The Company's purpose is to permanently invest in, finance or manage Swiss and foreign companies of any kind, in particular in the fields of mining, trade and services. It may finance other companies. The Company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad and participate in other companies in Switzerland and abroad. The Company may acquire, hold, manage, pledge, develop and dispose of real estate and intellectual property rights in Switzerland (concerning real estate used as permanent establishments and excluding operations subject to the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners, LFAIE) 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 their own commitments as well as for those of other companies (including direct or indirect shareholders of the Company or companies in which these shareholders have a direct or indirect participation), issue securities of any kind, including by way of pledges on the Company's assets or fiduciary transfers or assignments of the Company's assets, issue guarantees, provide guarantees or otherwise secure or guarantee obligations of the Company or such other companies. Furthermore, it may operate or associate with the companies mentioned above in cash pooling/centralized cash management, including periodic balance adjustments. The Company may engage in all commercial, financial and other activities that are conducive to its purpose or related to it, taking into account any potential benefits associated with being part of a group of companies, together with its direct or indirect shareholders and their respective direct or indirect subsidiaries, as the case may be.