Product prospectus supplement no. UBS-EQUITY-1 dated January 4, 2017:

Prospectus supplement dated January 8, 2016:

Prospectus dated January 8, 2016:

Terms used in this free writing prospectus, but not defined herein, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the product prospectus supplement.

In the event we make any change to the expected Trade Date and Settlement Date, the Final Valuation Date and Maturity Date will be changed to ensure that the stated term of the Securities remains approximately the same.

Your Investment in the Securities May Result in a Loss of Principal: The Securities differ from ordinary debt securities in that we are not necessarily obligated to repay the full principal amount of the Securities at maturity. The return on the Securities at maturity is linked to the performance of the Underlying and will depend on whether, and the extent to which, the Underlying Return is positive or negative. If the Final Underlying Price is less than the Initial Underlying Price, you will be fully exposed to any negative Underlying Return and we will pay you less than your principal amount at maturity, resulting in a loss of principal of your Securities that is proportionate to the percentage decline in the Underlying. Accordingly, you could lose the entire principal amount of the Securities.

The Upside Gearing Applies Only if You Hold the Securities to Maturity: The application of the Upside Gearing only applies at maturity. If you are able to sell your Securities prior to maturity in the secondary market, the price you receive will likely not reflect the full effect of the Upside Gearing and the return you realize may be less than the Upside Gearing times the return of the Underlying at the time of sale, even if that return is positive and does not exceed the Maximum Gain.

The Appreciation Potential of the Securities Is Limited by the Maximum Gain: If the Underlying Return is positive, we will pay you $10 per Security at maturity plus an additional return that will not exceed the Maximum Gain, regardless of the appreciation in the Underlying, which may be significant. Therefore, you will not benefit from any appreciation of the Underlying in excess of an amount that, when multiplied by the Upside Gearing, exceeds the Maximum Gain and your return on the Securities may be less than your return would be on a hypothetical direct investment in the Underlying.

No Interest Payments: We will not pay any interest with respect to the Securities.

An Investment in the Securities Is Subject to Our Credit Risk: The Securities are unsubordinated, unsecured debt obligations of the issuer, Royal Bank of Canada, and are not, either directly or indirectly, an obligation of any third party. Any payment to be made on the Securities, including any repayment of principal at maturity, depends on our ability to satisfy our obligations as they come due. As a result, our actual and perceived creditworthiness may affect the market value of the Securities and, in the event we were to default on our obligations, you may not receive any amounts owed to you under the terms of the Securities and you could lose your entire initial investment.

Your Return on the Securities May Be Lower than the Return on a Conventional Debt Security of Comparable Maturity: The return that you will receive on the Securities, which could be negative, may be less than the return you could earn on other investments. Even if your return is positive, your return may be less than the return you could earn if you bought a conventional senior interest bearing debt security of ours with the same maturity date or if you invested directly in the Underlying. Your investment may not reflect the full opportunity cost to you when you take into account factors that affect the time value of money.

The Initial Estimated Value of the Securities Will Be Less than the Price to the Public: The initial estimated value that is set forth on the cover page of this document, and that will be set forth in the final pricing supplement for the Securities, will be less than the public offering price you pay for the Securities, does not represent a minimum price at which we, RBCCM or any of our other affiliates would be willing to purchase the Securities in any secondary market (if any exists) at any time. If you attempt to sell the Securities prior to maturity, their market value may be lower than the price you paid for them and the initial estimated value. This is due to, among other things, changes in the price of the Underlying, the borrowing rate we pay to issue securities of this kind, and the inclusion in the price to public of the underwriting discount, and our estimated profit and the costs relating to our hedging of the Securities. These factors, together with various credit, market and economic factors over the term of the Securities, are expected to reduce the price at which you may be able to sell the Securities in any secondary market and will affect the value of the Securities in complex and unpredictable ways. Assuming no change in market conditions or any other relevant factors, the price, if any, at which you may be able to sell your Securities prior to maturity may be less than the price to public, as any such sale price would not be expected to include the underwriting discount and our estimated profit and the costs relating to our hedging of the Securities. In addition, any price at which you may sell the Securities is likely to reflect customary bid-ask spreads for similar trades. In addition to bid-ask spreads, the value of the Securities determined for any secondary market price is expected to be based on the secondary market rate rather than the internal borrowing rate used to price the Securities and determine the initial estimated value. As a result, the secondary market price will be less than if the internal borrowing rate was used. The Securities are not designed to be short-term trading instruments. Accordingly, you should be able and willing to hold your Securities to maturity.

Our Initial Estimated Value of the Securities Is an Estimate Only, Calculated as of the Time the Terms of the Securities Are Set: The initial estimated value of the Securities is based on the value of our obligation to make the payments on the Securities, together with the mid-market value of the derivative embedded in the terms of the Securities. See “Structuring the Securities” below. Our estimate is based on a variety of assumptions, including our credit spreads, expectations as to dividends, interest rates and volatility, and the expected term of the Securities. These assumptions are based on certain forecasts about future events, which may prove to be incorrect. Other entities may value the Securities or similar securities at a price that is significantly different than we do.

Owning the Securities Is Not the Same as Owning the Underlying or the Stocks Comprising the Underlying’s Underlying Index: The return on your Securities may not reflect the return you would realize if you actually owned the Underlying or stocks included in the Underlying’s underlying index. As a holder of the Securities, you will not have voting rights or rights to receive dividends or other distributions or other rights that holders of the Underlying or these stocks would have, and any such dividends will not be incorporated in the determination of the Underlying Return.

The Policies of the Underlying’s Investment Adviser Could Affect the Amount Payable on the Securities and Their Market Value: The policies of the Underlying’s investment adviser concerning the management of the Underlying, additions, deletions or substitutions of the securities

Historical Prices of the Underlying Should Not Be Taken as an Indication of Its Future Prices During the Term of the Securities: The trading prices of the Underlying will determine the value of the Securities at any given time. However, it is impossible to predict whether the price of the Underlying will rise or fall, and trading prices of the common stocks held by the Underlying will be influenced by complex and interrelated political, economic, financial and other factors that can affect the issuers of those stocks, and therefore, the price of the Underlying.

The Underlying and its Underlying Index Are Different: The performance of the Underlying may not exactly replicate the performance of the underlying index, because the Underlying will reflect transaction costs and fees that are not included in the calculation of the underlying index. It is also possible that the performance of the Underlying may not fully replicate or may in certain circumstances diverge significantly from the performance of the underlying index due to the temporary unavailability of certain securities in the secondary market, the performance of any derivative instruments contained in the Underlying or due to other circumstances. The Underlying may use futures contracts, options, swap agreements, currency forwards and repurchase agreements in seeking performance that corresponds to the underlying index and in managing cash flows.

Management Risk: The Underlying is not managed according to traditional methods of “active” investment management, which involve the buying and selling of securities based on economic, financial and market analysis and investment judgment. Instead, the Underlying, utilizing a “passive” or indexing investment approach, attempts to approximate the investment performance of its underlying index by investing in a portfolio of securities that generally replicate the underlying index. Therefore, unless a specific security is removed from the underlying index, the Underlying generally would not sell a security because the security’s issuer was in financial trouble. In addition, the Underlying is subject to the risk that the investment strategy of the Underlying’s investment advisor may not produce the intended results.

Risks Associated with the Energy Sector: The Underlying invests in companies that develop and produce crude oil and natural gas and provide drilling and other energy resources production and distribution related services. Stock prices for these types of companies are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for energy products and services in general. The price of oil and gas, exploration and production spending, government regulation, world events and economic conditions will likewise affect the performance of these companies. The stock prices of oil service companies could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to a variety of factors, including the ability of the OPEC to set and maintain production levels and pricing, the level of production in non-OPEC countries, the demand for oil and gas, which is negatively impacted by economic downturns, the policies of various governments regarding exploration and development of oil and gas reserves, advances in exploration and development technology and the political environment of oil-producing regions. Correspondingly, securities of companies in the energy field are subject to swift price and supply fluctuations caused by events relating to international politics, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, and tax and other governmental regulatory policies. Weak demand for the companies’ products or services or for energy products and services in general, as well as negative developments in these other areas, would adversely impact the performance of the Underlying.

Lack of Liquidity: The Securities will not be listed on any securities exchange. RBCCM intends to offer to purchase the Securities in the secondary market, but is not 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 Securities easily. Because other dealers are not likely to make a secondary market for the Securities, the price at which you may be able to trade your Securities is likely to depend on the price, if any, at which RBCCM is willing to buy the Securities.

Potential Conflicts: We and our affiliates play a variety of roles in connection with the issuance of the Securities, including hedging our obligations under the Securities. 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 Securities.

The Probability That the Underlying Will Fall Below the Initial Underlying Price on the Final Valuation Date Will Depend on the Volatility of the Underlying: “Volatility” refers to the frequency and magnitude of changes in the price of the Underlying. Greater expected volatility with respect to the Underlying reflects a higher expectation as of the Trade Date that the Underlying could close below its Initial Underlying Price on the Final Valuation Date, resulting in the loss of some or all of your investment. However, an Underlying’s volatility can change significantly over the term of the Securities. The price of the Underlying could fall sharply, which could result in a significant loss of principal.

The Terms of the Securities at Issuance and Their Market Value Prior to Maturity Will Be Influenced by Many Unpredictable Factors: Many economic and market factors will influence the terms of the Securities at issuance and their value prior to maturity. These factors are similar in some ways to those that could affect the value of a combination of instruments that might be used to replicate the payments on the Securities, including a combination of a bond with one or more options or other derivative instruments. For the market value of the Securities, we expect that, generally, the price of the Underlying on any day will affect the value of the Securities more than any other single factor. However, you should not expect the value of the Securities in the secondary market to vary in proportion to changes in the price of the Underlying. The value of the Securities will be affected by a number of other factors that may either offset or magnify each other, including:

the price of the Underlying;

the actual and expected volatility of the price of the Underlying;

the time remaining to maturity of the Securities;

the dividend rates on the securities held by the Underlying;

interest and yield rates in the market generally, as well as in each of the markets of the securities held by the Underlying;

a variety of economic, financial, political, regulatory or judicial events;

the occurrence of certain events with respect to the Underlying that may or may not require an adjustment to the terms of the Securities; and

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

The Anti-Dilution Protection for the Underlying Is Limited: The calculation agent will make adjustments to the Initial Underlying Price and the Final Underlying Price for certain events affecting the shares of the Underlying. However, the calculation agent will not be required to make an adjustment in response to all events that could affect the Underlying. If an event occurs that does not require the calculation agent to make an adjustment, the value of the Securities and the Payment at Maturity may be materially and adversely affected.

Market Capitalization:  Float-adjusted market capitalization should be at least US$400 million for inclusion in the underlying index. Existing index components must have a float-adjusted market capitalization of US$300 million to remain in the underlying index at each rebalancing.

Liquidity: The liquidity measurement used is a liquidity ratio, defined as dollar value traded over the previous 12-months divided by the float-adjusted market capitalization as of the underlying index rebalancing reference date. Stocks having a float-adjusted market capitalization above US$500 million must have a liquidity ratio greater than 90% to be eligible for addition to the underlying index. Stocks having a float-adjusted market capitalization between US$400 and US$500 million must have a liquidity ratio greater than 150% to be eligible for addition to the underlying index. Existing index constituents must have a liquidity ratio greater than 50% to remain in the underlying index at the quarterly rebalancing. The length of time to evaluate liquidity is reduced to the available trading period for IPOs or spin-offs that do not have 12 months of trading history.

Takeover Restrictions:  At the discretion of S&P, constituents with shareholder ownership restrictions defined in company bylaws may be deemed ineligible for inclusion in the underlying index. Ownership restrictions preventing entities from replicating the index weight of a company may be excluded from the eligible universe or removed from the underlying index.