Use of Proceeds and Hedging
The proceeds we receive from the sale of the notes will be used for general corporate purposes. We will receive, in aggregate, $1,000 per note issued, because, when we enter into hedging transactions in order to meet our obligations under the notes, our hedging counterparty will reimburse the cost of the Agent’s commissions. The costs of the notes borne by you and described on page 2 above comprise the Agent’s commissions and the cost of issuing, structuring and hedging the notes.
Supplemental Information Concerning Plan of Distribution; Conflicts of Interest
The agent may distribute the notes through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC (“Morgan Stanley Wealth Management”), as selected dealer, or other dealers, which may include Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc (“MSIP”) and Bank Morgan Stanley AG. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, MSIP and Bank Morgan Stanley AG are affiliates of Morgan Stanley. Selected dealers, including Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, and their financial advisors will collectively receive from the agent, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, a fixed sales commission of $0.30 for each note they sell; provided that dealers selling to investors purchasing the notes in fee-based advisory accounts will not receive a sales commission with respect to such notes.
MS & Co. is our wholly owned subsidiary and it and other subsidiaries 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.
Acceleration Amount in Case of an Event of Default
In case an event of default with respect to the notes shall have occurred and be continuing, the amount declared due and payable per note upon any acceleration of the notes shall be an amount in cash equal to the stated principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest.
Tax Considerations
In the opinion of our counsel, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, the notes will be treated as debt instruments that are issued with original issue discount (“OID”) and without any qualified stated interest for U.S. federal tax purposes, as discussed under “United States Federal Taxation—Tax Consequences to U.S. Holders—General—Original Issue Discount” in the accompanying prospectus supplement. The amount of OID on a note will be provided in the final pricing supplement.
Both U.S. and non-U.S. holders should read the section of the accompanying prospectus supplement entitled “United States Federal Taxation.”
You should consult your tax adviser regarding all aspects of the U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the notes, as well as any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or non-U.S. taxing jurisdiction.
The discussion in the preceding paragraphs under “Tax Considerations,” and the discussion contained in the section entitled “United States Federal Taxation” in the accompanying prospectus supplement, insofar as they purport to describe provisions of U.S. federal income tax laws or legal conclusions with respect thereto, constitute the full opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP regarding the material U.S. federal tax consequences of an investment in the notes.
Validity of the Notes
In the opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, as special counsel to Morgan Stanley, when the notes offered by this pricing supplement have been issued by Morgan Stanley pursuant to the Senior Debt Indenture, the trustee and/or paying agent has made, in accordance with the instructions from Morgan Stanley, the appropriate entries or notations in its records relating to the master note that represents such notes (the “master note”), and such notes have been delivered against payment as contemplated herein, such notes will be valid and binding obligations of Morgan Stanley, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability (including, without limitation, concepts of good faith, fair dealing and the lack of bad faith), provided that such counsel expresses no opinion as to the effect of fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar provision of applicable law on the conclusions expressed above. This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the State of New York and the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, except that counsel expresses no opinion as to (i) any law, rule or regulation that is applicable to Morgan Stanley, the Senior Debt Indenture, the notes (together with the Senior Debt Indenture, the “Documents”) or such transactions solely because such law, rule or regulation is part of a regulatory regime applicable to any party to any of the Documents or any of its affiliates due to the specific assets or business of such party or such affiliate or (ii) any law, rule or regulation relating to national security. In addition, this opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Senior Debt Indenture and its authentication of the master note and the validity, binding nature and enforceability of the Senior Debt Indenture with respect to the