in the S&P 500 Index was calculated as the product of the market price per share and the number of the then outstanding shares of that underlying stock. In March 2005, S&P began shifting the S&P 500 Index half way from a market capitalization weighted formula to a float-adjusted formula, before moving the S&P 500 Index to full float adjustment on September 16, 2005. S&Ps criteria for selecting stocks for the S&P 500 Index did not change by the shift to float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects each companys weight in the S&P 500 Index (i.e., its market value).
Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the S&P 500 Index reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not all of a companys outstanding shares. Standard and Poors defines three groups of shareholders whose holdings are subject to float adjustment:
| holdings by other publicly traded corporations, venture capital firms, private equity firms, strategic partners, or leveraged buyout groups; |
| holdings by government entities, including all levels of government in the United States or foreign countries; and |
| holdings by current or former officers and directors of the company, founders of the company, or family trusts of officers, directors, or founders, as well as holdings of trusts, foundations, pension funds, employee stock ownership plans, or other investment vehicles associated with and controlled by the company. |
However, treasury stock, stock options, restricted shares, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock, and rights are not part of the float. In cases where holdings in a group exceed 10% of the outstanding shares of a company, the holdings of that group are excluded from the float-adjusted count of shares to be used in the index calculation. Shares held by mutual funds, investment advisory firms, pension funds, or foundations not associated with the company and investment funds in insurance companies, shares of a United States company traded in Canada as exchangeable shares, shares that trust beneficiaries may buy or sell without difficulty or significant additional expense beyond typical brokerage fees, and, if a company has multiple classes of stock outstanding, shares in an unlisted or non-traded class if such shares are convertible by shareholders without undue delay and cost, are also part of the float.
For each stock, an investable weight factor (IWF) is calculated by dividing the available float shares, defined as the total shares outstanding less shares held in one or more of the three groups listed above where the group holdings exceed 10% of the outstanding shares, by the total shares outstanding. The float-adjusted index is then calculated by dividing the sum of the IWF multiplied by both the price and the total shares outstanding for each stock by the index divisor. For companies with multiple classes of stock, Standard and Poors calculates the weighted average IWF for each stock using the proportion of the total company market capitalization of each share class as weights.
The S&P 500 Index is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology: the level of the S&P 500 Index reflects the total market value of all 500 component stocks relative to the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 (the base period). An indexed number is used to represent the results of this calculation in order to make the value easier to work with and track over time. The actual total market value of the component stocks during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 has been set to an indexed value of 10. This is often indicated by the notation 1941-43 = 10. In practice, the daily calculation of the S&P 500 Index is computed by dividing the total market value of the component stocks by the index divisor. By itself, the index divisor is an arbitrary number. However, in the context of the calculation of the S&P 500 Index, it serves as a link to the original base period level of the S&P 500 Index. The index divisor keeps the S&P 500 Index comparable over time and is the manipulation point for all adjustments to the S&P 500 Index.
Index Maintenance
Index maintenance includes monitoring and completing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, share changes, stock splits, stock dividends, and stock price adjustments due to company restructuring or spinoffs.
To prevent the level of the S&P 500 Index from changing due to these corporate actions, all corporate actions which affect the level of the S&P 500 Index require an index divisor adjustment. By adjusting the index
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divisor for the change in total market value of an individual company, the level of the S&P 500 Index remains constant. This helps maintain the level of the S&P 500 Index as an accurate barometer of stock market performance and ensures that the movement of the S&P 500 Index is not caused by the corporate action an individual company. All index divisor adjustments are made after the close of trading and after the calculation of the S&P 500 Basket Closing Level.
Some corporate actions, such as stock splits and stock dividends, require simple changes in the common shares outstanding and the stock prices of the companies in the S&P 500 Index and do not require index divisor adjustments.
Changes in a companys shares outstanding of 5.00% or more due to mergers, acquisitions, public offerings, private placements, tender offers, Dutch auctions, or exchange offers are made as soon as reasonably possible. All other changes of 5.00% or more (due to, for example, company stock repurchases, redemptions, exercise of options, warrants, subscription rights, conversion of preferred stock, Notes, debt, equity participation units, or other recapitalizations) are made weekly and are announced on Tuesday for implementation after the close of trading on Wednesday. Changes of less than 5.00% are accumulated and made quarterly on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December, and are usually announced two days prior.
Also, changes in IWFs of more than ten percentage points caused by corporate actions (such as merger and acquisition activity, restructurings, or spinoffs) will be made as soon as reasonably possible. Other changes in IWFs will be made annually, in September when IWFs are reviewed.
License Agreement
Standard & Poors does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the S&P 500 Index or any data included in the S&P 500 Index. Standard & Poors makes no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by the Calculation Agent, the holders of the Notes or any other person or entity from the use of the S&P 500 Index or any data included in the S&P 500 Index in connection with the rights licensed under the license agreement described in this pricing supplement or for any other use. Standard & Poors makes no express or implied warranties, and hereby expressly disclaims all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the S&P 500 Index or any data included in the S&P 500 Index. Without limiting any of the above information, in no event shall Standard & Poors have any liability for any special, punitive, indirect or consequential damage; including lost profits, even if notified of the possibility of these damages.
Standard & Poors and MLPF&S have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement providing for the license to MLPF&S, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use indices owned and published by Standard & Poors in connection with some securities, including the Notes, and ML&Co. is an authorized sublicensee of MLPF&S. The license agreement between Standard & Poors and MLPF&S provides that the following language must be stated in this pricing supplement:
The Notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P. S&P makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the holders of the Notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Notes particularly or the ability of the S&P 500 Index to track general stock market performance. S&Ps only relationship to MLPF&S (other than transactions entered into in the ordinary course of business) is the licensing of certain service marks and trade names of S&P and of the S&P 500 Index which is determined, composed and calculated by S&P without regard to ML&Co. or the Notes. S&P has no obligation to take the needs of ML&Co. or the holders of the Notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S&P 500 Index. S&P is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the timing of the sale of the Notes, prices at which the Notes are to initially be sold, or quantities of the Notes to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Notes are to be converted into cash. S&P has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Notes.
Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index
All disclosure contained in this product supplement regarding the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index, including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation and changes in its components, has been derived from publicly available sources. The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by STOXX. ML&Co. and MLPF&S have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of that information.
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The Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index was created by STOXX, a joint venture founded by SWX Group, Deutsche Börse AG and Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (Dow Jones). Publication of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index began on February 26, 1998, based on an initial level of the Index of 1,000 at December 31, 1991.
The Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index was created by STOXX Limited to reflect the market-capitalization weighted performance of large companies from the major industry groupings in Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. The companies included in the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index account for approximately 60% of the free-float market capitalization of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX Total Market Index, which in turn accounts for approximately 95% of the free-float market capitalization of the countries with companies eligible for inclusion in the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index.
The Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index is currently calculated by: (i) multiplying the per share price of each underlying security by the number of free-float adjusted outstanding shares (and, if the stock is not quoted in euros, then multiplying by the related country currency and an exchange factor which reflects the exchange rate between the related country currency and the euro); (ii) calculating the sum of all these products (the Index Aggregate Market Capitalization); and (iii) dividing the Index Aggregate Market Capitalization by a divisor which represents the Index Aggregate Market Capitalization on the base date of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and which can be adjusted to allow changes in the issued share capital of individual underlying securities, including the deletion and addition of stocks, the substitution of stocks, stock dividends and stock splits, to be made without distorting the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index. Because of this capitalization weighting, movements in share prices of the underlying securities of companies with relatively greater market capitalization will have a greater effect on the level of the entire Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index than will movements in share prices of the underlying securities of companies with relatively smaller market capitalization.
The weight of each stock that comprises the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index is capped at 10% of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Indexs total free-float market capitalization. The free-float weights are reviewed quarterly.
The composition of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index is reviewed annually, and changes are implemented on the third Friday in September, using market data from the end of August as the basis for the review process. Changes in the composition of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index are made to ensure that the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index includes those companies which, within the eligible countries and within each industry sector, have the greatest market capitalization. Changes in the composition of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index are made entirely by STOXX without consultation with the companies represented in the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index or ML&Co. The Index is also reviewed on an ongoing basis, and a change in the composition of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index may be necessary if there have been extraordinary events for one of the issuers of the underlying securities, e.g., delisting, bankruptcy, merger or takeover. In these cases, the event is taken into account as soon as it is effective. The underlying securities may be changed at any time for any reason. Neither STOXX nor any of its founders is affiliated with ML&Co. nor have they participated in any way in the creation of the Notes.
ML&Co. or its affiliates may presently or from time to time engage in business with the publishers, owners, founders or creators of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index or any of its successors or one or more of the issuers of the underlying securities, including extending loans to, making equity investments in or providing advisory services, including merger and acquisition advisory services, to the publishers, their successors, founders or creators or to any of the issuers. In the course of business with the issuers, ML&Co. or its affiliates may acquire non-public information with respect to the issuers. ML&Co. may also act as market maker for the common stocks of the issuers. ML&Co. does not make any representation to any purchaser of the Notes with respect to any matters whatsoever relating to any of the publishers, their successors, founders or creators or to any of the issuers. Any prospective purchaser of the Notes should undertake an independent investigation of the issuers of the underlying securities and with respect to the competency of its publisher to formulate and calculate the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index as in its judgment is appropriate to make an informed decision with respect to an investment in the Notes. The composition of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index does not reflect any investment or sell recommendations of ML&Co. or its affiliates.
A representative of an affiliate of ML&Co. may from time to time be a member of the STOXX Limited Advisory Committee. STOXX states in its Guide to the Dow Jones STOXX Indexes that STOXXs Advisory
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Committee advises the Supervisory Board on matters relating to the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index. This advisory committee proposes changes in the composition of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index to the Supervisory Board and makes recommendations with respect to the accuracy and transparency of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index computation. Decisions on the composition and changes in the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index are reserved to the Supervisory Board.
License Agreement
STOXX and ML&Co. have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement providing for the license to ML&Co. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use the EURO STOXX 50 Index, which is owned and published by STOXX, in connection with certain securities and other products, including the Notes.
The license agreement between STOXX and ML&Co. provides that the following language must be set forth in this pricing supplement:
The Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index is proprietary and copyrighted material. The Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the related trademarks have been licensed for certain purposes by Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. STOXX, Dow Jones and Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index are trademarks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and have been licensed for use. STOXX and Dow Jones have no relationship to Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., other than the licensing of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the related trademarks for use in connection with the Notes. STOXX and Dow Jones do not:
| Sponsor, endorse, sell or promote the Notes. |
| Recommend that any person invest in the Notes or any other securities. |
| Have any responsibility or liability for or make any decisions about the timing, amount or pricing of the Notes. |
| Have any responsibility or liability for the administration, management or marketing of the Notes. |
| Consider the needs of the owners of the Notes in determining, composing or calculating the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index or have any obligation to do so. |
STOXX and Dow Jones will not have any liability in connection with the Notes. Specifically,
| STOXX and Dow Jones do not make any warranty, express or implied and disclaim any and all warranty about: |
| The results to be obtained by the Notes, the owner of the Notes or any other person in connection with the use of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and the data included in the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index; |
| The accuracy or completeness of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and its data; |
| The merchantability and the fitness for a particular purpose or use of the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index and its data; |
| STOXX and Dow Jones will not have liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions in the Dow Jones EURO STOXX 50 Index or its data; |
| Under no circumstances will STOXX or Dow Jones be liable for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special or consequential damages or losses, even if STOXX or Dow Jones knows that they might occur. |
The licensing agreement between the Merrill Lynch and Co., Inc. and STOXX is solely for their benefit and not for the benefit of the owners of the Notes or any other third parties.
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The Nikkei 225 Index
All disclosure contained in this product supplement regarding the Nikkei 225 Index, including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation and changes in its components, has been derived from publicly available sources. The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by NKS. ML&Co. and MLPF&S have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of that information.
The Nikkei 225 Index is a stock index calculated, published and disseminated by NKS that measures the composite price performance of selected Japanese stocks. The Nikkei 225 Index is currently comprised of 225 stocks that trade on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (the TSE) and represents a broad cross-section of Japanese industry. All 225 of the stocks underlying the Nikkei 225 Index are stocks listed in the First Section of the TSE. Stocks listed in the First Section are among the most actively traded stocks on the TSE. Futures and options contracts on the Nikkei 225 Index are traded on the Singapore International Monetary Exchange, the Osaka Securities Exchange and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
The Nikkei 225 Index is a modified, price-weighted index. Each stocks weight in the Nikkei 225 Index is based on its price per share rather than the total market capitalization of the issuer. NKS calculates the Nikkei 225 Index by multiplying the per share price of each stock by the corresponding weighting factor for that Underlying Stock (a Weight Factor), calculating the sum of all these products and dividing that sum by a divisor. The divisor, initially set on May 16, 1949 at 225, was 24.293 as of October 2, 2006, and is subject to periodic adjustments as set forth below. Each Weight Factor is computed by dividing ¥50 by the par value of the relevant stock, so that the share price of each stock when multiplied by its Weight Factor corresponds to a share price based on a uniform par value of ¥50. Each Weight Factor represents the number of shares of the related stock which are included in one trading unit of the Nikkei 225 Index. The stock prices used in the calculation of the Nikkei 225 Index are those reported by a primary market for the stocks, which is currently the TSE. The level of the Nikkei 225 Index is calculated once per minute during TSE trading hours.
In order to maintain continuity in the level of the Nikkei 225 Index in the event of certain changes due to non-market factors affecting the stocks, such as the addition or deletion of stocks, substitution of stocks, stock dividends, stock splits or distributions of assets to stockholders, the divisor used in calculating the Nikkei 225 Index is adjusted in a manner designed to prevent any instantaneous change or discontinuity in the level of the Nikkei 225 Index. The divisor remains at the new value until a further adjustment is necessary as the result of another change. As a result of each change affecting any stock, the divisor is adjusted in such a way that the sum of all share prices immediately after the change multiplied by the applicable Weight Factor and divided by the new divisor, i.e., the level of the Nikkei 225 Index immediately after the change, will equal the level of the Nikkei 225 Index immediately prior to the change.
Stocks may be deleted or added by NKS. However, to maintain continuity in the Nikkei 225 Index, the policy of NKS is generally not to alter the composition of the stocks except when a stock is deleted in accordance with the following criteria. Any stock becoming ineligible for listing in the First Section of the TSE due to any of the following reasons will be deleted from the Nikkei 225 Index: bankruptcy of the issuer; merger of the issuer into, or acquisition of the issuer by, another company; delisting of the stock or transfer of the stock to the Seiri-Post because of excess debt of the issuer or because of any other reason; or transfer of the stock to the Second Section of the TSE. Upon deletion of a stock from the Nikkei 225 Index, NKS will select, in accordance with certain criteria established by it, a replacement for the deleted stock. In an exceptional case, a newly listed stock in the First Section of the TSE that is recognized by NKS to be representative of a market may be added to the Nikkei 225 Index. As a result, an existing stock with low trading volume and not representative of a market will be deleted.
None of ML&Co., MLPF&S and NKS accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of the Nikkei 225 Index or any successor index. NKS disclaims all responsibility for any errors or omissions in the calculation and dissemination of the Nikkei 225 Index or the manner in which the Nikkei 225 Index is applied in determining any Starting Value or Ending Value or any Redemption Amount payable to you on the maturity date of the Notes.
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The Tokyo Stock Exchange
The TSE is one of the worlds largest securities exchanges in terms of market capitalization. Trading hours are currently from 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. and from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M., Tokyo time, Monday through Friday.
Due to the time zone difference, on any normal trading day the TSE will close prior to the opening of business in New York City on the same calendar day. Therefore, the closing level of the Nikkei 225 Index on a trading day will generally be available in the United States by the opening of business on the same calendar day.
The TSE has adopted certain measures, including daily price floors and ceilings on individual stocks, intended to prevent any extreme short-term price fluctuations resulting from order imbalances. In general, any stock listed on the TSE cannot be traded at a price lower than the applicable price floor or higher than the applicable price ceiling. These price floors and ceilings are expressed in absolute Japanese yen, rather than percentage limits based on the closing price of the stock on the previous trading day. In addition, when there is a major order imbalance in a listed stock, the TSE posts a special bid quote or a special asked quote for that stock at a specified higher or lower price level than the stocks last sale price in order to solicit counter-orders and balance supply and demand for the stock. Prospective investors should also be aware that the TSE may suspend the trading of individual stocks in certain limited and extraordinary circumstances, including, for example, unusual trading activity in that stock. As a result, changes in the Nikkei 225 Index may be limited by price limitations or special quotes, or by suspension of trading, on individual stocks which comprise the Nikkei 225 Index, and these limitations may, in turn, adversely affect the value of the Notes.
License Agreement
NKS and ML&Co. have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement providing for the license to ML&Co., in exchange for a fee, of a right to use indices owned and published by NKS in connection with some securities, including the Notes.
NKS is under no obligation to continue the calculation and dissemination of the Nikkei 225 Index. The Notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by NKS. No inference should be drawn from the information contained in this pricing supplement that NKS makes any representation or warranty, implied or express, to ML&Co., the holder of the Notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Notes in particular or the ability of the Notes to track general stock market performance. NKS has no obligation to take the needs of ML&Co. or the holders of the Notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Nikkei 225 Index. NKS is not responsible for, and has not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices for, or quantities of, the Notes to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Notes are to be settled in cash. NKS has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration or marketing of the Notes.
The use of and reference to the Nikkei 225 Index in connection with the Notes have been consented to by NKS, the publisher of the Nikkei 225 Index. The copyright relating to the Nikkei 225 Index and intellectual property rights as to the indications for Nikkei and the Nikkei 225 Index and any other rights belong to NKS.
PS-24
UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION
Set forth in full below is the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP, tax counsel to ML&Co., as to certain United States federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Notes. This opinion is based upon laws, regulations, rulings and decisions now in effect, all of which are subject to change (including retroactive changes in effective dates) or possible differing interpretations. The discussion below supplements the discussion set forth under the section entitled United States Federal Income Taxation that is contained in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement and supersedes that discussion to the extent that it contains information that is inconsistent with that which is contained in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement. The discussion below deals only with Notes held as capital assets and does not purport to deal with persons in special tax situations, such as financial institutions, insurance companies, regulated investment companies, real estate investment trusts, dealers in securities or currencies, traders in securities that elect to mark to market, tax-exempt entities or persons holding Notes in a tax-deferred or tax-advantaged account (except to the extent specifically discussed below), persons whose functional currency is not the United States dollar, persons subject to the alternative minimum tax or persons holding Notes as a hedge against currency risks, as a position in a straddle or as part of a hedging, conversion or integrated transaction for tax purposes. It also does not deal with holders other than original purchasers (except where otherwise specifically noted in this product supplement). The following discussion also assumes that the issue price of the Notes, as determined for United States federal income tax purposes, equals the principal amount thereof. If a partnership holds the Notes, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Thus, persons who are partners in a partnership holding the Notes should consult their own tax advisors. Moreover, all persons considering the purchase of the Notes should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the United States federal income tax laws to their particular situations as well as any consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Notes arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.
As used in this product supplement, the term U.S. Holder means a beneficial owner of a Note that is for United States federal income tax purposes (a) a citizen or resident of the United States, (b) a corporation, partnership or other entity treated as a corporation or a partnership that is created or organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia (other than a partnership that is not treated as a United States person under any applicable Treasury regulations), (c) an estate the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source, (d) a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (e) any other person whose income or gain in respect of a Note is effectively connected with the conduct of a United States trade or business. Notwithstanding clause (d) of the preceding sentence, to the extent provided in Treasury regulations, certain trusts in existence on August 20, 1996, and treated as United States persons prior to that date that elect to continue to be treated as United States persons also will be U.S. Holders. As used herein, the term non-U.S. Holder means a beneficial owner of a Note that is not a U.S. Holder.
General
There are no statutory provisions, regulations, published rulings or judicial decisions addressing or involving the characterization, for United States federal income tax purposes, of the Notes or securities with terms substantially the same as the Notes. However, although the matter is not free from doubt, under current law, each Note should be treated as a debt instrument of ML&Co. for United States federal income tax purposes. ML&Co. currently intends to treat each Note as a debt instrument of ML&Co. for United States federal income tax purposes and, where required, intends to file information returns with the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS) in accordance with this treatment, in the absence of any change or clarification in the law, by regulation or otherwise, requiring a different characterization of the Notes. Prospective investors in the Notes should be aware, however, that the IRS is not bound by ML&Co.s characterization of the Notes as indebtedness, and the IRS could possibly take a different position as to the proper characterization of the Notes for United States federal income tax purposes. The following discussion of the principal United States federal income tax consequences of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Notes is based upon the assumption that each Note will be treated as a debt instrument of ML&Co. for United States federal income tax purposes. If the Notes are not in fact treated as debt instruments of ML&Co. for United States federal income tax purposes, then the United States federal income tax treatment of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the Notes could differ from the treatment discussed below with the result that the
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timing and character of income, gain or loss recognized in respect of a Note could differ from the timing and character of income, gain or loss recognized in respect of a Note had the Notes in fact been treated as debt instruments of ML&Co. for United States federal income tax purposes.
U.S. Holders
On June 11, 1996, the Treasury Department issued final regulations (the CPDI Regulations) concerning the proper United States federal income tax treatment of contingent payment debt instruments such as the Notes, which apply to debt instruments issued on or after August 13, 1996 and, accordingly, will apply to the Notes. In general, the CPDI Regulations cause the timing and character of income, gain or loss reported on a contingent payment debt instrument to substantially differ from the timing and character of income, gain or loss reported on a conventional noncontingent payment debt instrument. Specifically, the CPDI Regulations generally require a U.S. Holder of such an instrument to include future contingent and noncontingent interest payments in income as that interest accrues based upon a projected payment schedule. Moreover, in general, under the CPDI Regulations, any gain recognized by a U.S. Holder on the sale, exchange, or retirement of a contingent payment debt instrument is treated as ordinary income, and all or a portion of any loss realized could be treated as ordinary loss as opposed to capital loss (depending upon the circumstances). The CPDI Regulations provide no definitive guidance as to whether or not an instrument is properly characterized as a debt instrument for United States federal income tax purposes.
In particular, solely for purposes of applying the CPDI Regulations to the Notes, ML&Co. will have determined that the projected payment schedule for the Notes will consist of a payment on the maturity date of the principal amount thereof and a projected Additional Amount (the Projected Additional Amount). The projected payment schedule will produce an estimated yield to maturity on the Notes. Accordingly, during the term of the Notes, a U.S. Holder of a Note will be required to include in income as ordinary interest an amount equal to the sum of the daily portions of interest on the Note that are deemed to accrue at this estimated yield for each day during the taxable year (or portion of the taxable year) on which the U.S. Holder holds the Note. The amount of interest that will be deemed to accrue in any accrual period (i.e., generally each six-month period during which the Notes are outstanding) will equal the product of this estimated yield (properly adjusted for the length of the accrual period) and the Notes adjusted issue price (as defined below) at the beginning of the accrual period. The daily portions of interest will be determined by allocating to each day in the accrual period the ratable portion of the interest that is deemed to accrue during the accrual period. In general, for these purposes a Notes adjusted issue price will equal the Notes issue price (i.e., $1,000), increased by the interest previously accrued on the Note. At maturity of a Note, in the event that the actual Additional Amount, if any, exceeds the Projected Additional Amount, a U.S. Holder will be required to include the excess of the actual Additional Amount over the Projected Additional Amount in income as ordinary interest on the stated maturity date. Alternatively, in the event that the actual Additional Amount, if any, is less than the Projected Additional Amount, the amount by which the Projected Additional Amount exceeds the actual Additional Amount will be treated first as an offset to any interest otherwise includible in income by the U.S. Holder with respect to the Note for the taxable year in which the stated maturity date occurs to the extent of the amount of that includible interest. Further, a U.S. Holder will be permitted to recognize and deduct, as an ordinary loss that is not subject to the limitations applicable to miscellaneous itemized deductions, any remaining portion of the Projected Additional Amount in excess of the actual Additional Amount that is not treated as an interest offset pursuant to the foregoing rules. In addition, U.S. Holders purchasing a Note at a price that differs from the adjusted issue price of the Note as of the purchase date (e.g., subsequent purchases) will be subject to rules providing for certain adjustments to the foregoing rules and these U.S. Holders should consult their own tax advisors concerning these rules.
Upon the sale or exchange of a Note prior to the stated maturity date, a U.S. Holder will be required to recognize taxable gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the amount realized by the U.S. Holder upon that sale or exchange and the U.S. Holders adjusted tax basis in the Note as of the date of disposition. A U.S. Holders adjusted tax basis in a Note generally will equal the U.S. Holders initial investment in the Note increased by any interest previously included in income with respect to the Note by the U.S. Holder. Any taxable gain will be treated as ordinary income. Any taxable loss will be treated as ordinary loss to the extent of the U.S. Holders total interest inclusions on the Note. Any remaining loss generally will be treated as long-term or short-term capital loss (depending upon the U.S. Holders holding period for the Note). All amounts includible in income by a U.S. Holder as ordinary interest pursuant to the CPDI Regulations will be treated as original issue discount.
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All prospective investors in the Notes should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the CPDI Regulations to their investment in the Notes. Investors in the Notes may obtain the projected payment schedule, as determined by ML&Co. for purposes of applying the CPDI Regulations to the Notes, by submitting a written request for that information to Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., Corporate Secretarys Office, 222 Broadway, 17th Floor, New York, New York 10038, (212) 670-0432, corporatesecretary@exchange.ml.com.
The projected payment schedule (including both the Projected Additional Amount and the estimated yield on the Notes) will have been determined solely for United States federal income tax purposes (i.e., for purposes of applying the CPDI Regulations to the Notes), and will neither be a prediction nor a guarantee of what the actual Additional Amount will be, or that the actual Additional Amount will even exceed zero or the Minimum Return (if applicable).
Unrelated Business Taxable Income
Section 511 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), generally imposes a tax, at regular corporate or trust income tax rates, on the unrelated business taxable income of certain tax-exempt organizations, including qualified pension and profit sharing plan trusts and individual retirement accounts. In general, if the Notes are held for investment purposes, the amount of income or gain realized with respect to the Notes will not constitute unrelated business taxable income. However, if a Note constitutes debt-financed property (as defined in Section 514(b) of the Code) by reason of indebtedness incurred by a holder of a Note to purchase the Note, all or a portion of any income or gain realized with respect to such Note may be classified as unrelated business taxable income pursuant to Section 514 of the Code. Moreover, prospective investors in the Notes should be aware that whether or not any income or gain realized with respect to a Note which is owned by an organization that is generally exempt from United States federal income taxation pursuant to Section 501(a) of the Code constitutes unrelated business taxable income will depend upon the specific facts and circumstances applicable to such organization. Accordingly, any potential investors in the Notes that are generally exempt from United States federal income taxation pursuant to Section 501(a) of the Code are urged to consult with their own tax advisors concerning the United States federal income tax consequences to them of investing in the Notes.
Non-U.S. Holders
A non-U.S. Holder will not be subject to United States federal income taxes on payments of principal, premium (if any) or interest (including original issue discount) on a Note, unless the non-U.S. Holder is a direct or indirect 10% or greater shareholder of ML&Co., a controlled foreign corporation related to ML&Co. or a bank receiving interest described in Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code. However, income allocable to non-U.S. Holders will generally be subject to annual tax reporting on IRS Form 1042-S. For a non-U.S. Holder to qualify for the exemption from taxation, any person, U.S. or foreign, that has control, receipt or custody of an amount subject to withholding, or who can disburse or make payments of an amount subject to withholding (the Withholding Agent) must have received a statement that (a) is signed by the beneficial owner of the Note under penalties of perjury, (b) certifies that the owner is a non-U.S. Holder and (c) provides the name and address of the beneficial owner. The statement may generally be made on IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form) or a substantially similar form, and the beneficial owner must inform the Withholding Agent of any change in the information on the statement within 30 days of that change by filing a new IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form). Generally, an IRS Form W-8BEN provided without a U.S. taxpayer identification number will remain in effect for a period starting on the date the form is signed and ending on the last day of the third succeeding calendar year, unless a change in circumstances makes any information on the form incorrect. If a Note is held through a securities clearing organization or certain other financial institutions, the organization or institution may provide a signed statement to the Withholding Agent. Under certain circumstances, the signed statement must be accompanied by a copy of the applicable IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form) or the substitute form provided by the beneficial owner to the organization or institution.
Under current law, a Note will not be includible in the estate of a non-U.S. Holder unless the individual is a direct or indirect 10% or greater shareholder of ML&Co. or, at the time of the individuals death, payments in respect of that Note would have been effectively connected with the conduct by the individual of a trade or business in the United States.
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Backup withholding
Backup withholding at the applicable statutory rate of United States federal income tax may apply to payments made in respect of the Notes to registered owners who are not exempt recipients and who fail to provide certain identifying information (such as the registered owners taxpayer identification number) in the required manner. Generally, individuals are not exempt recipients, whereas corporations and certain other entities generally are exempt recipients. Payments made in respect of the Notes to a U.S. Holder must be reported to the IRS, unless the U.S. Holder is an exempt recipient or establishes an exemption. Compliance with the identification procedures described in the preceding section would establish an exemption from backup withholding for those non-U.S. Holders who are not exempt recipients.
In addition, upon the sale of a Note to (or through) a broker, the broker must withhold on the entire purchase price, unless either (a) the broker determines that the seller is a corporation or other exempt recipient or (b) the seller provides, in the required manner, certain identifying information (e.g., an IRS Form W-9) and, in the case of a non-U.S. Holder, certifies that the seller is a non-U.S. Holder (and certain other conditions are met). This type of sale must also be reported by the broker to the IRS, unless either (a) the broker determines that the seller is an exempt recipient or (b) the seller certifies its non-U.S. status (and certain other conditions are met). Certification of the registered owners non-U.S. status would be made normally on an IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form) under penalties of perjury, although in certain cases it may be possible to submit other documentary evidence.
Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules from a payment to a beneficial owner would be allowed as a refund or a credit against the beneficial owners United States federal income tax provided the required information is furnished to the IRS.
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Each fiduciary of a pension, profit-sharing or other employee benefit plan subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (ERISA) (a Plan), should consider the fiduciary standards of ERISA in the context of the Plans particular circumstances before authorizing an investment in the Notes. Accordingly, among other factors, the fiduciary should consider whether the investment would satisfy the prudence and diversification requirements of ERISA and would be consistent with the documents and instruments governing the Plan.
In addition, we and certain of our subsidiaries and affiliates, including MLPF&S, may be each considered a party in interest within the meaning of ERISA, or a disqualified person within the meaning of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), with respect to many Plans, as well as many individual retirement accounts and Keogh plans (also Plans). Prohibited transactions within the meaning of ERISA or the Code would likely arise, for example, if the securities are acquired by or with the assets of a Plan with respect to which MLPF&S or any of its affiliates is a party in interest, unless the securities are acquired pursuant to an exemption from the prohibited transaction rules. A violation of these prohibited transaction rules could result in an excise tax or other liabilities under ERISA and/or Section 4975 of the Code for such persons, unless exemptive relief is available under an applicable statutory or administrative exemption.
Under ERISA and various prohibited transaction class exemptions (PTCEs) issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, exemptive relief may be available for direct or indirect prohibited transactions resulting from the purchase, holding or disposition of the securities. Those exemptions are PTCE 96-23 (for certain transactions determined by in-house asset managers), PTCE 95-60 (for certain transactions involving insurance company general accounts), PTCE 91-38 (for certain transactions involving bank collective investment funds), PTCE 90-1 (for certain transactions involving insurance company separate accounts), PTCE 84-14 (for certain transactions determined by independent qualified asset managers), and the exemption under new Section 408(b)(17) of ERISA and new Section 4975(d)(20) of the Code for certain arms-length transactions with a person that is a party in interest solely by reason of providing services to Plans or being an affiliate of such a service provider (the Service Provider Exemption).
Because we may be considered a party in interest with respect to many Plans, the securities may not be purchased, held or disposed of by any Plan, any entity whose underlying assets include plan assets by reason of any Plans investment in the entity (a Plan Asset Entity) or any person investing plan assets of any Plan, unless such purchase, holding or disposition is eligible for exemptive relief, including relief available under PTCE 96-23, 95-60, 91-38, 90-1, or 84-14 or the Service Provider Exemption, or such purchase, holding or disposition is otherwise not prohibited. Any purchaser, including any fiduciary purchasing on behalf of a Plan, transferee or holder of the securities will be deemed to have represented, in its corporate and its fiduciary capacity, by its purchase and holding of the securities that either (a) it is not a Plan or a Plan Asset Entity and is not purchasing such securities on behalf of or with plan assets of any Plan or with any assets of a governmental, church or foreign plan that is subject to any federal, state, local or foreign law that is substantially similar to the provisions of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code or (b) its purchase, holding and disposition are eligible for exemptive relief or such purchase, holding and disposition are not prohibited by ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code (or in the case of a governmental, church or foreign plan, any substantially similar federal, state, local or foreign law).
Under ERISA, assets of a Plan may include assets held in the general account of an insurance company which has issued an insurance policy to such plan or assets of an entity in which the Plan has invested. Accordingly, insurance company general accounts that include assets of a Plan must ensure that one of the foregoing exemptions is available. Due to the complexity of these rules and the penalties that may be imposed upon persons involved in non-exempt prohibited transactions, it is particularly important that fiduciaries or other persons considering purchasing the securities on behalf of or with plan assets of any Plan consult with their counsel regarding the availability of exemptive relief under PTCE 96-23, 95-60, 91-38, 90-1 or 84-14 or the Service Provider Exemption.
Purchasers of the securities have exclusive responsibility for ensuring that their purchase, holding and disposition of the securities do not violate the prohibited transaction rules of ERISA or the Code or any similar regulations applicable to governmental or church plans, as described above.
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The net proceeds from the sale of the Notes will be used as described under Use of Proceeds in the accompanying general prospectus supplement and to hedge market risks of ML&Co. associated with its obligation to pay the amount due on the maturity date.
SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
MLPF&S has advised ML&Co. that it proposes initially to offer all or part of the Notes directly to the public on a fixed price basis at the offering prices set forth on the cover of the related term sheets. After the initial public offering, the public offering prices may be changed. The obligations of MLPF&S are subject to certain conditions and it is committed to take and pay for all of the Notes if any are taken.
The consolidated financial statements, the related financial statement schedule, and managements report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting incorporated in this product supplement by reference from Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 30, 2005 have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference, and have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.
With respect to the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial information for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2006 and April 1, 2005 and the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2006 and July 1, 2005 which is incorporated herein by reference, Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, have applied limited procedures in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) for a review of such information. However, as stated in their reports included in Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2006 and June 30, 2006 and incorporated by reference herein, they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial information. Accordingly, the degree of reliance on their reports on such information should be restricted in light of the limited nature of the review procedures applied. Deloitte & Touche LLP are not subject to the liability provisions of Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933 for their reports on the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial information because those reports are not reports or a part of the registration statement prepared or certified by an accountant within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of the Act.
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