The company's purpose is the acquisition, sale, administration of participations, management and financing of companies of any kind, in Switzerland and abroad, excluding real estate participations subject to authorization, within the meaning of the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners, unless the allocation of the acquired properties is strictly commercial. Authorized activities The Company may, in particular, in Switzerland and/or abroad: carry out any financial, commercial or industrial activity, movable or immovable (real estate transactions prohibited by the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners are excluded) directly or indirectly related to its purpose, participate in all companies having a direct or indirect relationship with its purpose, create branches or subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad, file, acquire, hold and sell patents or all intellectual property rights and acquire, hold and grant licenses, grant loans or guarantees to shareholders, subsidiaries, parent companies, sister companies or third parties, if it serves its interests or those of the group of companies to which it belongs, carry out any cash pooling activity for the account of the group to which it belongs.