The purpose of the company is to acquire, hold, finance and sell participations in other companies and securities of any kind. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad, take over representations, acquire intellectual property rights and carry out any business activities and conclude any contracts that may be beneficial to the company's purpose or are directly or indirectly related to it. It may acquire, hold, encumber and sell real estate in Switzerland and abroad, except for transactions prohibited by the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad. The company is part of a group and may consider the interests of the group in pursuing its purpose. In particular, the company may grant loans and other direct or indirect financing to its direct and indirect subsidiaries and third parties, including its direct and indirect shareholders and their direct and indirect subsidiaries, including within the framework of cash pooling agreements, and provide security of any kind for their liabilities, including by way of pledges on or fiduciary transfers of the company's assets or guarantees of any kind, whether remunerated or not.