The company's purpose is to acquire, hold, and manage participations in other companies in Switzerland and abroad. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad and participate in other companies in Switzerland and abroad. It may acquire, hold, manage, exploit, and dispose of real estate and intellectual property rights in Switzerland and abroad. Furthermore, it may engage in all commercial, financial, and other activities that are related to the company's purpose or suitable to promote it directly or indirectly. The company may grant loans or other financing to its direct and indirect parent companies and shareholders as well as to their or its direct or indirect subsidiaries, and may enter into security transactions of all kinds, particularly in the form of guarantees, pledges, global assignments, security transfers, security assignments, and indemnities for affiliated companies and third parties, even if such financing or security transactions are in their sole interest and are uncompensated. Additionally, the company may conclude cash pooling agreements with other group companies.