BMO Bank of Montreal

 

Registration Statement No.333-264388
Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)

Pricing Supplement dated December 19, 2024 to the Prospectus dated May 26, 2022,
the Prospectus Supplement dated May 26, 2022 and the Product Supplement dated September 22, 2022

US$3,187,000
Senior Medium-Term Notes, Series I
Autocallable Buffer Enhanced Return Notes due December 24, 2026
Linked to a Basket of Two Equity Indices

●The notes are designed for investors who are seeking 125.00% leveraged positive return based on any appreciation in the level of an equally weighted basket (the “Basket”) consisting of the Russell 2000^® Index and the S&P MidCap 400^® Index (each a “Basket Component”) if the notes are not automatically redeemed prior to maturity. Investors should be willing to have their notes automatically redeemed prior to maturity, be willing to forego any potential to participate in any increase in the level of the Basket if the notes are automatically redeemed, be willing to forego any interest payments, and be willing to lose some or all of their principal at maturity if the notes are not automatically redeemed prior to maturity.

●On December 24, 2025, if the closing level of the Basket is greater than or equal to 100.00% of its Initial Level (its “Call Level”), the notes will be automatically redeemed. On the corresponding settlement date (the “Call Settlement Date"), investors will receive their principal amount plus the applicable Call Amount (which represents a return of approximately 9.60% per annum). After the notes are redeemed, investors will not receive any additional payments in respect of the notes and will not participate in any positive performance of the Basket.

●If the notes are not automatically redeemed and the Basket decreases by more than 10.00% from its Initial Level, investors will lose 1% of the principal amount for each 1% decrease in the level of the Basket from its Initial Level to its Final Level in excess of 10.00%. In such a case, you will receive a cash amount at maturity that is less than the principal amount, and may lose up to 90.00% of your principal amount at maturity.

●Investing in the notes is not equivalent to a hypothetical direct investment in the Basket Components.

●The notes do not bear interest. The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange.

●All payments on the notes are subject to the credit risk of Bank of Montreal.

●The notes will be issued in minimum denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.

●The CUSIP number of the notes is 06376CKG0.

●Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (“Citigroup”), is the agent for this offering. See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” below.

●The notes will not be subject to conversion into our common shares or the common shares of any of our affiliates under subsection 39.2(2.3) of the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act (the “CDIC Act”).

Terms of the Notes:

Pricing Date:	December 19, 2024		Valuation Date:	December 21, 2026
Settlement Date:	December 24, 2024		Maturity Date:	December 24, 2026

	Price to Public1	Agent’s Commission1	Proceeds to Bank of Montreal1
Per Note Total	100% $3,187,000.00	1.75% $55,772.50	98.25% $3,131,227.50

1 The total “Agent’s Commission” and “Proceeds to Bank of Montreal” specified above reflect the aggregate amounts at the time Bank of Montreal established its hedge positions on or prior to the Pricing Date, which may have been variable and fluctuated depending on market conditions at such times. Certain dealers who purchased the notes for sale to certain fee-based advisory accounts may have foregone some or all of their selling concessions, fees or commissions. The public offering price for investors purchasing the notes in these accounts was between $982.50 and $1,000 per $1,000 in principal amount.

Investing in the notes involves risks, including those described in the “Selected Risk Considerations” section beginning on page P-5 hereof, the “Additional Risk Factors Relating to the Notes” section beginning on page PS-5 of the product supplement, and the “Risk Factors” section beginning on page S-1 of the prospectus supplement and on page 8 of the prospectus.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these notes or passed upon the accuracy of this document, the product supplement, the prospectus supplement or the prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. The notes will be our unsecured obligations and will not be savings accounts or deposits that are insured by the United States Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Deposit Insurance Fund, the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency or instrumentality or other entity.

On the date hereof, based on the terms set forth above, the estimated initial value of the notes is $964.30 per $1,000 in principal amount. However, as discussed in more detail below, the actual value of the notes at any time will reflect many factors and cannot be predicted with accuracy.

CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS INC.

Key Terms of the Notes:

Reference Asset; Basket Components; Weighting Percentages; Initial Basket Component Levels:2	The Reference Asset is an equally weighted basket consisting of the following equity indices (the “Basket” and the underlying equity indices, the “Basket Components”): Basket Component Bloomberg Ticker Weighting Percentage Initial Basket Component Level* The Russell 2000® Index RTY 50.00% 2,221.498 The S&P MidCap 400® Index MID 50.00% 3,105.74 * With respect to each Basket Component, its closing level on the Pricing Date.
Automatic Redemption:	On December 24, 2025, if the Basket Closing Level is greater than or equal to its Call Level, the notes will be automatically redeemed. No further amounts will be owed to you under the notes and you will not participate in any positive performance of the Basket.
Payment upon Automatic Redemption:	If the notes are automatically redeemed, then, on the corresponding Call Settlement Date, investors will receive their principal amount plus the applicable Call Amount.
Observation Date, Call Settlement Date and Call Amount:1,2	Observation Date Call Amount (per Note) Potential Call Settlement Date December 24, 2025 $96.00 December 30, 2025   The Call Amount represents a return of approximately 9.60% per annum.
Payment at Maturity:	If the notes are not automatically redeemed, the payment at maturity for the notes is based on the performance of the Basket: If the Final Level of the Basket is greater than or equal to its Initial Level, then the amount that investors will receive at maturity for each $1,000 in principal amount of the notes will equal: $1,000 + ($1,000 x Percentage Change x Upside Leverage Factor) If the Final Level of the Basket is less than its Initial Level, but is not less than its Buffer Level, then investors will, for each $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, receive the principal amount of $1,000 and no additional return. If the Final Level of the Basket is less than its Buffer Level, then the amount that investors will receive at maturity for each $1,000 in principal amount of the notes will equal: $1,000 + [$1,000 x (Percentage Change + Buffer Percentage)] In this case, investors will lose 1% of their principal for each 1% that the Final Level of the Basket declines from its Initial Level in excess of 10.00%. You may lose up to 90.00% of the principal amount of your notes.
Final Level:	The Basket Closing Level on the Valuation Date.
Initial Level:2	100.00
Basket Closing Level:	On any day, the Basket Closing Level will be calculated as (a) the Initial Level multiplied by (b) the sum of (i) 1 plus (ii) the sum of the products of each Component Change multiplied by its Weighting Percentage.
Call Level:2	100.00% of the Initial Level.
Percentage Change:	The quotient, expressed as a percentage, of the following formula: (Final Level - Initial Level) Initial Level
Component Change:	With respect to each Basket Component, the quotient, expressed as a percentage, of the following formula: (Closing Basket Component Level - Initial Basket Component Level) Initial Basket Component Level
Closing Basket Component Level:	On any trading day during the term of the notes, with respect to each Basket Component, its closing price on such day.

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Upside Leverage Factor:	125.00%
Buffer Level:2	90.00, which is 90.00% of the Initial Level.
Buffer Percentage:2	10.00% Accordingly, you will receive the principal amount of your notes at maturity only if the level of the Basket does not decrease by more than 10.00% over the term of the notes. If the Final Level of the Basket is less than its Buffer Level, you will receive less than the principal amount of your notes at maturity and you could lose up to 90.00% of the principal amount of your notes.
Pricing Date:	December 19, 2024
Settlement Date:	December 24, 2024
Valuation Date:1	December 21, 2026
Maturity Date:1	December 24, 2026
Calculation Agent:	BMO Capital Markets Corp.
Selling Agent:	Citigroup

1 Subject to the occurrence of a market disruption event, as described in the accompanying product supplement.

2As determined by the calculation agent and subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. See “General Terms of the Notes — Adjustments Relating to Notes Linked to a Basket” and “— Adjustments to a Reference Asset that Is an Index” in the product supplement for additional information.

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Payoff Example

The following table shows the hypothetical payout profile of an investment in the notes assuming the notes are not automatically redeemed, based on various hypothetical Final Levels (and the corresponding Percentage Change) of the Basket reflecting the 125.00% Upside Leverage Factor, and Buffer Level of 90.00% of the Initial Level. Please see “Examples of the Hypothetical Payment at Maturity for a $1,000 Investment in the Notes” below for more detailed examples. If the notes are automatically redeemed, investors will receive their principal amount plus the applicable Call Amount. After the notes are redeemed, investors will not receive any additional payments in respect of the notes and will not participate in any positive performance of the Basket.

Hypothetical Percentage Change of the Basket	Participation in Percentage Change	Hypothetical Return of the Notes
20%   10%	125.00% Upside Exposure	25.00%   12.50%
-5%   -10%	Buffer Level of 90.00% of Initial Level	0%   0%
-20%   -30%	1x Loss Beyond Buffer Level	-10%   -20%

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Additional Terms of the Notes

You should read this document together with the product supplement dated September 22, 2022, the prospectus supplement dated May 26, 2022 and the prospectus dated May 26, 2022. This document, 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 or the agent. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth in Additional Risk Factors Relating to the Notes in the product supplement, 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.

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):

Product supplement dated September 22, 2022:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/927971/000121465922011396/j922220424b2.htm

Prospectus supplement dated May 26, 2022 and prospectus dated May 26, 2022:
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000927971/000119312522160519/d269549d424b5.htm

Our Central Index Key, or CIK, on the SEC website is 927971. As used in this document, "we", "us" or "our" refers to Bank of Montreal.

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Selected Risk Considerations

An investment in the notes involves significant risks. Investing in the notes is not equivalent to investing directly in the Basket Components. These risks are explained in more detail in the “Additional Risk Factors Relating to the Notes” section of the product supplement.

Risks Related to the Structure or Features of the Notes

●Your investment in the notes may result in a loss. — The notes do not guarantee any return of principal. If the notes are not automatically redeemed and the Final Level of the Basket is less than its Buffer Level, you will lose 1% of the principal amount for each 1% that the Final Level of the Basket is less than its Initial Level in excess of the Buffer Percentage. In such a case, you will receive at maturity a cash payment that is less than the principal amount of the notes and may be significantly less than the principal amount of your notes. Accordingly, you could lose up to 90.00% of the principal amount of your notes.

●Changes in the level of one or more Basket Components may be offset by changes in the level of one or more other Basket Components. A change in the levels of one or more Basket Components may not correlate with changes in the levels of one or more other Basket Components. The level of one or more Basket Components may increase, while the level of one or more other Basket Components may not increase as much, or may even decrease. Therefore, in determining the level of the Basket as of any time, increases in the level of one Basket Component may be moderated, or wholly offset, by lesser increases or decreases in the level of one or more other Basket Components.

●Your notes are subject to automatic early redemption. — We will redeem the notes if the Basket Closing Level on any Observation Date is greater than or equal to its Call Level. Following an automatic redemption, you may not be able to reinvest your proceeds in an investment with returns that are comparable to the notes. Furthermore, to the extent you are able to reinvest such proceeds in an investment with a comparable return for a similar level of risk, you may incur transaction costs such as dealer discounts and hedging costs built into the price of the new notes.

●If the notes are automatically redeemed, your return on the notes is limited to the potential Call Amount regardless of any increase in the level of the Basket. — If the notes are automatically redeemed, you will not receive a payment with a value greater than your principal amount plus the applicable Call Amount, even if the Final Level of the Basket exceeds its Call Level by a substantial amount. Accordingly, your maximum return on the applicable notes is limited to the potential return represented by the Call Amount if the notes are automatically redeemed.

●If the notes are not automatically redeemed, your return may be less than if the notes were automatically redeemed and may be negative. — If the notes are not automatically redeemed, the payment at maturity for the notes is based on the performance of the Basket over the term of the notes, which may be negative. If the level of the Basket has performed positively over the term of the notes, your return may still be less than the return represented by the Call Amount. Furthermore, even if the return you receive is greater than the return represented by the Call Amount, such return may reflect a lower return on a per annum basis. If the notes are not automatically redeemed and the Final Level is less than its Buffer Level, your return on the notes will be negative. Depending on the Final level of the Basket, the return you receive at maturity may be less than, and potentially significantly less than, the return represented by the Call Amount.

●Your return on the notes may be lower than the return on a conventional debt security of comparable maturity. — The return that you will receive on your notes, which could be negative, may be less than the return you could earn on other investments. The notes do not provide for interest payments and the payment you receive at maturity, if any, may be less than the principal amount of the notes. Even if your return on the notes is positive, your return may be less than the return you would earn if you bought a conventional senior interest bearing debt security of ours with the same maturity or if you invested directly in the Basket Components. Your investment may not reflect the full opportunity cost to you when you take into account factors that affect the time value of money.

Risks Related to the Basket

●Owning the notes is not the same as a hypothetical direct investment in the Basket or owning a security directly linked to the Basket or Basket Components. — The return on your notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you made a hypothetical direct investment in the Basket Components or owned the underlying securities of the Basket Components or a security directly linked to the performance of the Basket Components or the underlying securities of the Basket Components and held that investment for a similar period. Your notes may trade quite differently from the Basket Components. Changes in the level of a Basket Component may not result in comparable changes in the market value of your notes. Even if the levels of the Basket Components increase during the term of the notes, the market value of the notes prior to maturity may not increase to the same extent. It is also possible for the market value of the notes to decrease while the levels of the Basket Components increase.

●You will not have any shareholder rights and will have no right to receive any shares of any company included in a Basket Component at maturity. — Investing in your notes will not make you a holder of any securities included in the Basket Components. Neither you nor any other holder or owner of the notes will have any voting rights, any right to receive dividends or other distributions, or any other rights with respect to such underlying securities.

●We have no affiliation with any index sponsor and will not be responsible for any index sponsor's actions. — The sponsors of the Basket Components are not our affiliates and will not be involved in the offering of the notes in any way. Consequently, we have no control over the actions of any index sponsor, including any actions of the type that would require the calculation agent to adjust the payment to you at maturity. The index sponsors have no obligation of any sort with respect to the notes. Thus, the index sponsors have no obligation to take your interests into consideration for any reason, including in taking any actions that might affect the value of the notes. None of our proceeds from the issuance of the notes will be delivered to any index sponsor.

●You must rely on your own evaluation of the merits of an investment linked to the Basket Components. — In the ordinary course of their businesses, we, Citigroup, and our or their affiliates from time to time may express views on expected movements in the level of the Basket Components or the prices of the securities included in the Basket Components. One or more of us, Citigroup, and our or their affiliates have published, and in the future may publish, research reports that express views on the Basket Components or these securities. However, these views are subject to change from time to time. Moreover, other professionals who deal in the markets relating to the Basket Components at any time may have significantly different views from those of us, Citigroup, and our or their affiliates. You are encouraged to derive information concerning the Basket Components from multiple sources, and you should not rely on the views expressed by us, Citigroup, and

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our or their affiliates. Neither the offering of the notes nor any views which our affiliates from time to time may express in the ordinary course of their businesses constitutes a recommendation as to the merits of an investment in the notes.

Risks Relating to the Russell 2000^® Index

●An investment in the notes is subject to risks associated in investing in stocks with a small market capitalization. — The Russell 2000^® Index consists of stocks issued by companies with relatively small market capitalizations. These companies often have greater stock price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than large-capitalization companies. As a result, the level of the Russell 2000^® Index may be more volatile than that of a market measure that does not track solely small-capitalization stocks. Stock prices of small-capitalization companies are also generally more vulnerable than those of large-capitalization companies to adverse business and economic developments, and the stocks of small-capitalization companies may be thinly traded, and be less attractive to many investors if they do not pay dividends. In addition, small capitalization companies are typically less well-established and less stable financially than large-capitalization companies and may depend on a small number of key personnel, making them more vulnerable to loss of those individuals. Small capitalization companies tend to have lower revenues, less diverse product lines, smaller shares of their target markets, fewer financial resources and fewer competitive strengths than large-capitalization companies. These companies may also be more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products or services.

Risks Relating to the S&P MidCap 400^® Index

●An investment in the notes is subject to risks associated in investing in stocks with a mid-size market capitalization. — The S&P 400^® Index consists of stocks issued by companies with mid-size market capitalizations. These companies often have greater stock price volatility, lower trading volume and less liquidity than large-capitalization companies. As a result, the level of the S&P 400^® Index may be more volatile than that of a market measure that does not track solely mid-size capitalization stocks. Stock prices of mid-size capitalization companies are also generally more vulnerable than those of large-capitalization companies to adverse business and economic developments, and the stocks of mid-size capitalization companies may be thinly traded, and be less attractive to many investors if they do not pay dividends. In addition, mid-size capitalization companies are typically less well-established and less stable financially than large-capitalization companies and may depend on a small number of key personnel, making them more vulnerable to loss of those individuals. Mid-size capitalization companies tend to have lower revenues, less diverse product lines, smaller shares of their target markets, fewer financial resources and fewer competitive strengths than large-capitalization companies. These companies may also be more susceptible to adverse developments related to their products or services.

General Risk Factors

●Your investment is subject to the credit risk of Bank of Montreal. — Our credit ratings and credit spreads may adversely affect the market value of the notes. Investors are dependent on our ability to pay any amounts due on the notes, and therefore investors are subject to our credit risk and to changes in the market’s view of our creditworthiness. Any decline in our credit ratings or increase in the credit spreads charged by the market for taking our credit risk is likely to adversely affect the value of the notes.

●Potential conflicts. — We and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the issuance of the notes, including acting as calculation agent. In performing these duties, the economic interests of the calculation agent and other affiliates of ours and Citigroup and any of its affiliates are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the notes. We, Citigroup or one or more of our or their affiliates may also engage in trading of securities included in the Basket Components on a regular basis as part of our general broker-dealer and other businesses, for proprietary accounts, for other accounts under management or to facilitate transactions for our customers. Any of these activities could adversely affect the level of the Basket Components and, therefore, the market value of, and the payments on, the notes. We, Citigroup or one or more of our or their affiliates may also issue or underwrite other securities or financial or derivative instruments with returns linked or related to changes in the performance of the Basket Components. By introducing competing products into the marketplace in this manner, we, Citigroup or one or more of our or their affiliates could adversely affect the market value of the notes.

●Our initial estimated value of the notes is lower than the price to public. — Our initial estimated value of the notes is only an estimate, and is based on a number of factors. The price to public of the notes exceeds our initial estimated value, because costs associated with offering, structuring and hedging the notes are included in the price to public, but are not included in the estimated value. These costs include any underwriting discount and selling concessions, the profits that we and our affiliates expect to realize for assuming the risks in hedging our obligations under the notes and the estimated cost of hedging these obligations.

●Our initial estimated value does not represent any future value of the notes, and may also differ from the estimated value of any other party. — Our initial estimated value of the notes as of the date hereof is derived using our internal pricing models. This value is based on market conditions and other relevant factors, which include volatility of the Basket Components, dividend rates and interest rates. Different pricing models and assumptions could provide values for the notes that are greater than or less than our initial estimated value. In addition, market conditions and other relevant factors after the Pricing Date are expected to change, possibly rapidly, and our assumptions may prove to be incorrect. After the Pricing Date, the value of the notes could change dramatically due to changes in market conditions, our creditworthiness, and the other factors set forth herein and in the product supplement. These changes are likely to impact the price, if any, at which we, Citigroup or any of our or their affiliates would be willing to purchase the notes from you in any secondary market transactions. Our initial estimated value does not represent a minimum price at which we, Citigroup or our or their affiliates would be willing to buy your notes in any secondary market at any time.

●The terms of the notes were not determined by reference to the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. — To determine the terms of the notes, we used an internal funding rate that represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. As a result, the terms of the notes are less favorable to you than if we had used a higher funding rate.

●Certain costs are likely to adversely affect the value of the notes. — Absent any changes in market conditions, any secondary market prices of the notes will likely be lower than the price to public. This is because any secondary market prices will likely take into account our then-current market credit spreads, and because any secondary market prices are likely to exclude all or a portion of any underwriting discount and selling concessions, and the hedging profits and estimated hedging costs that are included in the price to public of the notes and that may be reflected on your account statements. In addition, any such price is also likely to reflect a discount to account for costs associated with establishing or unwinding any related hedge transaction, such as dealer discounts, mark-ups and other transaction costs. As a result, the price,

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if any, at which we, Citigroup or any of our or their affiliates or any other party may be willing to purchase the notes from you in secondary market transactions, if at all, will likely be lower than the price to public. Any sale that you make prior to the Maturity Date could result in a substantial loss to you.

●Lack of liquidity. — The notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. Citigroup or one or more of our or their affiliates may offer to purchase the notes in the secondary market, but none of us, Citigroup or any of our or their affiliates is required to do so. Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to trade or sell the notes easily. Because other dealers are not likely to make a secondary market for the notes, the price at which you may be able to trade the notes is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which we, Citigroup or one or more of our or their affiliates is willing to buy the notes.

●Hedging and trading activities. — We, Citigroup, or any of our or their affiliates have carried out or may carry out hedging activities related to the notes, including purchasing or selling shares of securities included in the Basket Components, futures or options relating to the Basket Components or securities included in the Basket Components or other derivative instruments with returns linked or related to changes in the performance of the Basket Components or securities included in the Basket Components. We, Citigroup or any of our or their affiliates may also trade in the securities included in the Basket Components or instruments related to the Basket Components or such securities from time to time. Any of these hedging or trading activities on or prior to the Pricing Date and during the term of the notes could adversely affect the payments on the notes.

●Many economic and market factors will influence the value of the notes. — In addition to the levels of the Basket Components and interest rates on any trading day, the value of the notes will be affected by a number of economic and market factors that may either offset or magnify each other, and which are described in more detail in the product supplement.

●Significant aspects of the tax treatment of the notes are uncertain. — The tax treatment of the notes is uncertain. We do not plan to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service or from any Canadian authorities regarding the tax treatment of the notes, and the Internal Revenue Service or a court may not agree with the tax treatment described herein.
The Internal Revenue Service has released a notice that may affect the taxation of holders of “prepaid forward contracts” and similar instruments. According to the notice, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury are actively considering whether the holder of such instruments should be required to accrue ordinary income on a current basis. While it is not clear whether the notes would be viewed as similar to such instruments, it is possible that any future guidance could materially and adversely affect the tax consequences of an investment in the notes, possibly with retroactive effect.
Please read carefully the section entitled "U.S. Federal Tax Information" herein, the section entitled "Supplemental Tax Considerations–Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations" in the accompanying product supplement, the section entitled "United States Federal Income Taxation" in the accompanying prospectus and the section entitled "Certain Income Tax Consequences" in the accompanying prospectus supplement. You should consult your tax advisor about your own tax situation.

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Examples of the Hypothetical Payment at Maturity for a $1,000 Investment in the Notes

The following table illustrates the hypothetical payments on a note at maturity. The hypothetical payments are based on a $1,000 investment in the note, a hypothetical Initial Level of 100.00, a hypothetical Upside Leverage Factor of 125.00%, a hypothetical Buffer Level of 90.00 (90.00% of the hypothetical Initial Level), a range of hypothetical Final Levels and the effect on the payment at maturity.

The hypothetical examples shown below are intended to help you understand the terms of the notes. If the notes are not automatically redeemed, the actual cash amount that you will receive at maturity will depend upon the Final Level of the Basket. If the notes are automatically redeemed prior to maturity, the hypothetical examples below will not be relevant, and you will receive on the applicable Call Settlement Date, for each $1,000 principal amount, the principal amount plus the Call Amount. You may lose some or all of the principal amount at maturity.

 

Hypothetical Final Level of the Basket	Hypothetical Final Level of the Basket Expressed as a Percentage of the Initial Level	Hypothetical Payment at Maturity	Hypothetical Return on the Notes
200.00	200.00%	$2,250.00	125.00%
180.00	180.00%	$2,000.00	100.00%
160.00	160.00%	$1,750.00	75.00%
140.00	140.00%	$1,500.00	50.00%
120.00	120.00%	$1,250.00	25.00%
100.00	100.00%	$1,000.00	0.00%
95.00	95.00%	$1,000.00	0.00%
90.00	90.00%	$1,000.00	0.00%
89.99	89.99%	$999.90	-0.01%
80.00	80.00%	$900.00	-10.00%
60.00	60.00%	$700.00	-30.00%
40.00	40.00%	$500.00	-50.00%
20.00	20.00%	$300.00	-70.00%
0.00	0.00%	$100.00	-90.00%

The following examples illustrate how the returns set forth in the table above are calculated.

Example 1: The level of the Basket decreases from the hypothetical Initial Level of 100.00 to a hypothetical Final Level of 80.00, representing a Percentage Change of –20.00%. Because the Percentage Change of the Basket is negative and its hypothetical Final Level is less than its Buffer Level, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $900.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, calculated as follows:

$1,000 + [$1,000 x (–20.00% + 10.00%)] = $900.00

Example 2: The level of the Basket decreases from the hypothetical Initial Level of 100.00 to a hypothetical Final Level of 90.00, representing a Percentage Change of -10.00%. Although the Percentage Change of the Basket is negative, because its hypothetical Final Level is greater than its Buffer Level, the investor receives a payment at maturity equal to the principal amount of the notes.

Example 3: The level of the Basket increases from the hypothetical Initial Level of 100.00 to a hypothetical Final Level of 120.00, representing a Percentage Change of 20.00%. Because the hypothetical Final Level of the Basket is greater than its hypothetical Initial Level, the investor receives a payment at maturity of $1,250.00 per $1,000 in principal amount of the notes, calculated as follows:

$1,000 + $1,000 x (20.00% x 125.00%) = $1,250.00

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U.S. Federal Tax Information

By purchasing the notes, each holder agrees (in the absence of a change in law, an administrative determination or a judicial ruling to the contrary) to treat each note as a pre-paid derivative contract for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In the opinion of our counsel, Mayer Brown LLP, it would generally be reasonable to treat the notes as pre-paid derivative contracts in respect of the Basket for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of your investment in the notes are uncertain and the Internal Revenue Service could assert that the notes should be taxed in a manner that is different from that described in the preceding sentence. Please see the discussion in the product supplement dated September 22, 2022 under “Supplemental Tax Considerations—Supplemental U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations—Notes Treated as Pre-Paid Derivative Contracts,” which applies to the notes.

Under current Internal Revenue Service guidance, withholding on "dividend equivalent" payments (as discussed in the product supplement), if any, will not apply to notes that are issued as of the date of this pricing supplement unless such notes are "delta-one" instruments. Based on our determination that the notes are not delta-one instruments, non-United States holders (as defined in the product supplement) should not generally be subject to withholding on dividend equivalent payments, if any, under the notes.

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Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)

 Citigroup will purchase the notes from us at a purchase price reflecting the commission set forth on the cover hereof. Citigroup has informed us that, as part of its distribution of the notes, it may reoffer the notes to other dealers who will sell them. Each such dealer, or each additional dealer engaged by a dealer to whom Citigroup reoffers the notes, will receive a commission from Citigroup, which will not exceed the commission set forth on the cover page.  

 Certain dealers who purchase the notes for sale to certain fee-based advisory accounts may forego some or all of their selling concessions, fees or commissions. The public offering price for investors purchasing the notes in these accounts may be less than 100% of the principal amount, as set forth on the cover page of this document. Investors that hold their notes in these accounts may be charged fees by the investment advisor or manager of that account based on the amount of assets held in those accounts, including the notes. 

We will deliver the notes on a date that is greater than one business day following the pricing date. Under Rule 15c6-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), trades in the secondary market generally are required to settle in one business day, unless the parties to any such trade expressly agree otherwise. Accordingly, purchasers who wish to trade the notes more than one business day prior to the issue date will be required to specify alternative settlement arrangements to prevent a failed settlement. 

 You should not construe the offering of the notes as a recommendation of the merits of acquiring an investment linked to the Basket Components or as to the suitability of an investment in the notes. 

 We, Citigroup or one or more of our or their affiliates may, but is not obligated to, make a market in the notes. We, Citigroup and/or any of our or their affiliates will determine any secondary market prices that it is prepared to offer in its sole discretion. 

We, Citigroup or one or more of our or their affiliates may use this pricing supplement in the initial sale of the notes. In addition, we, Citigroup or one of our or their affiliates may use this pricing supplement in market-making transactions in any notes after their initial sale. Unless Citigroup or we or one of our or their affiliates inform you otherwise in the confirmation of sale, this pricing supplement is being used in a market-making transaction.

 For a period of approximately three months following issuance of the notes, the price, if any, at which we or Citigroup or one of our or their affiliates would be willing to buy the notes from investors, and the value that we, Citigroup or one of our or their affiliates may also publish for the notes through one or more financial information vendors and which could be indicated for the notes on any brokerage account statements, will reflect a temporary upward adjustment from our estimated value of the notes that would otherwise be determined and applicable at that time. This temporary upward adjustment represents a portion of (a) the hedging profit that we or our affiliates expect to realize over the term of the notes and (b) any underwriting discount and the selling concessions paid in connection with this offering. The amount of this temporary upward adjustment will decline to zero on a straight-line basis over the three-month period. 

The notes and the related offer to purchase notes and sale of notes under the terms and conditions provided herein do not constitute a public offering in any non-U.S. jurisdiction, and are being made available only to individually identified investors pursuant to a private offering as permitted in the relevant jurisdiction. The notes are not, and will not be, registered with any securities exchange or registry located outside of the United States and have not been registered with any non-U.S. securities or banking regulatory authority. The contents of this document have not been reviewed or approved by any non-U.S. securities or banking regulatory authority. Any person who wishes to acquire the notes from outside the United States should seek the advice or legal counsel as to the relevant requirements to acquire these notes.

British Virgin Islands. The notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the laws and regulations of the British Virgin Islands, nor has any regulatory authority in the British Virgin Islands passed comment upon or approved the accuracy or adequacy of this document. This pricing supplement and the related documents shall not constitute an offer, invitation or solicitation to any member of the public in the British Virgin Islands for the purposes of the Securities and Investment Business Act, 2010, of the British Virgin Islands.

Cayman Islands. Pursuant to the Companies Law (as amended) of the Cayman Islands, no invitation may be made to the public in the Cayman Islands to subscribe for the notes by or on behalf of the issuer unless at the time of such invitation the issuer is listed on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange. The issuer is not presently listed on the Cayman Islands Stock Exchange and, accordingly, no invitation to the public in the Cayman Islands is to be made by the issuer (or by any dealer on its behalf). No such invitation is made to the public in the Cayman Islands hereby.

Dominican Republic. Nothing in this pricing supplement constitutes an offer of securities for sale in the Dominican Republic. The notes have not been, and will not be, registered with the Superintendence of Securities Market of the Dominican Republic (Superintendencia del Mercado de Valores), under Dominican Securities Market Law No. 249-17 (“Securities Law 249-17”), and the notes may not be offered or sold within the Dominican Republic or to, or for the account or benefit of, Dominican persons (as defined under Securities Law 249-17 and its regulations). Failure to comply with these directives may result in a violation of Securities Law 249-17 and its regulations.

Israel. This pricing supplement is intended solely for investors listed in the First Supplement of the Israeli Securities Law of 1968, as amended. A prospectus has not been prepared or filed, and will not be prepared or filed, in Israel relating to the notes offered hereunder. The notes cannot be resold in Israel other than to investors listed in the First Supplement of the Israeli Securities Law of 1968, as amended.

No action will be taken in Israel that would permit an offering of the notes or the distribution of any offering document or any other material to the public in Israel. In particular, no offering document or other material has been reviewed or approved by the Israel Securities Authority. Any material provided to an offeree in Israel may not be reproduced or used for any other purpose, nor be furnished to any other person other than those to whom copies have been provided directly by us or the selling agents.

Nothing in this pricing supplement or any other offering material relating to the notes, should be considered as the rendering of a recommendation or advice, including investment advice or investment marketing under the Law For Regulation of Investment Advice, Investment

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Marketing and Investment Portfolio Management, 1995, to purchase any note. The purchase of any note will be based on an investor’s own understanding, for the investor’s own benefit and for the investor’s own account and not with the aim or intention of distributing or offering to other parties. In purchasing the notes, each investor declares that it has the knowledge, expertise and experience in financial and business matters so as to be capable of evaluating the risks and merits of an investment in the notes, without relying on any of the materials provided.

Mexico. The notes have not been registered with the National Registry of Securities maintained by the Mexican National Banking and Securities Commission and may not be offered or sold publicly in Mexico. This pricing supplement and the related documents may not be publicly distributed in Mexico. The notes may only be offered in a private offering pursuant to Article 8 of the Securities Market Law.

Switzerland. This pricing supplement is not intended to constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase or invest in any notes. Neither this pricing supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the notes constitutes a prospectus compliant with the requirements of articles 35 et seq. of the Swiss Financial Services Act ("FinSA")) for a public offering of the notes in Switzerland and no such prospectus has been or will be prepared for or in connection with the offering of the notes in Switzerland.

Neither this pricing supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the notes has been or will be filed with or approved by a Swiss review body (Prüfstelle). No application has been or is intended to be made to admit the notes to trading on any trading venue (SIX Swiss Exchange or on any other exchange or any multilateral trading facility) in Switzerland. Neither this pricing supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the notes may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland.

The notes may not be publicly offered, directly or indirectly, in Switzerland within the meaning of FinSA except (i) in any circumstances falling within the exemptions to prepare a prospectus listed in article 36 para. 1 FinSA or (ii) where such offer does not qualify as a public offer in Switzerland, provided always that no offer of notes shall require the Issuer or any offeror to publish a prospectus pursuant to article 35 FinSA in respect to such offer and that such offer shall comply with the additional restrictions set out below (if applicable). The Issuer has not authorised and does not authorise any offer of notes which would require the Issuer or any offeror to publish a prospectus pursuant to article 35 FinSA in respect of such offer. For purposes of this provision "public offer" shall have the meaning as such term is understood pursuant to article 3 lit. g and h FinSA and the Swiss Financial Services Ordinance ("FinSO").

The notes do not constitute participations in a collective investment scheme within the meaning of the Swiss Collective Investment Schemes Act. They are not subject to the approval of, or supervision by, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority ("FINMA"), and investors in the notes will not benefit from protection under CISA or supervision by FINMA.

Prohibition of Offer to Private Clients in Switzerland - No Key Information Document pursuant to article 58 FinSA (Basisinformationsblatt für Finanzinstrumente) or equivalent document under foreign law pursuant to article 59 para. 2 FinSA has been or will be prepared in relation to the notes. Therefore, the following additional restriction applies: Notes qualifying as "debt securities with a derivative character" pursuant to article 86 para. 2 FinSO may not be offered within the meaning of article 58 para. 1 FinSA, and neither this pricing supplement nor any other offering or marketing material relating to such notes may be made available, to any retail client (Privatkunde) within the meaning of FinSA in Switzerland.

The notes may also be sold in the following jurisdictions, provided, in each case, any sales are made in accordance with all applicable laws in such jurisdiction:

●Barbados

●Bermuda

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Additional Information Relating to the Estimated Initial Value of the Notes

 Our estimated initial value of the notes on the date hereof that is set forth on the cover hereof, equals the sum of the values of the following hypothetical components:

●a fixed-income debt component with the same tenor as the notes, valued using our internal funding rate for structured notes; and 

●one or more derivative transactions relating to the economic terms of the notes. 

 The internal funding rate used in the determination of the initial estimated value generally represents a discount from the credit spreads for our conventional fixed-rate debt. The value of these derivative transactions is derived from our internal pricing models. These models are based on factors such as the traded market prices of comparable derivative instruments and on other inputs, which include volatility, dividend rates, interest rates and other factors. As a result, the estimated initial value of the notes on the Pricing Date was determined based on the market conditions on the Pricing Date. 

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The Basket Components

All disclosures contained in this pricing supplement regarding the Basket Components, including, without limitation, their make-up, method of calculation, and changes in their components and their historical closing levels, have been derived from publicly available information prepared by the applicable sponsors. The information reflects the policies of, and is subject to change by, the sponsors. The sponsors own the copyrights and all rights to the Basket Components. The sponsors are under no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue publication of, the Basket Components. Neither we, Citigroup, nor any of our or their affiliates accept any responsibility for the calculation, maintenance or publication of any Basket Component or any successor. We encourage you to review recent levels of the Basket Components prior to making an investment decision with respect to the notes.

The Russell 2000^® Index (“RTY”)

The Russell 2000^® Index was developed by Russell Investments (“Russell”) before FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”) and Russell combined in 2015 to create FTSE Russell, which is wholly owned by London Stock Exchange Group. Russell began dissemination of the Russell 2000^® Index (Bloomberg L.P. index symbol “RTY”) on January 1, 1984. The Russell 2000^® Index was set to 135 as of the close of business on December 31, 1986. FTSE Russell calculates and publishes the Russell 2000^® Index. The Russell 2000^® Index is designed to track the performance of the small capitalization segment of the U.S. equity market. The Russell 2000^® Index is a subset of the Russell 3000^® Index representing approximately 10% of the total market capitalization of that index. It includes approximately 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The Russell 3000^® Index measures the performance of the largest 3,000 U.S. companies. The Russell 2000^® Index is determined, comprised, and calculated by FTSE Russell without regard to the notes.

Selection of Stocks Comprising the Russell 2000^® Index

All companies eligible for inclusion in the Russell 2000^® Index must be classified as a U.S. company under FTSE Russell’s country-assignment methodology. If a company is incorporated, has a stated headquarters location, and trades on a standard exchange in the same country (American Depositary Receipts and American Depositary Shares are not eligible), then the company is assigned to its country of incorporation. If any of the three factors are not the same, FTSE Russell defines three Home Country Indicators (“HCIs”): country of incorporation, country of headquarters, and country of the most liquid exchange as defined by a two-year average daily dollar trading volume (“ADDTV”) from all exchanges within a country. Using the HCIs, FTSE Russell cross-compares the primary location of the company’s assets with the three HCIs. If the primary location of its assets matches any of the HCIs, then the company is assigned to its primary asset location. If there is insufficient information to determine located company’s primary location of assets, FTSE Russell will use the primary location of the company’s revenue for the same cross-comparison and assigns the company to the appropriate country in a similar fashion. FTSE Russell uses an average of two years of assets or revenues data for analysis to reduce potential turnover. If conclusive country details cannot be derived from assets or revenues data, FTSE Russell will assign the company to the country in which its headquarters are located unless the country is a Benefit Driven Incorporation (BDI) country. If the country in which its headquarters are located is a BDI, the company is assigned to the country of its most liquid stock exchange. BDI countries include: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Cook Islands, Curacao, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liberia, Marshall Islands, Panama, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Turks and Caicos Islands. For any companies incorporated or headquartered in a U.S. territory, including countries such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands, a U.S. HCI is assigned. “N-Shares” of companies controlled by entities in mainland China are not eligible for inclusion in the Russell 2000^® Index.

All securities eligible for inclusion in the Russell 2000^® Index must trade on an eligible U.S. exchange. Stocks must have a closing price at or above $1.00 (on its primary exchange) on rank day in May of each year (timetable is announced each spring) to be eligible for inclusion during annual reconstitution. However, in order to reduce unnecessary turnover, if an existing member’s closing price is less than $1.00 on rank day of May, it will be considered eligible if the average of the daily closing prices (from its primary exchange) during the 30 days prior to the rank date is equal to or greater than $1.00. FTSE Russell adds initial public offerings (IPOs) each quarter to ensure that new additions to the institutional investing opportunity set are reflected in representative indexes. A stock added during the quarterly IPO process is considered a new index addition, and therefore must have a closing price on its primary exchange at or above $1.00 on the last day of the eligibility period in order to qualify for index inclusion. If an existing index member does not trade on the rank day, it must price at $1.00 or above on another eligible U.S. exchange to remain eligible.

Royalty trusts, U.S. limited liability companies, closed-end investment companies (companies that are required to report Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses, as defined by the SEC, including business development companies, are not eligible for inclusion), blank check companies, special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), mutual funds and limited partnerships are ineligible for inclusion. Preferred and convertible preferred stock, redeemable shares, participating preferred stock, warrants, rights, depositary receipts, installment receipts and trust receipts are not eligible for inclusion in the Russell 2000^® Index.

Annual reconstitution is a process by which the Russell 2000^® Index is completely rebuilt. On the rank day in May of each year, all eligible securities are ranked by their total market capitalization. The largest 4,000 become the Russell 3000E Index, and the other FTSE Russell indexes are determined from that set of securities. If there are not 4, 000 eligible securities in the U.S. market, the entire eligible set is include. Reconstitution of the Russell 2000^® Index occurs on the last Friday in June or, when the last Friday in June is the 29th or 30th, reconstitution occurs on the prior Friday. In addition, FTSE Russell adds initial public offerings to the Russell 2000^® Index on a quarterly basis based on total market capitalization ranking within the market-adjusted capitalization breaks established during the most recent reconstitution.

After membership is determined, a security’s shares are adjusted to include only those shares available to the public. This is often referred to as “free float.” The purpose of the adjustment is to exclude from market calculations the capitalization that is not available for purchase and is not part of the investable opportunity set.

License Agreement

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“Russell 2000^®” and “Russell 3000^®” are trademarks of FTSE Russell and have been licensed for use by us.

The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by FTSE Russell. FTSE Russell makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of the notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the notes particularly or the ability of the Russell 2000^® Index to track general stock market performance or a segment of the same. FTSE Russell's publication of the Russell 2000^® Index in no way suggests or implies an opinion by FTSE Russell as to the advisability of investment in any or all of the securities upon which the Russell 2000^® Index is based. FTSE Russell's only relationship to the Issuer is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of FTSE Russell and of the Russell 2000^® Index which is determined, composed and calculated by FTSE Russell without regard to the Issuer or the notes. FTSE Russell is not responsible for and has not reviewed the notes nor any associated literature or publications and FTSE Russell makes no representation or warranty express or implied as to their accuracy or completeness, or otherwise. FTSE Russell reserves the right, at any time and without notice, to alter, amend, terminate or in any way change the Russell 2000^® Index. FTSE Russell has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the notes.

FTSE RUSSELL DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE RUSSELL 2000^® INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND FTSE RUSSELL SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. FTSE RUSSELL MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ISSUER, INVESTORS, OWNERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE RUSSELL 2000^® INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FTSE RUSSELL MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSELL 2000^® INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED HEREIN WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING. IN NO EVENT SHALL FTSE RUSSELL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

The S&P MidCap 400^® Index (“MID”)

The S&P MidCap 400^® Index is published by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (“S&P”) and is intended to provide a benchmark for the performance of the medium capitalization segment of the U.S. equity markets. The MID tracks the stock price movement of 400 companies with mid-sized market capitalizations, primarily ranging from $2.4 billion to $8.2 billion. This range is reviewed from time to time to ensure consistency with market conditions. The calculation of the level of the MID is based on the relative value of the aggregate market value of the common stocks of 400 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average market value of the common stocks of 400 similar companies on the base date of June 28, 1991.

S&P calculates the S&P MidCap 400^® Index by reference to the prices of the constituent stocks of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index without taking account of the value of dividends paid on those stocks. As a result, the return on the notes will not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the constituent stocks of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index and received the dividends paid on those stocks.

Computation of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index

While S&P currently employs the following methodology to calculate the S&P MidCap 400^® Index, no assurance can be given that S&P will not modify or change this methodology in a manner that may affect the Payment at Maturity.

Historically, the market value of any component stock of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index was calculated as the product of the market price per share and the number of then outstanding shares of such component stock. In March 2005, S&P began shifting the S&P MidCap 400^® Index halfway from a market capitalization weighted formula to a float-adjusted formula, before moving the S&P MidCap 400^® Index to full float adjustment. S&P’s criteria for selecting stocks for the S&P MidCap 400^® Index did not change with the shift to float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects each company’s weight in the S&P MidCap 400^® Index.

Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the S&P MidCap 400^® Index reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not all of a company’s outstanding shares. Float adjustment excludes shares that are closely held by control groups, other publicly traded companies or government agencies.

In September 2012, all shareholdings representing more than 5% of a stock’s outstanding shares, other than holdings by “block owners,” were removed from the float for purposes of calculating the S&P MidCap 400^® Index. Generally, these “control holders” will include officers and directors, private equity, venture capital and special equity firms, other publicly traded companies that hold shares for control, strategic partners, holders of restricted shares, ESOPs, employee and family trusts, foundations associated with the company, holders of unlisted share classes of stock, government entities at all levels (other than government retirement/pension funds) and any individual person who controls a 5% or greater stake in a company as reported in regulatory filings. However, holdings by block owners, such as depositary banks, pension funds, mutual funds and ETF providers, 401(k) plans of the company, government retirement/pension funds, investment funds of insurance companies, asset managers and investment funds, independent foundations and savings and investment plans, will ordinarily be considered part of the float.

Treasury stock, stock options, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock, and rights are not part of the float. Shares held in a trust to allow investors in countries outside the country of domicile, such as depositary shares and Canadian exchangeable shares are normally part of the float unless those shares form a control block.

For each stock, an investable weight factor (“IWF”) is calculated by dividing the available float shares by the total shares outstanding. Available float shares are defined as the total shares outstanding less shares held by control holders. This calculation is subject to a 5% minimum threshold for control blocks. For example, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares, and no other control group holds 5% of the company’s shares, S&P would assign that company an IWF of 1.00, as no control group meets the 5% threshold. However, if a company’s officers and directors hold 3% of the company’s shares and another control group holds 20% of the company’s shares, S&P would assign an IWF of 0.77, reflecting the fact that 23% of the company’s outstanding shares are considered to be held for control. As of July 31, 2017, companies with multiple share class lines are no longer eligible for inclusion in the S&P MidCap 400^® Index. Constituents of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index prior to July

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31, 2017 with multiple share class lines were grandfathered in and continue to be included in the S&P MidCap 400^® Index. If a constituent company of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index reorganizes into a multiple share class line structure, that company will remain in the S&P MidCap 400^® Index at the discretion of the S&P Index Committee in order to minimize turnover.

The S&P MidCap 400^® Index is calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology. The level of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index reflects the total market value of all 400 component stocks relative to the base period of June 28, 1991. An indexed number is used to represent the results of this calculation in order to make the level easier to use and track over time. The actual total market value of the component stocks during the base period has been set to an indexed level of 100. This is often indicated by the notation June 28, 1991 = 100. In practice, the daily calculation of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index is computed by dividing the total market value of the component stocks by the “index divisor.” By itself, the index divisor is an arbitrary number. However, in the context of the calculation of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index, it serves as a link to the original base period level of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index. The index divisor keeps the S&P MidCap 400^® Index comparable over time and is the manipulation point for all adjustments to the S&P MidCap 400^® Index, which is index maintenance.

Index Maintenance

Index maintenance includes monitoring and completing the adjustments for company additions and deletions, share changes, stock splits, stock dividends, and stock price adjustments due to company restructuring or spinoffs. Some corporate actions, such as stock splits and stock dividends, require changes in the common shares outstanding and the stock prices of the companies in the S&P MidCap 400^® Index, and do not require index divisor adjustments.

To prevent the level of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index from changing due to corporate actions, corporate actions which affect the total market value of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index require an index divisor adjustment. By adjusting the index divisor for the change in market value, the level of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index remains constant and does not reflect the corporate actions of individual companies in the S&P MidCap 400^® Index. Index divisor adjustments are made after the close of trading and after the calculation of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index closing level.

Changes in a company’s total shares outstanding of 5% or more due to public offerings are made as soon as reasonably possible. Other changes of 5% or more (for example, due to tender offers, Dutch auctions, voluntary exchange offers, company stock repurchases, private placements, acquisitions of private companies or non-index companies that do not trade on a major exchange, redemptions, exercise of options, warrants, conversion of preferred stock, notes, debt, equity participations, at-the-market stock offerings or other recapitalizations) are made weekly, and are generally announced on Fridays for implementation after the close of trading the following Friday (one week later). If a 5% or more share change causes a company’s IWF to change by five percentage points or more, the IWF is updated at the same time as the share change. IWF changes resulting from partial tender offers are considered on a case-by-case basis.

License Agreement

We and S&P have entered into a non-exclusive license agreement providing for the license to us and certain of our affiliates, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use the S&P MidCap 400^® Index, in connection with certain securities, including the notes. The S&P MidCap 400^® Index is owned and published by S&P.

The license agreement between S&P and us provides that the following language must be set forth in this pricing supplement:

The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, Dow Jones, Standard and Poor’s Financial Services LLC or any of their respective affiliates (collectively, “S&P Dow Jones Indices”). S&P Dow Jones Indices make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the holders of the notes or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the notes particularly or the ability of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index to track general market performance. S&P Dow Jones Indices’ only relationship to us with respect to the S&P MidCap 400^® Index is the licensing of the Index and certain trademarks, service marks and/or trade names of S&P Dow Jones Indices and/or its third party licensors. The S&P MidCap 400^® Index is determined, composed and calculated by S&P Dow Jones Indices without regard to us or the notes. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation to take our needs or the needs of holders of the notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the S&P MidCap 400^® Index. S&P Dow Jones Indices are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the prices, and amount of the notes or the timing of the issuance or sale of the notes or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the notes are to be converted into cash. S&P Dow Jones Indices have no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the notes. There is no assurance that investment products based on the S&P MidCap 400^® Index will accurately track index performance or provide positive investment returns. S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and its subsidiaries are not investment advisors. Inclusion of a security or futures contract within an index is not a recommendation by S&P Dow Jones Indices to buy, sell, or hold such security or futures contract, nor is it considered to be investment advice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may independently issue and/or sponsor financial products unrelated to the notes currently being issued by us, but which may be similar to and competitive with the notes. In addition, CME Group Inc. and its affiliates may trade financial products which are linked to the performance of the S&P MidCap 400^® Index. It is possible that this trading activity will affect the value of the notes.

S&P DOW JONES INDICES DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE S&P MidCap 400^® INDEX OR ANY DATA RELATED THERETO OR ANY COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATION (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. S&P DOW JONES INDICES SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR DELAYS THEREIN. S&P DOW JONES INDICES MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE OR AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY US, HOLDERS OF THE NOTES, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE S&P MIDCAP 400^® INDEX OR WITH RESPECT TO ANY DATA RELATED THERETO. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL S&P DOW JONES INDICES BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF PROFITS, TRADING LOSSES, LOST TIME OR GOODWILL, EVEN IF THEY HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN S&P DOW JONES INDICES AND US, OTHER THAN THE LICENSORS OF S&P DOW JONES INDICES.

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S&P^® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones^® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. These trademarks have been licensed for use by Bank of Montreal. “Standard & Poor’s^®”, “S&P MidCap 400^®” and “S&P^®” are trademarks of S&P. The notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P and S&P makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in the notes.

 

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Validity of the Notes

In the opinion of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, the issue and sale of the notes has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Bank in conformity with the Senior Indenture, and when this pricing supplement has been attached to, and duly notated on, the master note that represents the notes, the notes will have been validly executed and issued and, to the extent validity of the notes is a matter governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, or the laws of Canada applicable therein, and will be valid obligations of the Bank, subject to the following limitations (i) the enforceability of the Senior Indenture may be limited by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act (Canada), the Winding-up and Restructuring Act (Canada) and bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium, arrangement or winding-up laws or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally; (ii) the enforceability of the Senior Indenture may be limited by equitable principles, including the principle that equitable remedies such as specific performance and injunction may only be granted in the discretion of a court of competent jurisdiction; (iii) pursuant to the Currency Act (Canada) a judgment by a Canadian court must be awarded in Canadian currency and that such judgment may be based on a rate of exchange in existence on a day other than the day of payment; and (iv) the enforceability of the Senior Indenture will be subject to the limitations contained in the Limitations Act, 2002 (Ontario), and such counsel expresses no opinion as to whether a court may find any provision of the Senior Debt Indenture to be unenforceable as an attempt to vary or exclude a limitation period under that Act. This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the Provinces of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable thereto. In addition, this opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture and the genuineness of signatures and certain factual matters, all as stated in the letter of such counsel dated May 26, 2022, which has been filed as Exhibit 5.3 to Bank of Montreal’s Form 6-K filed with the SEC and dated May 26, 2022.

In the opinion of Mayer Brown LLP, when this pricing supplement has been attached to, and duly notated on, the master note that represents the notes, and the notes have been issued and sold as contemplated herein, the notes will be valid, binding and enforceable obligations of Bank of Montreal, entitled to the benefits of the Senior Indenture, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability (including, without limitation, concepts of good faith, fair dealing and the lack of bad faith). This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the laws of the State of New York. Insofar as this opinion involves matters governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, or the laws of Canada applicable therein, Mayer Brown LLP has assumed, without independent inquiry or investigation, the validity of the matters opined on by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Canadian legal counsel for the issuer, in its opinion expressed above. This opinion is subject to customary assumptions about the trustee’s authorization, execution and delivery of the Senior Indenture and the genuineness of signatures and to such counsel’s reliance on the Bank of Montreal and other sources as to certain factual matters, all as stated in the legal opinion of Mayer Brown LLP dated May 26, 2022, which has been filed with the SEC as an exhibit to a report on Form 6-K by the Bank of Montreal on May 26, 2022.

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