The purpose of the company is the management, including the development and implementation of strategies, and the supervision of companies and assets in Switzerland and abroad, in public or private markets, and all related business activities. The purpose includes the acquisition, sale and merger of companies, as well as the use of financial instruments and securities such as shares, participation certificates, debt securities, options, structured products, etc. The company may establish or acquire branches in Switzerland and abroad to achieve its purpose, acquire or sell assets and companies of all kinds, and conduct related business. The company may acquire, manage, encumber and sell real estate in Switzerland and abroad. It may also provide financing for its own account or for third-party account, as well as guarantees and sureties for subsidiaries and third parties. Furthermore, the company may grant loans or other financing to third parties, including its direct or indirect shareholders or their direct or indirect subsidiaries, conclude cash-pooling agreements with these third parties, and provide securities and guarantees of all kinds for their liabilities, both for consideration and gratuitously, in particular even if such transactions are in the exclusive interest of these third parties. Transactions prohibited by the Lex Koller are excluded.