All operations directly or indirectly related to the acquisition of participations in any form, in any company in the form of a capital company or partnership, as well as the administration, management, control and development of these participations, excluding participations in companies with a real estate purpose in Switzerland. The Company may carry out all operations of a patrimonial, movable, immovable, commercial, industrial or financial nature, as well as all transactions and operations likely to promote and facilitate directly or indirectly the realization of the company's purpose or its extension. It may also place and manage its liquidity. The Company may also carry out its activities through branches in Switzerland or abroad. It may also acquire, manage, exploit, sell or lease all properties, movable and immovable, and generally carry out all real estate operations, except for those of real estate traders and those involving residential properties in Switzerland. It may notably use its funds to create, manage, develop and transfer a portfolio consisting of all securities and patents of any origin, participate in the creation, development and control of any company, acquire by way of contribution, subscription, firm commitment or option to purchase and in any other manner, all securities and patents, realize them by way of sale, assignment, exchange or otherwise. The Company may borrow in any form, except through public offering. It may proceed, solely through private placement, to the issuance of shares and bonds and other securities representing loans and/or claims. The Company may lend funds, including, without limitation, those resulting from borrowings and/or bond issuances or securities, to its subsidiaries, affiliated companies and/or any other company or person. It may also grant guarantees and pledge, assign, encumber all or part of its assets or create, in any other manner, securities on all or part of its assets in order to guarantee its own obligations and commitments and/or obligations and commitments of any other company and, in general, in its favor and/or in favor of any other company or person.