Preliminary Pricing Supplement dated September 20, 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.

 

 

Subject to Completion. Dated September 20, 2018.

 

LOGO

 

 

GS Finance Corp.

 

$            

 

Leveraged Buffered MSCI EAFE Index-Linked Notes due         

 

guaranteed by

 

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

   

The notes do not bear interest. The amount that you will be paid on your notes on the stated maturity date (expected to be November 25, 2019) is based on the performance of the MSCI EAFE Index as measured from the trade date (expected to be September 20, 2018) to and including the determination date (expected to be November 20, 2019).

If the final index level on the determination date is greater than the initial index level (set on the trade date), the return on your notes will be positive and will equal 1.5 times the index return, subject to the maximum settlement amount of $1,107.5 for each $1,000 face amount of your notes. If the final index level declines by up to 20% from the initial index level, you will receive the face amount of your notes.

If the final index level declines by more than 20% from the initial index level, the return on your notes will be negative and you will lose 1.25% of the face amount of your notes for every 1% that the final index level has declined below 80% of the initial index level. See page PS-5. You could lose a significant portion of the face amount of your notes.

To determine your payment at maturity, we will calculate the index return, which is the percentage increase or decrease in the final index level from the initial index level. At maturity, for each $1,000 face amount of your notes, you will receive an amount in cash equal to:

 

 

if the index return is positive (the final index level is greater than the initial index level), the sum of (i) $1,000 plus (ii) the product of (a) $1,000 times (b) 1.5 times (c) the index return, subject to the maximum settlement amount;

 

 

if the index return is zero or negative but not below -20% (the final index level is equal to the initial index level or is less than the initial index level, but not by more than 20%), $1,000; or

 

 

if the index return is negative and is below -20% (the final index level is less than the initial index level by more than 20%), the sum of (i) $1,000 plus (ii) the product of (a) the buffer rate of 125% (see page PS-5) times (b) the sum of the index return plus 20% times (c) $1,000. You will receive less than the face amount of your notes.

You should read the disclosure herein to better understand the terms and risks of your investment, including the credit risk of GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. See page PS-13.

The estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date is expected to be between $980 and $999 per $1,000 face amount. For a discussion of the estimated value and the price at which Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC would initially buy or sell your notes, if it makes a market in the notes, see the following page.

 

Original issue date:   expected to be September 25, 2018   Original issue price:   100% of the face amount
Underwriting discount:           % of the face amount   Net proceeds to the issuer:           % of the face amount

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 & Co. LLC

Pricing Supplement No.                dated                 , 2018.


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The issue price, underwriting discount and net proceeds listed above relate to the notes we sell initially. We may decide to sell additional notes after the date of this pricing supplement, at issue prices and with underwriting discounts and net proceeds that differ from the amounts set forth above. The return (whether positive or negative) on your investment in notes will depend in part on the issue price you pay for such notes.

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

 

 

Estimated Value of Your Notes

 

The estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date (as determined by reference to pricing models used by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.) and taking into account our credit spreads) is expected to be between $980 and $999 per $1,000 face amount, which is less than the original issue price. The value of your notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted; however, the price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would initially buy or sell notes (if it makes a market, which it is not obligated to do) and the value that GS&Co. will initially use for account statements and otherwise is equal to approximately the estimated value of your notes at the time of pricing, plus an additional amount (initially equal to $        per $1,000 face amount).

 

Prior to                 , the price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would buy or sell your notes (if it makes a market, which it is not obligated to do) will equal approximately the sum of (a) the then-current estimated value of your notes (as determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models) plus (b) any remaining additional amount (the additional amount will decline to zero on a straight-line basis from the time of pricing through                ). On and after                the price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would buy or sell your notes (if it makes a market) will equal approximately the then-current estimated value of your notes determined by reference to such pricing models.

 

 

About Your Prospectus

 

The notes are part of the Medium-Term Notes, Series E program of GS Finance Corp. and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by 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, does not set forth all of the terms of your notes and therefore should be read in conjunction with such documents:

 

  Product supplement no. 1,738 dated July 10, 2017

 

  General terms supplement no. 1,734 dated July 10, 2017

 

  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.

 

We refer to the notes we are offering by this pricing supplement as the “offered notes” or the “notes”. Each of the offered notes has the terms described below. Please note that in this pricing supplement, references to “GS Finance Corp.”, “we”, “our” and “us” mean only GS Finance Corp. and do not include its subsidiaries or affiliates, references to “The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.”, our parent company, mean only The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and do not include its subsidiaries or affiliates and references to “Goldman Sachs” mean The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates, including us. The notes will be issued under the senior debt indenture, dated as of October 10, 2008, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 20, 2015, each among us, as issuer, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor, and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee. This indenture, as so supplemented and as further supplemented thereafter, is referred to as the “GSFC 2008 indenture” in the accompanying prospectus supplement. The notes will be issued in book-entry form and represented by a master global note.

 

 

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LOGO

   

  Leveraged Buffered MSCI EAFE Index-Linked Notes due

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

 

 

 INVESTMENT THESIS

 

You should be willing to forgo:

 

   

gains greater than a maximum settlement amount of 110.75% of the face amount in exchange for (i) 1.5x leveraged upside participation if the underlier return is positive and (ii) a buffer against loss of principal in the event of a decline of up to 20% in the final underlier level relative to the initial underlier level.

 

   

interest payments and risk losing your entire investment for the potential to earn 150% of any positive underlier return up to a maximum settlement amount of 110.75% of the face amount.

Your maximum return on your notes will not be greater than 10.75%, and you could lose all or a portion of your investment if the underlier return is less than -20%.

 

 

 DETERMINING THE CASH SETTLEMENT AMOUNT

 

At maturity, for each $1,000 face amount, the investor will receive (in each case as a percentage of the face amount):

 

 

if the final underlier level is greater than 100% of the initial underlier level, 100% plus 150% times the underlier return, subject to a maximum settlement amount of 110.75%;

 

 

if the final underlier level is equal to or less than 100% of the initial underlier level but greater than or equal to 80% of the initial underlier level, 100%; or

 

 

if the final underlier level is less than 80% of the initial underlier level, 100% minus 1.25% for every 1% that the final underlier level has declined below 80% of the initial underlier level

If the final underlier level declines by more than 20% from the initial underlier level, the return on the notes will be negative and the investor could lose their entire investment in the notes.

 

 

KEY TERMS

 

Issuer:

 

 

 

GS Finance Corp.

 

 

Guarantor:

 

 

 

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

 

 

Underlier:

 

 

 

The MSCI EAFE Index (current Bloomberg symbol: “MXEA Index”).

 

 

Face Amount:

 

 

 

$        in the aggregate; each note will have a face amount equal to $1,000

 

 

Trade Date:

 

 

 

Expected to be September 20, 2018

 

 

Settlement Date:

 

 

 

Expected to be September 25, 2018

 

 

Determination Date:

 

 

 

Expected to be November 20, 2019

 

Stated Maturity Date:

 

 

 

Expected to be November 25, 2019

 

Initial Underlier Level:

 

 

 

To be determined on the trade date

 

 

Final Underlier Level:

 

 

 

The closing level of the underlier on the determination date

 

 

Underlier Return:

 

 

 

The quotient of (i) the final underlier level minus the initial underlier level divided by (ii) the initial underlier level, expressed as a positive or negative percentage

 

 

Upside Participation Rate:

 

 

 

150%

 

 

Buffer Level:

 

 

 

80% of the initial underlier level (equal to an underlier return of -20%)

 

 

Buffer Amount:

 

 

 

20%

 

 

Buffer Rate:

 

 

 

The quotient of the initial underlier level divided by the buffer level, which equals 125%

 

 

Maximum Settlement Amount:

 

 

 

$1,107.5

 

 

Cap Level:

 

 

 

approximately 107.167% of the initial underlier level

 

 

CUSIP/ISIN:

 

 

 

40055QZS4 / US40055QZS47

 

 

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 HYPOTHETICAL PAYMENT AT MATURITY

 

 

LOGO

 

 

 

Hypothetical Final Underlier

Level (as Percentage of Initial

Underlier Level)

 

  

 

Hypothetical Cash Settlement

Amount (as Percentage of Face

Amount)

 

200.000%

   110.750%

185.000%

   110.750%

160.000%

   110.750%

135.000%

 

  

110.750%

 

 

107.167%

  

 

110.750%

 

106.000%

  

 

109.000%

104.000%

   106.000%

102.000%

 

  

103.000%

 

 

100.000%

  

 

100.000%

 

95.000%

  

 

100.000%

90.000%

   100.000%

85.000%

 

  

100.000%

 

 

80.000%

  

 

100.000%

 

75.000%

  

 

93.750%

50.000%

   62.500%

25.000%

 

  

31.250%

 

 

0.000%

  

 

0.000%

 

 

 

 

 RISKS

 

Please read the section entitled “Additional Risk Factors Specific to Your Notes” of this pricing supplement as well as the risks and considerations described in the accompanying prospectus dated July 10, 2017, in the accompanying prospectus supplement dated July 10, 2017, under “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes” in the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738 dated July 10, 2017, and under “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” in the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734 dated July 10, 2017.

 

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS

(Terms From Pricing Supplement No.            Incorporated Into Master Note No. 2)

 

These terms and conditions relate to pricing supplement no.            dated                 , 2018 of GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. with respect to the issuance by GS Finance Corp. of its Leveraged Buffered MSCI EAFE Index-Linked Notes due              and the guarantee thereof by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

The provisions below are hereby incorporated into master note no. 2, dated August 22, 2018. References herein to “this note” shall be deemed to refer to “this security” in such master note no. 2, dated August 22, 2018. Certain defined terms may not be capitalized in these terms and conditions even if they are capitalized in master note no. 2, dated August 22, 2018. Defined terms that are not defined in these terms and conditions shall have the meanings indicated in such master note no. 2, dated August 22, 2018, unless the context otherwise requires.

CUSIP / ISIN: 40055QZS4 / US40055QZS47

Company (Issuer): GS Finance Corp.

Guarantor: The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Underlier: the MSCI EAFE Index (current Bloomberg symbol: “MXEA Index”), or any successor underlier, as it may be modified, replaced or adjusted from time to time as provided herein

Face amount: $        in the aggregate on the original issue date; the aggregate face amount may be increased if the company, at its sole option, decides to sell an additional amount on a date subsequent to the trade date.

Authorized denominations: $1,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000 in excess thereof

Principal amount: On the stated maturity date, the company will pay, for each $1,000 of the outstanding face amount, an amount, if any, in cash equal to the cash settlement amount.

Cash settlement amount:

 

 

if the final underlier level is greater than the initial underlier level, the sum of (1) $1,000 plus (2) the product of (i) $1,000 times (ii) the upside participation rate times (iii) the underlier return, subject to the maximum settlement amount;

 

 

if the final underlier level is equal to or less than the initial underlier level but greater than or equal to the buffer level, $1,000; or

 

 

if the final underlier level is less than the buffer level, the sum of (1) $1,000 plus (2) the product of (i) $1,000 times (ii) the buffer rate times (iii) the sum of the underlier return plus the buffer amount

Initial underlier level (set on the trade date):

Final underlier level: the closing level of the underlier on the determination date, subject to adjustment as provided in “— Consequences of a market disruption event or non-trading day” and “— Discontinuance or modification of the underlier” below

Cap level: approximately 107.167% of the initial underlier level

Maximum settlement amount: $1,107.5

Upside participation rate: 150%

Underlier return: the quotient of (1) the final underlier level minus the initial underlier level divided by (2) the initial underlier level, expressed as a percentage

Buffer level: 80% of the initial underlier level

Buffer rate: the quotient of the initial underlier level divided by the buffer level, which equals 125%

Buffer amount: 20%

Trade date (set on the trade date): expected to be September 20, 2018

Original issue date (set on the trade date): expected to be September 25, 2018

Determination date (set on the trade date): expected to be November 20, 2019, unless the calculation agent determines that a market disruption event occurs or is continuing on such day or such day is not a trading day. In that event, the determination date will be the first following trading day on which the calculation agent determines that a market disruption event does not occur and is not continuing. However, the determination date will not be postponed to a date later than the originally scheduled stated maturity date or, if the originally scheduled stated

 

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maturity date is not a business day, later than the first business day after the originally scheduled stated maturity date. If a market disruption event occurs or is continuing on the day that is the last possible determination date or such last possible day is not a trading day, that day will nevertheless be the determination date.

Stated maturity date (set on the trade date): expected to be November 25, 2019, unless that day is not a business day, in which case the stated maturity date will be postponed to the next following business day. The stated maturity date will also be postponed if the determination date is postponed as described under “— Determination date” above. In such a case, the stated maturity date will be postponed by the same number of business day(s) from but excluding the originally scheduled determination date to and including the actual determination date.

Closing level: for any given trading day, the closing level of the underlier or any successor underlier reported by Bloomberg Financial Services, or any successor reporting service the company may select, on such trading day for the underlier. As of the trade date, whereas the underlier sponsor publishes the official closing level of the underlier to six decimal places, Bloomberg Financial Services reports the closing level of the underlier to fewer decimal places.

Constituent index: any of the component country indices comprising the underlier.

Trading day: a day on which the underlier is calculated and published by the underlier sponsor

Successor underlier: any substitute underlier approved by the calculation agent as a successor underlier as provided under “— Discontinuance or modification of the underlier” below

Underlier sponsor: at any time, the person or entity, including any successor sponsor, that determines and publishes the underlier as then in effect

Underlier stocks: at any time, the stocks that comprise any of the constituent indices as then in effect, after giving effect to any additions, deletions or substitutions

Market disruption event: With respect to any given trading day, any of the following will be a market disruption event with respect to the underlier:

 

   

a suspension, absence or material limitation of trading in underlier stocks constituting 20% or more, by weight, of the underlier or any constituent index on their respective primary markets, in each case for more than two consecutive hours of trading or during the one-half hour before the close of trading in that market, as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion,

 

   

a suspension, absence or material limitation of trading in option or futures contracts relating to the underlier, to any constituent index or to underlier stocks constituting 20% or more, by weight, of the underlier or any constituent index in the respective primary markets for those contracts, in each case for more than two consecutive hours of trading or during the one-half hour before the close of trading in that market, as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion, or

 

   

underlier stocks constituting 20% or more, by weight, of the underlier or any constituent index, or option or futures contracts, if available, relating to the underlier or any constituent index or to underlier stocks constituting 20% or more, by weight, of the underlier or any constituent index do not trade on what were the respective primary markets for those underlier stocks or contracts, as determined by the calculation agent in its sole discretion,

and, in the case of any of these events, the calculation agent determines in its sole discretion that such event could materially interfere with the ability of the company or any of its affiliates or a similarly situated person to unwind all or a material portion of a hedge that could be effected with respect to this note.

The following events will not be market disruption events:

 

   

a limitation on the hours or numbers of days of trading, but only if the limitation results from an announced change in the regular business hours of the relevant market, and

 

   

a decision to permanently discontinue trading in option or futures contracts relating to the underlier or any constituent index or to any underlier stock.

For this purpose, an “absence of trading” in the primary securities market on which an underlier stock, or on which option or futures contracts relating to the underlier or any constituent index or an underlier stock are traded will not include any time when that market is itself closed for trading under ordinary circumstances. In contrast, a suspension or limitation of trading in an underlier stock or in option or futures contracts, if available, relating to the

 

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underlier or any constituent index or to an underlier stock in the primary market for that stock or those contracts, by reason of:

 

   

a price change exceeding limits set by that market,

 

   

an imbalance of orders relating to that underlier stock or those contracts, or

 

   

a disparity in bid and ask quotes relating to that underlier stock or those contracts,

will constitute a suspension or material limitation of trading in that stock or those contracts in that market.

Consequences of a market disruption event or a non-trading day: If a market disruption event occurs or is continuing on a day that would otherwise be the determination date or such day is not a trading day, then the determination date will be postponed as described under “— Determination date” above.

If the calculation agent determines that the closing level of the underlier that must be used to determine the cash settlement amount is not available on the postponed determination date because of a market disruption event, a non-trading day or for any other reason (except as described under “— Discontinuance or modification of the underlier” below), the calculation agent will nevertheless determine the closing level of the underlier based on its assessment, made in its sole discretion, of the level of the underlier on that day.

Discontinuance or modification of the underlier: If the underlier sponsor discontinues publication of the underlier and the underlier sponsor or any other person or entity publishes a substitute underlier that the calculation agent determines is comparable to the underlier and approves as a successor underlier, or if the calculation agent designates a substitute underlier, then the calculation agent will determine the amount payable on the stated maturity date by reference to such successor underlier.

If the calculation agent determines that the publication of the underlier is discontinued and there is no successor underlier, the calculation agent will determine the amount payable on the stated maturity date by a computation methodology that the calculation agent determines will as closely as reasonably possible replicate the underlier.

If the calculation agent determines that the underlier, the underlier stocks or any constituent index or the method of calculating the underlier is changed at any time in any respect—including any split or reverse-split of the underlier and any addition, deletion or substitution and any reweighting or rebalancing of the constituent indices or of the underlier stocks and whether the change is made by the underlier sponsor under its existing policies or following a modification of those policies, is due to the publication of a successor underlier, is due to events affecting one or more of the underlier stocks or their issuers or is due to any other reason—and is not otherwise reflected in the level of the underlier by the underlier sponsor pursuant to the then-current underlier methodology of the underlier, then the calculation agent will be permitted (but not required) to make such adjustments in the underlier or the method of its calculation as it believes are appropriate to ensure that the final underlier level, used to determine the amount payable on the stated maturity date, is equitable.

All determinations and adjustments to be made by the calculation agent with respect to the underlier may be made by the calculation agent in its sole discretion. The calculation agent is not obligated to make any such adjustments.

Calculation agent: Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (“GS&Co.”)

Tax characterization: The notes will be treated as debt instruments subject to the special rules governing contingent payment debt instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Under this treatment, it is the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP that if you are a U.S. individual or taxable entity, you generally should be required to pay taxes on ordinary income from the notes over their term based on the comparable yield for the notes. In addition, any gain you may recognize on the sale, exchange or maturity of the notes will be taxed as ordinary interest income.

Overdue principal rate: the effective Federal Funds rate

 

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HYPOTHETICAL EXAMPLES

The following table and chart are provided for purposes of illustration only. They should not be taken as an indication or prediction of future investment results and merely are intended to illustrate the impact that the various hypothetical underlier levels on the determination date could have on the cash settlement amount at maturity assuming all other variables remain constant.

The examples below are based on a range of final underlier levels that are entirely hypothetical; the underlier level on any day throughout the life of the notes, including the final underlier level on the determination date, cannot be predicted. The underlier has been highly volatile in the past — meaning that the underlier level has changed considerably in relatively short periods — and its performance cannot be predicted for any future period.

The information in the following examples reflects hypothetical rates of return on the offered notes assuming that they are purchased on the original issue date at the face amount and held to the stated maturity date. If you sell your notes in a secondary market prior to the stated maturity date, your return will depend upon the market value of your notes at the time of sale, which may be affected by a number of factors that are not reflected in the table below, such as interest rates, the volatility of the underlier, the creditworthiness of GS Finance Corp., as issuer, and the creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor. In addition, the estimated value of your notes at the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date (as determined by reference to pricing models used by GS&Co.) is less than the original issue price of your notes. For more information on the estimated value of your notes, see “Additional Risk Factors Specific to Your Notes — The Estimated Value of Your Notes At the Time the Terms of Your Notes Are Set On the Trade Date (as Determined By Reference to Pricing Models Used By GS&Co.) Is Less Than the Original Issue Price Of Your Notes” on page PS-13 of this pricing supplement. The information in the table also reflects the key terms and assumptions in the box below.

 

 

Key Terms and Assumptions

 

 

Face amount

 

  

 

$1,000

 

 

Upside participation rate

 

  

 

150%

 

 

Cap level

 

  

 

approximately 107.167% of the initial underlier level

 

 

Maximum settlement amount

 

  

 

$1,107.5

 

 

Buffer level

 

  

 

80% of the initial underlier level

 

 

Buffer rate

 

  

 

125%

 

 

Buffer amount

 

  

 

20%

 

Neither a market disruption event nor a non-trading day occurs on the originally scheduled determination date

 

No change in or affecting any of the underlier stocks or the method by which the underlier sponsor calculates the underlier

 

Notes purchased on original issue date at the face amount and held to the stated maturity date

Moreover, we have not yet set the initial underlier level that will serve as the baseline for determining the underlier return and the amount that we will pay on your notes, if any, at maturity. We will not do so until the trade date. As a result, the actual initial underlier level may differ substantially from the underlier level prior to the trade date.

For these reasons, the actual performance of the underlier over the life of your notes, as well as the amount payable at maturity, if any, may bear little relation to the hypothetical examples shown below or to the historical underlier levels shown elsewhere in this pricing supplement. For information about the historical levels of the underlier during recent periods, see “The Underlier — Historical Closing Levels of the Underlier” below. Before investing in the offered notes, you should consult publicly available information to determine the levels of the underlier between the date of this pricing supplement and the date of your purchase of the offered notes.

Also, the hypothetical examples shown below do not take into account the effects of applicable taxes. Because of the U.S. tax treatment applicable to your notes, tax liabilities could affect the after-tax rate of return on your notes to a comparatively greater extent than the after-tax return on the underlier stocks.

The levels in the left column of the table below represent hypothetical final underlier levels and are expressed as percentages of the initial underlier level. The amounts in the right column represent the hypothetical cash settlement amounts, based on the corresponding hypothetical final underlier level, and are expressed as percentages of the face amount of a note (rounded to the nearest one-thousandth of a percent). Thus, a hypothetical cash settlement amount of 100.000% means that the value of the cash payment that we would deliver for each $1,000 of the outstanding face amount of the offered notes on the stated maturity date would equal

 

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100.000% of the face amount of a note, based on the corresponding hypothetical final underlier level and the assumptions noted above.

 

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Hypothetical Final Underlier Level

 

(as Percentage of Initial Underlier Level)

 

 

  

Hypothetical Cash Settlement Amount

 

(as Percentage of Face Amount)

 

 

200.000%

   110.750%

185.000%

   110.750%

160.000%

   110.750%

135.000%

   110.750%

107.167%

   110.750%

106.000%

   109.000%

104.000%

   106.000%

102.000%

   103.000%

100.000%

   100.000%

95.000%

   100.000%

90.000%

   100.000%

85.000%

   100.000%

80.000%

   100.000%

75.000%

   93.750%

50.000%

   62.500%

25.000%

   31.250%

0.000%

   0.000%

If, for example, the final underlier level were determined to be 25.000% of the initial underlier level, the cash settlement amount that we would deliver on your notes at maturity would be 31.250% of the face amount of your notes, as shown in the table above. As a result, if you purchased your notes on the original issue date at the face amount and held them to the stated maturity date, you would lose 68.750% of your investment (if you purchased your notes at a premium to face amount you would lose a correspondingly higher percentage of your investment). If the final underlier level were determined to be 0.000% of the initial underlier level, you would lose your entire investment in the notes. In addition, if the final underlier level were determined to be 200.000% of the initial underlier level, the cash settlement amount that we would deliver on your notes at maturity would be capped at the maximum settlement amount, or 110.750% of each $1,000 face amount of your notes, as shown in the table above. As a result, if you held your notes to the stated maturity date, you would not benefit from any increase in the final underlier level over approximately 107.167% of the initial underlier level.

The following chart shows a graphical illustration of the hypothetical cash settlement amounts that we would pay on your notes on the stated maturity date, if the final underlier level were any of the hypothetical levels shown on the horizontal axis. The hypothetical cash settlement amounts in the chart are expressed as percentages of the face amount of your notes and the hypothetical final underlier levels are expressed as percentages of the initial underlier level. The chart shows that any hypothetical final underlier level of less than 80.000% (the section left of the 80.000% marker on the horizontal axis) would result in a hypothetical cash settlement amount of less than 100.000% of the face amount of your notes (the section below the 100.000% marker on the vertical axis) and, accordingly, in a loss of principal to the holder of the notes. The chart also shows that any hypothetical final underlier level of greater than or equal to approximately 107.167% (the section right of the 107.167% marker on the horizontal axis) would result in a capped return on your investment.

 

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LOGO

The cash settlement amounts shown above are entirely hypothetical; they are based on market prices for the underlier stocks that may not be achieved on the determination date and on assumptions that may prove to be erroneous. The actual market value of your notes on the stated maturity date or at any other time, including any time you may wish to sell your notes, may bear little relation to the hypothetical cash settlement amounts shown above, and these amounts should not be viewed as an indication of the financial return on an investment in the offered notes. The hypothetical cash settlement amounts on notes held to the stated maturity date in the examples above assume you purchased your notes at their face amount and have not been adjusted to reflect the actual issue price you pay for your notes. The return on your investment (whether positive or negative) in your notes will be affected by the amount you pay for your notes. If you purchase your notes for a price other than the face amount, the return on your investment will differ from, and may be significantly lower than, the hypothetical returns suggested by the above examples. Please read “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes — The Market Value of Your Notes May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” on page S-32 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738.

Payments on the notes are economically equivalent to the amounts that would be paid on a combination of other instruments. For example, payments on the notes are economically equivalent to a combination of an interest-bearing bond bought by the holder and one or more options entered into between the holder and us (with one or more implicit option premiums paid over time). The discussion in this paragraph does not modify or affect the terms of the notes or the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the notes, as described elsewhere in this pricing supplement.

 

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We cannot predict the actual final underlier level or what the market value of your notes will be on any particular trading day, nor can we predict the relationship between the underlier level and the market value of your notes at any time prior to the stated maturity date. The actual amount that you will receive, if any, at maturity and the rate of return on the offered notes will depend on the actual initial underlier level, which we will set on the trade date, and the actual final underlier level determined by the calculation agent as described above. Moreover, the assumptions on which the hypothetical returns are based may turn out to be inaccurate. Consequently, the amount of cash to be paid in respect of your notes, if any, on the stated maturity date may be very different from the information reflected in the table and chart above.

 

 

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ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS SPECIFIC TO YOUR NOTES

 

 

An investment in your notes is subject to the risks described below, as well as the risks and considerations described in the accompanying prospectus, in the accompanying prospectus supplement, under “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” in the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734 and under “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes” in the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738. You should carefully review these risks and considerations as well as the terms of the notes described herein and in the accompanying prospectus, the accompanying prospectus supplement, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734 and the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738. Your notes are a riskier investment than ordinary debt securities. Also, your notes are not equivalent to investing directly in the underlier stocks, i.e., the stocks comprising the underlier to which your notes are linked. You should carefully consider whether the offered notes are suited to your particular circumstances.

 

The Estimated Value of Your Notes At the Time the Terms of Your Notes Are Set On the Trade Date (as Determined By Reference to Pricing Models Used By GS&Co.) Is Less Than the Original Issue Price Of Your Notes

The original issue price for your notes exceeds the estimated value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date, as determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models and taking into account our credit spreads. Such estimated value on the trade date is set forth above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes; after the trade date, the estimated value as determined by reference to these models will be affected by changes in market conditions, the creditworthiness of GS Finance Corp., as issuer, the creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor, and other relevant factors. The price at which GS&Co. would initially buy or sell your notes (if GS&Co. makes a market, which it is not obligated to do), and the value that GS&Co. will initially use for account statements and otherwise, also exceeds the estimated value of your notes as determined by reference to these models. As agreed by GS&Co. and the distribution participants, this excess (i.e., the additional amount described under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”) will decline to zero on a straight line basis over the period from the date hereof through the applicable date set forth above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes”. Thereafter, if GS&Co. buys or sells your notes it will do so at prices that reflect the estimated value determined by reference to such pricing models at that time. The price at which GS&Co. will buy or sell your notes at any time also will reflect its then current bid and ask spread for similar sized trades of structured notes.

In estimating the value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date, as disclosed above under “Estimated Value of Your Notes, GS&Co.’s pricing models consider certain variables, including principally our credit spreads, interest rates (forecasted, current and historical rates), volatility, price-sensitivity analysis and the time to maturity of the notes. These pricing models are proprietary and rely in part on certain assumptions about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. As a result, the actual value you would receive if you sold your notes in the secondary market, if any, to others may differ, perhaps materially, from the estimated value of your notes determined by reference to our models due to, among other things, any differences in pricing models or assumptions used by others. See “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes — The Market Value of Your Notes May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” on page S-32 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738.

The difference between the estimated value of your notes as of the time the terms of your notes are set on the trade date and the original issue price is a result of certain factors, including principally the underwriting discount and commissions, the expenses incurred in creating, documenting and marketing the notes, and an estimate of the difference between the amounts we pay to GS&Co. and the amounts GS&Co. pays to us in connection with your notes. We pay to GS&Co. amounts based on what we would pay to holders of a non-structured note with a similar maturity. In return for such payment, GS&Co. pays to us the amounts we owe under your notes.

In addition to the factors discussed above, the value and quoted price of your notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted. If GS&Co. makes a market in the notes, the price quoted by GS&Co. would reflect any changes in market conditions and other relevant factors, including any deterioration in our creditworthiness or perceived creditworthiness or the creditworthiness or perceived creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. These changes may adversely affect the value of your notes, including the price you may receive for your notes in any market making transaction. To the extent that GS&Co. makes a market in the notes, the quoted price will reflect the estimated value determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models at that time, plus or minus its then current bid and ask spread for similar sized trades of structured notes (and subject to the declining excess amount described above).

 

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Furthermore, if you sell your notes, you will likely be charged a commission for secondary market transactions, or the price will likely reflect a dealer discount. This commission or discount will further reduce the proceeds you would receive for your notes in a secondary market sale.

There is no assurance that GS&Co. or any other party will be willing to purchase your notes at any price and, in this regard, GS&Co. is not obligated to make a market in the notes. See “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes — Your Notes May Not Have an Active Trading Market” on page S-31 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738.

The Notes Are Subject to the Credit Risk of the Issuer and the Guarantor

Although the return on the notes will be based on the performance of the underlier, the payment of any amount due on the notes is subject to the credit risk of GS Finance Corp., as issuer of the notes, and the credit risk of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. as guarantor of the notes. The notes are our unsecured obligations. Investors are dependent on our ability to pay all amounts due on the notes, and therefore investors are subject to our credit risk and to changes in the market’s view of our creditworthiness. Similarly, investors are dependent on the ability of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor of the notes, to pay all amounts due on the notes, and therefore are also subject to its credit risk and to changes in the market’s view of its creditworthiness. See “Description of the Notes We May Offer — Information About Our Medium-Term Notes, Series E Program — How the Notes Rank Against Other Debt” on page S-4 of the accompanying prospectus supplement and “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer — Guarantee by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.” on page 42 of the accompanying prospectus.

The Amount Payable on Your Notes Is Not Linked to the Level of the Underlier at Any Time Other Than the Determination Date

The final underlier level will be based on the closing level of the underlier on the determination date (subject to adjustment as described elsewhere in this pricing supplement). Therefore, if the closing level of the underlier dropped precipitously on the determination date, the cash settlement amount for your notes may be significantly less than it would have been had the cash settlement amount been linked to the closing level of the underlier prior to such drop in the level of the underlier. Although the actual level of the underlier on the stated maturity date or at other times during the life of your notes may be higher than the final underlier level, you will not benefit from the closing level of the underlier at any time other than on the determination date.

You May Lose Your Entire Investment in the Notes

You can lose your entire investment in the notes. The cash payment on your notes, if any, on the stated maturity date will be based on the performance of the MSCI EAFE Index as measured from the initial underlier level set on the trade date to the closing level on the determination date. If the final underlier level is less than the buffer level, you will have a loss for each $1,000 of the face amount of your notes equal to the product of (i) the buffer rate times (ii) the sum of the underlier return plus the buffer amount times (iii) $1,000. Thus, you may lose your entire investment in the notes, which would include any premium to face amount you paid when you purchased the notes.

Also, the market price of your notes prior to the stated maturity date may be significantly lower than the purchase price you pay for your notes. Consequently, if you sell your notes before the stated maturity date, you may receive far less than the amount of your investment in the notes.

Your Notes Do Not Bear Interest

You will not receive any interest payments on your notes. As a result, even if the cash settlement amount payable for your notes on the stated maturity date exceeds the face amount of your notes, the overall return you earn on your notes may be less than you would have earned by investing in a non-indexed debt security of comparable maturity that bears interest at a prevailing market rate.

The Potential for the Value of Your Notes to Increase Will Be Limited

Your ability to participate in any change in the value of the underlier over the life of your notes will be limited because of the maximum settlement amount. The maximum settlement amount will limit the cash settlement amount you may receive for each of your notes at maturity, no matter how much the level of the underlier may rise beyond the cap level over the life of your notes. Accordingly, the amount payable for each of your notes may be significantly less than it would have been had you invested directly in the underlier.

You Have No Shareholder Rights or Rights to Receive Any Underlier Stock

Investing in your notes will not make you a holder of any of the underlier stocks. Neither you nor any other holder or owner of your notes will have any rights with respect to the underlier stocks, including any voting rights, any right to receive dividends or other distributions, any rights to make a claim against the underlier stocks or any other rights of a holder of the underlier stocks. Your notes will be paid in cash and you will have no right to receive delivery of any underlier stocks.

 

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We May Sell an Additional Aggregate Face Amount of the Notes at a Different Issue Price

At our sole option, we may decide to sell an additional aggregate face amount of the notes subsequent to the date of this pricing supplement. The issue price of the notes in the subsequent sale may differ substantially (higher or lower) from the original issue price you paid as provided on the cover of this pricing supplement.

If You Purchase Your Notes at a Premium to Face Amount, the Return on Your Investment Will Be Lower Than the Return on Notes Purchased at Face Amount and the Impact of Certain Key Terms of the Notes Will Be Negatively Affected

The cash settlement amount will not be adjusted based on the issue price you pay for the notes. If you purchase notes at a price that differs from the face amount of the notes, then the return on your investment in such notes held to the stated maturity date will differ from, and may be substantially less than, the return on notes purchased at face amount. If you purchase your notes at a premium to face amount and hold them to the stated maturity date, the return on your investment in the notes will be lower than it would have been had you purchased the notes at face amount or a discount to face amount. In addition, the impact of the buffer level and the cap level on the return on your investment will depend upon the price you pay for your notes relative to face amount. For example, if you purchase your notes at a premium to face amount, the cap level will only permit a lower positive return in your investment in the notes than would have been the case for notes purchased at face amount or a discount to face amount. Similarly, the buffer level, while still providing some protection for the return on the notes, will allow a greater percentage decrease in your investment in the notes than would have been the case for notes purchased at face amount or a discount to face amount.

An Investment in the Offered Notes Is Subject to Risks Associated with Foreign Securities

The value of your notes is linked to an underlier that is comprised of stocks from one or more foreign securities markets. Investments linked to the value of foreign equity securities involve particular risks. Any foreign securities market may be less liquid, more volatile and affected by global or domestic market developments in a different way than are the U.S. securities market or other foreign securities markets. Both government intervention in a foreign securities market, either directly or indirectly, and cross-shareholdings in foreign companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in that market. Also, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than about those U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Further, foreign companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies.

The prices of securities in a foreign country are subject to political, economic, financial and social factors that are unique to such foreign country’s geographical region. These factors include: recent changes, or the possibility of future changes, in the applicable foreign government’s economic and fiscal policies; the possible implementation of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other laws or restrictions applicable to foreign companies or investments in foreign equity securities; fluctuations, or the possibility of fluctuations, in currency exchange rates; and the possibility of outbreaks of hostility, political instability, natural disaster or adverse public health developments. The United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union (popularly known as “Brexit”). The effect of Brexit is uncertain, and Brexit has and may continue to contribute to volatility in the prices of securities of companies located in Europe and currency exchange rates, including the valuation of the euro and British pound in particular. Any one of these factors, or the combination of more than one of these factors, could negatively affect such foreign securities market and the price of securities therein. Further, geographical regions may react to global factors in different ways, which may cause the prices of securities in a foreign securities market to fluctuate in a way that differs from those of securities in the U.S. securities market or other foreign securities markets. Foreign economies may also differ from the U.S. economy in important respects, including growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency, which may have a positive or negative effect on foreign securities prices.

Your Investment in the Notes Will Be Subject to Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk

Because the underlier is a U.S. dollar denominated index whose underlying stock prices are converted by the underlier sponsor into U.S. dollars for purposes of calculating the value of the underlier, investors in the notes will be exposed to currency exchange rate risk with respect to each of the currencies represented in the underlier which are converted in such manner. An investor’s net exposure will depend on the extent to which the currencies represented in the underlier strengthen or weaken against the U.S. dollar and the relative weight of each relevant currency represented in the overall underlier. If, taking into account such weighting, the U.S. dollar strengthens against the component currencies, the value of the underlier may be adversely affected and the amount payable at maturity of the notes may be reduced.

 

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Regulators Are Investigating Potential Manipulation of Published Currency Exchange Rates

It has been reported that the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority and regulators from other countries are in the process of investigating the potential manipulation of published currency exchange rates. If such manipulation has occurred or is continuing, certain published exchange rates may have been, or may be in the future, artificially lower (or higher) than they would otherwise have been. Any such manipulation could have an adverse impact on any payments on, and the value of, your notes and the trading market for your notes. In addition, we cannot predict whether any changes or reforms affecting the determination or publication of exchange rates or the supervision of currency trading will be implemented in connection with these investigations. Any such changes or reforms could also adversely impact your notes.

Your Notes Will Be Treated as Debt Instruments Subject to Special Rules Governing Contingent Payment Debt Instruments for U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes

The notes will be treated as debt instruments subject to special rules governing contingent payment debt instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If you are a U.S. individual or taxable entity, you generally will be required to pay taxes on ordinary income from the notes over their term based on the comparable yield for the notes, even though you will not receive any payments from us until maturity. This comparable yield is determined solely to calculate the amount on which you will be taxed prior to maturity and is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of what the actual yield will be. In addition, any gain you may recognize on the sale, exchange or maturity of the notes will be taxed as ordinary interest income. If you are a secondary purchaser of the notes, the tax consequences to you may be different. Please see “Supplemental Discussion of Federal Income Tax Consequences” below for a more detailed discussion. Please also consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax and any other applicable tax consequences to you of owning your notes in your particular circumstances.

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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THE UNDERLIER

The MSCI EAFE Index (the underlier) is a stock index calculated, published and disseminated daily by MSCI Inc., which we refer to as “MSCI”, through numerous data vendors, on the MSCI website and in real time on Bloomberg Financial Markets and Reuters Limited.

MSCI EAFE Index

Index Stock Weighting by Country

as of August 28, 2018

 

Country:    Percentage (%)*

Australia

   6.91%

Austria

   0.24%

Belgium

   1.08%

Denmark

   1.75%

Finland

   1.08%

France

   11.26%

Germany

   9.70%

Hong Kong

   3.54%

Ireland

   0.54%

Israel

   0.55%

Italy

   2.30%

Japan

   23.80%

Netherlands

   3.64%

New Zealand

   0.22%

Norway

   0.74%

Portugal

   0.17%

Singapore

   1.26%

Spain

   3.02%

Sweden

   2.66%

Switzerland

   8.25%

United Kingdom

   17.29%

*Information provided by MSCI. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

MSCI EAFE Index

Index Stock Weighting by Sector

as of August 28, 2018

 

Sector**    Percentage (%)*

Consumer Discretionary

   12.29%

Consumer Staples

   11.26%

Energy

   5.93%

Financials

   19.58%

Health Care

   11.12%

Industrials

   14.43%

Information Technology

   6.95%

Materials

   8.00%

Real Estate

   3.46%

Telecommunication Services

   3.70%

Utilities

   3.26%

*Information provided by MSCI. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

**Sector designations are determined by the underlier sponsor using criteria it has selected or developed. Index sponsors may use very different standards for determining sector designations. In addition, many companies operate in a number of sectors, but are listed in only one sector and the basis on which that sector is selected may also differ. As a result, sector comparisons between indices with different index sponsors may reflect differences in methodology as well as actual differences in the sector composition of the indices. MSCI and S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC have announced that the Global Industry Classification Sector structure is expected to be updated after the close of business on September 28, 2018. Among other things, the update is expected to broaden the current Telecommunications Services sector and rename it the Communication Services sector. The renamed sector is expected to include the existing Telecommunication Services Industry group, as well as the Media Industry group, which is expected to move from the Consumer Discretionary sector and be renamed the Media & Entertainment Industry group. The Media & Entertainment Industry group is expected to contain three industries: Media, Entertainment and Interactive Media & Services. The Media industry is expected to continue to consist of the Advertising, Broadcasting, Cable & Satellite and Publishing sub-industries. The Entertainment industry is expected to contain the Movies & Entertainment sub-industry (which is expected to include online entertainment streaming companies in addition to companies currently classified in such industry) and the Interactive Home Entertainment sub-industry (which is expected to include companies from the current Home Entertainment Software sub-industry in the Information Technology sector, as well as producers of mobile gaming applications). The Interactive Media & Services industry and sub-industry is expected to include companies engaged in content and information creation or distribution through proprietary platforms, where revenues are derived primarily through pay-per-click advertisements, and will include search engines, social media and networking platforms, online classifieds and online review companies.

 

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The above information supplements the description of the underlier found in the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734. For more details about the underlier, the underlier sponsor and license agreement between the underlier sponsor and the issuer, see “The Underliers — MSCI Indices” on page S-46 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734. The MSCI EAFE Index is a price return index and, therefore, the paragraph under “The Underliers — MSCI Indices – Calculation Methodology for the MSCI Indices – Daily Total Return Methodology” on page S-51 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734 does not apply to the underlier. Additional information about the underlier is available on the following website: msci.com/index-methodology. We are not incorporating by reference the website or any material it includes in this pricing supplement.

The MSCI indices are the exclusive property of MSCI Inc. (“MSCI”). MSCI and the MSCI index names are service mark(s) of MSCI or its affiliates and are licensed for use for certain purposes by GS Finance Corp. and its affiliates. These securities, based on such index, have not been passed on by MSCI as to their legality or suitability, and are not issued, sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by MSCI, and MSCI bears no liability with respect to any such securities. No purchaser, seller or holder of the securities, or any other person or entity, should use or refer to any MSCI trade name, trademark or service mark to sponsor, endorse, market or promote the securities without first contacting MSCI to determine whether MSCI’s permission is required. Under no circumstances may any person or entity claim any affiliation with MSCI without the prior written permission of MSCI. The general terms supplement contains a more detailed description of the limited relationship MSCI has with GS Finance Corp. and any related securities.

 

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Historical Closing Levels of the Underlier

The closing level of the underlier has fluctuated in the past and may, in the future, experience significant fluctuations. Any historical upward or downward trend in the closing level of the underlier during the period shown below is not an indication that the underlier is more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time during the life of your notes.

You should not take the historical levels of the underlier as an indication of the future performance of the underlier. We cannot give you any assurance that the future performance of the underlier or the underlier stocks will result in your receiving an amount greater than the outstanding face amount of your notes on the stated maturity date.

Neither we nor any of our affiliates make any representation to you as to the performance of the underlier. Before investing in the offered notes, you should consult publicly available information to determine the levels of the underlier between the date of this pricing supplement and the date of your purchase of the offered notes. The actual performance of the underlier over the life of the offered notes, as well as the cash settlement amount, may bear little relation to the historical closing levels shown below.

The graph below shows the daily historical closing levels of the underlier from September 18, 2008 through September 18, 2018. We obtained the closing levels in the graph below from Bloomberg Financial Services, without independent verification. Although the official closing levels of the MSCI EAFE Index are published to six decimal places by the underlier sponsor, Bloomberg Financial Services reports the levels of the MSCI EAFE Index to fewer decimal places.

Historical Performance of the MSCI EAFE Index

 

LOGO

 

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SUPPLEMENTAL DISCUSSION OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES

The following section supplements the discussion of U.S. federal income taxation in the accompanying prospectus.

The following section is the opinion of Sidley Austin LLP, counsel to GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. It applies to you only if you hold your notes as a capital asset for tax purposes. This section does not apply to you if you are a member of a class of holders subject to special rules, such as:

 

   

a dealer in securities or currencies;

 

   

a trader in securities that elects to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for your securities holdings;

 

   

a bank;

 

   

a regulated investment company;

 

   

a life insurance company;

 

   

a tax-exempt organization;

 

   

a partnership;

 

   

a person that owns the notes as a hedge or that is hedged against interest rate risks;

 

   

a person that owns the notes as part of a straddle or conversion transaction for tax purposes; or

 

   

a United States holder (as defined below) whose functional currency for tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar.

This section is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, its legislative history, existing and proposed regulations under the Internal Revenue Code, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect. These laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis.

 

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

 

United States Holders

This subsection describes the tax consequences to a United States holder. You are a United States holder if you are a beneficial owner of notes and you are:

 

   

a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

   

a domestic corporation;

 

   

an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or

 

   

a trust if a United States court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more United States persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust.

If you are not a United States holder, this section does not apply to you and you should refer to “—United States Alien Holders” below.

Your notes will be treated as debt instruments subject to special rules governing contingent payment debt instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Under those rules, the amount of interest you are required to take into account for each accrual period will be determined by constructing a projected payment schedule for your notes and applying rules similar to those for accruing original issue discount on a hypothetical noncontingent debt instrument with that projected payment schedule. This method is applied by first determining the yield at which we would issue a noncontingent fixed rate debt instrument with terms and conditions similar to your notes (the “comparable yield”) and then determining as of the issue date a payment schedule that would produce the comparable yield. These rules will generally have the effect of requiring you to include amounts in income in respect of your notes over their term based on the comparable yield for the notes, even though you will not receive any payments from us until maturity.

We have determined that the comparable yield for the notes is equal to    % per annum, compounded semi-annually with a projected payment at maturity of $                based on an investment of $1,000.

Based on this comparable yield, if you are an initial holder that holds a note until maturity and you pay your taxes on a calendar year basis, we have determined that you would be required to report the following amounts as ordinary income, not taking into account any positive or negative adjustments you may be required to take into account based on the actual payments on the notes, from the note each year:

 

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Accrual Period

 

Interest Deemed
to Accrue
During Accrual Period
(per $1,000 note)

 

Total Interest Deemed to
Have Accrued from Original
Issue Date (per $1,000 note)
as of End of Accrual Period

                    through December 31, 2018    
January 1, 2019 through                        

You are required to use the comparable yield and projected payment schedule that we compute in determining your interest accruals in respect of your notes, unless you timely disclose and justify on your U.S. federal income tax return the use of a different comparable yield and projected payment schedule.

 

The comparable yield and projected payment schedule are not provided to you for any purpose other than the determination of your interest accruals in respect of your notes, and we make no representation regarding the amount of contingent payments with respect to your notes.

 

If you purchase your notes at a price other than their adjusted issue price determined for tax purposes, you must determine the extent to which the difference between the price you paid for your notes and their adjusted issue price is attributable to a change in expectations as to the projected payment schedule, a change in interest rates, or both, and reasonably allocate the difference accordingly. The adjusted issue price of your notes will equal your notes’ original issue price plus any interest deemed to be accrued on your notes (under the rules governing contingent payment debt instruments) as of the time you purchase your notes. The original issue price of your notes will be the first price at which a substantial amount of the notes is sold to persons other than bond houses, brokers or similar persons or organizations acting in the capacity of underwriters, placement agents or wholesalers. Therefore, you may be required to make the adjustments described above even if you purchase your notes in the initial offering if you purchase your notes at a price other than the issue price.

If the adjusted issue price of your notes is greater than the price you paid for your notes, you must make positive adjustments increasing (i) the amount of interest that you would otherwise accrue and include in income each year, and (ii) the amount of ordinary income (or decreasing the amount of ordinary loss) recognized upon maturity by the amounts allocated under the previous paragraph to each of interest and the projected payment schedule; if the adjusted issue price of your notes is less than the price you paid for your notes, you must make negative adjustments, decreasing (i) the amount of interest that you must include in income each year, and (ii) the amount of ordinary income (or increasing the amount of ordinary loss) recognized upon maturity by the amounts allocated under the previous paragraph to each of interest and the projected payment schedule. Adjustments allocated to the interest amount are not made until the date the daily portion of interest accrues.

Because any Form 1099-OID that you receive will not reflect the effects of positive or negative adjustments resulting from your purchase of notes at a price other than the adjusted issue price determined for tax purposes, you are urged to consult with your tax advisor as to whether and how adjustments should be made to the amounts reported on any Form 1099-OID.

You will recognize income or loss upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your notes in an amount equal to the difference, if any, between the cash amount you receive at such time and your adjusted basis in your notes. In general, your adjusted basis in your notes will equal the amount you paid for your notes, increased by the amount of interest you previously accrued with respect to your notes (in accordance with the comparable yield and the projected payment schedule for your notes), and increased or decreased by the amount of any positive or negative adjustment, respectively, that you are required to make if you purchase your notes at a price other than the adjusted issue price determined for tax purposes.

Any income you recognize upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your notes will be ordinary interest income. Any loss you recognize at such time will be ordinary loss to the extent of interest you included as income in the current or previous taxable years in respect of your notes, and, thereafter, capital loss. If you are a noncorporate holder, you would generally be able to use such ordinary loss to offset your income only in the taxable year in which you recognize the ordinary loss and would generally not be able to carry such ordinary loss forward or back to offset income in other taxable years.

Pursuant to recently enacted legislation, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2018, with respect to a debt instrument issued with original issue discount, such as the notes, an accrual method taxpayer that reports revenues on an applicable financial statement generally must recognize income for U.S. federal income tax purposes no later than the taxable year in which such income is taken into account as revenue in an applicable

 

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financial statement of the taxpayer. For this purpose, an “applicable financial statement” generally means a financial statement certified as having been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or that is made on the basis of international financial reporting standards and which is used by the taxpayer for various specified purposes. This rule could potentially require such a taxpayer to recognize income for U.S. federal income tax purposes with respect to the notes prior to the time such income would be recognized pursuant to the rules described above. Potential investors in the notes should consult their tax advisors regarding the potential applicability of these rules to their investment in the notes.

United States Alien Holders

If you are a United States alien holder, please see the discussion under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — United States Alien Holders” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the tax consequences relevant to you. You are a United States alien holder if you are the beneficial owner of the notes and are, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

   

a nonresident alien individual;

 

   

a foreign corporation; or

 

   

an estate or trust that in either case is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis on income or gain from the notes.

The Treasury Department has issued regulations under which amounts paid or deemed paid on certain financial instruments (“871(m) financial instruments”) that are treated as attributable to U.S.-source dividends could be treated, in whole or in part depending on the circumstances, as a “dividend equivalent” payment that is subject to tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower rate under an applicable treaty), which in the case of amounts you receive upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your notes, could be collected via withholding. If these regulations were to apply to the notes, we may be required to withhold such taxes if any U.S.-source dividends are paid on the stocks included in the underlier during the term of the notes. We could also require you to make certifications (e.g., an applicable Internal Revenue Service Form W-8) prior to the maturity of the notes in order to avoid or minimize withholding obligations, and we could withhold accordingly (subject to your potential right to claim a refund from the Internal Revenue Service) if such certifications were not received or were not satisfactory. If withholding was required, we would not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld. These regulations generally will apply to 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other) issued (or significantly modified and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2021, but will also apply to certain 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other) that have a delta (as defined in the applicable Treasury regulations) of one and are issued (or significantly modified and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2017. In addition, these regulations will not apply to financial instruments that reference a “qualified index” (as defined in the regulations). We have determined that, as of the issue date of your notes, your notes will not be subject to withholding under these rules. In certain limited circumstances, however, you should be aware that it is possible for United States alien holders to be liable for tax under these rules with respect to a combination of transactions treated as having been entered into in connection with each other even when no withholding is required. You should consult your tax advisor concerning these regulations, subsequent official guidance and regarding any other possible alternative characterizations of your notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

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 or other disposition of the notes made before January 1, 2019.

 

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SUPPLEMENTAL PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION; CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” on page S-49 of the accompanying product supplement no. 1,738 and “Plan of Distribution — Conflicts of Interest” on page 94 of the accompanying prospectus. GS Finance Corp. estimates that its share of the total offering expenses, excluding underwriting discounts and commissions, will be approximately $                    .

GS Finance Corp. expects to agree to sell to GS&Co., and GS&Co. expects to agree to purchase from GS Finance Corp., the aggregate face amount of the offered notes specified on the front cover of this pricing supplement. GS&Co. proposes initially to offer the notes to the public at the original issue price 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. GS&Co. is an affiliate of GS Finance Corp. and 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. GS&Co. 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.

We expect to deliver the notes against payment therefor in New York, New York on September 25, 2018. 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 notes on any date prior to two business days before delivery will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement.

We have been advised by GS&Co. that it intends to make a market in the notes. However, neither GS&Co. nor any of our other affiliates that makes a market is obligated to do so and any of them may stop doing so at any time without notice. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity or trading market for the notes.

The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange or interdealer quotation system.

 

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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 product supplement no. 1,738, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734, 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 product supplement no. 1,738, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734, 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 product supplement no. 1,738, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 1,734, 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  

Terms and Conditions

     PS-5  

Hypothetical Examples

     PS-8  

Additional Risk Factors Specific to Your Notes

     PS-13  

The Underlier

     PS-17  

Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences

     PS-20  
Product Supplement No. 1,738 dated July 10, 2017  

Summary Information

     S-1  

Hypothetical Returns on the Underlier-Linked Notes

     S-10  

Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Underlier-Linked Notes

     S-30  

General Terms of the Underlier-Linked Notes

     S-35  

Use of Proceeds

     S-40  

Hedging

     S-40  

Supplemental Discussion of Federal Income Tax Consequences

     S-41  

Employee Retirement Income Security Act

     S-48  

Supplemental Plan of Distribution

     S-49  

Conflicts of Interest

     S-52  
General Terms Supplement No. 1,734 dated July 10, 2017  

Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes

     S-1  

Supplemental Terms of the Notes

     S-16  

The Underliers

     S-36  

S&P 500® Index

     S-40  

MSCI Indices

     S-46  

Hang Seng China Enterprises Index

     S-55  

Russell 2000® Index

     S-61  

FTSE®100 Index

     S-69  

EURO STOXX 50® Index

     S-75  

TOPIX

     S-82  

The Dow Jones Industrial Average®

     S-87  

The iShares® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF

     S-91  

Use of Proceeds

     S-94  

Hedging

     S-94  

Employee Retirement Income Security Act

     S-95  

Supplemental Plan of Distribution

     S-96  

Conflicts of Interest

     S-98  
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-15  

United States Taxation

     S-18  

Employee Retirement Income Security Act

     S-19  

Supplemental Plan of Distribution

     S-20  

Validity of the Notes and Guarantees

     S-21  
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

     11  

Description of Debt Securities We May Offer

     12  

Description of Warrants We May Offer

     45  

Description of Units We May Offer

     60  

GS Finance Corp.

     65  

Legal Ownership and Book-Entry Issuance

     67  

Considerations Relating to Floating Rate Debt Securities

     72  

Considerations Relating to Indexed Securities

     73  

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

     74  

United States Taxation

     77  

Plan of Distribution

     92  

Conflicts of Interest

     94  

Employee Retirement Income Security Act

     95  

Validity of the Securities and Guarantees

     95  

Experts

     96  

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

     96  

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

     96  


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$            

GS Finance Corp.

Leveraged Buffered MSCI EAFE Index-Linked Notes due

guaranteed by

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

 

 

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