The acquisition, holding, management, and transfer of domestic and foreign participations of any kind, with the exception of participations in companies holding residential real estate in Switzerland. The company may acquire, hold, manage, operate, and transfer real estate, with the exception of residential real estate in Switzerland, and intellectual property rights both domestically and internationally, and may also open branches and establish subsidiaries both domestically and internationally. The company may engage in group financing transactions, including granting loans to its direct or indirect shareholders or to other group companies, or providing guarantees or other securities of any kind for their obligations to third parties, even if these loans or securities are exclusively in the interest of the company's direct or indirect shareholders or other group companies or if they are provided free of charge. The company may also engage in any transaction deemed appropriate to promote the company's purpose or related thereto.