The purchase, sale and management of participations in companies in Switzerland and abroad, the determination of their strategic policy, as well as the provision of services of all kinds in these areas; the direct or indirect acquisition of real estate is limited to properties with exclusively commercial use; the company may: establish branches or subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad; participate in all companies having a direct or indirect connection with its purpose; grant loans to its direct or indirect shareholders as well as to any other company of the group and guarantee their obligations to third parties in any way, including by means of pledges, assignments or transfers for security or guarantees of any kind, remunerated or not; or participate in cash pooling operations within its group.