PRICING SUPPLEMENT (To MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus, each dated March 31, 2006) Pricing Supplement Number: 2796 |
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) Registration No. 333-132911 |
1,910,000 Units
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
Medium-Term Notes, Series C
Market Index Target-Term Securities®
Linked to the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity IndexSM
due January 5, 2011
(the MITTS® Securities)
$10 principal amount per unit
Information included in this pricing supplement supersedes information in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus to the extent that it is different from that information.
Investing in the MITTS Securities involves risks that are described in the Risk Factors section beginning on page PS-7 of this pricing supplement and beginning on page S-3 in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement.
Per Unit | Total | |||
Public offering price (1) |
$10.000 | $19,100,000 | ||
Underwriting discount (1) |
$.225 | $429.750 | ||
Proceeds, before expenses, to Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. |
$9.775 | $18,670,250 |
(1) | The public offering price and underwriting discount for any purchase of between 100,000 to 299,999 units will be $9.95 per unit and $.175 per unit, respectively, for any purchase of between 300,000 to 499,999 units will be $9.90 per unit and $.125 per unit, respectively, and for any purchase of 500,000 units or more will be $9.85 per unit and $.075 per unit, respectively. The foregoing pricing description will apply to any single transaction by an individual investor. |
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this pricing supplement or the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Merrill Lynch & Co.
The date of this pricing supplement is June 28, 2007.
MITTS and Market Index Target-Term Securities are registered service marks of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
Dow Jones, AIG and Dow Jones-AIG Commodity IndexSM and DJ-AIGCISM are service marks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and American International Group, Inc. and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated. Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc. is an authorized sublicensee. The MITTS Securities are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones, AIG International Inc. or American International Group, Inc., and none of Dow Jones, AIG International Inc. or American International Group, Inc. makes any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the MITTS Securities.
Pricing Supplement
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Medium-Term Notes, Series C Prospectus Supplement (the MTN prospectus supplement) | ||
RISK FACTORS |
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DESCRIPTION OF THE MITTS SECURITIES |
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UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAXATION |
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION |
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VALIDITY OF THE NOTES |
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Debt Securities, Warrants, Preferred Stock, Depositary Shares and Common Stock Prospectus Supplement (the general prospectus supplement) |
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MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC |
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USE OF PROCEEDS |
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RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND RATIO OF EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED STOCK DIVIDENDS |
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THE SECURITIES |
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES |
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DESCRIPTION OF DEBT WARRANTS |
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DESCRIPTION OF CURRENCY WARRANTS |
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DESCRIPTION OF INDEX WARRANTS |
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK |
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DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES |
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DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK WARRANTS |
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DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK |
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DESCRIPTION OF COMMON STOCK WARRANTS |
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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION |
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION |
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INCORPORATION OF INFORMATION WE FILE WITH THE SEC |
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EXPERTS |
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Prospectus | ||
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION |
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INCORPORATION OF INFORMATION WE FILE WITH THE SEC |
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EXPERTS |
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PS-2
This summary includes questions and answers that highlight selected information from this pricing supplement and the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus to help you understand the Market Index Target-Term Securities® Linked to the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity IndexSM due January 5, 2011 (the MITTS Securities). You should carefully read this pricing supplement and the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus to fully understand the terms of the MITTS Securities, the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index (the Index) and the tax and other considerations that are important to you in making a decision about whether to invest in the MITTS Securities. You should carefully review the Risk Factors sections in this pricing supplement and the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, which highlight certain risks associated with an investment in the MITTS Securities, to determine whether an investment in the MITTS Securities is appropriate for you.
References in this pricing 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 MITTS Securities?
The MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities will rank equally with all of our other unsecured and unsubordinated debt. The MITTS Securities will mature on January 5, 2011. We cannot redeem the MITTS Securities prior to the maturity date. We will not make any payments on the MITTS Securities until the maturity date.
Each unit of MITTS Securities represents a single MITTS Security with a $10 principal amount. You may transfer the MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities. You should refer to the section entitled Description of the Debt SecuritiesDepositary in the accompanying general prospectus supplement.
Are there any risks associated with my investment?
Yes, an investment in the MITTS Securities is subject to risks. Please refer to the sections entitled Risk Factors in this pricing supplement and the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement.
Who publishes the Index and what does the Index measure?
The Index was created by AIG International Inc. (AIGI) in 1998 and is calculated by Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (Dow Jones) in conjunction with AIGI. The Index is designed to be a liquid and diversified benchmark for commodities. The Index is comprised of futures contracts (each, an Index Component) on nineteen physical commodities traded on United States futures exchanges, with the exception of aluminum, nickel and zinc which trade on the London Metal Exchange. The relative weightings of the commodities that comprise the Index (the Index Commodities) are determined annually. Two-thirds of each weighting is based on five-year average trading volume and one-third of each weighting is based on five-year average annual world production. The component weightings are also subject to several rules designed to ensure diversified commodity exposure. For more information on the Index, please see the section entitled The Index in this pricing supplement.
An investment in the MITTS Securities does not entitle you to any direct or indirect ownership interest in the Index Components or the Index Commodities.
How has the Index performed historically?
We have included a table and a graph showing the month-end closing levels of the Index from January 2002 through May 2007 in the section entitled The IndexHistorical Data on the Index in this pricing supplement.
We have provided this historical information to help you evaluate the behavior of the Index in various economic environments; however, this information is not necessarily indicative of how the Index will perform in the future.
PS-3
What will I receive on the maturity date of the MITTS Securities?
On the maturity date, you will receive a cash payment per unit equal to the sum of the $10 principal amount plus the Supplemental Redemption Amount, if any.
Supplemental Redemption Amount
The Supplemental Redemption Amount per unit will equal:
$10 × |
(
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Ending Value Starting Value | )
|
× Participation Rate | ||||||||
Starting Value |
but will not be less than zero.
The Starting Value equals 168.61 the closing level of the Index on June 28, 2007, the date the Notes were priced for initial sale to the public (the Pricing Date).
The Ending Value will equal the closing level of the Index on the Valuation Date. If there is a disruption in the trading of futures contracts included in the Index on the Valuation Date, the Ending Value will be determined based on the prices of the Index Components on the first day after the disruption related to such commodities has ceased, as more fully described herein.
The Valuation Date will be the fifth scheduled Index Business Day (as defined herein) prior to the maturity date.
The Participation Rate equals 118%.
We will pay you a Supplemental Redemption Amount only if the Ending Value is greater than the Starting Value. If the Ending Value is less than, or equal to, the Starting Value, the Supplemental Redemption Amount will be zero. We will pay you the $10 principal amount per unit of your MITTS Securities regardless of whether any Supplemental Redemption Amount is payable.
For more specific information about the Supplemental Redemption Amount, please see the section entitled Description of the MITTS Securities in this pricing supplement.
Will I receive interest payments on the MITTS Securities?
You will not receive any interest payments on the MITTS Securities, but you will instead receive the $10 principal amount per unit plus the Supplemental Redemption Amount per unit, if any, on the maturity date. We have designed the MITTS Securities for investors who are willing to forego interest payments on the MITTS Securities, such as fixed or floating interest rates paid on traditional interest bearing debt securities, in exchange for the ability to participate in possible increases in the Index from the Starting Value to the Ending Value.
PS-4
Examples:
Set forth below are two examples of Supplemental Redemption Amount calculations including a Starting Value of 168.61, the closing level of the Index on June 28, 2007, and a Participation Rate equal to 118%:
Example 1The hypothetical Ending Value is 10% lower than the hypothetical Starting Value:
Hypothetical Starting Value: 168.61 | ||||||||||||
Hypothetical Ending Value: 151.75 |
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Supplemental Redemption Amount (per unit) = $10 × | (
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151.75 168.61 | )
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× 118% = $0 | (Supplemental Redemption Amount cannot be less than zero) | |||||||
168.61 | ||||||||||||
Total payment on the maturity date (per unit) = $10 + $0 = $10 |
Example 2The hypothetical Ending Value is 30% greater than the hypothetical Starting Value:
Hypothetical Starting Value: 168.61 | ||||||||||||
Hypothetical Ending Value: 219.20 |
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Supplemental Redemption Amount (per unit) = $10 × | (
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219.20 168.61 | )
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× 118% = $3.54 | ||||||||
168.61 | ||||||||||||
Total payment on the maturity date (per unit) = $10 + $3.54 = $13.54 |
What about taxes?
Each year, you will be required to pay taxes on ordinary income from the MITTS Securities over their term based upon an estimated yield for the MITTS Securities, even though you will not receive any payments from us until the maturity date. We 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 MITTS Security. This estimated yield is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of what the actual Supplemental Redemption Amount will be, or that the actual Supplemental Redemption Amount will even exceed zero. We have determined that this estimated yield will equal 5.39% per annum, compounded semi-annually.
Based upon this estimated yield, if you pay your taxes on a calendar year basis and if you purchase a MITTS Security for $10 and hold the MITTS Security until the maturity date, you will be required to pay taxes on the following amounts of ordinary income from the MITTS Security each year: $0.2646 in 2007, $0.5612 in 2008, $0.5918 in 2009, $0.6242 in 2010 and $0.0085 in 2011. However, in 2011, the amount of ordinary income that you will be required to pay taxes on from owning each MITTS Security may be greater or less than $0.0085, depending upon the Supplemental Redemption Amount, if any, you receive. Also, if the Supplemental Redemption Amount is less than $2.0503, you may have a loss which you could deduct against other income you may have in 2011, but under current tax regulations, you would neither be required nor allowed to amend your tax returns for prior years. For further information, see United States Federal Income Taxation in this pricing supplement.
Will the MITTS Securities be listed on a stock exchange?
The MITTS Securities will not be listed on any securities exchange and we do not expect a trading market for the MITTS Securities to develop, which may affect the price that you receive for your MITTS Securities upon any sale prior to the maturity date. You should review the section entitled Risk FactorsA trading market for the MITTS Securities is not expected to develop and if trading does develop, the market price you may receive or be quoted for your MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities in this pricing supplement.
PS-5
What price can I expect to receive if I sell the MITTS Securities prior to the stated maturity date?
In determining the economic terms of the MITTS Securities, and consequently the potential return on the MITTS Securities to you, a number of factors are taken into account. Among these factors are certain costs associated with creating, hedging and offering the MITTS Securities. In structuring the economic terms of the MITTS Securities, 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 MITTS Securities.
If you sell your MITTS Securities prior to the stated maturity date, you will receive a price determined by market conditions for the MITTS Securities. This price may be influenced by many factors, such as interest rates, volatility and the prevailing level of the Index. In addition, the price, if any, at which you could sell your MITTS Securities in a secondary market transaction is expected to be affected by the factors that we considered in setting the economic terms of the MITTS Securities, namely the underwriting discount paid in respect of the MITTS Securities, and compensation for developing and hedging the product. Depending on the impact of these factors, you may receive significantly less than the $10 principal amount per unit of your MITTS Securities if sold before the stated maturity date.
In a situation where there had been no movement in the level of the Index and no changes in the market conditions from those existing on the date of this pricing supplement, the price, if any, at which you could sell your MITTS Securities in a secondary market transaction is expected to be lower than the original issue price. This is due to, among other things, our costs of developing, hedging and distributing the MITTS Securities. Any potential purchasers for your MITTS Securities in the secondary market are unlikely to consider these factors.
What is the role of MLPF&S?
MLPF&S, our subsidiary, is the underwriter for the offering and sale of the MITTS Securities. After the initial offering, MLPF&S currently intends to buy and sell the MITTS Securities to create a secondary market for holders of the MITTS Securities, and may stabilize or maintain the market price of the MITTS Securities during their initial distribution. However, MLPF&S will not be obligated to engage in any of these market activities or continue them once it has started.
MLPF&S will also be our agent (in such capacity, the Calculation Agent) for purposes of determining, among other things, the Starting Value, the Ending Value, and calculating the Supplemental Redemption Amount. 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 sections entitled Where You Can Find More Information and Incorporation of Information We File with the SEC in the accompanying general prospectus supplement and prospectus.
PS-6
Your investment in the MITTS Securities will involve risks. You should carefully consider the following discussion of risks and the discussion of risks included in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement before deciding whether an investment in the MITTS Securities is suitable for you.
You may not earn a return on your investment
If the Ending Value does not exceed the Starting Value, the Supplemental Redemption Amount will be $0. This will be true even if the level of the Index was higher than the Starting Value at some time during the term of the MITTS Securities but later falls below the Starting Value. If the Supplemental Redemption Amount is $0, we will pay you only the $10 principal amount per unit of your MITTS Securities.
Your yield may be lower than other debt securities of comparable maturity
The yield that you will receive on the MITTS Securities 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.
You must rely on your own evaluation of the merits of an investment linked to the Index
In the ordinary course of their businesses, affiliates of ML&Co. from time to time express views on expected movements in the prices of commodities or commodity futures contracts. These views are sometimes communicated to clients who participate in commodity markets. However, these views, depending upon world-wide economic, political and other developments, may vary over differing time-horizons and are subject to change. Moreover, other professionals who deal in commodities markets may at any time have significantly different views from those of our affiliates. For reasons such as these, we believe that most investors in commodity markets derive information concerning those markets from multiple sources. In connection with your purchase of the MITTS Securities, you should investigate the commodity markets and not rely on views which may be expressed by our affiliates in the ordinary course of their businesses with respect to future commodity market price movements.
You should make such investigation as you deem appropriate as to the merits of an investment linked to the Index. Neither the offering of the MITTS Securities nor any views which may from time to time be expressed by our affiliates in the ordinary course of their businesses with respect to future exchange rate movements constitutes a recommendation as to the merits of an investment in the MITTS Securities.
Ownership of the MITTS Securities does not entitle you to any rights with respect to any futures contracts or commodities tracked by the Index
You will not own or have any beneficial or other legal interest in, and will not be entitled to any rights with respect to, any of the commodities or commodity futures included in the Index. ML&Co. will not invest in any of the commodities or commodity futures contracts included in the Index on behalf or for the benefit of holders of the MITTS Securities.
A trading market for the MITTS Securities is not expected to develop and if trading does develop, the market price you may receive or be quoted for your MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities
The MITTS Securities will not be listed on any securities exchange and we do not expect a trading market for the MITTS Securities to develop. Although, MLPF&S, our affiliate has indicated that it currently expects to bid for MITTS Securities offered for sale to it by holders of the MITTS Securities, it is not required to do so and may cease making those bids at any time. The limited trading market for your MITTS Securities may affect the price that you receive for your MITTS Securities if you do not wish to hold your investment until the maturity date.
If MLPF&S makes a market in the MITTS Securities, 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 MITTS Securities in a secondary market transaction is expected to be affected by the factors that we considered in setting
PS-7
the economic terms of the MITTS Securities, namely the underwriting discount paid in respect of the MITTS Securities and other costs associated with the MITTS Securities, and compensation for developing and hedging the product. This quoted price could be higher or lower than the $10 principal amount per unit. Furthermore, there is no assurance that MLPF&S or any other party will be willing to buy the MITTS Securities. MLPF&S is not obligated to make a market in the MITTS Securities.
Assuming there is no change in the level of the Index 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 MITTS Securities in a secondary market transaction is expected to be lower than the $10 principal amount per unit. This is due to, among other things, the fact that the $10 principal amount per unit included, and secondary market prices are likely to exclude, the underwriting discount paid with respect to, and the developing and hedging costs associated with, the MITTS Securities.
The MITTS Securities are not regulated by the CFTC
Unlike an investment in the MITTS Securities, an investment in a collective investment vehicle that invests in futures contracts on behalf of its participants may be regulated as a commodity pool and its operator may be required to be registered with and regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the CFTC) as a commodity pool operator (a CPO). Because the MITTS Securities are not interests in a commodity pool, the MITTS Securities will not be regulated by the CFTC as a commodity pool, ML&Co. will not be registered with the CFTC as a CPO and you will not benefit from the CFTCs or any non-United States regulatory authoritys regulatory protections afforded to persons who trade in futures contracts or who invest in regulated commodity pools. The MITTS Securities do not constitute investments by you or by ML&Co. on your behalf in futures contracts traded on regulated futures exchanges, which may only be transacted through a person registered with the CFTC as a futures commission merchant (FCM). ML&Co. is not registered with the CFTC as an FCM and you will not benefit from the CFTCs or any other non-United States regulatory authoritys regulatory protections afforded to persons who trade in futures contracts on a regulated futures exchange through a registered FCM.
The Index is a rolling index
The Index is composed of futures contracts on physical commodities. Unlike equities, which typically entitle the holder to a continuing stake in a corporation, commodity futures contracts have a set expiration date and normally specify a certain date for delivery of the underlying physical commodity. In the case of the Index, as the exchange-traded futures contracts that comprise the Index approach the month before expiration, they are replaced by contracts that have a later expiration. This process is referred to as rolling. If the market for these contracts is (putting aside other considerations) in backwardation, where the prices are lower in the distant delivery months than in the nearer delivery months, the sale of the nearer delivery month contract would take place at a price that is higher than the price of the distant delivery month contract, thereby creating a positive roll yield. There is no indication that these markets will consistently be in backwardation or that there will be roll yield in future performance. Instead, these markets may trade in contango. Contango markets are those in which the prices of contracts are higher in the distant delivery months than in the nearer delivery months. Certain of the commodities included in the Index have historically traded in contango markets. These roll yields could affect the level of the Index and the value of the MITTS Securities.
Trading in the Index Components can be volatile based on a number of factors that we cannot control
Trading in the Index Components is speculative and can be extremely volatile. Market prices of the Index Components may fluctuate rapidly based on numerous factors, including: changes in supply and demand relationships; weather; agriculture; trade; fiscal, monetary, and exchange control programs; domestic and foreign political and economic events and policies; disease; technological developments; and changes in interest rates. These factors may affect the level of the Index and the value of the MITTS Securities in varying ways, and different factors may cause the value of the Index Components, and the volatilities of their prices, to move in inconsistent directions at inconsistent rates.
Suspension or disruptions of market trading in the commodity and related futures markets, or in the Index, may adversely affect the value of the MITTS Securities
The commodity markets are subject to disruptions due to various factors, including the lack of liquidity in the markets and government regulation and intervention. In addition, U.S. futures exchanges and some foreign
PS-8
exchanges have regulations that limit the amount of fluctuation in futures contract prices that may occur during a single business day. These limits are generally referred to as daily price fluctuation limits and the maximum or minimum price of a contract on any given day as a result of these limits is referred to as a limit price. Once the limit price has been reached in a particular contract, no trades may be made at a different price. Limit prices have the effect of precluding trading in a particular contract or forcing the liquidation of contracts at disadvantageous times or prices. There can be no assurance that any such disruption or any other force majeure (such as an act of God, fire, flood, severe weather conditions, act of governmental authority, labor difficulty, etc.) will not have an adverse affect on the level of the Index, or the manner in which it is calculated, and therefore, the value of the MITTS Securities.
The MITTS Securities include the risk of concentrated positions in one or more commodity sectors
The exchange-traded physical commodities underlying the futures contracts included in the Index from time to time are heavily concentrated in a limited number of sectors, particularly energy and agriculture. An investment in the MITTS Securities may therefore carry risks similar to a concentrated securities investment in a limited number of industries or sectors. For example, approximately 34% of the component commodities of the Index are energy oriented. Accordingly, a decline in value of commodity futures traded in this sector would adversely affect the performance of the Index. Technological advances or the discovery of new oil reserves could lead to increases in worldwide production of oil and corresponding decreases in the price of crude oil. In addition, further development and commercial exploitation of alternative energy sources, including solar, wind or geothermal energy, could lessen the demand for crude oil products and result in lower prices. Absent amendment of the Index to lessen or eliminate the concentration of existing energy contracts in the Index or to broaden the Index to account for such developments, the level of the Index and hence the value of the MITTS Securities could decline.
Two other sectors each represent approximately 20% of the component commodities of the Index. See The IndexCommodity Groups.
The Index will include futures contracts on foreign exchanges
The Index will include futures contracts on physical commodities on exchanges located outside the United States. The Index currently has not established any limits on the percentages of the commodities, by weight, traded on a non-U.S. exchange that can be included in the Index. The regulations of the CFTC do not apply to trading on foreign exchanges, and trading on foreign exchanges may involve different and greater risks than trading on United States exchanges. Certain foreign markets may be more susceptible to disruption than United States exchanges due to the lack of a government-regulated clearinghouse system. Trading on foreign exchanges also involves certain other risks that are not applicable to trading on United States exchanges. Those risks include: (a) exchange rate risk relative to the U.S. dollar; (b) exchange controls; (c) expropriation; (d) burdensome or confiscatory taxation; and (e) moratoriums, and political or diplomatic events. It will also likely be more costly and difficult to enforce the laws or regulations of a foreign country or exchange, and it is possible that the foreign country or exchange may not have laws or regulations which adequately protect the rights and interests of investors in the Index.
The MITTS Securities are linked to the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index and not the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index Total ReturnSM
The MITTS Securities are linked to the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index, and not the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index Total Return. The Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index reflects returns that are potentially available through an unleveraged investment in the Index Components. The Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index Total Return is a total return index which, in addition to reflecting the same returns of the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index, also reflects interest that could be earned on cash collateral invested in hypothetical three-month U.S. Treasury bills. Because the MITTS Securities are linked to the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index and not the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index Total Return, the return from an investment in the MITTS Securities will not reflect this total return feature.
Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (Dow Jones) in conjunction with AIG International Inc. (AIGI) may adjust the Index in a way that affects its level, and Dow Jones and AIGI have no obligation to consider your interests
Dow Jones in conjunction with AIGI is responsible for calculating and maintaining the Index. Dow Jones can add, delete or substitute the Index Components or make other methodological changes that could change the level of the Index. You should realize that the changing of the Index Commodities may affect the Index as a newly added Index Component may perform significantly better or worse than the Index Component it replaces.
PS-9
Additionally, Dow Jones may alter, discontinue or suspend calculation or dissemination of the Index. Any of these actions could adversely affect the value of the MITTS Securities. Dow Jones has no obligation to consider your interests in calculating or revising the Index. See The Index.
Many factors affect the trading value of the MITTS Securities; 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 MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities caused by another factor and the effect of one factor may exacerbate the decrease in the trading value of the MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities attributable to another factor, such as an increase in the level of the Index. The following paragraphs describe the expected impact on the trading value of the MITTS Securities given a change in a specific factor, assuming all other conditions remain constant.
The level of the Index is expected to affect the trading value of the MITTS Securities. We expect that the market value of the MITTS Securities will depend substantially on the amount, if any, by which the level of the Index exceeds or does not exceed the Starting Value. However, if you choose to sell your MITTS Securities when the value of the Index exceeds the Starting Value, you may receive substantially less than the amount that would be payable on the maturity date based on that value because of the expectation that the Index will continue to fluctuate until the Ending Value is determined.
Changes in the volatility of the Index are expected to affect the trading value of the MITTS Securities. 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 MITTS Securities may be adversely affected.
Changes in the levels of interest rates are expected to affect the trading value of the MITTS Securities. We expect that changes in interest rates, both in the U.S. and Europe, will affect the trading value of the MITTS Securities. Generally, if United States interest rates increase, we expect the trading value of the MITTS Securities will decrease and, conversely, if United States interest rates decrease, we expect the trading value of the MITTS Securities will increase.
As the time remaining to the stated maturity date of the MITTS Securities decreases, the time premium associated with the MITTS Securities is expected to decrease. We anticipate that before their stated maturity date, the MITTS Securities may trade at a value above that which would be expected based on the level of interest rates and the level of the Index. This difference will reflect a time premium due to expectations concerning the level of the Index during the period before the stated maturity date of the MITTS Securities. However, as the time remaining to the stated maturity date of the MITTS Securities decreases, we expect that this time premium will decrease, lowering the trading value of the MITTS Securities.
Changes in our credit ratings may affect the trading value of the MITTS Securities. 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 MITTS Securities. However, because the return on your MITTS Securities is dependent upon factors in addition to our ability to pay our obligations under the MITTS Securities, such as the percentage increase, if any, in the level of the Index from the Starting Value to the Ending Value, an improvement in our credit ratings will not reduce the other investment risks related to the MITTS Securities.
In general, assuming all relevant factors are held constant, we expect that the effect on the trading value of the MITTS Securities of a given change in some of the factors listed above will be less if it occurs later in the term of the MITTS Securities than if it occurs earlier in the term of the MITTS Securities. We expect, however, that the effect on the trading value of the MITTS Securities of a given change in the level of the Index will be greater if it occurs later in the term of the MITTS Securities than if it occurs earlier in the term of the MITTS Securities.
Amounts payable on the MITTS Securities may be limited by state law
New York State law governs the 1983 Indenture under which the MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities. Under present New York law, the maximum rate of interest is 25% per annum
PS-10
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 MITTS Securities, to the extent permitted by law, not to voluntarily claim the benefits of any laws concerning usurious rates of interest.
Trading in the Index Commodities, Index Components and options on Index Commodities and Index Components by us and our affiliates may affect your return
Merrill Lynch Commodities, Inc., an affiliate of ours, and certain of our other affiliates will, from time to time, trade in some or all of the Index Commodities on a spot and forward basis and other contracts and products in or related to the Index Commodities (including futures contracts and options on futures contracts traded on futures exchanges in the United States and other countries, and commodity options and swaps). Also, we may issue or our affiliates may underwrite other financial instruments with returns indexed to the prices of the Index Commodities or the Index Components and derivative commodities. These trading and underwriting activities could affect the level of the Index in a manner that would be adverse to your investment in the MITTS Securities. With respect to any such activities, neither Merrill Lynch Commodities, Inc. nor any of our other affiliates has any obligation to take the needs of any buyers, sellers or holders of the MITTS Securities into consideration at any time.
Potential conflicts of interest could arise
MLPF&S, our subsidiary, is our agent for the purposes of determining the Starting Value and calculating the Ending Value and the Supplemental Redemption Amount, if any. Under certain circumstances, MLPF&S as our subsidiary and its responsibilities as Calculation Agent for the MITTS Securities could give rise to conflicts of interest. These conflicts could occur, for instance, in connection with its determination as to whether the level of the Index 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 section entitled Description of the MITTS SecuritiesAdjustments to the Index and Description of the MITTS SecuritiesDiscontinuance of the Index in this pricing 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 amounts due on the maturity date on the MITTS Securities. We may seek competitive terms in entering into the hedging arrangements for the MITTS Securities, 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.
Tax consequences
You should consider the tax consequences of investing in the MITTS Securities. See United States Federal Income Taxation in this pricing supplement.
PS-11
DESCRIPTION OF THE MITTS SECURITIES
ML&Co. will issue the MITTS Securities as part of a series of senior unsecured debt securities entitled Medium-Term Notes, Series C, which is more fully described in the MTN prospectus supplement, under the 1983 Indenture, which is more fully described in the accompanying general prospectus supplement. The Bank of New York has succeeded JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as the trustee under such indenture. The MITTS Securities will mature on January 5, 2011. Information included in this pricing supplement supersedes information in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus to the extent that it is different from that information. The CUSIP number for the MITTS Securities is 59022W620.
While on the maturity date a holder of a MITTS Security will receive an amount equal to the sum of the $10 principal amount per unit plus the Supplemental Redemption Amount per unit, if any, there will be no other payment of interest, periodic or otherwise, on the MITTS Securities prior to the maturity date. See the section entitled Payment on the Maturity Date in this pricing supplement.
The MITTS Securities will not be subject to redemption by ML&Co. or repayment at the option of any holder of the MITTS Securities before the maturity date.
ML&Co. will issue the MITTS Securities in denominations of whole units each with a $10 principal amount per unit. You may transfer the MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities. You should refer to the section entitled Description of the Debt SecuritiesDepositary in the accompanying general prospectus supplement.
The MITTS Securities will not have the benefit of any sinking fund.
Payment on the Maturity Date
On the maturity date, you will be entitled to receive the sum of the $10 principal amount per unit plus a Supplemental Redemption Amount per unit, if any, as provided below. If the Ending Value does not exceed the Starting Value, you will be entitled to receive only the $10 principal amount per unit of the MITTS Securities.
Determination of the Supplemental Redemption Amount
The Supplemental Redemption Amount per unit, denominated in U.S. dollars, will be determined by the Calculation Agent and will equal:
$10 × |
(
|
Ending Value Starting Value | )
|
× Participation Rate | ||||||||
Starting Value |
provided, however, that in no event will the Supplemental Redemption Amount be less than zero.
The Starting Value equals 168.61, the closing level of the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index (the Index) on the Pricing Date. The Starting Value will be determined on the Pricing Date and will be set forth in the final pricing supplement made available in connection with sale of the MITTS Securities.
The Ending Value with respect to the Redemption Amount payable on the stated maturity date will equal the closing level of the Index on December 29, 2010, the fifth scheduled Index Business Day immediately preceding the maturity date (the Valuation Date), provided that if a Market Disruption Event occurs on that date, the Ending Value will be determined according to the Market Disruption Calculation described below.
The Participation Rate equals 118%.
An Index Business Day means any day on which the Index or any successor indices are calculated and published.
PS-12
A Market Disruption Event means one or more of the following events as determined by the Calculation Agent:
(1) | A material limitation, suspension, or disruption of trading in one or more futures contracts included in the Index which results in a failure by the exchange on which each applicable futures contract included in the Index is traded to report an exchange published settlement price for such contract on the day on which such event occurs or any succeeding day on which it continues. |
(2) | The exchange published settlement price for any futures contract included in the Index is a limit price, which means that the exchange published settlement price for such contract for a day has increased or decreased from the previous days exchange published settlement price by the maximum amount permitted under applicable exchange rules. |
(3) | Failure by the applicable exchange or other price source to announce or publish the exchange published settlement price for any futures contract included in the Index. |
(4) | A suspension of trading in one or more futures contracts included in the Index, for which the trading does not resume at least ten (10) minutes prior to the scheduled or rescheduled closing time. |
(5) | Any other event, if the Calculation Agent determines in its sole discretion that the event materially interferes with our ability or the ability of any of our affiliates to unwind all or a material portion of a hedge with respect to the MITTS Securities that we or our affiliates have effected or may effect as described below under Use of Proceeds and Hedging. |
In the event a Market Disruption Event has occurred on the Valuation Date, the Index level will be determined by the Calculation Agent pursuant to the following Market Disruption Calculation:
(1) With respect to each futures contract included in the Index, which is not affected by the Market Disruption Event, the Index level will be based on the exchange published settlement price on the Valuation Date.
(2) With respect to each futures contract included in the Index, which is affected by the Market Disruption Event, the Index level will be based on the exchange published settlement price of each such contract on the first day following the Valuation Date on which no Market Disruption Event occurs with respect to such contract. In the event that a Market Disruption Event occurs with respect to any contract included in the Index on the Valuation Date and on each day to and including the second scheduled Index Business Day prior to maturity (the Cut-Off Date), the price of such contract used to determine the Ending Value will be estimated by the Calculation Agent in a manner which the Calculation Agent considered commercially reasonable under the circumstances.
(3) The Calculation Agent shall determine the Index by reference to the exchange published settlement prices or other prices determined in clauses (1) and (2), above, using the then current method for calculating the Index. The exchange on which a futures contract included in the Index is traded for purposes of the foregoing definition means the exchange used to value such future contract for the calculation of the Index.
The occurrence of a Market Disruption Event could affect the calculation of the Redemption Amount.
All determinations made by the Calculation Agent, absent a determination of manifest error, will be conclusive for all purposes and binding on ML&Co. and the holders and beneficial owners of the MITTS Securities.
PS-13
Hypothetical Returns
The following table illustrates, for the Starting Value of 168.61 and a range of hypothetical Ending Values of the Index:
| the percentage change from the Starting Value to the hypothetical Ending Value; |
| the total amount payable on the maturity date for each unit of MITTS Securities; |
| the total rate of return to holders of the MITTS Securities; |
| the pretax annualized rate of return to holders of MITTS Securities; and |
| the pretax annualized rate of return of an investment in the commodities included in the Index. |
This table reflects the Participation Rate of 118%.
Hypothetical Ending Value Calculation Period |
Percentage Change Starting Value to the Hypothetical Ending Value |
Total Amount Payable at Maturity per Note |
Total Rate of on the Notes |
Pretax Annualized Rate of Return on the Notes |
Pretax Annualized Rate of Return of | |||||
84.31 | 50% | $10.00 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 18.82% | |||||
101.17 | 40% | $10.00 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 14.05% | |||||
118.03 | 30% | $10.00 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 9.92% | |||||
134.90 | 20% | $10.00 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 6.26% | |||||
151.75 | 10% | $10.00 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 2.98% | |||||
168.61(3) | 0% | $10.00(4) | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | |||||
171.99 | 2% | $10.24 | 2.36% | 0.67% | 0.57% | |||||
177.05 | 5% | $10.59 | 5.90% | 1.64% | 1.40% | |||||
185.48 | 10% | $11.18 | 11.80% | 3.21% | 2.74% | |||||
202.34 | 20% | $12.36 | 23.60% | 6.13% | 5.27% | |||||
219.20 | 30% | $13.54 | 35.40% | 8.83% | 7.62% | |||||
236.06 | 40% | $14.72 | 47.20% | 11.33% | 9.83% | |||||
252.92 | 50% | $15.90 | 59.00% | 13.67% | 11.90% |
(1) | The annualized rates of return specified in the preceding table are calculated on a semiannual bond equivalent basis and assume an investment term from July 5, 2007 to January 5, 2011 equal to that of the MITTS Securities. |
(2) | This rate of return assumes: |
(a) | a percentage change in the Index that equals the percentage change from the Starting Value to the relevant hypothetical Ending Value; |
(b) | no transaction fees or expenses. |
(3) | This is the Starting Value. |
(4) | The amount you receive on the maturity date will not be less than $10 per unit. |
The above figures are for purposes of illustration only. The actual amount received by you and the resulting total and pretax annualized rates of return will depend on the actual Starting Value, Ending Value, Participation Rate and the term of your investment.
Adjustments to the Index
If at any time Dow Jones or AIGI makes a material change in the formula for or the method of calculating the Index or in any other way modifies the Index so that the Index does not, in the opinion of the Calculation Agent, fairly represent the level of the Index had those changes or modifications not been made, then, from and after that
PS-14
time, the Calculation Agent will, at the close of business in New York, New York, on each date that the closing level of the Index 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 commodity futures index comparable to the Index as if those changes or modifications had not been made, and calculate the closing level with reference to the Index, as so adjusted.
Discontinuance of the Index
If Dow Jones or AIGI discontinues publication of the Index and Dow Jones, AIGI or another entity publishes a successor or substitute index that the Calculation Agent determines, in its sole discretion, to be comparable to the 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 Dow Jones, AIGI or any other entity for the Index and calculate the Ending Value 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 MITTS Securities.
In the event that Dow Jones or AIGI discontinues publication of the Index and:
| the Calculation Agent does not select a successor index; or |
| the successor index is not published on the Valuation Date, |
the Calculation Agent will compute a substitute level for the Index in accordance with the procedures last used to calculate the Index before any discontinuance. If a successor index is selected or the Calculation Agent calculates a level as a substitute for the Index as described below, the successor index or level will be used as a substitute for the Index for all purposes, including the purpose of determining whether a Market Disruption Event exists.
If Dow Jones or AIGI discontinues publication of the Index before the Valuation Date 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 Value; 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 Supplemental Redemption Amount as described in the preceding paragraph as if that day were a 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 is any day that is either (i) an Index Business Day or (ii) a day on which the applicable exchanges quoting the commodities futures contracts used to calculate a substitute level for the Index following a discontinuance, as discussed above, are open for trading.
Notwithstanding these alternative arrangements, discontinuance of the publication of the Index may adversely affect trading in the MITTS Securities.
Events of Default and Acceleration
In case an Event of Default with respect to any MITTS Securities has occurred and is continuing, the amount payable to a holder of a MITTS Security upon any acceleration permitted by the MITTS Securities, with respect to each unit, will be equal to the sum of the $10 principal amount per unit plus the Supplemental Redemption Amount, if any, calculated as though the date of acceleration were the stated maturity date of the MITTS Securities.
In case of default in payment of the MITTS Securities, whether on the stated maturity date or upon acceleration, from and after that date the MITTS Securities will bear interest, payable upon demand of their holders, at the then current Federal Funds Rate, reset daily, as determined by reference to Reuters page FEDFUNDS1 under
PS-15
the heading EFFECT, 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 MITTS Securities to the date payment of that amount has been made or duly provided for. Reuters page FEDFUNDS1 means such page or any successor page, or page on a successor service, displaying such rate. If the Federal Funds Rate cannot be determined by reference to Reuters page FEDFUNDS1, such rate will be determined in accordance with the procedures set forth in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement relating to the determination of the Federal Funds Rate in the event of the unavailability of Moneyline Telerate page 120.
PS-16
All disclosure contained in this pricing supplement regarding the 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 Dow Jones and AIGI as stated in these sources and these policies are subject to change at the discretion of Dow Jones and AIGI. ML&Co. and MLPF&S have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of that information.
The Index is a proprietary index that was created by Dow Jones and AIGI to provide a liquid and diversified benchmark for commodities investments. The Index was established on July 14, 1998 and is currently comprised of futures contracts (each, an Index Component) on nineteen physical commodities. A commodity futures contract is an agreement that provides for the purchase and sale of a specified type and quantity of a commodity during a stated delivery month for a fixed price. The nineteen commodities that currently comprise the Index (the Index Commodities) are: aluminum; coffee; copper; corn; cotton; crude oil; gold; heating oil; lean hogs; live cattle; natural gas; nickel; silver; soybeans; soybean oil; sugar; unleaded gasoline; wheat; and zinc. Futures contracts on the Index are currently listed for trading on the Chicago Board of Trade (the CBOT). The Index Commodities currently trade on United States exchanges, with the exception of aluminum, nickel and zinc, which trade on the London Metal Exchange (the LME). The actual futures contracts comprising the Index for 2007 are set forth below in the section entitled Annual Reweighting and Rebalancing of the Index.
The Index tracks what is known as a rolling futures position, which is a position where, on a periodic basis, futures contracts on physical commodities specifying delivery on a nearby date must be sold and futures contracts on physical commodities that have not yet reached the delivery period must be purchased. An investor with a rolling futures position is able to avoid delivering underlying physical commodities while maintaining exposure to those commodities. The rollover for each Index Component occurs over a period of five DJ-AIG Business Days each month according to a pre-determined schedule.
The methodology for determining the composition and weighting of the Index and for calculating its level is subject to modification by Dow Jones and AIGI at any time. Currently, Dow Jones disseminates the Index level at approximately 15 second intervals from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., New York time, and publishes a daily settlement price for the Index at approximately 5:00 p.m., New York time, on each DJ-AIG Business Day on Bloomberg page DJAIG.
A DJ-AIG Business Day means a day on which the sum of the Commodity Index Percentages (as described below under Annual Reweighting and Rebalancing of the Index) for the Index Commodities that are open for trading is greater than 50%.
The Index was created using the following four main principles:
Economic Significance: To achieve a fair representation of a diversified group of commodities to the world economy, the Index uses both liquidity data and dollar-weighted production data in determining the relative quantities of included commodities. The Index primarily relies on liquidity data, or the relative amount of trading activity of a particular commodity, as an important indicator of the value placed on that commodity by financial and physical market participants. The Index also relies on production data as a useful measure of the importance of a commodity to the world economy.
Diversification: In order to avoid the Index being subjected to micro-economic shocks in one commodity or sector, diversification rules have been established and are applied annually and in addition, the Index is rebalanced annually a price-percentage basis in order to maintain diversified commodities exposure over time.
Continuity: The Index is intended to provide a stable benchmark so that there is confidence that historical performance data is based on a structure that bears some resemblance to both the current and future composition of the Index.
Liquidity: The inclusion of liquidity as a weighting factor helps to ensure that the Index can accommodate substantial investment flows.
PS-17
Designated Contracts for each Index Commodity
A futures contract known as a Designated Contract is selected by the Dow Jones-AIG Oversight Committee (the Oversight Committee) for each Index Commodity. With the exception of several LME contracts, where the Oversight Committee believes that there exists more than one futures contract with sufficient liquidity to be chosen as a Designated Contract for an Index Commodity, the Oversight Committee selects the futures contract that is traded in North America and denominated in United States dollars. If more than one of those contracts exists, the Oversight Committee will select the most actively traded contract. Data concerning this Designated Contract will be used to calculate the Index. The termination or replacement of a futures contract on an established exchange occurs infrequently. If a Designated Contract were to be terminated or replaced, a comparable futures contract would be selected, if available, to replace that Designated Contract. The Designated Contracts for the Index Commodities included in the Index are traded on the CBOT, the LME, the Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange (the CSCE), the Commodities Exchange (the COMEX), the New York Cotton Exchange (the NYCE) and the New York Mercantile Exchange (the NYMEX) and are as follows:
Commodity Price Quote |
Current Weighting of Designated Contract(1) |
Exchange | Units | |||||
Light, Sweet Crude Oil $/barrel |
12.39% | NYMEX | 1,000 | barrels | ||||
Henry Hub Natural Gas $/mmbtu |
13.59% | NYMEX | 10,000 | mmbtu | ||||
Soybeans cents/bushel |
8.24% | CBOT | 5,000 | bushels | ||||
High Grade Primary Aluminum $/metric ton |
6.55% | LME | 25 | metric tons | ||||
Live Cattle cents/pound |
5.70% | CME | 40,000 | lbs | ||||
High Grade Copper(2) cents/pound |
6.12% | COMEX | 25,000 | lbs | ||||
Gold $/troy oz. |
6.89% | COMEX | 100 | troy oz. | ||||
Corn cents/bushel |
6.24% | CBOT | 5,000 | bushels | ||||
Wheat cents/bushel |
4.59% | CBOT | 5,000 | bushels | ||||
Lean Hogs cents/pound |
3.02% | CME | 40,000 | lbs | ||||
Reformulated Gasoline Blendstock for Oxygen Blending cents/gallon |
4.28% | NYMEX | 42,000 | gallons | ||||
Heating Oil cents/gallon |
3.68% | NYMEX | 42,000 | gallons | ||||
Coffee C cents/pound |
2.72% | CSCE | 37,500 | lbs | ||||
Cotton cents/pound |
2.76% | NYCE | 50,000 | lbs | ||||
World Sugar No. 11 cents/pound |
2.69% | CSCE | 112,000 | lbs | ||||
Special High Grade Zinc $/metric ton |
2.35% | LME | 25 | metric tons | ||||
Primary Nickel $/metric ton |
3.02% | LME | 6 | metric tons | ||||
Soybean Oil cents/pound |
2.77% | CBOT | 60,000 | lbs | ||||
Silver cents/troy oz. |
2.40% | COMEX | 5,000 | troy oz. |
(1) | The column in the above table titled Current Designated Contract Weighting reflects the approximate weightings as of June 28, 2007 of the nineteen commodities currently included in the Index. |
(2) | The Index uses the high grade copper contract traded on the COMEX Division of the NYMEX for Copper contract prices and LME volume data in determining the weighting for the Index. |
PS-18
Commodity Groups
For purposes of applying the diversification rules discussed above and below, the commodities in the Index are assigned to Commodity Groups. The Commodity Groups, and the commodities of each that are currently part of the Index, are as follows:
Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index Weighting by Commodity Group as of
June 28, 2007
Base Metals |
18.04 | % | |
Energy |
33.94 | % | |
Grains |
19.07 | % | |
Precious Metals |
9.28 | % | |
Livestock |
8.72 | % | |
Softs |
8.17 | % | |
Vegetable Oil |
2.77 | % |
Commodity Group: |
Commodities: | Commodity Group: | Commodities: | |||
Energy |
Crude Oil Heating Oil Natural Gas Unleaded Gasoline |
Softs | Coffee Cotton Sugar | |||
Industrial Metals |
Aluminum Copper Nickel Zinc |
Precious Metals | Gold Silver | |||
Grains |
Corn Soybeans Wheat |
Vegetable Oil | Soybean Oil | |||
Livestock |
Lean Hogs Live Cattle |
Annual Reweighting and Rebalancing of the Index
The Index is reweighted and rebalanced each year in January on a price-percentage basis. The annual weightings for the Index are determined each year in June or July by AIGI under the supervision of the Oversight Committee. The Oversight Committee was established by Dow Jones and AIGI to assist with the operation of the Index. The annual weightings are announced in July and implemented the following January. The composition of the Index for 2007 was approved by the Oversight Committee at a meeting held in July 2006 and became effective in January 2007.
The relative weightings of the component commodities included in the Index are determined annually according to both liquidity and dollar-adjusted production data in two-thirds and one-third shares, respectively. Each June, for each commodity designated for potential inclusion in the Index, liquidity is measured by the commodity liquidity percentage (the CLP) and production by the commodity production percentage (the CPP). The CLP for each commodity is determined by taking a five-year average of the product of the trading volume and the historic dollar value of the Designated Contract for that commodity, and dividing the result by the sum of the products for all commodities which were designated for potential inclusion in the Index. The CPP is determined for each commodity
PS-19
by taking a five-year average of annual world production figures, adjusted by the historic dollar value of the Designated Contract, and dividing the result by the sum of the production figures for all the commodities which were designated for potential inclusion in the Index. The CLP and CPP are then combined (using a ratio of 2:1) to establish the Commodity Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index Percentage (the CIP) for each commodity. The CIP is then adjusted in accordance with the diversification rules described below in order to determine the commodities which will be included in the Index and their respective percentage weights.
To ensure that no single commodity or commodity sector dominates the Index, the following diversification rules are applied to the annual reweighting and rebalancing of the Index as of January of the applicable year:
| No related group of commodities designated as a Commodity Group (e.g., energy, precious metals, livestock or grains) may constitute more than 33% of the Index; |
| No single commodity may constitute more than 15% of the Index; |
| No single commodity, together with its derivatives (e.g., crude oil, together with heating oil and unleaded gasoline), may constitute more than 25% of the Index; and |
| No single commodity in the Index may constitute less than 2% of the Index. |
Following the annual reweighting and rebalancing of the Index in January, the percentage of any single commodity or group of commodities at any time prior to the next reweighting or rebalancing will fluctuate and may exceed or be less than the percentage set forth above.
Following application of the diversification rules discussed above, the CIPs are incorporated into the Index by calculating the new unit weights for each Index Commodity. Near the beginning of each new calendar year, the CIPs, along with the settlement prices on that date for the Index Components, are used to determine the commodity index multiplier (the CIM) for each Index Commodity. The CIM is used to achieve the percentage weightings of the Index Commodities, in dollar terms, indicated by their respective CIPs. After the CIMs are calculated, they remain fixed throughout the year. As a result, the observed price percentage of each Index Commodity will float throughout the year, until the CIMs are reset the following year based on new CIPs. The CIM for each of the Index Commodities included in the Index for 2007 are as follows:
The Index Commodity |
2007 Commodity Index Multiplier (CIM) | |
Crude Oil |
6.05967556 | |
Natural Gas |
52.34233140 | |
Soybeans |
31.25206118 | |
Aluminum |
0.07102299 | |
Live Cattle |
179.91207860 | |
Gold |
0.30599010 | |
Corn |
42.28947511 | |
Copper |
66.86611477 | |
Wheat |
27.76253677 | |
Lean Hogs |
136.52342692 | |
Unleaded Gasoline |
71.01538467 | |
Heating Oil |
64.90032632 | |
Cotton |
157.61082251 | |
Coffee |
68.73228194 | |
Sugar |
764.28658957 | |
Zinc |
0.02046528 | |
Soybean Oil |
272.85898675 | |
Nickel |
0.00234182 | |
Silver |
5.05733082 |
Computation of the Index
The Index is calculated by Dow Jones, in conjunction with AIGI by applying the impact of the changes to the prices of the Index Components (based on their relative weightings). Once the CIMs are determined as discussed above, the calculation of the Index is a mathematical process whereby the CIMs for the Index Components are multiplied by the prices for the Index Components. These products are then summed. The percentage change in this sum is then applied to the prior Index level to calculate the current Index level.
PS-20
Historical Data on the Index
The following table sets forth the level of the Index at the end of each month in the period from January 2002 through May 2007. This historical data on the Index is not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the Index or what the value of the MITTS Securities may be. Any historical upward or downward trend in the level of the Index during any period set forth below is not an indication that the Index is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time during the term of the MITTS Securities.
2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | |||||||
January |
88.31 | 118.64 | 137.62 | 146.82 | 173.67 | 166.09 | ||||||
February |
90.48 | 122.53 | 146.45 | 156.89 | 162.23 | 171.01 | ||||||
March |
99.59 | 113.17 | 150.84 | 162.09 | 165.19 | 171.96 | ||||||
April |
99.43 | 112.36 | 148.05 | 152.29 | 175.77 | 173.22 | ||||||
May |
97.76 | 118.82 | 150.44 | 150.73 | 176.68 | 172.72 | ||||||
June |
99.52 | 115.79 | 144.03 | 152.89 | 173.24 | |||||||
July |
98.83 | 116.40 | 146.41 | 159.33 | 178.03 | |||||||
August |
102.58 | 120.90 | 143.56 | 170.82 | 170.88 | |||||||
September |
106.29 | 120.90 | 153.18 | 178.25 | 159.96 | |||||||
October |
105.05 | 126.57 | 155.55 | 166.52 | 166.82 | |||||||
November |
105.25 | 126.09 | 153.41 | 166.40 | 175.21 | |||||||
December |
110.28 | 135.27 | 145.60 | 171.15 | 166.51 |
The following graph sets forth the historical performance of the Index presented in the preceding table. Past movements of the Index are not necessarily indicative of the future performance of the Index. On June 28, 2007, the closing level of the Index was 168.61.
PS-21
License Agreement
Dow Jones, AIGI 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 the Dow Jones in connection with certain securities, including the MITTS Securities. ML&Co. is an authorized sub-licensee under the license agreement.
The license agreement among Dow Jones, AIGI and MLPF&S provides that the following language must be set forth in this pricing supplement:
Dow Jones, AIG®, Dow Jones-AIG Commodity IndexSM and DJ-AIGCISM are service marks of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. (Dow Jones) and American International Group, Inc. (American International Group), as the case may be, and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by ML&Co. The MITTS Securities based on the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity IndexSM are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones, AIG International Inc. (AIGI), American International Group, or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates, and none of Dow Jones, AIGI, American International Group, or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates, makes any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the MITTS Securities.
The MITTS Securities are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones, American International Group, AIGI or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates. None of Dow Jones, American International Group, AIGI or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of or counterparts to the MITTS Securities or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities or commodities generally or in the MITTS Securities particularly. The only relationship of Dow Jones, American International Group, AIGI or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates to ML&Co. is the licensing of certain trademarks, trade names and service marks and of the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index, which are determined, composed and calculated by Dow Jones in conjunction with AIGI without regard to ML&Co. or the MITTS Securities. Dow Jones and AIGI have no obligation to take the needs of ML&Co. or the owners of the MITTS Securities into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index. None of Dow Jones, American International Group, AIGI or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates is responsible for or has participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the MITTS Securities to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the MITTS Securities are to be converted into cash. None of Dow Jones, American International Group, AIGI or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates shall have any obligation or liability, including, without limitation, to holders of the MITTS Securities, in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the MITTS Securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, AIGI, American International Group and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the MITTS Securities currently being issued by ML&Co., but which may be similar to and competitive with the MITTS Securities. In addition, American International Group, AIGI and their subsidiaries and affiliates actively trade commodities, commodity indexes and commodity futures (including the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index), as well as swaps, options and derivatives which are linked to the performance of such commodities, commodity indexes and commodity futures. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index and the MITTS Securities.
This pricing supplement relates only to the MITTS Securities and does not relate to the exchange-traded physical commodities underlying any of the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index components. Investors in the MITTS Securities should not conclude that the inclusion of a futures contract in the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index is any form of investment recommendation of the futures contract or the underlying exchange-traded physical commodity by Dow Jones, American International Group, AIGI or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates. The information in this pricing supplement regarding the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index components has been derived solely from publicly available documents. None of Dow Jones, American International Group, AIGI or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates has made any due diligence inquiries with respect to the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index components in connection with the MITTS Securities. None of Dow Jones, American International Group, AIGI or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates makes any representation that these publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index components, including without limitation a description of factors that affect the prices of such components, are accurate or complete.
NONE OF DOW JONES, AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP, AIGI OR ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES GUARANTEES THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE DOW JONES-AIG COMMODITY INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND NONE OF DOW JONES, AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP, AIGI OR ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES
PS-22
SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. NONE OF DOW JONES, AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP, AIGI OR ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY ML&CO., OWNERS OF THE MITTS SECURITIES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE DOW JONES-AIG COMMODITY INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF DOW JONES, AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP, AIGI OR ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE DOW JONES-AIG COMMODITY INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL DOW JONES, AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP, AIGI OR ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES OR AFFILIATES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS AMONG DOW JONES, AIGI AND ML&CO., OTHER THAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP.
PS-23
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 MITTS Securities. 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 MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities 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 pricing supplement). The following discussion also assumes that the issue price of the MITTS Securities, as determined for United States federal income tax purposes, equals the principal amount thereof. If a partnership holds the MITTS Securities, 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 MITTS Securities should consult their own tax advisors. Moreover, all persons considering the purchase of the MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities arising under the laws of any other taxing jurisdiction.
As used in this pricing supplement, the term U.S. Holder means a beneficial owner of a MITTS Security 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 MITTS Security 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 MITTS Security 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 MITTS Securities or securities with terms substantially the same as the MITTS Securities. However, although the matter is not free from doubt, under current law, each MITTS Security should be treated as a debt instrument of ML&Co. for United States federal income tax purposes. ML&Co. currently intends to treat each MITTS Security 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 MITTS Securities. Prospective investors in the MITTS Securities should be aware, however, that the IRS is not bound by ML&Co.s characterization of the MITTS Securities as indebtedness, and the IRS could possibly take a different position as to the proper characterization of the MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities is based upon the assumption that each MITTS Security will be treated as a debt instrument of ML&Co. for United States federal income tax purposes. If the MITTS Securities 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
PS-24
treatment of the purchase, ownership and disposition of the MITTS Securities could differ from the treatment discussed below with the result that the timing and character of income, gain or loss recognized in respect of a MITTS Security could differ from the timing and character of income, gain or loss recognized in respect of a MITTS Security had the MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities, which apply to debt instruments issued on or after August 13, 1996 and, accordingly, will apply to the MITTS Securities. 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 MITTS Securities, ML&Co. has determined that the projected payment schedule for the MITTS Securities will consist of a payment on the maturity date of the principal amount thereof and a projected Supplemental Redemption Amount equal to $2.0503 per unit (the Projected Supplemental Redemption Amount). This represents an estimated yield on the MITTS Securities equal to 5.39% per annum, compounded semi-annually. Accordingly, during the term of the MITTS Securities, a U.S. Holder of a MITTS Security will be required to include in income as ordinary interest an amount equal to the sum of the daily portions of interest on the MITTS Security 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 MITTS Security. The amount of interest that will be deemed to accrue in any accrual period (i.e., generally each six-month period during which the MITTS Securities are outstanding) will equal the product of this estimated yield (properly adjusted for the length of the accrual period) and the MITTS Securitys 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 MITTS Securitys adjusted issue price will equal the MITTS Securitys issue price (i.e., $10), increased by the interest previously accrued on the MITTS Security. At maturity of a MITTS Security, in the event that the actual Supplemental Redemption Amount, if any, exceeds $2.0503 per unit (i.e., the Projected Supplemental Redemption Amount), a U.S. Holder will be required to include the excess of the actual Supplemental Redemption Amount over $2.0503 per unit (i.e., the Projected Supplemental Redemption Amount) in income as ordinary interest on the stated maturity date. Alternatively, in the event that the actual Supplemental Redemption Amount, if any, is less than $2.0503 per unit (i.e., the Projected Supplemental Redemption Amount), the amount by which the Projected Supplemental Redemption Amount (i.e., $2.0503 per unit) exceeds the actual Supplemental Redemption Amount will be treated first as an offset to any interest otherwise includible in income by the U.S. Holder with respect to the MITTS Security 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 Supplemental Redemption Amount (i.e., $2.0503 per unit) in excess of the actual Supplemental Redemption Amount that is not treated as an interest offset pursuant to the foregoing rules. In addition, U.S. Holders purchasing a MITTS Security at a price that differs from the adjusted issue price of the MITTS Security as of the purchase date (e.g., subsequent purchasers) 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 MITTS Security 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 MITTS Security as of the date of disposition. A U.S. Holders adjusted tax basis in a MITTS Security generally will equal the U.S. Holders initial investment in the MITTS Security increased by any interest previously included in income with
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respect to the MITTS Security 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 MITTS Security. 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 MITTS Security). 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.
All prospective investors in the MITTS Securities should consult their own tax advisors concerning the application of the CPDI Regulations to their investment in the MITTS Securities. Investors in the MITTS Securities may obtain the projected payment schedule, as determined by ML&Co. for purposes of applying the CPDI Regulations to the MITTS Securities, 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 Supplemental Redemption Amount and the estimated yield on the MITTS Securities) has been determined solely for United States federal income tax purposes (i.e., for purposes of applying the CPDI Regulations to the MITTS Securities), and is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of what the actual Supplemental Redemption Amount will be, or that the actual Supplemental Redemption Amount will even exceed zero.
The following table sets forth the amount of interest that will be deemed to accrue with respect to each MITTS Security during each accrual period over the term of the MITTS Securities based upon the projected payment schedule for the MITTS Securities (including both the Projected Supplemental Redemption Amount and the estimated yield equal to 5.39% per annum (compounded semi-annually)) as determined by ML&Co. for purposes of applying the CPDI Regulations to the MITTS Securities:
Accrual Period |
Interest deemed to accrue on MITTS Securities during accrual period (per MITTS Security) |
Total interest deemed as of end of accrual period (per MITTS Security) | ||
July 5, 2007 through January 5, 2007 |
$0.2719 | $0.2719 | ||
January 6, 2008 through July 5, 2008 |
$0.2771 | $0.5490 | ||
July 6, 2008 through January 5, 2009 |
$0.2845 | $0.8335 | ||
January 6, 2009 through July 5, 2009 |
$0.2922 | $1.1257 | ||
July 6, 2009 through January 5, 2010 |
$0.3000 | $1.4257 | ||
January 6, 2010 through July 5, 2010 |
$0.3082 | $1.7339 | ||
July 6, 2010 through January 5, 2011 |
$0.3164 | $2.0503 |
Projected Supplemental Redemption Amount = $2.0503 per MITTS Security.
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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 MITTS Securities are held for investment purposes, the amount of income or gain realized with respect to the MITTS Securities will not constitute unrelated business taxable income. However, if a MITTS Security constitutes debt-financed property (as defined in Section 514(b) of the Code) by reason of indebtedness incurred by a holder of a MITTS Security to purchase the MITTS Security, all or a portion of any income or gain realized with respect to such MITTS Security may be classified as unrelated business taxable income pursuant to Section 514 of the Code. Moreover, prospective investors in the MITTS Securities should be aware that whether or not any income or gain realized with respect to a MITTS Security which is owned by an organization that is generally exempt from U.S. 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 MITTS Securities that are generally exempt from U.S. federal income taxation pursuant to Section 501(a) of the Code are urged to consult with their own tax advisors concerning the U.S. federal income tax consequences to them of investing in the MITTS Securities.
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 MITTS Security, 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 MITTS Security 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 MITTS Security 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 MITTS Security 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 MITTS Security would have been effectively connected with the conduct by the individual of a trade or business in the United States.
Backup withholding
Backup withholding at the applicable statutory rate of United States federal income tax may apply to payments made in respect of the MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Securities 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 MITTS Security 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
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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 MITTS Securities. 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 MITTS Securities 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 Supplemental Redemption Amount.
SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
MLPF&S has advised ML&Co. that it proposes initially to offer all or part of the MITTS Securities directly to the public on a fixed price basis at the offering price set forth on the cover of this pricing supplement. After the initial public offering, the public offering price 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 MITTS Securities 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 pricing supplement by reference from Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2006 have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference (which reports (1) expressed an unqualified opinion on the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule and include an explanatory paragraph regarding the change in accounting method in 2006 for share-based payments to conform to Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 123 (revised 2004), Share-Based Payment, (2) expressed an unqualified opinion on managements assessment regarding the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, and (3) expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting) 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 condensed consolidated interim financial information for the three-month periods ended March 30, 2007 and March 31, 2006 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 report included in the Companys Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 30, 2007 (which report included an explanatory paragraph regarding the adoption of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157, Fair Value Measurement, Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 159, The Fair Value Option for Financial Assets and Financial LiabilitiesIncluding an amendment of FASB Statement No. 115, and FASB Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, an Interpretation of FASB Statement No. 109.) and incorporated by reference herein, they did not audit and they do not express an opinion on that interim 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 condensed consolidated interim 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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INDEX OF CERTAIN DEFINED TERMS
Business Day |
PS-15 | |
Calculation Agent |
PS-6 | |
Ending Value |
PS-4 | |
Index |
PS-3 | |
Index Business Day |
PS-13 | |
Market Disruption Event |
PS-13 | |
MITTS Securities |
PS-1 | |
Participation Rate |
PS-4 | |
Pricing Date |
PS-3 | |
Starting Value |
PS-4 | |
successor index |
PS-15 | |
Supplemental Redemption Amount |
PS-4 | |
Valuation Date |
PS-4 |
Capitalized terms used in this pricing supplement and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the accompanying MTN prospectus supplement, general prospectus supplement and prospectus, as applicable.
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1,910,000 Units
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.
Medium-Term Notes, Series C
Market Index Target-Term Securities®
Linked to the Dow Jones-AIG Commodity IndexSM
due January 5, 2011
(the MITTS® Securities)
$10 principal amount per unit
PRICING SUPPLEMENT
|
Merrill Lynch & Co.
June 28, 2007
MITTS and Market Index Target-Term Securities are registered service marks of Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.