The company's purpose is to acquire, hold, manage and dispose of majority participations in companies, businesses or corporations of any kind, regardless of their legal form, in Switzerland and abroad, as well as to participate in such companies, businesses or corporations, with the exception of participations in companies or corporations that hold residential properties in Switzerland. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad. The company may acquire, hold and dispose of real estate (but may not engage in real estate transactions prohibited by the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad of December 16, 1983 (BewG)) as well as patent, trademark, copyright, design and all other intellectual property rights in Switzerland and abroad. The company may provide financing of any kind for its own account or for the account of third parties or take advantage of such financing. In particular, it may enter into loan or security transactions (including guarantees, sureties or declarations of patronage) for consideration or free of charge for itself or for direct or indirect parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies, even if such loan or security transactions are in the exclusive interest of these parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies. The company may also provide management services to parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies. The company may do or cause to be done all things that appear to be suitable to promote the purpose of the company or to be directly or indirectly connected therewith.