The purpose of the company is to acquire, hold and sell participations in companies of any kind in Switzerland and abroad. The company may establish branches in Switzerland and abroad, participate in other companies in Switzerland and abroad, acquire or merge with similar or related companies, acquire, manage and sell real estate, and enter into any business and conclude any 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 by granting loans to other group companies, in particular its direct or indirect subsidiaries and/or sister companies, or by providing guarantees or other securities of any kind for their liabilities to third parties, even if these loans or securities are in the exclusive interest of the other group companies and are granted free of charge. In the same sense, the company may have such loans, guarantees or other securities granted to it by other group companies.