August 2021
Preliminary Pricing Supplement filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2) dated July 28, 2021 / Registration Statement No. 333- 253421
STRUCTURED INVESTMENTS
Opportunities in U.S. and International Equities
The information in this preliminary pricing supplement is not complete and may be changed. This preliminary pricing supplement is not an offer to sell nor does it seek an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.
Subject to Completion. Dated July 28, 2021.
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GS Finance Corp. |
Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027
Principal at Risk Securities
The Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM (Trigger PLUS) do not bear interest and are unsecured notes issued by GS Finance Corp. and guaranteed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The amount that you will be paid on your Trigger PLUS at stated maturity (expected to be September 3, 2027) is based on the performance of an equally weighted basket composed of the EURO STOXX 50® Index and the S&P 500® Index as measured from the pricing date (expected to be August 13, 2021) to and including the valuation date (expected to be August 31, 2027).
The initial basket value is 100, and the final basket value (the basket closing value on the valuation date) will equal the sum of the products, as calculated separately for each index, of: (i) the final index value multiplied by (ii) the applicable multiplier. The multiplier will equal, for each index, the quotient of (i) the weighting of such index (1/2 or 50.00%) multiplied by 100 divided by (ii) the initial index value.
At maturity, if the final basket value is greater than the initial basket value of 100, the return on your Trigger PLUS will be positive and equal to the product of the leverage factor of at least 150% (set on the pricing date) multiplied by the basket percent increase (the percentage increase in the final basket value from the initial basket value). If the final basket value is equal to or less than the initial basket value but greater than or equal to the trigger level of 75.00% of the initial basket value, you will receive the principal amount of your Trigger PLUS. However, if the final basket value is less than the trigger level, you will lose a significant portion of your investment. Declines in one index may offset an increase in the other index.
At maturity, for each $10 principal amount of your Trigger PLUS, you will receive an amount in cash equal to:
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if the final basket value is greater than the initial basket value, the sum of (i) $10 plus (ii) the product of (a) $10 times (b) at least 1.5 times (c) the basket percent increase; |
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if the final basket value is equal to or less than the initial basket value, but greater than or equal to the trigger level, $10; or |
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if the final basket value is less than the trigger level, the product of (i) $10 times (ii) the quotient of (a) the final basket value divided by (b) the initial basket value. |
The Trigger PLUS are for investors who seek the potential to earn at least 150% of any positive return of the basket, are willing to forgo interest payments and are willing to risk losing their entire investment if the final basket value is less than the trigger level.
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SUMMARY TERMS (continued on page PS-2) |
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Issuer / Guarantor: |
GS Finance Corp. / The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. |
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Basket: |
as described more fully below, an equally weighted basket composed of the EURO STOXX 50® Index (Bloomberg symbol, “SX5E Index”) and the S&P 500® Index (Bloomberg symbol, “SPX Index”) |
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Pricing date: |
August , 2021 (expected to price on or about August 13, 2021) |
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Original issue date: |
August , 2021 (expected to be August 18, 2021) |
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Valuation date: |
expected to be August 31, 2027, subject to postponement |
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Stated maturity date: |
expected to be September 3, 2027, subject to postponement |
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Stated principal amount/Original issue price: |
$10 per Trigger PLUS / 100% of the principal amount |
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Estimated value range: |
$8.50 to $8.80 per Trigger PLUS. See the following page for more information. |
Your investment in the Trigger PLUS involves certain risks, including the credit risk of GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. See page PS-13. You should read the disclosure herein to better understand the terms and risks of your investment.
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Original issue date: |
August , 2021 |
Original issue price: |
100.00% of the principal amount |
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Underwriting discount: |
3.50% ($ in total)* |
Net proceeds to the issuer: |
96.50% ($ in total) |
* Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, acting as dealer for the offering, will receive a selling concession of $0.35 for each Trigger PLUS it sells. It has informed us that it intends to internally allocate $0.05 of the selling concession for each Trigger PLUS as a structuring fee.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The Trigger PLUS are not bank deposits and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
PS-2
August 2021
The issue price, underwriting discount and net proceeds listed on the cover page relate to the Trigger PLUS we sell initially. We may decide to sell additional Trigger PLUS after the date of this pricing supplement, at issue prices and with underwriting discounts and net proceeds that differ from the amounts set forth above. The return (whether positive or negative) on your investment in the Trigger PLUS will depend in part on the issue price you pay for such Trigger PLUS.
GS Finance Corp. may use this prospectus in the initial sale of the Trigger PLUS. In addition, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC or any other affiliate of GS Finance Corp. may use this prospectus in a market-making transaction in a Trigger PLUS after its initial sale. Unless GS Finance Corp. or its agent informs the purchaser otherwise in the confirmation of sale, this prospectus is being used in a market-making transaction.
PS-3
August 2021
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Estimated Value of Your Trigger PLUS The estimated value of your Trigger PLUS at the time the terms of your Trigger PLUS are set on the pricing date (as determined by reference to pricing models used by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC (GS&Co.) and taking into account our credit spreads) is expected to be in the range (the estimated value range) specified on the cover of this pricing supplement (per $10 principal amount), which is less than the original issue price. The value of your Trigger PLUS at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted; however, the price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would initially buy or sell Trigger PLUS (if it makes a market, which it is not obligated to do) and the value that GS&Co. will initially use for account statements and otherwise is equal to approximately the estimated value of your Trigger PLUS at the time of pricing, plus an additional amount (initially equal to $ per $10 principal amount). The price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would buy or sell your Trigger PLUS (if it makes a market, which it is not obligated to do) will equal approximately the sum of (a) the then-current estimated value of your Trigger PLUS (as determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models) plus (b) any remaining additional amount (the additional amount will decline to zero from the time of pricing through , as described below). On and after , the price (not including GS&Co.’s customary bid and ask spreads) at which GS&Co. would buy or sell your Trigger PLUS (if it makes a market) will equal approximately the then-current estimated value of your Trigger PLUS determined by reference to such pricing models. With respect to the $ initial additional amount: •will decline to zero on a straight-line basis from the time of pricing through ; and •$ will decline to zero on a straight-line basis from through . |
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About Your Trigger PLUS The Trigger PLUS are notes that are part of the Medium-Term Notes, Series F program of GS Finance Corp. and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. This prospectus includes this pricing supplement and the accompanying documents listed below. This pricing supplement constitutes a supplement to the documents listed below and should be read in conjunction with such documents: •General terms supplement no. 2,913 dated June 17, 2021 •Underlier supplement no. 22 dated July 26, 2021 •Prospectus supplement dated March 22, 2021 •Prospectus dated March 22, 2021 The information in this pricing supplement supersedes any conflicting information in the documents listed above. In addition, some of the terms or features described in the listed documents may not apply to your Trigger PLUS. Please note that, for purposes of this pricing supplement, references in the general terms supplement no. 2,913 to “underlier(s)”, “indices”, “exchange-traded fund(s)”, “lesser performing”, “trade date”, “underlier sponsor”, “determination date”, “face amount”, “level” and “cash settlement amount” shall be deemed to refer to “underlying(s)”, “underlying index(es)”, “underlying ETF(s)”, “worst performing”, “pricing date”, “underlying publisher”, “valuation date”, “principal amount”, “value” and “payment at maturity”, respectively. In addition, for purposes of this pricing supplement, references in the general terms supplement no. 2,913 to “trading day” shall be deemed to refer to “underlying business day”, “index business day” or “ETF business day”, as applicable, and references to “closing level” shall be deemed to refer to “closing price”, “closing value”, “index closing value” or “ETF closing price”, as applicable. Please note that, for purposes of this pricing supplement, references in the underlier supplement no. 22 to “underlier(s)”, “indices”, “exchange-traded fund(s)”, “lesser performing”, “trade date” and “underlier sponsor” shall be deemed to refer to “underlying(s)”, “underlying index(es)”, “underlying ETF(s)”, “worst performing”, “pricing date” and “underlying index publisher”, respectively. |
PS-4
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
We refer to the Trigger PLUS we are offering by this pricing supplement as the “offered Trigger PLUS” or the “Trigger PLUS”. Each of the offered Trigger PLUS has the terms described under “Summary Terms” and “Additional Provisions” in this pricing supplement. Please note that in this pricing supplement, references to “GS Finance Corp.”, “we”, “our” and “us” mean only GS Finance Corp. and do not include its subsidiaries or affiliates, references to “The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.”, our parent company, mean only The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and do not include its subsidiaries or affiliates and references to “Goldman Sachs” mean The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. together with its consolidated subsidiaries and affiliates, including us. Also, references to the “accompanying prospectus” mean the accompanying prospectus, dated March 22, 2021, references to the “accompanying prospectus supplement” mean the accompanying prospectus supplement, dated March 22, 2021, for Medium-Term Notes, Series F, references to the “accompanying underlier supplement no. 22” mean the accompanying underlier supplement no. 22 dated July 26, 2021 and references to the “accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913” mean the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913, dated June 17, 2021, in each case of GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The Trigger PLUS will be issued under the senior debt indenture, dated as of October 10, 2008, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of February 20, 2015, each among us, as issuer, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor, and The Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee. This indenture, as so supplemented and as further supplemented thereafter, is referred to as the “GSFC 2008 indenture” in the accompanying prospectus supplement.
Investment Summary
Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside Securities
The Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 (the “Trigger PLUS”) can be used:
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As an alternative to direct exposure to the basket that enhances returns for any positive performance of the basket. |
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To potentially outperform the basket with no limitation on the appreciation potential. |
However, you will not receive dividends on the stocks comprising the underlying indices (the “underlying index stocks”) or any interest payments on your Trigger PLUS.
If the final basket value is less than the trigger level, the Trigger PLUS are exposed on a 1:1 basis to the negative performance of the basket from the initial basket value to the final basket value.
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Maturity: |
Approximately 6 years |
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Payment at maturity: |
•If the final basket value is greater than the initial basket value, $10 + the leveraged upside payment. •If the final basket value is equal to or less than the initial basket value, but greater than or equal to the trigger level, $10. •If the final basket value is less than the trigger level, $10 × the basket performance factor. This amount will be less than the stated principal amount of $10, will represent a loss of more than 25.00% and could be zero. |
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Leverage factor (set on the pricing date): |
at least 150% (applicable only if the final basket value is greater than the initial basket value) |
PS-5
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
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Basket percent increase: |
(final basket value – initial basket value) / initial basket value |
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Leveraged upside payment: |
$10 × leverage factor × basket percent increase |
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Basket performance factor: |
final basket value / initial basket value |
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Trigger level: |
75.00% of the initial basket value |
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Minimum payment at maturity: |
None. Investors may lose their entire initial investment in the Trigger PLUS. |
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Basket component weightings: |
50.00% for the EURO STOXX 50® Index and 50.00% for the S&P 500® Index |
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Interest: |
None |
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Redemption: |
None. The Trigger PLUS will not be subject to redemption right or price dependent redemption right. |
Key Investment Rationale
The Trigger PLUS offer leveraged exposure to any positive performance of the basket. At maturity, if the basket has appreciated in value, investors will receive the stated principal amount of their investment plus the leveraged upside payment. If the basket has not appreciated in value or has depreciated in value, but the final basket value is greater than or equal to the trigger level of 75.00% of the initial basket value, investors will receive the stated principal amount of their investment. However, if the basket has depreciated in value and the final basket value is less than the trigger level, investors will lose 1.00% for every 1.00% decline in the basket value from the pricing date to the valuation date of the Trigger PLUS. Under these circumstances, the payment at maturity will be at least 25.00% less than the stated principal amount, will represent a loss of more than 25.00% and could be zero. Investors will not receive dividends on the underlying index stocks or any interest payments on the Trigger PLUS and investors may lose their entire initial investment in the Trigger PLUS. All payments on the Trigger PLUS are subject to the credit risk of GS Finance Corp., as issuer, and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor.
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Leveraged Performance |
The Trigger PLUS offer investors an opportunity to capture enhanced returns relative to a direct investment in the basket. However, investors will not receive dividends on the underlying index stocks or any interest payments on the Trigger PLUS. |
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Trigger Feature |
At maturity, even if the basket has declined over the term of the Trigger PLUS, you will receive your stated principal amount but only if the final basket value is greater than or equal to the trigger level of 75.00% of the initial basket value. |
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Upside Scenario |
The basket increases in value. In this case, you receive a full return of principal as well as at least 150% of the increase in the value of the basket. For example, if the final basket value is 2.00% greater than the initial basket value, the Trigger PLUS will provide a total return of at least 3% at maturity. |
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Par Scenario |
The final basket value is less than or equal to the initial basket value but is greater than or equal to the trigger level. In this case, you receive the stated principal amount of $10 at maturity even if the basket has depreciated. |
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Downside Scenario |
The basket declines in value and the final basket value is less than the trigger level. In this case, you receive less than the stated principal amount by an amount proportionate to the decline in the value of the basket from the initial basket value. For example, if the final basket value is 30.00% less than the initial basket value, the Trigger PLUS will provide at maturity a loss of 30.00% of principal. In this case, you receive $7.00 per Trigger PLUS, or 70.00% of the stated principal amount. There is no minimum payment at maturity on the Trigger PLUS, and you could lose your entire investment. |
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PS-6
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
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How the Trigger PLUS Work
Payoff Diagram
The payoff diagram below illustrates the payment at maturity on the Trigger PLUS based on the following terms:
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Stated principal amount: |
$10 per Trigger PLUS |
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Leverage factor: |
150% |
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Trigger level: |
75.00% of the initial basket value |
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Minimum payment at maturity: |
None |
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Trigger PLUS Payoff Diagram |
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PS-7
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
How it works
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Upside Scenario. If the final basket value is greater than the initial basket value, investors will receive the $10 stated principal amount plus 150% of the appreciation of the basket from the pricing date to the valuation date of the Trigger PLUS. |
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If the basket appreciates 2.00%, investors will receive a 3% return, or $10.30 per Trigger PLUS. |
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Par Scenario. If the final basket value is less than or equal to the initial basket value but is greater than or equal to the trigger level, investors will receive the $10 stated principal amount per Trigger PLUS. ▪ If the basket depreciates 10.00%, investors will receive the $10 stated principal amount per Trigger PLUS. |
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Downside Scenario. If the final basket value is less than the trigger level, investors will receive an amount that is significantly less than the $10 stated principal amount, based on a 1.00% loss of principal for each 1.00% decline in the basket. Under these circumstances, the payment at maturity will be at least 25.00% less than the stated principal amount per Trigger PLUS. There is no minimum payment at maturity on the Trigger PLUS. |
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▪ If the basket depreciates 30.00%, investors will lose 30.00% of their principal and receive only $7.00 per Trigger PLUS at maturity, or 70.00% of the stated principal amount.
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PS-8
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
Additional Hypothetical Examples
The following examples are provided for purposes of illustration only. They should not be taken as an indication or prediction of future investment results and merely are intended to illustrate the impact that the various hypothetical basket closing values or hypothetical closing values of the underlying indices on the valuation date could have on the payment at maturity assuming all other variables remain constant.
The examples below are based on a range of final basket values and closing values of the underlying indices that are entirely hypothetical; the basket closing value on any day throughout the life of the Trigger PLUS, including the final basket value on the valuation date, cannot be predicted. The underlying indices have been highly volatile in the past — meaning that the closing values of the underlying indices have changed considerably in relatively short periods — and their performances cannot be predicted for any future period.
The information in the following examples reflects hypothetical rates of return on the offered Trigger PLUS assuming that they are purchased on the original issue date at the stated principal amount and held to the stated maturity date. If you sell your Trigger PLUS in a secondary market prior to the stated maturity date, your return will depend upon the market value of your Trigger PLUS at the time of sale, which may be affected by a number of factors that are not reflected in the examples below such as interest rates, the volatility of the underlying indices and the creditworthiness of GS Finance Corp., as issuer, and the creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor. The information in the examples also reflects the key terms and assumptions in the box below.
Moreover, we have not yet set the initial basket component values that will serve as the baseline for determining the amount that we will pay on your Trigger PLUS, at maturity. We will not do so until the pricing date. As a result, the actual initial basket component values may differ substantially from the underlying index closing values prior to the pricing date.
For these reasons, the actual performance of the basket over the life of your Trigger PLUS, as well as the amount payable at maturity, if any, may bear little relation to the hypothetical examples shown below or to the historical underlying index closing values shown elsewhere in this pricing supplement. For information about the historical values of the underlying indices during recent periods, see “The Basket and the Underlying Indices — Historical Index Closing Values of the Underlying Indices and Basket Closing Values” below. Before investing in the offered Trigger PLUS, you should consult publicly available information to determine the values of the underlying indices between the date of this pricing supplement and the date of your purchase of the offered Trigger PLUS.
Also, the hypothetical examples shown below do not take into account the effects of applicable taxes. Because of the U.S. tax treatment applicable to your Trigger PLUS, tax liabilities could affect the after-tax rate of return on your Trigger PLUS to a comparatively greater extent than the after-tax return on the underlying index stocks.
PS-9
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
The values in the left column of the table below represent hypothetical final basket values and are expressed as percentages of the initial basket value. The amounts in the right column represent the hypothetical payments at maturity, based on the corresponding hypothetical final basket value, and are expressed as percentages of the stated principal amount of a Trigger PLUS (rounded to the nearest one-thousandth of a percent). Thus, a hypothetical payment at maturity of 100.000% means that the value of the cash payment that we would deliver for each $10 of the outstanding stated principal amount of the offered Trigger PLUS on the stated maturity date would equal 100.000% of the stated principal amount of a Trigger PLUS, based on the corresponding hypothetical final basket value and the assumptions noted above.
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Hypothetical Final Basket Value (as Percentage of Initial Basket Value) |
Hypothetical Payment at Maturity (as Percentage of Stated Principal Amount) |
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175.000% |
212.500% |
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150.000% |
175.000% |
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110.000% |
115.000% |
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105.000% |
107.500% |
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101.500% |
102.250% |
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100.000% |
100.000% |
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95.000% |
100.000% |
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90.000% |
100.000% |
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80.000% |
100.000% |
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75.000% |
100.000% |
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74.999% |
74.999% |
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50.000% |
50.000% |
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25.000% |
25.000% |
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10.000% |
10.000% |
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0.000% |
0.000% |
If, for example, the final basket value were determined to be 25.000% of the initial basket value, the payment at maturity that we would deliver on your Trigger PLUS at maturity would be 25.000% of the stated principal amount of your Trigger PLUS, as shown in the table above. As a result, if you purchased your Trigger PLUS on the original issue date at the stated principal amount and held them to the stated maturity date, you would lose 75.000% of your investment (if you purchased your Trigger PLUS at a premium to stated principal amount you would lose a correspondingly higher percentage of your investment). If the final basket value were determined to be zero, you would lose your entire investment in the Trigger PLUS.
The following examples illustrate the hypothetical payment at maturity for each Trigger PLUS based on hypothetical basket component closing values on the valuation date (which we refer to as the final basket component values) for each of the underlying indices, calculated based on the key terms and assumptions above. The values in Column A represent hypothetical initial basket component values for each basket component, and the values in Column B represent the hypothetical final basket component values for each of the underlying indices. The percentages in Column C represent hypothetical final basket component values for each basket component in Column B expressed as percentages of the corresponding hypothetical initial basket component values in Column A. The amounts in Column D represent the applicable multiplier for each basket component, and the amounts in Column E represent the products of the values in Column B times the corresponding amounts in Column D. The final basket value for each example is shown beneath each example, and will equal the sum of the products shown in Column E. The basket percent increase will equal the quotient of (i) the final basket value for such example minus the initial basket value divided by (ii) the initial basket value, expressed as a percentage. The values below have been rounded for ease of analysis.
PS-10
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
Example 1: The final basket value is greater than the initial basket value.
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Column A |
Column B |
Column C |
Column D |
Column E |
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Underlying Index |
Hypothetical Initial Basket Component Value |
Hypothetical Final Basket Component Value |
Column B /
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Hypothetical Multiplier |
Column B x Column D |
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EURO STOXX 50® Index (50.00% weighting) |
4,000.00 |
4,200.00 |
105.00% |
0.012500000 |
52.50 |
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S&P 500® Index (50.00% weighting) |
4,200.00 |
4,410.00 |
105.00% |
0.011904762 |
52.50 |
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Final Basket Value: |
105.00 |
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Basket Percent Increase: |
5.00% |
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In this example, the hypothetical final basket component values for all of the underlying indices are greater than the applicable hypothetical initial basket component values, which results in the hypothetical final basket value being greater than the initial basket value of 100.00. Since the hypothetical final basket value was determined to be 105.00, the hypothetical payment at maturity for each $10 principal amount of your Trigger PLUS will equal $10 plus the leveraged upside, which equals:
$10 + ($10 × 150.00% × 5.00%) = $10.75.
Example 2: The final basket value is less than the initial basket value but greater than the trigger level. The payment at maturity equals the $10 principal amount.
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Column A |
Column B |
Column C |
Column D |
Column E |
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Basket Component |
Hypothetical Initial Basket Component Value |
Hypothetical Final Basket Component Value |
Column B /
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Hypothetical Multiplier |
Column B x Column D |
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EURO STOXX 50® Index (50.00% weighting) |
4,000.00 |
3,800.00 |
95.00% |
0.012500000 |
47.50 |
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S&P 500® Index (50.00% weighting) |
4,200.00 |
3,990.00 |
95.00% |
0.011904762 |
47.50 |
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Final Basket Value: |
95.00 |
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In this example, the hypothetical final basket component values for all of the underlying indices are less than the applicable hypothetical initial basket component values, which results in the hypothetical final basket value being less than the initial basket value of 100.00. Since the hypothetical final basket value of 95.00 is greater than the trigger level of 75.00% of the initial basket value but less than the hypothetical initial basket value of 100.00, the hypothetical payment at maturity for each $10 principal amount of your Trigger PLUS will equal the principal amount of the Trigger PLUS, or $10.
PS-11
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
Example 3: The final basket value is less than the trigger level. The cash settlement amount is less than the $10 principal amount.
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Column A |
Column B |
Column C |
Column D |
Column E |
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Basket Component |
Hypothetical Initial Basket Component Value |
Hypothetical Final Basket Component Value |
Column B /
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Hypothetical Multiplier |
Column B x Column D |
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EURO STOXX 50® Index (50.00% weighting) |
4,000.00 |
2,400.00 |
60.00% |
0.012500000 |
30.00 |
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S&P 500® Index (50.00% weighting) |
4,200.00 |
2,520.00 |
60.00% |
0.011904762 |
30.00 |
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Final Basket Value: |
60.00 |
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In this example, the hypothetical final basket component values for all of the underlying indices are less than the applicable hypothetical initial basket component values, which results in the hypothetical final basket value being less than the initial basket value of 100.00. Since the hypothetical final basket value of 60.00 is less than the trigger level of 75.00% of the hypothetical initial basket value, the hypothetical payment at maturity for each $10 principal amount of your Trigger PLUS will equal:
$10 x (60.00/100.00)= $6.00
The payments at maturity shown above are entirely hypothetical; they are based on market prices for the underlying index stocks that may not be achieved on the valuation date and on assumptions that may prove to be erroneous. The actual market value of your Trigger PLUS on the stated maturity date or at any other time, including any time you may wish to sell your Trigger PLUS, may bear little relation to the hypothetical payments at maturity shown above, and these amounts should not be viewed as an indication of the financial return on an investment in the offered Trigger PLUS. The hypothetical payments at maturity on Trigger PLUS held to the stated maturity date in the examples above assume you purchased your Trigger PLUS at their stated principal amount and have not been adjusted to reflect the actual issue price you pay for your Trigger PLUS. The return on your investment (whether positive or negative) in your Trigger PLUS will be affected by the amount you pay for your Trigger PLUS. If you purchase your Trigger PLUS for a price other than the stated principal amount, the return on your investment will differ from, and may be significantly lower than, the hypothetical returns suggested by the above examples. Please read “Risk Factors — The Market Value of Your Trigger PLUS May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” below.
Payments on the Trigger PLUS are economically equivalent to the amounts that would be paid on a combination of other instruments. For example, payments on the Trigger PLUS are economically equivalent to a combination of an interest-bearing bond bought by the holder (although the Trigger PLUS do not pay interest) and one or more options entered into between the holder and us (with one or more implicit option premiums paid over time). The discussion in this paragraph does not modify or affect the terms of the Trigger PLUS or the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the Trigger PLUS, as described elsewhere in this pricing supplement.
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August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
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We cannot predict the actual final basket value or what the market value of your Trigger PLUS will be on any particular index business day, nor can we predict the relationship between the index closing values of each underlying index and the market value of your Trigger PLUS at any time prior to the stated maturity date. The actual amount that you will receive, if any, at maturity and the rate of return on the offered Trigger PLUS will depend on the actual initial basket component value for each underlying index and the leverage factor, which we will set on the pricing date, and the actual final basket value determined by the calculation agent as described above. Moreover, the assumptions on which the hypothetical returns are based may turn out to be inaccurate. Consequently, the amount of cash to be paid in respect of your Trigger PLUS, if any, on the stated maturity date may be very different from the information reflected in the examples above. |
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August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
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An investment in your Trigger PLUS is subject to the risks described below, as well as the risks and considerations described in the accompanying prospectus, in the accompanying prospectus supplement, under “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Securities” in the accompanying underlier supplement no. 22 and under “Additional Risk Factors Specific to the Notes” in the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913. You should carefully review these risks and considerations as well as the terms of the Trigger PLUS described herein and in the accompanying prospectus, the accompanying prospectus supplement, the accompanying underlier supplement no. 22 and the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913. Your Trigger PLUS are a riskier investment than ordinary debt securities. Also, your Trigger PLUS are not equivalent to investing directly in the underlying index stocks, i.e., with respect to an underlying index to which your Trigger PLUS are linked, the stocks comprising such underlying index. You should carefully consider whether the offered Trigger PLUS are appropriate given your particular circumstances. |
Risks Related to Structure, Valuation and Secondary Market Sales
Your Trigger PLUS Do Not Bear Interest
You will not receive any interest payments on your Trigger PLUS. As a result, even if the payment at maturity payable for your Trigger PLUS on the stated maturity date exceeds the stated principal amount of your Trigger PLUS, the overall return you earn on your Trigger PLUS may be less than you would have earned by investing in a non-indexed debt security of comparable maturity that bears interest at a prevailing market rate.
You May Lose Your Entire Investment in the Trigger PLUS
You can lose your entire investment in the Trigger PLUS. The cash payment on your Trigger PLUS, if any, on the stated maturity date will be based on the performance of a weighted basket composed of the EURO STOXX 50® Index and the S&P 500® Index as measured from the initial basket value set on the pricing date to the basket closing value on the valuation date. If the final basket value is less than the trigger level, you will lose 1.00% of the stated principal amount of your Trigger PLUS for every 1.00% decline in the basket value from the pricing date to the valuation date of the Trigger PLUS. Thus, you may lose your entire investment in the Trigger PLUS.
Also, the market price of your Trigger PLUS prior to the stated maturity date may be significantly lower than the purchase price you pay for your Trigger PLUS. Consequently, if you sell your Trigger PLUS before the stated maturity date, you may receive far less than the amount of your investment in the Trigger PLUS.
The Trigger PLUS Are Subject to the Credit Risk of the Issuer and the Guarantor
Although the return on the Trigger PLUS will be based on the performance of the underlying indices, the payment of any amount due on the Trigger PLUS is subject to the credit risk of GS Finance Corp., as issuer of the Trigger PLUS, and the credit risk of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor of the Trigger PLUS. The Trigger PLUS are our unsecured obligations. Investors are dependent on our ability to pay all amounts due on the Trigger PLUS, and therefore investors are subject to our credit risk and to changes in the market’s view of our creditworthiness. Similarly, investors are dependent on the ability of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor of the Trigger PLUS, to pay all amounts due on the Trigger PLUS, and therefore are also subject to its credit risk and to changes in the market’s view of its creditworthiness. See “Description of the Notes We May Offer — Information About Our Medium-Term Notes, Series F Program — How the Notes Rank Against Other Debt” on page S-5 of the accompanying prospectus supplement and “Description of Debt Securities We May Offer— Guarantee by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.” on page 67 of the accompanying prospectus.
The Return on Your Trigger PLUS May Change Significantly Despite Only a Small Incremental Change in the Value of the Basket
If the final basket value is less than the trigger level, you will lose all or a substantial portion of your investment in the Trigger PLUS. This means that while a 25.00% drop between the initial basket value
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August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
and the final basket value will not result in a loss of principal on the Trigger PLUS, a decrease in the final basket value to less than 75.00% of the initial basket value will result in a loss of a significant portion of the stated principal amount of the Trigger PLUS despite only a small incremental change in the value of the basket.
The Lower Performance of One Underlying Index May Offset an Increase in the Other Underlying Index
Declines in the value of one underlying index may offset an increase in the value of the other underlying index. As a result, any return on the basket — and thus on your Trigger PLUS — may be reduced or eliminated, which will have the effect of reducing the amount payable in respect of your Trigger PLUS at maturity.
The Return on Your Trigger PLUS Will Not Reflect Any Dividends Paid on the Underlying Index Stocks
The underlying index publishers calculate the respective values of the underlying indices by reference to the prices of the applicable underlying index stocks, without taking account of the value of dividends paid on those stocks. Therefore, the return on your Trigger PLUS will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the underlying index stocks and received the dividends paid on those stocks. You will not receive any dividends that may be paid on any of the underlying index stocks by the underlying index stock issuer. See “—Investing in the Trigger PLUS is Not Equivalent to Investing in the Underlying Indices; You Have No Shareholder Rights or Rights to Receive Any Underlying Index Stock” below for additional information.
The Estimated Value of Your Trigger PLUS At the Time the Terms of Your Trigger PLUS Are Set On the Pricing Date (as Determined By Reference to Pricing Models Used By GS&Co.) Is Less Than the Original Issue Price Of Your Trigger PLUS
The original issue price for your Trigger PLUS exceeds the estimated value of your Trigger PLUS as of the time the terms of your Trigger PLUS are set on the pricing date, as determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models and taking into account our credit spreads. Such expected estimated value on the pricing date is set forth above under “Estimated Value of Your Trigger PLUS”; after the pricing date, the estimated value as determined by reference to these models will be affected by changes in market conditions, the creditworthiness of GS Finance Corp., as issuer, the creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., as guarantor, and other relevant factors. The price at which GS&Co. would initially buy or sell your Trigger PLUS (if GS&Co. makes a market, which it is not obligated to do), and the value that GS&Co. will initially use for account statements and otherwise, also exceeds the estimated value of your Trigger PLUS as determined by reference to these models. As agreed by GS&Co. and the distribution participants, this excess (i.e., the additional amount described under “Estimated Value of Your Trigger PLUS”) will decline to zero over the period from the date hereof through the applicable date set forth above under “Estimated Value of Your Trigger PLUS”. Thereafter, if GS&Co. buys or sells your Trigger PLUS it will do so at prices that reflect the estimated value determined by reference to such pricing models at that time. The price at which GS&Co. will buy or sell your Trigger PLUS at any time also will reflect its then current bid and ask spread for similar sized trades of structured securities.
In estimating the value of your Trigger PLUS as of the time the terms of your Trigger PLUS are set on the pricing date, as disclosed above under “Estimated Value of Your Trigger PLUS”, GS&Co.’s pricing models consider certain variables, including principally our credit spreads, interest rates (forecasted, current and historical rates), volatility, price-sensitivity analysis and the time to maturity of the Trigger PLUS. These pricing models are proprietary and rely in part on certain assumptions about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. As a result, the actual value you would receive if you sold your Trigger PLUS in the secondary market, if any, to others may differ, perhaps materially, from the estimated value of your Trigger PLUS determined by reference to our models due to, among other things, any differences in pricing models or assumptions used by others. See “— The Market Value of Your Trigger PLUS May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” below.
The difference between the estimated value of your Trigger PLUS as of the time the terms of your Trigger PLUS are set on the pricing date and the original issue price is a result of certain factors, including
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August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
principally the underwriting discount and commissions, the expenses incurred in creating, documenting and marketing the Trigger PLUS, and an estimate of the difference between the amounts we pay to GS&Co. and the amounts GS&Co. pays to us in connection with your Trigger PLUS. We pay to GS&Co. amounts based on what we would pay to holders of a non-structured note with a similar maturity. In return for such payment, GS&Co. pays to us the amounts we owe under your Trigger PLUS.
In addition to the factors discussed above, the value and quoted price of your Trigger PLUS at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted. If GS&Co. makes a market in the Trigger PLUS, the price quoted by GS&Co. would reflect any changes in market conditions and other relevant factors, including any deterioration in our creditworthiness or perceived creditworthiness or the creditworthiness or perceived creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. These changes may adversely affect the value of your Trigger PLUS, including the price you may receive for your Trigger PLUS in any market making transaction. To the extent that GS&Co. makes a market in the Trigger PLUS, the quoted price will reflect the estimated value determined by reference to GS&Co.’s pricing models at that time, plus or minus its then current bid and ask spread for similar sized trades of structured Trigger PLUS (and subject to the declining excess amount described above).
Furthermore, if you sell your Trigger PLUS, you will likely be charged a commission for secondary market transactions, or the price will likely reflect a dealer discount. This commission or discount will further reduce the proceeds you would receive for your Trigger PLUS in a secondary market sale.
There is no assurance that GS&Co. or any other party will be willing to purchase your Trigger PLUS at any price and, in this regard, GS&Co. is not obligated to make a market in the Trigger PLUS. See “— Your Trigger PLUS May Not Have an Active Trading Market” below.
The Amount Payable on Your Trigger PLUS Is Not Linked to the Index Closing Values of the Underlying Indices at Any Time Other than the Valuation Date
The final basket value will be based on the index closing value of each of the underlying indices on the valuation date (subject to adjustment as described elsewhere in this pricing supplement). Therefore, if the index closing values of the underlying indices dropped precipitously on the valuation date, the payment at maturity for your Trigger PLUS may be significantly less than it would have been had the payment at maturity been linked to the index closing values prior to such drop in the values of the underlying indices. Although the actual value of the underlying indices on the stated maturity date or at other times during the life of your Trigger PLUS may be higher than the index closing values of the underlying indices on the valuation date, you will not benefit from the index closing values of the underlying indices at any time other than on the valuation date.
The Market Value of Your Trigger PLUS May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors
When we refer to the market value of your Trigger PLUS, we mean the value that you could receive for your Trigger PLUS if you chose to sell them in the open market before the stated maturity date. A number of factors, many of which are beyond our control, will influence the market value of your Trigger PLUS, including:
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the value of the basket and the underlying indices; |
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the volatility – i.e., the frequency and magnitude of changes – in the index closing values of the underlying indices; |
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the dividend rates of the underlying index stocks; |
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economic, financial, regulatory, political, military, public health and other events that affect stock markets generally and the underlying index stocks, and which may affect the index closing values of the underlying indices; |
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interest rates and yield rates in the market; |
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the time remaining until your Trigger PLUS mature; and |
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August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
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our creditworthiness and the creditworthiness of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc., whether actual or perceived, including actual or anticipated upgrades or downgrades in our credit ratings or the credit ratings of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. or changes in other credit measures. |
Without limiting the foregoing, the market value of your Trigger PLUS may be negatively impacted by increasing interest rates. Such adverse impact of increasing interest rates could be significantly enhanced in Trigger PLUS with longer-dated maturities, the market values of which are generally more sensitive to increasing interest rates.
These factors, and many other factors, will influence the price you will receive if you sell your Trigger PLUS before maturity, including the price you may receive for your Trigger PLUS in any market making transaction. If you sell your Trigger PLUS before maturity, you may receive less than the principal amount of your Trigger PLUS or the amount you may receive at maturity.
You cannot predict the future performance of the underlying indices based on their historical performance. The actual performance of the underlying indices over the life of the offered Trigger PLUS or the payment at maturity may bear little or no relation to the historical index closing values of the underlying indices or to the hypothetical examples shown elsewhere in this pricing supplement.
Your Trigger PLUS May Not Have an Active Trading Market
Your Trigger PLUS will not be listed or displayed on any securities exchange or included in any interdealer market quotation system, and there may be little or no secondary market for your Trigger PLUS. Even if a secondary market for your Trigger PLUS develops, it may not provide significant liquidity and we expect that transaction costs in any secondary market would be high. As a result, the difference between bid and asked prices for your Trigger PLUS in any secondary market could be substantial.
If the Values of the Underlying Indices Change, the Market Value of Your Trigger PLUS May Not Change in the Same Manner
The price of your Trigger PLUS may move quite differently than the performance of the underlying indices. Changes in the value of one or more of the underlying indices may not result in a comparable change in the market value of your Trigger PLUS. Even if the value of one or more of the underlying indices increases above its initial basket component value during some portion of the life of the Trigger PLUS, the market value of your Trigger PLUS may not reflect this amount. We discuss some of the reasons for this disparity under “— The Market Value of Your Trigger PLUS May Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors” above.
Investing in the Trigger PLUS is Not Equivalent to Investing in the Underlying Indices; You Have No Shareholder Rights or Rights to Receive Any Underlying Index Stock
Investing in your Trigger PLUS is not equivalent to investing in the underlying indices and will not make you a holder of any of the underlying index stocks. Neither you nor any other holder or owner of your Trigger PLUS will have any rights with respect to the underlying index stocks, including any voting rights, any right to receive dividends or other distributions, any rights to make a claim against the underlying index stocks or any other rights of a holder of the underlying index stocks. Your Trigger PLUS will be paid in cash and you will have no right to receive delivery of any underlying index stocks.
We May Sell an Additional Aggregate Stated Principal Amount of the Trigger PLUS at a Different Issue Price
At our sole option, we may decide to sell an additional aggregate stated principal amount of the Trigger PLUS subsequent to the date of this pricing supplement. The issue price of the Trigger PLUS in the subsequent sale may differ substantially (higher or lower) from the original issue price you paid as provided on the cover of this pricing supplement.
If You Purchase Your Trigger PLUS at a Premium to Stated Principal Amount, the Return on Your Investment Will Be Lower Than the Return on Trigger PLUS Purchased at Stated Principal Amount and the Impact of Certain Key Terms of the Trigger PLUS Will be Negatively Affected
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August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
The payment at maturity will not be adjusted based on the issue price you pay for the Trigger PLUS. If you purchase Trigger PLUS at a price that differs from the stated principal amount of the Trigger PLUS, then the return on your investment in such Trigger PLUS held to the stated maturity date will differ from, and may be substantially less than, the return on Trigger PLUS purchased at stated principal amount. If you purchase your Trigger PLUS at a premium to stated principal amount and hold them to the stated maturity date the return on your investment in the Trigger PLUS will be lower than it would have been had you purchased the Trigger PLUS at stated principal amount or a discount to stated principal amount.
Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest
Other Investors May Not Have the Same Interests as You
Other investors in the Trigger PLUS are not required to take into account the interests of any other investor in exercising remedies or voting or other rights in their capacity as securityholders. The interests of other investors may, in some circumstances, be adverse to your interests. Further, other investors in the market may take short positions (directly or indirectly through derivative transactions) on assets that are the same or similar to your Trigger PLUS, the underlying stocks or other similar securities, which may adversely impact the market for or value of your Trigger PLUS.
Hedging Activities by Goldman Sachs or Our Distributors May Negatively Impact Investors in the Trigger PLUS and Cause Our Interests and Those of Our Clients and Counterparties to be Contrary to Those of Investors in the Trigger PLUS
Goldman Sachs has hedged or expects to hedge our obligations under the Trigger PLUS by purchasing listed or over-the-counter options, futures and/or other instruments linked to the underlying indices and the underlying index stocks. Goldman Sachs also expects to adjust the hedge by, among other things, purchasing or selling any of the foregoing, and perhaps other instruments linked to the underlying indices or the underlying index stocks, at any time and from time to time, and to unwind the hedge by selling any of the foregoing on or before the valuation date for your Trigger PLUS. Alternatively, Goldman Sachs may hedge all or part of our obligations under the Trigger PLUS with unaffiliated distributors of the Trigger PLUS which we expect will undertake similar market activity. Goldman Sachs may also enter into, adjust and unwind hedging transactions relating to other index-linked securities whose returns are linked to changes in the value of the underlying indices or the underlying index stocks, as applicable.
In addition to entering into such transactions itself, or distributors entering into such transactions, Goldman Sachs may structure such transactions for its clients or counterparties, or otherwise advise or assist clients or counterparties in entering into such transactions. These activities may be undertaken to achieve a variety of objectives, including: permitting other purchasers of the Trigger PLUS or other securities to hedge their investment in whole or in part; facilitating transactions for other clients or counterparties that may have business objectives or investment strategies that are inconsistent with or contrary to those of investors in the Trigger PLUS; hedging the exposure of Goldman Sachs to the Trigger PLUS including any interest in the Trigger PLUS that it reacquires or retains as part of the offering process, through its market-making activities or otherwise; enabling Goldman Sachs to comply with its internal risk limits or otherwise manage firmwide, business unit or product risk; and/or enabling Goldman Sachs to take directional views as to relevant markets on behalf of itself or its clients or counterparties that are inconsistent with or contrary to the views and objectives of the investors in the Trigger PLUS.
Any of these hedging or other activities may adversely affect the values of the underlying indices — directly or indirectly by affecting the value of the underlying index stocks — and therefore the market value of your Trigger PLUS and the amount we will pay on your Trigger PLUS, if any, at maturity. In addition, you should expect that these transactions will cause Goldman Sachs or its clients, counterparties or distributors to have economic interests and incentives that do not align with, and that may be directly contrary to, those of an investor in the Trigger PLUS. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any distributor will have any obligation to take, refrain from taking or cease taking any action with respect to these transactions based on the potential effect on an investor in the Trigger PLUS, and may receive substantial returns on hedging or other activities while the value of your Trigger PLUS declines. In addition, if the distributor from which you purchase Trigger PLUS is to conduct hedging activities in connection with the Trigger PLUS, that distributor may otherwise profit in connection with such hedging
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August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
activities and such profit, if any, will be in addition to the compensation that the distributor receives for the sale of the Trigger PLUS to you. You should be aware that the potential to earn fees in connection with hedging activities may create a further incentive for the distributor to sell the Trigger PLUS to you in addition to the compensation they would receive for the sale of the Trigger PLUS.
Goldman Sachs’ Trading and Investment Activities for its Own Account or for its Clients, Could Negatively Impact Investors in the Trigger PLUS
Goldman Sachs is a global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and individuals. As such, it acts as an investor, investment banker, research provider, investment manager, investment advisor, market maker, trader, prime broker and lender. In those and other capacities, Goldman Sachs purchases, sells or holds a broad array of investments, actively trades securities, derivatives, loans, commodities, currencies, credit default swaps, indices, baskets and other financial instruments and products for its own account or for the accounts of its customers, and will have other direct or indirect interests, in the global fixed income, currency, commodity, equity, bank loan and other markets. Any of Goldman Sachs’ financial market activities may, individually or in the aggregate, have an adverse effect on the market for your Trigger PLUS, and you should expect that the interests of Goldman Sachs or its clients or counterparties will at times be adverse to those of investors in the Trigger PLUS.
Goldman Sachs regularly offers a wide array of securities, financial instruments and other products into the marketplace, including existing or new products that are similar to your Trigger PLUS, or similar or linked to the underlying indices or underlying index stocks. Investors in the Trigger PLUS should expect that Goldman Sachs will offer securities, financial instruments, and other products that will compete with the Trigger PLUS for liquidity, research coverage or otherwise.
Additional Risks Related to the Underlying Indices
The Policies of the Underlying Index Publishers and Changes That Affect the Underlying Indices or the Underlying Index Stocks Comprising the Underlying Indices Could Affect the Payment at Maturity and the Market Value of the Trigger PLUS
The policies of the underlying index publishers concerning the calculation of the values of the underlying indices, additions, deletions or substitutions of underlying index stocks comprising the underlying indices and the manner in which changes affecting the underlying index stocks or their issuers, such as stock dividends, reorganizations or mergers, are reflected in the value of the underlying indices, could affect the values of the underlying indices and, therefore, the payment at maturity and the market value of your Trigger PLUS before the stated maturity date. The payment at maturity and the market value of your Trigger PLUS could also be affected if an underlying index publisher changes these policies, for example, by changing the manner in which it calculates such underlying index value or if such underlying index publisher discontinues or suspends calculation or publication of the value of the underlying index, in which case it may become difficult to determine the market value of your Trigger PLUS. If events such as these occur, the calculation agent — which initially will be GS&Co., our affiliate — may determine the index closing values of the underlying indices on any such date — and thus the payment at maturity — in a manner it considers appropriate, in its sole discretion. We describe the discretion that the calculation agent will have in determining the index value of the underlying indices on any index business day or the valuation date and the payment at maturity more fully under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes— Discontinuance or Modification of an Underlying” and “— Role of Calculation Agent” on page S-26 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913.
Additional Risks Related to the EURO STOXX 50® Index
An Investment in the Offered Trigger PLUS Is Subject to Risks Associated with Foreign Securities Markets
The value of your Trigger PLUS is linked to, in part, to an underlying index that is comprised of stocks from one or more foreign securities markets. Investments linked to the value of foreign equity securities involve particular risks. Any foreign securities market may be less liquid, more volatile and affected by
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August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
global or domestic market developments in a different way than are the U.S. securities market or other foreign securities markets. Both government intervention in a foreign securities market, either directly or indirectly, and cross-shareholdings in foreign companies, may affect trading prices and volumes in that market. Also, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign companies than about those U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Further, foreign companies are subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements that differ from those applicable to U.S. reporting companies.
The prices of securities in a foreign country are subject to political, economic, financial and social factors that are unique to such foreign country's geographical region. These factors include: recent changes, or the possibility of future changes, in the applicable foreign government's economic and fiscal policies; the possible implementation of, or changes in, currency exchange laws or other laws or restrictions applicable to foreign companies or investments in foreign equity securities; fluctuations, or the possibility of fluctuations, in currency exchange rates; and the possibility of outbreaks of hostility, political instability, natural disaster or adverse public health developments. The United Kingdom ceased to be a member of the European Union on January 31, 2020 (an event commonly referred to as “Brexit”). The effects of Brexit are uncertain, and, among other things, Brexit has contributed, and may continue to contribute, to volatility in the prices of securities of companies located in Europe (or elsewhere) and currency exchange rates, including the valuation of the euro and British pound in particular. Any one of these factors, or the combination of more than one of these factors, could negatively affect such foreign securities market and the price of securities therein. Further, geographical regions may react to global factors in different ways, which may cause the prices of securities in a foreign securities market to fluctuate in a way that differs from those of securities in the U.S. securities market or other foreign securities markets. Foreign economies may also differ from the U.S. economy in important respects, including growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resources and self-sufficiency, which may have a positive or negative effect on foreign securities prices.
Government Regulatory Action, Including Legislative Acts and Executive Orders, Could Result in Material Changes to the Composition of an Underlying index with Underlying Index Stocks from One or More Foreign Securities Markets and Could Negatively Affect Your Investment in the Trigger PLUS
Government regulatory action, including legislative acts and executive orders, could cause material changes to the composition of an underlying index with underlying index stocks from one or more foreign securities markets and could negatively affect your investment in the Trigger PLUS in a variety of ways, depending on the nature of such government regulatory action and the underlying index stocks that are affected. For example, recent executive orders issued by the United States Government prohibit United States persons from purchasing or selling publicly traded securities of certain companies that are determined to operate or have operated in the defense and related materiel sector or the surveillance technology sector of the economy of the People’s Republic of China, or publicly traded securities that are derivative of, or that are designed to provide investment exposure to, those securities (including indexed securities). If the prohibitions in those executive orders (or prohibitions under other government regulatory action) become applicable to underlying index stocks that are currently included in an underlying index or that in the future are included in an underlying index, such underlying index stocks may be removed from an underlying index. If government regulatory action results in the removal of underlying index stocks that have (or historically have had) significant weight in an underlying index, such removal could have a material and negative effect on the level of such underlying index and, therefore, your investment in the Trigger PLUS. Similarly, if underlying index stocks that are subject to those executive orders or subject to other government regulatory action are not removed from an underlying index, the value of the Trigger PLUS could be materially and negatively affected, and transactions in, or holdings of, the Trigger PLUS may become prohibited under United States law. Any failure to remove such underlying index stocks from an underlying index could result in the loss of a significant portion or all of your investment in the Trigger PLUS, including if you attempt to divest the Trigger PLUS at a time when the value of the Trigger PLUS has declined.
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August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
Risks Related to Tax
Your Trigger PLUS May Be Subject to an Adverse Change in Tax Treatment in the Future
The tax consequences of an investment in your Trigger PLUS are uncertain, both as to the timing and character of any inclusion in income in respect of your Trigger PLUS.
The Internal Revenue Service announced on December 7, 2007 that it is considering issuing guidance regarding the proper U.S. federal income tax treatment of an instrument such as your Trigger PLUS that are currently characterized as pre-paid derivative contracts, and any such guidance could adversely affect the tax treatment and the value of your Trigger PLUS. Among other things, the Internal Revenue Service may decide to require the holders to accrue ordinary income on a current basis and recognize ordinary income on payment at maturity, and could subject non-U.S. investors to withholding tax. Furthermore, in 2007, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if enacted, would have required holders that acquired instruments such as your Trigger PLUS after the bill was enacted to accrue interest income over the term of such instruments even though there will be no interest payments over the term of such instruments. It is not possible to predict whether a similar or identical bill will be enacted in the future, or whether any such bill would affect the tax treatment of your Trigger PLUS. We describe these developments in more detail under “Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences – United States Holders – Possible Change in Law” below. You should consult your tax advisor about this matter. Except to the extent otherwise provided by law, GS Finance Corp. intends to continue treating the Trigger PLUS for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described under “Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” below unless and until such time as Congress, the Treasury Department or the Internal Revenue Service determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding May Apply to Payments on Your Trigger PLUS, Including as a Result of the Failure of the Bank or Broker Through Which You Hold the Trigger PLUS to Provide Information to Tax Authorities
Please see the discussion under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the applicability of FATCA to payments made on your Trigger PLUS.
PS-21
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
The Basket and the Underlying Indices
The Basket
The basket is composed of two underlying indices with the following basket component weightings within the basket: the EURO STOXX 50® Index (50.00%) and the S&P 500® Index (50.00%).
EURO STOXX 50® Index
The EURO STOXX 50® Index is a free-float market capitalization-weighted index of 50 European blue-chip stocks. The 50 stocks included in the EURO STOXX 50® Index are allocated to one of the following Eurozone countries based on their country of incorporation, primary listing and largest trading volume: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
For more details about the EURO STOXX 50® Index, the underlying index publisher and license agreement between the underlying index publisher and the issuer, see “The Underliers - EURO STOXX 50® Index” on page S-35 of the accompanying underlier supplement no. 22.
The EURO STOXX 50® is the intellectual property of STOXX Limited, Zurich, Switzerland and/or its licensors (“Licensors”), which is used under license. The Trigger PLUS or other financial instruments based on the underlying index are in no way sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by STOXX and its Licensors and neither STOXX nor its Licensors shall have any liability with respect thereto.
S&P 500® Index
The S&P 500® Index includes a representative sample of 500 companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy and is intended to provide a performance benchmark for the large-cap U.S. equity markets. For more details about the S&P 500® Index, the underlying index publisher and license agreement between the underlying index publisher and the issuer, see “The Underliers - S&P 500® Index” on page S-107 of the accompanying underlier supplement no. 22.
The S&P 500® Index is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, and has been licensed for use by GS Finance Corp. (“Goldman”). Standard & Poor’s® and S&P® are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC; Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (“Dow Jones”) and these trademarks have been licensed for use by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and sublicensed for certain purposes by Goldman. Goldman’s Trigger PLUS are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC or any of their respective affiliates and neither S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC or any of their respective affiliates make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in such Trigger PLUS.
PS-22
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
Historical Index Closing Values of the Underlying Indices and Basket Closing Values
The respective index closing values of the underlying indices have fluctuated in the past and may, in the future, experience significant fluctuations. In particular, the underlying indices have recently experienced extreme and unusual volatility. Any historical upward or downward trend in the index closing value of any of the underlying indices during any period shown below is not an indication that the underlying indices are more or less likely to increase or decrease at any time during the life of your Trigger PLUS.
You should not take the historical index closing values of the underlying indices or the historical basket closing values as an indication of the future performance of the underlying indices or the basket, including because of the recent volatility described above. We cannot give you any assurance that the future performance of the underlying indices, the basket or the underlying index stocks will result in your receiving an amount greater than the outstanding principal amount of your Trigger PLUS on the stated maturity date, or that you will not lose a significant portion or all of your investment.
Neither we nor any of our affiliates make any representation to you as to the performances of the underlying indices. Before investing in the offered Trigger PLUS, you should consult publicly available information to determine the values of the underlying indices between the date of this pricing supplement and the date of your purchase of the offered Trigger PLUS and, given the recent volatility described above, you should pay particular attention to recent levels of the underlying indices. The actual performance of each underlying index over the life of the offered Trigger PLUS, as well as the payment at maturity, if any, may bear little relation to the historical index closing values shown below.
The tables below shows the high, low and period end index closing values of the EURO STOXX 50® Index and the S&P 500® Index for each of the four calendar quarters in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and the first three calendar quarters of 2021 (through July 26, 2021). We obtained the index closing values listed in the tables below from Bloomberg Financial Services, without independent verification.
Historical Quarterly High, Low and Period End Index Closing Values of the EURO STOXX 50® Index
PS-23
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
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High |
Low |
Period End |
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2021 |
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Quarter ended March 31 |
3,926.20 |
3,481.44 |
3,919.21 |
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Quarter ended June 30 |
4,158.14 |
3,924.80 |
4,064.30 |
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Quarter ending September 30 (through July 26, 2021) |
4,109.10 |
3,928.53 |
4,102.59 |
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Historical Quarterly High, Low and Period End Index Closing Values of the S&P 500® Index
PS-24
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
The graphs below show the daily historical index closing values of the EURO STOXX 50® Index and the S&P 500® Index from January 1, 2016 through July 26, 2021. As a result, the following graphs do not reflect the global financial crisis which began in 2008, which had a materially negative impact on the price of most equity securities and, as a result, the level of most equity indices. We obtained the index closing values in the graphs below from Bloomberg Financial Services, without independent verification.
Historical Performance of the EURO STOXX 50® Index
PS-25
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
Historical Performance of the S&P 500® Index
PS-26
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
The following graph is based on the basket closing value for the period from January 1, 2016 through July 26, 2021 assuming that the basket closing value was 100 on January 1, 2016. We derived the basket closing values based on the method to calculate the basket closing value as described in this pricing supplement and on actual index closing values of the underlying indices on the relevant date. The basket closing value has been normalized such that its hypothetical value on January 1, 2016 was 100. As noted in this pricing supplement, the initial basket value will be set at 100 on the pricing date. The basket closing value can increase or decrease due to changes in the values of the underlying indices.
Historical Performance of the Basket
PS-27
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
Supplemental Discussion of U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences
The following section supplements the discussion of U.S. federal income taxation in the accompanying prospectus.
The following section is the opinion of Sidley Austin llp, counsel to GS Finance Corp. and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. In addition, it is the opinion of Sidley Austin llp that the characterization of each Trigger PLUS for U.S. federal income tax purposes that will be required under the terms of each Trigger PLUS, as discussed below, is a reasonable interpretation of current law.
This section does not apply to you if you are a member of a class of holders subject to special rules, such as:
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a dealer in securities or currencies; |
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a trader in securities that elects to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for your securities holdings; |
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a bank; |
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a life insurance company; |
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a regulated investment company; |
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an accrual method taxpayer subject to special tax accounting rules as a result of its use of financial statements; |
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a tax exempt organization; |
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a partnership; |
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a person that owns a Trigger PLUS as a hedge or that is hedged against interest rate risks; |
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a person that owns a Trigger PLUS as part of a straddle or conversion transaction for tax purposes; or |
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a United States holder (as defined below) whose functional currency for tax purposes is not the U.S. dollar. |
Although this section is based on the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, its legislative history, existing and proposed regulations under the Internal Revenue Code, published rulings and court decisions, all as currently in effect, no statutory, judicial or administrative authority directly discusses how your Trigger PLUS should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and as a result, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in your Trigger PLUS is uncertain. Moreover, these laws are subject to change, possibly on a retroactive basis.
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You should consult your tax advisor concerning the U.S. federal income tax and other tax consequences of your investment in the Trigger PLUS, including the application of state, local or other tax laws and the possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws. |
PS-28
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
United States Holders
This section applies to you only if you are a United States holder that holds your Trigger PLUS as a capital asset for tax purposes. You are a United States holder if you are a beneficial owner of a Trigger PLUS and you are:
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a citizen or resident of the United States; |
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a domestic corporation; |
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an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income tax regardless of its source; or |
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a trust if a United States court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more United States persons are authorized to control all substantial decisions of the trust. |
Tax Treatment. You will be obligated pursuant to the terms of your Trigger PLUS — in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary — to characterize your Trigger PLUS for all tax purposes as pre-paid derivative contracts in respect of the basket. Except as otherwise stated below, the discussion herein assumes that your Trigger PLUS will be so treated.
Upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your Trigger PLUS, you should recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference, if any, between the amount of cash you receive at such time and your tax basis in your Trigger PLUS. Your tax basis in the Trigger PLUS will generally be equal to the amount that you paid for the Trigger PLUS. If you hold your Trigger PLUS for more than one year, the gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss. If you hold your Trigger PLUS for one year or less, the gain or loss generally will be short-term capital gain or loss. Short-term capital gains are generally subject to tax at the marginal tax rates applicable to ordinary income.
No statutory, judicial or administrative authority directly discusses how your Trigger PLUS should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the Trigger PLUS is uncertain and alternative characterizations are possible. Accordingly, we urge you to consult your tax advisor in determining the tax consequences of an investment in your Trigger PLUS in your particular circumstances, including the application of state, local or other tax laws and the possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws.
Alternative Treatments. There is no judicial or administrative authority discussing how your Trigger PLUS should be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Therefore, the Internal Revenue Service might assert that a treatment other than that described above is more appropriate. For example, the Internal Revenue Service could treat your Trigger PLUS as a single debt instrument subject to special rules governing contingent payment debt instruments. Under those rules, the amount of interest you are required to take into account for each accrual period would be determined by constructing a projected payment schedule for the Trigger PLUS and applying rules similar to those for accruing original issue discount on a hypothetical noncontingent debt instrument with that projected payment schedule. This method is applied by first determining the comparable yield – i.e., the yield at which we would issue a noncontingent fixed rate debt instrument with terms and conditions similar to your Trigger PLUS – and then determining a payment schedule as of the issue date that would produce the comparable yield. These rules may have the effect of requiring you to include interest in income in respect of your Trigger PLUS prior to your receipt of cash attributable to that income.
If the rules governing contingent payment debt instruments apply, any gain you recognize upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your Trigger PLUS would be treated as ordinary interest income. Any loss you recognize at that time would be ordinary loss to the extent of interest you included as income in the current or previous taxable years in respect of your Trigger PLUS, and, thereafter, capital loss.
PS-29
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
If the rules governing contingent payment debt instruments apply, special rules would apply to a person who purchases a Trigger PLUS at a price other than the adjusted issue price as determined for tax purposes.
It is also possible that your Trigger PLUS could be treated in the manner described above, except that any gain or loss that you recognize at maturity would be treated as ordinary gain or loss. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of such characterization and any possible alternative characterizations of your Trigger PLUS for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
It is possible that the Internal Revenue Service could seek to characterize your Trigger PLUS in a manner that results in tax consequences to you that are different from those described above. You should consult your tax advisor as to the tax consequences of any possible alternative characterizations of your Trigger PLUS for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Possible Change in Law
On December 7, 2007, the Internal Revenue Service released a notice stating that the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department are actively considering issuing guidance regarding the proper U.S. federal income tax treatment of an instrument such as the offered Trigger PLUS, including whether holders should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis and whether gain or loss should be ordinary or capital. It is not possible to determine what guidance they will ultimately issue, if any. It is possible, however, that under such guidance, holders of the Trigger PLUS will ultimately be required to accrue income currently and this could be applied on a retroactive basis. The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department are also considering other relevant issues, including whether foreign holders of such instruments should be subject to withholding tax on any deemed income accruals, and whether the special “constructive ownership rules” of Section 1260 of the Internal Revenue Code might be applied to such instruments. Except to the extent otherwise provided by law, GS Finance Corp. intends to continue treating each Trigger PLUS for U.S. federal income tax purposes in accordance with the treatment described above under “Tax Treatment” unless and until such time as Congress, the Treasury Department or the Internal Revenue Service determine that some other treatment is more appropriate.
Furthermore, in 2007, legislation was introduced in Congress that, if enacted, would have required holders that acquired instruments such as your Trigger PLUS after the bill was enacted to accrue interest income over the term of such instruments even though there will be no interest payments over the term of such instruments. It is not possible to predict whether a similar or identical bill will be enacted in the future, or whether any such bill would affect the tax treatment of your Trigger PLUS.
It is impossible to predict what any such legislation or administrative or regulatory guidance might provide, and whether the effective date of any legislation or guidance will affect a Trigger PLUS issued before the date that such legislation or guidance is issued. You are urged to consult your tax advisor as to the possibility that any legislative or administrative action may adversely affect the tax treatment of your Trigger PLUS.
Backup Withholding and Information Reporting
You will be subject to generally applicable information reporting and backup withholding requirements as discussed in the accompanying prospectus under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting — United States Holders” with respect to payments on your notes and, notwithstanding that we do not intend to treat the notes as debt for tax purposes, we intend to backup withhold on such payments with respect to your notes unless you comply with the requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding on debt instruments (in which case you will not be subject to such backup withholding) as set forth under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — United States Holders” in the accompanying prospectus. Please see the discussion under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Backup Withholding and Information
PS-30
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
Reporting—United States Holders” in the accompanying prospectus for a description of the applicability of the backup withholding and information reporting rules to payments made on your Trigger PLUS.
Non-United States Holders
This section applies to you only if you are a Non-United States holder. You are a Non-United States holder if you are the beneficial owner of a Trigger PLUS and are, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
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a nonresident alien individual; |
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a foreign corporation; or |
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an estate or trust that in either case is not subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net income basis on income or gain from a Trigger PLUS. |
You will be subject to generally applicable information reporting and backup withholding requirements as discussed in the accompanying prospectus under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Backup Withholding and Information Reporting — Non-United States Holders” with respect to payments on your Trigger PLUS at maturity and, notwithstanding that we do not intend to treat each Trigger PLUS as debt for tax purposes, we intend to backup withhold on such payments with respect to your Trigger PLUS unless you comply with the requirements necessary to avoid backup withholding on debt instruments (in which case you will not be subject to such backup withholding) as set forth under “United States Taxation — Taxation of Debt Securities — Non-United States Holders” in the accompanying prospectus.
Furthermore, on December 7, 2007, the Internal Revenue Service released Notice 2008-2 soliciting comments from the public on various issues, including whether instruments such as your Trigger PLUS should be subject to withholding. It is therefore possible that rules will be issued in the future, possibly with retroactive effect, that would cause payments on your Trigger PLUS at maturity to be subject to withholding, even if you comply with certification requirements as to your foreign status.
As discussed above, alternative characterizations of each Trigger PLUS for U.S. federal income tax purposes are possible. Should an alternative characterization of each Trigger PLUS by reason of a change or clarification of the law, by regulation or otherwise, cause payments at maturity with respect to the Trigger PLUS to become subject to withholding tax, we will withhold tax at the applicable statutory rate and we will not make payments of any additional amounts. Prospective Non-United States holders of a Trigger PLUS should consult their tax advisors in this regard.
In addition, the Treasury Department has issued regulations under which amounts paid or deemed paid on certain financial instruments (“871(m) financial instruments”) that are treated as attributable to U.S.-source dividends could be treated, in whole or in part depending on the circumstances, as a “dividend equivalent” payment that is subject to tax at a rate of 30% (or a lower rate under an applicable treaty), which in the case of any amounts you receive upon the sale, exchange or maturity of your Trigger PLUS, could be collected via withholding. If these regulations were to apply to your Trigger PLUS, we may be required to withhold such taxes if any U.S.-source dividends are paid on the stocks included in the basket components during the term of the Trigger PLUS. We could also require you to make certifications (e.g., an applicable Internal Revenue Service Form W-8) prior to the maturity of the Trigger PLUS in order to avoid or minimize withholding obligations, and we could withhold accordingly (subject to your potential right to claim a refund from the Internal Revenue Service) if such certifications were not received or were not satisfactory. If withholding was required, we would not be required to pay any additional amounts with respect to amounts so withheld. These regulations generally will apply to 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other) issued (or significantly modified and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2023, but will also apply to certain 871(m) financial instruments (or a combination of financial instruments treated as having been entered into in connection with each other) that have a delta (as defined in the applicable Treasury regulations) of one and are issued (or significantly modified and treated as retired and reissued) on or after January 1, 2017. In addition, these regulations will not apply to financial instruments that
PS-31
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
reference a “qualified index” (as defined in the regulations). We have determined that, as of the issue date of your Trigger PLUS, your Trigger PLUS will not be subject to withholding under these rules. In certain limited circumstances, however, you should be aware that it is possible for Non-United States holders to be liable for tax under these rules with respect to a combination of transactions treated as having been entered into in connection with each other even when no withholding is required. You should consult your tax advisor concerning these regulations, subsequent official guidance and regarding any other possible alternative characterizations of your Trigger PLUS for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding
Pursuant to Treasury regulations, Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) withholding (as described in “United States Taxation—Taxation of Debt Securities—Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) Withholding” in the accompanying prospectus) will generally apply to obligations that are issued on or after July 1, 2014; therefore, the Trigger PLUS will generally be subject to the FATCA withholding rules.
PS-32
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
Additional Information About the Trigger PLUS
This section is meant as a summary and should be read in conjunction with the section entitled “Supplemental Terms of the Notes” on page S-16 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913. This pricing supplement supersedes any conflicting provisions of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913.
Please read this information in conjunction with the summary terms on the front cover of this pricing supplement.
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Additional Provisions: |
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Underlying index publisher for the EURO STOXX 50® Index: |
STOXX Limited |
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Underlying index publisher for the S&P 500® Index: |
S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC |
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Denominations: |
$10 and integral multiples of $10 in excess thereof |
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Interest: |
None |
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Postponement of stated maturity date: |
As described under "Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Stated Maturity Date” on page S-15 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913 |
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Postponement of valuation date: |
As described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes – Determination Date” on page S-15 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913 |
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Specified currency: |
U.S. dollars (“$”) |
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Index closing value: |
As described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Special Calculation Provisions — Closing Level” on page S-36 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913 |
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Business day: |
As described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Special Calculation Provisions — Business Day” on page S-35 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913 |
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Index business day: |
As described under “Supplemental Terms of the Notes — Special Calculation Provisions — Trading Day” on page S-35 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913 |
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FDIC: |
The Trigger PLUS are not bank deposits and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency, nor are they obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank |
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Trustee: |
The Bank of New York Mellon |
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Calculation agent: |
GS&Co. |
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Use of proceeds and hedging: |
As described under “Use of Proceeds” and “Hedging” on page S-41 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913 |
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ERISA: |
As described under “Employee Retirement Income Security Act” on page S-48 of the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913 |
PS-33
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
PS-34
August 2021
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GS Finance Corp. Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027 Trigger Performance Leveraged Upside SecuritiesSM Principal at Risk Securities |
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About Your Trigger PLUS: |
The Trigger PLUS are notes that are part of the Medium-Term Notes, Series F program of GS Finance Corp. and are fully and unconditionally guaranteed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. This prospectus includes this pricing supplement and the accompanying documents listed below. This pricing supplement constitutes a supplement to the documents listed below and should be read in conjunction with such documents: •General terms supplement no. 2,913 dated June 17, 2021 •Underlier supplement no. 22 dated July 26, 2021 •Prospectus supplement dated March 22, 2021 •Prospectus dated March 22, 2021 The information in this pricing supplement supersedes any conflicting information in the documents listed above. In addition, some of the terms or features described in the listed documents may not apply to your Trigger PLUS. Please note that, for purposes of this pricing supplement, references in the general terms supplement no. 2,913 to “underlier(s)”, “indices”, “exchange-traded fund(s)”, “lesser performing”, “trade date”, “underlier sponsor”, “determination date”, “face amount”, “level” and “cash settlement amount” shall be deemed to refer to “underlying(s)”, “underlying index(es)”, “underlying ETF(s)”, “worst performing”, “pricing date”, “underlying publisher”, “valuation date”, “principal amount”, “value” and “payment at maturity”, respectively. In addition, for purposes of this pricing supplement, references in the general terms supplement no. 2,913 to “trading day” shall be deemed to refer to “underlying business day”, “index business day” or “ETF business day”, as applicable, and references to “closing level” shall be deemed to refer to “closing price”, “closing value”, “index closing value” or “ETF closing price”, as applicable. Please note that, for purposes of this pricing supplement, references in the underlier supplement no. 22 to “underlier(s)”, “indices”, “exchange-traded fund(s)”, “lesser performing”, “trade date” and “underlier sponsor” shall be deemed to refer to “underlying(s)”, “underlying index(es)”, “underlying ETF(s)”, “worst performing”, “pricing date” and “underlying index publisher”, respectively. |
PS-35
August 2021
We have not authorized anyone to provide any information or to make any representations other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this pricing supplement, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913, the accompanying underlier supplement no. 22, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. This pricing supplement, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913, the accompanying underlier supplement no. 22, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is an offer to sell only the PLUS offered hereby, but only under circumstances and in jurisdictions where it is lawful to do so. The information contained in this pricing supplement, the accompanying general terms supplement no. 2,913, the accompanying underlier supplement no. 22, the accompanying prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is current only as of the respective dates of such documents.
$
GS Finance Corp.
Trigger PLUS Based on the Value of a Basket of Equity Indices due September 3, 2027
Principal at Risk Securities
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC