The information in this pricing supplement is not complete and may be changed. A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This pricing supplement and the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus are not an offer to sell these securities, nor are they soliciting an offer to buy these securities, in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED APRIL 28, 2014
|
|
Citigroup Inc.
|
April , 2014
Medium-Term Senior Notes, Series G
Pricing Supplement No. 2014-CMTNG0125
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration Statement No. 333-192302
|
Issuer:
|
Citigroup Inc.
|
||
Stated principal amount:
|
$1,000 per note
|
||
Aggregate stated principal amount:
|
$
|
||
Pricing date:
|
April , 2014 (expected to be April 29, 2014)
|
||
Issue date:
|
May , 2014 (three business days after the pricing date)
|
||
Maturity date:
|
May , 2021 (expected to be May 2, 2021). If the maturity date is not a business day, then the payment required to be made on the maturity date will be made on the next succeeding business day with the same force and effect as if it had been made on the maturity date. No additional interest will accrue as a result of delayed payment.
|
||
Payment at maturity:
|
$1,000 per note plus accrued and unpaid interest
|
||
Interest:
|
On each interest payment date, you will receive an interest payment at a per annum rate equal to (i) the multiplier of 0.75 times (ii) CMS10 on the interest determination date for that interest period, subject to a minimum interest rate of 2.00% per annum. The amount of interest you receive on each interest payment date for each note you hold will be equal to (i) $1,000 times the applicable interest rate per annum divided by (ii) 4.
|
||
Interest determination date:
|
For each quarterly interest period, the second U.S. government securities business day prior to the first day of that interest period.
|
||
CMS10:
|
On any interest determination date, the 10-year Constant Maturity Swap Rate, as published on Reuters page “ISDAFIX1” at 11:00 am (New York time) on that date of determination. See “General Information—Determination of the Level of CMS10” below for further information.
|
||
Multiplier:
|
0.75
|
||
Interest period:
|
Each three-month period from and including an interest payment date (or the issue date, in the case of the first interest period) to but excluding the next interest payment date.
|
||
Interest payment dates:
|
Interest on the notes is payable quarterly on the day of each February, May, August and November (expected to be the 2nd day of each February, May, August and November), beginning on August , 2014 (expected to be August 2, 2014) and ending on the maturity date. If any interest payment date is not a business day, then the payment required to be made on that interest payment date will be made on the next succeeding business day with the same force and effect as if it had been made on that interest payment date. No additional interest will accrue as a result of delayed payment.
|
||
Day count convention:
|
30/360 Unadjusted
|
||
CUSIP / ISIN:
|
1730T0Q28 / US1730T0Q280
|
||
Listing:
|
The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange and, accordingly, may have limited or no liquidity. You should not invest in the notes unless you are willing to hold them to maturity.
|
||
Underwriter:
|
Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (“CGMI”), an affiliate of the issuer, acting as principal
|
||
Underwriting fee and issue price:
|
Price to public(1)
|
Underwriting fee(2)
|
Proceeds to issuer(2)
|
Per note:
|
$1,000.00
|
$5.00
|
$995.00
|
Total:
|
$
|
$
|
$
|
Citigroup Inc.
|
Floating Rate Notes Linked to the 10-Year Constant Maturity Swap Rate due May , 2021
|
n
|
The amount of interest payable on the notes will vary and may be as low as the minimum interest rate of 2.00% per annum. The rate at which the notes will bear interest during each quarterly interest period will depend on CMS10 on the interest determination date for that interest period. As a result, the interest payable on the notes will vary with fluctuations in CMS10. It is impossible to predict whether CMS10 will rise or fall or the amount of interest payable on the notes. You may receive only the minimum interest rate of 2.00% per annum for extended periods of time or even throughout the entire term of the notes. The minimum interest rate of 2.00% per annum may be lower than the return you could achieve on other investments.
|
n
|
The interest rate payable on the notes will be less than CMS10, subject to the minimum interest rate. Because CMS10 on each interest determination date is multiplied by a multiplier of 0.75 in order to determine the interest rate payable on the notes for the related interest period, the interest rate payable on the notes will always be less than CMS10, subject to the minimum interest rate.
|
n
|
An investment in the notes may be more risky than an investment in notes with a shorter term. The notes have a term of seven years. By purchasing notes with a longer term, you will bear greater exposure to fluctuations in market interest rates than if you purchased a note with a shorter term. In particular, if the level of CMS10 does not increase from its current level, you may be holding a long-dated security that pays an interest rate that is less than that which would be payable on a conventional fixed-rate, non-callable debt security of Citigroup Inc. of comparable maturity. In addition, if you tried to sell your notes at such time, the value of your notes in any secondary market transaction would also be adversely affected.
|
n
|
The notes are subject to the credit risk of Citigroup Inc., and any actual or anticipated changes to its credit ratings or credit spreads may adversely affect the value of the notes. You are subject to the credit risk of Citigroup Inc. If Citigroup Inc. defaults on its obligations under the notes, your investment would be at risk and you could lose some or all of your investment. As a result, the value of the notes will be affected by changes in the market’s view of Citigroup Inc.’s creditworthiness. Any decline, or anticipated decline, in Citigroup Inc.’s credit ratings or increase, or anticipated increase, in the credit spreads charged by the market for taking Citigroup Inc. credit risk is likely to adversely affect the value of the notes.
|
n
|
You will be entitled to receive the full principal amount of your notes, subject to the credit risk of Citigroup Inc., only if you hold the notes to maturity. Because the value of the notes may fluctuate, if you are able to sell your notes in the secondary market prior to maturity, you may receive less than the stated principal amount.
|
n
|
The notes will not be listed on a securities exchange and you may not be able to sell them prior to maturity. The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. Therefore, there may be little or no secondary market for the notes. CGMI currently intends to make a secondary market in relation to the notes and to provide an indicative bid price for the notes on a daily basis. Any indicative bid price for the notes provided by CGMI will be determined in CGMI’s sole discretion, taking into account prevailing market conditions and other relevant factors, and will not be a representation by CGMI that the notes can be sold at that price or at all. CGMI may suspend or terminate making a market and providing indicative bid prices without notice, at any time and for any reason. If CGMI suspends or terminates making a market, there may be no secondary market at all for the notes because it is likely that CGMI will be the only broker-dealer that is willing to buy your notes prior to maturity. Accordingly, an investor must be prepared to hold the notes until maturity.
|
n
|
The estimated value of the notes on the pricing date, based on CGMI’s proprietary pricing models and our internal funding rate, will be less than the issue price. The difference is attributable to certain costs associated with selling, structuring and hedging the notes that are included in the issue price. These costs include (1) the selling concessions paid in connection with the offering of the notes, (2) hedging and other costs incurred by us and our affiliates in connection with the offering of the notes and (3) the expected profit (which may be more or less than actual profit) to CGMI or other of our affiliates in connection with hedging our obligations under the notes. These costs adversely affect the economic terms of the notes because, if they were lower, the economic terms of the notes would be more favorable to you. The economic terms of the notes are also likely to be adversely affected by the use of our internal funding rate, rather than our secondary market rate, to price the notes. See “The estimated value of the notes would be lower if it were calculated based on our secondary market rate” below.
|
n
|
The estimated value of the notes was determined for us by our affiliate using proprietary pricing models. CGMI derived the estimated value disclosed on the cover page of this pricing supplement from its proprietary pricing models. In doing so, it may have made discretionary judgments about the inputs to its models, such as the volatility of CMS and interest rates. CGMI’s views on these inputs may differ from your or others’ views, and as an underwriter in this offering, CGMI’s interests may conflict with yours. Both the models and the inputs to the models may prove to be wrong and therefore not an accurate reflection of the value of the notes. Moreover, the estimated value of the notes set forth on the cover page of this pricing supplement may differ from the value that we or our affiliates may determine for the notes for other purposes, including for accounting purposes. You should not invest in the
|
April 2014
|
PS-2
|
Citigroup Inc.
|
Floating Rate Notes Linked to the 10-Year Constant Maturity Swap Rate due May , 2021
|
n
|
The estimated value of the notes would be lower if it were calculated based on our secondary market rate. The estimated value of the notes included in this pricing supplement is calculated based on our internal funding rate, which is the rate at which we are willing to borrow funds through the issuance of the notes. Our internal funding rate is generally lower than the market rate implied by traded instruments referencing our debt obligations in the secondary market for those debt obligations, which we refer to as our secondary market rate. If the estimated value included in this pricing supplement were based on our secondary market rate, rather than our internal funding rate, it would likely be lower. We determine our internal funding rate based on factors such as the costs associated with the notes, which are generally higher than the costs associated with conventional debt notes, and our liquidity needs and preferences. Our internal funding rate is not the same as the rate at which interest is payable on the notes.
|
n
|
The estimated value of the notes is not an indication of the price, if any, at which CGMI or any other person may be willing to buy the notes from you in the secondary market. Any such secondary market price will fluctuate over the term of the notes based on the market and other factors described in the next risk factor. Moreover, unlike the estimated value included in this pricing supplement, any value of the notes determined for purposes of a secondary market transaction will be based on our secondary market rate, which will likely result in a lower value for the notes than if our internal funding rate were used. In addition, any secondary market price for the notes will be reduced by a bid-ask spread, which may vary depending on the aggregate stated principal amount of the notes to be purchased in the secondary market transaction, and the expected cost of unwinding related hedging transactions. As a result, it is likely that any secondary market price for the notes will be less than the issue price.
|
n
|
The value of the notes prior to maturity will fluctuate based on many unpredictable factors. The value of your notes prior to maturity will fluctuate based on the level and volatility of CMS10, interest and yield rates in the market generally, the time remaining to maturity of the notes and our creditworthiness, as reflected in our secondary market rate. You should understand that the value of your notes at any time prior to maturity may be significantly less than the issue price.
|
n
|
Immediately following issuance, any secondary market bid price provided by CGMI, and the value that will be indicated on any brokerage account statements prepared by CGMI or its affiliates, will reflect a temporary upward adjustment. The amount of this temporary upward adjustment will steadily decline to zero over the temporary adjustment period. See “Valuation of the Notes” in this pricing supplement.
|
n
|
The way CMS10 is calculated may change in the future, which could adversely affect the value of the notes. The publisher of CMS10 may change the method by which it calculates CMS10. Changes in the way CMS10 is calculated could reduce the level of CMS10, which could reduce the amount of one or more interest payments to you and the value of your notes.
|
n
|
The calculation agent, which is an affiliate of the issuer, will make determinations with respect to the notes. Citibank, N.A., the calculation agent for the notes, is an affiliate of ours. As calculation agent, Citibank, N.A. will determine, among other things, each CMS10 level and will calculate the related interest rate and payment to you on each interest payment date. Any of these determinations or calculations made by Citibank, N.A. in its capacity as calculation agent, including with respect to the calculation of the level of CMS10 in the event of the unavailability of the level of CMS10, may adversely affect the amount of one or more interest payments to you.
|
April 2014
|
PS-3
|
Citigroup Inc.
|
Floating Rate Notes Linked to the 10-Year Constant Maturity Swap Rate due May , 2021
|
General Information
|
||
Additional information:
|
The description of the notes in this pricing supplement supplements, and, to the extent inconsistent with, replaces the general terms of the notes set forth in the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus. The accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus contain important disclosures that are not repeated in this pricing supplement.
The notes are senior unsecured debt securities issued by Citigroup Inc. under the senior debt indenture described in the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus. The notes will constitute part of the senior debt of Citigroup Inc. and will rank equally with all other unsecured and unsubordinated debt of Citigroup Inc.
|
|
Business day:
|
Any day that is not a Saturday or Sunday and that, in New York City, is not a day on which banking institutions are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.
|
U.S. government securities business day:
|
Any day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association’s U.S. holiday schedule recommends that the fixed income departments of its members be closed for the entire day for purposes of trading in U.S. government securities.
|
Regular record date:
|
Interest will be payable on each interest payment date to the holders of record of the notes at the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the relevant interest payment date, except that the final interest payment will be made to the persons who hold the notes on the maturity date.
|
Determination of CMS10:
|
CMS10 will equal the 10-year Constant Maturity Swap Rate, as published on Reuters page “ISDAFIX1” (or any successor page as determined by the calculation agent) at 11:00 am (New York time) on the applicable interest determination date. The 10-year Constant Maturity Swap Rate measures the market fixed coupon rate that is to be paid in exchange for a floating three-month-LIBOR-based rate for a term of 10 years.
If a rate for CMS10 is not published on Reuters page “ISDAFIX1” (or any successor page as determined by the calculation agent) on any interest determination date, then the calculation agent will determine the applicable rate on the basis of the mid-market semi-annual swap rate quotations to the calculation agent provided by five leading swap dealers in the New York City interbank market (the “reference banks”) at approximately 11:00 am, New York time, on such day, and, for this purpose, the mid-market semi-annual swap rate means the mean of the bid and offered rates for the semi-annual fixed leg, calculated on a 30/360 day count basis, of a fixed-for-floating U.S. dollar interest rate swap transaction with a 10-year maturity, commencing on such day and in a representative amount with an acknowledged dealer of good credit in the swap market, where the floating leg, calculated on an actual/360 day count basis, is equivalent to U.S. dollar LIBOR with a designated maturity of three months. The calculation agent will request the principal New York City office of each of the reference banks to provide a quotation of its rate. If at least three quotations are provided, the rate for that day will be the arithmetic mean of the quotations, eliminating the highest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the highest) and the lowest quotation (or, in the event of equality, one of the lowest). If fewer than three quotations are provided as requested, the applicable rate will be determined by the calculation agent in good faith and using its reasonable judgment.
|
U.S. federal income tax considerations:
|
In the opinion of our counsel, Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, the notes should be treated as “variable rate debt instruments” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Under this treatment, if you are a U.S. Holder (as defined in the accompanying prospectus supplement), stated interest on the notes will be taxable to you as ordinary interest income at the time it accrues or is received in accordance with your method of tax accounting. Upon the sale or other taxable disposition of a note, you generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized on the disposition (other than any amount attributable to accrued interest, which will be treated as a payment of interest) and your adjusted tax basis in the note. Your adjusted tax basis in a note will generally equal the amount you paid to acquire the note. Such gain or loss generally will be long-term capital gain or loss if you held the note for more than one year at the time of disposition.
If you are a Non-U.S. Holder (as defined in the accompanying prospectus supplement), you
|
April 2014
|
PS-4
|
Citigroup Inc.
|
Floating Rate Notes Linked to the 10-Year Constant Maturity Swap Rate due May , 2021
|
generally will not be subject to U.S. federal withholding or income tax in respect of payments on or with respect to the notes if you comply with the applicable certification requirements. Special rules apply if (i) your income on the notes is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business or (ii) you are an individual present in the United States for 183 days or more in a taxable year.
You should read the section entitled “United States Federal Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus supplement. The preceding discussion, when read in combination with that section, constitutes the full opinion of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP regarding the material U.S. federal tax consequences of owning and disposing of the notes.
You should also consult your tax adviser regarding all aspects of the U.S. federal income and estate tax consequences of an investment in the notes and any tax consequences arising under the laws of any state, local or foreign taxing jurisdiction.
|
|
Fees and selling concessions:
|
CGMI, an affiliate of Citigroup Inc. and the underwriter of the sale of the notes, is acting as principal and will receive an underwriting fee of up to $5.00 for each note sold in this offering. Selected dealers will receive from CGMI a variable selling concession of up to $995.00 for each note they sell.
Additionally, it is possible that CGMI and its affiliates may profit from expected hedging activity related to this offering, even if the value of the notes declines. You should refer to “Risk Factors” above and the section “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” in the accompanying prospectus.
|
Supplemental information regarding plan of distribution; conflicts of interest:
|
The terms and conditions set forth in the Global Selling Agency Agreement dated November 13, 2013 among Citigroup Inc. and the agents named therein, including CGMI, govern the sale and purchase of the notes.
CGMI, acting as principal, has agreed to purchase from Citigroup Inc., and Citigroup Inc. has agreed to sell to CGMI, $ aggregate stated principal amount of the notes ( notes) for a minimum of $995.00 per note. CGMI proposes to offer the notes to selected dealers at $1,000.00 per note less a selling concession as described under “—Fees and selling concessions” above.
The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.
In order to hedge its obligations under the notes, Citigroup Inc. expects to enter into one or more swaps or other derivatives transactions with one or more of its affiliates. You should refer to the sections “Risk Factors—The estimated value of the notes on the pricing date, based on CGMI’s proprietary pricing models and our internal funding rate, will be less than the issue price,” and the section “Use of Proceeds and Hedging” in the accompanying prospectus.
CGMI is an affiliate of Citigroup Inc. Accordingly, the offering of the notes will conform with the requirements addressing conflicts of interest when distributing the securities of an affiliate set forth in Rule 5121 of the Conduct Rules of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. Client accounts over which Citigroup Inc., its subsidiaries or affiliates of its subsidiaries have investment discretion are not permitted to purchase the notes, either directly or indirectly, without the prior written consent of the client. See “Plan of Distribution” in the accompanying prospectus supplement for more information.
|
Calculation agent:
|
Citibank, N.A., an affiliate of Citigroup Inc., will serve as calculation agent for the notes. All determinations made by the calculation agent will be at the sole discretion of the calculation agent and will, in the absence of manifest error, be conclusive for all purposes and binding on Citigroup Inc. and the holders of the notes. Citibank, N.A. is obligated to carry out its duties and functions as calculation agent in good faith and using its reasonable judgment.
|
April 2014
|
PS-5
|
Citigroup Inc.
|
Floating Rate Notes Linked to the 10-Year Constant Maturity Swap Rate due May , 2021
|
April 2014
|
PS-6
|