The company's purpose is to acquire, manage and dispose of participations. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad and participate in other companies in Switzerland and abroad. The company may acquire, encumber, sell and manage real estate and industrial property rights in Switzerland and abroad. The company may grant direct or indirect financing to group companies or third parties, including their direct or indirect shareholders and their direct or indirect subsidiaries, for their own account or for the account of third parties, and provide security of any kind for the liabilities of such other companies, including by way of pledges on or fiduciary transfers of the company's assets or guarantees of any kind, whether against payment or not. It may enter into cash pooling agreements with group companies. The company may enter into any business and conclude any contracts that are suitable to promote the purpose of the company or that are directly or indirectly related to it.