Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration No. 
333-216286

 

PRICING SUPPLEMENT No. WF-58 dated November 30, 2018

(To Prospectus Supplement dated November 6, 2018

and Prospectus dated March 28, 2017)

 

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Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Senior Global Medium-Term Notes

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

¢

 

Linked to the S&P 500® Index

¢

 

Unlike ordinary debt securities, the securities do not pay interest at a specified rate, do not repay a fixed amount of principal at stated maturity and are subject to potential automatic call upon the terms described below. Any return you receive on the securities and whether they are automatically called will depend on the performance of the Index

¢

 

If the closing level of the Index on any call date is greater than or equal to the starting level, we will automatically call the securities for the principal amount plus the call premium applicable to that call date

 

Call Date

December 5, 2019

December 7, 2020

December 6, 2021

November 28, 2022 (the “final calculation day”)

Call Premium

6.60% of the principal amount

13.20% of the principal amount

19.80% of the principal amount

26.40% of the principal amount

¢

 

If the securities are not automatically called prior to the final calculation day, the payment at stated maturity will be based upon the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day and could be greater than, equal to or less than the principal amount per security as follows:

 

¢

 

If the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day is greater than or equal to the starting level, the securities will be automatically called for the principal amount plus the call premium applicable to the final calculation day described above

 

¢

 

If the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day is less than the starting level, but not by more than 10%, you will receive the principal amount of your securities at stated maturity

 

¢

 

If the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day is less than the starting level by more than 10%, you will receive less than the principal amount and have 1-to-1 downside exposure to the decrease in the level of the Index in excess of 10%

¢

 

Investors may lose up to 90% of the principal amount

¢

 

Any positive return on the securities will be limited to the applicable call premium, even if the closing level of the Index on the applicable call date significantly exceeds the starting level. You will not participate in any appreciation of the Index beyond the applicable fixed call premium

¢

 

All payments on the securities are subject to the credit risk of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and you will have no ability to pursue any securities included in the Index for payment; if Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce defaults on its obligations, you could lose all or some of your investment

¢

 

No periodic interest payments or dividends

¢

 

No exchange listing; designed to be held to the applicable call settlement date or stated maturity

 

The securities have complex features and investing in the securities involves risks not associated with an investment in conventional debt securities. See “Risk Factors” herein on page PRS-10.

The securities are unsecured obligations of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and all payments on the securities are subject to the credit risk of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. The securities will not constitute deposits insured by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency or instrumentality of Canada, the United States or any other jurisdiction. The securities are not bail-inable notes (as defined on page S-2 of the prospectus supplement).

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state or provincial securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this pricing supplement or the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

  

 

Principal amount(1)

 

Underwriting Discount and
Commission
(2)

 

Proceeds to Canadian
Imperial Bank of Commerce

Per Security 

 

 

 

$1,000.00

 

$28.25

 

$971.75

Total 

 

 

$1,233,000.00

 

$34,832.25

 

$1,198,167.75

 

(1) 

 

Our estimated value of the securities on the pricing date, based on our internal pricing models, is $952.70 per security. The estimated value is less than the principal amount of the securities. See “The Estimated Value of the Securities” in this pricing supplement. 

(2) 

 

The agent, Wells Fargo Securities, LLC (“Wells Fargo Securities”), will receive an underwriting discount of $28.25 per security. The agent may resell the securities to other securities dealers at the principal amount less a concession not in excess of $17.50 per security. Such securities dealers may include Wells Fargo Advisors (“WFA”) (the trade name of the retail brokerage business of Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, each an affiliate of Wells Fargo Securities). In addition to the selling concession allowed to WFA, the agent will pay $0.75 per security of the underwriting discount to WFA as a distribution expense fee for each security sold by WFA. See “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” and “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” in this pricing supplement for information regarding how we may hedge our obligations under the securities.

 

Wells Fargo Securities

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

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ABOUT THIS PRICING SUPPLEMENT

 

You should read this pricing supplement together with the prospectus dated March 28, 2017 and the prospectus supplement dated November 6, 2018, relating to our Senior Global Medium-Term Notes, of which these securities are a part, for additional information about the securities. Information included in this pricing supplement supersedes information in the prospectus supplement and prospectus to the extent it is different from that information. Certain defined terms used but not defined herein have the meanings set forth in the prospectus supplement and prospectus.

 

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this pricing supplement, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. This pricing supplement may be used only for the purpose for which it has been prepared. No one is authorized to give information other than that contained in this pricing supplement, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and in the documents referred to in this pricing supplement, the prospectus supplement and the prospectus and which are made available to the public. We have not, and Wells Fargo Securities has not, authorized any other person to provide you with different or additional information. If anyone provides you with different or additional information, you should not rely on it.

 

We are not, and Wells Fargo Securities is not, making an offer to sell the securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this pricing supplement, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date of the applicable document. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date. Neither this pricing supplement, nor the accompanying prospectus supplement, nor the accompanying prospectus constitutes an offer, or an invitation on our behalf or on behalf of Wells Fargo Securities, to subscribe for and purchase any of the securities and may not be used for or in connection with an offer or solicitation by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation.

 

References to “CIBC,” “the Issuer,” “the Bank,” “we,” “us” and “our” in this pricing supplement are references to Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and not to any of our subsidiaries, unless we state otherwise or the context otherwise requires.

 

You may access the prospectus supplement and prospectus on the SEC website www.sec.gov as follows (or if such address has changed, by reviewing our filing for the relevant date on the SEC website):

 

·                  Prospectus Supplement dated November 6, 2018 and Prospectus dated March 28, 2017:

https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1045520/000110465918066166/a18-37094_1424b2.htm

 

PRS-2

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

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INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

 

The Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022 (the “securities”) are senior unsecured debt securities of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce that do not pay interest at a specified rate, do not repay a fixed amount of principal at stated maturity and are subject to potential automatic call upon the terms described in this pricing supplement. The return you receive on the securities and whether they are automatically called will depend on the performance of the S&P 500® Index (the “Index”). The securities provide:

 

(i)                                the possibility of an automatic early call of the securities at a fixed call premium if the closing level of the Index on any of the first three call dates is greater than or equal to the starting level; and

 

(ii)                             if the securities are not automatically called prior to the final calculation day:

 

(a)                                 the possibility of a return equal to the call premium applicable to the final calculation day if the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day is greater than or equal to the starting level;

 

(b)                                 repayment of principal if, and only if, the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day is not less than the starting level by more than 10%; and

 

(c)                                  exposure to decreases in the level of the Index if and to the extent the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day is less than the starting level by more than 10%.

 

If the closing level of the Index is less than the starting level on each of the four call dates (including the final calculation day), you will not receive any positive return on your investment in the securities. If the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day is less than the starting level by more than 10%, you will receive less, and possibly 90% less, than the principal amount of your securities at stated maturity.

 

Any positive return on the securities will be limited to the applicable call premium, even if the closing level of the Index on the applicable call date exceeds the starting level by more than the percentage represented by that call premium. You will not participate in any appreciation of the Index beyond the applicable fixed call premium.

 

All payments on the securities are subject to the credit risk of CIBC.

 

The Index is a capitalization-weighted index of 500 U.S. stocks. It is designed to measure performance of the broad domestic economy through changes in the aggregate market value of 500 stocks representing all major industries.

 

The Index was developed by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (the “Index sponsor” or “S&P”) and is calculated, maintained and published by S&P. “S&P 500® Index” is a trademark of S&P and has been licensed for use by CIBC. The securities are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by S&P and S&P makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the securities. See “The S&P 500® Index” in this pricing supplement for additional information.

 

PRS-3

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

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INVESTOR CONSIDERATIONS

 

We have designed the securities for investors who:

 

·                believe that the closing level of the Index will be greater than or equal to the starting level on one of the four call dates;

 

·                seek the potential for a fixed return if the Index has appreciated at all as of any of the four call dates in lieu of full participation in any potential appreciation of the Index;

 

·                understand that if the closing level of the Index is less than the starting level on each of the four call dates (including the final calculation day), they will not receive any positive return on their investment in the securities, and that if the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day is less than the starting level by more than 10%, they will receive less, and up to 90% less, than the principal amount per security;

 

·                understand that the term of the securities may be as short as approximately one year and that they will not receive a higher call premium payable with respect to a later call date if the securities are called on an earlier call date;

 

·                are willing to forgo periodic interest payments on the securities and dividends on securities included in the Index; and

 

·                are willing to hold the securities until the applicable call settlement date or stated maturity.

 

The securities are not designed for, and may not be a suitable investment for, investors who:

 

·                seek a liquid investment or are unable or unwilling to hold the securities to the applicable call settlement date or stated maturity;

 

·                believe that the closing level of the Index will be less than the starting level on each of the four call dates;

 

·                seek a security with a fixed term;

 

·                seek full return at stated maturity of the principal amount of the securities;

 

·                are unwilling to accept the risk that, if the closing level of the Index is less than the starting level on each of the four call dates (including the final calculation day), they will not receive any positive return on their investment in the securities;

 

·                are unwilling to accept the risk that the closing level of the Index may decrease by more than 10% from the starting level to the ending level;

 

·                are unwilling to purchase securities with an estimated value as of the pricing date that is lower than the principal amount;

 

·                seek current income (including income in the form of periodic interest payments);

 

·                seek uncapped exposure to the upside performance of the Index beyond the applicable call premiums;

 

·                are unwilling to accept the credit risk of CIBC to obtain exposure to the Index generally, or to the exposure to the Index that the securities provide specifically; or

 

·                prefer the lower risk of fixed income investments with comparable maturities issued by companies with comparable credit ratings.

 

PRS-4

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

TERMS OF THE SECURITIES

 

The information in this “Terms of the Securities” section is only a summary and is qualified by the more detailed information set forth in this pricing supplement, the prospectus supplement dated November 6, 2018 and the prospectus dated March 28, 2017, each filed with the SEC. See “About This Pricing Supplement” in this pricing supplement.

 

 

 

Market Measure:

 

 

 

 

S&P 500® Index (Bloomberg ticker symbol “SPX”).

 

 

Pricing Date:

 

 

 

November 30, 2018.

 

 

 

Issue Date:

 

 

 

 

December 5, 2018.

 

 

Principal Amount:

 

 

 

$1,000 per security. References in this pricing supplement to a “security” are to a security with a face amount of $1,000.

 

 

Automatic Call:

 

 

If the closing level of the Index on any call date (including the final calculation day) is greater than or equal to the starting level, the securities will be automatically called, and on the related call settlement date you will be entitled to receive a cash payment per security in U.S. dollars equal to the principal amount per security plus the call premium applicable to the relevant call date. The last call date is the final calculation day, and payment upon an automatic call on the final calculation day, if applicable, will be made on the stated maturity date.

 

Any positive return on the securities will be limited to the applicable call premium, even if the closing level of the Index on the applicable call date significantly exceeds the starting level. You will not participate in any appreciation of the Index beyond the applicable call premium.

 

If the securities are automatically called, they will cease to be outstanding on the related call settlement date and you will have no further rights under the securities after such call settlement date. You will not receive any notice from us if the securities are automatically called.

 

 

Call Dates and Premiums:

 

 

 

Call Date

Call Premium

Payment per Security upon an

Automatic Call

December 5, 2019

6.60% of the principal amount

$1,066.00

December 7, 2020

13.20% of the principal amount

$1,132.00

December 6, 2021

19.80% of the principal amount

$1,198.00

November 28, 2022

26.40% of the principal amount

$1,264.00

 

We refer to November 28, 2022 as the “final calculation day.”

 

The call dates are subject to postponement for non-trading days and the occurrence of a market disruption event. See “—Postponement of a Calculation Day” below.

 

Call Settlement Date:

 

 

Five business days after the applicable call date (as each such call date may be postponed pursuant to “—Postponement of a Calculation Day” below, if applicable); provided that the call settlement date for the last call date will be the stated maturity date.

 

 

PRS-5

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

Payment at

Stated Maturity:

 

If the closing level of the Index is less than the starting level on each of the four call dates, the securities will not be automatically called, and on the stated maturity date, you will be entitled to receive a cash payment per security in U.S. dollars determined as follows:

 

·  if the ending level is greater than or equal to the threshold level: $1,000; or

·  if the ending level is less than the threshold level: $1,000 minus:

 

 

If the securities are not automatically called on or prior to the final calculation day and the ending level is less than the threshold level, you will receive less, and possibly 90% less, than the principal amount of your securities at stated maturity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stated Maturity

Date:

 

December 5, 2022. If the final calculation day is postponed, the stated maturity date will be the later of (i) December 5, 2022 and (ii) five business days after the final calculation day, as postponed. See “—Postponement of a Calculation Day” below. If the stated maturity date is not a business day, the payment to be made on the stated maturity date will be made on the next succeeding business day with the same force and effect as if it had been made on the stated maturity date. The securities are not subject to redemption at the option of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce or repayment at the option of any holder of the securities prior to the stated maturity date.

 

 

 

Closing Level:

The “closing level” of the Index on any trading day means the official closing level of the Index as reported by the Index sponsor on such trading day.

 

 

 

Starting Level:

2,760.17, the closing level of the Index on the pricing date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ending Level:

The “ending level” will be the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day.

 

 

 

Threshold Level:

2,484.153, which is equal to 90% of the starting level.

 

 

 

Postponement of a

Calculation Day:

 

The call dates (including the final calculation day) are each referred to as a “calculation day.” If any calculation day is not a trading day, such calculation day will be postponed to the next succeeding trading day. A calculation day is also subject to postponement due to the occurrence of a market disruption event. See “Additional Terms of the Securities—Market Disruption Events” in this pricing supplement.

 

A “trading day” means a day, as determined by the calculation agent, on which (i) the Index sponsor is scheduled to publish the level of the Index and (ii) each related futures or options exchange is scheduled to be open for trading for its regular trading session. The “relevant stock exchange” for any security underlying the Index means the primary exchange or quotation system on which such security is traded, as determined by the calculation agent. The “related futures or options exchange” for the Index means an exchange or quotation system where trading has a material effect (as determined by the calculation agent) on the overall market for futures or options contracts relating to the Index.

 

 

 

Calculation Agent:

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. We may appoint a different calculation agent without your consent and without notifying you.

 

All determinations made by the calculation agent will be at the sole discretion of it, and, in the absence of manifest error, will be conclusive for all purposes and binding on us and you. All percentages and other amounts resulting from any calculation with respect to the securities will be rounded at the calculation agent’s discretion. The calculation agent will have no liability for its determinations.

 

 

 

 

PRS-6

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

 

Business Day:

 

A Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or order to close in New York or Toronto.

 

 

 

 

No Listing:

 

The securities will not be listed on any securities exchange or quoted on any automated quotation system.

 

 

 

 

Clearance and

Settlement:

 

The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”).

 

 

 

Material U.S. Tax   Consequences:

 

By purchasing the securities, each holder agrees to treat them as pre-paid cash-settled derivative contracts for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Assuming this treatment is respected, gain or loss recognized on the securities should be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the holder has held the securities for more than a year. However, if the Internal Revenue Service were successful in asserting an alternative treatment of the securities, the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of the securities might be materially and adversely affected. As described below under “Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations,” in 2007, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service released a notice requesting comments on various issues regarding the U.S. federal income tax treatment of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar instruments. Any Treasury regulations or other guidance promulgated after consideration of these issues could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the securities, including the character and timing of income or loss and the degree, if any, to which income realized by non-U.S. persons should be subject to withholding tax, possibly with retroactive effect. Both U.S. and non-U.S. persons considering an investment in the securities should review carefully the section of this pricing supplement entitled “Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” and consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the securities (including possible alternative treatments and the issues presented by the notice), as well as tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.

 

 

 

 

Benefit Plan Investor Considerations:

 

For a discussion of benefit plan investor considerations, please see “Certain U.S. Benefit Plan Investor Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus.

 

 

 

Agent:

 

Wells Fargo Securities. The agent may resell the securities to other securities dealers, including securities dealers acting as custodians, at the principal amount of the securities less a concession of not in excess of $17.50 per security. Such securities dealers may include WFA (the trade name of the retail brokerage business of Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, each an affiliate of Wells Fargo Securities). In addition to the selling concession allowed to WFA, Wells Fargo Securities will pay $0.75 per security of the underwriting discount to WFA as a distribution expense fee for each security sold by WFA. 

 

Denominations:

 

 

$1,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000.

 

 

 

 

CUSIP / ISIN:

 

 

13605WNB3 / US13605WNB36.

 

 

 

 

PRS-7

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

DETERMINING TIMING AND AMOUNT OF PAYMENT ON THE SECURITIES

 

The timing and amount of the payment you will receive will be determined as follows:

 

 

PRS-8

 

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

HYPOTHETICAL PAYOUT PROFILE

 

The following profile illustrates the potential payment on the securities for a range of hypothetical percentage changes in the closing level of the Index from the pricing date to the applicable call date (including the final calculation day). The profile is based on a call premium of 6.60% for the first call date, 13.20% for the second call date, 19.80% for the third call date and 26.40% for the final call date and the threshold level equal to 90% of the starting level. This profile has been prepared for purposes of illustration only. Your actual return will depend on (i) whether the securities are automatically called; (ii) if the securities are automatically called, the actual call date on which the securities are called; (iii) if the securities are not automatically called, the actual ending level of the Index; and (iv) whether you hold your securities to stated maturity or earlier automatic call.

 

 

PRS-9

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

RISK FACTORS

 

The securities have complex features and investing in the securities will involve risks not associated with an investment in conventional debt securities or the securities that comprise the Index. You should carefully consider the risk factors set forth below as well as the other information contained in this pricing supplement and the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus, including the documents they incorporate by reference. As described in more detail below, the value of the securities may vary considerably before the stated maturity date due to events that are difficult to predict and are beyond our control. You should reach an investment decision only after you have carefully considered with your advisors the suitability of an investment in the securities in light of your particular circumstances.

 

If The Securities Are Not Automatically Called And The Ending Level Is Less Than The Threshold Level, You Will Receive At Stated Maturity Less, And Up To 90% Less, Than The Principal Amount Of Your Securities.

 

We will not repay you a fixed amount on the securities on the stated maturity date. If the closing level of the Index is less than the starting level on each of the four call dates, the securities will not be automatically called, and you will receive a payment at stated maturity that will be equal to or less than the principal amount per security, depending on the ending level (i.e., the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day). Because the level of the Index will be subject to market fluctuations, the payment you receive at stated maturity may be more or less, and possibly significantly less, than the principal amount of your securities.

 

If the ending level is less than the threshold level, the payment you receive at stated maturity will be reduced by an amount equal to the decline in the level of the Index to the extent it is below the threshold level (expressed as a percentage of the starting level). The threshold level is 90% of the starting level. As a result, you may receive less, and up to 90% less, than the principal amount per security at stated maturity even if the level of the Index is greater than or equal to the starting level or the threshold level at certain times during the term of the securities.

 

If the securities are not automatically called, your return on the securities will be zero or negative, and your yield on the securities will be less than the yield you would earn if you bought a traditional interest-bearing debt security of CIBC or another issuer with a similar credit rating with the same stated maturity date.

 

The Potential Return On The Securities Is Limited To The Call Premium.

 

The potential return on the securities is limited to the applicable call premium, regardless of the performance of the Index. The Index may appreciate by significantly more than the percentage represented by the applicable call premium from the pricing date through the applicable call date, in which case an investment in the securities will underperform a hypothetical alternative investment providing a 1-to-1 return based on the performance of the Index. In addition, you will not receive the value of dividends or other distributions paid with respect to the securities included in the Index. Furthermore, if the securities are called on an earlier call date, you will receive a lower call premium than if the securities were called on a later call date, and accordingly, if the securities are called on one of the three earlier call dates, you will not receive the highest potential call premium.

 

You Will Be Subject To Reinvestment Risk.

 

If your securities are automatically called early, the term of the securities may be reduced to as short as approximately one year. There is no guarantee that you would be able to reinvest the proceeds from an investment in the securities at a comparable return for a similar level of risk in the event the securities are automatically called prior to stated maturity.

 

Your Return On The Securities Could Be Less Than If You Owned Securities Included In The Index.

 

Your return on the securities will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the securities included in the Index and received the dividends and other payments paid on those securities. This is in part because any payment on the securities will be determined by reference to the closing levels of the Index, which will be calculated by reference to the prices of the securities in the Index without taking into consideration the value of dividends and other payments paid on those securities.

 

PRS-10

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

No Periodic Interest Will Be Paid On The Securities.

 

No periodic interest will be paid on the securities. However, because it is possible that the securities may be classified for U.S. federal income tax purposes as contingent payment debt instruments rather than prepaid forward contracts, you may be required to accrue interest income over the term of your securities. See “Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” in this pricing supplement.

 

The Securities Are Subject To The Credit Risk Of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

 

The securities are our obligations exclusively and are not, either directly or indirectly, an obligation of any third party. Any amounts payable under the securities are subject to our creditworthiness, and you will have no ability to pursue any securities included in the Index for payment. As a result, our actual and perceived creditworthiness and actual or anticipated decreases in our credit ratings may affect the value of the securities and, in the event we were to default on our obligations, you may not receive any amounts owed to you under the terms of the securities.

 

The Value Of The Securities Prior To Stated Maturity Will Be Affected By Numerous Factors, Some Of Which Are Related In Complex Ways.

 

The value of the securities prior to stated maturity will be affected by the level of the Index at that time, interest rates at that time and a number of other factors, some of which are interrelated in complex ways. The effect of any one factor may be offset or magnified by the effect of another factor. The following factors, among others, are expected to affect the value of the securities. When we refer to the “value” of your security, we mean the value you could receive for your security if you are able to sell it in the open market before the stated maturity date.

 

·        Index Performance. The value of the securities prior to stated maturity will depend substantially on the level of the Index. The price at which you may be able to sell the securities before stated maturity may be at a discount, which could be substantial, from their principal amount, if the level of the Index at such time is less than, equal to or not sufficiently above its starting level or threshold level.

 

·        Interest Rates. The value of the securities may be affected by changes in the interest rates in the U.S. markets.

 

·        Volatility Of The Index. Volatility is the term used to describe the size and frequency of market fluctuations. The value of the securities may be affected if the volatility of the Index changes.

 

·        Time Remaining To Maturity. The value of the securities at any given time prior to maturity will likely be different from that which would be expected based on the then-current level of the Index. This difference will most likely reflect a discount due to expectations and uncertainty concerning the level of the Index during the period of time still remaining to the maturity date. In general, as the time remaining to maturity decreases, the value of the securities will approach the amount that could be payable at maturity based on the then-current level of the Index.

 

·        Dividend Yields On Securities Included In The Index. The value of the securities may be affected by the dividend yields on securities included in the Index.

 

·        Events Involving Companies Included In The Index. General economic conditions and earnings results of the companies whose securities are included in the Index and real or anticipated changes in those conditions or results may affect the value of the securities. Additionally, as a result of a merger or acquisition, one or more of the securities in the Index may be replaced with a surviving or acquiring entity’s securities. The surviving or acquiring entity’s securities may not have the same characteristics as the stock originally included in the Index.

 

·        Our Credit Ratings, Financial Condition And Results Of Operation. Actual or anticipated changes in our credit ratings, financial condition or results of operation may affect the value of the securities. However, because the return on the securities is dependent upon factors in addition to our ability to pay our obligations under the securities, such as the level of the Index, an improvement in our credit ratings, financial condition or results of operation will not reduce the other investment risks related to the securities.

 

PRS-11

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

You should understand that the impact of one of the factors specified above, such as a change in interest rates, may offset some or all of any change in the value of the securities attributable to another factor, such as a change in the level of the Index.

 

The Estimated Value Of The Securities Is Not An Indication Of The Price, If Any, At Which Wells Fargo Securities Or Any Other Person May Be Willing To Buy The Securities From You In The Secondary Market.

 

The price, if any, at which Wells Fargo Securities or any of its affiliates may purchase the securities in the secondary market will be based on Wells Fargo Securities’ proprietary pricing models and will fluctuate over the term of the securities as a result of changes in the market and other factors described in the preceding risk factor. Any such secondary market price for the securities will also be reduced by a bid-offer spread, which may vary depending on the aggregate principal amount of the securities to be purchased in the secondary market transaction, and the expected cost of unwinding any related hedging transactions. Unless the factors described in the preceding risk factor change significantly in your favor, any such secondary market price for the securities will likely be less than the principal amount.

 

If Wells Fargo Securities or any of its affiliates makes a secondary market in the securities at any time up to the issue date or during the three-month period following the issue date, the secondary market price offered by Wells Fargo Securities or any of its affiliates will be increased by an amount reflecting a portion of the costs associated with selling, structuring, hedging and issuing the securities that are included in the principal amount. Because this portion of the costs is not fully deducted upon issuance, any secondary market price offered by Wells Fargo Securities or any of its affiliates during this period will be higher than it would be if it were based solely on Wells Fargo Securities’ proprietary pricing models less the bid-offer spread and hedging unwind costs described above. The amount of this increase in the secondary market price will decline steadily to zero over this three-month period. If you hold the securities through an account at Wells Fargo Securities or one of its affiliates, we expect that this increase will also be reflected in the value indicated for the securities on your brokerage account statement. If you hold your securities through an account at a broker-dealer other than Wells Fargo Securities or any of its affiliates, the value of the securities on your brokerage account statement may be different than if you held your securities at Wells Fargo Securities or any of its affiliates.

 

Our Estimated Value Of The Securities Is Lower Than The Principal Amount Of The Securities.

 

Our estimated value is only an estimate using several factors. The principal amount of the securities exceeds our estimated value because costs associated with selling and structuring the securities, as well as hedging the securities, are included in the principal amount of the securities. See “The Estimated Value of the Securities” in this pricing supplement.

 

Our Estimated Value Does Not Represent Future Values Of The Securities And May Differ From Others’ Estimates.

 

Our estimated value of the securities was determined by reference to our internal pricing models when the terms of the securities were set. This estimated value was based on market conditions and other relevant factors existing at that time and our assumptions about market parameters, which can include volatility, dividend rates, interest rates and other factors. Different pricing models and assumptions could provide valuations for the securities that are greater than or less than our estimated value. In addition, market conditions and other relevant factors in the future may change, and any assumptions may prove to be incorrect. On future dates, the value of the securities could change significantly based on, among other things, changes in market conditions, our creditworthiness, interest rate movements and other relevant factors, which may impact the price, if any, at which Wells Fargo Securities or any other person would be willing to buy securities from you in secondary market transactions. See “The Estimated Value of the Securities” in this pricing supplement.

 

Our Estimated Value Was Not Determined By Reference To Credit Spreads For Our Conventional Fixed-Rate Debt.

 

The internal funding rate used in the determination of our estimated value generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. If we were to have used the interest rate implied by our conventional fixed-rate credit spreads, we would expect the economic terms of the securities to be more favorable to you. Consequently, our use of an internal funding rate had an adverse effect on the terms of the securities and could have an adverse effect on any secondary market prices of the securities. See “The Estimated Value of the Securities” in this pricing supplement.

 

PRS-12

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

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The Securities Will Not Be Listed On Any Securities Exchange And We Do Not Expect A Trading Market For The Securities To Develop.

 

The securities will not be listed or displayed on any securities exchange or any automated quotation system. Although Wells Fargo Securities and/or its affiliates may purchase the securities from holders, they are not obligated to do so and are not required to make a market for the securities. There can be no assurance that a secondary market will develop. Because we do not expect that any market makers will participate in a secondary market for the securities, the price at which you may be able to sell your securities is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which Wells Fargo Securities and/or its affiliates are willing to buy your securities.

 

If a secondary market does exist, it may be limited. Accordingly, there may be a limited number of buyers if you decide to sell your securities prior to stated maturity. This may affect the price you receive upon such sale. Consequently, you should be willing to hold the securities to stated maturity.

 

Historical Levels Of The Index Should Not Be Taken As An Indication Of The Future Performance Of The Index During The Term Of The Securities.

 

The trading prices of the securities included in the Index will determine the closing levels of the Index and, therefore, whether the securities will be automatically called on any of the call dates (including the final calculation day) or the payment at stated maturity. As a result, it is impossible to predict whether the closing levels of the Index will fall or rise compared to its starting level. Trading prices of the securities included in the Index will be influenced by complex and interrelated political, economic, financial and other factors that can affect the markets in which those securities are traded and the values of those securities themselves. Accordingly, any historical levels of the Index do not provide an indication of the future performance of the Index.

 

Changes That Affect The Index May Adversely Affect The Value Of The Securities And The Amount You Will Receive At Stated Maturity.

 

The policies of the Index sponsor concerning the calculation of the Index and the addition, deletion or substitution of securities comprising the Index and the manner in which the Index sponsor takes account of certain changes affecting such securities may affect the level of the Index and, therefore, may affect the value of the securities and the amount payable to you. The Index sponsor may discontinue or suspend calculation or dissemination of the Index or materially alter the methodology by which it calculates the Index. Any such actions could adversely affect the value of the securities.

 

We Cannot Control Actions By Any Of The Unaffiliated Companies Whose Securities Are Included In The Index.

 

Actions by any company whose securities are included in the Index may have an adverse effect on the price of its security, the closing levels of the Index and the value of the securities. We are not affiliated with any of the companies whose securities are included in the Index. These companies will not be involved in the offering of the securities and will have no obligations with respect to the securities, including any obligation to take our or your interests into consideration for any reason. These companies will not receive any of the proceeds of the offering of the securities and will not be responsible for, and will not have participated in, the determination of the timing of, prices for, or quantities of, the securities to be issued. These companies will not be involved with the administration, marketing or trading of the securities and will have no obligations with respect to the amount to be paid to you.

 

We, Wells Fargo Securities, And Our Respective Affiliates Have No Affiliation With The Index Sponsor And Have Not Independently Verified Its Public Disclosure Of Information.

 

We, Wells Fargo Securities, and our respective affiliates are not affiliated in any way with the Index sponsor and have no ability to control or predict its actions, including any errors in or discontinuation of disclosure regarding the methods or policies relating to the calculation of the Index. We have derived the information about the Index sponsor and the Index contained herein from publicly available information, without independent verification. You, as an investor in the securities, should make your own investigation into the Index and the Index sponsor. The Index sponsor is not involved in the offering of the securities made hereby in any way and has no obligation to consider your interest as an owner of securities in taking any actions that might affect the value of the securities.

 

PRS-13

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

A Call Settlement Date And The Stated Maturity Date May Be Postponed If A Calculation Day Is Postponed.

 

A calculation day (i.e., a call date, including the final calculation day) will be postponed if the applicable originally scheduled calculation day is not a trading day or if the calculation agent determines that a market disruption event has occurred or is continuing on that calculation day. If such a postponement occurs with respect to a calculation day other than the final calculation day, then the related call settlement date will be postponed. If such a postponement occurs with respect to the final calculation day, the stated maturity date will be the later of (i) the initial stated maturity date and (ii) five business days after the postponed final calculation day.

 

We Or One Of Our Affiliates Will Be The Calculation Agent And, As A Result, Potential Conflicts Of Interest Could Arise.

 

We or one of our affiliates will be the calculation agent for purposes of determining, among other things, the closing levels of the Index on each calculation day and whether the securities are automatically called and may be required to make other determinations that affect the return you receive on the securities. In making these determinations, the calculation agent may be required to make discretionary judgments, including determining whether a market disruption event has occurred on a scheduled calculation day, which may result in postponement of that calculation day; determining the closing level of the Index if a calculation day is postponed to the last day to which it may be postponed and a market disruption event occurs on that day; if publication of the Index is discontinued, selecting a successor or, if no successor is available, determining the closing level on the applicable calculation day; and determining whether to adjust the closing level of the Index on a calculation day in the event of certain changes in or modifications to the Index. Although the calculation agent will exercise its judgment in good faith when performing its functions, potential conflicts of interest may exist between the calculation agent and you.

 

Our Economic Interests And Those Of Any Dealer Participating In The Offering Of Securities Will Potentially Be Adverse To Your Interests.

 

You should be aware of the following ways in which our economic interests and those of any dealer participating in the distribution of the securities, which we refer to as a “participating dealer,” will potentially be adverse to your interests as an investor in the securities. In engaging in certain of the activities described below, our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may take actions that may adversely affect the value of and your return on the securities, and in so doing they will have no obligation to consider your interests as an investor in the securities. Our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may realize a profit from these activities even if investors do not receive a favorable investment return on the securities.

 

·        Research reports by our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may be inconsistent with an investment in the securities and may adversely affect the level of the Index. Our affiliates or any dealer participating in the offering of the securities or its affiliates may, at present or in the future, publish research reports on the Index or the companies whose securities are included in the Index. This research will be modified from time to time without notice and may, at present or in the future, express opinions or provide recommendations that are inconsistent with purchasing or holding the securities. Any research reports on the Index or the companies whose securities are included in the Index could adversely affect the level of the Index and, therefore, adversely affect the value of and your return on the securities. You are encouraged to derive information concerning the Index from multiple sources and should not rely on the views expressed by us or our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates. In addition, any research reports on the Index or the companies whose securities are included in the Index published on or prior to the pricing date could result in an increase in the level of the Index on the pricing date, which would adversely affect investors in the securities by increasing the level at which the Index must close on the calculation day in order for investors in the securities to receive a favorable return.

 

·        Business activities of our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates with the companies whose securities are included in the Index may adversely affect the level of the Index. Our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may, at present or in the future, engage in business with the companies whose securities are included in the Index, including making loans to those companies (including exercising creditors’ remedies with respect to such loans), making equity investments in those companies or providing investment banking, asset management or other advisory services to those companies. These business activities could adversely affect the level of the Index and, therefore, adversely affect the value of and your return on the securities. In addition, in the course of these business activities, our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may acquire non-public information about one or more of the companies whose securities are included in the Index. If our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates do acquire such non-public information, we and they are not obligated to disclose such non-public information to you.

 

PRS-14

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

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·        Hedging activities by our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may adversely affect the level of the Index. We expect to hedge our obligations under the securities through one or more hedge counterparties, which may include our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates. Pursuant to such hedging activities, our hedge counterparty may acquire securities included in the Index or listed or over-the-counter derivative or synthetic instruments related to the Index or such securities. Depending on, among other things, future market conditions, the aggregate amount and the composition of such positions are likely to vary over time. To the extent that our hedge counterparty has a long hedge position in any of the securities included in the Index, or derivative or synthetic instruments related to the Index or such securities, they may liquidate a portion of such holdings at or about the time of a calculation day or at or about the time of a change in the securities included in the Index. These hedging activities could potentially adversely affect the level of the Index and, therefore, adversely affect the value of and your return on the securities.

 

·        Trading activities by our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may adversely affect the level of the Index. Our affiliates or any participating dealer or its affiliates may engage in trading in the securities included in the Index and other instruments relating to the Index or such securities on a regular basis as part of their general broker-dealer and other businesses. Any of these trading activities could potentially adversely affect the prices of the securities included in the Index and, therefore, adversely affect the value of and your return on the securities.

 

·        A participating dealer or its affiliates may realize hedging profits projected by its proprietary pricing models in addition to any selling concession or any distribution expense fee, creating a further incentive for the participating dealer to sell the securities to you. If any participating dealer or any of its affiliates conducts hedging activities for us in connection with the securities, that participating dealer or its affiliates will expect to realize a projected profit from such hedging activities, and this projected profit will be in addition to any concession or distribution expense fee that the participating dealer receives for the sale of the securities to you. This additional projected profit may create a further incentive for the participating dealer to sell the securities to you.

 

The U.S. Federal Tax Consequences Of An Investment In The Securities Are Unclear.

 

There is no direct legal authority regarding the proper U.S. federal tax treatment of the securities, and we do not plan to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service. Consequently, significant aspects of the tax treatment of the securities are uncertain, and the Internal Revenue Service or a court might not agree with the treatment of the securities as pre-paid cash-settled derivative contracts. If the Internal Revenue Service were successful in asserting an alternative treatment of the securities, the tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of the securities might be materially and adversely affected. As described below under “Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations,” in 2007, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service released a notice requesting comments on various issues regarding the U.S. federal income tax treatment of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar instruments. Any Treasury regulations or other guidance promulgated after consideration of these issues could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the securities, including the character and timing of income or loss and the degree, if any, to which income realized by non-U.S. persons should be subject to withholding tax, possibly with retroactive effect.

 

Furthermore, Section 871(m) of the Internal Revenue Code imposes a withholding tax of up to 30% on “dividend equivalents” paid to non-U.S. investors in respect of certain financial instruments linked to U.S. equities. Since the S&P 500® Index should constitute a qualified index, as of the date of this pricing supplement the securities should not be subject to withholding under Section 871(m).

 

Both U.S. and non-U.S. persons considering an investment in the securities should review carefully the section of this pricing supplement entitled “Certain United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” and consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the securities (including possible alternative treatments and the issues presented by the notice), as well as tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.

 

There Can Be No Assurance That The Canadian Federal Income Tax Consequences Of An Investment In The Securities Will Not Change In The Future.

 

There can be no assurance that Canadian federal income tax laws, the judicial interpretation thereof, or the administrative policies and assessing practices of the Canada Revenue Agency will not be changed in a manner that adversely affects investors. For a discussion of the Canadian federal income tax consequences of investing in the securities, please read the section entitled “Certain Canadian

 

PRS-15

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

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Federal Income Tax Considerations” in this pricing supplement as well as the section entitled “Material Income Tax Consequences—Canadian Taxation” in the accompanying prospectus dated March 28, 2017. You should consult your tax advisor with respect to your own particular situation.

 

PRS-16

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

HYPOTHETICAL RETURNS

 

If the securities are automatically called:

 

Assuming that the securities are automatically called, the following table illustrates, for each hypothetical call date on which the securities are automatically called:

 

·                  the hypothetical payment per security on the related call settlement date; and

 

·                  the hypothetical total pre-tax rate of return.

 

Hypothetical Call Date on which Securities
are Automatically Called

 

Hypothetical Payment Per Security
on Related Call Settlement Date

 

Hypothetical Pre-Tax

Total Rate of Return

1st call date

$1,066.00

6.60%

2nd call date

$1,132.00

13.20%

3rd call date

$1,198.00

19.80%

4th call date

 

$1,264.00

 

26.40%

 

If the securities are not automatically called:

 

Assuming that the securities are not automatically called, the following table illustrates, for a range of hypothetical ending levels of the Index:

 

·                  the hypothetical percentage change from the hypothetical starting level to the hypothetical ending level, assuming a hypothetical starting level of 100.00;

 

·                  the hypothetical payment at stated maturity per security; and

 

·                  the hypothetical pre-tax total rate of return.

 

Hypothetical Ending
Level

 

Hypothetical Percentage Change
From the Hypothetical Starting
Level to the

Hypothetical Ending Level

 

Hypothetical Payment at
Stated Maturity Per
Security

 

Hypothetical Pre-Tax
Total Rate of Return

99.99

-0.01%

$1,000.00

0.00%

95.00

-5.00%

$1,000.00

0.00%

90.00

-10.00%

$1,000.00

0.00%

89.00

-11.00%

$990.00

-1.00%

80.00

-20.00%

$900.00

-10.00%

75.00

-25.00%

$850.00

-15.00%

50.00

-50.00%

$600.00

-40.00%

25.00

-75.00%

$350.00

-65.00%

0.00

-100.00%

$100.00

-90.00%

 

The above figures are for purposes of illustration only and may have been rounded for ease of analysis. The actual amount you will receive upon an automatic call or at stated maturity and the resulting pre-tax rate of return will depend on (i) whether the securities are automatically called; (ii) if the securities are automatically called, the actual call date on which the securities are called; (iii) if the securities are not automatically called, the actual ending level; and (iv) whether you hold your securities to the call settlement date or stated maturity.

 

PRS-17

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

HYPOTHETICAL PAYMENTS AT STATED MATURITY

 

If the closing level of the Index is less than the starting level on each of the first three call dates, the securities will not be automatically called prior to the final calculation day, and you will receive a payment at stated maturity that will be greater than, equal to or less than the principal amount per security, depending on the ending level (i.e., the closing level of the Index on the final calculation day). Set forth below are three examples of calculations of the payment at stated maturity, assuming that the securities have not been automatically called on any of the first three call dates, reflecting a call premium applicable to the final calculation day of 26.40% and assuming the hypothetical starting level, threshold level and ending levels indicated in the examples. The terms used for purposes of these hypothetical examples do not represent the actual starting level or threshold level. The hypothetical starting level of 100.00 has been chosen for illustrative purposes only and does not represent the actual starting level. The actual starting level and threshold level are set forth in the “Terms of the Securities” above. For historical data regarding the actual closing levels of the Index, see the historical information set forth under the section titled “The S&P 500® Index” below. These examples are for purposes of illustration only and the values used in the examples may have been rounded for ease of analysis.

 

Example 1. Ending level is greater than the starting level, the securities are automatically called on the final calculation day and the payment at stated maturity is equal to the principal amount plus the applicable call premium:

 

Hypothetical starting level: 100.00

 

Hypothetical ending level: 150.00

 

Since the hypothetical ending level is greater than the hypothetical starting level, the securities are automatically called on the final calculation day and you will receive the principal amount of your securities plus a call premium of 26.40% of the principal amount per security. Even though the Index appreciated by 50% from its starting level to its ending level in this example, your return is limited to the call premium of 26.40%, which is applicable to the final calculation day.

 

On the stated maturity date, you would receive $1,264.00 per security.

 

Example 2. Ending level is less than the starting level but greater than the threshold level and the payment at stated maturity is equal to the principal amount:

 

Hypothetical starting level: 100.00

 

Hypothetical ending level: 95.00

 

Hypothetical threshold level: 90.00, which is 90% of the hypothetical starting level

 

Since the hypothetical ending level is less than the hypothetical starting level, but not by more than 10%, you would not lose any of the principal amount of your securities.

 

On the stated maturity date, you would receive $1,000.00 per security.

 

Example 3. Ending level is less than the threshold level and the payment at stated maturity is less than the principal amount:

 

Hypothetical starting level: 100.00

 

Hypothetical ending level: 50.00

 

Hypothetical threshold level: 90.00, which is 90% of the hypothetical starting level

 

Since the hypothetical ending level is less than the hypothetical starting level by more than 10%, you would lose a portion of the principal amount of your securities and receive a payment at stated maturity equal to:

 

PRS-18

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

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On the stated maturity date you would receive $600.00 per security, resulting in a loss of 40%.

 

To the extent that the actual starting level, threshold level and ending level differ from the values assumed above, the results indicated above would be different.

 

PRS-19

 

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

ADDITIONAL TERMS OF THE SECURITIES

 

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will issue the securities as part of a series of senior unsecured debt securities entitled “Senior Global Medium-Term Notes,” which is more fully described in the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus. Information included in this pricing supplement supersedes information in the prospectus supplement and prospectus to the extent that it is different from that information.

 

Payment on the Securities

 

In the event that any call settlement date or the stated maturity date is not a business day, then the relevant payment will be made on the next business day.

 

Market Disruption Events

 

If a market disruption event occurs or is continuing on any calculation day (including the final calculation day), the closing level for the calculation day will equal the closing level on the first trading day following the calculation day on which the calculation agent determines that a market disruption event is not continuing. If a market disruption event occurs or is continuing on each trading day to and including the seventh trading day following the calculation day, the closing level will be determined (or, if not determinable, estimated by the calculation agent in a manner which is considered commercially reasonable under the circumstances) by the calculation agent on that seventh trading day, regardless of the occurrence or continuation of a market disruption event on that day. In such an event, the calculation agent will make a good faith estimate in its sole discretion of the closing level that would have prevailed in the absence of the market disruption event. No interest will accrue as a result of delayed payment.

 

A “market disruption event” means any of (A), (B), (C), (D) or (E) below, as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion:

 

(A)    Any of the following events occurs or exists with respect to any security included in the Index or any successor equity index, and the aggregate of all securities included in the Index or successor equity index with respect to which any such event occurs comprise 20% or more of the level of the Index or successor equity index:

 

·                 a material suspension of or limitation imposed on trading by the relevant stock exchange for such security or otherwise at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the scheduled closing time for the relevant stock exchange for such security on that day, whether by reason of movements in price exceeding limits permitted by the relevant stock exchange or otherwise;

 

·                 any event, other than an early closure, that materially disrupts or impairs the ability of market participants in general to effect transactions in, or obtain market values for, such security on its relevant stock exchange at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the scheduled closing time for the relevant stock exchange for such security on that day; or

 

·                 the closure on any exchange business day of the relevant stock exchange for such security prior to its scheduled closing time unless the earlier closing is announced by such relevant stock exchange at least one hour prior to the earlier of (i) the actual closing time for the regular trading session on such relevant stock exchange and (ii) the submission deadline for orders to be entered into the relevant stock exchange system for execution at the scheduled closing time for such relevant stock exchange on that day.

 

(B)    Any of the following events occurs or exists with respect to futures or options contracts relating to the Index or any successor equity index:

 

·                 a material suspension of or limitation imposed on trading by any related futures or options exchange or otherwise at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the close of trading on such related futures or options exchange on that day, whether by reason of movements in price exceeding limits permitted by the related futures or options exchange or otherwise;

 

·                 any event, other than an early closure, that materially disrupts or impairs the ability of market participants in general to effect transactions in, or obtain market values for, futures or options contracts relating to the Index or successor equity index on any related futures or options exchange at any time during the one-hour period that ends at the close

 

 

PRS-20

 

Market Linked Securities—Auto-Callable with Fixed

Percentage Buffered Downside

Principal at Risk Securities Linked to the S&P 500® Index due December 5, 2022

 

GRAPHIC

 

of trading on such related futures or options exchange on that day; or

 

·                 the closure on any exchange business day of any related futures or options exchange prior to its scheduled closing time unless the earlier closing time is announced by such related futures or options exchange at least one hour prior to the earlier of (i) the actual closing time for the regular trading session on such related futures or options exchange and (ii) the submission deadline for orders to be entered into the related futures or options exchange system for execution at the close of trading for such related futures or options exchange on that day.

 

(C)    The relevant index sponsor fails to publish the level of the Index or any successor equity index (other than as a result of the relevant index sponsor having discontinued publication of the Index or successor equity Index and no successor index being available).

 

(D)    Any related futures or options exchange fails to open for trading during its regular trading session.

 

(E)     Any other event, if the calculation agent determines that the event materially interferes with our ability or the ability of any of our affiliates to unwind all or a portion of a hedge with respect to the securities that we or our affiliates have effected or may effect as described below under “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” in this pricing supplement.

 

For purposes of determining whether a market disruption event has occurred:

 

 

(1)

the relevant percentage contribution of a security included in the Index or any successor equity index to the level of the Index will be based on a comparison of (x) the portion of the level of the Index attributable to that security to (y) the overall level of the Index, in each case using the official opening weightings as published by the relevant index sponsor as part of the market opening data;

 

 

 

 

(2)

the “scheduled closing time” of any relevant stock exchange or related futures or options exchange on any trading day means the scheduled weekday closing time of such relevant stock exchange or related futures or options exchange on such trading day, without regard to after hours or any other trading outside the regular trading session hours; and

 

 

 

 

(3)

an “exchange business day” means any trading day on which (i) the relevant index sponsor publishes the level of the Index or any successor equity index and (ii) each related futures or options exchange is open for trading during its regular trading session, notwithstanding any related futures or options exchange closing prior to its scheduled closing time.

 

Adjustments to the Index

 

If at any time the Index sponsor makes a material change in the formula for or the method of calculating the Index, or in any other way materially modifies the Index (other than a modification prescribed in that formula or method to maintain the Index in the event of changes in constituent stock and capitalization and other routine events), then, from and after that 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, calculate a substitute closing level of the Index in accordance with the formula for and method of calculating the Index last in effect prior to the change, but using only those securities that comprised the Index immediately prior to that change. Accordingly, if the method of calculating the Index is modified so that the level of the Index is a fraction or a multiple of what it would have been if it had not been modified, then the calculation agent will adjust the Index in order to arrive at a level of the Index as if it had not been modified.

 

Discontinuance of the Index

 

If the Index sponsor discontinues publication of the Index, and such Index sponsor or another entity publishes a successor or substitute equity index that the calculation agent determines, in its sole discretion, to be comparable to the Index (a “successor equity index”), then, upon the calculation agent’s notification of that determination to the trustee and CIBC, the calculation agent will substitute the successor equity index as calculated by the relevant Index sponsor or any other entity and calculate the ending level as described above. Upon any selection by the calculation agent of a successor equity index, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will cause notice to be given to holders of the securities.

 

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In the event that the Index sponsor discontinues publication of the Index prior to, and the discontinuance is continuing on, any calculation day (including the final calculation day) and the calculation agent determines that no successor equity index is available at such time, the calculation agent will calculate a substitute closing level for the Index in accordance with the formula for and method of calculating the Index last in effect prior to the discontinuance, but using only those securities that comprised the Index immediately prior to that discontinuance. If a successor equity index is selected or the calculation agent calculates a level as a substitute for the Index, the successor equity index or level will be used as a substitute for the Index for all purposes, including for the purpose of determining whether a market disruption event exists.

 

If on any calculation day (including the final calculation day) the Index sponsor fails to calculate and announce the level of the Index, the calculation agent will calculate a substitute closing level of the Index in accordance with the formula for and method of calculating the Index last in effect prior to the failure, but using only those securities that comprised the Index immediately prior to that failure; provided that, if a market disruption event occurs or is continuing on such day, then the provisions set forth above under “—Market Disruption Events” shall apply in lieu of the foregoing.

 

Notwithstanding these alternative arrangements, discontinuance of the publication of, or the failure by the Index sponsor to calculate and announce the level of, the Index may adversely affect the value of the securities.

 

Calculation Agent

 

We or one of our affiliates will act as calculation agent for the securities and may appoint agents to assist it in the performance of its duties. See “Risk Factors—We Or One Of Our Affiliates Will Be The Calculation Agent And, As A Result, Potential Conflicts Of Interest Could Arise” in this pricing supplement. We may appoint a different calculation agent without your consent and without notifying you.

 

The calculation agent will determine whether the securities are automatically called on any of the call dates and the amount of the payment you receive upon automatic call or at stated maturity. In addition, the calculation agent will, among other things:

 

·      determine whether a market disruption event has occurred;

·      determine if adjustments are required to the closing level of the Index under various circumstances; and

·      if publication of the Index is discontinued, select a successor equity index or, if no successor equity index is available, determine the closing level of the Index.

 

All determinations made by the calculation agent will be at the sole discretion of the calculation agent and, in the absence of manifest error, will be conclusive for all purposes and binding on us and you. All percentages and other amounts resulting from any calculation with respect to the securities will be rounded at the calculation agent’s discretion. The calculation agent will have no liability for its determinations.

 

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Appointment of Independent Calculation Experts

 

If a calculation or valuation described above under “—Market Disruption Events” or “—Discontinuance of the Index” contemplated to be made by the calculation agent involves the application of material discretion and is not based on information or calculation methodologies compiled or utilized by, or derived from, independent third party sources, we will appoint one or more calculation experts to confirm such calculation or valuation. Such calculation experts will be independent from us and active participants in the financial markets in the relevant jurisdiction in which futures or options contracts on the Index are traded. Calculation experts will not assume any obligation or duty to, or any relationship of agency or trust for or with, the holders of the securities or us. Holders of the securities will be entitled to rely on any valuation or calculations made by such calculation experts and such valuations or calculations will (except in the case of manifest error) be final and binding on us, the calculation agent and the holders of the securities. Calculation experts will not be responsible for good faith errors or omissions in the making of any such valuations or calculations. Calculation experts may, with the consent of us, delegate any of their obligations and functions to a third party as they deem appropriate, but acting honestly and reasonably at all times. The valuations and calculations of calculation experts will be made available to the holders of the securities upon request.

 

Events of Default and Acceleration

 

If the securities have become immediately due and payable following an event of default (as defined in the section “Description of Senior Debt Securities—Events of Default” in the accompanying prospectus) with respect to the securities, the amount payable on the securities will be equal to the payment at stated maturity, calculated as though the date of acceleration were the final calculation day; provided that if the closing level of the Index on the date of acceleration is equal to or greater than the starting level, then the amount payable on the securities will be calculated using a call premium that is prorated to the date of acceleration.

 

If the securities have become immediately due and payable following an event of default, you will not be entitled to any payments with respect to the securities in addition to the payment at stated maturity, calculated as set forth in the preceding paragraph. For more information, see “Description of Senior Debt Securities—Events of Default” beginning on page 7 of the accompanying prospectus.

 

Withholding

 

We or the applicable paying agent will deduct or withhold from a payment on a security any present or future tax, duty, assessment or other governmental charge that we determine is required by law or the interpretation or administration thereof to be deducted or withheld. Payments on a security will not be increased by any amount to offset such deduction or withholding.

 

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THE S&P 500® INDEX

 

All disclosures contained in this pricing supplement regarding the Index, including, without limitation, its make-up, method of calculation, and changes in its components, have been derived from publicly available sources.  The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by the Index sponsor. The Index sponsor, which licenses the copyright and all other rights to the Index, has no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication of, the Index.  The consequences of the Index sponsor discontinuing publication of the Index are discussed in the section entitled “Discontinuance of the Index” in this pricing supplement.  None of us, the calculation agent, or Wells Fargo Securities accepts any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of the Index or any successor index.

 

General

 

The Index is intended to provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price movement. The calculation of the level of the Index is based on the relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average market value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943.

 

Relevant criteria employed by S&P include the viability of the particular company, the extent to which that company represents the industry group to which it is assigned, the extent to which the market price of that company’s common stock generally is responsive to changes in the affairs of the respective industry and the market value and trading activity of the common stock of that company. Eleven main groups of companies constitute the Index, with the approximate percentage of the market capitalization of the Index included in each group as of November 30, 2018 indicated in parentheses: Information Technology (19.9%); Health Care (15.8%); Financials (13.7%); Consumer Discretionary (9.9%); Communication Services (9.9%); Industrials (9.4%); Consumer Staples (7.4%); Energy (5.4%); Utilities (3.1%); Real Estate (2.9%) and Materials (2.6%). S&P may from time to time, in its sole discretion, add companies to, or delete companies from, the Index to achieve the objectives stated above. As of the close of business on September 21, 2018, S&P and MSCI, Inc. updated the Global Industry Classification Sector (“GICS”) structure. Among other things, the update broadened the Telecommunications Services sector and renamed it the Communication Services sector. The renamed sector includes the previously existing Telecommunication Services Industry group, as well as the Media Industry group, which was moved from the Consumer Discretionary sector and renamed the Media & Entertainment Industry group. The Media & Entertainment Industry group contains three industries: Media, Entertainment and Interactive Media & Services. The Media industry continues to consist of the Advertising, Broadcasting, Cable & Satellite and Publishing sub-industries. The Entertainment industry contains the Movies & Entertainment subindustry (which includes online entertainment streaming companies in addition to companies previously classified in such industry prior to September 21, 2018) and the Interactive Home Entertainment subindustry (which includes companies previously classified in the Home Entertainment Software subindustry prior to September 21, 2018 (when the Home Entertainment Software sub-industry was a subindustry in the Information Technology sector), as well as producers of interactive gaming products, including mobile gaming applications). The Interactive Media & Services industry and sub-industry includes companies engaged in content and information creation or distribution through proprietary platforms, where revenues are derived primarily through pay-per-click advertisements, and includes search engines, social media and networking platforms, online classifieds and online review companies. The GICS structure changes were effective for the Index as of the open of business on September 24, 2018 to coincide with the September 2018 quarterly rebalancing.

 

S&P calculates the Index by reference to the prices of the constituent stocks of the Index without taking account of the value of dividends paid on those stocks. As a result, the return on the securities will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the Index constituent stocks and received the dividends paid on those stocks.

 

Index Computation

 

Historically, the market value of any component stock of the Index was calculated as the product of the market price per share and the number of then outstanding shares of such component stock. In March 2005, S&P began shifting the Index halfway from a market capitalization weighted formula to a float-adjusted formula, before moving the Index to full float adjustment on September 16, 2005. S&P’s criteria for selecting stocks for the Index did not change with the shift to float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects each company’s weight in the Index.

 

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Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the Index reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not all of a company’s outstanding shares. Float adjustment excludes shares that are closely held by control groups, other publicly traded companies or government agencies.

 

In September 2012, all shareholdings representing more than 5% of a stock’s outstanding shares, other than holdings by “block owners,” were removed from the float for purposes of calculating the Index. Generally, these “control holders” will include officers and directors, private equity, venture capital and special equity firms, other publicly traded companies that hold shares for control, strategic partners, holders of restricted shares, employee stock ownership plans, employee and family trusts, foundations associated with the company, holders of unlisted share classes of stock, government entities at all levels (other than government retirement/pension funds) and any individual person who controls a 5% or greater stake in a company as reported in regulatory filings. However, holdings by block owners, such as depositary banks, pension funds, mutual funds and ETF providers, 401(k) plans of the company, government retirement/pension funds, investment funds of insurance companies, asset managers and investment funds, independent foundations and savings and investment plans, will ordinarily be considered part of the float.

 

Treasury stock, stock options, restricted shares, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock, and rights are not part of the float. Shares held in a trust to allow investors in countries outside the country of domicile, such as depositary shares and Canadian exchangeable shares are normally part of the float unless those shares form a control block.

 

For each stock, an investable weight factor (“IWF”) is calculated by dividing the available float shares, by the total shares outstanding. As of September 21, 2012, available float shares are defined as the total shares outstanding less shares held by control holders. This calculation is subject to a 5% minimum threshold for control blocks. For example, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares, and no other control group holds 5% of the company’s shares, S&P would assign that company an IWF of 1.00, as no control group meets the 5% threshold. However, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares and another control group holds 20% of the company’s shares, S&P would assign an IWF of 0.77, reflecting the fact that 23% of the company’s outstanding shares are considered to be held for control.  As of July 31, 2017, companies with multiple share class lines are no longer eligible for inclusion in the Index.  Constituents of the Index prior to July 31, 2017 with multiple share class lines will be grandfathered in and continue to be included in the Index.  If a constituent company of the Index reorganizes into a multiple share class line structure, that company will remain in the Index at the discretion of the S&P Index Committee in order to minimize turnover.

 

The Index is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology. The level of the Index reflects the total market value of all 500 component stocks relative to the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. An indexed number is used to represent the results of this calculation in order to make the level easier to work with and track over time. The actual total market value of the component stocks during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943 has been set to an indexed level of 10. This is often indicated by the notation 1941- 43 = 10. In practice, the daily calculation of the Index is computed by dividing the total market value of the component stocks by the “index divisor.” By itself, the index divisor is an arbitrary number. However, in the context of the calculation of the Index, it serves as a link to the original base period level of the Index. The index divisor keeps the Index comparable over time and is the manipulation point for all adjustments to the Index, which is index maintenance.

 

Index Maintenance

 

Index maintenance includes monitoring and completing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, share changes, stock splits, stock dividends and stock price adjustments due to company restructuring or spinoffs.  Some corporate actions, such as stock splits and stock dividends require changes in the common shares outstanding and the stock prices of the companies in the Index, and do not require index divisor adjustments.

 

To prevent the level of the Index from changing due to corporate actions, corporate actions which affect the total market value of the Index require an index divisor adjustment. By adjusting the index divisor for the change in market value, the level of the Index remains constant and does not reflect the corporate actions of individual companies in the Index. Index divisor adjustments are made after the close of trading and after the calculation of the Index closing level.

 

Changes in a company’s shares outstanding and IWF due to its acquisition of another public company are made as soon as reasonably possible. At S&P’s discretion, de minimis merger and acquisition share changes are accumulated and implemented with the quarterly share rebalancing.

 

All other changes of less than 5% are accumulated and made quarterly on the third Friday of March, June, September, and December.

 

Changes in a company’s total shares outstanding of 5% or more due to public offerings are made as soon as reasonably possible. Other changes of 5% or more (for example, due to tender offers, Dutch auctions, voluntary exchange offers, company stock repurchases,

 

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private placements, acquisitions of private companies or non-index companies that do not trade on a major exchange, redemptions, exercise of options, warrants, conversion of preferred stock, notes, debt, equity participations, at-the-market stock offerings or other recapitalizations) are made weekly, and are generally announced on Fridays for implementation after the close of trading the following Friday (one week later). If a 5% or more share change causes a company’s IWF to change by five percentage points or more, the IWF is updated at the same time as the share change.  IWF changes resulting from partial tender offers are considered on a case-by-case basis.

 

License Agreement

 

CIBC has entered into a nonexclusive license agreement providing for the license to it, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use indices owned and published by S&P in connection with some products, including the securities.

 

Standard & Poor’s® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“Standard & Poor’s”); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by S&P. “Standard & Poor’s®,” “S&P 500®” and “S&P®” are trademarks of Standard & Poor’s and have been licensed for use by S&P and its affiliates and sublicensed for certain purposes by CIBC. The Index is a product of S&P, and has been licensed for use by CIBC.

 

The securities are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P, Dow Jones, Standard & Poor’s or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the securities or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the securities particularly or the ability of the Index to track general market performance. S&P’s only relationship to CIBC is the licensing of the Index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P. The Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P without regard to CIBC or the securities. S&P has no obligation to take the needs of CIBC or the owners of the securities into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Index. S&P is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and amount of the securities or the timing of the issuance or sale of the securities or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the securities are to be converted into cash. S&P has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the securities. There is no assurance that investment products based on the Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P is not an investment advisor. Inclusion of a security within the Index is not a recommendation by S&P to buy, sell or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice.

 

S&P DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE S&P 500® INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY CIBC, OWNERS OF THE SECURITIES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE S&P 500® INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P AND CIBC, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P.

 

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Historical Data

 

We obtained the closing levels listed below from Bloomberg Professional® Service (“Bloomberg”) without independent verification. You can obtain the level of the Index at any time from Bloomberg under the ticker symbol “SPX”.

 

We have not undertaken an independent review or due diligence of the information obtained from Bloomberg. The historical performance of the Index should not be taken as an indication of future performance, and no assurances can be given as to the ending level of the Index. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the Index will result in any positive return on your initial investment.

 

The following graph sets forth daily closing levels of the Index for the period from January 1, 2013 to November 30, 2018. The closing level on November 30, 2018 was 2,760.17.

 

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS AND HEDGING

 

The net proceeds from the sale of the securities will be used as described under “Use of Proceeds” in the accompanying prospectus supplement and the prospectus and to hedge our market risks associated with our obligation to pay at maturity any amounts due on the securities upon automatic call or at stated maturity.

 

We may hedge our obligations under the securities by, among other things, purchasing securities, futures, options or other derivative instruments with returns linked or related to changes in the value of the Index and/or securities included in the Index, and we may adjust these hedges by, among other things, purchasing or selling securities, futures, options or other derivative instruments at any time. Our cost of hedging will include the projected profit that our counterparty expects to realize in consideration for assuming the risks inherent in hedging our obligations under the securities. Because hedging our obligations entails risk and may be influenced by market forces beyond our or our counterparty’s control, such hedging may result in a profit that is more or less than expected, or could result in a loss. It is possible that we could receive substantial returns from these hedging activities while the value of the securities declines.

 

We expect to hedge our obligations under the securities through one of our affiliates and/or another unaffiliated counterparty.

 

We have no obligation to engage in any manner of hedging activity and we will do so solely at our discretion and for our own account. No holder of the securities will have any rights or interest in our hedging activity or any positions we or any unaffiliated counterparty may take in connection with our hedging activity. The hedging activity discussed above may adversely affect the value of the securities from time to time. See “Risk Factors—The Estimated Value of the Securities Is Not An Indication Of The Price, If Any, At Which Wells Fargo Securities Or Any Other Person May Be Willing To Buy The Securities From You In The Secondary Market” and “—Our Economic Interests And Those of Any Dealer Participating In The Offering Of Securities Will Potentially Be Adverse To Your Interests” in this pricing supplement for a discussion of these adverse effects.

 

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THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE SECURITIES

 

The estimated value of the securities set forth on the cover of this pricing supplement is equal to the sum of the values of the following hypothetical components: (1) a fixed-income debt component with the same maturity as the securities, valued using our internal funding rate for structured debt described below, and (2) the derivative or derivatives underlying the economic terms of the securities. The estimated value does not represent a minimum price at which Wells Fargo Securities or any other person would be willing to buy your securities in any secondary market (if any exists) at any time. The internal funding rate used in the determination of the Bank’s estimated value generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. The discount is based on, among other things, our view of the funding value of the securities as well as the higher issuance, operational and ongoing liability management costs of the securities in comparison to those costs for our conventional fixed-rate debt. For additional information, see “Risk Factors—Our Estimated Value Was Not Determined By Reference To Credit Spreads For Our Conventional Fixed-Rate Debt” in this pricing supplement. The value of the derivative or derivatives underlying the economic terms of the securities is derived from the Bank’s or a third party hedge provider’s internal pricing models. These models are dependent on inputs such as the traded market prices of comparable derivative instruments and on various other inputs, some of which are market-observable, and which can include volatility, dividend rates, interest rates and other factors, as well as assumptions about future market events and/or environments. Accordingly, the Bank’s estimated value of the securities was determined when the terms of the securities were set based on market conditions and other relevant factors and assumptions existing at that time. See “Risk Factors—Our Estimated Value Does Not Represent Future Values Of The Securities And May Differ From Others’ Estimates” in this pricing supplement.

 

The Bank’s estimated value of the securities is lower than the principal amount of the securities because costs associated with selling, structuring and hedging the securities are included in the principal amount of the securities. These costs include the selling commissions paid to affiliated or unaffiliated dealers, the projected profits that our hedge counterparties, which may include our affiliates, expect to realize for assuming risks inherent in hedging our obligations under the securities and the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the securities. Because hedging our obligations entails risk and may be influenced by market forces beyond our control, this hedging may result in a profit that is more or less than expected, or it may result in a loss. We or one or more of our affiliates will retain any profits realized in hedging our obligations under the securities. See “Risk Factors—Our Estimated Value of the Securities Is Lower Than The Principal Amount Of The Securities” in this pricing supplement.

 

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SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

The securities are being purchased by Wells Fargo Securities as principal, pursuant to a distribution agreement between Wells Fargo Securities and us. We have agreed to pay certain of Wells Fargo Securities’ expenses in connection with the offering of the securities.

 

From time to time, Wells Fargo Securities and its affiliates have engaged, and in the future may engage, in transactions with and performance of services for us for which they have been, and may be, paid customary fees. In particular, Wells Fargo Securities or one of its affiliates may be our swap counterparty for a hedge relating to our obligations under the securities.

 

In the future, Wells Fargo Securities and its affiliates may repurchase and resell the offered securities in market-making transactions, with resales being made at prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of resale or otherwise. Unless you are informed otherwise in the confirmation of sale, this pricing supplement and the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus are being used in connection with the initial distribution of the securities and not in a market-making transaction.

 

Wells Fargo Securities has committed to purchase all of these securities in the initial public offering of the securities if any are purchased.

 

Wells Fargo Securities proposes to offer the securities to certain securities dealers, including securities dealers acting as custodians, at the principal amount of the securities less a concession not in excess of $17.50 per security. Such securities dealers may include WFA (the trade name of the retail brokerage business of Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, each an affiliate of Wells Fargo Securities). In addition to the selling concession allowed to WFA, Wells Fargo Securities will pay $0.75 per security of the underwriting discount to WFA as a distribution expense fee for each security sold by WFA.

 

The principal amount of the securities includes the underwriting discount received by Wells Fargo Securities and the projected profit that our hedge counterparties expect to realize in consideration for assuming the risks inherent in hedging our obligations under the securities. We expect to hedge our obligations through an affiliate of Wells Fargo Securities, one of our affiliates and/or another unaffiliated counterparty. Because hedging our obligations entails risks and may be influenced by market forces beyond the counterparties’ control, such hedging may result in a profit that is more or less than expected, or could result in a loss. The underwriting discount and projected profit of our hedge counterparties reduce the economic terms of the securities. In addition, the fact that the principal amount includes these items is expected to adversely affect the secondary market prices of the securities. These secondary market prices are also likely to be reduced by the cost of unwinding the related hedging transaction. See “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” in this pricing supplement.

 

The securities are a new issue of securities with no established trading market. The securities will not be listed on a national securities exchange. Wells Fargo Securities may make a market for the securities, as applicable laws and regulations permit, but is not obligated to do so and may discontinue making a market at any time without notice. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of any trading market for the securities.

 

We will deliver the securities against payment therefor in New York, New York on December 5, 2018, which is the third scheduled business day following the pricing date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in two business days, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade securities on any date prior to two business days before delivery will be required, by virtue of the fact that the securities will settle in three business days (T + 3), to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

 

Settlement for the securities will be made in immediately available funds. The securities will be in the Same Day Funds Settlement System at DTC and, to the extent any secondary market trading in the securities is effected through the facilities of such depositary, such trades will be settled in immediately available funds.

 

CIBC has agreed to indemnify Wells Fargo Securities against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.

 

No action has been or will be taken by CIBC, Wells Fargo Securities or any broker-dealer affiliates of either Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce or Wells Fargo Securities that would permit a public offering of the securities or possession or distribution of this pricing supplement or the accompanying prospectus and prospectus supplement in any jurisdiction, other than the United States, where action for that purpose is required. No offers, sales or deliveries of the securities, or distribution of this pricing supplement or

 

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the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus, may be made in or from any jurisdiction except in circumstances which will result in compliance with any applicable laws and regulations and will not impose any obligations on CIBC, Wells Fargo Securities or any broker-dealer affiliates of either CIBC or Wells Fargo Securities.

 

For the following jurisdictions, please note specifically:

 

Argentina

 

CIBC’s Senior Global Medium-Term Notes program and the related offer of securities and the sale of securities under the terms and conditions provided herein does not constitute a public offering in Argentina. Consequently, no public offering approval has been requested or granted by the Comisión Nacional de Valores, nor has any listing authorization of the securities been requested on any stock market in Argentina.

 

Brazil

 

The securities may not be offered or sold to the public in Brazil. Accordingly, this pricing supplement and the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus have not been submitted to the Comissão de Valores Mobiliáros for approval. Documents relating to this offering may not be supplied to the public as a public offering in Brazil or be used in connection with any offer for subscription or sale to the public in Brazil.

 

Chile

 

The securities have not been registered with the Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros in Chile and may not be offered or sold publicly in Chile. No offer, sales or deliveries of the securities, or distribution of this pricing supplement or the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus, may be made in or from Chile except in circumstances that will result in compliance with any applicable Chilean laws and regulations.

 

China

 

Neither this pricing supplement nor the accompanying prospectus constitutes an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the People’s Republic of China (excluding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, the “PRC”) to any person to whom it is unlawful to make the offer or solicitation in the PRC.  The Issuer does not represent that this document may be lawfully distributed, or that any securities may be lawfully offered, in compliance with any applicable registration or other requirements in the PRC, or pursuant to an exemption available thereunder, or assume any responsibility for facilitating any such distribution or offering. Neither this document nor any advertisement or other offering material may be distributed or published in the PRC, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with any applicable laws and regulations.

 

European Economic Area

 

The securities may not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area.  For the purposes of this provision:

 

(a)                                 the expression “retail investor” means a person who is one (or more) of the following:

 

(i)                              a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, “MiFID II”); or

(ii)                          a customer within the meaning of Directive 2002/92/EC, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or

(iii)                      not a qualified investor as defined in Directive 2003/71/EC; and

 

(b)                                 the expression “offer” includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the securities.

 

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Mexico

 

The securities have not been registered with the National Registry of Securities maintained by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission and may not be offered or sold publicly in Mexico. This pricing supplement and the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus may not be publicly distributed in Mexico.

 

Paraguay

 

This is a private and personal offering. The securities offered have not been approved by or registered with the National Securities Commission (Comisión Nacional de Valores) and are not part of a public offering as defined by the Paraguayan Securities Law. The information contained herein is for informational and marketing purposes only and should not be taken as an investment advice.

 

Peru

 

The securities have not been and will not be registered with the Capital Markets Public Registry of the Capital Markets Superintendence (SMV) nor the Lima Stock Exchange Registry (RBVL) for their public offering in Peru under the Peruvian Capital Markets Law (Law N°861/ Supreme Decree N°093-2002) and the decrees and regulations thereunder.

 

Consequently, the securities may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this pricing supplement, the accompanying supplements or any other offering material relating to the securities be distributed or caused to be distributed in Peru to the general public. The securities may only be offered in a private offering without using mass marketing, which is defined as a marketing strategy utilising mass distribution and mass media to offer, negotiate or distribute securities to the whole market. Mass media includes newspapers, magazines, radio, television, mail, meetings, social networks, Internet servers located in Peru, and other media or technology platforms.

 

Taiwan

 

The securities may be made available outside Taiwan for purchase by Taiwan residents outside Taiwan but may not be offered or sold in Taiwan.

 

Uruguay

 

The sale of the securities qualifies as a private placement pursuant to section 2 of Uruguayan law 18,627. The securities must not be offered or sold to the public in Uruguay, except in circumstances which do not constitute a public offering or distribution under Uruguayan laws and regulations. The securities are not and will not be registered with the Financial Services Superintendency of the Central Bank of Uruguay.

 

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CERTAIN UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

 

The following discussion supplements the discussion in the section called “Material Income Tax Consequences—United States Taxation” in the accompanying prospectus, and is subject to the limitations and exceptions set forth therein. Capitalized terms used in this section without definition shall have the respective meanings given such terms in the accompanying prospectus.

 

The following summary describes certain U.S. federal income tax consequences relevant to the purchase, ownership, and disposition of the securities. This summary applies only to holders that acquire their securities in this offering for a price equal to the initial offering price, which we understand will be at par, and hold such securities as capital assets, within the meaning of Section 1221 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). This summary does not apply to any holder that is subject to special rules, such as:

 

·                    a dealer in securities,

 

·                    a trader in securities that elects to use a mark-to-market method of tax accounting for its securities holdings,

 

·                    a bank,

 

·                    a life insurance company,

 

·                    a tax-exempt organization,

 

·                    a person that owns the securities as part of a straddle or a hedging or conversion transaction for tax purposes,

 

·                    a person that purchases or sells the securities as part of a wash sale for tax purposes,

 

·                    a regulated investment company or real estate investment trust,

 

·                    a U.S. holder (as defined in the accompanying prospectus) whose functional currency for tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar,

 

·                    a U.S. holder subject to the alternative minimum tax, or

 

·                    U.S. expatriates.

 

This discussion is based upon current provisions of the Code, existing and proposed Treasury Regulations thereunder, current administrative rulings, judicial decisions and other applicable authorities. All of the foregoing are subject to change, which change may apply retroactively and could affect the continued validity of this summary. This summary does not describe any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, locality or taxing jurisdiction other than the U.S. federal government. This discussion also does not purport to be a complete analysis of all tax considerations relating to the securities.

 

You should consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax and other tax consequences of your investment in the securities in your particular circumstances, including the application of state, local or other tax laws and the possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws.

 

If a partnership holds the securities, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner will generally depend on the status of the partner and the tax treatment of the partnership. You should consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax and other tax consequences of your investment in the securities if you are a partner in a partnership holding the securities.

 

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General

 

As the law applicable to the U.S. federal taxation of instruments such as the securities is technical and complex, the discussion below necessarily represents only a general summary. The U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the securities are uncertain. No statutory, judicial or administrative authority directly discusses how the securities should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

In the opinion of our counsel, Mayer Brown LLP, it would be generally reasonable to treat the securities as pre-paid cash-settled derivative contracts that are eligible for “open transaction” treatment. The terms of the securities will provide that you agree to treat the securities in this manner for all U.S. federal income tax purposes.

 

Unless otherwise stated, the following discussion is based on the characterization described above. The discussion in this section reflects the opinion of Mayer Brown that there is a significant possibility of a significant loss of principal on an investment in the securities.

 

Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders

 

Subject to the discussion below of Section 1260 of the Code, if you are a U.S. holder, you should generally recognize capital gain or loss upon the sale, exchange or payment on maturity in an amount equal to the difference between the amount you receive at such time and your tax basis in the securities. In general, your tax basis in the securities will be equal to the price you paid for them. Such gain or loss should generally be long-term capital gain or loss if you have held your securities for more than one year. Capital gain recognized by an individual U.S. holder is generally taxed at preferential rates where the property is held for more than one year. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.

 

The constructive ownership rules of Section 1260 of the Code could possibly apply to securities that have a term in excess of one year and reference a “pass-thru entity” (as defined in Section 1260(c)(2) of the Code). Examples of “pass-thru entities” include (but are not limited to) regulated investment companies (e.g., most exchange-traded funds), real estate investment trusts, passive foreign investment companies and partnerships. It is not entirely clear how Section 1260 applies to an Index that is wholly or partially comprised of “pass-thru entities.” We generally do not intend to make an inquiry as to whether the Index contains any “pass-thru entities”, and it is possible that securities for which the Index contains a “pass-thru entity” could be wholly or partially subject to Section 1260 of the Code. If the securities were subject to Section 1260 of the Code, then, among other consequences, all or a portion of any long-term capital gain that you realize upon the sale, redemption or stated maturity of the securities would be recharacterized as ordinary income (and you would be subject to an interest charge on deferred tax liability with respect to such recharacterized amount) to the extent that such capital gain exceeds the amount of long-term capital gain that you would have realized had you purchased interests in the Index on the date that you purchased the securities and sold those interests on the date of the sale, redemption or stated maturity of the securities. Accordingly, if the Index contains a “pass-thru entity,” you should consult your tax advisor about the potential application of Section 1260 of the Code to the securities.

 

Possible Alternative Tax Treatments of an Investment in the Securities

 

As noted above, there is no judicial or administrative authority discussing how the securities should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Therefore, other treatments would also be reasonable and the Internal Revenue Service might assert that treatment other than that described above is more appropriate.

 

The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service released a notice in 2007 that may affect the taxation of holders of the securities. According to the notice, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department are considering whether the holder of an instrument such as the securities should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis, and they are seeking taxpayer comments on the subject. The notice also states that the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department are also considering other relevant issues, including whether gain or loss from such instruments should be treated as ordinary or capital and whether the special constructive ownership rules of Section 1260 of the Code might be applied to such instruments. While it is not clear whether the securities would be viewed as similar to instruments discussed in such notice, it is possible that future guidance could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the securities, possibly with retroactive effect.

 

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Similarly, the Internal Revenue Service might assert, and a possible alternative treatment with respect to the securities would be, to treat the securities as a single debt instrument. Such a debt instrument may be subject to the special tax rules governing contingent payment debt instruments.

 

If the securities are subject to such special rules applicable to contingent payment debt instruments, the amount of interest U.S. holders are required to take into account for each accrual period will be determined by constructing a projected payment schedule for the securities and applying rules similar to those for accruing “original issue discount” or OID on a hypothetical noncontingent debt instrument with that projected payment schedule. In addition to accruing interest income in accordance with the comparable yield, a U.S. holder will be required to make adjustments if the actual amount that holder receives in any taxable year differs from the projected payment schedule. These rules could possibly have the effect of requiring U.S. holders to include amounts in income in respect of the securities prior to receipt of cash attributable to that income.

 

If the securities are subject to such special rules applicable to contingent payment debt instruments, U.S. holders will recognize gain or loss on the sale, redemption or maturity of securities in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash received at that time and their adjusted basis in the securities. In general, a U.S. holder’s adjusted basis in such securities will equal the amount the holder paid for the securities, increased by the amount of interest that was previously accrued with respect to the securities. Any such gain will generally be ordinary income and any such loss that will generally be ordinary loss to the extent the interest included as income in the current or previous taxable years, and thereafter will be capital loss.

 

Information Reporting and Backup Withholding

 

The proceeds received from a sale, exchange or retirement of the securities may be subject to information reporting and, if the holder fails to provide certain identifying information (such as an accurate taxpayer identification number in the case of a U.S. holder) or meet certain other conditions, may also be subject to backup withholding at the rate specified in the Code. A non-U.S. holder (or financial institution holding the securities on behalf of the non-U.S. holder) that provides the applicable withholding agent with the appropriate Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 will generally establish an exemption from backup withholding. Amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules are not additional taxes and may be refunded or credited against the holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the relevant information is timely furnished to the Internal Revenue Service.

 

You are urged to consult your tax advisors concerning the significance, and the potential impact, of the above considerations.

 

Additional Information for U.S. Holders.

 

For information regarding backup withholding and information reporting considerations with respect to the securities, please see the discussion under “Material Income Tax Consequences—United States Taxation—U.S. Backup Withholding and Information Reporting” in the accompanying prospectus.

 

Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders

 

For purposes of this discussion, the term “non-U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of a security that is not a partnership or other entity treated as a partnership and is not a U.S. holder. If you are a non-U.S. holder, you generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax for amounts paid in respect of the securities, provided that the payment is not effectively connected with your conduct of a U.S. trade or business. Notwithstanding the foregoing, gain from the sale or exchange of the securities or their settlement at maturity may be subject to U.S. federal income tax if you are a nonresident alien individual and are present in the U.S. for 183 days or more during the taxable year of the settlement at maturity, sale or exchange and certain other conditions are satisfied.

 

If you are engaged in the conduct of a trade or business within the U.S., and if gain realized on the settlement at maturity, sale or exchange of the securities is effectively connected with the conduct of such trade or business (and, if certain tax treaties apply, is attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by you in the U.S.), you generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such gain on a net income basis in the same manner as if you were a U.S. holder as described under the heading “Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders,” above. In addition, non-U.S. holders that are foreign corporations, may also be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30% (or such lower rate provided by any applicable tax treaty) of a portion of their earnings and profits that are withdrawn from the U.S. for the taxable year that are effectively connected with their conduct of a trade or business in the U.S., subject to certain adjustments.

 

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Notwithstanding the above, if we determine that there is a material risk that we will be required to withhold on any payments on the securities, we may withhold on any such payment to a non-U.S. holder at a 30% rate, unless such non-U.S. holder has provided to us (i) a valid Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI or (ii) a valid Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN-E claiming tax treaty benefits that reduce or eliminate withholding. If we elect to withhold and such non-U.S. holder has provided us with a valid Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN-E claiming tax treaty benefits that reduce or eliminate withholding, we may nevertheless withhold up to 30% on any payments if there is any possible characterization of the payments that would not be exempt from withholding under the treaty.

 

Section 871(m) of the Code and Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (“Section 871(m)”) generally impose a 30% withholding tax on dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid to non-U.S. holders with respect to certain financial instruments linked to U.S. equities or indices that include U.S. equities (such equities and indices, “U.S. Underlying Equities”). Section 871(m) generally applies to instruments that substantially replicate the economic performance of one or more U.S. Underlying Equities, as determined upon issuance, based on tests set forth in the applicable Treasury regulations (a “Specified Security”). Specifically, and subject to a pre-2021 exemption for non-delta one instruments, Section 871(m) will apply if, at issuance, a financial instrument either meets (i) a “delta” test, if it is a “simple” contract, or (ii) a “substantial equivalence” test, if it is a “complex” contract. Section 871(m) provides certain exceptions to this withholding regime, in particular for instruments linked to certain broad-based indices that meet requirements set forth in the applicable Treasury regulations as well as securities that track such indices. The securities should not be subject to Section 871(m) because the Index should constitute a qualified index.

 

As discussed above, alternative characterizations of the securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes are possible. Should an alternative characterization, by reason of change or clarification of the law, by regulation or otherwise, cause payments as to the securities to become subject to withholding tax, we will withhold tax at the applicable statutory rate. Additionally, as discussed above, the Internal Revenue Service has indicated that it is considering whether income in respect of instruments such as the securities should be subject to withholding tax. Prospective non-U.S. holders of the securities should consult their own tax advisors in this regard.

 

The gross estate of a non-U.S. holder domiciled outside the United States includes only property situated in the United States. A security may be subject to U.S. federal estate tax if an individual non-U.S. holder holds the security at the time of his or her death. Individual non-U.S. holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal estate tax consequences of holding the securities at death.

 

Additional Information for Investors

 

For information regarding the applicability of FATCA to the securities, please see the discussion under “Material Income Tax Consequences—United States Taxation—FATCA Withholding” in the accompanying prospectus. FATCA may impose a 30% withholding tax on payments of gross proceeds from the sale, exchange or redemption of property that gives rise to U.S.-source dividends or interest. The Internal Revenue Service recently announced in published guidance its intent to amend the regulations to extend the effective date of withholding on gross proceeds to 1 January 2019. Similarly, the Internal Revenue Service announced its intention to delay the effective date of withholding tax on “foreign passthru payments” to the later of 1 January 2019 or the date of publication of final U.S. Treasury regulations defining such term.

 

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CERTAIN CANADIAN FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

 

In the opinion of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, our Canadian tax counsel, the following summary describes the principal Canadian federal income tax considerations under the Income Tax Act (Canada) (the “Canadian Tax Act”) generally applicable at the date hereof to an investor who acquires beneficial ownership of a security pursuant to this pricing supplement and who for the purposes of the Canadian Tax Act and at all relevant times: (a) is neither resident nor deemed to be resident in Canada; (b) deals at arm’s length with the Issuer and any transferee resident (or deemed to be resident) in Canada to whom the investor disposes of the security; (c) does not use or hold and is not deemed to use or hold the security in, or in the course of, carrying on a business in Canada; (d) is entitled to receive all payments (including any interest and principal) made on the security, and (e) is not a, and deals at arm’s length with any, “specified shareholder” of the Issuer for purposes of the thin capitalization rules in the Canadian Tax Act (a “Non-Resident Holder”). A “specified shareholder” for these purposes generally includes a person who (either alone or together with persons with whom that person is not dealing at arm’s length for the purposes of the Canadian Tax Act) owns or has the right to acquire or control or is otherwise deemed to own 25% or more of the Issuer’s shares determined on a votes or fair market value basis. Special rules which apply to non-resident insurers carrying on business in Canada and elsewhere are not discussed in this summary.

 

This summary is supplemental to and should be read together with the description of material Canadian federal income tax considerations relevant to a Non-Resident Holder owning securities under “Material Income Tax Consequences—Canadian Taxation” in the accompanying prospectus and a Non-Resident Holder should carefully read that description as well.

 

This summary is of a general nature only and is not intended to be, nor should it be construed to be, legal or tax advice to any particular Non-Resident Holder. Non-Resident Holders are advised to consult with their own tax advisors with respect to their particular circumstances.

 

Based on Canadian tax counsel’s understanding of the Canada Revenue Agency’s administrative policies, and having regard to the terms of the securities, interest payable on the securities should not be considered to be “participating debt interest” as defined in the Canadian Tax Act and accordingly, a Non-Resident Holder should not be subject to Canadian non-resident withholding tax in respect of amounts paid or credited or deemed to have been paid or credited by the Issuer on a security as, on account of or in lieu of payment of, or in satisfaction of, interest.

 

Non-Resident Holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the consequences to them of a disposition of the securities to a person with whom they are not dealing at arm’s length for purposes of the Canadian Tax Act.

 

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VALIDITY OF THE SECURITIES

 

In the opinion of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, as Canadian counsel to the Bank, the issue and sale of the securities has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Bank in conformity with the indenture, and when the securities have been duly executed, authenticated and issued in accordance with the indenture, the securities will be validly issued and, to the extent validity of the securities is a matter governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario or the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, will be valid obligations of the Bank, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws of general application affecting creditors’ rights, equitable principles, and subject to limitations as to the currency in which judgments in Canada may be rendered, as prescribed by the Currency Act (Canada). This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. In addition, this opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the indenture and the genuineness of signature, and to such counsel’s reliance on the Bank and other sources as to certain factual matters, all as stated in the opinion letter of such counsel dated February 27, 2017, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.2 to the Bank’s Registration Statement on Form F-3 filed with the SEC on February 27, 2017.

 

In the opinion of Mayer Brown LLP, when the securities have been duly completed in accordance with the indenture and issued and sold as contemplated by the prospectus supplement and the prospectus, the securities will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Bank, entitled to the benefits of the indenture, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors’ rights and to general equity principles. This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the State of New York. This opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the indenture and such counsel’s reliance on the Bank and other sources as to certain factual matters, all as stated in the legal opinion dated February 27, 2017, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.1 to the Bank’s Registration Statement on Form F-3 filed with the SEC on February 27, 2017.

 

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