The company's purpose is the acquisition, holding, management and financing of participations. The company may carry out all other commercial or financial operations and assume all functions that have a direct or indirect connection with its purpose. It may grant loans or guarantees to group companies, third parties or its shareholders. The company may engage in any financial, commercial, industrial, movable or immovable activity that is directly or indirectly related to its purpose or is likely to promote its realization, conclude contracts that are intended to develop its activities or are directly or indirectly related to them, receive income in the form of interest, commissions and dividends, establish branches or subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad, acquire or create identical or similar companies, participate in all companies that have a direct or indirect connection with its purpose. It may carry out these operations for its own account as well as for the account of third parties. It may grant loans and provide guarantees to any person, in particular to its shareholders and directors.