Preliminary Pricing Supplement dated October 17, 2018
Table of Contents

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration Statement No. 333-219206

 

The information in this preliminary pricing supplement is not complete and may be changed. This preliminary pricing supplement is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

 

LOGO  

 

Subject to Completion. Dated October 17, 2018.

 

$            

 

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

 

Callable Step-Up Fixed Rate Notes due 2028

 

 

 

We will pay you interest semi-annually on your notes at a rate of 4.00% per annum from and including October    , 2018 to but excluding October    , 2024. We will pay you interest semi-annually on your notes at a rate of 5.00% per annum from and including October    , 2024 to but excluding October    , 2027. We will pay you interest semi-annually on your notes at a rate of 6.00% per annum from and including October    , 2027 to but excluding the stated maturity date (October    , 2028). Interest will be paid on each April      and October    . The first such payment will be made on April    , 2019.

In addition, we may redeem the notes at our option, in whole but not in part, on each January     , April    , July    and October      on or after October    , 2019, upon at least five business days’ prior notice, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the outstanding principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the redemption date. Although the interest rate will step up during the life of your notes, you may not benefit from such increase in the interest rate if your notes are redeemed prior to the stated maturity date.

 

 

 

       Per Note              Total      

Initial price to public*

         %          $                

Underwriting discount*

         %          $    

Proceeds, before expenses, to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

         %          $    

 

*

The initial price to public will vary between     % and 100% for certain investors; see “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” on page PS-7.

 

 

The initial price to public set forth above does not include accrued interest, if any. Interest on the notes will accrue from October    , 2018 and must be paid by the purchaser if the notes are delivered after October    , 2018. In addition to offers and sales at the initial price to public, the underwriters may offer the notes from time to time for sale in one or more transactions at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to market prices or at negotiated prices.

The return (whether positive or negative) on your investment in notes will depend in part on the issue price you pay for such notes.

If interest rates increase, in most cases the market value of the notes will decrease and, if you sell the notes prior to maturity, you will receive less than the principal amount of the notes.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

The notes are not bank deposits and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank.

 

 

Goldman Sachs may use this prospectus in the initial sale of the notes. In addition, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC or any other affiliate of Goldman Sachs may use this prospectus in a market-making transaction in the notes after their initial sale. Unless Goldman Sachs or its agent informs the purchaser otherwise in the confirmation of sale, this prospectus is being used in a market-making transaction.

 

 

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

 

 

Pricing Supplement No.                dated October    , 2018.


Table of Contents

About Your Prospectus

The notes are part of the Medium-Term Notes, Series N program of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. This prospectus includes this pricing supplement and the accompanying documents listed below. This pricing supplement constitutes a supplement to the documents listed below and should be read in conjunction with such documents:

 

   

Prospectus supplement dated July 10, 2017

 

 

   

Prospectus dated July  10, 2017

 

The information in this pricing supplement supersedes any conflicting information in the documents listed above. In addition, some of the terms or features described in the listed documents may not apply to your notes.

 

PS-2


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SPECIFIC TERMS OF THE NOTES

 

Please note that in this section entitled “Specific Terms of the Notes”, references to “The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.”, “we”, “our” and “us” mean only The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and do not include any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. Also, in this section, references to “holders” mean The Depository Trust Company (DTC) or its nominee and not indirect owners who own beneficial interests in notes through participants in DTC. Please review the special considerations that apply to indirect owners in the accompanying prospectus, under “Legal Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance”.

This pricing supplement no.    dated October     , 2018 (pricing supplement) and the accompanying prospectus dated July 10, 2017 (accompanying prospectus), relating to the notes, should be read together. Because the notes are part of a series of our debt securities called Medium-Term Notes, Series N, this pricing supplement and the accompanying prospectus should also be read with the accompanying prospectus supplement, dated July 10, 2017 (accompanying prospectus supplement). Terms used but not defined in this pricing supplement have the meanings given to them in the accompanying prospectus or accompanying prospectus supplement, unless the context requires otherwise.

The notes are part of a separate series of our debt securities under our Medium-Term Notes, Series N program governed by our Senior Debt Indenture, dated as of July 16, 2008, as amended, between us and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee. This pricing supplement summarizes specific terms that will apply to your notes. The terms of the notes described here supplement those described in the accompanying prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus and, if the terms described here are inconsistent with those described there, the terms described here are controlling.

Terms of the Callable Step-Up Fixed Rate Notes due 2028

 

Issuer: The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Principal amount: $        

Specified currency: U.S. dollars ($)

Type of Notes: Fixed rate notes (notes) Denominations: $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof

Trade date: October    , 2018

Original issue date: October    , 2018

Stated maturity date: October    , 2028

Interest rate: 4.00% per annum from and including October    , 2018 to but excluding October    , 2024; 5.00% per annum from and including October    , 2024 to but excluding October    , 2027; 6.00% per annum from and including October    , 2027 to but excluding October    , 2028

Supplemental discussion of U.S. federal income tax consequences: Subject to the discussion set forth in the section referenced below regarding short-term debt securities, it is the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP that interest on a note will be taxable to a U.S. holder as ordinary interest income at the time it accrues or is received in accordance with the U.S. holder’s normal method of accounting for tax purposes (regardless of whether we call the notes). Upon the disposition of a note by sale, exchange, redemption or retirement (i.e., if we exercise our right to call the notes or otherwise) or other disposition, a U.S. holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between (i) the amount realized on the disposition (other than amounts attributable to accrued but unpaid interest, which would be treated as such) and (ii) the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the note.

Interest payment dates: April      and October      of each year, commencing on April     , 2019 and ending on the stated maturity date

Regular record dates: for interest due on an interest payment date, the day immediately prior to the day on which payment is to be made (as such payment day may be adjusted under the applicable business day convention specified below)

Day count convention: 30/360 (ISDA), as further discussed under “Additional Information About the Notes — Day Count Convention” on page PS-5 of this pricing supplement

Business day: New York

Business day convention: following unadjusted

Redemption at option of issuer before stated maturity: We may redeem the notes at our option, in whole but not in part, on each January    , April    , July      and October      on or after October     , 2019, upon at least five business days’ prior notice, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the outstanding principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the redemption date

Limited events of default: The only events of default for the notes are (i) interest or principal payment defaults that continue for 30 days and (ii) certain insolvency events. No other breach or default under our senior debt indenture or the notes will result in an event of default for the notes or permit the trustee or holders to accelerate the maturity of any debt securities – that is, they will not be entitled to declare the principal amount of any notes to be immediately due and payable. See “Risks Relating to Regulatory Resolution Strategies and Long-Term Debt Requirements” and “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer — Default, Remedies and Waiver of Default — Securities Issued on or After January 1, 2017 under the 2008 Indenture” in the accompanying prospectus for further details.

 

 

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Listing: None

ERISA: as described under “Employee Retirement Income Security Act” on page 119 of the accompanying prospectus

CUSIP no.: 38150ABN4

ISIN no.: US38150ABN46

Form of notes: Your notes will be issued in book-entry form and represented by a master global note. You should read the section “Legal Ownership and Book- Entry Issuance” in the accompanying prospectus for more information about notes issued in book-entry form

Defeasance applies as follows:

 

    full defeasance — i.e., our right to be relieved of all our obligations on the note by placing funds in trust for the holder: yes

 

    covenant defeasance — i.e., our right to be relieved of specified provisions of the note by placing funds in trust for the holder: yes

FDIC: The notes are not bank deposits and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank

Calculation Agent: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding May Apply to Payments on Your Notes, Including as a Result of the Failure of the Bank or Broker Through Which You Hold the Notes to Provide Information to Tax Authorities:

Please see the discussion under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the applicability of FATCA to payments made on your notes.

 

 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE NOTES

Book-Entry System

We will issue the notes as a master global note registered in the name of DTC, or its nominee. The sale of the notes will settle in immediately available funds through DTC. You will not be permitted to withdraw the notes from DTC except in the limited situations described in the accompanying prospectus under “Legal Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance — What Is a Global Security? — Holder’s Option to Obtain a Non-Global Security; Special Situations When a Global Security Will Be Terminated”. Investors may hold interests in a master global note through organizations that participate, directly or indirectly, in the DTC system.

In addition to this pricing supplement, the following provisions are hereby incorporated into the global master note: the description of New York business day appearing under “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer – Calculations of Interest on Debt Securities – Business Days” in the accompanying prospectus, the description of the following unadjusted business day convention appearing under “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer – Calculations of Interest on Debt Securities – Business Day Conventions” in the accompanying prospectus and the section “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer – Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance” in the accompanying prospectus.

Day Count Convention

As further described under “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer – Calculations of Interest on Debt Securities – Interest Rates and Interest” in the accompanying prospectus, for each interest period the amount of accrued interest will be calculated by multiplying the principal amount of the note by an accrued interest factor for the interest period. The accrued interest factor will be determined by multiplying the per annum interest rate by a factor resulting from the 30/360 (ISDA) day count convention. The factor is the number of days in the interest period in respect of which payment is being made divided by 360, calculated on a formula basis as follows:

 

      [360 × (Y2 – Y1)] + [30  × (M2 – M1)] + (D2 – D1)      
 

 

 
  360  

where:

“Y1” is the year, expressed as a number, in which the first day of the interest period falls;

“Y2” is the year, expressed as a number, in which the day immediately following the last day included in the interest period falls;

“M1” is the calendar month, expressed as a number, in which the first day of the interest period falls;

“M2” is the calendar month, expressed as a number, in which the day immediately following the last day included in the interest period falls;

“D1” is the first calendar day, expressed as a number, of the interest period, unless such number would be 31, in which case D1 will be 30; and

“D2” is the calendar day, expressed as a number, immediately following the last day included in the interest period, unless such number would be 31 and D1 is greater than 29, in which case D2 will be 30.

When We Can Redeem the Notes

We will be permitted to redeem the notes at our option before their stated maturity, as described below. The notes will not be entitled to the benefit of any sinking fund – that is, we will not deposit money on a regular basis into any separate custodial account to repay your note. In addition, you will not be entitled to require us to buy your note from you before its stated maturity.

We will have the right to redeem the notes at our option, in whole but not in part, on each January    , April    , July    and October     on or after October     , 2019, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the outstanding principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest to but excluding the redemption date. We will provide not less than five business days’ prior notice in the manner described under “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer — Notices” in the attached prospectus. If the redemption notice is given and funds deposited as required, then interest will cease to accrue on and after the redemption date on the notes. If any redemption date is not a business day, we will pay the redemption price on the next business day without any interest or other payment due to the delay.

 

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What are the Tax Consequences of the Notes

You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth under “United States Taxation” in the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The following discussion summarizes certain of the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of the purchase, beneficial ownership, and disposition of each of the notes. This summary supplements the section “United States Taxation” in the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and is subject to the limitations and exceptions set forth therein.

As of the original issue date, the notes should not be treated as issued with “original issue discount” (“OID”) despite the fact that the interest rate on the notes is scheduled to step-up over the term of the notes because Treasury regulations generally deem an issuer to exercise a call option in a manner that minimizes the yield on the debt instrument for purposes of determining whether a debt instrument is issued with OID. The yield on the notes would be minimized if we call the notes immediately before the increase in the interest rate on October     , 2024 and therefore the notes should be treated as maturing on such date for OID purposes. This assumption is made solely for purposes of determining whether the notes are issued with OID for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and is not an indication of our intention to call or not to call the notes at any time. If we do not call the notes prior to the increase in the interest rate then, solely for OID purposes, the notes will be deemed to be reissued at their adjusted issue price on October    , 2024. This deemed issuance should not give rise to taxable gain or loss to holders. The same analysis would apply to the increase in the interest rate on October    , 2027. If the notes are not called on the interest payment date occurring on October    , 2027, then, because the period between the interest payment date on October    , 2027 and the stated maturity date of the notes is one year or less, the notes, upon their deemed reissuance on October    , 2027, could be treated as short-term debt securities for OID purposes (but not for purposes of determining the holding period of your notes). For a discussion of the U.S. federal income tax consequences to a U.S. holder of owning short-term debt securities, please review the section entitled “United States Taxation—Taxation of Debt Securities—United States Holders—Short-Term Debt Securities” in the accompanying prospectus.

Under this approach, and subject to the discussion above regarding short-term debt securities, interest on a note will be taxable to a U.S. holder as ordinary interest income at the time it accrues or is received in accordance with the U.S. holder’s normal method of accounting for tax purposes (regardless of whether we call the notes). Upon the disposition of a note by sale, exchange, redemption or retirement (i.e., if we exercise our right to call the notes or otherwise) or other disposition, a U.S. holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between (i) the amount realized on the disposition (other than amounts attributable to accrued but unpaid interest, which would be treated as such) and (ii) the U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in the note. A U.S. holder’s adjusted tax basis in a note generally will equal the cost of the note (net of accrued interest) to the U.S. holder. The deductibility of capital losses is subject to significant limitations.

Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding. Pursuant to Treasury regulations, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) withholding (as described in “United States Taxation—Taxation of Debt Securities—Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding” in the accompanying prospectus) will generally apply to obligations that are issued on or after July 1, 2014; therefore, the notes will generally be subject to FATCA withholding. However, according to published guidance, the withholding tax described above will not apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale, exchange, redemption or other disposition of the notes made before January 1, 2019.

 

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SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. expects to agree to sell to Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC expects to agree to purchase from The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., the aggregate principal amount of the offered notes specified on the front cover of this pricing supplement. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC proposes initially to offer the notes to the public at the initial price to public set forth on the cover page of this pricing supplement, and to certain securities dealers at such price less a concession not in excess of     % of the face amount. The original issue price for notes purchased by certain fee-based advisory accounts will vary between     % and 100% of the face amount of the notes. Any sale of a note to a fee-based advisory account at an original issue price below 100% of the face amount will reduce the underwriting discount specified on the cover of this pricing supplement with respect to such note. The original issue price paid by any fee-based advisory account will be reduced by the amount of any fees foregone by the securities dealer or dealers involved in the sale of the notes to such advisory account, but not by more than    % of the face amount of the notes. If all of the offered notes are not sold at the initial price to public, the underwriters and/or dealers may change the offering price and the other selling terms.

In the future, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC or other affiliates of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. may repurchase and resell the offered notes in market-making transactions, with resales being made at prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of resale or at negotiated prices. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. estimates that its share of the total offering expenses, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $                . For more information about the plan of distribution and possible market-making activities, see “Plan of Distribution” in the accompanying prospectus.

We expect to deliver the notes against payment therefor in New York, New York on October     , 2018.

Any notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this pricing supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement may not be offered, sold or otherwise made available to any retail investor in the European Economic Area. Consequently no key information document required by Regulation (EU) No 1286/2014 (the “PRIIPs Regulation”) for offering or selling the notes or otherwise making them available to retail investors in the EEA has been prepared and therefore offering or selling the notes or otherwise making them available to any retail investor in the EEA may be unlawful under the PRIIPs Regulation. 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 (as amended, the “Insurance Mediation Directive”), 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 (as amended, the “Prospectus Directive”); and

 

(b)

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

In relation to each Member State of the European Economic Area which has implemented the Prospectus Directive (each, a “Relevant Member State”), Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC has represented and agreed that with effect from and including the date on which the Prospectus Directive is implemented in that Relevant Member State (the “Relevant Implementation Date”) it has not made and will not make an offer of notes which are the subject of the offering contemplated by this pricing supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement to the public in that Relevant Member State except that, with effect from and including the Relevant Implementation Date, an offer of such notes may be made to the public in that Relevant Member State:

 

  a)

at any time to any legal entity which is a qualified investor as defined in the Prospectus Directive;

 

  b)

at any time to fewer than 150 natural or legal persons (other than qualified investors as defined in the Prospectus Directive), subject to obtaining the prior consent of the relevant dealer or dealers nominated by the issuer for any such offer; or

 

  c)

at any time in any other circumstances falling within Article 3(2) of the Prospectus Directive,

provided that no such offer of notes referred to above shall require us or any dealer to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive.

 

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For the purposes of this provision, the expression an “offer of notes to the public” in relation to any notes in any Relevant Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the notes, as the same may be varied in that Member State by any measure implementing the Prospectus Directive in that Member State and the expression “Prospectus Directive” means Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended, including by Directive 2010/73/EU), and includes any relevant implementing measure in the Relevant Member State.

Any invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the FSMA) in connection with the issue or sale of the notes may only be communicated or caused to be communicated in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

All applicable provisions of the FSMA must be complied with in respect to anything done by any person in relation to the notes in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom.

The notes may not be offered or sold in Hong Kong by means of any document other than (i) to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong) and any rules made thereunder, or (ii) in other circumstances which do not result in the document being a “prospectus” as defined in the Companies (Winding Up and Miscellaneous Provisions) Ordinance (Cap. 32 of the Laws of Hong Kong) or which do not constitute an offer to the public within the meaning of that Ordinance; and no advertisement, invitation or document relating to the notes may be issued or may be in the possession of any person for the purpose of issue (in each case whether in Hong Kong or elsewhere) which is directed at, or the contents of which are likely to be accessed or read by, the public in Hong Kong (except if permitted to do so under the securities laws of Hong Kong) other than with respect to the notes which are or are intended to be disposed of only to persons outside Hong Kong or only to “professional investors” as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance and any rules made thereunder.

This pricing supplement, along with the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus have not been registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Accordingly, this pricing supplement, along with the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and any other document or material in connection with the offer or sale, or invitation for subscription or purchase, of the notes may not be circulated or distributed, nor may the notes be offered or sold, or be made the subject of an invitation for subscription or purchase, whether directly or indirectly, to persons in Singapore other than (i) to an institutional investor (as defined in Section 4A of the Securities and Futures Act, Chapter 289 of Singapore (the “SFA”)) under Section 274 of the SFA, (ii) to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA) pursuant to Section 275(1) of the SFA, or any person pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, and in accordance with the conditions specified in Section 275 of the SFA or (iii) otherwise pursuant to, and in accordance with the conditions of, any other applicable provision of the SFA, in each case subject to conditions set forth in the SFA.

Where the notes are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is a corporation (which is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) the sole business of which is to hold investments and the entire share capital of which is owned by one or more individuals, each of whom is an accredited investor, the securities (as defined in Section 239(1) of the SFA) of that corporation shall not be transferable for six months after that corporation has acquired the notes under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer in that corporation’s securities pursuant to Section 275(1A) of the SFA, (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA, or (6) as specified in Regulation 32 of the Securities and Futures (Offers of Investments) (Shares and Debentures) Regulations 2005 of Singapore (“Regulation 32”).

Where the notes are subscribed or purchased under Section 275 of the SFA by a relevant person which is a trust (where the trustee is not an accredited investor (as defined in Section 4A of the SFA)) whose sole purpose is to hold investments and each beneficiary of the trust is an accredited investor, the beneficiaries’ rights and interest (howsoever described) in that trust shall not be transferable for six months after that trust has acquired the notes under Section 275 of the SFA except: (1) to an institutional investor under Section 274 of the SFA or to a relevant person (as defined in Section 275(2) of the SFA), (2) where such transfer arises from an offer that is made on terms that such rights or interest are acquired at a consideration of not less than S$200,000 (or its equivalent in a foreign currency) for each transaction (whether such amount is to be paid for in cash or by exchange of securities or other assets), (3) where no consideration is or will be given for the transfer, (4) where the transfer is by operation of law, (5) as specified in Section 276(7) of the SFA, or (6) as specified in Regulation 32.

The notes have not been and will not be registered under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (Act No. 25 of 1948, as amended), or the FIEA. The notes may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of any resident of Japan (including any person resident in Japan or any corporation or other entity organized under the laws of Japan) or to others for reoffering or resale, directly or indirectly, in Japan or to or for the benefit of any resident of Japan, except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the FIEA and otherwise in compliance with any relevant laws and regulations of Japan.

 

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The notes are not offered, sold or advertised, directly or indirectly, in, into or from Switzerland on the basis of a public offering and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange or any other offering or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Accordingly, neither this pricing supplement nor any accompanying prospectus supplement, prospectus or other marketing material constitute a prospectus as defined in article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus as defined in article 32 of the Listing Rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange or any other regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Any resales of the notes by the underwriters thereof may only be undertaken on a private basis to selected individual investors in compliance with Swiss law. This pricing supplement and accompanying prospectus and prospectus supplement may not be copied, reproduced, distributed or passed on to others or otherwise made available in Switzerland without our prior written consent. By accepting this pricing supplement and accompanying prospectus and prospectus supplement or by subscribing to the notes, investors are deemed to have acknowledged and agreed to abide by these restrictions. Investors are advised to consult with their financial, legal or tax advisers before investing in the notes.

 

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Conflicts of Interest

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is an affiliate of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and, as such, will have a “conflict of interest” in this offering of notes within the meaning of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) Rule 5121. Consequently, this offering of notes will be conducted in compliance with the provisions of FINRA Rule 5121. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC will not be permitted to sell notes in this offering to an account over which it exercises discretionary authority without the prior specific written approval of the account holder.

 

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    We have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this pricing supplement, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This pricing supplement, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is an offer to sell only the notes offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this pricing supplement, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is current only as of the respective dates of such documents.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pricing Supplement

 

    

Page

 

Specific Terms of the Notes

     PS-3  

Additional Information About the Notes

     PS-5  

Supplemental Plan of Distribution

     PS-7  

Conflicts of Interest

     PS-10  

 

Prospectus Supplement dated July 10, 2017

 

 

Use of Proceeds

     S-2  

Description of Notes We May Offer

     S-3  

Considerations Relating to Indexed Notes

     S-20  

United States Taxation

     S-23  

Employee Retirement Income Security Act

     S-24  

Supplemental Plan of Distribution

     S-25  

Validity of the Notes

     S-27  

 

Prospectus dated July 10, 2017

 

 

Available Information

     2  

Prospectus Summary

     4  

Risks Relating to Regulatory Resolution Strategies and Long-Term Debt Requirements

     8  

Use of Proceeds

     13  

Description of Debt Securities We May Offer

     14  

Description of Warrants We May Offer

     45  

Description of Purchase Contracts We May Offer

     61  

Description of Units We May Offer

     66  

Description of Preferred Stock We May Offer

     71  

Description of Capital Stock of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

     79  

Legal Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance

     84  

Considerations Relating to Floating Rate Securities

     89  

Considerations Relating to Indexed Securities

     90  

Considerations Relating to Securities Denominated or Payable in or Linked to a Non-U.S. Dollar Currency

     91  

United States Taxation

     94  

Plan of Distribution

     116  

Conflicts of Interest

     118  

Employee Retirement Income Security Act

     119  

Validity of the Securities

     120  

Experts

     120  

Review of Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements by Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

     121  

Cautionary Statement Pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

     121  

 

 

 

 

 

$        

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Callable Step-Up Fixed Rate

Notes due 2028

 

 

 

 

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Goldman Sachs & Co.

LLC