125% upside Nasdaq‑100 buffered notes from GS Finance (NYSE: GS) with automatic call
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
The pricing supplement describes GS Finance Corp.'s offering of Nasdaq-100 Index® linked, buffered, automatically callable notes guaranteed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The aggregate face amount is $2,008,000. The notes pay no interest, carry an upside participation rate of 125%, a 15% buffer (buffer level 85%), and a capped automatic call payoff of $1,127.50 per $1,000 on the call payment date if the underlier is at or above the initial level on the call observation date. Key dates: trade date April 30, 2026, original issue date May 5, 2026, call observation date April 30, 2027 (call payment date May 7, 2027), determination date May 1, 2028, and stated maturity date May 8, 2028. The cash settlement at maturity depends on the final underlier level: investors may receive enhanced upside when the index rises, full principal if the final level is at or above the buffer level, or suffer significant losses below the buffer (examples show as low as 15.0% of face if the final level is 0% of initial). The notes are subject to the issuer's and guarantor's credit risk, model/pricing discounts at issue, limited secondary-market liquidity, FATCA and U.S. federal income tax uncertainty, and other structural risks.
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Insights
Buffered, callable Nasdaq‑100 note with capped early payout and material downside exposure.
The product links principal and payoff to the Nasdaq‑100 Index with a 125% participation on upside and a 15% buffer that absorbs losses up to that amount. The notes pay no coupon and include an automatic call feature that, if triggered on the call observation date, yields a capped cash payment of $1,127.50 per $1,000.
Key dependencies include the index closing levels on specified observation dates, GS Finance Corp. and Goldman Sachs creditworthiness, and model-driven pricing that causes the original issue price to exceed estimated secondary-market value. Timing and payoff outcomes are tied to explicit dates: April 30, 2027 (call observation) and May 1, 2028 (determination). Market participants should note secondary-market liquidity is not guaranteed.
Tax treatment is uncertain; issuer counsel treats notes as pre‑paid derivatives.
Counsel opines the notes are reasonably characterized as a pre‑paid derivative contract for U.S. federal income tax purposes, which would generally produce capital gain or loss on sale, redemption or maturity. However, the filing states this characterization is not settled and the IRS could take a different view.
Investors should consult advisors for FATCA, section 871(m) considerations, and the tax consequences of structured notes held in their particular circumstances.


