The company's purpose is to acquire, hold, manage and dispose of participations of all kinds in domestic and foreign companies of all kinds. The company may participate in other undertakings, acquire, exploit, manage and dispose of business premises, real estate and intellectual property rights, establish subsidiaries and branches in Switzerland and abroad, and carry out all legal transactions that may be necessary or suitable to promote the company's purpose or the development of group companies. The company may grant direct or indirect financing to third parties, including companies in which it has a direct or indirect interest, its direct or indirect shareholders, and companies in which such parties have a direct or indirect interest, whether through loans or other financing, including within the framework of cash pooling agreements, and provide security of any kind for their liabilities, including by way of pledges on or fiduciary transfers of the company's assets or guarantees of any kind, whether against payment or not.