The company's purpose is to acquire, sell and manage participations in companies of all kinds, as well as to carry out financial transactions and all kinds of commercial transactions. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad, take over representations, and engage in any business activities and conclude contracts of any kind that may be beneficial to the company's purpose or are directly or indirectly related to the company's purpose. It may acquire, hold, encumber and sell real estate in Switzerland and abroad, except for real estate transactions prohibited by the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad (BewG). It may also provide financing for its own account or for the account of third parties, as well as provide guarantees and sureties for subsidiaries and third parties.