Term Sheet No. 2446B
To underlying supplement No. 1 dated October 1, 2012,
product supplement B dated September 28, 2012,
prospectus supplement dated September 28, 2012,
prospectus dated September 28, 2012
and prospectus addendum dated December 24, 2014
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Registration Statement No. 333-184193
Dated May 14, 2015; Rule 433
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The Capped Buffered Underlying Securities Linked to a Basket of Equity Indices due November 20, 2017 (the “BUyS”) are designed for investors who seek a return at maturity of 150.00% of any increase in the performance of an unequally weighted basket (the “Basket”) of three equity indices, up to the Maximum Return of between 34.00% and 36.00% (to be determined on the Trade Date). If the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount not greater than the Buffer Amount of 15.00%, investors will receive at maturity the Face Amount per $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS. However, if the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount greater than the Buffer Amount of 15.00%, for each $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS, investors will lose 1.17647% of the Face Amount for every 1.00% by which the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount greater than the Buffer Amount. The BUyS do not pay any coupons or dividends and investors should be willing to lose some or all of their initial investment if the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount greater than the Buffer Amount. Any payment on the BUyS is subject to the credit of the Issuer.
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Senior unsecured obligations of Deutsche Bank AG due November 20, 2017
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Minimum purchase of $1,000. Minimum denominations of $1,000 (the “Face Amount”) and integral multiples thereof.
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The BUyS are expected to price on or about May 15, 2015 (the “Trade Date”) and are expected to settle on or about May 20, 2015 (the “Settlement Date”).
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Issuer:
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Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch
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Issue Price:
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100% of the Face Amount
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Basket:
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The BUyS are linked to a basket consisting of the EURO STOXX 50® Index, the FTSE® 100 Index and the Nikkei 225 Index (each, a “Basket Component” and collectively, the “Basket Components”).
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Basket Components
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Ticker Symbol
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Basket Component Weighting
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Initial Component Level†
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EURO STOXX 50® Index (the “SX5E Index”)
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SX5E
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58.00%
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FTSE® 100 Index (the “UKX Index”)
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UKX
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21.00%
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Nikkei 225 Index (the “NKY Index”)
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NKY
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21.00%
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† The Initial Component Level for each Basket Component will be set on the Trade Date.
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Payment at Maturity:
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· If the Final Basket Level is greater than or equal to the Initial Basket Level, you will receive a cash payment at maturity per $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS calculated as follows:
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$1,000 + ($1,000 x the lesser of (i) Basket Return x Upside Leverage Factor and (ii) Maximum Return)
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· If the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount not greater than the Buffer Amount, you will receive a cash payment at maturity equal to the Face Amount per $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS.
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· If the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount greater than the Buffer Amount, you will receive a cash payment at maturity per $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS calculated as follows:
$1,000 + [$1,000 × (Basket Return + Buffer Amount) x Downside Participation Factor]
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If the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount greater than the Buffer Amount, for each $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS, you will lose 1.17647% of the Face Amount for every 1.00% by which the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount greater than the Buffer Amount. In this circumstance, you will lose some or all of your initial investment. Any payment at maturity is subject to the credit of the Issuer.
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Price to
Public
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Maximum Discounts and
Commissions(1)
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Minimum Proceeds
to Us
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Per Security
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$1,000.00
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$2.50
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$997.50
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Total
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$
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$
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$
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(1)
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For more detailed information about discounts and commissions, please see “Supplemental Underwriting Information (Conflicts of Interest)” in this term sheet. The BUyS will be sold with varying underwriting discounts and commissions in an amount not to exceed $2.50 per $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS.
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Basket Return:
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The Basket Return, expressed as a percentage, will equal:
Final Basket Level – Initial Basket Level
Initial Basket Level
The Basket Return may be positive, zero or negative.
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Initial Basket Level:
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Set equal to 100 on the Trade Date
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Final Basket Level:
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The Final Basket Level will be calculated on the Final Valuation Date, as follows:
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100 × [1 + (SX5E Index return x 58.00%) + (UKX Index return x 21.00%) + (NKY Index return x 21.00%)]
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The SX5E Index return, UKX Index return and NKY Index return refer to the Basket Component Return for the SX5E Index return, UKX Index return and NKY Index return, respectively.
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Basket Component Return:
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With respect to each Basket Component, the Basket Component Return, expressed as a percentage, will equal:
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Final Component Level – Initial Component Level
Initial Component Level
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Initial Component Level:
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The closing level of the applicable Basket Component on the Trade Date
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Final Component Level:
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The closing level of the applicable Basket Component on the Final Valuation Date
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Buffer Amount:
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15.00%
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Maximum Return:
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34.00% - 36.00% (to be determined on the Trade Date)
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Upside Leverage Factor:
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150.00%
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Downside Participation Factor:
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117.647%
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Trade Date2:
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May 15, 2015
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Settlement Date2:
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May 20, 2015
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Final Valuation Date1, 2:
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November 15, 2017
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Maturity Date1, 2:
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November 20, 2017
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Listing:
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The BUyS will not be listed on any securities exchange.
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CUSIP:
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25152RF57
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ISIN:
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US25152RF573
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are deemed irrevocably to have agreed, and you will agree: (i) to be bound by any Resolution Measure; (ii) that you will have no claim or other right against us arising out of any Resolution Measure; and (iii) that the imposition of any Resolution Measure will not constitute a default or an event of default under the BUyS, under the senior indenture dated November 22, 2006 among us, Law Debenture Trust Company of New York, as trustee, and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as issuing agent, paying agent, authenticating agent and registrar, as amended and supplemented from time to time (the “Indenture”), or for the purpose of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”);
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waive, to the fullest extent permitted by the Trust Indenture Act and applicable law, any and all claims against the trustee and the paying agent for, agree not to initiate a suit against the trustee and the paying agent in respect of, and agree that neither the trustee nor the paying agent will be liable for, any action that the trustee or the paying agent takes, or abstains from taking, in either case in accordance with the imposition of a Resolution Measure by our competent resolution authority with respect to the BUyS; and
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will be deemed irrevocably to have (i) consented to the imposition of any Resolution Measure as it may be imposed without any prior notice by the competent resolution authority of its decision to exercise such power with respect to the BUyS and (ii) authorized, directed and requested The Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) and any participant in DTC or other intermediary through which you hold such BUyS to take any and all necessary action, if required, to implement the imposition of any Resolution Measure with respect to the BUyS as it may be imposed, without any further action or direction on your part or on the part of the trustee, paying agent, issuing agent, authenticating agent, registrar or calculation agent.
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Underlying supplement No. 1 dated October 1, 2012:
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Product supplement B dated September 28, 2012:
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Prospectus supplement dated September 28, 2012:
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Prospectus dated September 28, 2012:
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Prospectus addendum dated December 24, 2014:
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Basket Return (%)
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Payment at Maturity ($)
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Return on BUyS (%)
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100.00%
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$1,350.00
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35.00%
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75.00%
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$1,350.00
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35.00%
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50.00%
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$1,350.00
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35.00%
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30.00%
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$1,350.00
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35.00%
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25.00%
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$1,350.00
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35.00%
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23.33%
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$1,350.00
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35.00%
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20.00%
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$1,300.00
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30.00%
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15.00%
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$1,225.00
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22.50%
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10.00%
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$1,150.00
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15.00%
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5.00%
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$1,075.00
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7.50%
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0.00%
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$1,000.00
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0.00%
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-10.00%
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$1,000.00
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0.00%
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-15.00%
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$1,000.00
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0.00%
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-25.00%
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$882.35
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-11.76%
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-30.00%
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$823.53
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-17.65%
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-50.00%
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$588.24
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-41.18%
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-75.00%
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$294.12
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-70.59%
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-100.00%
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$0.00
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-100.00%
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CAPPED APPRECIATION POTENTIAL — The BUyS provide upside leveraged exposure to any increase in the level of the Basket up to the Maximum Return of between 34.00% and 36.00% (to be determined on the Trade Date). Consequently, the maximum Payment at Maturity will be between $1,340.00 and $1,360.00 for each $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS you hold. Any payment on the BUyS is subject to our ability to satisfy our obligations as they become due.
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LIMITED PROTECTION AGAINST LOSS — Payment at maturity of the Face Amount per $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS is protected against a percentage decline in the Final Basket Level, as compared to the Initial Basket Level, of up to the Buffer Amount. If such percentage decline is greater than the Buffer Amount of 15.00%, for each $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS, you will lose 1.17647% of the Face Amount for every 1.00% by which the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount greater than the Buffer Amount. In this circumstance, you will lose some or all of your investment in the BUyS.
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RETURN LINKED TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THREE INDICES — The return on the BUyS, which may be positive, zero or negative, is linked to the performance of an unequally weighted basket, consisting of the EURO STOXX 50® Index, FTSE® 100 Index and the Nikkei 225 Index, as described herein.
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TAX CONSEQUENCES — In the opinion of our special tax counsel, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, which is based on prevailing market conditions, it is more likely than not that the BUyS will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as prepaid financial contracts that are not debt. Generally, if this treatment is respected,
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YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE BUYS MAY RESULT IN A LOSS — The BUyS do not pay any coupons or dividends and do not guarantee any return of your investment. The return on the BUyS at maturity is linked to the performance of the Underlying and will depend on whether, and the extent to which, the Basket Return is positive, zero or negative. If the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount greater than the Buffer Amount, for each $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS, you will lose 1.17647% of the Face Amount for every 1.00% by which the Final Basket Level is less than the Initial Basket Level by an amount greater than the Buffer Amount. In this circumstance, you will lose some or all of your investment in the BUyS. Any payment on the BUyS is subject to our ability to satisfy our obligations as they become due.
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THE RETURN ON YOUR BUYS IS LIMITED BY THE MAXIMUM RETURN — If the Final Basket Level is greater than or equal to the Initial Basket Level, for each $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS, you will receive at maturity $1,000 plus an amount equal to $1,000 multiplied by the lesser of (i) the Basket Return and (ii) the Maximum Return of between 34.00% and 36.00% (to be determined on the Trade Date). Consequently, the maximum Payment at Maturity will be between $1,340.00 and $1,360.00 for each $1,000 Face Amount of BUyS you hold, regardless of any further increase in the level of the Basket, which may be significant.
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THE BUYS DO NOT PAY ANY COUPONS — Unlike ordinary debt securities, the BUyS do not pay any coupons and do not guarantee any return of your investment at maturity.
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THE BUYS ARE SUBJECT TO THE CREDIT OF DEUTSCHE BANK AG — The BUyS are senior unsecured obligations of Deutsche Bank AG and are not, either directly or indirectly, an obligation of any third party. Any payment(s) to be made on the BUyS depends on the ability of Deutsche Bank AG to satisfy its obligations as they come due. An actual or anticipated downgrade in Deutsche Bank AG’s credit rating or increase in the credit spreads charged by the market for taking the credit risk of Deutsche Bank AG will likely have an adverse effect on the value of the BUyS. As a result, the actual and perceived creditworthiness of Deutsche Bank AG will affect the value of the BUyS and in the event Deutsche Bank AG were to default on its
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THE BUYS MAY BE WRITTEN DOWN, BE CONVERTED OR BECOME SUBJECT TO OTHER RESOLUTION MEASURES. YOU MAY LOSE SOME OR ALL OF YOUR INVESTMENT IF ANY SUCH MEASURE BECOMES APPLICABLE TO US — On May 15, 2014, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union published the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive for establishing a framework for the recovery and resolution of credit institutions and investment firms. The Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive requires each member state of the European Union to adopt and publish by December 31, 2014 the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive. Germany has adopted the Recovery and Resolution Act (or SAG), which went into effect on January 1, 2015. SAG may result in the BUyS being subject to the powers exercised by our competent resolution authority to impose a Resolution Measure on us, which may include: writing down, including to zero, any payment on the BUyS; converting the BUyS into ordinary shares or other instruments qualifying as core equity tier 1 capital; or applying any other resolution measure, including (but not limited to) transferring the BUyS to another entity, amending the terms and conditions of the BUyS or cancelling of the BUyS. Imposition of a Resolution Measure would likely occur if we become, or are deemed by our competent supervisory authority to have become, “non-viable” (as defined under the then applicable law) and are unable to continue our regulated banking activities without a Resolution Measure becoming applicable to us. You may lose some or all of your investment in the BUyS if a Resolution Measure becomes applicable to us.
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THE ISSUER’S ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE BUYS ON THE TRADE DATE WILL BE LESS THAN THE ISSUE PRICE OF THE BUYS — The Issuer’s estimated value of the BUyS on the Trade Date (as disclosed on the cover of this term sheet) is less than the Issue Price of the BUyS. The difference between the Issue Price and the Issuer’s estimated value of the BUyS on the Trade Date is due to the inclusion in the Issue Price of the agent’s commissions, if any, and the cost of hedging our obligations under the BUyS through one or more of our affiliates. Such hedging cost includes our or our affiliates’ expected cost of providing such hedge, as well as the profit we or our affiliates expect to realize in consideration for assuming the risks inherent in providing such hedge. The Issuer’s estimated value of the BUyS is determined by reference to an internal funding rate and our pricing models. The internal funding rate is typically lower than the rate we would pay when we issue conventional debt securities on equivalent terms. This difference in funding rate, as well as the agent’s commissions, if any, and the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the BUyS, reduces the economic terms of the BUyS to you and is expected to adversely affect the price at which you may be able to sell the BUyS in any secondary market. In addition, our internal pricing models are proprietary and rely in part on certain assumptions about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. If at any time a third party dealer were to quote a price to purchase your BUyS or otherwise value your BUyS, that price or value may differ materially from the estimated value of the BUyS determined by reference to our internal funding rate and pricing models. This difference is due to, among other things, any difference in funding rates, pricing models or assumptions used by any dealer who may purchase the BUyS in the secondary market.
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NO DIVIDEND PAYMENTS OR VOTING RIGHTS — As a holder of the BUyS, you will not have any voting rights or rights to receive cash dividends or other distributions or other rights that holders of the stocks composing the Underlying would have.
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INVESTING IN THE BUYS IS NOT THE SAME AS INVESTING IN THE BASKET COMPONENTS — The return on your BUyS may not reflect the return you would have realized if you had directly invested in the stocks composing the Basket Components. For instance, your return on the BUyS will be limited to the Maximum Return regardless of any increase in the level of the Basket, which could be significant.
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IF THE LEVEL OF THE BASKET CHANGES, THE VALUE OF YOUR BUYS MAY NOT CHANGE IN THE SAME MANNER — Your BUyS may trade quite differently from the level of the Basket. Changes in the level of the Basket may not result in comparable changes in the value of your BUyS.
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THE CORRELATION AMONG THE BASKET COMPONENTS COULD CHANGE UNPREDICTABLY — Correlation is the extent to which the levels of the Basket Components increase or decrease to the same degree at the same time. The value of the BUyS may be adversely affected by increased positive correlation between the Basket Components, in particular when one or more Basket Components decrease. The value of the BUyS may also be adversely affected by increased negative correlation between the Basket Components, meaning the positive performance of one or more Basket Components could be entirely offset by the negative performance of one or more other Basket Components.
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THE BASKET COMPONENTS ARE UNEQUALLY WEIGHTED — The Basket Components are unequally weighted. Accordingly, performances by the Basket Components with higher weightings will influence the return on the BUyS to a greater degree than the performances of Basket Components with lower weightings. If one or more of the Basket Components with higher weightings perform poorly, that poor performance could negate or diminish the effect on the return on the BUyS of any positive performance by the lower-weighted Basket Components.
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THE BASKET COMPONENTS REFLECT THE PRICE RETURN OF THE STOCKS COMPOSING EACH BASKET COMPONENT, NOT A TOTAL RETURN — Each Basket Component reflects the changes in the market prices of the stocks composing such Basket Component. The Basket Components are not, however, “total return” indices, which, in addition to reflecting the price returns of their respective component stocks, would also reflect all dividends and other distributions paid on such component stocks.
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THE BASKET RETURN WILL NOT BE ADJUSTED FOR CHANGES IN THE NON-U.S. CURRENCIES RELATIVE TO THE U.S. DOLLAR —The Basket Components are composed of stocks denominated in non-U.S. currencies. Because the levels of the Basket Components are also calculated in the same respective non-U.S. currencies (and not in U.S. dollars), the performance of the Basket Components and the Basket Return will not be adjusted for exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and the relevant non-U.S. currencies. Therefore, if a non-U.S. currency strengthens or weakens relative to the U.S. dollar over the term of the BUyS, you will not receive any additional payment or incur any reduction in your return, if any, at maturity.
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THERE ARE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH INVESTMENTS IN NOTES LINKED TO THE VALUES OF EQUITY SECURITIES ISSUED BY NON-U.S. COMPANIES — The Basket Components each include component stocks that are issued by companies incorporated outside of the U.S. Because the component stocks also trade outside the U.S., the BUyS are subject to the risks associated with non-U.S. securities markets. Generally, non-U.S. securities markets may be more volatile than U.S. securities markets, and market developments may affect non-U.S. securities markets differently than U.S. securities markets, which may adversely affect the levels of the Component Underlyings and the value of your BUyS. Furthermore, there are risks associated with investments in notes linked to the values of equity securities issued by non-U.S. companies. There is generally less publicly available information about non-U.S. companies than about those U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC, and non-U.S. companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies. In addition, the prices of equity securities issued by non-U.S. companies may be adversely affected by political, economic, financial and social factors that may be unique to the particular countries in which the non-U.S. companies are incorporated. These factors include the possibility of recent or future changes in a non-U.S. government’s economic and fiscal policies (including any direct or indirect intervention to stabilize the economy and/or securities market of the country of such non-U.S. government), the presence, and extent, of cross shareholdings in non-U.S. companies, the possible imposition of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other non-U.S. laws or restrictions applicable to non-U.S. companies or investments in non-U.S. securities and the possibility of fluctuations in the rate of exchange between currencies. Moreover, certain aspects of a particular non-U.S. economy may differ favorably or unfavorably from the U.S. economy in important respects, such as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency. Specifically, the stocks included in the SX5E Index and UKX Index are issued by companies located in countries within Europe, some of which are and have been experiencing economic stress.
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WE ARE ONE OF THE COMPANIES THAT MAKE UP THE SX5E INDEX — We are one of the companies that make up the SX5E Index. To our knowledge, we are not currently affiliated with any of the other companies the equity securities of which are represented in the SX5E Index. As a result, we will have no ability to control the actions of such other companies, including actions that could affect the value of the equity securities composing the SX5E Index, or your BUyS. None of the other companies represented in the SX5E Index will be involved in the offering of the BuyS in any way. Neither they nor we will have any obligation to consider your interests as a holder of the BUyS in taking any corporate actions that might affect the value of your BUyS.
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PAST PERFORMANCE OF THE BASKET COMPONENTS IS NO GUIDE TO FUTURE PERFORMANCE — The actual performance of the Basket Components over the term of the BUyS may bear little relation to the historical closing levels of such Basket Components and may bear little relation to the hypothetical return examples set forth elsewhere in this term sheet. We cannot predict the future performance of the Basket Components or whether the performance of the Basket will result in the return of any of your investment.
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ASSUMING NO CHANGES IN MARKET CONDITIONS AND OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS, THE PRICE YOU MAY RECEIVE FOR YOUR BUYS IN SECONDARY MARKET TRANSACTIONS WOULD GENERALLY BE LOWER THAN BOTH THE ISSUE PRICE AND THE ISSUER’S ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE BUYS ON THE TRADE DATE — While the payment(s) on the BUyS described in this term sheet is based on the full Face Amount of your BUyS, the Issuer’s estimated value of the BUyS on the Trade Date (as disclosed on the cover of this term sheet) is less than the Issue Price of the BUyS. The Issuer’s estimated value of the BUyS on the Trade Date does not represent the price at which we or any of our affiliates would be willing to purchase your BUyS in the secondary market at any time. Assuming no changes in market conditions or our creditworthiness and other relevant factors, the price, if any, at which we or our affiliates would be willing to purchase the BUyS from you in secondary market transactions, if at all, would generally be lower than both the Issue Price and the Issuer’s estimated value of the BUyS on the Trade Date. Our purchase price, if any, in secondary market transactions would be based on the estimated value of the BUyS determined by reference to (i) the then-prevailing internal funding rate (adjusted by a spread) or another appropriate measure of our cost of funds and (ii) our pricing models at that time, less a bid spread determined after taking into account the size of the repurchase, the nature of the assets underlying the BUyS and then-prevailing market conditions. The price we report to financial reporting services and to distributors of our BUyS for use on customer account statements would generally be determined on the same basis. However, during the period of approximately five months beginning from the Trade Date, we or our affiliates may, in our sole discretion, increase the purchase price determined as described above by an amount equal to the declining differential between the Issue Price and the Issuer’s estimated value of the BUyS on the Trade Date, prorated over such period on a straight-line basis, for transactions that are individually and in the aggregate of the expected size for ordinary secondary market repurchases.
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In addition to the factors discussed above, the value of the BUyS and our purchase price in secondary market transactions after the Trade Date, if any, will vary based on many economic and market factors, including our creditworthiness, and cannot be predicted with accuracy. These changes may adversely affect the value of your BUyS, including the price you may receive in any secondary market transactions. Any sale prior to the Maturity Date could result in a substantial loss to you. The BUyS are not designed to be short-term trading instruments. Accordingly, you should be able and willing to hold your BUyS to maturity.
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THE BUYS WILL NOT BE LISTED AND THERE WILL LIKELY BE LIMITED LIQUIDITY — The BUyS will not be listed on any securities exchange. There may be little or no secondary market for the BUyS. We or our affiliates intend to act as market makers for the BUyS but are not required to do so and may cease such market making activities at any time. Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to sell the BUyS when you wish to do so or at a price advantageous to you. Because we do not expect other dealers to make a secondary market for the BUyS, the price at which you may be able to sell your BUyS is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which we or our affiliates are willing to buy the BUyS. If, at any time, we or our affiliates do not act as market makers, it is likely that there would be little or no secondary market in the BUyS. If you have to sell your BUyS prior to maturity, you may not be able to do so or you may have to sell them at a substantial loss, even in cases where the level of the Underlying has increased since the Trade Date.
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MANY ECONOMIC AND MARKET FACTORS WILL AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE BUYS — While we expect that, generally, the level of the Underlying will affect the value of the BUyS more than any other single factor, the value of the BUyS prior to maturity will also be affected by a number of other factors that may either offset or magnify each other, including:
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the expected volatility of the Underlying;
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the time remaining to the maturity of the BUyS;
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the market prices and dividend rates of the stocks composing the Underlying and changes that affect those stocks and their issuers;
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interest rates and yields in the market generally;
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geopolitical conditions and a variety of economic, financial, political, regulatory or judicial events that affect the Underlying or markets generally;
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the composition of the Underlying;
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supply and demand for the BUyS; and
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our creditworthiness, including actual or anticipated downgrades in our credit ratings.
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TRADING AND OTHER TRANSACTIONS BY US OR OUR AFFILIATES IN THE EQUITY AND EQUITY DERIVATIVE MARKETS MAY IMPAIR THE VALUE OF THE BUYS — We or our affiliates expect to hedge our exposure from the BUyS by entering into equity and equity derivative transactions, such as over-the-counter options, futures or exchange-traded instruments. We or our affiliates may also engage in trading in instruments linked or related to the Underlying on a regular basis as part of our or their general broker-dealer and other businesses, for proprietary accounts, for other accounts under management or to facilitate transactions for customers, including block transactions. Such trading and hedging activities may affect the level of the Underlying and make it less likely that you will receive a positive return on your investment in the BUyS. It is possible that we or our affiliates could receive substantial returns from these hedging and trading activities while the value of the BUyS declines. We or our affiliates may also issue or underwrite other securities or financial or derivative instruments with returns linked or related to the Underlying. Introducing competing products into the marketplace in this manner could adversely affect the value of the BUyS. Any of the foregoing activities described in this paragraph may reflect trading strategies that differ from, or are in direct opposition to, investors’ trading and investment strategies related to the BUyS. Furthermore, because Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“DBSI”) or one of its affiliates is expected to conduct trading and hedging activities for us in connection with the BUyS, DBSI or such affiliate may profit in connection with such trading and hedging activities and such profit, if any, will be in addition to any compensation that DBSI receives for the sale of the BUyS to you. You should be aware that the potential to earn a profit in connection with hedging activities may create an incentive for DBSI to sell the BUyS to you in addition to any compensation they would receive for the sale of the BUyS.
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WE OR OUR AFFILIATES MAY PUBLISH RESEARCH, EXPRESS OPINIONS OR PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE INCONSISTENT WITH INVESTING IN OR HOLDING THE BUYS. ANY SUCH RESEARCH, OPINIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE LEVEL OF THE UNDERLYING OR THE VALUE OF THE BUYS — We or our affiliates may publish research from time to time on financial markets and other matters that could adversely affect the value of the BUyS, or express opinions or provide recommendations that are inconsistent with purchasing or holding the BUyS. Any research, opinions or recommendations expressed by us or our affiliates may not be consistent with each other and may be modified from time to time without notice. You should make your own independent investigation of the merits of investing in the BUyS and the Underlying.
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POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST — We and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the issuance of the BUyS, including acting as calculation agent, hedging our obligations under the BUyS and determining the Issuer’s estimated value of the BUyS on the Trade Date and the price, if any, at which we or our affiliates would be willing to purchase the BUyS from you in secondary market transactions. In performing these roles, our economic interests and those of our affiliates are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the BUyS. The calculation agent will determine, among other things, all values, prices and levels required to be determined for the purposes of the BUyS on any relevant date or time. The calculation agent will also be responsible for determining whether a market disruption event has occurred. Any determination by the calculation agent could adversely affect the return on the BUyS.
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THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE BUYS ARE UNCERTAIN — There is no direct legal authority regarding the proper U.S. federal income tax treatment of the BUyS, and we do not plan to request a ruling from the IRS. Consequently, significant aspects of the tax treatment of the BUyS are uncertain, and the IRS or a court might not agree with the treatment of the BUyS as prepaid financial contracts that are not debt. If the IRS were successful in asserting an alternative treatment for the BUyS, the tax consequences of ownership and disposition of the BUyS could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, as described above under “Tax Consequences,” in 2007 the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS released a notice requesting comments on various issues regarding the
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You seek an investment with a return linked to the performance of the Basket as described herein;
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You are willing to invest in the BUyS based on the bottom of the Maximum Return range, Upside Leverage Factor, the Downside Participation Factor and the Buffer Amount;
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You are willing to lose up to 100% of your initial investment;
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You are willing and able to hold the BUyS to maturity;
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You are willing to accept our credit risk;
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You do not seek current income from this investment; and
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You do not seek an investment for which there will be an active secondary market.
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You do not seek an investment with a return linked to the performance of the Underlying as described herein;
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You are unwilling to invest in the BUyS based on the bottom of the Maximum Return range, Upside Leverage Factor, the Downside Participation Factor and the Buffer Amount;
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You seek an investment that is protected against the loss of your initial investment;
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You seek an investment with uncapped upside returns;
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You are unwilling or unable to hold the BUyS to maturity;
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You are unwilling to be exposed to our credit risk;
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You seek current income from your investments; or
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You seek an investment for which there will be an active secondary market.
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