The company's purpose is to acquire, manage and dispose of participations in domestic and foreign companies of all kinds, in particular in the fields of industry and trade, including their financing. The company may establish branches in Switzerland and abroad. The company may acquire, hold, manage, encumber, utilize and dispose of real estate and intellectual property rights in Switzerland and abroad, as well as finance other companies. The company may grant direct or indirect financing to its direct or indirect subsidiaries and to third parties, including its direct or indirect shareholders and their direct or indirect subsidiaries, for its own liabilities and those of other companies (including direct or indirect shareholders of the company or companies in which these shareholders are directly or indirectly involved), provide securities of all kinds, including by way of pledges on or fiduciary transfers or assignments of the company's assets, or guarantees, enter into sureties or otherwise secure or guarantee the obligations of these other companies, whether for consideration or not. Furthermore, it may engage in liquidity balancing/net liquidity concentration (cash pooling) with the aforementioned companies or join such an arrangement, including periodic account balancing. This may also be done without consideration, on preferential terms, without interest, excluding the company's pursuit of profit, and assuming cluster risks. The company may engage in all commercial, financial and other activities that appear to promote the company's purpose or are related thereto.