The company's purpose is the acquisition, holding, management and realization of participations in all types of commercial, financial and industrial enterprises, in Switzerland and abroad, excluding participations in non-listed companies with a real estate purpose. The company may carry out, both in Switzerland and abroad, for its own account or for the account of third parties, all commercial, financial, industrial and securities transactions in direct or indirect relation to its main purpose. It may establish branches and/or subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad. The company may grant loans or other direct or indirect financing to its direct or indirect subsidiaries as well as to any other company of the group, including its direct or indirect shareholders and their direct or indirect subsidiaries, and may also guarantee their obligations to third parties in any way, including through pledges, assignments or transfers for security or guarantee purposes of any kind, remunerated or not, even if these guarantees and securities exclusively serve the interests of the direct or indirect shareholders or other companies of the group. Furthermore, it may operate or associate with the companies mentioned above in cash pooling/centralization of net liquidity, including periodic balance adjustments. Finally, it may act as guarantor towards creditors for debts contracted by its direct or indirect subsidiaries as well as by any other company of the group, including its direct or indirect shareholders and their direct or indirect subsidiaries. Within the framework of its purpose, the company may acquire and hold Swiss real estate or shares in real estate companies holding Swiss real estate, provided that the real estate has an exclusively commercial or industrial use.