The company's purpose is to acquire, sell, finance, hold and manage participations in companies of all kinds, as well as to carry out related activities. The company may establish branches, participate in other companies in Switzerland and abroad, acquire or merge with similar or related companies, raise loans and bonds, grant loans, acquire, encumber, manage and sell real estate, acquire or dispose of securities, patents and other intellectual property rights, and enter into all transactions and conclude contracts that are suitable to promote the purpose of the company or are directly or indirectly related to it. The company may also participate in group financing, in particular by granting loans to other group companies or providing guarantees or other securities of all kinds for their liabilities to third parties.