The purpose of the company is the direct or indirect acquisition, management and disposal of participations in domestic and foreign companies. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad, acquire, encumber and dispose of real estate, participate in other domestic and foreign companies and hold such participations, assume representations, and enter into all transactions and conclude contracts that may be suitable to promote the purpose of the company or that are directly or indirectly related to it. It may provide financing for its own account or for the account of third parties, as well as enter into guarantees and sureties for affiliated companies and third parties, and provide corresponding securities of all kinds, in particular in the form of guarantees of any kind and pledges or fiduciary transfers of the company's assets.