424B2 1 v302524_424b2.htm PRICING SUPPLEMENT

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
Title of Each Class of Securities Offered	Maximum Aggregate Offering Price	Amount of Registration Fee ⁽¹⁾
HSBC USA Inc. Buffered Return Enhanced Notes Linked to the S&P 500^®Index due February 27, 2013	$22,384,000	$2,565.21

⁽¹⁾ Calculated in accordance with Rule 457 (r) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)

Registration No. 333-158385

PRICING SUPPLEMENT

Dated February 10, 2012

(To Prospectus dated April 2, 2009,

Prospectus Supplement dated April 9, 2009,

and Product Supplement dated April 9, 2009)

Structured
Investments

HSBC USA Inc.
$22,384,000
Buffered Return Enhanced Notes Linked to the S&P 500^® Index due February 27, 2013 (the “Notes”)

General

Terms used in this pricing supplement are described or defined herein, in the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus. The Notes offered will have the terms described herein and in the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus. The Notes are not principal protected, and you may lose up to 100.00% of your initial investment. The Notes will not bear interest.

All references to “Enhanced Market Participation Notes” in the product supplement shall refer to these Buffered Return Enhanced Notes.

This pricing supplement relates to a single note offering. The purchaser of a Note will acquire a security linked to a single Reference Asset described below.

Although the offering relates to a Reference Asset, you should not construe that fact as a recommendation as to the merits of acquiring an investment linked to the Reference Asset or any component security included in the Reference Asset or as to the suitability of an investment in the related Notes.

Senior unsecured debt obligations of HSBC USA Inc. maturing February 27, 2013.

Minimum denominations of $10,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof.

If the terms of the Notes set forth below are inconsistent with those described in the accompanying product supplement, the terms set forth below will supersede.

Key Terms

Issuer:

HSBC USA Inc.

Reference Asset:

The S&P 500^®Index (“SPX”)

Principal Amount:

$1,000 per Note.

Trade Date:

February 10, 2012

Pricing Date:

February 10, 2012

Original Issue Date:

February 15, 2012

Ending Averaging Dates:

February 15, 2013, February 19, 2013, February 20, 2013, February 21, 2013 and February 22, 2013 (the Final Valuation Date), subject to adjustment as described herein and in the accompanying product supplement.

Final Valuation Date:

February 22, 2013, subject to adjustment as described herein and in the accompanying product supplement.

Maturity Date:

3 business days after the Final Valuation Date and is expected to be February 27, 2013. The Maturity Date is subject to further adjustment as described under “Market Disruption Events” herein and under “Specific Terms of the Notes — Market Disruption Events” in the accompanying product supplement.

Payment at Maturity:

For each Note, the Cash Settlement Value.

Cash Settlement Value:

For each Note, you will receive a cash payment on the Maturity Date that is based on the Reference Return (as described below):

If the Reference Return is greater than or equal to 0.00%, you will receive an amount equal to 100.00% of the Principal Amount plus the lesser of:

(i) the product of (a) the Principal Amount multiplied by (b) the Reference Return multiplied by the Upside Participation Rate; and

(ii) the product of (a) the Principal Amount multiplied by (b) the Maximum Return.

If the Reference Return is less than 0.00% but greater than or equal to -10.00%, meaning that the level of the Reference Asset declines by no more than the 10.00% Buffer Amount, at maturity you will receive 100.00% of the Principal Amount.

If the Reference Return is less than -10.00%, meaning that the level of the Reference Asset declines by more than the 10.00% Buffer Amount, at maturity you will lose 1.11111% of the Principal Amount for each percentage point that the Reference Return is below -10.00%. This means that if the Reference Return is -100.00%, you will lose your entire investment.

Upside Participation Rate:

200.00%

Maximum Return:

11.50%

Buffer Amount:

10.00%

Downside Leverage Factor:

1.11111

Reference Return:

The quotient, expressed as a percentage, calculated as follows:

Final Level – Initial Level

Initial Level

Initial Level:

1,342.64, which was the Official Closing Level of the Reference Asset on the Pricing Date.

Final Level:

The arithmetic average of the Official Closing Levels of the Reference Asset on the five Ending Averaging Dates, as determined by the calculation agent.

Official Closing Level:

The Official Closing Level of the Reference Asset on any scheduled trading day as determined by the calculation agent based upon the value displayed on Bloomberg Professional^®service page “SPX <INDEX>” or any successor page on Bloomberg Professional^®service or any successor service, as applicable.

Calculation Agent:

HSBC USA Inc. or one of its affiliates

CUSIP/ISIN:

4042K1XK4 / US4042K1XK42

Form of Notes:

Book-Entry

Listing:

The Notes will not be listed on any U.S. securities exchange or quotation system.

Investment in the Notes involves certain risks. You should refer to “Selected Risk Considerations” beginning on page 4 of this document and “Risk Factors” on page PS-4 of the product supplement and page S-3 of the prospectus supplement.

Neither the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of the Notes or determined that this pricing supplement, or the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement and prospectus, is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. or another of our affiliates or agents may use this pricing supplement in market-making transactions in any Notes after their initial sale. Unless we or our agent informs you otherwise in the confirmation of sale, this pricing supplement to is being used in a market-making transaction. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., an affiliate of ours, will purchase the Notes from us for distribution to the placement agent. See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)” on the last page of this pricing supplement.

We have appointed J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and certain of its registered broker-dealer affiliates as placement agent for the sale of the Notes. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and certain of its registered broker dealer affiliates will offer the Notes to investors directly or through other registered broker-dealers.

	Price to Public⁽¹⁾	Fees and Commissions	Proceeds to Issuer
Per Note	$1,000	$10	$990
Total	$22,384,000	$223,840	$22,160,160

⁽¹⁾ Certain fiduciary accounts purchasing the Notes will pay a purchase price of $990 per Note, and the placement agents with respect to sales made to such accounts will forgo any fees.

The Notes:

Are Not FDIC Insured

Are Not Bank Guaranteed

May Lose Value

JPMorgan

Placement Agent

February 10, 2012

Additional Terms Specific to the Notes

This pricing supplement relates to a single note offering linked to the Reference Asset identified on the cover page. The purchaser of a Note will acquire a senior unsecured debt security linked to the Reference Asset. Although the Note offering relates only to a single Reference Asset identified on the cover page, you should not construe that fact as a recommendation as to the merits of acquiring an investment linked to the Reference Asset or any securities comprising the Reference Asset or as to the suitability of an investment in the Notes.

You should read this document together with the prospectus dated April 2, 2009, the prospectus supplement dated April 9, 2009 and the product supplement dated April 9, 2009. If the terms of the Notes offered hereby are inconsistent with those described in the accompanying product supplement, prospectus supplement or prospectus, the terms described in this pricing supplement shall control. You should carefully consider, among other things, the matters set forth in “Selected Risk Considerations” beginning on page 4 of this pricing supplement and “Risk Factors” on page PS-4 of the product supplement and page S-3 of the prospectus supplement, as the Notes involve risks not associated with conventional debt securities. All references to “Enhanced Market Participation Notes” in the product supplement shall refer to these Buffered Return Enhanced Notes. We urge you to consult your investment, legal, tax, accounting and other advisors before you invest in the Notes. As used herein, references to the “Issuer”, “HSBC”, “we”, “us” and “our” are to HSBC USA Inc.

HSBC has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus, a prospectus supplement and a product supplement) with the SEC for the offering to which this pricing supplement relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus, prospectus supplement and product supplement in that registration statement and other documents HSBC has filed with the SEC for more complete information about HSBC and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. or any dealer participating in this offering will arrange to send you the prospectus, prospectus supplement and product supplement if you request them by calling toll-free 1-866-811-8049.

You may also obtain:

•

the product supplement at www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/83246/000114420409019791/v145840_424b2.htm

•

the prospectus supplement at www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/83246/000114420409019785/v145824_424b2.htm

•

the prospectus at www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/83246/000104746909003736/a2192100zs-3asr.htm

Supplemental Information Relating to the Terms of the Notes

Notwithstanding anything contained in the accompanying prospectus supplement or product supplement to the contrary, the Notes will be issued under the senior indenture dated March 31, 2009, between HSBC, as Issuer, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as trustee. Such indenture has substantially the same terms as the indenture described in the accompanying prospectus supplement and product supplement. HSBC Bank USA, N.A. will act as paying agent with respect to the Notes pursuant to a Paying Agent and Securities Registrar Agreement dated June 1, 2009, between HSBC and HSBC Bank USA, N.A.

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What Is the Total Return on the Notes at Maturity Assuming a Range of Performances for the Reference Asset?

The following table illustrates the hypothetical total return at maturity on the Notes. The “total return” as used in this pricing supplement is the number, expressed as a percentage, that results from comparing the Payment at Maturity per $1,000 Principal Amount of Notes to $1,000. The hypothetical total returns set forth below reflect the Upside Participation Rate of 200.00%, the Buffer Amount of 10.00%, the Downside Leverage Factor of 1.11111, the Maximum Return on the Notes of 11.50% and the Initial Level of 1,342.64. The actual Initial Level will be determined on the Pricing Date. The hypothetical total returns set forth below are for illustrative purposes only and may not be the actual total returns applicable to a purchaser of the Notes. The numbers appearing in the following table and examples have been rounded for ease of analysis.

Hypothetical Final Level	Hypothetical Reference Return	Hypothetical Total Return on the Notes
2,685.28	100.00%	11.500%
2,416.75	80.00%	11.500%
2,282.49	70.00%	11.500%
2,148.22	60.00%	11.500%
2,013.96	50.00%	11.500%
1,879.70	40.00%	11.500%
1,745.43	30.00%	11.500%
1,611.17	20.00%	11.500%
1,476.90	10.00%	11.500%
1,419.84	5.75%	11.500%
1,409.77	5.00%	10.000%
1,376.21	2.50%	5.000%
1,356.07	1.00%	2.000%
1,342.64	0.00%	0.000%
1,329.21	-1.00%	0.000%
1,275.51	-5.00%	0.000%
1,208.38	-10.00%	0.000%
1,074.11	-20.00%	-11.111%
939.85	-30.00%	-22.222%
805.58	-40.00%	-33.333%
671.32	-50.00%	-44.444%
537.06	-60.00%	-55.555%
402.79	-70.00%	-66.666%
268.53	-80.00%	-77.777%
134.26	-90.00%	-88.888%
0.00	-100.00%	-100.000%

Hypothetical Examples of Amounts Payable at Maturity

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

Example 1: The level of the Reference Asset increases from the Initial Level of 1,342.64 to a Final Level of 1,409.77. Because the Final Level of 1,409.77 is greater than the Initial Level of 1,342.64 and the Reference Return of 5.00% multiplied by the Upside Participation Rate of 200.00% does not exceed the Maximum Return of 11.50%, the investor receives a Payment at Maturity of $1,100.00 per $1,000 Principal Amount of Notes, calculated as follows:

$1,000 + [$1,000 × (5.00% × 200.00%)] = $1,100.00

Example 2: The level of the Reference Asset increases from the Initial Level of 1,342.64 to a Final Level of 1,611.17. Because the Final Level of 1,611.17 is greater than the Initial Level of 1,342.64 and the Reference Return of 20.00% multiplied by the Upside Participation Rate of 200.00% exceeds the Maximum Return of 11.50%, the investor receives a Payment at Maturity of $1,115.00 per $1,000 Principal Amount of Notes, the maximum payment on the Notes, calculated as follows:

$1,000 + ($1,000 × 11.50%) = $1,115.00

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Example 3: The level of the Reference Asset decreases from the Initial Level of 1,342.64 to a Final Level of 1,275.51. Because the Reference Return is -5.00% and the Final Level of 1,275.51 is less than the Initial Level of 1,342.64 but not by more than the Buffer Amount of 10.00%, the investor receives a Payment at Maturity of 100.00% of the principal amount, which equals $1,000.00 per $1,000 Principal Amount of Notes.

Example 4: The level of the Reference Asset decreases from the Initial Level of 1,342.64 to a Final Level of 939.85. Because the Reference Return is -30.00% and the Final Level of 939.85 is less than the Initial Level of 1,342.64 by more than the Buffer Amount of 10.00%, the investor receives a Payment at Maturity of $777.78 per $1,000 Principal Amount of Notes, calculated as follows:

$1,000 + [$1,000 × (-30.00% + 10.00%) × 1.11111] = $777.78

Selected Purchase Considerations

APPRECIATION POTENTIAL — The Notes provide the opportunity for enhanced returns at maturity by multiplying a positive Reference Return by 200.00%, up to the Maximum Return on the Notes of 11.50%, or a maximum Payment at Maturity of $1,115.00 for every $1,000 Principal Amount of Notes. Because the Notes are our senior unsecured obligations, payment of any amount at maturity is subject to our ability to pay our obligations as they become due.

LIMITED BUFFER AGAINST LOSS — We will pay you your principal back at maturity if the Final Level is not less than the Initial Level by more than the Buffer Amount of 10.00%. If the level of the Reference Asset declines by more than 10.00%, you will lose 1.11111% of the Principal Amount for every 1.00% decline of the level of the Reference Asset over the term of the Notes beyond 10.00%. If the Reference Return is -100.00%, you will lose your entire investment.

DIVERSIFICATION OF THE S&P 500^® INDEX — The return on the Notes is linked to the S&P 500^® Index. The S&P 500^® Index consists of 500 component stocks selected to provide a performance benchmark for the U.S. equity markets. For additional information about the Reference Asset, see the information set forth under “Description of the Reference Asset” herein.

TAX TREATMENT — There is no direct legal authority as to the proper tax treatment of the Notes, and therefore significant aspects of the tax treatment of the Notes are uncertain as to both the timing and character of any inclusion in income in respect of the Notes. Under one approach, the Notes should be treated as pre-paid forward or other executory contracts with respect to the Reference Asset. We intend to treat the Notes consistent with this approach. Pursuant to the terms of the Notes, you agree to treat the Notes under this approach for all U.S. federal income tax purposes. Notwithstanding any disclosure in the accompanying product supplement to the contrary, our special U.S. tax counsel in this transaction is Sidley Austin llp. Subject to the limitations described therein, and based on certain factual representations received from us, in the opinion of our special U.S. tax counsel, Sidley Austin llp, it is reasonable to treat the Notes as pre-paid forward or other executory contracts with respect to the Reference Asset. Pursuant to this approach, we do not intend to report any income or gain with respect to the Notes prior to their maturity or an earlier sale or exchange and we generally intend to treat any gain or loss upon maturity or an earlier sale or exchange as long-term capital gain or loss, provided that you have held the Note for more than one year at such time for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For a further discussion of the U.S. federal income tax consequences related to the Notes, see the section “Certain U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying product supplement.

Selected Risk Considerations

An investment in the Notes involves significant risks. Investing in the Notes is not equivalent to investing directly in any of the component securities of the Reference Asset. These risks are explained in more detail in the “Risk Factors” sections of the accompanying product supplement and prospectus supplement.

YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE NOTES MAY RESULT IN A LOSS — The Notes do not guarantee any return of principal if the Reference Return is less than -10.00%. The return on the Notes at maturity is linked to the performance of the Reference Asset and will depend on whether, and the extent to which, the Reference Return is positive or negative. Your investment will be exposed on a leveraged basis to any decline in the Final Level of the Reference Asset beyond the Buffer Amount as compared to the Initial Level. You may lose up to 100.00% of your investment.

CREDIT RISK OF HSBC USA INC. — The Notes are senior unsecured debt obligations of the Issuer, HSBC, and are not, either directly or indirectly, an obligation of any third party. As further described in the accompanying prospectus supplement and prospectus, the Notes will rank on par with all of the other unsecured and unsubordinated debt obligations of HSBC, except such obligations as may be preferred by operation of law. Any payment to be made on the Notes, including any return of principal at maturity, depends on the ability of HSBC to satisfy its obligations as they come due. As a result, the actual and perceived creditworthiness of HSBC may affect the market value of the Notes and, in the event HSBC were to default on its obligations, you may not receive the amounts owed to you under the terms of the Notes.

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YOUR MAXIMUM GAIN ON THE NOTES IS LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM RETURN — If the Final Level is greater than the Initial Level, for each $1,000 Principal Amount of Notes you hold, you will receive at maturity $1,000 plus an additional amount that will not exceed the Maximum Return of 11.50% of the Principal Amount, regardless of the appreciation in the Reference Asset, which may be significantly greater than the Maximum Return. You will not receive a return on the Notes greater than the Maximum Return.

SUITABILITY OF NOTES FOR INVESTMENT – A person should reach a decision to invest in the Notes after carefully considering, with his or her advisors, the suitability of the Notes in light of his or her investment objectives and the information set out in this pricing supplement. Neither the Issuer nor any dealer participating in the offering makes any recommendation as to the suitability of the Notes for investment.

CERTAIN BUILT-IN COSTS ARE LIKELY TO ADVERSELY AFFECT THE VALUE OF THE NOTES PRIOR TO MATURITY — While the Payment at Maturity described in this pricing supplement is based on the full Principal Amount of your Notes, the original issue price of the Notes includes the placement agent’s commission and the estimated cost of hedging our obligations under the Notes through one or more of our affiliates. As a result, the price, if any, at which HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. will be willing to purchase Notes from you in secondary market transactions, if at all, will likely be lower than the original issue price, and any sale of Notes by you prior to the Maturity Date could result in a substantial loss to you. The Notes are not designed to be short-term trading instruments. Accordingly, you should be able and willing to hold your Notes to maturity.

NO INTEREST OR DIVIDEND PAYMENTS OR VOTING RIGHTS — As a holder of the Notes, you will not receive interest payments, and you will not have voting rights or rights to receive cash dividends or other distributions or other rights that holders of securities composing the Reference Asset would have.

LACK OF LIQUIDITY — The Notes will not be listed on any securities exchange. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. may offer to purchase the Notes in the secondary market but is not required to do so and may cease making such offers at any time. Because other dealers are not likely to make a secondary market for the Notes, the price at which you may be able to trade your Notes is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. is willing to buy the Notes. Even if there is a secondary market, it may not provide enough liquidity to allow you to trade or sell the Notes easily.

POTENTIAL CONFLICTS — We and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the issuance of the Notes, including acting as calculation agent and hedging our obligations under the Notes. In performing these duties, the economic interests of the calculation agent and other affiliates of ours are potentially adverse to your interests as an investor in the Notes. We will not have any obligation to consider your interests as a holder of the Notes in taking any corporate action that might affect the level of the Reference Asset and the value of the Notes. The calculation agent is under no obligation to consider your interests as a holder of the Notes in taking any actions that might affect the value of your Notes.

The Notes are Not Insured by any Governmental Agency of the United States or any Other Jurisdiction — The Notes are not deposit liabilities or other obligations of a bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency or program of the United States or any other jurisdiction. An investment in the Notes is subject to the credit risk of the Issuer, and in the event that we are unable to pay our obligations as they become due, you may not receive the full Payment at Maturity of the Notes.

MANY ECONOMIC AND MARKET FACTORS WILL IMPACT THE VALUE OF THE NOTES — In addition to the level of the Reference Asset on any 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, including:

the expected volatility of the Reference Asset;

the time to maturity of the Notes;

the dividend rate on the equity securities underlying the Reference Asset;

interest and yield rates in the market generally;

a variety of economic, financial, political, regulatory or judicial events that affect the Reference Asset or the stock markets generally; and

our creditworthiness, including actual or anticipated downgrades in our credit ratings.

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Description of the Reference Asset

General

This pricing supplement is not an offer to sell and it is not an offer to buy interests in the Reference Asset or any of the securities comprising the Reference Asset. All disclosures contained in this pricing supplement regarding the Reference Asset, including its make-up, performance, method of calculation and changes in its components, where applicable, are derived from publicly available information. Neither HSBC nor any of its affiliates assumes any responsibilities for the adequacy or accuracy of information about the Reference Asset or any constituent included in the Reference Asset contained in this pricing supplement. You should make your own investigation into each Reference Asset.

We urge you to read the section “Sponsors or Issuers and Reference Asset” on page S-37 in the accompanying prospectus supplement.

The S&P 500^® Index

HSBC has derived all information relating to the Reference Asset, including, without limitation, its make-up, performance, method of calculation and changes in its components, from publicly available sources. That information reflects the policies of and is subject to change by, Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (“S&P”). S&P is under no obligation to continue to publish, and may discontinue or suspend the publication of the Reference Asset at any time.

S&P publishes the Reference Asset

The Reference Asset is intended to provide an indication of the pattern of common stock price movement. The calculation of the level of the Reference Asset, discussed below in further detail, is based on the relative value of the aggregate Market Value (as defined below) of the common stocks of 500 companies as of a particular time compared to the aggregate average Market Value of the common stocks of 500 similar companies during the base period of the years 1941 through 1943. S&P chooses companies for inclusion in the Reference Asset with the aim of achieving a distribution by broad industry groupings that approximates the distribution of these groupings in the common stock population of the Standard & Poor’s Stock Guide Database, which S&P uses as an assumed model for the composition of the total market. S&P may from time to time in its sole discretion, add companies to or delete companies from, the Reference Asset to achieve these objectives.

Relevant criteria employed by S&P include the viability of the particular company, the extent to which that company represents the industry group to which it is assigned, the extent to which the market price of that company’s common stock is generally responsive to changes in the affairs of the respective industry and the market value and trading activity of the common stock of that company. Ten main industry groups comprise the Reference Asset: Information Technology, Financials, Consumer Staples, Health Care, Energy, Industrials, Consumer Discretionary, Utilities, Materials and Telecommunication Services. Changes in the Reference Asset are reported daily in the financial pages of many major newspapers, on Bloomberg Professional^® service under the symbol “SPX” and on the S&P website. Information contained in the S&P website is not incorporated by reference in, and should not be considered a part of, this document.

The Reference Asset does not reflect the payment of dividends on the stocks included in the Reference Asset and therefore the payment on the Notes will not produce the same return you would receive if you were able to purchase such underlying stocks and hold them until the Maturity Date.

Computation of the Reference Asset

Prior to March 2005, the Market Value of a component stock was calculated as the product of the market price per share and the total number of outstanding shares of the component stock. In March 2004, S&P announced that it would transition the Reference Asset to float-adjusted market capitalization weights. The transition began in March 2005 and was completed in September 2005. S&P’s criteria for selecting stock for the Reference Asset was not changed by the shift to float adjustment. However, the adjustment affects each company’s weight in the Reference Asset (i.e., its Market Value). Currently, S&P calculates the Reference Asset based on the total float-adjusted market capitalization of each component stock, where each stock’s weight in the Reference Asset is proportional to its float-adjusted Market Value.

Under float adjustment, the share counts used in calculating the Reference Asset reflect only those shares that are available to investors, not all of a company’s outstanding shares. S&P defines three groups of shareholders whose holdings are subject to float adjustment:

holdings by other publicly traded corporations, venture capital firms, private equity firms, strategic partners, or leveraged buyout groups;

holdings by government entities, including all levels of government in the U.S. or foreign countries; and

holdings by current or former officers and directors of the company, founders of the company, or family trusts of officers, directors, or founders, as well as holdings of trusts, foundations, pension funds, employee stock ownership plans or other investment vehicles associated with and controlled by the company.

However, treasury stock, stock options, restricted shares, equity participation units, warrants, preferred stock, convertible stock, and rights are not part of the float. In cases where holdings in a group exceed 10% of the outstanding shares of a company, the holdings of that group are excluded from the float-adjusted count of shares to be used in the index calculation. Mutual funds, investment advisory firms, pension funds, or foundations not associated with the company and investment funds

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in insurance companies, shares of a U.S. company traded in Canada as “exchangeable shares,” shares that trust beneficiaries may buy or sell without difficulty or significant additional expense beyond typical brokerage fees, and, if a company has multiple classes of stock outstanding, shares in an unlisted or non-traded class if such shares are convertible by shareholders without undue delay and cost, are also part of the float.

For each stock, an investable weight factor (“IWF”) is calculated by dividing the available float shares, defined as the total shares outstanding less shares held in one or more of the three groups listed above where the group holdings exceed 10% of the outstanding shares, by the total shares outstanding. The float-adjusted index is then calculated by dividing the sum of the IWF multiplied by both the price and the total shares outstanding for each stock by an Index divisor (the “Divisor”). For companies with multiple classes of stock, S&P calculates the weighted average IWF for each stock using the proportion of the total company market capitalization of each share class as weights.

As of the date of this document, the Reference Asset is also calculated using a base-weighted aggregate methodology: the level of the Reference Asset reflects the total Market Value of all the component stocks relative to the Reference Asset base period of 1941-43. The daily calculation of the Reference Asset is computed by dividing the Market Value of the Reference Asset component stocks by a Divisor, which is adjusted from time to time as discussed below.

The simplest capitalization weighted index can be thought of as a portfolio consisting of all available shares of the stocks in the index. While this might track this portfolio’s value in dollar terms, it would probably yield an unwieldy number in the trillions. Therefore, the actual number used in the Reference Asset is scaled to a more easily handled number, currently in the thousands, by dividing the portfolio Market Value by the Divisor.

Ongoing maintenance of the Reference Asset includes monitoring and completing the adjustments for additions and deletions of the constituent companies, share changes, stock splits, stock dividends and stock price adjustments due to company restructurings or spin-offs. Continuity in the level of the Reference Asset is maintained by adjusting the Divisor for all changes in the Reference Asset constituents’ share capital after the base period of 1941-43 with the level of the Reference Asset as of the base period set at 10. Some corporate actions, such as stock splits and stock dividends do not require Divisor adjustments because following a stock split or stock dividend, both the stock price and number of shares outstanding are adjusted by S&P so that there is no change in the Market Value of the component stock. All stock split and dividend adjustments are made after the close of trading on the day before the ex-date.

To prevent the level of the Reference Asset from changing due to corporate actions, all corporate actions which affect the total Market Value of the Reference Asset also require a Divisor adjustment. By adjusting the Divisor for the change in total Market Value, the level of the Reference Asset remains constant. This helps maintain the level of the Reference Asset as an accurate barometer of stock market performance and ensures that the movement of the Reference Asset does not reflect the corporate actions of individual companies in the Reference Asset. All Divisor adjustments are made after the close of trading and after the calculation of the closing levels of the Reference Asset. As noted in the preceding paragraph, some corporate actions, such as stock splits and stock dividends, require simple changes in the common shares outstanding and the stock prices of the companies in the Reference Asset and do not require Divisor adjustments.

The table below summarizes the types of Reference Asset maintenance adjustments and indicates whether or not a Divisor adjustment is required.


Type of Corporate Action	Comments	Divisor Adjustment
Company added/deleted	Net change in market value determines Divisor adjustment.	Yes

Change in shares outstanding	Any combination of secondary issuance, share repurchase or buy back—share counts revised to reflect change.	Yes

Stock split	Share count revised to reflect new count. Divisor adjustment is not required since the share count and price changes are offsetting.	No

Spin-off	If spun-off company is not being added to the index, the divisor adjustment reflects the decline in Index Market Value (i.e., the value of the spun-off unit).	Yes

Spin-off	Spun-off company added to the Reference Asset, no company removed from the Reference Asset.	No

Spin-off	Spun-off company added to the Reference Asset, another company removed to keep number of names fixed. Divisor adjustment reflects deletion.	Yes

Change in IWF	Increasing (decreasing) the IWF increases (decreases) the total market value of the Reference Asset. The Divisor change reflects the change in market value caused by the change to an IWF.	Yes

Special dividend	When a company pays a special dividend the share price is assumed to drop by the amount of the dividend; the divisor adjustment reflects	Yes

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Type of Corporate Action	Comments	Divisor Adjustment
	this drop in Index Market Value.

Rights offering	Each shareholder receives the right to buy a proportional number of additional shares at a set (often discounted) price. The calculation assumes that the offering is fully subscribed. Divisor adjustment reflects increase in market cap measured as the shares issued multiplied by the price paid.	Yes

Each of the corporate events exemplified in the table requiring an adjustment to the Divisor has the effect of altering the Market Value of the component stock and consequently of altering the aggregate Market Value of the Reference Asset component stocks (the “Post-Event Aggregate Market Value”). In order that the level of the Reference Asset (the “Pre-Event Index Value”) not be affected by the altered Market Value (whether increase or decrease) of the affected component stock, a new Divisor (“New Divisor”) is derived as follows:

Post-Event Aggregate Market Value

New Divisor

Pre-Event Index Value

New Divisor

Post-Event Aggregate Market Value

Pre-Event Index Value

Another large part of the Reference Asset maintenance process involves tracking the changes in the number of shares outstanding of each of the companies whose stocks are included in the Reference Asset. Four times a year, on a Friday close to the end of each calendar quarter, the share totals of companies in the Reference Asset are updated as required by any changes in the number of shares outstanding and then the Index Divisor is adjusted accordingly. In addition, changes in a company’s shares outstanding of 5% or more due to mergers, acquisitions, public offerings, private placements, tender offers, Dutch auctions or exchange offers are made as soon as reasonably possible. Other changes of 5% or more (due to, for example, company stock repurchases, redemptions, exercise of options, warrants, conversion of preferred stock, notes, debt, equity participations or other recapitalizations) are made weekly, and are announced on Wednesdays for implementation after the close of trading on the following Wednesday. If a 5% or more change causes a company’s IWF to change by 5 percentage points or more (for example from 0.80 to 0.85), the IWF will be updated at the same time as the share change, except IWF changes resulting from partial tender offers will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Changes to an IWF of less than 5 percentage points are implemented at the next IWF review, which occurs annually. In the case of certain rights issuances, in which the number of rights issued and/or terms of their exercise are deemed substantial, a price adjustment and share increase may be implemented immediately.

License Agreement with S&P

HSBC has entered into a nonexclusive license agreement providing for the license to it, in exchange for a fee, of the right to use indices owned and published by S&P in connection with some products, including the Notes.

The Notes are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by S&P or its third party licensors. Neither S&P nor its third party licensors makes any 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 SPX to track general stock market performance. S&P's and its third party licensor’s only relationship to HSBC USA Inc. is the licensing of certain trademarks and trade names of S&P and the third party licensors and of the SPX which is determined, composed and calculated by S&P or its third party licensors without regard to HSBC USA Inc. or the Notes. S&P and its third party licensors have no obligation to take the needs of HSBC USA Inc. or the owners of the Notes into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the SPX. Neither S&P nor its third party licensors is responsible for and has 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 has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Notes.

NEITHER STANDARD & POOR’S, ITS AFFILIATES NOR THEIR THIRD PARTY LICENSORS GUARANTEE THE ADEQUACY, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS OR COMPLETENESS OF THE SPX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN OR ANY COMMUNICATIONS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ORAL OR WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS (INCLUDING ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS) WITH RESPECT THERETO. STANDARD & POOR’S, ITS AFFILIATES AND THEIR THIRD PARTY LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE SUBJECT TO ANY DAMAGES OR LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR DELAYS THEREIN. STANDARD & POOR’S 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 MARKS, THE SPX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT WHATSOEVER SHALL STANDARD & POOR’S, ITS AFFILIATES OR THEIR THIRD PARTY LICENSORS 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.

“Standard & Poor’s^®”, “S&P^®” and “S&P 500^®” are trademarks of Standard and Poor’s and have been licensed for use by HSBC USA Inc.

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Historical Performance of Reference Asset

The following graph sets forth the historical performance of the Reference Asset based on the daily historical closing levels from February 12, 2007 through February 10, 2012. The closing level for the Reference Asset on February 10, 2012 was 1,342.64. We obtained the closing levels below from Bloomberg Professional^® service. We make no representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the information obtained from Bloomberg Professional^® service.

The historical levels of the Reference Asset should not be taken as an indication of future performance, and no assurance can be given as to the Official Closing Level on the Final Valuation Date or any of the Ending Averaging Dates. We cannot give you assurance that the performance of the Reference Asset will result in the return of any of your initial investment.

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Market Disruption Events

If an Ending Averaging Date or the Final Valuation Date is not a scheduled trading day, then such Ending Averaging Date or the Final Valuation Date will be the next day that is a scheduled trading day. If a market disruption event (as defined below) exists on an Ending Averaging Date or the Final Valuation Date, then such Ending Averaging Date or the Final Valuation Date, as applicable, will be the next scheduled trading day for which there is no market disruption event. If a market disruption event exists with respect to an Ending Averaging Date or the Final Valuation Date on five consecutive scheduled trading days, then that fifth scheduled trading day will be the Ending Averaging Date or the Final Valuation Date, as applicable, and the Official Closing Level of the Reference Asset will be determined by means of the formula for and method of calculating the Reference Asset which applied just prior to the market disruption event, using the relevant exchange traded or quoted price of each stock included in the Reference Asset (or a good faith estimate of the value of a security included in the Reference Asset which is itself the subject of a market disruption event). If an Ending Averaging Date is postponed, then each subsequent Ending Averaging Date and the Final Valuation Date will also be postponed by an equal number of scheduled trading days. If the Final Valuation Date is postponed, then the Maturity Date will also be postponed by an equal number of scheduled trading days and no interest will be paid in respect of such postponement.

Notwithstanding the definition of market disruption event in the accompanying product supplement, “market disruption event” means any scheduled trading day on which any relevant exchange or related exchange fails to open for trading during its regular trading session or on which any of the following events has occurred and is continuing which the calculation agent determines is material:

(i)

Any suspension of or limitation imposed on trading by any relevant exchanges or related exchanges or otherwise, (A) relating to any component security included in the Reference Asset then constituting 20.00% or more of the level of such Reference Asset or (B) in futures or options contracts relating to the relevant Reference Asset on any related exchange; or

(ii)

Any event (other than any event described in (iii) below) that disrupts or impairs the ability of market participants in general (A) to effect transactions in, or obtain market values for any component security included in the Reference Asset then constituting 20.00% or more of the level of such Reference Asset or (B) to effect transactions in, or obtain market values for, futures or options contracts relating to the Reference Asset on any relevant related exchange; or

(iii)

The closure on any scheduled trading day of any relevant exchange or related exchange prior to its scheduled closing time (unless the earlier closing time is announced by the relevant exchange or related exchange at least one hour prior to the earlier of (i) the actual closing time for the regular trading session on the exchange and (ii) the submission deadline for orders to be entered into the relevant exchange or related exchange for execution at the close of trading on that day).

Supplemental Plan of Distribution (Conflicts of Interest)

Pursuant to the terms of a distribution agreement, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., an affiliate of HSBC, will purchase the Notes from HSBC for distribution to J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and certain of its registered broker-dealer affiliates, at the price indicated on the cover of this pricing supplement. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and certain of its registered broker-dealer affiliates will act as placement agent for the Notes and will receive a fee that will not exceed $10.00 per $1,000 Principal Amount of Notes.

In addition, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. or another of its affiliates or agents may use this pricing supplement in market-making transactions after the initial sale of the securities, but is under no obligation to do so and may discontinue any market-making activities at any time without notice.

See “Supplemental Plan of Distribution” on page S-52 in the prospectus supplement. All references to NASD Rule 2720 in the prospectus supplement shall be to FINRA Rule 5121.

Validity of the Notes

In the opinion of Sidley Austin llp, as counsel to the Issuer, when the notes offered by this pricing supplement have been executed and issued by the Issuer and authenticated by the trustee pursuant to the senior indenture referred to in this pricing supplement, and delivered against payment as contemplated herein, such notes will be valid and binding obligations of the Issuer, enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency and similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally, concepts of reasonableness and equitable principles of general applicability (including, without limitation, concepts of good faith, fair dealing and the lack of bad faith), provided that such counsel expresses no opinion as to the effect of fraudulent conveyance, fraudulent transfer or similar provision of applicable law on the conclusions expressed above. This opinion is given as of the date hereof and is limited to the Federal laws of the United States, the laws of the State of New York and the Maryland General Corporation Law as in effect on the date hereof. In addition, 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 certain factual matters, all as stated in the letter of such counsel dated December 14, 2011, which has been filed as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed by the Issuer on December 14, 2011.

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