Morgan Stanley offers EAFE-linked notes capped at 178.8%
MORGAN STANLEY (MS), through Morgan Stanley Finance LLC, is offering unsecured Market‑Linked Notes due August 28, 2031, tied to the iShares® MSCI EAFE ETF.
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Rhea-AI Filing Summary
MORGAN STANLEY (MS), through Morgan Stanley Finance LLC, is offering unsecured Market‑Linked Notes due August 28, 2031, tied to the iShares® MSCI EAFE ETF. The notes pay no interest and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Morgan Stanley.
At maturity, investors receive the $1,000 stated principal per note plus an upside payment equal to 100% of any positive underlier return, capped at a maximum payment of $1,788 per note (178.80% of principal). If the final ETF level on the August 25, 2031 observation date is at or below the initial level set on August 24, 2026, only principal is repaid, so inflation and opportunity costs are borne by investors.
The notes’ estimated value on the pricing date is approximately $967.40 per note, below the $1,000 issue price due to issuing, selling, structuring and hedging costs. The notes are subject to Morgan Stanley’s credit risk, will not be listed on any exchange, and may have limited secondary liquidity. For U.S. tax purposes the securities are expected to be treated as contingent payment debt instruments, requiring accrual of taxable interest income over their life.
Key Figures
Key Terms
Market-Linked Notes financial
contingent payment debt instruments financial
comparable yield financial
Section 871(m) financial
amortization period financial
underlier percent change financial
Offering Details
FAQ
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What underlier do the Morgan Stanley (MS) Market-Linked Notes reference and what was a recent level?
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Preliminary Pricing Supplement No. 18,159
Registration Statement Nos. 333-293641; 333-293641-01
Dated August 20, 2026
Filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Morgan Stanley Finance LLC
Structured Investments
Market-Linked Notes due August 28, 2031
Based on the Performance of the iShares® MSCI EAFE ETF
Fully and Unconditionally Guaranteed by Morgan Stanley
￭The notes are unsecured obligations of Morgan Stanley Finance LLC (“MSFL”) and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Morgan Stanley. The notes will pay no interest and have the terms described in the accompanying product supplement, index supplement, tax supplement and prospectus, as supplemented or modified by this document.
￭Payment at maturity. At maturity, if the final level is greater than the initial level, investors will receive the stated principal amount plus the upside payment, subject to the maximum payment at maturity. If, however, the final level is equal to or less than the initial level, investors will receive only the stated principal amount at maturity.
￭The notes are for investors who are concerned about principal risk but seek a return based on the performance of the underlier, and who are willing to forgo current income and returns above the maximum payment at maturity in exchange for the repayment of principal at maturity and the potential to receive a positive return. The notes are notes issued as part of MSFL’s Series A Global Medium-Term Notes program.
￭All payments are subject to our credit risk. If we default on our obligations, you could lose some or all of your investment. These notes are not secured obligations and you will not have any security interest in, or otherwise have any access to, any underlying reference asset or assets.
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TERMS |
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Issuer: |
Morgan Stanley Finance LLC |
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Guarantor: |
Morgan Stanley |
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Stated principal amount: |
$1,000 per note |
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Issue price: |
$1,000 per note (see “Commissions and issue price” below) |
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Aggregate principal amount: |
$ |
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Underlier: |
iShares® MSCI EAFE ETF (the “underlying fund”) |
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Strike date: |
August 24, 2026 |
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Pricing date: |
August 24, 2026 |
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Original issue date: |
August 27, 2026 |
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Observation date: |
August 25, 2031, subject to postponement for non-trading days and certain market disruption events |
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Maturity date: |
August 28, 2031 |
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Terms continued on the following page |
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Agent: |
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“MS & Co.”), an affiliate of MSFL and a wholly owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley. See “Supplemental information regarding plan of distribution; conflicts of interest.” |
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Estimated value on the pricing date: |
Approximately $967.40 per note, or within $40.00 of that estimate. See “Estimated Value of the Notes” on page 3. |
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Commissions and issue price: |
Price to public |
Agent’s commissions and fees(1)(2) |
Proceeds to us(3) |
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Per note |
$1,000 |
$ |
$ |
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Total |
$ |
$ |
$ |
(1)The notes will be sold only to investors purchasing the notes in fee-based advisory accounts.
(2)MS & Co. expects to sell all of the notes that it purchases from us to an unaffiliated dealer at a price of $ per note, for further sale to certain fee-based advisory accounts at the price to public of $1,000 per note. In addition, selected dealers and their financial advisors may receive a structuring fee of up to $6.25 for each note from the agent or its affiliates. MS & Co. will not receive a sales commission with respect to the notes. MS & Co., an affiliate of the Issuer, may pay a third party data analytics provider a fee of $0.50 for each note sold in this offering. MS & Co. is obtaining these analytics at the request of the third party dealer involved with this offering with the third party dealer also designated as a permitted user of the relevant analytics. The Issuer and MS & Co. make no representations or warranties as to use or fitness of the analytics and MS & Co. specifically disclaims liability relating to the analytics. See “Supplemental information regarding plan of distribution; conflicts of interest.” For additional information, see “Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” in the accompanying product supplement.
(3)See “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” in the accompanying product supplement.
The notes involve risks not associated with an investment in ordinary debt securities. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5.
The Securities and Exchange Commission and state securities regulators have not approved or disapproved these notes, or determined if this document or the accompanying product supplement, index supplement, tax supplement and prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The notes are not deposits or savings accounts and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency or instrumentality, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank.
You should read this document together with the related product supplement, index supplement, tax supplement and prospectus, each of which can be accessed via the hyperlinks below. Please also see “Additional Terms of the Notes” and “Additional Information About the Notes” at the end of this document.
References to “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Morgan Stanley or MSFL, or Morgan Stanley and MSFL collectively, as the context requires.
Product Supplement for Notes dated April 8, 2026 Index Supplement dated April 8, 2026
Tax Supplement dated April 8, 2026 Prospectus dated April 8, 2026
Morgan Stanley Finance LLC
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Market-Linked Notes |
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Terms continued from the previous page |
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Payment at maturity per note: |
•If the final level is greater than the initial level: (stated principal amount + upside payment),subject to the maximum payment at maturity •If the final level is equal to or less than the initial level: stated principal amount Under no circumstances will the payment at maturity be less than the stated principal amount. |
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Upside payment: |
stated principal amount × participation rate × underlier percent change |
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Participation rate: |
100% |
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Underlier percent change: |
(final level – initial level) / initial level |
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Maximum payment at maturity: |
$1,788 per note (178.80% of the stated principal amount) |
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Final level: |
The closing level of the underlier on the observation date |
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Initial level: |
$ , which is the closing level of the underlier on the strike date |
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Closing level: |
“Closing level” and “adjustment factor” have the meanings set forth under “General Terms of the Notes—Some Definitions” in the accompanying product supplement. |
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CUSIP: |
61781DXV5 |
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ISIN: |
US61781DXV53 |
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Listing: |
The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. |
Morgan Stanley Finance LLC
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Market-Linked Notes |
Estimated Value of the Notes
The original issue price of each note is $1,000. This price includes costs associated with issuing, selling, structuring and hedging the notes, which are borne by you, and, consequently, the estimated value of the notes on the pricing date will be less than $1,000. Our estimate of the value of the notes as determined on the pricing date will be within the range specified on the cover hereof and will be set forth on the cover of the final pricing supplement.
What goes into the estimated value on the pricing date?
In valuing the notes on the pricing date, we take into account that the notes comprise both a debt component and a performance-based component linked to the underlier. The estimated value of the notes is determined using our own pricing and valuation models, market inputs and assumptions relating to the underlier, instruments based on the underlier, volatility and other factors including current and expected interest rates, as well as an interest rate related to our secondary market credit spread, which is the implied interest rate at which our conventional fixed rate debt trades in the secondary market.
What determines the economic terms of the notes?
In determining the economic terms of the notes, we use an internal funding rate, which is likely to be lower than our secondary market credit spreads and therefore advantageous to us. If the issuing, selling, structuring and hedging costs borne by you were lower or if the internal funding rate were higher, one or more of the economic terms of the notes would be more favorable to you.
What is the relationship between the estimated value on the pricing date and the secondary market price of the notes?
The price at which MS & Co. purchases the notes in the secondary market, absent changes in market conditions, including those related to the underlier, may vary from, and be lower than, the estimated value on the pricing date, because the secondary market price takes into account our secondary market credit spread as well as the bid-offer spread that MS & Co. would charge in a secondary market transaction of this type and other factors. However, because the costs associated with issuing, selling, structuring and hedging the notes are not fully deducted upon issuance, to the extent that MS & Co. may buy or sell the notes in the secondary market during the amortization period specified herein, absent changes in market conditions, including those related to the underlier, and to our secondary market credit spreads, it would do so based on values higher than the estimated value. We expect that those higher values will also be reflected in your brokerage account statements.
MS & Co. may, but is not obligated to, make a market in the notes, and, if it once chooses to make a market, may cease doing so at any time.
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Hypothetical Examples
Hypothetical Payoff Diagram
The payoff diagram below illustrates the payment at maturity for a range of hypothetical performances of the underlier over the term of the notes, based on the following terms:
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Stated principal amount: |
$1,000 per note |
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Participation rate: |
100% |
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Maximum payment at maturity: |
$1,788 per note (178.80% of the stated principal amount) |
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Hypothetical Payoff Diagram |
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￭Upside Scenario. If the final level is greater than the initial level, investors will receive the stated principal amount plus 100% of the appreciation of the underlier over the term of the notes, subject to the maximum payment at maturity.
oIf the underlier appreciates 5%, investors will receive $1,050 per note, or 105% of the stated principal amount.
oIf the underlier appreciates 100%, investors will receive only the maximum payment at maturity of $1,788 per note, or 178.80% of the stated principal amount.
￭Par Scenario. If the final level is equal to or less than the initial level, investors will receive the stated principal amount.
oIf the underlier depreciates 15%, investors will receive $1,000 per note.
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Risk Factors
This section describes the material risks relating to the notes. For further discussion of these and other risks, you should read the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the accompanying product supplement, tax supplement and prospectus. We also urge you to consult with your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisers in connection with your investment in the notes.
Risks Relating to an Investment in the Notes
￭The notes may not pay more than the stated principal amount at maturity. If the final level is equal to or less than the initial level, you will receive only the stated principal amount at maturity, and you will not receive a positive return on your investment.
￭The notes do not pay interest. Because the notes do not pay interest, if the final level is equal to or less than the initial level, you will not receive a positive return on your investment, and therefore the overall return on the notes (the effective yield to maturity) will be less than the amount that would be paid on an ordinary debt security. Accordingly, the return of only the stated principal amount at maturity will not compensate you for the effects of inflation and other factors relating to the value of money over time.
￭The appreciation potential of the notes is limited by the maximum payment at maturity. Where the final level is greater than the initial level, the appreciation potential of the notes is limited by the maximum payment at maturity. If the underlier appreciates over the term of the notes, under no circumstances will the payment at maturity exceed the maximum payment at maturity.
￭The amount payable on the notes is not linked to the value of the underlier at any time other than the observation date. The final level will be based on the closing level of the underlier on the observation date, subject to postponement for non-trading days and certain market disruption events. Even if the value of the underlier appreciates prior to the observation date but then drops by the observation date, the payment at maturity may be less than it would have been had the payment at maturity been linked to the value of the underlier prior to such drop. Although the actual value of the underlier on the stated maturity date or at other times during the term of the notes may be higher than the closing level of the underlier on the observation date, the payment at maturity will be based solely on the closing level of the underlier on the observation date.
￭The market price of the notes may be influenced by many unpredictable factors. Several factors, many of which are beyond our control, will influence the value of the notes in the secondary market and the price at which MS & Co. may be willing to purchase or sell the notes in the secondary market. We expect that generally the value of the underlier at any time will affect the value of the notes more than any other single factor. Other factors that may influence the value of the notes include:
othe volatility (frequency and magnitude of changes in value) of the underlier;
ointerest and yield rates in the market;
odividend rates on the underlier;
ogeopolitical conditions and economic, financial, political, regulatory or judicial events that affect the underlier or markets generally;
othe availability of comparable instruments;
othe occurrence of certain events affecting the underlier that may or may not require an adjustment to the adjustment factor;
othe composition of the underlier and changes in such composition;
othe time remaining until the notes mature; and
oany actual or anticipated changes in our credit ratings or credit spreads.
Some or all of these factors will influence the price that you will receive if you sell your notes prior to maturity. Generally, the longer the time remaining to maturity, the more the market price of the notes will be affected by the other factors described above. For example, you may have to sell your notes at a substantial discount from the stated principal amount if, at the time of sale, the closing level of the underlier is at, below or not sufficiently above the initial level, or if market interest rates rise.
You can review the historical closing levels of the underlier in the section of this document called “Historical Information.” You cannot predict the future performance of the underlier based on its historical performance. The value of the underlier may be, and has recently been, volatile, and we can give you no assurance that the volatility will lessen. There can be no assurance that the final level will be greater than the initial level so that you receive a payment at maturity that exceeds the stated principal amount of the notes.
￭The notes are subject to our credit risk, and any actual or anticipated changes to our credit ratings or credit spreads may adversely affect the market value of the notes. You are dependent on our ability to pay all amounts due on the notes, and, therefore, you are subject to our credit risk. The notes are not guaranteed by any other entity. If we default on our obligations under the notes, your investment would be at risk and you could lose some or all of your investment. As a result, the market value of the notes prior to maturity will be affected by changes in the market’s view of our creditworthiness. Any actual or anticipated decline in
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Market-Linked Notes |
our credit ratings or increase in the credit spreads charged by the market for taking our credit risk is likely to adversely affect the market value of the notes.
￭As a finance subsidiary, MSFL has no independent operations and will have no independent assets. As a finance subsidiary, MSFL has no independent operations beyond the issuance and administration of its securities and will have no independent assets available for distributions to holders of MSFL securities if they make claims in respect of such securities in a bankruptcy, resolution or similar proceeding. Accordingly, any recoveries by such holders will be limited to those available under the related guarantee by Morgan Stanley and that guarantee will rank pari passu with all other unsecured, unsubordinated obligations of Morgan Stanley. Holders will have recourse only to a single claim against Morgan Stanley and its assets under the guarantee. Holders of securities issued by MSFL should accordingly assume that in any such proceedings they would not have any priority over and should be treated pari passu with the claims of other unsecured, unsubordinated creditors of Morgan Stanley, including holders of Morgan Stanley-issued securities.
￭The rate we are willing to pay for securities of this type, maturity and issuance size is likely to be lower than the rate implied by our secondary market credit spreads and advantageous to us. Both the lower rate and the inclusion of costs associated with issuing, selling, structuring and hedging the notes in the original issue price reduce the economic terms of the notes, cause the estimated value of the notes to be less than the original issue price and will adversely affect secondary market prices. Assuming no change in market conditions or any other relevant factors, the prices, if any, at which dealers, including MS & Co., may be willing to purchase the notes in secondary market transactions will likely be significantly lower than the original issue price, because secondary market prices will exclude the issuing, selling, structuring and hedging-related costs that are included in the original issue price and borne by you and because the secondary market prices will reflect our secondary market credit spreads and the bid-offer spread that any dealer would charge in a secondary market transaction of this type as well as other factors.
The inclusion of the costs of issuing, selling, structuring and hedging the notes in the original issue price and the lower rate we are willing to pay as issuer make the economic terms of the notes less favorable to you than they otherwise would be.
However, because the costs associated with issuing, selling, structuring and hedging the notes are not fully deducted upon issuance, to the extent that MS & Co. may buy or sell the notes in the secondary market during the amortization period specified herein, absent changes in market conditions, including those related to the underlier, and to our secondary market credit spreads, it would do so based on values higher than the estimated value, and we expect that those higher values will also be reflected in your brokerage account statements.
￭The estimated value of the notes is determined by reference to our pricing and valuation models, which may differ from those of other dealers and is not a maximum or minimum secondary market price. These pricing and valuation models are proprietary and rely in part on subjective views of certain market inputs and certain assumptions about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. As a result, because there is no market-standard way to value these types of securities, our models may yield a higher estimated value of the notes than those generated by others, including other dealers in the market, if they attempted to value the notes. In addition, the estimated value on the pricing date does not represent a minimum or maximum price at which dealers, including MS & Co., would be willing to purchase your notes in the secondary market (if any exists) at any time. The value of your notes at any time after the date of this document will vary based on many factors that cannot be predicted with accuracy, including our creditworthiness and changes in market conditions. See also “The market price of the notes may be influenced by many unpredictable factors” above.
￭The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange and secondary trading may be limited. The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. Therefore, there may be little or no secondary market for the notes. MS & Co. may, but is not obligated to, make a market in the notes and, if it once chooses to make a market, may cease doing so at any time. When it does make a market, it will generally do so for transactions of routine secondary market size at prices based on its estimate of the current value of the notes, taking into account its bid/offer spread, our credit spreads, market volatility, the notional size of the proposed sale, the cost of unwinding any related hedging positions, the time remaining to maturity and the likelihood that it will be able to resell the notes. Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to trade or sell the notes easily. Since other broker-dealers may not participate significantly in the secondary market for the notes, the price at which you may be able to trade your notes is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which MS & Co. is willing to transact. If, at any time, MS & Co. were to cease making a market in the notes, it is likely that there would be no secondary market for the notes. Accordingly, you should be willing to hold your notes to maturity.
￭As discussed in more detail in the accompanying product supplement, investing in the notes is not equivalent to investing in the underlier(s).
￭You may be required to recognize taxable income on the securities offered by this pricing supplement prior to maturity. If you are a U.S. investor in a security, under the treatment of a security as a contingent payment debt instrument, you will generally be required to recognize taxable interest income in each year that you hold the security. In addition, any gain you recognize under the rules applicable to contingent payment debt instruments will generally be treated as ordinary interest income rather than capital gain. You should review carefully the section entitled “United States Federal Income Tax Considerations” herein, in combination
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with the section entitled “United States Federal Taxation” in the accompanying tax supplement, and consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the securities.
Risks Relating to the Underlier(s)
￭Because your return on the notes will depend upon the performance of the underlier(s), the notes are subject to the following risk(s), as discussed in more detail in the accompanying product supplement.
oAdjustments to an underlying fund or the index tracked by such underlying fund could adversely affect the value of the notes.
oThe performance and market price of an underlying fund, particularly during periods of market volatility, may not correlate with the performance of its share underlying index, the performance of the component securities of its share underlying index or the net asset value per share of such underlying fund.
oThe anti-dilution adjustments the calculation agent is required to make do not cover every event that could affect an underlying fund.
oThere are risks associated with investments in notes linked to the value of foreign equity securities.
oSecurities linked to certain underliers are subject to currency exchange risk.
Risks Relating to Conflicts of Interest
In engaging in certain activities described below and as discussed in more detail in the accompanying product supplement, our affiliates may take actions that may adversely affect the value of and your return on the notes, and in so doing they will have no obligation to consider your interests as an investor in the notes.
￭The calculation agent, which is a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley and an affiliate of MSFL, will make determinations with respect to the notes. As calculation agent, MS & Co. will make any determinations necessary to calculate any payment(s) on the notes. Moreover, certain determinations made by MS & Co., in its capacity as calculation agent, may require it to exercise discretion and make subjective judgments, which may adversely affect your return on the notes. In addition, MS & Co. has determined the estimated value of the notes on the pricing date.
￭Hedging and trading activity by our affiliates could potentially adversely affect the value of the notes.
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Market-Linked Notes |
Historical Information
iShares® MSCI EAFE ETF Overview
Bloomberg Ticker Symbol: EFA UP
The iShares® MSCI EAFE ETF is an exchange-traded fund that seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of its share underlying index, which is the MSCI EAFE® Index. The underlying fund manager with respect to the iShares® MSCI EAFE ETF is iShares Trust, which is a registered investment company. It is possible that the underlier may not fully replicate the performance of its share underlying index due to the temporary unavailability of certain securities in the secondary market or due to other extraordinary circumstances. Information provided to or filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the underlying fund manager pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 can be located by reference to Securities and Exchange Commission file numbers 333-92935 and 811-09729, respectively, through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, information regarding the underlier may be obtained from other sources including, but not limited to, press releases, newspaper articles and other publicly disseminated documents. Neither we nor the agent makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding the underlier is accurate or complete.
The closing level of the underlier on August 19, 2026 was $107.66. The following graph sets forth the daily closing levels of the underlier for the period noted below. We obtained the historical information presented in this document from Bloomberg Financial Markets, without independent verification. The underlier has at times experienced periods of high volatility. You should not take the historical closing levels of the underlier as an indication of its future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the closing level of the underlier at any time.
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Underlier Daily Closing Levels January 1, 2021 to August 19, 2026 |
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This document relates only to the notes referenced hereby and does not relate to the underlier. We have derived all disclosures contained in this document regarding the underlier from the publicly available documents described above. In connection with this offering of notes, neither we nor the agent has participated in the preparation of such documents or made any due diligence inquiry with respect to the underlier. Neither we nor the agent makes any representation that such publicly available documents or any other publicly available information regarding the underlier is accurate or complete. Furthermore, we cannot give any assurance that all events occurring prior to the date hereof (including events that would affect the accuracy or completeness of the publicly available documents described above) that would affect the trading price of the underlier (and therefore the closing level of the underlier on the strike date) have been publicly disclosed. Subsequent disclosure of any such events or the disclosure of or failure to disclose material future events concerning the underlier could affect the value received with respect to the notes and therefore the value of the notes.
Neither we nor any of our affiliates makes any representation to you as to the performance of the underlier.
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We and/or our affiliates may presently or from time to time engage in business with the underlying fund manager. In the course of such business, we and/or our affiliates may acquire non-public information with respect to the underlier, and neither we nor any of our affiliates undertakes to disclose any such information to you. In addition, one or more of our affiliates may publish research reports with respect to the underlier. The statements in the preceding two sentences are not intended to affect the rights of investors in the notes under the securities laws. You should undertake an independent investigation of the underlier as in your judgment is appropriate to make an informed decision with respect to an investment linked to the underlier.
The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold, or promoted by the underlying fund manager. The underlying fund manager makes no representations or warranties to the owners of the notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in the notes. The underlying fund manager has no obligation or liability in connection with the operation, marketing, trading or sale of the notes.
MSCI EAFE® Index. The MSCI EAFE® Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the United States and Canada. The share underlying index publisher with respect to the MSCI EAFE® Index is MSCI Inc., or any successor thereof. The MSCI EAFE® Index captures large and mid cap representation across countries that MSCI Inc. identifies as “Developed Market” countries, excluding the United States and Canada. For additional information about the MSCI EAFE® Index, see the information set forth under “MSCI Global Investable Market Indices—MSCI EAFE® Index” and “—MSCI Global Investable Market Indices Methodology” in the accompanying index supplement.
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Additional Terms of the Notes
Please read this information in conjunction with the terms on the cover of this document.
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Additional Terms: |
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If the terms described herein are inconsistent with those described in the accompanying product supplement, index supplement, tax supplement or prospectus, the terms described herein shall control. |
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Denominations: |
$1,000 per note and integral multiples thereof |
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Amortization period: |
The 6-month period following the issue date |
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Trustee: |
The Bank of New York Mellon |
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Calculation agent: |
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“MS & Co.”) |
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Additional Information About the Notes
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Additional Information: |
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Minimum ticketing size: |
$1,000 / 1 note |
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United States federal income tax considerations: |
You should review carefully the section in the accompanying tax supplement entitled “United States Federal Taxation.” The following discussion, when read in combination with that section, constitutes the full opinion of our counsel, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, regarding the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of the securities offered by this pricing supplement. Generally, this discussion assumes that you purchased a security for cash in the original issuance at the stated issue price and does not address other circumstances specific to you, including consequences that may arise due to any other investments relating to an underlier. Moreover, as discussed in the section entitled “United States Federal Taxation” in the accompanying tax supplement, we have not attempted to ascertain whether any issuer of any underlier to which the securities relate is a U.S. real property holding corporation or a passive foreign investment company. You should consult your tax adviser regarding these issues, including the effect any circumstances specific to you may have on the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your ownership of a security. The securities should be treated as debt instruments for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Based on current market conditions, we intend to treat the securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes as contingent payment debt instruments, or “CPDIs,” as described in “United States Federal Taxation—Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders—Program Securities Treated as Debt Instruments—Program Securities Treated as Contingent Payment Debt Instruments” in the accompanying tax supplement. Under this treatment, regardless of your method of accounting for U.S. federal income tax purposes, you generally will be required to accrue interest income in each year on a constant yield to maturity basis at the “comparable yield,” as determined by us, adjusted upward or downward to reflect the difference, if any, between the actual and projected payments on the securities during the year. Upon a taxable disposition of a security, you generally will recognize taxable income or loss equal to the difference between the amount received and your tax basis in the security. You generally must treat any income realized on the taxable disposition as interest income and any loss as ordinary loss to the extent of previous interest inclusions, and the balance as capital loss, the deductibility of which is subject to limitations. We will determine the comparable yield for the securities and will provide that comparable yield, and the projected payment schedule, or information about how to obtain them, in the final pricing supplement for the securities. Neither the comparable yield nor the projected payment schedule constitutes a representation by us regarding the actual amount(s) that we will pay on the securities. Non-U.S. Holders. If you are a Non-U.S. Holder (as defined in the accompanying tax supplement), please also read the section entitled “United States Federal Taxation—Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders—Program Securities Treated as Debt Instruments” in the accompanying tax supplement. As discussed under “United States Federal Taxation—Tax Consequences to Non-U.S. Holders—Dividend Equivalents under Section 871(m) of the Code” in the accompanying tax supplement, Section 871(m) of the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder (“Section 871(m)”) generally impose a 30% withholding tax on dividend equivalents paid or deemed paid to Non-U.S. Holders with respect to certain financial instruments linked to U.S. equities or indices that include U.S. equities. The Treasury regulations, as modified by an Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) notice, exempt financial instruments issued prior to January 1, 2027 that do not have a “delta” of one. Based on certain determinations made by us, we expect that Section 871(m) will not apply to the securities with respect to Non-U.S. Holders. Our determination is not binding on the IRS, and the IRS may disagree with this determination. If necessary, further information regarding the potential application of Section 871(m) will be provided in the final pricing supplement for the securities. We will not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to U.S. federal withholding taxes. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the securities, as well as tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction. |
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Additional considerations: |
Client accounts over which Morgan Stanley, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management or any of their respective subsidiaries have investment discretion are not permitted to purchase the notes, either directly or indirectly. |
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Morgan Stanley Finance LLC
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Market-Linked Notes |
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Supplemental information regarding plan of distribution; conflicts of interest: |
MS & Co. expects to sell all of the notes that it purchases from us to an unaffiliated dealer at a price of $ per note, for further sale to certain fee-based advisory accounts at the price to public of $1,000 per note. In addition, selected dealers and their financial advisors may receive a structuring fee of up to $6.25 for each note from the agent or its affiliates. MS & Co. will not receive a sales commission with respect to the notes. MS & Co., an affiliate of the Issuer, may pay a third party data analytics provider a fee of $0.50 for each note sold in this offering. MS & Co. is obtaining these analytics at the request of the third party dealer involved with this offering with the third party dealer also designated as a permitted user of the relevant analytics. The Issuer and MS & Co. make no representations or warranties as to use or fitness of the analytics and MS & Co. specifically disclaims liability relating to the analytics. MS & Co. is an affiliate of MSFL and a wholly owned subsidiary of Morgan Stanley, and it and other affiliates of ours expect to make a profit by selling, structuring and, when applicable, hedging the notes. MS & Co. will conduct this offering in compliance with the requirements of FINRA Rule 5121 of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., which is commonly referred to as FINRA, regarding a FINRA member firm’s distribution of the securities of an affiliate and related conflicts of interest. MS & Co. or any of our other affiliates may not make sales in this offering to any discretionary account. See “Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” and “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” in the accompanying product supplement. |
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Where you can find more information: |
Morgan Stanley and MSFL have filed a registration statement (including a prospectus, as supplemented by the product supplement, the index supplement and the tax supplement) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for the offering to which this communication relates. You should read the prospectus in that registration statement, the product supplement, the index supplement, the tax supplement and any other documents relating to this offering that MSFL and Morgan Stanley have filed with the SEC for more complete information about Morgan Stanley and this offering. You may get these documents without cost by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, MSFL, Morgan Stanley, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus, the index supplement, the product supplement and the tax supplement if you so request by calling toll-free 1-(800)-584-6837. Terms used but not defined in this document are defined in the product supplement, in the index supplement, in the tax supplement or in the prospectus. Each of the product supplement, the index supplement, the tax supplement and the prospectus can be accessed via the hyperlinks set forth on the cover of this document. |
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