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 April 13, 2016.

April     , 2016

Registration Statement No. 333-199966; Rule 424(b)(2)

 

 

Investing in the notes involves a number of risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page PS-8 of the accompanying product supplement no. 4a-I, “Risk Factors” beginning on page US-2 of the accompanying underlying supplement no. 1a-I and “Selected Risk Considerations” beginning on page PS-3 of this pricing supplement.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the notes or passed upon the accuracy or the adequacy of this pricing supplement or the accompanying product supplement, underlying supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

	Price to Public (1)	Fees and Commissions (2)	Proceeds to Issuer
Per note	$1,000	$	$
Total	$	$	$
(1) See “Supplemental Use of Proceeds” in this pricing supplement for information about the components of the price to public of the notes. (2) J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, which we refer to as JPMS, acting as agent for JPMorgan Chase & Co., will pay all of the selling commissions it receives from us to other affiliated or unaffiliated dealers. If the notes priced today, the selling commissions would be approximately $20.00 per $1,000 principal amount note and in no event will these selling commissions exceed $24.75 per $1,000 principal amount note. See “Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” beginning on page PS-87 of the accompanying product supplement no. 4a-I.

If the notes priced today, the estimated value of the notes as determined by JPMS would be approximately $952.90 per $1,000 principal amount note. JPMS’s estimated value of the notes, when the terms of the notes are set, will be provided by JPMS in the pricing supplement and will not be less than $940.00 per $1,000 principal amount note. See “JPMS’s Estimated Value of the Notes” in this pricing supplement for additional information.

The notes are not bank deposits, are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency and are not obligations of, or guaranteed by, a bank.

 

 

Pricing supplement no.     to product supplement no. 4a-I dated November 7, 2014, underlying supplement no. 1a-I dated November 7, 2014
and the prospectus and prospectus supplement, each dated February 19, 2016

Key Terms

 

Underlyings: The S&P 500® Index (Bloomberg ticker: SPX) and the Russell 2000® Index (Bloomberg ticker: RTY) (each, an “Index” and collectively, the “Indices”) and the iShares® Emerging Markets ETF (Bloomberg ticker: EEM) (the “Fund”) (each of the Indices and the Fund, an “Underlying” and collectively, the “Underlyings”) Interest Payments: If the notes have not been redeemed early, you will receive on each Interest Payment Date for each $1,000 principal amount note an Interest Payment equal to at least $5.8333 per month (equivalent to an Interest Rate of at least 7.00% per annum, payable at a rate of at least 0.5833% per month) (to be provided in the pricing supplement). Interest Rate: At least 7.00% per annum, payable at a rate of at least 0.5833% per month (to be provided in the pricing supplement) Pricing Date: On or about April 20, 2016 Original Issue Date (Settlement Date): On or about April 25, 2016 Review Date*: July 20, 2017 Interest Payment Dates*: May 27, 2016, June 27, 2016, July 27, 2016, August 29, 2016, September 27, 2016, October 27, 2016, November 29, 2016, December 28, 2016, January 27, 2017, February 28, 2017, March 27, 2017, April 27, 2017, May 30, 2017, June 27, 2017 and the Maturity Date Maturity Date*: July 27, 2017 Trigger Value: With respect to each Underlying, 62.75% of its Initial Value Call Dates*: the July 27, 2016, October 27, 2016, January 27, 2017 and April 27, 2017 Interest Payment Dates * Subject to postponement in the event of a market disruption event and as described under “General Terms of Notes — Postponement of a Determination Date — Notes Linked to Multiple Underlyings” and “General Terms of Notes — Postponement of a Payment Date” in the accompanying product supplement no. 4a-I

Least Performing Underlying: The Underlying with the Least Performing Underlying Return Least Performing Underlying Return: The lowest of the Underlying Returns of the Underlyings Underlying Return: With respect to each Underlying, (Final Value – Initial Value) Initial Value Initial Value: With respect to each Underlying, the closing value of that Underlying on the Pricing Date. Final Value: With respect to each Underlying, the closing value of that Underlying on the Review Date Trigger Event: A Trigger Event occurs if, on any day during the Monitoring Period, the closing value of any Underlying is less than its Trigger Value Monitoring Period: The period from but excluding the Pricing Date to and including the Review Date Early Redemption: We, at our election, may redeem the notes early, in whole but not in part, on any of the Call Dates at a price, for each $1,000 principal amount note, equal to $1,000 plus any accrued and unpaid Interest Payment. If we intend to redeem your notes early, we will deliver notice to The Depository Trust Company, or DTC, at least five business days before the applicable Call Date on which the notes are to be redeemed. Payment at Maturity: If the notes have not been redeemed early and (i) the Final Value of each Underlying is greater than or equal to its Initial Value or (ii) a Trigger Event has not occurred, you will receive a cash payment at maturity, for each $1,000 principal amount note, equal to (a) $1,000 plus (b) the Interest Payment applicable to the Maturity Date. If the notes have not been redeemed early and (i) the Final Value of any Underlying is less than its Initial Value and (ii) a Trigger Event has occurred, your payment at maturity per $1,000 principal amount note, in addition to the Interest Payment, will be calculated as follows: $1,000 + ($1,000 × Least Performing Underlying Return) If the notes have not been redeemed early and (i) the Final Value of any Underlying is less than its Initial Value and (ii) a Trigger Event has occurred, you will lose some or all of your principal amount at maturity.

Supplemental Terms of the Notes

All references in this pricing supplement to the closing value of each Index mean the closing level of that Index as defined in the accompanying product supplement, and all references in this pricing supplement to the closing value of the Fund mean the closing price of one share of the Fund as defined in the accompanying product supplement.

How the Notes Work

Payment at Maturity If the Notes Have Not Been Redeemed Early

 

Total Interest Payments

The table below illustrates the hypothetical total Interest Payments per $1,000 principal amount note over the term of the notes based on a hypothetical Interest Rate of 7.00% per annum, depending on how many Interest Payments are made prior to early redemption or maturity. If the notes have not been redeemed early, the hypothetical total Interest Payments per $1,000 principal amount note over the term of the notes will be equal to the maximum amount shown in the table below. The numbers appearing in the following table have been rounded for ease of analysis. The actual Interest Rate will be provided in the pricing supplement and will be at least 7.00% per annum.

Number of Interest Payments	Total Interest Payments
15	$87.50
12	$70.00
9	$52.50
6	$35.00
3	$17.50

 

Hypothetical Payout Examples

The following examples illustrate payments on the notes linked to three hypothetical Underlyings, assuming a range of performances for the hypothetical Least Performing Underlying on the Review Date.

The hypothetical payments set forth below assume the following:

·

The notes have not been redeemed early;

·

An Initial Value for the Least Performing Underlying of 100.00;

·

A Trigger Value for the Least Performing Underlying of 62.75 (equal to 62.75% of its hypothetical Initial Value); and

·

An Interest Rate of 7.00% per annum (payable at a rate of 0.5833% per month).

The hypothetical Initial Value of the Least Performing Underlying of 100.00 has been chosen for illustrative purposes only and may not represent a likely actual Initial Value of any Underlying.

The actual Initial Value of each Underlying will be the closing value of that Underlying on the Pricing Date and will be provided in the pricing supplement. For historical data regarding the actual closing values of each Underlying, please see the historical information set forth under “The Underlyings” in this pricing supplement.

Each hypothetical payment set forth below is for illustrative purposes only and may not be the actual payment applicable to a purchaser of the notes. The numbers appearing in the following examples have been rounded for ease of analysis.

Example 1 — Notes have NOT been redeemed early, the Final Value of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its Initial Value and a Trigger Event has occurred

Date	Closing Value of Least Performing Underlying
Review Date	105.00	Final Value is greater than or equal to Initial Value
	Total Payment	$1,087.50 (8.75% return)

Because the notes have not been redeemed early and the Final Value of the Least Performing Underlying is greater than or equal to its Initial Value, even though a Trigger Event has occurred, the payment at maturity, for each $1,000 principal amount note, will be $1,005.8333 (or $1,000 plus the Interest Payment applicable to the Maturity Date). When added to the Interest Payments received with respect to the prior Interest Payment Dates, the total amount paid, for each $1,000 principal amount note, is $1,087.50.

Example 2 — Notes have NOT been redeemed early, the Final Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Initial Value and a Trigger Event has NOT occurred

Date	Closing Value of Least Performing Underlying
Review Date	90.00	Final Value is less than Initial Value
	Total Payment	$1,087.50 (8.75% return)

Because the notes have not been redeemed early and a Trigger Event has not occurred, even though the Final Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Initial Value, the payment at maturity, for each $1,000 principal amount note, will be $1,005.8333 (or $1,000 plus the Interest Payment applicable to the Maturity Date). When added to the Interest Payments received with respect to the prior Interest Payment Dates, the total amount paid, for each $1,000 principal amount note, is $1,087.50.

Example 3 — Notes have NOT redeemed early, the Final Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Initial Value and a Trigger Event has occurred

Date	Closing Value of Least Performing Underlying
Review Date	50.00	Final Value is less than Initial Value
	Total Payment	$587.50 (-41.25% return)

Because the notes have not been redeemed early, the Final Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Initial Value, a Trigger Event has occurred and the Least Performing Underlying Return is -50.00%, the payment at maturity will be $500.00 per $1,000 principal amount note plus the Interest Payment then due, calculated as follows.

[$1,000 × 50.00/ 100.00] + $5.8333 = $505.8333

When added to the Interest Payments received with respect to the prior Interest Payment Dates, the total amount paid, for each $1,000 principal amount note, is $587.50.

The hypothetical returns and hypothetical payments on the notes shown above apply only if you hold the notes for their entire term. These hypotheticals do not reflect the fees or expenses that would be associated with any sale in the secondary market. If these fees and expenses were included, the hypothetical returns and hypothetical payments shown above would likely be lower.

Selected Risk Considerations

An investment in the notes involves significant risks. These risks are explained in more detail in the “Risk Factors” sections of the accompanying product supplement and underlying supplement.

·

YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE NOTES MAY RESULT IN A LOSS —

The notes do not guarantee any return of principal. If the notes have not been redeemed early and (i) the Final Value of any Underlying is less than its Initial Value and (ii) a Trigger Event has occurred, you will lose 1% of the principal amount of your notes

for every 1% that the Final Value of the Least Performing Underlying is less than its Initial Value. Accordingly, under these circumstances, you will lose some or all of your principal amount at maturity.

·

CREDIT RISK OF JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. —

Investors are dependent on JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s ability to pay all amounts due on the notes. Any actual or potential change in our creditworthiness or credit spreads, as determined by the market for taking our credit risk, is likely to adversely affect the value of the notes. If we were to default on our payment obligations, you may not receive any amounts owed to you under the notes and you could lose your entire investment.

·

THE APPRECIATION POTENTIAL OF THE NOTES IS LIMITED TO THE SUM OF THE INTEREST PAYMENTS PAID OVER THE TERM OF THE NOTES,

regardless of any appreciation in the value of any Underlying, which may be significant. You will not participate in any appreciation in the value of any Underlying.

·

POTENTIAL CONFLICTS —

We and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the notes. In performing these duties, our economic interests are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the notes. It is possible that hedging or trading activities of ours or our affiliates in connection with the notes could result in substantial returns for us or our affiliates while the value of the notes declines. Please refer to “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Conflicts of Interest” in the accompanying product supplement.

·

WE ARE CURRENTLY ONE OF THE COMPANIES THAT MAKE UP THE S&P 500® INDEX,

but we will not have any obligation to consider your interests in taking any corporate action that might affect the value of the S&P 500^® Index.

●

THERE ARE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FUND —

The Fund is subject to management risk, which is the risk that the investment strategies of the Fund’s investment adviser, the implementation of which is subject to a number of constraints, may not produce the intended results. These constraints could adversely affect the market price of the shares of the Fund and, consequently, the value of the notes.

●

THE PERFORMANCE AND MARKET VALUE OF THE FUND, PARTICULARLY DURING PERIODS OF MARKET VOLATILITY, MAY NOT CORRELATE WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF THE FUND’S UNDERLYING INDEX AS WELL AS THE NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE —

The Fund does not fully replicate its Underlying Index (as defined under “The Underlyings” below) and may hold securities different from those included in the Underlying Index. In addition, the performance of the Fund will reflect additional transaction costs and fees that are not included in the calculation of its Underlying Index. All of these factors may lead to a lack of correlation between the performance of the Fund and its Underlying Index. In addition, corporate actions with respect to the equity securities underlying the Fund (such as mergers and spin-offs) may impact the variance between the performances of the Fund and its Underlying Index. Finally, because the shares in the Fund are traded on NYSE Arca, Inc. and are subject to market supply and investor demand, the market value of one share of the Fund may differ from the net asset value per share of the Fund.

During periods of market volatility, securities underlying the Fund may be unavailable in the secondary market, market participants may be unable to calculate accurately the net asset value per share of the Fund and the liquidity of the Fund may be adversely affected. This kind of market volatility may also disrupt the ability of market participants to create and redeem shares in the Fund. Further, market volatility may adversely affect, sometimes materially, the prices at which market participants are willing to buy and sell shares of the Fund. As a result, under these circumstances, the market value of shares of the Fund may vary substantially from the net asset value per share of the Fund. For all of the foregoing reasons, the performance of the Fund may not correlate with the performance of its Underlying Index as well as the net asset value per share of the Fund, which could materially and adversely affect the value of the Notes in the secondary market and/or reduce your payment at maturity.

●

NON-U.S. SECURITIES RISK —

The equity securities held by the Fund have been issued by non-U.S. companies. Investments in securities linked to the value of such non-U.S. equity securities involve risks associated with the securities markets in the home countries of the issuers of those non-U.S. equity securities. Also, there is generally less publicly available information about companies in some of these jurisdictions than there is about U.S. companies that are subject to the reporting requirements of the SEC.

 

●

THE NOTES ARE SUBJECT TO CURRENCY EXCHANGE RISK —

Because the prices of the equity securities held by the Fund are converted into U.S. dollars for purposes of calculating the net asset value of the Fund, holders of the notes will be exposed to currency exchange rate risk with respect to each of the currencies in which the equity securities held by the Fund trade. Your net exposure will depend on the extent to which those currencies strengthen or weaken against the U.S. dollar and the relative weight of equity securities held by the Fund denominated in each of those currencies. If, taking into account the relevant weighting, the U.S. dollar strengthens against those currencies, the price of the Fund will be adversely affected and any payment on the notes may be reduced.

●

THE ANTI-DILUTION PROTECTION FOR THE FUND IS LIMITED —

The calculation agent will make adjustments to the Share Adjustment Factor for certain events affecting the shares of the Fund. However, the calculation agent will not make an adjustment in response to all events that could affect the shares of the Fund. If an event occurs that does not require the calculation agent to make an adjustment, the value of the notes may be materially and adversely affected.

·

YOU ARE EXPOSED TO THE RISK OF DECLINE IN THE VALUE OF EACH UNDERLYING —

Poor performance by any of the Underlyings over the term of the notes may negatively affect whether you will receive your payment at maturity and will not be offset or mitigated by positive performance by the other Underlying.

·

YOUR PAYMENT AT MATURITY WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE LEAST PERFORMING UNDERLYING.

·

THE BENEFIT PROVIDED BY THE TRIGGER VALUE MAY TERMINATE ON ANY DAY DURING THE MONITORING PERIOD —

If, on any day during the Monitoring Period, the closing value of any Underlying is less than its Trigger Value (i.e., a Trigger Event occurs) and the notes have not been redeemed early, the benefit provided by the Trigger Value will terminate and you will be fully exposed to any depreciation in the closing value of the Least Performing Underlying. You will be subject to this potential loss of principal even if that Underlying subsequently recovers such that the closing value of that Underlying is greater than or equal to its Trigger Value.

·

THE OPTIONAL EARLY REDEMPTION FEATURE MAY FORCE A POTENTIAL EARLY EXIT —

If your notes are redeemed early, the term of the notes may be reduced to as short as three months and you will not receive any Interest Payments after the applicable Call Date. There is no guarantee that you would be able to reinvest the proceeds from an investment in the notes at a comparable return and/or with a comparable interest rate for a similar level of risk. Even in cases where the notes are called before maturity, noteholders are not entitled to any fees and commissions described on the front cover of this pricing supplement.

·

AN INVESTMENT IN THE NOTES IS SUBJECT TO RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SMALL CAPITALIZATION STOCKS WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSELL 2000® INDEX —

Small capitalization companies may be less able to withstand adverse economic, market, trade and competitive conditions relative to larger companies. Small capitalization companies are less likely to pay dividends on their stocks, and the presence of a dividend payment could be a factor that limits downward stock price pressure under adverse market conditions.

·

YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE DIVIDENDS ON THE SECURITIES INCLUDED IN ANY UNDERLYING OR HAVE ANY RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO THOSE SECURITIES.

·

THE RISK OF THE CLOSING VALUE OF AN UNDERLYING FALLING BELOW ITS TRIGGER VALUE IS GREATER IF THE VALUE OF THAT UNDERLYING IS VOLATILE.

·

LACK OF LIQUIDITY —

The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. Accordingly, the price at which you may be able to trade your notes is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which JPMS is willing to buy the notes. You may not be able to sell your notes. The notes are not designed to be short-term trading instruments. Accordingly, you should be able and willing to hold your notes to maturity.

·

THE FINAL TERMS AND VALUATION OF THE NOTES WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE PRICING SUPPLEMENT —

You should consider your potential investment in the notes based on the minimum for JPMS’s estimated value.

·

JPMS’S ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE NOTES WILL BE LOWER THAN THE ORIGINAL ISSUE PRICE (PRICE TO PUBLIC) OF THE NOTES —

JPMS’s estimated value is only an estimate using several factors. The original issue price of the notes will exceed JPMS’s estimated value because costs associated with selling, structuring and hedging the notes are included in the original issue price of the notes. These costs include the selling commissions, the projected profits, if any, that our affiliates expect to realize for

assuming risks inherent in hedging our obligations under the notes and the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the notes. See “JPMS’s Estimated Value of the Notes” in this pricing supplement.

·

JPMS’S ESTIMATED VALUE DOES NOT REPRESENT FUTURE VALUES OF THE NOTES AND MAY DIFFER FROM OTHERS’ ESTIMATES —

See “JPMS’s Estimated Value of the Notes” in this pricing supplement.

·

JPMS’S ESTIMATED VALUE IS NOT DETERMINED BY REFERENCE TO CREDIT SPREADS FOR OUR CONVENTIONAL FIXED-RATE DEBT —

The internal funding rate used in the determination of JPMS’s estimated value generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. The discount is based on, among other things, our view of the funding value of the notes as well as the higher issuance, operational and ongoing liability management costs of the notes in comparison to those costs for our conventional fixed-rate debt. If JPMS were to use the interest rate implied by our conventional fixed-rate credit spreads, we would expect the economic terms of the notes to be more favorable to you. Consequently, our use of an internal funding rate would have an adverse effect on the terms of the notes and any secondary market prices of the notes. See “JPMS’s Estimated Value of the Notes” in this pricing supplement.

·

THE VALUE OF THE NOTES AS PUBLISHED BY JPMS (AND WHICH MAY BE REFLECTED ON CUSTOMER ACCOUNT STATEMENTS) MAY BE HIGHER THAN JPMS’S THEN-CURRENT ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE NOTES FOR A LIMITED TIME PERIOD —

We generally expect that some of the costs included in the original issue price of the notes will be partially paid back to you in connection with any repurchases of your notes by JPMS in an amount that will decline to zero over an initial predetermined period. See “Secondary Market Prices of the Notes” in this pricing supplement for additional information relating to this initial period. Accordingly, the estimated value of your notes during this initial period may be lower than the value of the notes as published by JPMS (and which may be shown on your customer account statements).

·

SECONDARY MARKET PRICES OF THE NOTES WILL LIKELY BE LOWER THAN THE ORIGINAL ISSUE PRICE OF THE NOTES —

Any secondary market prices of the notes will likely be lower than the original issue price of the notes because, among other things, secondary market prices take into account our secondary market credit spreads for structured debt issuances and, also, because secondary market prices (a) exclude selling commissions and (b) may exclude projected hedging profits, if any, and estimated hedging costs that are included in the original issue price of the notes. As a result, the price if any, at which JPMS will be willing to buy the notes from you in secondary market transactions, if at all, is likely to be lower than the original issue price. Any sale by you prior to the Maturity Date could result in a substantial loss to you.

·

SECONDARY MARKET PRICES OF THE NOTES WILL BE IMPACTED BY MANY ECONOMIC AND MARKET FACTORS —

The secondary market price of the notes during their term will be impacted by a number of economic and market factors, which may either offset or magnify each other, aside from the selling commissions, projected hedging profits, if any, estimated hedging costs and the values of the Underlyings. Additionally, independent pricing vendors and/or third party broker-dealers may publish a price for the notes, which may also be reflected on customer account statements. This price may be different (higher or lower) than the price of the notes, if any, at which JPMS may be willing to purchase your notes in the secondary market. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to the Estimated Value of Secondary Market Prices of the Notes — Secondary market prices of the notes will be impacted by many economic and market factors” in the accompanying product supplement.

 

The Underlyings

The S&P 500^® Index consists of stocks of 500 companies selected to provide a performance benchmark for the U.S. equity markets. For additional information about the S&P 500^® Index, see “Equity Index Descriptions — The S&P 500^® Index” in the accompanying underlying supplement.

The Russell 2000^® Index consists of the middle 2,000 companies included in the Russell 3000E™ Index and, as a result of the index calculation methodology, consists of the smallest 2,000 companies included in the Russell 3000^® Index. The Russell 2000^® Index is designed to track the performance of the small capitalization segment of the U.S. equity market. For additional information about the Russell 2000^® Index, see “Equity Index Descriptions — The Russell Indices” in the accompanying underlying supplement.

The iShares^® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF is an exchange-traded fund of iShares, Inc., which is a registered investment company that consists of numerous separate investment portfolios. The iShares^® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, which is the Underlying Index. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index is a free-float adjusted average of the U.S. dollar values of all of the equity securities constituting the MSCI indices for selected emerging markets countries. On July 1, 2013, the name of the iShares^® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF was changed from the iShares^® MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund to the current name. For additional information about the iShares^® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, see “Fund Descriptions — The iShares^® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF" in the accompanying underlying supplement.

Historical Information

The following graphs set forth the historical performance of each Underlying based on the weekly historical closing values from January 7, 2011 through April 8, 2016. The closing value of the S&P 500^® Index on April 12, 2016 was 2,061.72. The closing value of the Russell 2000^® Index on April 12, 2016 was 1,105.713. The closing value of the iShares^® MSCI Emerging Markets ETF on April 12, 2016 was $34.33. We obtained the closing values above and below from the Bloomberg Professional^® service (“Bloomberg”), without independent verification. Although Russell Investments publishes the official closing levels of the Russell 2000^® Index to six decimal places, Bloomberg publishes the closing levels of the Russell 2000^® Index to only three decimal places.

The historical closing values of each Underlying should not be taken as an indication of future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the closing value of any Underlying on the Pricing Date or the Review Date. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the Underlyings will result in the return of any of your principal amount.

 

 

 

 

Tax Treatment

You should review carefully the section entitled “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” in the accompanying product supplement no. 4a-I. Based on the advice of Sidley Austin llp, our special tax counsel, and on current market conditions, in determining our reporting responsibilities we intend to treat the notes for U.S. federal income tax purposes as units each comprising: (x) a Put Option written by you that is terminated if an Early Redemption occurs and that, if not terminated, in circumstances where the payment due at maturity is less than $1,000 (excluding accrued and unpaid interest), requires you to pay us an amount equal to $1,000 multiplied by the absolute value of the Least Performing Underlying Return and (y) a Deposit of $1,000 per $1,000 principal amount note to secure your potential obligation under the Put Option. By purchasing the notes, you agree (in the absence of an administrative determination or judicial ruling to the contrary) to follow this treatment and the allocation described in the following paragraph. However, there are other reasonable treatments that the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or a court may adopt, in which case the timing and character of any income or loss on the notes could be significantly and adversely affected. In addition, in 2007, the Treasury Department and the IRS released a notice requesting comments on the U.S. federal income tax treatment of “prepaid forward

contracts” and similar instruments. While it is not clear whether the notes would be viewed as similar to the typical prepaid forward contract described in the notice, it is possible that any Treasury regulations or other guidance promulgated after consideration of these issues could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the notes, possibly with retroactive effect. The notice focuses on a number of issues, the most relevant of which for holders of the notes are the character of income or loss (including whether the Put Premium might be currently included as ordinary income) and the degree, if any, to which income realized by Non-U.S. Holders should be subject to withholding tax.

We will determine the portion of each interest payment on the notes that we will allocate to interest on the Deposit and to Put Premium, respectively, and will provide that allocation in the pricing supplement for the notes. If the notes had priced on April 12, 2016, we would have allocated approximately 18.71% of each interest payment to interest on the Deposit and approximately 81.29% of each interest payment to Put Premium. The actual allocation that we will determine for the notes may differ from this hypothetical allocation, and will depend upon a variety of factors, including actual market conditions and our borrowing costs for debt instruments of comparable maturities on the Pricing Date. Assuming that the treatment of the notes as units each comprising a Put Option and a Deposit is respected, amounts treated as interest on the Deposit will be taxed as ordinary income, while the Put Premium will not be taken into account prior to sale or settlement, including a settlement following an Early Redemption.

Non-U.S. Holders – Additional Tax Consideration

Non-U.S. Holders should also note that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the accompanying product supplement no. 4a-I, recently promulgated Treasury regulations imposing a withholding tax on certain “dividend equivalents” under certain “equity linked instruments” generally will not apply to the notes.

Non-U.S. Holders should note that final Treasury regulations were released on legislation that imposes a withholding tax of 30% on payments to certain foreign entities unless information reporting and diligence requirements are met, as described in “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences-FATCA” in the accompanying product supplement no. 4a-I. Pursuant to the final regulations, such withholding tax will generally apply to obligations that are issued on or after July 1, 2014; therefore, the notes will generally be subject to this withholding tax. However, the withholding tax described above will not apply to payments of gross proceeds from the sale, exchange or other disposition (including upon maturity) of the notes made before January 1, 2019.

Both U.S. and Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding all aspects of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of an investment in the notes, including possible alternative treatments and the issues presented by the 2007 notice. Purchasers who are not initial purchasers of notes at the issue price should also consult their tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences of an investment in the notes, including possible alternative treatments, as well as the allocation of the purchase price of the notes between the Deposit and the Put Option.

JPMS’s Estimated Value of the Notes

JPMS’s estimated value of the notes set forth on the cover of this pricing supplement is equal to the sum of the values of the following hypothetical components: (1) a fixed-income debt component with the same maturity as the notes, valued using our internal funding rate for structured debt described below, and (2) the derivative or derivatives underlying the economic terms of the notes. JPMS’s estimated value does not represent a minimum price at which JPMS would be willing to buy your notes in any secondary market (if any exists) at any time. The internal funding rate used in the determination of JPMS’s estimated value generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. For additional information, see “Selected Risk Considerations — JPMS’s Estimated Value Is Not Determined by Reference to Credit Spreads for Our Conventional Fixed-Rate Debt.”

The value of the derivative or derivatives underlying the economic terms of the notes is derived from JPMS’s internal pricing models. These models are dependent on inputs such as the traded market prices of comparable derivative instruments and on various other inputs, some of which are market-observable, and which can include volatility, dividend rates, interest rates and other factors, as well as assumptions about future market events and/or environments. Accordingly, JPMS’s estimated value of the notes is determined when the terms of the notes are set based on market conditions and other relevant factors and assumptions existing at that time.

JPMS’s estimated value does not represent future values of the notes and may differ from others’ estimates. Different pricing models and assumptions could provide valuations for notes that are greater than or less than JPMS’s estimated value. In addition, market conditions and other relevant factors in the future may change, and any assumptions may prove to be incorrect. On future dates, the value of the notes could change significantly based on, among other things, changes in market conditions, our creditworthiness, interest rate movements and other relevant factors, which may impact the price, if any, at which JPMS would be willing to buy notes from you in secondary market transactions.

JPMS’s estimated value of the notes will be lower than the original issue price of the notes because costs associated with selling, structuring and hedging the notes are included in the original issue price of the notes. These costs include the selling commissions paid to JPMS and other affiliated or unaffiliated dealers, the projected profits, if any, that our affiliates expect to realize for assuming risks inherent in hedging our obligations under the notes and the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the notes. Because hedging our obligations entails risk and may be influenced by market forces beyond our control, this hedging may result in a profit that is more or less than expected, or it may result in a loss. A portion of the profits realized in hedging our obligations under the notes may be allowed to other affiliated or unaffiliated dealers, and we or one or more of our affiliates will retain any remaining hedging profits. See “Selected Risk Considerations — JPMS’s Estimated Value of the Notes Will Be Lower Than the Original Issue Price (Price to Public) of the Notes” in this pricing supplement.

Secondary Market Prices of the Notes

For information about factors that will impact any secondary market prices of the notes, see “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to the Estimated Value and Secondary Market Prices of the Notes — Secondary market prices of the notes will be impacted by many economic and market factors” in the accompanying product supplement. In addition, we generally expect that some of the costs included in the original issue price of the notes will be partially paid back to you in connection with any repurchases of your notes by JPMS in an amount that will decline to zero over an initial predetermined period. These costs can include projected hedging profits, if any, and, in some circumstances, estimated hedging costs and our secondary market credit spreads for structured debt issuances. This initial predetermined time period is intended to be the shorter of six months and one-half of the stated term of the notes. The length of any such initial period reflects the structure of the notes, whether our affiliates expect to earn a profit in connection with our hedging activities, the estimated costs of hedging the notes and when these costs are incurred, as determined by JPMS. See “Selected Risk Considerations — The Value of the Notes as Published by JPMS (and Which May Be Reflected on Customer Account Statements) May Be Higher Than JPMS’s Then-Current Estimated Value of the Notes for a Limited Time Period.”

Supplemental Use of Proceeds

The notes are offered to meet investor demand for products that reflect the risk-return profile and market exposure provided by the notes. See “How the Notes Work” and “Hypothetical Payout Examples” in this pricing supplement for an illustration of the risk-return profile of the notes and “The Underlyings” in this pricing supplement for a description of the market exposure provided by the notes.

The original issue price of the notes is equal to JPMS’s estimated value of the notes plus the selling commissions paid to JPMS and other affiliated or unaffiliated dealers, plus (minus) the projected profits (losses) that our affiliates expect to realize for assuming risks inherent in hedging our obligations under the notes, plus the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the notes.

Additional Terms Specific to the Notes

You may revoke your offer to purchase the notes at any time prior to the time at which we accept such offer by notifying the applicable agent. We reserve the right to change the terms of, or reject any offer to purchase, the notes prior to their issuance. In the event of any changes to the terms of the notes, we will notify you and you will be asked to accept such changes in connection with your purchase. You may also choose to reject such changes, in which case we may reject your offer to purchase.

You should read this pricing supplement together with the prospectus, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement, each dated February 19, 2016, relating to our Series E medium-term notes of which these notes are a part, and the more detailed information contained in product supplement no. 4a-I dated November 7, 2014 and underlying supplement no. 1a-I dated November 7, 2014. This pricing supplement, together with the documents listed below, contains the terms of the notes and supersedes all other prior or contemporaneous oral statements as well as any other written materials including preliminary or indicative pricing terms, correspondence, trade ideas, structures for implementation, sample structures, fact sheets, brochures or other educational materials of ours. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth in “Risk Factors” in the accompanying product supplement no. 4a-I and “Risk Factors” in the accompanying underlying supplement no. 1a-I, as the notes involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisers before you invest in the notes.

When you read the product supplement and the underlying supplement, note that all references to the prospectus dated November 7, 2014, or to any sections therein, should refer instead to the prospectus dated February 19, 2016, or to the corresponding sections of that prospectus, and all references to the prospectus supplement dated November 7, 2014, or to any sections therein, should refer instead to the prospectus supplement dated February 19, 2016, or to the corresponding sections of that prospectus supplement. You may access these documents on the SEC website at www.sec.gov as follows (or if such address has changed, by reviewing our filings for the relevant date on the SEC website):

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Product supplement no. 4a-I dated November 7, 2014: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19617/000089109214008407/e61359_424b2.pdf

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Underlying supplement no. 1a-I dated November 7, 2014: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19617/000089109214008410/e61337_424b2.pdf

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Prospectus supplement and prospectus, each dated February 19, 2016: http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/19617/000095010316011251/crt_dp63599-424b2.pdf

Our Central Index Key, or CIK, on the SEC website is 19617. As used in this pricing supplement, “we,” “us” and “our” refer to JPMorgan Chase & Co.