The company's purpose is to directly or indirectly acquire, sell and hold participations in other companies, as well as to actively manage and finance them. The company may enter into any business and conclude contracts that are suitable to promote the purpose of the company or that are directly or indirectly related to it. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad and hold participations in other companies. The company may grant loans or other financing to its direct or indirect parent companies, as well as to their or its direct or indirect subsidiaries or third parties, and provide security of any kind for liabilities of such other companies, including by way of pledges on or fiduciary transfers of the company's assets or guarantees and personal securities of any kind, whether against payment or not.