The company's purpose is to acquire, manage and dispose of participations in companies or undertakings in Switzerland and abroad. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad, participate in other companies or merge with them, and conduct all business that is directly or indirectly related to its purpose or is beneficial to it. The company may acquire, encumber, sell and manage real estate in Switzerland and abroad. It may also conduct financing transactions, grant loans to third parties as well as to the company's shareholders and group companies, and provide securities of all kinds for their liabilities to third parties, including pledges, security assignments and guarantees, even if these loans or securities are in the exclusive interest of its shareholders or other group companies and are granted free of charge. The company may acquire, hold, manage, use, encumber and dispose of intellectual property rights.