The company's purpose is the acquisition, sale and management of participations in any financial, industrial and commercial enterprise. The company may: carry out any financial, commercial or industrial activity, movable or immovable, directly or indirectly related to its purpose; create branches or subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad; participate in all enterprises having a direct or indirect relationship with its purpose; grant loans or other direct or indirect financing to its direct or indirect subsidiaries as well as to any other company of the group, including its direct or indirect shareholders and their direct or indirect subsidiaries, and may also guarantee their obligations to third parties in any way, including by means of pledges, assignments or transfers for the purpose of securities or guarantees of any kind, remunerated or not, even if these guarantees and securities exclusively serve the interests of the direct or indirect shareholders or other companies of the group. Furthermore, it may operate or associate with the companies mentioned above in cash pooling/centralization of net liquidity, including periodic balance adjustments. Finally, it may act as guarantor towards creditors for debts contracted by its direct or indirect subsidiaries as well as by any other company of the group, including its direct or indirect shareholders and their direct or indirect subsidiaries.